Newest Wall of Fame Inductee left his heart in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA >> Bobby Abreu sat at home in Marlton, N.J., in October 2008, champagne at the ready.

Abreu’s heyday in Philadelphia was too early for the Phillies to be sustained contenders, the two-time All-Star outfielder dealt at the trade deadline in 2006 to the Yankees.

But a part of Abreu was with the Phillies as they made history against Tampa Bay in that Fall Classic.

“I know I wasn’t there, wasn’t a part of that, but in my heart, I’m a part of that,” Abreu said Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. “I feel like I’m a Philly player, a Philly family (member).”

The almost-there scene of 2008 fits perfectly with Abreu’s arc in Philadelphia. He developed in the organization just a year or two ahead of its critical mass of homegrown stars. His name litters the list of statistical leaders in club history, yet he’s not always regarded as one of the fans’ all-time favorites.

But as Abreu takes his place on the Phillies’ Wall of Fame, he’ll feel plenty at home.

“I would say my best times of my career, my great years, I would say I did it over here in Philadelphia,” Abreu said. “I think the years that I had, my best times, it was here in Philadelphia.”

Abreu also played for the Yankees, Angels, Dodgers and Mets before retiring at age 40 in 2014. He shared his gratitude Friday for former general manager Ed Wade, who acquired him in 1997 in exchange for Kevin Stocker from the Rays after the Astros (who had signed him in 1990 as a free agent from Venezuela) left him unprotected in the expansion draft.

Abreu would stay with the Phillies for nearly a decade, winning a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award, before Pat Gillick shipped him to the Yankees with Cory Lidle for a pittance of prospects who never made it. So Abreu missed out on the parade in 2008 in body, if not spirit.

He ranks in the top 10 in Phillies history in wins above replacement, on-base percentage, slugging, runs, doubles and a slew of advanced metrics. But Abreu also carries a unique mantel as a pioneer for Venezuelan players. A nation once known exclusively for its exceptional middle infielders — Omar Vizquel, Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio and Dave Concepcion — Abreu broke the mold.

He is fourth all-time in games played among Venezuelans; trailing only Miguel Cabrera in career WAR, among position players and pitchers. His 2,088 outfield starts in the bigs are the most among Venezuelans, and only four others have more than 1,000 (Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Gonzalez, Tony Armas and Gerardo Parra).

For a Phillies organization with a long history of finding Venezuelan ballplayers (five are on the 40man roster, while Freddy