Remembering Mets History (1976) Reserve Infielder Mike Phillips Hits For the Cycle

Friday June 25th, 1976: Just eight days away from America's big bi-centennial celebration day, Joe Frazier's third place New York Mets (35-37) were in Chicago going up against Jim Marshall's fourth place Chicago Cubs (30-38). 

It was a usual matinee at Wrigley Field in front of a crowd of 11,280. At this point in time, Wrigley Field did not yet have lights & all home games were day games. 

Today the Mets Jon Matlack (8-2) went up against the Cubs Ray Burris (3-9).

At short stop utility infielder Mike Phillips was playing short stop & batting leadoff filling in for an injured Bud Harrelson.

In the top of the 1st, the Cubs pitcher, Ray Burris struck out leadoff man, Mike Phillips to start
the game. 

In the bottom of the 1st, Rick Monday started the game for the Cubs with a HR, his 12th of the year. Monday would hit 32 round trippers on the season.

In the top of the 3rd inning, Phillips doubled down the right field line. Then Felix Millan hit a bouncer to short & Phillips was thrown out at third base on the fielder's choice. 

John Milner would double & put two men on for Dave Kingman. Kingman would blast a three run HR into the left field bleachers giving the Mets a 3-1 lead. This was Kingman's 24th league leading HR.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Dave Rosello led off with an infield hit. Jon Matlack struck out the next two batters, but Bill Madlock singled bringing in Rosello with the second Cubs run. 

Bill Madlock Trivia: Madlock won back-to-back batting titles in 1975 & 1976 with Chicago. He would go on to win two more with the Pirates (1981 & 1983) giving him four batting titles in his 15-year career. Madlock ended his playing career with 2008 hits & a .305 average. In 17 post season games, in three different post seasons he batted .308 winning a championship with the 1979 Pirates.

In the top of the 5th inning, Mike Phillips tripled on a line drive out to right field. 

Mike Phillips Trivia: Mike Phillips would lead the Mets in triples that season with six. The previous year in 1975 he led the team with seven triples. In his Mets career he hit 14 triples in parts of three seasons & had 24 in his entire playing career.

Two batters later, Many Trillo made a fielding error on John Milner's grounder allowing Phillips to score the Mets fourth run.

In the 7th inning, Mets pitcher Jon Matlack singled to center field. Mike Phillips then hit a two-run HR off Ray Burris to centerfield putting New York up 6-3. It was his third hit of the game.

Mike Phillips Trivia: This was Phillips first HR of the season & just the fifth of his playing career. in 1976 he would hit a season high four HRs. In his eleven-year career he would hit a total of 11 HRs in 1719 at bats.

In May of 1975 Phillips had been selected by the Mets off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. In 1976 he filled in for Bud Harrelson who missed time at short with injuries, also playing second base (19 games) & third base (ten games). 

Phillips remained with New York until midway through 1977. No one noticed but he was also traded away on the night of the Midnight Massacre, the night Tom Seaver was traded. Phillips was sent to Cardinals for Joel Youngblood.

In the bottom of the 7th, Chicago added a run as Dave Rosello collected his second hit & was
brought in by Jose Cardenal who was hitting .312.

In the top of the 9th inning, with two outs, Phillips drove a base hit off Mike Garman into center field. It was his fourth hit of the game as he went 4-5 completing the cycle, with a single, double, triple & HR.

Trivia: Mike Phillips was just the third Mets player to hit for the cycle in franchise history. In 1963 Jim Hickman was the first to do it. In 1970 Tommie Agee was the last Met to do it & the next would-be Keith Hernandez nine years later in 1985.

Ed Kranepool had three hits & was batting .290 for the season. 

Jon Matlack threw the complete game victory, allowing four runs, on nine hits, while striking out six. Matlack was now 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA. He would finish the year with 17 wins (7th in the NL) 16 complete games (3rd in the NL) a 2.95 ERA (10th in the NL) & a league leading six shutouts.