Phil Mankowski

Philip Anthony Mankowski

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Bishop Turner High School
• Debut August 30, 1976
• Final Game July 21, 1982
• Born January 9, 1953 in Buffalo, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Phil Mankowski played six seasons in the big leagues, mostly for the Detroit Tigers and mostly as a third baseman. He was with the Tigers from 1976 to 1979 and the New York Mets in 1980 and 1982.

From Buffalo, NY, Phil was a baseball star at a very young age, including elementary school. He was a pitcher as a youngster, and in high school made the varsity all four years. He worked his way up the minors and broke in near the end of the 1976 season. In 1977, third baseman Aurelio Rodriguez suffered an injury and Mankowski replaced him. He was traded to the Mets for Richie Hebner in 1979. This was at a time that the Mets had a revolving door of third basemen, with no one managing to hold down the job for more than a couple of years. Mankowski did make the team out of spring training in 1980, but stayed for only a couple of weeks, going 2 for 12, before being sent down to the minors. In all, nine different players appeared at the hot corner for the Mets that season.

Phil's father, Ben Mankowski, was a minor league 1B in 1940 and his brother, Paul Mankowski, was an infielder in the Minnesota Twins chain from 1965 to 1969.

Phil was in the 1984 movie The Natural, playing Hank Benz.