Billingsley Arrives, Horst Departs

2015 Chachi New Additions #7

2015 Chachi Departures #8

On Thursday, the Phillies singed right-handed pitcher Chad Billingsley, who has missed most of the past two seasons due to injury.  Billingsley is expected to start the season on the disabled list, but he could join the starting pitching rotation by late April.  Phillies fans will remember Billingsley as the losing pitcher in all three N.L.C.S. games in which they faced him - Games 2 and 5 of the 2008 series, and Game 3 of the 2009 series.

Despite missing the entire 2014 season, Billingsley was card #623 in the 2014 Topps set.  He'll wear #38 with the Phillies, which of course was Kyle Kendrick's old number.  Cesar Jimenez was designated for assignment to make room for Billingsley on the 40-man roster, and Jimenez is currently in roster limbo.

Going the other way to the Dodgers, in a completely unrelated move, is Jeremy Horst.  The lefty reliever signed with the Dodgers as minor league free agent this past week.  Horst spent all of 2014 with the Triple-A IronPigs.  He was one of the team's most reliable relievers in 2012, going 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA over 32 games.  Horst's only three Phillies baseball cards can be found in the 2012 second team issued set and both 2013 team issued sets.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Miami Marlins organization 11/19/14)
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization 1/27/15)
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Cleveland Indians organization 12/24/14)
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates 11/14/14)
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization 11/18/14)
Antonio Bastardo (12/10/14) - Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Joely Rodriguez.
Jimmy Rollins (12/19/14) - Traded with cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tom Windle and Zach Eflin.
Marlon Byrd (12/31/14) - Traded with cash to the Cincinnati Reds for Ben Lively.

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Koyie Hill (11/20/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Sean O'Sullivan (12/16/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.
Joely Rodriguez (12/10/14) - Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Antonio Bastardo.
Odubel Herrera (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Texas Rangers.
Andy Oliver (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Aaron Harang (1/5/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves.
Jordan Danks (1/16/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.
Chad Billingsley (1/29/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2013 Phillies Team Issue - 2nd Edition

Number of Cards:  40
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  This is the second of four straight team issued sets featuring basically the same design elements.  The player's name, number and position are listed at the bottom of the card in a red and blue design with the Phillies script logo appearing in one of the top corners.  All photos used for this set were taken during 2013 regular season games.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 40-card set was available for sale at the ballpark beginning in early July.  I bought my set on July 6th, and I reviewed the comings and goings in the set in this game summary post.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Ben Revere 3 - Delmon Young 5 - Steve Henderson CO 6 - Ryan Howard 8 - Juan Samuel CO 9 - Domonic Brown 10 - Michael Young 11 - Jimmy Rollins 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 16 - Cesar Hernandez 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO 18 - Darin Ruf 19 - Laynce Nix 21 - Wally Joyner CO 23 - Ryne Sandberg CO 26 - Chase Utley 27 - John Lannan 28 - Kevin Frandsen 30 - Rich Dubee CO

31 - Erik Kratz 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - Roy Halladay 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Mike Adams 38 - Kyle Kendrick 40 - Michael Stutes 41 - Charlie Manuel MG 44 - Jonathan Pettibone 47 - Jeremy Horst 48 - Phillippe Aumont 50 - Tyler Cloyd 51 - Carlos Ruiz 54 - Rod Nichols CO 55 - Joe Savery 58 - Jonathan Papelbon 59 - Antonio Bastardo 79 - Justin De Fratus Phillie Phanatic Phillies Broadcasters

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (3):  Cloyd, Hernandez, Pettibone
Returning Players (27):  Adams, Aumont, Bastardo, Brown, De Fratus, Frandsen, Galvis, Halladay, Hamels, Horst, Howard, Kendrick, Kratz, Lannan, Lee, Mayberry Jr., Nix, Papelbon, Revere, Rollins, Ruf, Ruiz, Savery, Stutes, Utley, D. Young, M. Young

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Henderson, Joyner, Nichols, Samuel, Sandberg
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  The card features Tom McCarthy, Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler, Gregg Murphy and Jim Jackson in suits.
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I'm not aware of any variations or rarities available with this set, but that doesn't mean there weren't any.

Also See:  On August 10, 2013, with the Phillies floundering in the standings and having just released Delmon Young, I put together a list of which players should be added and which players should be dropped in a hypothetical Phillies Team Issue 2.1 set.  Alas, it never was and John McDonald, Zach Miner and Casper Wells had to go without team issued cards.
Trivia:  Beckett omits this set from its online database.

Update Your Scorecards - New Uniform Numbers are Here!

They're a little late this year, but I noticed yesterday that the team's roster on the Phillies website had finally been updated to assign new uniform numbers to the rogues' gallery of players who will report to Clearwater in a few weeks.  As cynical as I am at this point about the team's chances in 2015, I can't help to get a little giddy knowing that we're so close to kicking off a new season.

Here's a look at the new number assignments and a few other random thoughts.

