Jack Phillips (first baseman)

Jack Dorn Phillips (September 6, 1921 – August 30, 2009) was an American professional baseball player whose career extended from 1943 to 1959. In the Major Leagues, he was a backup first baseman who played for three different teams between the 1947 and 1957 seasons. Listed at 6ft 4in tall and 193 lb, Phillips batted and threw right-handed, and was nicknamed "Stretch" for his flexibility when covering first base.

Early years
A native of Clarence, New York, Phillips graduated from Lancaster High School in 1939, Clarkson University in 1943, and served in the US Navy during World War II.

Baseball career
Phillips entered the majors in 1947 with the New York Yankees, playing for them two and half years joining the Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–52) and Detroit Tigers (1955–57). His most productive season came in 1956 with the Tigers, when he posted career numbers in home runs (5), runs scored (25) and runs batted in (34), while hitting a .293 average in 69 games. The highlight of Phillips’ career was his ultimate grand slam (a walk-off grand slam that erases a three-run deficit) on July 8, 1950, which he hit against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the ball tipping off the end of Stan Musial's glove as it went over the outfield fence. Through the end of the 2016 season, Phillips is one of just 28 players in major league history to hit an ultimate grand slam. In a nine-season career, Phillips was a .283 hitter (252-for-892) in 343 games, including 111 runs, 101 RBIs, 42 doubles, 16 triples, nine home runs and five stolen bases.

A member of the 1947 World Champions New York Yankees, Phillips also earned Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player honors in 1954, after hitting .300 with 17 homers for Triple-A  Hollywood Stars. In 11 minor league seasons, he hit a combined .278 with 104 RBI in 1212 games for five different teams between 1943 and 1959.

Later years
After a brief minor league managerial career, Phillips returned to Clarkson University where he devoted himself to coaching baseball, spanning 24 seasons as the Golden Knights’ skipper, amassing nearly 200 victories and molding over 300 student-athletes in the sport of baseball. He also coached several hundred more in basketball, cross country and golf, guiding the golf team into the early 21st century as an assistant coach.

In 1992, Phillips became one of the first 15 inductees into the Clarkson University Athletic Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was awarded with professor emeritus status in 1988. On May 3, 2008, Phillips was further honored when the Golden Knights renamed their baseball facility Jack Phillips Stadium at Snell Field. Phillips died in 2009 in Chelsea, Michigan, at the age of 87.