Remembering Phillies Star Del Ennis

Del Ennis is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame but he managed to put up some very good numbers over his 14 year career that should have gotten him a close look from Cooperstown. Ennis, who passed away in 1996, had seven separate campaigns in which he collected at least 105 runs batted in and two more with 95. Ennis played for the Phillies for most of his career, coming up to Philadelphia in 1946 and staying with the team as an outfielder until he was traded away in 1956 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ennis was not renowned as a fielder, committing at least nine errors in nine different seasons in the outfield. However, he was the most prominent slugger by far on a Phillies team that was devoid of legitimate threats .Only Granville "Granny" Hamner and Willie "Puddin Head" Jones could qualify as power hitters in the Phillies lineup during Ennis's stay with the franchise, making what he accomplished even more impressive.

In 1950, the year the Phillies won the pennant for the first time in the history of the club, Ennis batted .311 with 31 home runs and 126 runs batted in. Somehow those stats failed to get him a single vote for National League Most Valuable Player, but trust me, the way this voting goes today he would have run away with the honor. For a slugger Ennis struck out surprisingly little, with the 65 of his rookie season the most he had in any one year.

Philadelphia fans being how they are, they chose to make Ennis the target of their frustrations and taunted him to no end when he failed to deliver or when he butchered a fly ball in the outfield. This was done despite Ennis breaking the team's home run record held by Chuck Klein, a mark Ennis would hold until it was shattered by Mike Schmidt. Ennis was named to three All-Star teams and he led the National League in RBI in 1950.

Ennis had a very solid season with the Cardinals in 1957, knocking in 105 runs before his career took a downturn. By 1959 he was out of the majors at the age of 34. Ennis compiled 2,063 base hits for a .284 lifetime average. He smashed 288 home runs and had 1,284 runs batted in. According to the Baseball Reference website Del's average 162 game season produced 25 home runs and 109 runs batted in. The website likens his career numbers to players such as Paul O'Neill, Reggie Smith, and Fred Lynn. Ennis operated a bowling alley and raised a number of racing greyhounds in retirement. He died from the complications associated with his diabetes in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania at the age of 70.