The Main Event

  • June 29, 1986 – Juan Samuel hits a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning (his first) to lead the Phils to an 8-7 win over St. Louis.

Juan Samuel’s path to the major leagues began far from any baseball academy. Born December 9, 1960, in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic — a city that later produced major leaguers like Pedro Guerrero, Joaquin Andujar, and Julio Franco — Samuel wasn’t a heralded prospect as a teenager. After his father died in 1977, he worked at a clothing factory to help support his family, playing softball on weekends. Scouts noticed his speed and bat, and the Phillies signed him as a non-drafted free agent in 1980.

Samuel tore through the Phillies’ farm system. In 1982, he was named MVP of the Carolina League after hitting .320 with 28 home runs for the Peninsula Pilots. The Phillies were so confident in his ability that they traded away longtime second baseman Manny Trillo and brought in future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan strictly as a one-year bridge, clearing the position for Samuel in 1984.

A Historic, Record-Setting Rookie Season

Samuel’s 1984 rookie campaign remains one of the most statistically unique seasons in baseball history. He set what was then a major league rookie record with 72 stolen bases, breaking Tim Raines‘ mark of 71. He also set the all-time major league record for at-bats by a right-handed hitter with 701, a mark that still stands. Samuel hit .273 with 191 hits, 36 doubles, a league-best 19 triples, and 15 home runs, scoring 105 runs. He became the first player in major league history to reach double digits in doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in each of his first four big league seasons.

The production came with a cost in the strikeout column — Samuel led the National League in strikeouts for four consecutive seasons from 1984 through 1987, tying a major league record held by Hack Wilson and Vince DiMaggio. Samuel never apologized for his approach, famously summing up the hitting philosophy he and many Dominican players grew up with: “We don’t walk off the island. We hit our way out.”

Despite his gaudy numbers, Samuel finished second to Dwight Gooden in the 1984 NL Rookie of the Year voting, though The Sporting News separately recognized him as the top rookie of the year. He made the All-Star team in 1984 and again in 1987, the same year he won his only Silver Slugger award after posting career-high totals of 28 home runs and 100 RBI. Defensively, Samuel was erratic — he led NL second basemen in errors in 1984, 1986, and 1987 — and the Phillies eventually shifted him to center field in 1988 to take advantage of his speed and reduce defensive strain.

Trade to the Mets and a Long Playing Career

By 1989, with free agency approaching, the Phillies signed Samuel to a two-year extension, but his performance dipped. Hitting just .246 through 51 games, Samuel was traded to the New York Mets on June 18, 1989, in a deal that brought Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell to Philadelphia — a trade that, in hindsight, paid major dividends for the Phillies’ 1993 pennant-winning roster.

Samuel went on to play for seven total franchises over 16 big league seasons, including the Reds, Dodgers, Royals, Tigers, Blue Jays, and Mets, before retiring after the 1998 season. He finished his career with 1,578 hits, 161 home runs, 396 stolen bases, and a .259 batting average, ranking among a small group of players in MLB history to retire with at least 100 career doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases — a club that includes Hall of Famers Robin Yount and George Brett.

Coaching, Managing, and a Return to Philadelphia

After retirement, Samuel built a long second career in coaching. He worked as a coach for the Detroit Tigers from 1999 through 2005, then managed the Double-A Binghamton Mets in 2006 before joining the Baltimore Orioles as third base coach. In 2010, Samuel got his only major league managing opportunity, taking over the Orioles on an interim basis after Dave Trembley’s dismissal. He inherited a last-place team with the league’s worst record, and while Baltimore went just 17-34 under his watch, the club did show flashes of life, including a pair of four-game winning streaks and a sweep of the eventual AL champion Texas Rangers.

Samuel returned to the Phillies organization as a coach for the 2011 season, shuffling between third base and first base coaching duties through the 2013 season, including a stint filling in as Ryne Sandberg took over as interim manager. In August 2008, Samuel had already been inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in recognition of his contributions during the franchise’s competitive stretch in the 1980s. He later worked in player development roles, including a position with the Cincinnati Reds organization, and has often expressed a desire for one more shot at managing in the majors, noting he has coached nearly every position on the diamond over his decades in the game.

