Lieberthal to Retire a Phillie
Mike Lieberthal will retire a Phillies on June 1.
Lieberthal to Retire a Phillie
Todd Zolecki
Mike Lieberthal spent 13 of his 14 seasons in the major leagues with the Phillies.
He announced his retirement after the 2007 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he officially will retire as a member of the Phillies on June 1, meaning he will sign a one-day contract with the team. Doug Glanville did the same thing in 2005.
Lieberthal holds the franchise record for most games caught at 1,139.
He's one of the all-time good guys, too.
“Philadelphia has always been a second home to me, so I’m really looking forward to this,” Lieberthal said in a statement. “I spent half my life there and still follow the team closely on television.”
In his 13 seasons with the Phillies (1994-2006), Lieberthal hit .275 with 150 home runs and 609 RBIs in 1,174 games.
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Phillies broadcasters Harry Kalas, Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler and Tom McCarthy will be signing autographs, taking photos and accepting donations to help PAWS save the lives of Philadelphia's homeless, abandoned, and unwanted animals from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on May 3 at the PAWS Adoption Center, 100 N. 2nd Street.
Just bring an item on PAWS' wish list or donate badly needed funds for a chance to win great Phillies prizes, including a pair of tickets to the Phillies vs. Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park [tbd], and autographed memorabilia. Raffle tickets may also be purchased for $5 each.
PAWS' wish list: towels, blankets, fleece blankets, paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent (including He), KMR brand kitten formula, Kong brand dog toys, canned kitten food, cat and kitten toys, new/used dog crates (all sizes), new/used carriers (all sizes).
Met Lieby at the Superbowl in SD the off-season the Phils signed Thome. Really nice guy. I wondered why this didn't happen, glad to hear it's coming together. Don't tell Truth, but he's an LA Cupcake just like me.— John in LA- Lieby averaged 11 Hr's and 45 RBI's a year for 12 yrs! He sucked! Like I said they sell you get excited.— Truth
- A nice guy, a good, not great player, he represented Philly well. He never got arrested, got caught up in steroid scandals or DUI. That makes him a positive role model right there. It's nice that they're doing this for him......as usual I think we expect too much of our guys sometimes, ending up disappointed that every starting player isn't a HOF'er.— Mark1npt
- Be great if Truth had even a little class. You're a toad, dude. To even BE a professional athlete, to get paid to play a sport, even if you're riding the bench... who wants a shot at the pinata next?— John in LA
- Yo, Truth......Guess Leiby did something right. We was the longest tenured Philadelphia athlete. And Mark1npt.....You're absolutely right about us "expecting too much of our guys sometimes.........." It would be nice if they actually let him play behind the plate that day.— Norma
- Truth, while I agree those numbers don't sound great, your distorting them to Libey's disadvantage. He was hurt for a huge chunk of those years, and played backup/platoon for part of the time. It's not fair really to give his yearly average to put him down. His 162 gamer avg - 20 homers, 82 RBI, 34 2b, .274 avg. Add a Gold Glove, two All-Star appearances and (most importantly) his class and that's a ballplayer I'm happy to say will retire as a Philly. He wasn't worth the money Ed Wade threw his way in that last contract, but he was always a pretty cool guy who give his knees and his heart to this team.— Frank Visco
- Lieby had a pretty good career. Too bad he didn't realize it was over until two years after it was. One little know fact about him...he kept all of his gear (catching and batting) at the opposite end of the dugout from where the rest of the team kept theres. He would sit with "his equipment" when the Phls were batting...not talking to the pitcher that was in the game. A loner. A little surprised the Phils were willing to accomodate his request to retire as a Phil...he didn't act like one when he was one.— phillybob
- Lieby stole money for years. He never learned how to call a game, wouldn't go out and talk to his pitcher, and ultimately lost the respect of the pitching staff. He was a hanger on. The Phillies are big on that Jobs for Life thing. Happy trails, Lieby.— Nick from the Northeast
- Lieby was a good player, but after he blew out his knee, he wasn't the same. Can't blame him for that.— Neal Obstat
- Unfortunately, Lieby will always have the stench of the Rolen, Travis Lee, Bobby A, and Randy Wolf era attached to him. That group will always be labeled as "underachievers." Players who didn't appear to play with heart. Enjoy your retirement, Mike!— Casey
- Anyone else get the feeling MrPhillie liked Leiberthal?— timm
- I hope he picks up coaching someday.— roque32
Comment removed.- Anyone see the nasty article written about Philadelphia in the San Diego paper?— housk
- Mitch Williams replaced Johnny Marz on SportsNet last year. Wouldn't mind seeing Leiby replace Ricky Bottalico, though.— Norma