New Players - Under 60 Division
#3 Jeff Francouer - The outfield hopeful, who last wore a single digit with the Braves in 2009 (#7) assumes Marlon Byrd's number.
#15 Jordan Danks - John Mayberry, Jr. had worn #15 for the Phillies since 2011.  Danks had been #20 with the White Sox, but that number is permanently taken in Philadelphia.
#17 Brian Bogusevic - Bogusevic takes over the number worn by Reid Brignac last season.
#19 Darin Mastroianni - Tony Gwynn, Jr. wore #19 last season for the Phils in honor of his late, great father.
#27 Chris Nelson - The infielder takes over the number worn for half a season last year by Roberto Hernandez.
#28 Xavier Paul - This number went unoccupied last season after Kevin Frandsen departed for Washington.
#34 Aaron Harang - It looked as if #34 would be unofficially retired by the Phillies last spring in honor of Roy Halladay, but A.J. Burnett took the number when he joined the club.
#37 Odubel Herrera - Reliver Mike Adams wore #37 last season.
#46 Jeanmar Gomez - This number also went unused in 2014, and Raul Valdes was the last #46 for the Phillies in 2013.
#52 Andy Oliver - Hopefully Oliver has more luck wearing #52 this season than Jeff Manship did last season.
#59 Kevin Slowey - If Slowey makes the team, he'll take over the number last worn by Antonio Bastardo.

New Numbers
I'm a little disappointed this year that not one holdover from last year decided (or was given the option to) change his number.  There's usually a little shuffling of the numbers each offseason but this year's returning players all opted to stick with their 2014 numbers.  Boring.

Other Stuff
- Non-roster invitee infielder Chris McGuiness wins the award for the highest spring uniform number with #77.  Zach Collier had been the previous recipient of this award for the #80 he sported in 2013 and 2014.

- I noted in last year's post that prospect Maikel Franco, who had been assigned #74 in spring training, would make an excellent #7.  That was the uniform number he was assigned when he made his debut with the Phillies in September.

- Between 1 and 60, the only non-retired numbers currently unassigned are #11, #21, #38, #39 and #41.  The Phillies have long had an unofficial policy of not assigning numbers of recently departed franchise icons.  For that reason, I would seriously doubt we'll see anyone wear #11 (Jimmy Rollins) or #41 (Charlie Manuel) in 2015.  The same can not be said for #21 (Wil Nieves), #38 (Kyle Kendrick) or #39 (B.J. Rosenberg).

- The cards featured here are from the fantastic, virtual 2014 Quarry Unlimited set created by Cards from the Quarry.  This is the third year in a row a complete set of cards has been created for every single player to have suited up during the season.  Check out the whole set!

Memory Lane

2012 New Numbers

2013 New Numbers
2014 New Numbers - Part One and Part Two

Gomez was a late addition to the list of non-roster invitees, so this post will also serve to update the list which now stands at 17.

Player (position) - 2014 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance
1.  Andres Blanco (inf) - Phillies - 2007 Topps #659 (Royals)
2.  Brian Bogusevic (of) - Marlins - 2014 Topps #524 (Marlins)
3.  Russ Canzler (inf) - Yankees/Phillies - N/A
4.  Chase d'Arnaud (inf) - Pirates - 2012 Topps Heritage #323 (Pirates)
5.  Jeff Francoeur (of) - Padres - 2014 Topps Update #US-167 (Padres)
6.  John Hester (c) - Angels - 2010 Upper Deck #31 (Diamondbacks)
7.  Darin Mastroianni (of) - Twins/Blue Jays - 2013 Topps #528 (Twins)
8.  Xavier Paul (of) - Orioles/Diamondbacks - 2013 Topps Update #US-194 (Reds)
9.  Paul Clemens (rhp) - Astros - 2013 Panini Prizm #213 (Astros)
10.  Rene Garcia (c) - Astros - 2009 Bowman Prospects #BP81 (Astros)
11.  Koyie Hill (c) - Phillies - 2011 Topps Update #US13 (Cubs)
12.  Chris Nelson (inf) - Reds/Padres - 2014 Topps #101 (Angels)
13.  Cord Phelps (inf) - Orioles - N/A
14.  Chris McGuiness (1b) - Pirates - 2010 Topps Pro Debut #411 (Rangers)
15.  Sean O'Sullivan (rhp) - Phillies - 2011 Topps Update #US89 (Royals)
16.  Kevin Slowey (rhp) - Marlins - 2012 Topps Update #US94 (Indians)
17.  Jeanmar Gomez (rhp) - Pirates - 2013 Topps Update #US92 (Pirates)

