Phillip Raymond Stephenson (born September 19, 1960) is a former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
first baseman. He played all or parts of four seasons in the majors, from until .
Amateur career
While playing for the
Shockers of Wichita State University under his older brother,
Gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
, Phil hit safely in what was then the longest hitting streak in Division I history, 47 straight games in 1981. His record was broken by Oklahoma State's
Robin Ventura
Robin Mark Ventura (born July 14, 1967) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. Ventura played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Do ...
, who hit safely in 58 straight games in 1987. He was also the victim of one of the most famous plays in
College World Series
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
history - The Grand Illusion play by Miami in 1982.
Professional career
Playing
Stephenson was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the
1983 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.
''*'' Did not sign
Compensation picks
Other notable players
*Bill Swift, 2nd round, 29th overall by the Minnesota Twins, but did not ...
by the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. He was traded to the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
before the
1986 season, and made his major league debut with them in 1989. That September, he was traded to the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
, and finished his major league career with them in 1992. He played two more seasons of
minor league baseball in the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
and
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
organizations before retiring.
Stephenson was a replacement player during the 1995 players strike, playing for the Cubs during spring training.
Managerial and coaching
Stephenson managed in the minor leagues for two seasons in the mid-1990s, winning a league championship with the independent
Abilene Prairie Dogs
The Abilene Prairie Dogs were an independent professional baseball team based in Abilene, Texas. They were members of the Texas–Louisiana League from 1995 to 1999, and returned in the North American League in 2012.
Team history
Texas–Lou ...
in . He was the head baseball coach for
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College (DC3, DCCC) is a public community college in Dodge City, Kansas, United States.
History
Campus
Founded in 1935, Dodge City Community College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 ...
.
He has now joined the on-air lineup at KGSO, a sports talk radio station in Wichita, hosting a show from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Notes
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Phil
1960 births
Living people
People from Guthrie, Oklahoma
Major League Baseball first basemen
Chicago Cubs players
San Diego Padres players
Modesto A's players
Albany A's players
Tacoma Tigers players
Midland Angels players
Pittsfield Cubs players
Iowa Cubs players
Dodge City Mustangs baseball coaches
Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players
Wichita Wranglers players
Omaha Royals players
Louisville Redbirds players
Minor league baseball managers
Baseball players from Oklahoma
Wichita State Shockers baseball players
National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
All-American college baseball players
Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players