Manny Trillo
One of the finest defensive second baseman in baseball in the 1970s and 1980s, Manny Trillo was a four-time All-Star. The popular Venezuelan was a light-hitter most of his career, but in the 1980 NLCS he hit .381 with eight hits and four RBI to pace the Phillies past the Astros. He won three Gold Glove Awards and was noted for his powerful throwing arm and ability to turn the double play. His skill with the leather allowed him to play 17 seasons in the big leagues and accumulate more than 1,500 hits.
Quotes About Trillo
"It's like we've been together for 10 years, he's so easy to play with." — Shawon Dunston in 1986
Quotes From Trillo
"They always ask me 'Why do I play so smooth?' 'Why do I always look like I don't want to play?" I say, 'That's just the way I play. You never see me go slow for a ball."
Played For
Oakland Athletics (1973-1974)
Chicago Cubs (1975-1978)
Philadelphia Phillies (1979-1982)
Cleveland Indians (1983)
Montreal Expos (1983)
San Francisco Giants (1984-1985)
Chicago Cubs (1986-1988)
Cincinnati Reds (1989)
All-Time Rankings
Manny Trillo ranks #32 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1980
In the regular season, Trillo hit a career-best .292 with a career-high 41 extra-base hits. He made just 11 errors and fielded .987 at second base. In the playoffs against the Astros, he hit .381 and won the ALCS MVP Award. In Game Five of the World Series against the Royals, Trillo hit a sharp grounder off Dan Quisenberry's glove in the ninth inning to drive in the game-winning run.
Factoids
All-Star second baseman Manny Trillo was originally signed as a catcher.
Born
Jesus Manuel Marcano Trillo was born on December 25, 1950, in Caripito
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: CHN
College: Col. Libertado Bolivar
Major League Debut
June 28, 1973
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1973
Dave Winfield
George Brett
Dave Parker
Brian Downing
Frank White
Bill Madlock
Frank Tanana
Steve Rogers
Randy Jones
Related Players
Dave Concepcion, Tony Armas, Larry Bowa, Shawon Dunston, Ryne Sandberg
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1995 |
BBWAA |
0 |
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1974 American League Championship Series
1980 National League Championship Series
1980 World Series
1981 National League Division Playoffs
Awards and Honors
1979 NL Gold Glove
1980 NL NLCS MVP
1981 NL Gold Glove
1982 NL Gold Glove
Notes
The 1977 Cubs had the worst second-half collapse in baseball history (based on winning percentage). The team was 51-30 in the first half, and 30-51 after. They limped to a fourth-place finish, 20 games behind the Phillies. At the mid-way point, the Cubs had held a four-game advantage. Trillo was one of the big reasons the Cubs had such a good first-half. He batted .392 in May with a very un-Trillo-like .618 slugging percentage. But Manny batted just .223 after June 30th, with just seven extra-base hits, doing his part to contribute to the Chicago swan dive.
Home Run Facts
Trillo hit 25 homers in just under 1,500 career at-bats in Wrigley Field. He hit just 36 homers in 4,456 at-bats elsewhere. His career AVG and SLG in Wrigley: .282/.383. Elsewhere: .256/.332
All-Star Selections
1977 NL
1981 NL
1982 NL
1983 AL
Learn More about Manny Trillo
Search Amazon.com for Books about Manny Trillo ⇒
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
