McCann signed with the Yankees yesterday, limiting this Phillie-killer’s time spent against the Phils.
Catcher Brian McCann signed with the New York Yankees yesterday on a five-year, $85 million deal. McCann, 30 on Opening Day 2014, was probably not a good fit for the Phillies and was never likely a realistic target for the Fightin Phils. So why waste this space writing about McCann?
Because he was the definition of a Phillie Killer.
Since entering the league in 2005, McCann has hit 176 homers, tops among all catchers. 20 of those homers came at the expense of the Phillies, including 12 at Citizen’s Bank Park. The list of Phillies pitchers McCann has taken yard is a pretty neat time capsule of both the frustrating and exciting times the Phillies have had.
An April 12, 2006 shot off of Cory Lidle was the first of McCann’s 20 bombs. He would take Joe Blanton and Cole Hamels deep three times, Brett Myers twice, tagged Doc in 2012, and managed to hit one off of blink-and-you’ll-miss Phillie Tyler Walker in 2009.
One Phillie McCann was unable to take deep was Cliff Lee – but that doesn’t mean McCann didn’t have success against him. McCann showed no platoon weaknesses against Lee, hitting .321/.367/.429. And McCann had his way against Hamels, too, hitting .279/.353/.541 with the aforementioned three homers. His favorite Phillie pitcher to face, however, may have been Roy Halladay: .360/.407/.560 with a homer.
We, at Phillies Nation, don’t often take time to write about non-Phillies. But we are very excited that McCann will no longer be a regular opponent of the Phillies.
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