Samuel set to enter Phils Wall of Fame

-Courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies

Second baseman Juan Samuel is the 2008 inductee into the Phillies Wall of Fame, team President David Montgomery announced today.

Samuel was the Phillies’ regular second baseman from 1984 through 1988. As a rookie in 1984, he set modern club records for most at-bats in a season (701), most triples (19) and most stolen bases (72). 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 seasons.

The 47-year-old Samuel, current third base coach for Baltimore, will be inducted prior to the Friday night, August 8 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Orioles have granted permission for Samuel to be at Citizens Bank Park that night. All fans will receive a commemorative poster of Samuel, courtesy of Toyota, the official sponsor of Memory Lane and the Wall of Fame.

Other Wall of Famers who will be here include Robin Roberts (1978), Jim Bunning (1984), Steve Carlton (1989), Mike Schmidt (1990), Dick Allen (1994), Greg Luzinski (1998), Tony Taylor (2002), Bob Boone (2005) and Dallas Green (2006).

Wall of Fame balloting annually begins with online voting on phillies.com during spring training. A total of 15 Phillies Alumni are on the ballot. The top five vote-getters are then presented to a special Wall of Fame Selection Committee that chooses the inductee. The other four finalists this year were Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk and Greg Gross.

The Wall of Fame festivities begin the Phillies’ annual Toyota Alumni weekend. Prior to Saturday’s game, Robin Roberts will be saluted. Family, teammates and numerous other Phillies Alumni will participate. On Sunday, the Phillies Alumni Batting Challenge will be held before the 1:35 p.m. game.

Samuel File

Born: December 9, 1960, San Pedro de Macoris, DR... Resides: Estero, FL.

Career: Three-time NL All-Star during 16-year big league career that included Phillies (1983-89), Mets (1989), Dodgers (1990-92), Royals (1992; 1995), Reds (1993), Tigers (1994-95), Blue Jays (1996-98)... Major league coach with Tigers (1999-2005) and Orioles (2007-current) . . . Managed Binghamton Mets (2006) in the Eastern League.

Phillies stats: .263 AVG... 852 G... 523 R... 921 H... 176 2B... 71 3B (9th all-time)... 100 HR... 413 RBI... 249 SB (7th all-time)... Led Phillies in stolen bases (1984-86)... Scored over 100 runs (1984-85; 1987)... Played 798 games at second base, 4th on club’s all-time list… Only Phillies player to twice have 15 or more doubles, triples and home runs in a season (1984, 1987).

Records: ML, at-bats, rookie, 701; NL, triples, rookie, 19 (1984).

Phillies records: Most stolen bases, season, 72 (1984) . . . Most extra-base hits, season, second baseman, 80 (1987).

League leader: Led NL in triples, 19 (1984), 15 (1987); at-bats, 701 (1984), 663 (1985), 655 (1987).

Phillies honors: All-Star in 1984 (one of seven Phillies to be selected in rookie season) and 1987... The Sporting News Rookie of the Year (1984)... Won Silver Slugger Award (1987)... Selected as starting second baseman on the All-Vet Team in 2003 to commemorate the closing of Veterans Stadium... 2006 winner of the Phillies Latino Legends Award.