2013 Phillies Team Issue - 1st Edition

Number of Cards:  41
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  This is the first of four straight team issued sets featuring basically the same design elements.  The player's name, number and position are listed at the bottom of the card in a red and blue design with the Phillies script logo appearing in one of the top corners.  All photos used for this set were taken during spring training 2013.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 41-card set was available for sale at the ballpark up until early July when an entirely new set with a new design was issued.  I picked up my set on March 29th during one of the on-deck exhibition game with the Blue Jays.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Ben Revere 3 - Delmon Young 5 - Steve Henderson CO 6 - Ryan Howard 8 - Juan Samuel CO 9 - Domonic Brown 10 - Michael Young 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - Humberto Quintero 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO 18 - Darin Ruf 19 - Laynce Nix 21 - Wally Joyner CO 23 - Ryne Sandberg CO 25 - Yuniesky Betancourt 26 - Chase Utley 27 - John Lannan 28 - Kevin Frandsen 30 - Rich Dubee CO

31 - Erik Kratz 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - Roy Halladay 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Mike Adams 38 - Kyle Kendrick 40 - Michael Stutes 41 - Charlie Manuel MG 43 - Ender Inciarte 45 - Chad Durbin 46 - Raul Valdes 47 - Jeremy Horst 48 - Phillippe Aumont 51 - Carlos Ruiz 54 - Rod Nichols CO 58 - Jonathan Papelbon 59 - Antonio Bastardo 79 - Justin De Fratus Phillie Phanatic Phillies Broadcasters

One and Done (3):  Betancourt, Inciarte, Quintero
First Appearances (8):  Adams, Aumont, De Fratus, Lannan, Revere, Ruf, D. Young, M. Young
Returning Players (20):  Bastardo, Brown, Durbin, Frandsen, Galvis, Halladay, Hamels, Horst, Howard, Kendrick, Kratz, Lee, Mayberry Jr., Nix, Papelbon, Rollins, Ruiz, Stutes, Utley, Valdes

Betancourt and Inciarte never appeared in a game with the Phillies.  Betancourt was released in late March.  Inciarte was a Rule 5 pick from the Diamondbacks and he made the opening day roster.  However, the Phillies signed Ezequiel Carrera on the second day of the season and Inciarte was shipped back to Arizona having never officially appeared in a game with the Phillies.  The final One and Done is Quintero who appeared in 24 games with the Phillies before parting ways with the club in July.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Henderson, Joyner, Nichols, Samuel, Sandberg
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  The card features Tom McCarthy, Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler, Gregg Murphy and Jim Jackson in their spring training gear.
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I'm not aware of any variations or rarities available with this set, but that doesn't mean there weren't any.

Also See:  2013 Phillies Survival Guide
Trivia:  Beckett omits this set from its online database.
Resources:  14,000 Phillies; The Trading Card Database

1950-1952 Royal Desserts #19 Dick Sisler

I recently added this early oddball card to my growing Dick Sisler collection.  Whenever I track down a card like this, I like to try to find out as much as possible about the card and the set it comes from.

According to the 2012 edition of the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards, these cards were issued one per box on the backs of various Royal Dessert products between 1950 and 1952.  24 total players were included in the set, although numerous variations exist as the makers of the cards either switched up the tint used for the photo (black or blue) or updated the player's biography.  There's also a nice summary of the set with a few more pictures over at Old Cardboard.

According to the Catalog, there are four different versions of the Sisler card available and the Beckett online database indicates that one of the latter versions was updated to mark Sisler's move to the Reds.  The only other Phillies card available from the set is a card for Andy Seminick.

I'm going to forgive the kid who haphazardly cut this Sisler card out of his box of pudding, solely because of what can be found on the back of the card.  The original owner included his or her own back of the card biography, which in my opinion makes this card even more fantastic.

Dick Sisler - OF

Philadelphia Phillies 

No. 19

Broke in with 

Cardinals was traded; 

Sisler caught fire 

and became one of the 

better hitters in baseball.

* * *

My Dad would have been 71 today, and he would have found this card to be equally fascinating.  He'd probably even have a story or two to tell me about his favorite brand of Royal Desserts.  I'm collecting these Sisler cards (and cards of his other favorite player, Del Ennis) as a continuing tribute to him and it makes me happy to be able to share these cards here.

We don't have any Royal Desserts products in our pantry, but I think tonight I'll have a big bowl of ice cream in my Dad's honor.

(P.S.  At some point during this offseason, my Dad would have intoned in a ridiculous, sarcastic voice that his new favorite Phillie was Odubel Herrera.  He would have then shook his head and said, "I mean, what are they even doing?")

Hall of Fame Class of 2015 - Phillies Cards

2002 Fleer Triple Crown Season Crowns #10

Before we get too far away from the announcement of this year's class of Hall of Fame inductees, I wanted to continue a tradition I started a few years ago and see if any of the current year class had any "Phillies" baseball cards.  Obviously, Pedro Martinez has a number of Phillies baseball cards given the half season he played with the club in 2009.

This isn't an exhaustive list, but merely a list of cards currently found within my Phillies collection.

2009 Sweet Spot #44

Pedro Martinez
Not including this awesome 2004 Bazooka 4 on 1 Sticker which includes four pitchers with Phillies connections, I have nine different Phillies cards of Martinez.  His Phillies cards started appearing mid-way through 2009 and he appeared on a few 2010 Phillies cards within the Upper Deck Season Biography insert set.  I also didn't count this 2003 Fleer Tradition Update card in my tally although technically I suppose I could.

