Callison was wrapping up a very productive 16-year career that saw him play for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees.
But it was his time with the Phillies that he made a name for himself, being named to three all-star teams while finishing second in MVP voting during the Phillies heart-wrenching 1964 season.
That season Callison led his team all season long by slamming 31 homers, driving in 101 runs and hitting for a .274 average.
What’s surprising is he also slapped ten triples that year, which was one of the five consecutive years that he topped that mark between 1961 and 1965.
As a matter of fact he led the National League in triple twice, with ten in 1962 and 16 in 1965.
By the time he wrapped up his career, he collected 1757 hits with 226 home runs, 926 runs scored and 840 runs batted in with a .264 average.
He hit over 30 homers twice, scored 100 twice, and drove in over 100 twice, and this was during the modern “dead ball” era that the 1960’s were.
Many also believe that if the Phillies didn’t blow the lead in the N.L. in 1964 HE would have taken home the MVP Award and not St. Louis Cardinal Ken Boyer.
