Trillo was involved in a pair of controversies about his roster eligibility for the 1973 World Series. MLB strictly enforced a rule that only players on a major league roster on August 31 were eligible for the postseason. After José Morales' contract was sold to the Montreal Expos on September 18 and Bill North severely sprained an ankle, the A's petitioned for and received approval from the Baltimore Orioles to allow the additions of both Trillo and Allan Lewis to its roster for the American League Championship Series. A's owner Charlie Finley submitted the same request to the New York Mets, his team's Fall Classic opponent which only approved Lewis but denied Trillo his eligibility.[6] When Mike Andrews committed two errors in a four-run twelfth inning of Oakland's Game 2 defeat,[7] Finley attempted to have Andrews waived onto the disabled list in order to activate Trillo.[2]CommissionerBowie Kuhn ruled against Finley who was forced to reinstate Andrews for Game 4.[2]
On October 23, 1974, Trillo was traded along with Darold Knowles and Bob Locker to the Chicago Cubs for Billy Williams.[9] Trillo finished third in the 1975National LeagueRookie of the Year Award balloting.[10] With the Cubs, Trillo developed a reputation for being one of the best fielding second basemen in baseball, earning his first All-Star selection in 1977.[1][11] Together with Cubs' shortstopIván DeJesús, he formed one of the best double play combinations in baseball.[12] He remained with the Cubs for four seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on February 23, 1979, as part of an eight-player trade.[13] Later that season, Trillo was reunited with his former minor league manager, Dallas Green, who had replaced Danny Ozark as the Phillies' manager. Trillo won his first Gold Glove Award in 1979.[14]
In the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, Trillo once again made his mark in Game 5 by making another relay throw to cut off Darrell Porter trying to score in the sixth inning.[23] He then hit a single with two outs in the ninth inning to drive home the winning run.[23] The Phillies went on to win Game 6 and claimed the first world championship in the team's history.[21][24]
1981 was another good year for Trillo as he was selected as a reserve for the National League All-Star team, and won his second Gold Glove Award and his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award. He was voted to be the starting second baseman for the National League in the 1982 All-Star Game and set a since-broken major league record for consecutive errorless chances at second base (479), falling two games short of Joe Morgan's record 91-game errorless streak.[25][26][27]
Trillo was one of five Phillies along with George Vukovich, Julio Franco, Jerry Willard and Jay Baller who were traded to the Cleveland Indians for Von Hayes at the Winter Meetings on December 9, 1982.[28] In 1983, he made his second consecutive start as the All-Star second baseman, this time for the American League.[1] Trillo also won his third and final Gold Glove Award in 1983.[1] He finished the 1983 campaign with the Montreal Expos after being dealt from Cleveland for minor-league outfielder Don Carter and cash on August 17. Trillo had expressed a desire to return to the National League and demanded a five-year $4 million contract, the latter of which the Indians lacked the wherewithal to re-sign him.[29] He was reacquired by the Cubs from the Giants for Dave Owen on December 11, 1985.[30] His career as an active player ended with the Cincinnati Reds in 1989.[1]
Career statistics
In a seventeen-year major league career, Trillo played in 1,780 games, accumulating 1,562 hits in 5,950 at bats for a .263 career batting average along with 61 home runs and 571 runs batted in.[1] He ended his career with a .981 fielding percentage.[1] A four-time All-Star, Trillo was a three-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.[1][31][32] He led National League second basemen four times in assists, three times in range factor and twice in putouts.[1]
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