White Sox Stunned as Phillips Retires

Tony Phillips, an offensive catalyst and clubhouse leader in the Angels’ bid for a division title last year and expected to play a similar role for the Chicago White Sox this year as left fielder and leadoff man, is retiring to devote more time to his family.

White Sox General Manager Ron Schueler made the surprising announcement at the club’s training base here Tuesday after talking by phone to Phillips from his Scottsdale, Ariz., home. Phillips left the White Sox camp on Friday because of unspecified family reasons.

“I talked to Tony last night and tried to talk him out of it, but he’s at a point where family means more to him than baseball,” Schueler said.

“An earlier marriage didn’t work out, and he doesn’t want to go through that again. He told me that his 10-year-old daughter was crying with happiness when he told her.”

Angel designated hitter Chili Davis, who lives near Phillips, spoke with Phillips on Tuesday morning and said the former Angel third baseman “wasn’t pleased with the way the game treated him.”

Phillips, 36, signed a two-year, $3.6-million contract with the White Sox this winter, but Davis said Phillips was disappointed that so few teams showed interest in him. “The one point he stressed was that he wasn’t retiring for a lack of love for the game,” Davis said. “He still enjoys the game and worked his butt off this winter, but his family was more important. He said he would rather spend time with his family than play the game and be bitter about it.”

Phillips batted .261 with 27 home runs, 113 walks, 119 runs and the American League’s fourth best on-base percentage (.396.) with the Angels last season.

“It’s not easy for guys to walk away, and in Tony’s case he’s coming off a career year and has a great contract. However, I’d be more shocked if he was 31 or 32,” Schueler said. “He’s had a great career.

“It’s an unexpected jolt for us, but I still think we have a heck of a club. And the door is open to Tony if he wants to come back.”

Schueler acknowledged that the loss cut deeply into the team’s depth, but he did not anticipate a trade or signing--at least for now.

Veteran Dave Martinez will get first crack at left field, while sharing the leadoff role with second baseman Ray Durham.

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said the importance to Phillips of his family was apparent last year when the player went to Arizona every time there was an off-day.

He said the Angels felt they couldn’t go with Phillips at third base again and had no place for him in the outfield, but that it wasn’t easy letting him leave.

Phillips, who was involved in a bench-clearing brawl and was ejected from three games last season, told the Denver Post last week that he resented the Angels for not trying to re-sign him.

“I guess I’m too much of a thug,” he said. “I guess I’m not a Disney-type player. I played hurt for those guys. I did everything I could to help that team win.”

Bavasi said the White Sox will miss Phillips.

“We talk a lot about the effect guys have on a club, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a guy walk in and have an immediate impact like Tony did,” Bavasi said. “He made our young players a little nastier and meaner.

“We were worried about losing that intangible, but we had only so many dollars. We had to have the pitching [a reference to the re-signing of Chuck Finley and Jim Abbott]. I just hope Tony comes back. Baseball needs guys like him. He has only one speed--hard.”

Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this story from Tempe, Ariz.