Glanville Returns To Help Phillies Bench

Doug Glanville grew up a Phillies fan and realized a dream when he played in Philadelphia for five years. Now, after a year away and a chance to taste the postseason, Doug Glanville has returned to the Phillies and not only gets to play close to home, but also gets a shot at another postseason.

Doug Glanville spent five seasons as the Phillies starting center fielder and is coming back after a year away. Glanville signed a one-year $550,000 contract and is willing to accept a utility role with the team he grew up as a fan of.

Ironically, it was just a year ago that Glanville was looking for more playing time and signed with the Texas Rangers rather than backup rookie center fielder Marlon Byrd. Glanville got the playing time he was looking for in Texas and was then dealt to the Cubs, the team he made his major league debut with. As it turns out, his return to the Cubs helped make his decision easier this time around. "Some things become more important, at this stage in my career," Glanville said. "The Phillies have a great organization, and one that I am very familiar with."

Glanville grew up in the Philadelphia area and graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was drafted by the Cubs and broke into the majors with Chicago before he was dealt to the Phillies for Mickey Morandini prior to the 1998 season.

Glanville enjoyed his time in Chicago in 2003 and chipped in with a game-winning triple in the 11th inning of Game Three in the division series against the Marlins. Glanville's taste taste of the postseason, combined with the Phillies chances of winning in 2004 made Philadelphia a perfect fit. Glanville's veteran presence, his speed and his willingness to accept a utility role made Glanville a perfect fit for the Phillies.

"I can contribute as a role player and be part of something amazing, like with the Cubs," he said. "This is a great situation, especially knowing the area, and knowing how good this team is going to be. Being a part of this is the right decision."

Glanville's entrance means that the battle for the final spot on the roster will likely come down to either Jason Michaels or Chase Utley. Both saw a decent amount of time with the 2003 Phillies and Utley took over as the starting second baseman when David Bell was injured, necessatating Placido Polanco moving to third.