This is the sixth in a series of most career games by position in Phillies history: the top five in games at third base.
Mike Schmidt, 1972-89, 2,212 games
Willie Jones, 1947-59, 1,495
Arthur Whitney, 1928-33; '36-38, 1,078
Scott Rolen, 1996-2002, 842
Joe Mulvey, 1883-89; '92, 682
Schmidt was a shortstop at Ohio University when the Phillies selected him in the second round of the 1971 Draft. He:
• Won or tied for eight home run crowns
• Won the National League MVP Award three times (1980, '81, '86)
• Was MVP of 1980 World Series
• Won 10 Gold Gloves
• Was selected to 12 All-Star teams
Schmidt spent his entire 18-year career with Phillies, collecting 2,234 hits, 548 home runs and 1,595 RBIs, and he hit .267 in 2,404 games. He held 18 NL hitting records and 10 league fielding records when he retired, an indication of his all-around skills. Needless to say, Schmidt is the greatest player in Phils history. His No. 20 was retired in 1990, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility ('95).
Phillies scouts discovered Jones playing sandlot baseball in his native South Carolina. Prior to the 1947 season, "Puddin' Head" received a $16,500 bonus to sign. Jones was the regular third baseman for a decade starting in 1949. He:
• Holds NL record for most consecutive years (four) leading league third basemen in fielding percentage
• Tied NL record for most years leading in putouts (seven)
• Was a member of two All-Star teams
A right-handed hitter with power, Jones hit .258, 180 homers, 753 RBIs in 1,520 games with the Phillies, and he had more walks than strikeouts (693-493). He was inducted into the Toyota Wall of Fame (1995).
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound "Pinky" Whitney wore a Phillies uniform from 1928-33 and again from 1936-39. As a rookie in '28, Whitney drove in 103 runs, which remains a club rookie record. Among the club single-season records he holds for a third baseman: RBIs (124, 1932), hits (207, '30), triples (14, '30; tied by Dick Allen in '34) and batting average (.342, '30). Whitney's .307 average ranks 10th overall on the Phils' all-time list. He was an NL All-Star in '36.
Rolen was selected in the second round of the 1993 Draft out of Jasper (Ind.) High School. He:
• Won the Paul Owens Award (1996)
• Made his debut in '96 and was the regular at third into 2002
• Won the NL Rookie of the Year Award ('97)
• Led the NL in putouts twice and assists once
• Won four NL Gold Glove Awards
• Won the Silver Slugger Award and was an All-Star starter in '02
• Hit .282 with 207 doubles, 150 home runs and 559 RBIs in 844 games with the Phillies
• Holds club record for most doubles in a season by a third baseman (45, 1998)
Mulvey made his debut with the Phillies playing in three games in 1883, their initial season. The following season, he began a streak of six straight years as their third baseman. Mulvey hit .259 in 682 games with 18 home runs and 350 RBIs in his Phils career. He twice led the league in putouts. Mulvey also committed the most errors twice -- the most being 73 in '84. (Keep in mind the gloves were fingerless and very small in that era.) Along with five others, Mulvey still holds the record for most errors by a third baseman in a single game, with six on July 30, 1884.