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What more can be said about one of the most celebrated high school athletes in local history?
Hanover’s Mark Phillips is in Idaho Falls, Mont., of the rookie-ball Pioneer League, to begin what could be a prosperous career as a San Diego Padres pitcher.
The 6-3, 200-pound lefty, was the ninth pick of the Major League Baseball draft and is at least $2.2 million richer than he was a couple of weeks ago. Not surprisingly, he was named by league coaches the York Daily Record’s YAIAA Division II Player of the Year. It seems almost silly to have to formally proclaim it.
Part of the legacy Phillips will leave behind, aside from stories of his dominance on the mound — which will surely grow — is the high esteem in which the opposition held him, both on and off the field. Everyone who saw Phillips pitch knew he or she was in the presence of something special.
In that spirit, here’s a sampling from Division II head coaches:
Terry Bupp, West York: “The first I ever heard of Mark Phillips, we had sent our B (JV) team against Hanover. Our coach, Doug Crawford, came back and told me about this skinny little freshman with glasses who threw the ball hard, and we didn’t have a chance against him. I think they brought him up to the varsity shortly after that.
“Every time they played us, Phillips would pitch. Unfortunately, we could never beat him — but we did knock him out one time. Kind of a moral victory, I guess. But they came back and won the game. He was 5-0 against us. He was not only a great pitcher, but a great athlete. In one of those games, he had a double and a homer, drove in all their runs — as a 10th grader. That put a lasting memory in my mind.“
Wayne Mickley, New Oxford: “As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the finest, not only ballplayers I’ve known, but people. We didn’t face him his last two years, we always seemed to miss him, but he came up to me this year after a game and said, ‘Coach Mickley, thanks for pitching to me. Thanks for letting me play the game.’ He said, ‘There’ll always be a ticket waiting for you in San Diego if I ever make it that far.’ And with Mark, you know he meant that sincerely. A tremendous ballplayer, but more importantly a tremendous person.”
Rod Seitz, Eastern York: “The last time he played here, I pulled him aside and told him what a pleasure it was to watch him develop over three years of varsity baseball. You know, the thing that most impressed me was that he handled himself with such poise. If he didn’t get a call on the mound, he just shrugged it off. And he handled the media and all the scouts real well. He didn’t let all that become a distraction for himself or his team. Just a great kid. He deserves everything he’s gonna get.”
Frank Felix, Delone Catholic: “He was always such a competitor, but such a nice kid. We faced him five times, and beat him once — but that wasn’t Mark’s fault. His defense was weak behind him that day. Heck, it wasn’t like we hit Mark well. I’d like to see him make it. I really would. He’s got the talent and makeup to do it.“
Not a single coach even once mentioned Phillips’ overriding fastball, his sharp slurve or his massive register of strikeouts.
Maybe that’s his greatest legacy.
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