Ex-White Sox player Tony Phillips dies at 56

Tony Phillips, who played for six major league teams including the White Sox, has died of an apparent heart attack, according to several reports. Phillips was 56.

Phillips played one full season with the White Sox in 1996, leading the American League in walks that year with 125. He was traded to the Angels during the next season.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura played with Phillips in Chicago.

“He was great,” Ventura said Friday. “He was crazy, in a good way. Brought a lot of spirit and everything else to your team. Was a great player, a very dedicated guy of just playing hard every day. Everybody that was around him, he was the loudest guy in the room, but a fun guy to play with.”

The versatile journeyman played just about every position during his 18-year career.

Phillips won a World Series ring with the 1989 Oakland A’s. Pitcher Dave Stewart was one of his A’s teammates and first reported his death.

Phillips finished his MLB career at age 40 with 2,023 hits and 1,300 runs.

Phillips was still playing up until last year for independent-league teams, hoping to secure a contract in the Dominican Republic.