2019 Phillies Want List

2019 Topps Opening Day Team Traditions & Celebrations #TTC-LB

Topps
Base Set - 224 Herrera, 331 Hernandez
Base Variations - 163 Nola
150 Years of Professional Baseball - 150-115 Carlton
Home Run Challenge - HRC-17 Hoskins
Stars of the Game - SSB-28 Hoskins, SSB-51 Nola

Topps Heritage
Base Set - 403 Arrieta, 415 Harper, 450 Segura, 458 Hoskins, 459 Nola
1970 Topps Baseball Stars Candy Lids - 3 Nola
1970 Topps Cloth Stickers - 12 Hoskins
1970 Topps Player Story Booklet - 9 Hoskins
1970 Topps Poster Box Loader - 19 Hoskins
Real One Autographs - ROA-RH Hoskins

Topps Opening Day
Base Set - 22 Harper, 60 Realmuto
Dugout Peeks - DP-16 Arrieta, DP-17 Herrera
Rally Time - RT-RH Hoskins
Sock it to Me! - SM-7 Hoskins

2018 Phillies Want List

2018 Topps Heritage High Numbers Classic Combos #CC-4

Somehow I managed to make it through all of last year without posting a 2018 Phillies baseball card want list.  I publish these posts mainly as a reference for me to pull up on my phone as I'm searching eBay or going through newer Phillies cards at baseball card shows.

This isn't an all-exclusive list of 2018 Phillies cards I need, but rather it's a list of Phillies cards from 2018 sets that I'd like to eventually add to my collection.

Bowman Chrome
Main Set - 3 Kingery, 22 Nola, 25 Hoskins, 28 Herrera, 35 Williams, 65 Crawford
Prospects - BCP153 De Los Santos, BCP164 Seabold, BCP178 Sanchez, BCP210 Moniak

Donruss Optic
Main Set - 38 Hoskins
Rated Rookies Retro 1984 - 8 Hoskins, 12 Williams, 14 Crawford

Topps
Base Variations - 259 Hoskins
Future Stars - FS-8 Williams
Silver Pack 1983 Chrome Promo - 69 Williams

Topps Archives
Fan Favorites Autographs - FFA-PN Neshek, FFA-RH Hoskins

Topps Heritage
1969 Team Poster - 69P-PP Phillies
Real One Autographs - ROA-AN Nola, ROA-JC Crawford, ROA-RH Hoskins, ROA-SK Kingery

Topps Now
Moment of the Week - MOW17 Hoskins/773
Player's Weekend Bonus - PWB-41 Hunter/28, PWB-42 Ramos/16

Topps On Demand
'78 Four Player Rookies - R4 Hoskins
3D - 2 Nola, 47 Arrieta, 50 Kingery, 74 Bour, 64 Hoskins
3D Motion - M7 Nola, M30 Hoskins
Black & White - 28 HoskinsDynamic Duals Award Winners - AW4 Carlton
Dynamic Duals Dominant Duos - 4 Hoskings/Kingery
Dynamic Duals Hall of Fame - HOF5 Fingers/Carlton
Dynamic Duals Youngsters - YG1 Hoskins
Rookie Sensations - 14 Kingery, 16 Hoskins, 18 Crawford
Rookie Sensations Photo Variations - 16 Hoskins
Rookie Sensations Rookie Teammates - RT2 Hoskins/Kingery

Topps Update
Base Variations - US14 Kingery
Hall of Famer Highlights - HFH-15 Thome
Legends in the Making - LITM-3 Kingery

Grapefruit Game 25 - 2018 Topps Heritage High Numbers #711 Carlos Santana

Cardinals 4, Phillies 1
Spring Training Game 25 - Monday Afternoon, March 18th in Jupiter
Record - 11-11-3

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense couldn't solve the Cardinals pitching, as the team dropped this one, 4-1.