2009 Phillies Fan Appreciation Day Postcards - header card with five other Phillies featured
2009 Phillies Team Issue Update #45
2009 SP Authentic #117

2009 Sweet Spot #44

2009 Topps Heritage #563
2009 Topps Update #UH93
2009 Upper Deck Update #U10
2010 Upper Deck Season Biography #SB-148
2010 Upper Deck Season Biography #SB-157

I'm sure he's on many more Phillies cards, but these are the nine currently in my collection.

2003 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN9

Randy Johnson
Second to Martinez in terms of number of cards in my Phillies collection is Randy Johnson.  Of particular interest is the 2002 Fleer Triple Crown card featured at top of this post which includes Johnson, fellow inductee John Smotlz and potential future inductee Curt Schilling.

2001 Topps Combos #TC17 - with Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton
2002 Fleer Triple Crown Season Crowns #10 - with Curt Schilling and John Smoltz
2002 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN9 - with Robin Roberts
2003 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN9 - with Robin Roberts
2004 Bazooka 4 on 1 Sticker #13 - with Randy Wolf, Mark Mulder and Johan Santana

John Smoltz
The only Smoltz card in my collection is the aforementioned Fleer Triple Crown insert card featuring him with Johnson and Schilling.

Craig Biggio
I don't have any Biggio cards in my collection, although according to the Beckett database he appeared on 11 multi-player Upper Deck cards with Chase Utley between 2005 and 2007.

Memory Lane
2012 Inductees - Larkin and Santo
2013 Inductees - O'Day, Ruppert and White
2014 Inductees - Cox, Glavine, LaRussa, Maddux, Thomas and Torre
2015 Inductees - Biggio, Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz

Thank You Mr. Cub! #LetsPlayTwo

2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers Then and Now #TN1

I've already read a number of tributes to Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, who passed away yesterday at the age of 83.  I wanted to add my own small tribute in the form of one of the baseball cards in my Phillies collection that Banks graced.

2000 to 2014 Phillies Team Issued Sets Want List

2006 Phillies Team Issue Update

2000 Phillies Team Issue Update

10 - Travis Lee 16 - Marlon Anderson 19 - Brian R. Hunter 21 - Kent Bottenfield 35 - Cliff Politte 37 - Omar Daal

39 - Bruce Chen 41 - Jason Boyd 44 - Vicente Padilla 45 - Jeff Brantley 50 - Ed Vosberg

2001 Phillies Team Issue Update

3 - Todd Pratt 13 - Turk Wendell 19 - Johnny Estrada 40 - Jose Santiago

48 - Dave Coggin 52 - Felipe Crespo 56 - Brandon Duckworth

2002 Phillies Team Issue Winter Caravan

• 19 - Greg Luzinski
• 25 - Jim Thome

2004 Phillies Team Issue Special Edition/Winter Caravan

• 41 - Charlie Manuel MG
• 58 - Lou Collier

2005 Phillies Team Issue Special Edition

• 80 - Chris Roberson

2006 Phillies Team Issue Update

2 - David Dellucci 15 - Milt Thompson CO (watching BP) 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO (posed photo)

34 - Gavin Floyd 35 - Cole Hamels 56 - Geoff Geary

2007 Phillies Team Issue Update

6 - Ryan Howard (no MVP logo) 9 - Michael Bourn 16 - J.C. Romero 38 - Kyle Kendrick

49 - Jose Mesa 54 - Francisco Rosario 59 - Mike Zagurski

2007 Phillies Team Issue Special Edition

• 10 - Geoff Jenkins
• 54 - Brad Lidge

2008 Phillies Team Issue Special Edition

• 12 - Matt Stairs

2009 Phillies Team Issue Special Edition/Home Run Derby

• 3 - Lou Marson
• 23 - Brian Schneider
• 27 - Placido Polanco
• 28 - Jayson Werth (Home Run Derby)
• 34 - Roy Halladay

2010 Phillies Team Issue 2 Special Edition

• 12 - Juan Samuel CO
• 47 - Scott Mathieson
• 81 - Jesus Tiamo CO

2011 Phillies Team Issue Update (Look for a 38-card set)

• 5 - Pete Orr
• 57 - David Herndon

2011 Phillies Team Issue 2 Special Edition

• 19 - Laynce Nix
• 24 - Ty Wigginton
• 25 - Jim Thome
• 53 - Dontrelle Willis

2012 Phillies Team Issue (Look for a 39-card set)

• Broadcasters

2012 Phillies Team Issue 2 Special Edition

• 21 - Wally Joyner CO

Thanks Steve!

