1976 Topps #424 - Phil Roof

• Phil Roof spent 15 years in the majors between 1961 and 1977. Phil was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1959. He spent a lot of time in the minors from 1959-1964. Roof played in one game with the Braves in 1961 but didn't have a plate appearance. He was 0 for 2 in one game in 1964 with the Braves. After the 1964 season Roof was traded to the California Angels.
• Roof didn't play  much for the Angels in 1965. Phil batted .136 in nine games and on June 15 he was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Bubba Morton. Phil batted .173 in 61 at bats for the Indians to finish the 1965 season. After the 1965 season he was traded with Joe Rudi to the Kansas City A's for Jim Landis and Jim Rittwage. (whoops)
• Phil was a regular catcher for the only two years of his career in 1966 and 1967. Roof batted .209 in 127 games in 1966 and .205 in 114 games in 1967. Even though he didn't hit much, Phil was credited with helping the young A's pitching staff develop. Manager Alvin Dark said that Roof was the glue that held them together.
• Roof became the third catcher in 1968 as the A's decided to go with Dave Duncan and Jim Pagliaroni for most of the time. Phil batted .188 in 34 games in 1968. He played more in 1969 and batted .235 in 106 games. After the 1969 season Roof was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Phil split time with Jerry McNertney behind the plate in 1970. Roof batted .227 in 110 games and hit a career-high 13 home runs.
• Phil suffered a beaning by Bert Blyleven early in the 1971 season. He spent several days in the hospital and didn't play much when he came back (.193 in 41 games). Roof was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Paul Ratliff on July 8 (see page 12 of the newspaper page for the first part of the article). Roof batted .241 in 31 games for the Twins in 1971.
• Phil spent the next 4 1/2 seasons as a backup catcher for the Twins. He batted .205 in 146 at bats in 1972, .197 in 117 at bats in 1973, and .196 in 97 at bats in 1974. Roof had an unusually good offensive year in 1975 when he batted .302 with 7 home runs in 126 at bats and had a .484 slugging percentage.
• In 1976 Roof batted .217 in 18 games for the Twins before being waived in early August. The Chicago White Sox picked Phil up and he played ten games in the minors before going 1 for 9 (.111) in four games with the White Sox. After the 1976 season Roof was traded to the expansion Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later (which turned out to be Larry Anderson). Phil went 0 for 5 in three games with the Blue Jays and was released after the 1977 season.

• After his playing career Phil was a bullpen coach for three teams and managed in the Twins' minor league system for 16 years before he retired in 2005. Phil's wife battled brain and lung cancer during Phil's last year with the Rochester Red Wings in 2005. He and his wife also cared for her younger brother, who has Down syndrome, after her parents passed away.
• Liked to face: Paul Splitorff (.400 in 20 AB); Fritz Peterson (.362 in 47 AB); Jim Perry (.353 in 54 AB)
• Hated to face: Catfish Hunter/Jim Perry (.000 in 12 AB); Clyde Wright (.071 in 28 AB); Dick Drago (.087 with 11 strikeouts in 23 AB)