What It Means:  With today's game against the Astros already cancelled because of rain, there are just six games remaining on the Grapefruit League schedule for the Phillies.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits.  Bryce Harper had a pair of hits (his first of the spring) in a minor league game.

Featured Card:  Strangely enough, former Phillie first baseman Carlos Santana, was the big story for the Phillies yesterday.  ESPN published an account of Santana taking a bat to a TV following a game in late September, angered that his teammates were playing Fortnite during the game.  The game in question was summarized here and I mentioned in that post that Doug was successful with adding autographs from Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn and Rhys Hoskins prior to the game.

With this news, Santana, back with the Indians this season, solidifies his position as a Phillies Room Favorite despite his short time with the club.

Camp Head Count:  48.  I would expect the roster reductions to start coming fast and furious at this point.

Grapefruit Game 24 - 2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-279 Jerad Eickhoff

Yankees 7, Phillies 3
Spring Training Game 24 - Sunday Afternoon, March 17th in Clearwater
Record - 11-10-3

One Sentence Summary:  The bullpen continued to look shaky as the Phillies lost to the Yankees, 7-3 on St. Patrick's Day.

What It Means:  Hector Neris and Adam Morgan gave up six total runs in their 2 1/3 innings of work.

What Happened:  After getting drilled in the ankle with a pitch on Friday, Bryce Harper returned to the line-up in the DH role, going 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.  He's now 0 for 8 for the spring.  Shane Robinson had a two-run triple for the Phillies in the 5th.

Featured Card:  Jerad Eickhoff has lost most of the past two seasons due to injury, and he's hoping to make a comeback this year.  Slated to start the season in the IronPigs' rotation, Eickhoff pitched three shutout innings while striking out 5.  His baseball card appearances were scarce in 2018, and this is his card from the 2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day set, limited to 411 copies.

Camp Head Count:  48.

Memory Lane

2010 - Mike Schmidt and the entire 1986 team go green.

2011 - Chase Utley models the green jerseys worn during Spring Training 2006.

2012 - A smiling card of Tugger and Roy Halladay models a green jersey.

2013 - Irish Mike Ryan's 1972 Topps card and Freddy Galvis in green.
2015 - David Buchanan started the game last year.  This year, he's already in minor league camp.
2016 - Vince Velasquez pitched well and Ryan Howard hit his first spring home run.
2017 - Kendrick and Altherr homered while Venditte made his switch-pitching debut.
2018 - Santana hits his first spring home run in a win against the Braves.
2019 - Harper still hitless, Eickhoff sharp in his start.

Grapefruit Game 23 - 2019 Topps Heritage #168 Victor Arano

Astros 13, Phillies 5
Spring Training Game 23 - Saturday Afternoon, March 16th in Clearwater
Record - 11-9-3

One Sentence Summary:  Victor Arano and James Pazos were on the wrong end of a 9-run 5th inning from the Astros, and Houston cruised to a 13-5 victory.

What It Means:  Odubel Herrera made his spring debut, going 1 for 2 with a double as the team's DH.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 2 2/3 innings before giving way to the bullpen.  Arano didn't retire a batter, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and a walk.  J.T. Realmuto hit his 3rd home run of the spring.

Featured Card:  Arano has had a rough spring, and his ERA is up to 51.00 after 5 appearances and 3 innings pitched.  This is his first solo Topps Heritage card, having appeared on a Rookie Stars card in the 2018 set with J.P. Crawford and Yacksel Rios.

Camp Head Count:  48.  For comparison purposes, on March 16th last season, the Phillies had 48 players on their active roster and were 8-13-1.

Grapefruit Game 22 - 2019 Topps Bryce Harper Art Card #A

Phillies 3, Blue Jays 2
Spring Training Game 22 - Friday Afternoon, March 15th in Clearwater
Record - 11-8-3

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta pitched well, but Phillies fans everywhere held their breath after Bryce Harper was drilled with a pitch and limped off the field.

