CINCINNATI — Brandon Phillips has officially retired as a Cincinnati Red just hours before he's inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Phillips announced Wednesday that he would sign a ceremonial one-day contract for Saturday and officially retire as a Red.
Phillips was a second baseman for the Reds for 11 seasons between 2006 and 2016, and became one of the most popular players of all time. He won four Gold Gloves throughout his time on the team and earned three NIL All-Star selections.
"It was a dream come true," Phillips said after his Reds retirement. "For me to officially retire, this was the only place I wanted to do it. For this to really happen, this is where I wanted to be. This is my home."
Phillips technically retired from Major League Baseball in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox — but now he did it with the team he was with the longest.
"He brought a style and personality that Reds fans absolutely loved," said Phil Castellini, Reds president and CEO. "He was a cornerstone of our club and one of the most dynamic players in the game. The connection he built with this city was real and retiring him as a Red is our chance to honor that unforgettable relationship."
His ceremonial retirement comes as he's inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame alongside former players Aaron Harang and Reggie Sanders and former manager Lou Piniella, who took the Reds to the 1990 World Series championship.
The Reds said Phillips and Harang received the most votes of the eight nominees on the "Modern Player Ballot," selected by the Hall of Fame’s Election Governance Committee.
“They gave me the opportunity to really be myself,” Phillips said of the Reds. “That’s all I really needed to know as a young player. When an organization really believes in you as a player … it felt good.”
The inductees will officially be inducted on Great American Ball Park's field ahead of the Reds' Saturday game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