Philadelphia Baseball Events for June 29

  • June 29, 1945 – Pitcher/outfielder Ben Chapman is named player-manager, replacing Fred Fitzsimmons, who resigned. Fitzsimmons’ managerial record was 104-180-2.
  • June 29, 1956 – Signed minor-league free agent Art Mahaffey, who pitched for the Phillies from 1960-1965 with a 58-60 record and a 4.09 ERA.
  • June 29, 1958 – Playing left field for St. Louis, former Phillie Del Ennis records outfield assists on back-to-back Philadelphia batters. With Dave Philley on second, Solly Hemus singled, but Ennis cut Philley down at third. Harry Anderson was next. He also singled to left, and Ennis caught Hemus going to third.
  • June 29, 1960 – The Phillies lose both ends of a double-header to Los Angeles, striking out 12 times in each game to tie a major league record for most strikeouts in a twin-bill without extra innings.
  • June 19, 1961 – Willie Mays hits a 10th inning home run to give the Giants an 8-7 victory over the Phils. It was Mays’ third homer of the game, a feat he had accomplished earlier in the season. Before game one of the doubleheader, Gene Mauch tried to hide the identity of his starting pitcher by submitting a lineup with several pitchers at other positions including Don Ferrarese in center, Jim Owens in right, and Chris Short catching. None of those players started on the mound or even pitched in the game; Ken Lehman pitched to the first two batters and was relieved by Dallas Green. The other pitchers were substituted out very early in the game.
  • June 29, 1964 – Traded right-hander Johnny Klippstein to Minnesota for cash. The Phillies had acquired him from Cincinnati in March of 1963 for cash. In his time with Philadelphia, Klippstein was 7-7 with a 2.28 ERA. He pitched for eight different teams in an 18 year career.
  • June 29, 1971 – Tom Seaver records 13 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory over the Phillies, surpassing the 1,000 strikeout mark for his career. Willie Montanez was the victim of his 1000th career strikeout.
  • June 29, 1979 – Traded Rudy Meoli to Minnesota for cash. Meoli hit .178 in 30 games with the Phillies and never did play for the majors with Minnesota.
  • June 29, 1987 – On his way to a Cy Young award, Steve Bedrosian records hits 12th straight save, breaking Sparky Lyle‘s major-league record. He extended the streak the next day.
  • June 29, 2003 – Jose Mesa pitches the ninth inning of a 4-3 win over Baltimore, earning his 17th save of the season. It’s also his 104th as a Phillie, setting a new team record.
  • June 29, 2006 – Traded Daniel Haigwood and cash to Texas for Fabio Castro, who went 0-1, 3.06 in 26 outings with the Phillies.

ICYMI

PBN Extra Innings
PBN Extra Innings journeys further into coverage of the Phillies organization.
GO DEEPER INTO THE PHILLIES WITH BONUS COVERAGE ON PBN EXTRA INNINGS.

Sign up for a free subscription and get our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. Or, sign up for a paid subscription ($5 per month/$45 per year) and get deeper coverage of the Phillies and their minor league affiliates.

Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for June 29

  • Wilbert Robinson (born 1864) – A Hall of Fame catcher who played 17 MLB seasons, including the first five (1886-1890) with the Philadelphia Athletics. Robertson was a career .273 hitter, but hit just .227 with the A’s.
  • Ed Seward (born 1867) – A right-handed pitcher and center fielder who played for the Athletics from 1887-1890.
  • Jack Sutthoff (born 1873) – A right-hander on the 1904-1905 Phillies, Sutthoff went 9-17, 3.73 with the Phils.
  • She Donahue (born 1877) – An infielder who played 58 games with the 1904 Phillies and hit .215/.227/.235/.462.
  • Doc Martell (born 1883) – Caught 24 games with the 1909 Phillies and hit .268/.333/.390/.723.
  • Bobby Morgan (born 1926) – Played for the Phillies from 1954-1957, but also spent part of the 1956 season with St. Louis after being dealt there for Solly Hemus in May of 1956. Six months later he was traded back to the Phillies in the trade that sent Del Ennis to the Cardinals.

Please scroll down to comment on this story or to give it a rating. We appreciate your feedback!

PBN Logo

Disclaimer: Some of the products featured or linked on this website may generate income for Philly Baseball News through affiliate commissions, sponsorships, or direct sales. We only promote items we believe in, but please assume that PBN may earn a cut from qualifying purchases that you make using a link on this site.

Privacy Policy | Contact us

© 2026 LV Sports Media. All rights reserved.