John Melvin "Bubba" Phillips (February 24, 1928 – June 22, 1993) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman from Macon, Mississippi.

He played for ten seasons on the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians, from 1955 through 1964.

Phillips made his major league debut on April 12, 1955, with the Detroit Tigers at the age of 27 and wearing number 11.

In 1956, Phillips spent his first season on the White Sox team like Detroit, mostly a bench player.

Unfortunately, on June 8, he broke his right foot for six weeks tripping over first base and was replaced by utility player, Billy Goodman.

After the 1959 season, Phillips was traded to the Cleveland Indians with Norm Cash and Johnny Romano for Minnie Miñoso, Dick Brown, Don Ferrarese, and Jake Striker.

The White Sox also acquired Gene Freese from the National League's (NL) Philadelphia Phillies for their third base position in exchange for outfielder Johnny Callison.

In 1961, Phillips rebounded, finding a power stroke that led him to hit 18 home runs, including the only two grand slam's of his career.

After the 1962 season, Phillips was traded to the Detroit Tigers for pitchers Ron Nischwitz and Gordon Seyfried.

He had a career high of 6 stolen bases and led the American League with 10 sacrifice flies.

He finished his major league baseball career on September 18 as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning in a game against the Indians.

Phillips worked in real estate and was a tennis instructor at the University of Southern Mississippi and the city of Hattiesburg.