What It Means:  X-rays on Harper's ankle were negative and he's day to day.  He'll most likely miss playing time this weekend, which means he'll have even less time to prepare prior to opening day in less than 2 weeks.  Harper is hitless in five spring at-bats.

What Happened:  Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Nick Williams doubled home Shane Robinson to tie up the game and Gift Ngoepe walked with the bases loaded to win it.  Williams is hitting .324 so far this spring.  Pivetta pitched five innings, allowing a home run to Freddy Galvis and striking out two.  He's penciled in as the team's third starter to begin the season, behind Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta.

Featured Card:  I'm considering this to be Harper's first official Phillies card, made available for purchase on Friday, March 1st.  This is card "A" featuring him in a photoshopped Phillies road uniform, and there's also a card "B" that uses the same photo but has a different background and features his career statistics in the design.  Harper has since appeared on two more Topps Now cards, bringing his official Phillies baseball card tally to 4.  That number will grow exponentially in the coming months.

Total print runs were 1,839 for the "A" card and 1,348 for the "B" card.  Given how quickly these cards were made available, I have to imagine prototype cards exist with Harper appearing in Giants, Padres, Dodgers or Yankees uniforms.

Camp Head Count:  49 - 1 = 48.  Following the game, third baseman Mitch Walding was optioned to the IronPigs.

Grapefruit Games 20 & 21 - 2019 Topps Heritage #288 Cesar Hernandez

Phillies 4, Rays 3
Spring Training Game 20 - Thursday Afternoon, March 14th in Port Charlotte

Pirates 11, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 21 - Thursday Afternoon, March 14th in Clearwater
Record - 10-8-3

One Sentence Summary:  We're two weeks away from opening day, and this was the final split squad double header on the spring schedule for the Phillies.

What It Means:  I'm ready for some baseball that counts.

What Happened:  Against the Rays, Drew Anderson turned in his latest impressive outing, pitching four shutout innings while allowing 2 hits.  Yacksel Rios picked up the win with two scoreless innings of his own.  Gift Ngoepe (1) and Dylan Cozens (4) both homered in the win.

Jake Arrieta and the Phillies were shellacked by the Pirates in Clearwater.  Arrieta gave up 5 runs on 6 hits over 3 1/3 innings.  Cesar Hernandez had a hit in his first game back after missing two weeks with a hip injury.

Featured Card:  Hernandez, Maikel Franco and Aaron Nola are expected to be the only three players from last year's opening day line-up playing the same positions for the Phillies on March 28th.

Camp Head Count:  49.  The Phillies have exactly two weeks to trim down the roster by 24 more players.

Grapefruit Game 19 - 2019 Topps Heritage #186 Scott Kingery

Phillies 5, Yankees 5
Spring Training Game 19 - Wednesday Night, March 13th in Tampa
Record - 9-7-3

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Yankees played to a draw in Tampa.

What It Means:  Not that anyone is keeping track, not even the Phillies own website, but this is the third tie for the team this spring.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits.  Pedro Beato, back with the Phillies on a minor league deal, held the Yankees scoreless in the 9th.

Andrew Romine scored the tying run in the top of the 9th on a wild pitch.  J.T. Realmuto (2) and Scott Kingery (1) both homered in the 4th.

Featured Card:  Again, not that it matters (yet), but Kingery is hitting just .212 through this game and he's battling for one of the precious few bench spots..  This is his hatless card from the recently released Topps Heritage set, which is really faithful to what an actual 1970 Topps card would have looked like.

Camp Head Count:  49.

Grapefruit Game 18 - 2018 Topps Now Offseason #OS59 Andrew McCutchen

Rays 8, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 18 - Monday Afternoon, March 11th in Clearwater
Record - 9-7-2

One Sentence Summary:  Vince Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff struggled on the mound as the Rays downed the Phillies, 8-2.

What It Means:  I'm not sure what to make of Velasquez.  Carrying over from his performance the last few seasons, he's either unhittable and dominant or hittable and ineffective.  There doesn't seem to be any middle ground.

