Brandon Phillips

Brandon Emil Phillips (born June 28, 1981) is an American former professional baseball second baseman.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox.

At 6 ft and 211 lb, Phillips batted and threw right-handed.

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Phillips was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1999.

Phillips was selected in the second round of the 1999 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos as a shortstop after signing a letter of intent to play both baseball and football at the University of Georgia.

He instead signed with the Expos on June 21, 1999.

In 2002, while in the minor leagues of the Montreal organization, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians.

After making his major league debut that same year for the Indians, he spent several years moving back and forth between the Indians and the minor leagues.

After several years in the Expos farm system, Phillips was part of a six-player trade that sent him from the Montreal Expos to the Cleveland Indians on June 27, 2002.

Phillips was dealt with Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Lee Stevens in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew.

Phillips' 17 RBI were the most for an NL Player of the Week since Sammy Sosa had 19 RBI the week of August 4–10, 2002.

Phillips had his first career grand slam that month and 16 straight stolen bases.

leading the Reds in hits (148) and multi-hit games (36).

He also led all National League second basemen in stolen bases with 25.

His #7 at Redan was retired by the school in December 2003.

He was the star baseball player at his high school.

Phillips' favorite baseball player growing up was Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin.

In 2003, Phillips won the starting job at second base for the Indians.

During the season, he had a season-high six-game hitting streak.

Against the Detroit Tigers on May 20, he hit the first three-run walk-off home run of his career.

After that he went 0-for-29 and was sent down to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons after the All-Star break.

He was recalled soon after that due to an injury to one of his teammates and finished the season with a .208 average, six homers, 33 RBIs and four stolen bases.

Phillips also totaled a .981 fielding percentage.

In 2004, he started the season in Buffalo.

He hit .303 with 14 stolen bases on the season and recorded 18-game and 16-game hitting streaks.

In the minor league play-offs, Phillips hit .308.

He joined the Indians at the end of the season and played six games for them.

Phillips remained with the Bisons for most of 2005.

He appeared in six games for the Indians in July but was sent back down following the stint.

In his four seasons with the Indians, Phillips appeared in 135 major league games, batting .206 with six home runs and 38 RBIs.

Phillips was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2006.

After joining the Reds, Phillips developed into one of the best second basemen in baseball.

In Cincinnati, he won four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, one Silver Slugger Award, and was selected to three National League All-Star teams.

He became the first player in MLB history to record two three-run home runs, seven RBIs, and two stolen bases in one game.

Following this performance, the uniform and pair of cleats he wore during that game were put on display in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Phillips' father, James Phillips, runs the Phillips Baseball Center in Pine Lake, Georgia.

His sister is WNBA player Porsha Phillips of the San Antonio Silver Stars and his younger brother PJ Phillips is the manager of the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Phillips attended Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he played basketball and baseball.

On April 7, 2006, Cleveland's frustration with Phillips' slow progress peaked and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later (pitcher Jeff Stevens).

He made an immediate impact, starting the season by being named NL Player of the Week the same month he was acquired by the Reds, hitting .452 (14–31) with three home runs and 17 runs batted in for the week of April 17–23.