Signing Danny Tartabull to a one-year, $2.3 million contract back on February 25th, 1997 probably seemed like something of a steal at the time. Tartabull's best years (as when he led the league in slugging with the Royals in 1991) were likely behind him, but he was coming off a 27 HR / 101 RBI year in just 132 years with the White Sox the previous year. With the Phillies suffering something of a power outage in the mid-90s--aging catcher Benito Santiago led the team in homers the previous year--the Phillies could probably have used some of those numbers entering the '97 season.
Not only would they not get those numbers from Tartabull, they wouldn't get any numbers at all. Well, not entirely true, I suppose--he did amass four walks in the Red and White, leading to two runs scored (and earning him a .364 OBP for the year). But the 'Bull had yet to knock a single base hit for the Phillies when three games into a season, he hit a foul ball off his toe and was out for the rest of the season. Tartabull never took another at bat in the majors, retiring in the off-season.
In the meantime, Tartabull's absence helped force a patchwork replacement effort in the outfield to complement Gregg Jefferies and Darren Daulton, including less-than-appreciated contributions from Midre Cummings, Tony Barron, Ruben Amaro, Ricky Otero, Wendell McGee and Derrick May (Combined PA: 1100, Combined HR: 9). The '97 Phillies went 68-94, easily bottoms in the NL East. Philly sports blog Whereisbenrivera.com recently ranked the '97 Phils as the fourth-worst Philly sports team of the last 20 years. "If you had a fetish for light-hitting outfielders," WIBR writes, "1997 [left] you with a season-long erection."
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