1950s to 1969 Phillies Postcards

1981 Phillies Photocards

1981 Phillies Photocards

Recently, I was the lucky recipient of 12 fantastic Phillies team issue cards from fellow collector and frequent Phillies Room contributor Steve.  I've only been actively collecting these cards from the 1960s through the early 1980s for about six months or so, and I've discovered that it's relatively easy to accumulate doubles.  With no indication of the year on the cards and a similar design used for the sets issued between 1951 and 1981, it's easy to pick up duplicates.  Steve had 12 doubles laying around and he kindly sent them my way to aid in my quest to complete these hard-to-find sets.

Presented here are four of my favorites.  I've sent Steve the three doubles I had accumulated, and I'll be sure to set aside extras for him in the future.

As a reminder - If you have doubles of any of these team issued cards, or if you're just looking for a good home for any of these cards please let me know.  If I can't use them, I'd be more than happy to pass them along to Steve!

1978 Phillies Photocards

Danks and Rodriguez Round Out 40-Man Roster

2015 Chachi New Additions #6

2015 Chachi New Additions #2

It's been a busy time for me at work, and I haven't had much time to update my recent team issue set posts for comments left by Steve and Rick.  I'll hopefully get to that this weekend, and I'd also like to wrap up the series of posts as I'm down to just the 2013 and 2014 team issued sets.  Finally, I'd like to take a look at the baseball cards in my Phillies collection featuring the new Hall of Fame class.

Before those posts though, I wanted to feature a quick post on the newest member of the club and a possible candidate for the team's fourth outfielder in 2015.  On Friday, the team claimed outfielder Jordan Danks off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.  Danks appeared in 51 games with the White Sox last season, hitting .222 with two home runs.  He's on card #649 in the 2014 Topps set.

The press release announcing the Danks move indicated that the Phillies 40-man roster was now full, which surprised me since I had the tally at 39.  Recently the Phillies added pitcher Joely Rodriguez to the roster meaning he's also earned a Chachi New Additions card.  Rodriguez had been acquired from the Pirates back in December for Antonio Bastardo, but he didn't appear on the team website's 40-man roster until this past week.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Miami Marlins organization 11/19/14)
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Cleveland Indians organization 12/24/14)
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates 11/14/14)
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization 11/18/14)
Antonio Bastardo (12/10/14) - Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Joely Rodriguez.
Jimmy Rollins (12/19/14) - Traded with cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tom Windle and Zach Eflin.
Marlon Byrd (12/31/14) - Traded with cash to the Cincinnati Reds for Ben Lively.

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Koyie Hill (11/20/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Sean O'Sullivan (12/16/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.
Joely Rodriguez (12/10/14) - Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Antonio Bastardo.
Odubel Herrera (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Texas Rangers.
Andy Oliver (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Aaron Harang (1/5/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves.
Jordan Danks (1/16/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.

1981 Phillies Photocards

Number of Cards:  32
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued since 1970, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1981.  Some of the cards contain blue facsimile autographs as noted on the checklist below.  There are six cards available with a horizontal orientation as also noted below.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:

Luis Aguayo Ruben Amaro CO Ramon Aviles (auto) Bob Boone (horizontal) Larry Bowa Marty Bystrom (auto) Steve Carlton (horizontal) Larry Christenson Dick Davis (auto) Billy DeMars CO (auto) Lee Elia CO Nino Espinosa (auto) Dallas Green MG (auto) Greg Gross Sparky Lyle Garry Maddox (auto)

Gary Matthews Bake McBride (auto) Tug McGraw Keith Moreland (horizontal) Mike Proly (auto) Ron Reed Pete Rose (auto) Dick Ruthven (auto) Mike Ryan CO (auto) Mike Schmidt (horizontal) Lonnie Smith (horizontal) Herm Starrette CO Manny Trillo (horizontal) Del Unser John Vukovich Bobby Wine CO (auto)

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (5):  Bystrom, Davis, Lyle, Matthews, Proly
Returning Players (20):  Aguayo, Aviles, Boone, Bowa, Carlton, Christenson, Espinosa, Gross, Maddox, McBride, McGraw, Moreland, Reed, Rose, Ruthven, Schmidt, Smith, Trillo, Unser, Vukovich

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Green
Coaches (6):  Amaro, DeMars, Elia, Ryan, Starrette, Wine
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  Rick confirms the existence of Tim McCarver's first ever broadcaster card, and Steve's checklist indicates the possibility of variations for Maddox and Proly.

• Tim McCarver (broadcaster)
• Garry Maddox (variation available?)
• Mike Proly (variation available?)

Finally, while not part of the team issued set per se, there is a 1981 card of the Phillie Phanatic that was issued by Harrison/Ericsson.  I'm not including it as part of the main checklist above but it should be noted that a black and white Phanatic card does exist in the same size as the rest of the 1981 set.  (The same note pertains to the 1978 and 1980 team issued sets.)

Also See:  1981 Topps Home Team 5 x 7 Phillies
Trivia:  The Lyle card contains an uncorrected error with the spelling of his first name as "Sparkey."

