RetroSimba

In his fifth big-league game, Phillies left fielder Joe Lis belted a home run against the Cardinals’ Steve Carlton.

Afterward, manager Frank Lucchesi called Lis to his office and handed him the home run ball. “This is the first of many for you, Joe,” Lucchesi said.

The prediction didn’t turn out to be quite accurate. Lis hit 32 homers in an eight-year (1970-77) big-league career.

But, with the way he hit against the Cardinals after his call-up to the Phillies from Class AAA in September 1970, Lucchesi wasn’t alone in forseeing big days ahead for Lis.

After his home run against Carlton on Sept. 8, 1970, at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, Boxscore Lis followed that with another big game against the Cardinals at St. Louis.

Playing left field and batting fifth, Lis went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI in the Phillies’ 10-6 win on Sept. 19. His RBI-double off Frank Bertaina in the second gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. In the seventh, Lis smacked a two-run double off Frank Linzy. Boxscore

Lis batted .313 (5-for-16) with 4 RBI in 5 games against St. Louis that month.

He kept it up the next year, too, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in an 8-6 Phillies win at St. Louis on April 23, 1971.

With St. Louis ahead 3-2 in the fourth, Lis doubled and scored on Don Money’s inside-the-park homer. In the eighth, Lis broke a 6-6 tie with a homer off reliever George Brunet. Boxscore

Injuries and a reputation as a below-average fielder kept Lis from becoming an everyday player. He lost the left field job to Greg Luzinski, then was sent to the Twins, where he was given a chance to replace the aging Harmon Killebrew at first base. When that didn’t work out, Lis went to the Indians, then the Mariners.

Lis finished his career as a .233 hitter with a .332 onbase percentage. But against the Cardinals, he hit .255 with 3 homers, 11 walks and a .390 onbase percentage.

Lis, 64, died of prostate cancer Oct. 17 in Newburgh, Ind.