Brandon Phillips bounced around early in his career, first with Montreal and then with Cleveland. He was already with his third organization at the age of 24 when he first walked through the doors of Great American Ball Park, but it immediately felt like the right fit.
“I felt like I was home,” Phillips said over Zoom Wednesday. “It felt like where I needed to be.”
The story tells itself from there. Phillips found a home and became one of the greatest second basemen of his era. And in April, he will take his place alongside the greats in Reds history.
Four new members will be inducted into the Reds’ Hall of Fame this April, including Phillips, outfielder Reggie Sanders, starting pitcher Aaron Harang and manager Lou Piniella.
Phillips and Harang were the top two vote-getters on the Modern Player Ballot, which featured eight nominees. Sanders and Piniella were chosen by the Veterans Committee of the Reds' Hall of Fame, which considers candidates whose playing careers ended more than 15 years ago, along with managers and executives.
“We are thrilled to announce the election of Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang, Reggie Sanders, and manager Lou Piniella to the Reds Hall of Fame and look forward to their induction in April,” said Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. “Each of these legends left an indelible mark on Reds history and now will have their legacy memorialized in bronze alongside the 93 others whose contributions and achievements have earned the moniker of being called a Reds Hall of Famer.”
The four inductees will be honored April 24-26 during the Reds Hall of Fame Induction Celebration. The Tigers will be in town for that weekend series. This quartet of new inductees will raise the Hall’s membership to 97 Reds.
Phillips is the Modern Era franchise record-holder for hits (1,174), doubles (311), home runs (191) and RBIs (851) by a second baseman. A four-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star in his 11 seasons with the club from 2006-2016, Phillips also won a Silver Slugger in 2011 and is one of three Reds to record a 30 home run, 30 stolen base season, doing so in 2007. He is a three-time winner of the Ernie Lombardi Award as the Reds’ MVP, earning the honor in 2007, 2009 and 2012.
Harang spent eight years in Cincinnati from 2003-2010, and his 1,125 career strikeouts rank seventh in franchise history. Harang tied for the National League lead in wins in 2006 (16) and led the Senior Circuit in strikeouts (216) and complete games (six) that year. He also finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2007, and twice was the winner of the Johnny Vander Meer Award as the Reds’ Outstanding Pitcher.
Like Phillips, Harang debuted with a different club, starting with the Athletics and not having much early success. When he came to Cincinnati, manager Dave Miley and pitching coach Don Gullett told him he had 110 pitches, so he should "Go get ‘em." That freedom to not look over his shoulder and just go out and execute helped him grow as a pitcher.
“I was able to get a fresh start,” Harang said over Zoom. “There was a lot of ups and downs when I was leaving Oakland … I wasn’t quite sure what kind of pitcher I was at that point. Being able to come over and just get an opportunity to take the ball every fifth day [helped].”
Sanders was a seventh-round pick by the club in the 1987 Draft and blossomed into an All-Star in Cincinnati. Sanders spent the first eight of his 17 seasons with the Reds from 1991-1998, his best season coming in 1995 when he earned that All-Star nod with 28 home runs, 99 RBIs and 36 stolen bases, leading the Reds to a division title. Only 20 Reds have hit more home runs than his 125, and only 20 have stolen more bases than his 158.
When Sanders reached the Majors, then-owner Marge Schott said he was going to be the next Eric Davis. Before he walked into the clubhouse for the first time, Davis met him outside to tell the rookie that he would have his back. Years later, Sanders credits the fellow Reds Hall of Fame member as one of the most impactful people of his career.
“For him to do what he did, to set the foundation, the stage, that meant a lot,” Sanders said over Zoom.
Pinella is one of four managers to lead the Reds to a World Series championship, doing so in 1990. That club set a franchise record with nine straight wins to start the season, and the year culminated with them sweeping the defending champion Athletics for the title. He spent three years as the Reds’ skipper, recording 255 wins and a .525 winning percentage.
Voting for the Modern Ballot players was conducted by select members of Reds media, Reds alumni and a fan vote.
“It really means a lot,” Phillips said. “I don’t know if it was the writers or the fans, but I’m here. Happy to say I’m here. It’s a blessing … I’m a Red for life.”