I don't currently own any 1981 Phillies Photocards, and I had wanted to hold off on posting on any sets for which I have none of the cards.  However, in the interest of pressing onwards with this project, I've borrowed the images shown here from The Trading Card Database.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collectors Steve and Rick (@rickphils)

1976 Phillies Photocards

Number of Cards:  31
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  All photos feature hatless portraits of the players, coaches or manager.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1976.  Some of the cards contain blue facsimile autographs, as noted on the checklist below.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:

Dick Allen Carroll Beringer CO Bob Boone Larry Bowa Ollie Brown Steve Carlton (auto) Dave Cash Larry Christenson Billy DeMars CO Gene Garber Terry Harmon Tommy Hutton Jay Johnstone (auto) Jim Kaat (auto) Jim Lonborg Greg Luzinski (auto)

Garry Maddox Jerry Martin Tim McCarver Tug McGraw Johnny Oates Danny Ozark MG Ron Reed Ray Rippelmeyer CO (auto) Mike Schmidt Ron Schueler Tony Taylor (auto) Bobby Tolan (auto) Wayne Twitchell Tom Underwood (auto) Bobby Wine CO

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (3):  Kaat, Reed, Tolan
Returning Players (23):  Allen, Boone, Bowa, Brown, Carlton, Cash, Christenson, Garber, Harmon, Hutton, Johnstone, Lonborg, Luzinski, Maddox, Martin, McCarver, McGraw, Oates, Schmidt, Schueler, Taylor, Twitchell, Underwood

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1): Ozark
Coaches (4):  Beringer, DeMars, Rippelmeyer, Wine
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  As Rick points out in his comments, there's a variation of the Johnstone card available.

• Jay Johnstone (kneeling and holding bat)

Also See:  1976 SSPC Phillies - Part One and Part Two; 1976 Isalay's/Sweet William Discs Phillies; 1976 Hostess Phillies; 1976 Oklahoma City 89ers Team Set

Trivia:  I don't currently own any 1976 Phillies Photocards, and I had wanted to hold off on posting on any sets for which I have none of the cards.  However, in the interest of pressing onwards with this project, I've borrowed the images shown here from The Trading Card Database.

To date, the only years for which I haven't been able to track down any team issued cards are 1972, 1976 and 1981.  My guess is that the 1972 cards are rare (or rarer) due to the fact that the team absolutely stunk that year.  The 1981 cards could be harder to find because of the shortened season due to the player's strike.  But I would have thought that 1976 cards would have been more readily available as the team was gaining in popularity and was playing pretty well by the mid-1970s.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

1972 Phillies Photocards

Number of Cards:  40
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  With the exception of the card for coach Brandy Davis, all cards contain a blue facsimile autograph.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1972.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.  Cards were released throughout the season, as evidenced by the inclusion of Joe Hoerner, Jim Nash and Gary Neibauer.  Hoerner was traded to the Braves on June 15th (with Andre Thornton) for Nash and Neibauer.

Complete Standard Checklist:

Mike Anderson John Bateman Bob Boone Larry Bowa Darrell Brandon Byron Browne Steve Carlton Bill Champion Brandy Davis CO Billy DeMars CO Denny Doyle Doc Edwards CO Roger Freed Woodie Fryman Oscar Gamble Terry Harmon Joe Hoerner Tommy Hutton Deron Johnson Pete Koegel

Barry Lersch Frank Lucchesi MG Joe Lis Greg Luzinski Tim McCarver Don Money Willie Montanez George Myatt CO Jim Nash Gary Neibauer Ken Reynolds Ray Rippelmeyer CO Bill Robinson Mike Ryan Mac Scarce Dick Selma Mike Schmidt Chris Short Ron Stone Wayne Twitchell

One and Done (2):  Bateman, Neibauer
First Appearances (9):  Anderson, Boone, Carlton, Hutton, Nash, Robinson, Scarce, Schmidt, Twitchell
Returning Players (23):  Bowa, Brandon, Browne, Champion, Doyle, Freed, Fryman, Gamble, Harmon, Hoerner, Johnson, Koegel, Lersch, Lis, Luzinski, McCarver, Money, Montanez, Reynolds, Ryan, Selma, Short, Stone

Long-time Astros and Expos catcher Bateman wrapped up his 10-year career with 82 games with the 1972 Phillies, and this set contains his sole Phillies baseball card.

Schmidt appeared within two sets in 1972, the year before his iconic rookie card appeared with the 1973 Topps set - this set and the Puerto Rico Stickers set, both of which are extremely difficult to find.  This set is also notable for containing the first Phillies cards of both Boone and Carlton.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Lucchesi
Coaches (5):  Davis, DeMars, Edwards, Myatt, Rippelmeyer
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  My only source for this set is the checklist found at The Trading Card Database and I'm not aware of any variations or rarities.

Also See:  1972 Topps #PR1 Mike Schmidt (This is a Phillies Room tribute to what Schmidt's 1972 Topps card could have looked like.)

