CINCINNATI -- Brandon Phillips' tenure with the Reds did not begin with the notion he would one day be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.
Acquired by the Reds from Cleveland on April 7, 2006, for Minor League pitcher Jeff Stevens, Phillips was a former prospect who had just been designated for assignment by his old club.
“I was like, ‘Whatever opportunity I get, if I’m going to fail, I want to fail my way,'" Phillips said. "When I got here, [general manager] Wayne Krivsky and [manager] Jerry Narron called me into the office and Jerry was like, ‘Brandon, we want you to be yourself. If you can’t do it your way, you have to do it our way.’ I said I would do anything I needed to do. They had me taking fly balls in the outfield at the very beginning. They said I was going to be utility and everything."
Cincinnati already had Tony Womack, Rich Aurilia and Ryan Freel ahead of Phillips on the depth chart. During his first week-plus with the club, Phillips played sparingly but then had a 3-for-4, four-RBI game vs. the Marlins on April 17, 2006. Three days later, April 20 at Milwaukee, came a fortunate break.
"The next thing you know I get that one chance in Milwaukee. Tony Womack, he wanted that day off," Phillips said. "And I didn’t look back ever since."
Batting eighth during a 12-8 Reds win, Phillips went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs. He was named National League Player of the Week. Womack was released on April 24, 2006.
"I just said thank you for them to get [me] the opportunity," Phillips said. "I always tell everybody, you never know when your opportunity might come and I was blessed for that to happen. I just took advantage of the opportunity. People say ‘Wally Pipp,’ and all that. It happens.”
After Pipp missed a game for the Yankees with a head injury, Lou Gehrig replaced him and went to play 2,130 consecutive games during a legendary career. Phillips didn't reach those heights but that game in Milwaukee helped make him a lineup fixture the rest of the '06 season and for the next decade.
On Saturday -- amid a week where he was being inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in the 2026 class with Aaron Harang, Reggie Sanders and Lou Piniella -- Phillips was signed to a ceremonial one-day contract so that he could officially retire as a Red.
Phillips played for Cincinnati from 2006-16 and played his last Major League game in 2018. Even though he knew the day was coming for several weeks, Phillips became emotional during the press conference.
“I haven’t played in the Major Leagues for a minute," Phillips said. "I don’t want to officially retire until I know I’m going to be a Red for life. This city, this organization, they gave me the opportunity and this is where I really want to be. Just being here and the fans embracing me, I don’t want to be nowhere else. I really appreciate the Castellinis for making this happen.”
During his 11 seasons with the Reds, Phillips became the franchise record holder for a second baseman with 311 doubles and 191 home runs and second among Reds second basemen with 1,774 hits (behind Bid McPhee's 2,250). Phillips was a three-time All-Star (2010, '11, '13), a four-time Gold Glove winner and a Silver Slugger award recipient.
In 2007, Phillips slugged 30 home runs with 32 stolen bases, making him one of three players in club history to be a 30-30 player, putting him in the company of Barry Larkin and Eric Davis.
Phillips was also a big contributor to three Reds playoff teams -- the 2010 and '12 National League Central division winners and the '13 club that earned an NL Wild Card berth.
Defensively, Phillips often made spectacular plays and sometimes, plays that sometimes seemed impossible.
"Brandon arrived an amazing athlete," Reds president and CEO Phil Castellini said. "His unique set of skills made him one of the best all-around players in the game and a cornerstone of this franchise, especially defensively. He was simply electric, a human highlight reel on the daily. It made the game fun. He played the game fun, loved the game and that’s what made him special.”
Phillips joked that he would be happy to suit up for the Reds in Saturday's game vs. the Tigers, but he did believe that he would want to maintain the bond with the team and city for years to come.
“I’m open to many things. I love it here," he said. "This is my second home. We do live in Atlanta, Georgia, but we come here frequently. Anytime the Cincinnati Reds need me to be here, I’m here.”