Topic: Andy Phillips

George Andrew "Andy" Phillips (born April 6, 1977 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) is a Major League Baseball infielder in the Chicago White Sox organization. He has played for the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds. Phillips was raised in Demopolis, Alabama, where he played baseball for the Demopolis Academy Generals.

Phillips was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as a shortstop in the 41st round of the 1995 draft as a high school senior and again by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1999 draft as a college graduate of the University of Alabama. He signed with the Yankees, but did not reach the Major Leagues until a call-up session towards the end of the 2004 season; he made his Major League debut on September 14, 2004. In his first major league AB, he hit a home run over the Green Monster in Fenway Park off Terry Adams of the Boston Red Sox. Phillips is one of six players to homer in his first at bat as a Yankee, along with Marcus Thames, Bubba Crosby, Todd Zeile, Wilson Betemit, and Cody Ransom. He became the 21st player in Major League history to hit a home run on the first pitch of his Major League career.

Also, in 2004, Phillips received the Yankees' Kevin Long "Minor-League Player of the Year" Award in a season where he led all Yankees minor leaguers in batting average (.321) and RBI (101), ranked second in home runs (30), and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the International League All Star Game after hitting a 10th inning walk-off home run. In 2005, Phillips earned the James P. Dawson Award as the Yankees' most outstanding rookie during spring training.