Trivia:  I don't currently own any 1972 Phillies Photocards, and I had wanted to hold off on posting on any sets for which I have none of the cards.  However, in the interest of pressing onwards with this project, I've borrowed the images shown here from The Trading Card Database.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database

Doug's 2014 Topps Stickers Want List

2014 Topps Stickers #193

6, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 40, 46, 48

55, 58, 74, 85, 86

100, 102, 104, 106, 110, 117, 125, 129, 131, 135

171, 174, 175, 178, 183, 186, 191

207, 212, 228, 235, 244, 256, 273, 276, 284, 286, 291, 292, 295

302, 303, 306, 309, 311, 314, 315

Team Stickers Needed - Astros, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Indians, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Rangers, Red Sox, Reds, Royals, White Sox, Yankees

1974 Phillies Photocards

Number of Cards:  39
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1974.  With the exception of the cards for Ollie Brown, Jay Johnstone and Pete Richert, all cards have a blue facsimile autograph on the front.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or to honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever originally available in complete set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:

Mike Anderson Carroll Beringer CO Bob Boone Larry Bowa Ollie Brown Steve Carlton Dave Cash Larry Christenson Larry Cox George Culver Billy DeMars CO Ron Diorio Jim Essian Ed Farmer Gene Garber (late addition) Bill Grabarkewitz Terry Harmon Jesus Hernaiz Tommy Hutton Jay Johnstone Frank Linzy

Jim Lonborg Greg Luzinski Willie Montanez Danny Ozark MG Pete Richert Ray Rippelmeyer CO Bill Robinson Mike Rogodzinski Dick Ruthven Mac Scarce Mike Schmidt Ron Schueler Tony Taylor Wayne Twitchell Del Unser Mike Wallace Eddie Watt Bobby Wine CO

One and Done (3):  Hernaiz, Linzy, Richert
First Appearances (8):  Brown, Cash, Cox, Farmer, Garber, Johnstone, Schueler, Watt
Returning Players (23):  Anderson, Boone, Bowa, Carlton, Christenson, Culver, Diorio, Essian, Grabarkewitz, Harmon, Hutton, Lonborg, Luzinski, Montanez, Robinson, Rogodzinski, Ruthven, Scarce, Schmidt, Taylor, Twitchell, Unser, Wallace

The first and last Phillies cards of Jesus Hernaiz (27 games), Frank Linzy (22 games) and Pete Richert (21 games) can be found in this set.  The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Based on comments from Rick and Steve below, I've added Gene Garber to the checklist and I've removed the variation card that I originally listed for Mac Scarce.

Manager (1):  Ozark
Coaches (4):  Beringer, DeMars, Rippelmeyer, Wine
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  The checklist found at The Trading Card Database lists four cards with autograph variations, featuring slightly different placements of the facsimile autograph.  As noted on the checklist above, there are also two different versions of Mac Scarce's card to be found.  I wasn't sure which version was more prevalent, so I've listed them both as part of the main checklist.

Larry Bowa (auto variation) Jim Lonborg (auto variation)

Willie Montanez (auto variation) Danny Ozark MG (auto variation)

Also See:  1974 Topps Stamps Phillies
Trivia:  I found the DeMars card featured here through an eBay search for "Phillies Photo."  It was only through the awesome photos provided at The Trading Card Database for this set that I was able to identify this card as being from 1974.  Collector Dave Sosidka uploaded the checklist and scans of all cards to the databse back in 2011.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collectors Steve and Rick (@rickphils)

2012 Phillies Team Issue - 2nd Edition

Number of Cards:  46
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  Full bleed photos are the focus of this card's minimalist design.  The player's name can be found at the bottom of each card, with his uniform number and position in one of the top corners on either side of a simple Phillies "P" logo.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  I purchased the original 40-card second edition set at Citizens Bank Park on July 21st.  I was impressed (and I'm still impressed) with the player selection and actual thought that went into putting together a checklist for this second half set.  Here is my original post documenting the players added and subtracted from the first edition set.

Very late in the season, the Phillies released a second version of this set, adding the six cards featured in the Complete Update Checklist below and dropping the cards for Joe Blanton, Mike Fontenot, Hunter Pence, Jason Pridie, Brian Sanches and Shane Victorino who had all left the team via trade or release.  This post discussed the discovery of these late season cards and this post documents the additions and subtractions to the set after I had acquired it in late October 2012.

