City swoons over Penn's Glanville

Former Penn star Doug Glanville is having a stellar first year with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a common saying in Philadelphia: "Water covers 2/3 of the Earth. Garry Maddox covers the rest." Former Phillies center fielder Maddox, who was affectionately known to Phillies fans as the "Secretary of Defense," has been out of action for over a decade. His territory, however, has not gone uncovered. Currently, the job of patrolling Maddox's former turf belongs to Penn alumnus Doug Glanville. Glanville, who graduated with a systems engineering degree in 1992, has not only patrolled center field for the Phillies this year, but has become one of the key players on the young, upcoming squad. Coming to the Phillies in an offseason trade for popular second baseman Mickey Morandini, Glanville has provided a needed spark from the leadoff spot and a reliable glove in the outfield. A star outfielder for Penn through '91, Glanville entered the amateur draft after his junior year, when he was named to several All-Star teams, including the All-American second team by Baseball America. His road to Major League success, however, was not easy. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 12th pick in the draft, he endured five minor league seasons before reaching the bigs in 1996. Last season, though, was the season in which Glanville established himself as a true major leaguer. Inserted into the Cubs lineup early in the 1997 season, Glanville hit over .300 and looked to be a staple of the Cubs outfield for many seasons to come. That all changed on December 23, 1997, however, when the Cubs sent him back to his college town for Phillies' second baseman Morandini. "It was tough to leave [Chicago]," Glanville said. "I knew it was a better situation [in Philadelphia]. I was just emotionally attached to all the people and all the things I've been through. It made it hard to leave." Despite his emotional ties to Chicago, Glanville is happy to be back in Philadelphia. Not only is he closer to his family in Teaneck, N.J., but the Phillies are giving him a chance he never had in the Windy City. "[The Cubs] never really said, 'O.K., you're our starting center fielder,'" Glanville said. "I knew the trade would be good, because I'd have a chance to play in my natural position." Not everyone, however, thought Glanville would have that chance, especially Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra was a star for the Phillies for several years. He was a leader of the 1993 National League champs, having an MVP-type season. Back injuries, however, have sidelined Dykstra for the past few seasons, but 1998, Dykstra thought, would be the year for him to return to the Phillies' outfield. Unfortunately for Dykstra, things did not work out his way. Glanville proved during spring training that he, not Dykstra (still nagged by the back injury), deserved the starting nod in center. "People tried to make it into a controversy, but I really didn't see it that way," Glanville said. "[Dykstra] had been away from the game for a while, and he was trying to make his comeback. I didn't have any control over what he was going to do. I just did my job and let the rest take care of itself." Glanville has done his job -- and done it exceedingly well. For the first time since Dykstra went down, the Phils have a reliable center fielder and top-notch leadoff hitter. Last year, the Phillies relied on inexperienced players like Wendell Magee to fill the hole in center. Glanville has filled the hole and played gold-glove caliber defense. Boasting a .994 fielding average, Glanville has only two errors this season. His presence has also helped the rest of the Phillies' outfield, as left fielder Gregg Jefferies, before his trade to the Anaheim Angels, had not made a single miscue all year. Jefferies has been noted in the past for poor defense. While he has been excellent in the field, Glanville has also been dangerous at the plate. He is currently among the National League leaders with 172 hits, 98 runs and also ranks among the league leaders in runs, at-bats and triples. He is currently on pace to become the first Phillie with 200 hits in a season since all-time hit king Pete Rose accomplished the feat in 1979. One aspect of Glanville's game atypical of a leadoff hitter is his inability to draw walks. Having fewer than 50 walks in over 120 games, as a leadoff hitter, is both rare and distressing. However, it is a small blackmark on his record, compared to the offensive fire power he has provided the Phillies. "Even when I was in Chicago, I was still in the background," Glanville said. "All of a sudden, I was thrust into the limelight." Glanville notes that the attention may have been caused more by his return to the town where he played his college ball than his performance. His play on the field, though, has earned him much more attention this year. His solid defense and clutch hitting -- as well as his cooperation with the media and his friendliness with the fans -- has gained him not only the attention of Philadelphians, but also of the rest of the baseball world. In fact, many thought his play should have earned him a trip to Colorado for the 1998 All-Star Game. "It's pretty overwhelming," Glanville said. "I don't have a lot of free time all of a sudden." He may have been overwhelmed at first, but the attention is something Doug Glanville will become accustomed to. If the 27-year-old star continues to play the way he has in 1998, he may not have much free time for a very long time.