What Happened:  Velasquez allowed 5 runs on 5 hits in two innings.  Eickhoff allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in two innings.  On the plus side, Pat Neshek worked a scoreless 7th and struck out the side, while David Robertson added a shutout 8th inning, striking out 2.

Featured Card:  Andrew McCutchen and Jean Segura hit back-to-back home runs in the 4th inning.  McCutchen's first official Phillies card was released in December in the Topps Now Offseason set.

Camp Head Count:  55 - 6 = 49.  Following the game, Austin Davis (lhp), Enyel De Los Santos (rhp), Edgar Garcia (rhp) and Ranger Suarez (rhp) were optioned to Triple-A.  Cole Irvin (lhp) and Tyler Gilbert (lhp) were reassigned to minor league camp.

Tracking the Ex-Phillies

Each spring, I'll spend time reviewing every team's roster, list of non-roster invitees and their coaching staff.  There are always a few ex-Phillies that I'm surprised to see still around with Tyler Cloyd (Rays) and Cameron Perkins (Dodgers) catching my eye this year.

Here's a list of each team's Phillies alumni representation, and I've only included players, coaches and managers who actually suited up for the team.  Players who passed through the Phillies minor league system but never made the big club aren't represented here.

Special mention goes to Tommy Joseph, who signed with the LG Twins in Korea over the offseason, and Ty Kelly, who signed a minor league deal with the Angels but doesn't appear to be a non-roster invitee.

N.L. East
Atlanta Braves:  Andres Blanco - inf (NRI), Pedro Florimon - inf (NRI), Rick Kranitz - pitching coach, San Fasano - catching coach
Miami Marlins:  Jorge Alfaro - c, Brian Schneider - catching coach
New York Mets:  Wilson Ramos - c, Luis Avilan - lhp (NRI)
Washington Nationals:  Jeremy Hellickson - rhp, Howie Kendrick - of, Henderson Alvarez - rhp (NRI)

N.L. Central
Chicago Cubs:  Cole Hamels - lhp, Mike Zagurski - lhp (NRI)
Cincinnati Reds:  David Hernandez - rhp, David Bell - manager, Turner Ward - hitting coach
Milwaukee Brewers:  Erik Kratz - c
Pittsburgh Pirates:  Tom Prince - bench coach
St. Louis Cardinals:  Mike Maddux - pitching coach

N.L. West
Arizona Diamondbacks:  Torey Lovullo - manager, Humberto Quintero - bullpen catcher
Colorado Rockies:  Michael Saunders - of (NRI)
Los Angeles Dodgers:  Ezequiel Carrera - of (NRI), Cameron Perkins - of (NRI)
San Diego Padres:  Aaron Loup - lhp, Rod Barajas - bench coach
San Francisco Giants:  Rick Schu - assistant hitting coach


A.L. East
Baltimore Orioles:  Jose David Flores - third base coach
Boston Red Sox:  Ron Roenicke - bench coach
New York Yankees:  J.A. Happ - lhp, Drew Hutchison - rhp (NRI)
Tampa Bay Rays:  Charlie Morton - rhp, Tyler Cloyd - rhp (NRI), Hoby Milner - lhp (NRI), Ricardo Pinto - rhp (NRI)
Toronto Blue Jays:  Clay Buchholz - rhp, Ken Giles - rhp, Freddy Galvis - inf, Mark Leiter Jr. - rhp (NRI)

A.L. Central
Chicago White Sox:  None
Cleveland Indians:  Carlos Santana - inf, Terry Francona - manager, Brad Mills - bench coach
Detroit Tigers:  Daniel Stumpf - lhp, Cameron Rupp - c (NRI, and recently traded from the Giants)
Kansas City Royals:  Jake Diekman - lhp, Ben Lively - rhp, Dale Sveum - bench coach
Minnesota Twins:  None

