6 Baseball Players who Played Cleveland and Philadelphia
There is a good chance that if you’ve found this page then you’re playing the Immaculate Grid.
That also means that today’s grid has asked for players that have played for both the Cleveland Guardians and the Philadelphia Phillies.
And, it also means that you’re probably stuck on this particular box and you’re looking for a little help. Sound about right so far?
Well, good news, you’re in the right place.
I’ve done some research and have found players who played for both Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Jim Thome
If you’re like me, you picture Jim Thome in a Cleveland Indians uniform. And while Thome did play 13 seasons with Cleveland, his career spans 22 years and 6 different teams.
In addition to Cleveland, Thome played for the Phillies (where he hit a league-leading 47 home runs in 2003), White Sox, Twins, Dodgers and Orioles.
He is also one of 28 players to hit over 500 home runs in his career (another grid item that you may see). His single-season best was 52 home runs in 2002 with the Indians (now the Guardians).
*Thome was previously the most popular pick for this square (Grid 120)
Thome Key Stats
- Hall of Fame (Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Twins, Dodgers, Orioles)
- All-Star (Indians, Phillies, White Sox)
- Silver Slugger (Indians)
- 500+ Career Home Rus (Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Twins, Dodgers, Orioles)
- 40+ Home Runs Season (Indians, Phillies, White Sox)
- 100+ RBI Season (Indians, Phillies, White Sox)
- .300+ Average Season (Indians)
Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton, known for his speed and prowess in the outfield started his professional career in 1991 with the Houston Astros. His breakout season came only one year later with the Indians when he led the American League with 66 stolen bases.
Lofton was an integral part of the Cleveland Indians’ success in the 1990s. His speed and base-stealing abilities at the top of the lineup, combined with his exceptional defense in center field, made him a cornerstone of the team that won six division titles from 1995 to 2001.
Over his 17-year career, Lofton played for several teams (11 in total), including the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He had a career batting average of .299, scored over 1,500 runs, and stole over 600 bases. Lofton’s stellar career also includes four Gold Glove awards and six All-Star selections.
Lofton Key Stats
- All-Star (Indians, Braves)
- Gold Glove (Indians)
- 30+ Stolen Base Season (Indians, Dodgers)
- 200+ Hit Season (Indians)
- .300 Average Season (Indians, Braves, Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Rangers)
Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton, nicknamed “Lefty”, was a legendary pitcher in baseball from 1965 to 1988. He is best remembered for his success with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he also played for the Cardinals, Twins, Giants, Indians (now Guardians) and White Sox.
Carlton was a big part of the 1980 World Series win for the Phillies.
He had over 300 wins and struck out more than 4,000 batters. Plus, he was a four-time Cy Young Award winner. Carlton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. In short, Lefty was a pitching powerhouse and left a huge footprint in the sport.
Brad Hand
Brad Hand was selected by the Florida Marlins in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He is a relief pitcher known for his quality fastball-slider combination.
Throughout his career, Hand has received several honors, including three All-Star selections in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has also been among the league leaders in saves multiple times.
Hand has played for 9 different teams in his 13-year career (6 just in the last three seasons) including the Marlins, Padres, Indians, Nationals, Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, Rockies and Braves.
Hand Key Stats
- All-Star (Padres, Indians)
Julio Franco
Julio Franco had an exceptionally long and diverse career in Major League Baseball, playing from 1982 until 2007, with a three-year stint in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in between. He played for eight different MLB teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers.
Franco was known for his high contact, low strikeout approach, leading to a lifetime .298 batting average and an impressive .365 on-base percentage. The three-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger award winner accumulated 2586 hits, 173 home runs, and 1194 RBIs.
His longevity was remarkable, continuing his career well into his late 40s. Franco’s final MLB season was in 2007 with the Atlanta Braves when he was 48.
Franco Key Stats
- All-Star (Rangers)
- Silver Slugger (Indians, Rangers, White Sox)
- 200+ Hit Season (Rangers)
Heathcliff Slocumb
You may remember Heathcliff Slocumb as a relief pitcher with the Phillies and Red Sox in the 90s, but he was a bit of a journeyman playing for 8 teams over the course of 10 years. (Cubs, Phillies, Cardinals, Red Sox, Mariners, Padres, Indians (now Guardians), Orioles)
He was a solid reliever with some good seasons and even an all-star appearance while with the Phillies in 1995.
However, he might be best known in baseball lore for being traded from the Red Sox to the Mariners in 1997 for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek, a deal that later appeared very lopsided in Boston’s favor.