Complete Standard Checklist (40):  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Sam Perlozzo CO 3 - Hunter Pence 5 - Pete Mackanin CO 6 - Ryan Howard 8 - Shane Victorino 10 - Juan Pierre 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - Juan Samuel CO 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 16 - Jason Pridie 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO 18 - Mike Fontenot 19 - Laynce Nix 21 - Greg Gross CO 23 - Brian Schneider 24 - Ty Wigginton 26 - Chase Utley 27 - Placido Polanco 29 - Hector Luna

30 - Rich Dubee CO 31 - Erik Kratz 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - Roy Halladay 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Antonio Bastardo 38 - Kyle Kendrick 41 - Charlie Manuel MG 44 - Michael Schwimer 46 - Raul Valdes 47 - Jeremy Horst 48 - Brian Sanches 49 - Vance Worley 51 - Carlos Ruiz 55 - Joe Savery 56 - Joe Blanton 58 - Jonathan Papelbon 63 - Jake Diekman Phillie Phanatic Phillies Broadcasters

Complete Update Checklist (6):

7 - Michael Martinez 9 - Domonic Brown 22 - Nate Schierholtz

28 - Kevin Frandsen 43 - Josh Lindblom 53 - B.J. Rosenberg

One and Done (3):  Fontenot, Luna, Pridie
First Appearances (10):  Diekman, Frandsen, Horst, Kratz, Lindblom, Rosenberg, Sanches, Savery, Schierholtz, Valdes
Returning Players (24):  Bastardo, Blanton, Brown, Galvis, Halladay, Hamels, Howard, Kendrick, Lee, Martinez, Mayberry Jr., Nix, Papelbon, Pence, Pierre, Polanco, Rollins, Ruiz, Schneider, Schwimer, Utley, Victorino, Wigginton, Worley

It's extremely impressive (and surprising) that Pridie has a card in this set, as he appeared in just nine games with the Phillies in July.  Fontenot and Luna also receive their one and only Phillies baseball cards in this set.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (6):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Gross, Mackanin, Perlozzo, Samuel
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  After an absence in the first edition, the broadcasters get their own card in the second edition set.  Newcomer Gregg Murphy joins Tom McCarthy, Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler and Jim Jackson
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  Steve F. has noted the existence of blank backed cards for Billmeyer, Manuel and Nix.  Wally Joyner joined the coaching staff following the 2012 season, and there's a card for him available which was presumably created for Joyner to sign during that offseason's winter caravan.  (An eBay auction for this card can currently be found here.)

• 21 - Wally Joyner CO

Trivia:  The Beckett online database omits this set and the first edition set.
Resources:  14,000 Phillies; The Trading Card Database (excludes the additional six late season cards).

2012 Phillies Team Issue - 1st Edition

Number of Cards:  39
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The card fronts feature color photos from spring training and a wood grained bottom border containing the player's name, number and position.  Each card also contains the "2012 First Edition" legend on the front, which at the time was a really good indication that a second edition set would eventually be issued.  The Phillies script logo appears in one of the upper corners.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  Sets were available for sale at Citizens Bank Park through early July.  I picked up my 38-card set at the sixth game of the season in mid-April and I discussed the set's checklist in a post found here.

As pointed out by Steve in his comment, the set he purchased actually contains 39 cards with the additional card being a broadcaster card.  Honestly, if I've learned nothing else by putting together these posts it's that I should buy the annual team issued sets early and often.  It seems as if the composition of these sets changes repeatedly throughout the season.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Sam Perlozzo CO 3 - Hunter Pence 5 - Pete Mackanin CO 6 - Ryan Howard 7 - Michael Martinez 8 - Shane Victorino 9 - Domonic Brown 10 - Juan Pierre 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - Juan Samuel CO 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO 19 - Laynce Nix 21 - Greg Gross CO 22 - Scott Podsednik 23 - Brian Schneider 24 - Ty Wigginton 25 - Jim Thome 26 - Chase Utley

27 - Placido Polanco 30 - Rich Dubee CO 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - Roy Halladay 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Antonio Bastardo 38 - Kyle Kendrick 40 - Michael Stutes 41 - Charlie Manuel MG 44 - Michael Schwimer 49 - Vance Worley 50 - Chad Qualls 51 - Carlos Ruiz 52 - Jose Contreras 56 - Joe Blanton 57 - David Herndon 58 - Jonathan Papelbon Phillie Phanatic Broadcasters

One and Done (2):  Podsednik, Qualls
First Appearances (6):  Galvis, Nix, Papelbon, Pierre, Schwimer, Wigginton
Returning Players (22):  Bastardo, Blanton, Brown, Contreras, Halladay, Hamels, Herndon, Howard, Kendrick, Lee, Martinez, Mayberry Jr., Pence, Polanco, Rollins, Ruiz, Schneider, Stutes, Thome, Utley, Victorino, Worley

Podsednik was close to making the the team out of spring training, but the final outfielder's roster spot went to Pierre instead.  He was traded to the Red Sox in mid-May and never officially suited up with the Phillies.  This set also contains the one and only Phillies baseball card for reliever Qualls, who struggled mightily in his short time with the club.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.  I'm not counting the relatively rare Wigginton card found in the style of the 2011 second edition set as his first appearance.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (6):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Gross, Mackanin, Perlozzo, Samuel
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I'm not aware of any variations or rarities to be found within this set although the existence of the broadcaster's card was news to me.  As has been the case with the 2010 and 2011 team issued sets, variations or rarities are usually found with the design of the second series set.

Also See:  My youngest son Ben attended his first ever Phillies game on April 29, 2012.
Resources:  14,000 Phillies; The Trading Card Database; Phillies collector Steve