Former MCC Eagle Gets Called Up To Majors

By Kevin Druley / MLB.com

(KANSAS CITY) -- Paul Phillips was squatting down before he took the news standing up.

The newest Royal, promoted from Triple-A Omaha Saturday, received word of his call up on Friday night after being removed from his team's game in Des Moines in the middle of the third inning.

"They took me out and I was like, 'What did I do wrong?" Phillips said. "But it was a good thing. They told me, 'You're done, you're going to the big leagues.'"

Phillips will take the spot of Paul Bako, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Friday's game with a torn right oblique. The move was retroactive to July 2.

Phillips was batting .251 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 70 games for Omaha this season. He played four games with Kansas City in 2004 and in 23 more last season, hitting a combined .264.

On Aug. 17, 2005, in Seattle, he became the first Royal to hit a grand slam for his first home run in the Majors.

But he remembers more than that.

"That was a great moment, don't get me wrong," Phillips said. "But one of the moments that stands out to me was when we were playing Cleveland on a day game here. I had a couple of blocked balls in the ninth inning and then ended up getting the double to drive in the winning run."

Manager Buddy Bell said Saturday that John Buck would start behind the plate for the rest of the weekend. Though Buck usually doesn't catch on day games following night games, he cited the looming All-Star break as a chance to get rest.

Phillips plans to keep true to the backup code and be ready whenever he's called on.

"I felt like I've gotten better as a catcher, better as a player," he said. "I can understand more stuff and certain philosophies of certain pitchers. I think I'll be better this year than last year."

The odd couple: Third baseman Mark Teahen and Phillips have been teammates before, most recently in May and early June in Omaha.

"He can play the piano and sing ... and cook," Teahen said. "He lived with me during Spring Training so he cooked and cleaned and I brought home the bacon.

"He's multi-talented. I don't have much dirt on him."


Full name is Paul Anthony Phillips...Graduated from West Lauderdale (Collinsville, Miss.) High in 1995...lettered in football and baseball...Graduated from Meridian (Miss.) Community College in 1997...attended the University of Alabama where he played centerfield for the Crimson Tide...Paul's first cousin, Andy, is an infielder in the New York Yankees system...the two were teammates at Alabama in 1998.