A.L. West
Houston Astros:  A.J. Hinch - manager
Los Angeles Angels:  Luis Garcia - rhp, JC Ramirez - rhp, Justin Bour - inf, Peter Bourjos - of (NRI), Shawn Wooten - assistant hitting coach, Andrew Bailey - bullpen coach
Oakland Athletics:  None
Seattle Mariners:  J.P. Crawford - inf
Texas Rangers:  Asdrubal Cabrera - inf, Zac Curtis - lhp (NRI), Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (NRI), Chase d'Arnaud -inf (NRI), Hunter Pence - of (NRI), Ben Revere - of (NRI)

Grapefruit Game 17 - 2015 Topps #379 Phil Gosselin

Phillies 8, Orioles 5
Spring Training Game 17 - Sunday Afternoon, March 10th in Sarasota
Record - 9-6-2

One Sentence Summary:  Andrew Knapp and Phil Gosselin each enjoyed 3-hit days as the Phillies defeated the Orioles, 8-5.

What It Means:  I missed most of this game as we were enjoying Captain Marvel at the movie theater.  Doug and I give the movie two big thumbs up.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola, officially named the opening day started, allowed three runs on four hits in his three inning outing.  He also struck out six.  Nick Pivetta pitched four innings, allowing two runs and ultimately collecting the win.

Featured Card:  Malvern Prep's own Gosselin hit his first spring home run.  Gosselin grew up a Phillies fan and there's a good Jim Salisbury article with an imbedded video that can be found here.  He's a long shot to make the opening day roster, but there's a really good chance he could get the call at some point this season if he puts up decent numbers with the IronPigs.  His one appearance in a Topps flagship set (to date) came in the 2015 Topps set.

Camp Head Count:  55.

Grapefruit Game 16 - 2019 Topps Heritage Chrome Refractor #THC-415 Bryce Harper

Blue Jays 8, Phillies 7
Spring Training Game 16 - Saturday Afternoon, March 9th in Clearwater
Record - 8-6-2

One Sentence Summary:  The big news was that Bryce Harper made his spring debut with the Phillies, walking twice.

What It Means:  It was one of the most exciting and highly anticipated Phillies spring training games in recent memory.

What Happened:  Harper, who used the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song as his walk-up music, received a standing ovation from the sold out Clearwater crowd when he approached the plate in the bottom of the first.  After walking in his first at-bat, Rhys Hoskins hit an absolute moon shot home run (1) and Harper waited at home to greet him.  Lane Adams (1), Mitch Walding (1) and Dylan Cozens (3) also homered.  Jake Arrieta gave up two runs on three hits in his 1 2/3 innings of work.

Featured Card:  The day was all about Harper.  As I was writing this, I received an e-mail from Topps announcing the Topps Now card they produced to commemorate Harper's spring debut.

Camp Head Count:  62 - 7 = 55.  The Phillies made their first cuts of the spring, optioning Arquimedes Gamboa and Adonis Medina to Reading.  Non-roster invitees Malquin Canelo, Deivy Grullon, Austin Listi, Mickey Moniak and JoJo Romero were all reassigned to minor league camp.

Grapefruit Game 15 - 2019 Topps Living Set #149 Aaron Altherr

Braves 5, Phillies 4
Spring Training Game 15 - Friday Night, March 8th in Kissimmee
Record - 8-5-2

One Sentence Summary:  Andrew Knapp and Aaron Altherr combined for five of the Phillies' seven hits, but the Braves scored three times off Jeremy Bleich on their way to a 5-4 win.

What It Means:  Of course it doesn't really matter, but the Phillies have lost three of their last four spring training games.

What Happened:  Knapp had a two-hit day, including a home run (1) in the fifth.  Altherr went 3 for 3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.  Zach Eflin started for the Phillies, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Featured Card:  The three hit day raised Altherr's average up to .294 and with the arrival of Bryce Harper, Altherr could be the odd man out when the team heads north.  Altherr is the latest Phillies subject to appear in the Topps Living Set, and the first Phillies player to have the team's new primary logo featured.

