The Legacy of Baseball Lifer John Vukovich

A "baseball lifer" and Phillies legend, today we dive into the career of John "Vuk" Vukovich.

Jerry Lodriguss/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT/Sipa USA

Legendary players can be made from incredible moments, record breaking careers, producing in the clutch, and so many other ways. The vast majority of Phillies legends have had careers and moments that will go down in history, but some players have made their mark with longevity and loyalty to the Phillies and the city of Philadelphia, much like John Vukovich.

Vukovich signed with the Phillies in 1966 and slowly moved his way through the minor leagues until he finally reached "the show" in Sept. 1970. He only played three games as a Phillie that year, which included one hit in nine plate appearances, but he performed well enough to split time between the minors and majors the following year.

On June 23, 1971, Vukovich played a major role in Phillies history as he caught a line drive off the bat of Pete Rose for the 27th and final out of Rick Wise’s no-hitter.

Vukovich played in 74 games that season, which was the most of any season in his career.

In 1972, “Vuk” stayed in the minors for the full season and the Phillies felt that it was time to move on. By the end of that offseason, John would be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Don Money and Bill Champion for Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Ken Sanders, and Earl Stephenson.

Vukovich spent just two years with the Brewers as a utility infielder before heading to Cincinnati to play for the Reds. While with the Reds, John put together his best offensive season batting .211 in 31 games, but his stint with the Reds quickly came to a close when Reds manager Sparky Anderson pinch hit for Vukcovich with Dan Driessen who was batting .000 that season. This set Vuk off and he crushed every single light bulb all the way to the Reds clubhouse. Before he knew it, Vukovich was on his way back to Philadelphia in a trade for Dave Schneck that August.

Vukovich spent six more seasons as a member of the Phillies but only played in 76 games over that span.

In 1980, Vuk was able to play in 49 games and even volunteered to be the team’s emergency catcher. That job was never really required of him, but he did take on the role of pregame bullpen catcher to prepare himself if needed. That season, the Phillies won the World Series, and even though he did not play in the NLCS against Houston or the actual World Series against Kansas City, Vukovich is still credited for the World Series victory.

Vuk’s final season was in 1981 and was fairly short lived as he only played in 11 games primarily as a defensive replacement in the final innings. He had just two plate appearances that season and retired after the season’s completion.

In 1982, Vukovich continued his life in baseball when he joined the Chicago Cubs as a coach where he stayed until 1987. The following year, Vuk went back to Philadelphia to become a coach for the Phillies. He would remain with the Phils for the rest of his career.

In 2004, Vukovich was entering his 17th season as a coach for the Phillies which became a new record, breaking Mike Ryan’s 16 seasons. By the end of that year, Vuk received several offers to coach with other teams, but he elected to remain with his beloved Phillies as a special assistant to General Manager Ed Wade.

In 2006, Vukovich was diagnosed with his second brain tumor and passed away in March 2007. The Phillies honored Vukovich with a “VUK” patch on the right sleeve of their jersey for the entire 2007 season. In August of that same year, Vukovich was posthumously inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame. In September, the Phillies clinched the division and would make their first postseason appearance since 1993, all in honor of Vuk.

Vukovich was the definition of a "baseball lifer." The man lived and breathed the game of baseball for his entire life. He played the game, coached the game, managed the game, and did everything in between. He became a member of the Phillies family, and his memory lives on through his teammates, players he coached, and Phillies fans everywhere. 

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