Phil Plantier

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Phillip Alan Plantier

Bats Left, Throws Right
Height 5' 11", Weight 195 lb.

High School Poway High School

Debut August 21, 1990
Final Game September 28, 1997
Born January 27, 1969 in Manchester, NH USA

BR page

1 Biographical Information
2 Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record
3 Notable Achievements
4 Related Sites

[edit] Biographical Information

Phil Plantier was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th Round of the 1987 amateur draft. Plantier struggled in his first two professional seasons with the Elmira Pioneers and the Winter Haven Red Sox in 1987 and 1988, respectively. In 1989, however, Plantier established himself as a legitimate prospect. He finished 4 hits shy of winning the Carolina League Triple Crown. His 27 home runs and 105 RBI led the league but his .300 batting average was third behind Luis Mercedes (.309) and John Wehner (.301). He was the 6th player from Lynchburg in 7 years, either the Mets or Red Sox, to win the Carolina League MVP, following Lenny Dykstra (1983), Barry Lyons (1984), Shawn Abner (1985), Gregg Jefferies (1986), and Mickey Pina (1988).

In 1990, Plantier led the entire minor leagues with 33 home runs while playing in AAA with the Pawtucket Red Sox. He also led the International League by striking out 148 times. He earned a promotion to the majors and made his Major League debut on August 21st. Plantier had 2 hits, including a double, in 15 at-bats at the Major League level in 1990.

Plantier split the next two seasons, 1991 and 1992, between AAA Pawtucket and Boston. He batted .272 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 161 games at the Major League level during that time. He was traded by the Red Sox to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Jose Melendez following the 1992 season.

Phil was an impact player for the Padres. He led the team with 34 home runs, 100 RBI, 61 walks, and 124 strike outs. He was second in the National League with one home run every 13.6 at-bats, MVP Barry Bonds hit one every 11.7 at-bats.. He finshed in the top ten in the league in home runs, RBI, and strike outs.

He was involved in an twelve-player trade, one of the largest in baseball history, in which the San Diego Padres traded him with Craig Shipley, Pedro Martinez, Ricky Gutierrez, Doug Brocail and Derek Bell to the Houston Astros for Sean Fesh, Brian Williams, Roberto Petagine, Steve Finley, Andujar Cedeno and Ken Caminiti.