Camp Head Count:  62.

Grapefruit Games 13 & 14 - 2017 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Theme Night #7 Drew Anderson

Phillies 3, Tigers 1
Spring Training Game 13 - Thursday Afternoon, March 7th in Lakeland

Yankees 6, Phillies 0
Spring Training Game 14 - Thursday Afternoon, March 7th in Clearwater
Record - 8-4-2

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies split their squad and went 1-1 against the Tigers and Yankees.

What It Means:  We're a day closer to Bryce Harper making his spring debut on Saturday.

What Happened:  In Clearwater, Drew Anderson had another great outing, pitching three shutout innings and striking out six.  Victor Arano allowed four Yankees runs in 2/3 of an inning and the offense managed only four hits.

In Lakeland, JoJo Romero, Adonis Medina and Cole Irvin all pitched well.

Featured Card:  Anderson intrigues me and it will be interesting to see where he eventually ends up this season.  My assumption is that he starts the season with the IronPigs, but he could be one of the first to get the call if any of the intended five starting pitchers goes down.

Anderson is still looking for his first Phillies baseball card, having appeared in just 7 games with the club in 2017 and 2018.

Camp Head Count:  62.  My prediction was wrong and no roster moves were made following these split squad games.

Grapefruit Game 12 - 2017 Donruss Optic #126 Freddy Galvis

Blue Jays 9, Phillies 7
Spring Training Game 12 - Wednesday Afternoon, March 6th in Dunedin
Record - 7-3-2

One Sentence Summary:  Vince Velasquez labored in his first spring start and the Blue Jays scored early and often in this 9-7 loss.

What It Means:  Velasquez needs to rebound this year and the key to his success is going to be attacking hitters early.  He faced six batters in this game, allowing a hit and two walks while striking out two.

What Happened:  Seth McGarry (4 runs, 1/3 inning), Ranger Suarez (2 runs, 2 innings) and Austin Davis (2 runs, 1 inning) appear to still be working out the kinks.  Deivy Grullon hit a 3-run double in the sixth and Trevor Plouffe homered off former Phillie Mark Leiter, Jr. in the ninth.

In a simulated game in Clearwater, Bryce Harper hit a bomb of a home run off pitcher Jerad Eickhoff.

Featured Card:  Phillies Room Favorite Freddy Galvis joined the Blue Jays this past offseason, and he had an RBI single in this game.

Camp Head Count:  62.  Gabe Kapler's first roster cuts came last year following Game 12 on March 5th.  I'm predicting the first round of roster moves comes later today.

Grapefruit Game 11 - 2018 Topps Now Offseason #OS13 Aaron Nola

Phillies 2, Cardinals 1
Spring Training Game 11 - Tuesday Afternoon, March 5th in Clearwater
Record - 7-2-2

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola made his spring debut as the Phillies walked it off against the Cardinals, 2-1.

What It Means:  Nola looked good in his three innings of work, allowing a hit and striking out three.

What Happened:  The two Phillies runs came on a Sean Rodriguez sacrifice fly in the seventh and a walk-off RBI double from prospect Malquin Canelo in the ninth.  Nick Pivetta also got some work in, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings but walking three batters.

Featured Card:  Nola hopes to top the success he had in 2018 this upcoming season.  As one of the three finalists for the N.L. Cy Young Award, he received a Topps Now Offseason card, released in November.

Camp Head Count:  62.

Grapefruit Game 10 - 2018 Topps Walmart Holiday Snowflake #HMW90 Jake Arrieta

Phillies 3, Twins 3
Spring Training Game 10 - Sunday Afternoon, March 3rd in Fort Myers
Record - 6-2-2

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta impressed in his spring debut as the Phillies and Twins played to a stalemate.

What It Means:  Arrieta's return to form will be key for the 2019 Phillies, and hopefully this impressive first outing is a sign of things to come.

