Greg Luzinski

Lore & Background

Born in Chicago, Luzinski attended Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 11th overall pick in the 1968 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut on September 9, 1970, at age 19, pinch-hitting for the Phillies in a loss to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Luzinski was a well-liked Phillie and one of the more feared sluggers of his era, with a reputation as a clutch hitter, particularly in the playoffs. He was also a capable left fielder, although an ill-timed error during the Phillies' infamous Black Friday playoff game in 1977 cast an undeserved shadow over his fielding abilities. He led the league in fielding percentage in 1973 and was routinely among the league leaders in assists. Luzinski hit .300 or better for three consecutive seasons during the prime of his career, and was a career .276 hitter, with 307 home runs, and 1,128 RBIs. He was selected to be a National League All-Star every year between 1975 and 1978, highlighted by the home run he hit off Jim Palmer in the 1977 All-Star Game. In 1978, Luzinski was the top NL All-Star vote-getter. He was the National League's MVP runner-up in 1975 when he led the NL with 120 RBIs and 322 total bases; and in 1977, when he posted career highs in batting average (.309), home runs (39), and RBIs (130). He hit safely in every postseason game and had at least one home run in each of the three NLCS played by the Phillies from 1976 to 1978. In the ninth inning of pivotal Game 3 of the 1977 NLCS, Luzinski misplayed a two-out Manny Mota fly ball, trapping the ball against the left-field wall, allowing the inning to continue; errors by Mike Schmidt and Gene Garber the same inning sealed the deal for a day Phillies fans call Black Friday. One of the first Phillies to buy seats at games for impoverished children, Luzinski was honored with the Roberto Clemente Award in 1978. In 1980, he suffered a major slump with injuries, batting .228 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 106 games, but came back with two game-winning hits in the 1980 NLCS: a two-out two-run home run in Game 1 and a pinch-hit RBI double in Game 4. Those hits were among the most significant in franchise history; the Phillies went on to beat the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 World Series in six games. Luzinski had a hit in thirteen consecutive league championship series games, briefly a record until surpassed

In Their Own Story

The humidity of a July night at Veterans Stadium hung heavy over the field as Greg Luzinski took his position in right field, the green grass contrasting with his white uniform. The crowd buzzed with anticipation for the seventh-inning stretch, but all eyes were on the batter's box where 'The Train' waited. As the pitcher wound up, Luzinski didn't just swing; he drove the ball with a sound that echoed off the concrete walls of the stadium, sending it soaring deep into the night sky toward the right-field stands.

Reader's Guide

From his retirement in 1985 until 1992, Luzinski was the head baseball coach, and later head football coach, at Holy Cross Academy in Delran Township, New Jersey. Still a fan favorite in Philadelphia, he started "Bull's Barbecue" in Section 140 at Citizens Bank Park when the Phillies opened the new stadium in 2004. The barbecue stand was inspired by "Boog's BBQ" at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Luzinski can usually be found there until after the seventh inning for all Phillies home games. He lives in Bonita Springs, Florida. His son, Ryan, was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. Ryan was a promising power hitter who spurned a letter of intent with the University of Miami to sign with the Dodgers, but bounced around the team's farm system until a trade to the Baltimore Orioles in 1997. In eight minor league seasons, he hit .265 with 49 home runs and 296 RBI but could never make the move from AAA to the Majors.

Did You Know?

• Luzinski was nicknamed "the Bull".
• He was a four-time All-Star, selected every year from 1975 to 1978.
• He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1978 for his community involvement.
• He hit 307 career home runs and 1,128 RBIs.
• He was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame in 1998.