Placido Polanco spent two stints with the Phillies (Frank Klose/Philliedelphia)
This upcoming weekend at Citizens Bank Park should be a good one for fans who attend, with alumni festivities sprinkled throughout the three-game series against the Rockies. Jim Thome will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, Randy Wolf will retire on Saturday and capping off the weekend will be the retirement of Placido Polanco.
On July, 29, 2002, the Philadelphia Phillies traded their outspoken, unhappy third baseman, Scott Rolen, to the Cardinals for a package of players, but the only one that made an impact on the team was Polanco, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Phils. The Phillies dealt him to Detroit in 2005 upon the emergence of Chase Utley at second base, but re-signed him at the end of 2009 to replace Pedro Feliz. Polanco was an All-Star with the team and won a Gold Glove award in 2011.
Polanco last played in the big leagues with the Marlins in 2013 and he'll retire in red pinstripes on Sunday, August 14 in front of the home crowd at Citizens Bank Park. In parts of seven seasons with the team, Polanco hit .289 with 127 doubles, 51 homers, 281 RBIs and a .341 on-base percentage.
One of Polanco's many highlights with the Phillies include the below clip of him making a spectacular catch on the tarp against the New York Mets on June 17, 2010.
