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Oakland A's World Series winner Tony Phillips dead at age 56

Tony Phillips died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 56.
Tony Phillips died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 56.
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

1989 World Series winner and former Oakland Athletics utility player Tony Phillips has died at age 56 of "an apparent heart attack," reports the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. Former teammate Dave Stewart told Slusser he received the news from Rickey Henderson.

Phillips played in nine seasons for the A's from 1982-1989, and his final MLB season in 1999. He played everything except catcher and pitcher in 941 career regular season games for the A's.

The A's released a statement that included these comments from team president Michael Crowley, "The Oakland A's lost another member of our family this week with the unexpected passing of Tony Phillips. We all have fond memories of Tony making the final play in the A's 1989 World Series. He was a remarkable player. Our thoughts are with his family."

Crowley is referring to Phillips' ranging play to his left to field Brett Butler's ground ball that had ticked off a diving Mark McGwire's first baseman's mitt, throwing to a covering Dennis Eckersley just in time to complete the sweep:

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