What Happened:  Arrieta pitched three crisp shutout innings, allowing no hits or walks and striking out four.  Shane Robinson had a pair of hits and Andrew Romine hit a two-run home run (1) in the third.

Featured Card:  It's snowing again in New Jersey as I write this, so here's an appropriately themed card of Arrieta from the appropriately named Walmart Holiday Snowflake set.

Camp Head Count:  62.  Bryce Harper is set to make his Phillies debut next Saturday.

Philly Baseball Card Report - 5 Autos, Vintage Phillies, '71 Topps High Numbers

After a long week at work (and some longer weeks ahead of me) it was nice to make the hour long drive to Valley Forge on Sunday for a baseball card show.  As has been my goal for the last few shows Doug and I have attended, my goal was to look for older Phillies cards and cross a few more 1971 Topps cards off my shrinking checklist.  Missions accomplished.

Here's what I added to my collection.

• Autographs of former Phillies Ricky Bottalico, Dale Murphy, Kyle Kendrick, Joe Blanton and Brett Myers.  All were very pleasant and didn't seem to mind the ferocious coughing from Doug as he's currently getting over a bad cold.  Murphy even gave us an extra signed 1984 Topps card.
• A 1952 Red Man Tobacco Richie Ashburn card with the tab still attached.  I found a dealer who had all four Phillies from the set lined up with the Ashburn being the nicest of the bunch.  I would have loved to have pulled the trigger on the full team set (which includes Granny Hamner, Willie Jones and Robin Roberts) but that would have fully depleted my card show budget.  I settled for just the Ashburn and it's a gorgeous card.
• The Richie Allen and Cookie Rojas cards from the 1969 Transogram set.  I had never seen these cards before so when I found two Phillies together I was happy that the dealer was willing to work with me on a bundled price for the pair.  I just need the Johnny Callison card now for this elusive Phillies team set.
• A 1982 Phillies photo booklet from that season's "Camera Night at the Vet."  Inside the little booklet is a 1982 team photo and a $4 coupon to The Camera Shop which has most likely expired.
• The 1969 Topps Team Poster for the Phillies, which is another item I had never seen in person and for sale.  This thing is way bigger than I had imagined, and I'll need to figure out how to properly display this.
• Always on the look-out for pre-War Phillies cards, I couldn't pass up adding Russell Wrightstone's card from the 1922 Neilson's Chocolate (V61) set.
• And finally, I added 19 more cards to my 1971 Topps set.  I'm now down to needing just 22
  
  more cards for the complete set.  

Doug did his usual free-style pickin', adding some cool autograph and relic cards of current Phillies, including cards of Harper, along with a few Mike Trout additions.

After the show, Doug and I stopped at the Majestic Clubhouse Store at Citizens Bank Park where we joined apparently thousands of other Phillies fans in purchasing their new Bryce Harper gear.  T-shirts were purchased for the family with Harper's new #3.  The store was packed with fans who weren't willing to wait until April for their new Harper t-shirts.  I'd say the line of customers waiting for custom Phillies jerseys was about 30 deep at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.

Memory Lane

Valley Forge 1 - September 2010 - Thinking of my Dad
Valley Forge 2 - October 2012 - Doug's first baseball card show
Valley Forge 3 - September 2014 - Meeting Darren Daulton
Oaks 1 - October 2015 - Meeting Pete Rose and Steve Carlton
Valley Forge 4 - September 2016 - Phillies acquisitions and 4 Phillies Legends
Valley Forge 5 - December 2016 - Meeting Don Money
Valley Forge 6 - September 2017 - Doug's big day
Valley Forge 7 - December 2017 - Ben's first baseball card show with Mike Schmidt and Rhys Hoskins!
Oaks 2 - December 2018 - Meeting Matt Stairs and Cole Hamels
Valley Forge 8 - March 2019 - 5 Phillies Autographs and Vintage Phillies Additions

Grapefruit Game 9 - 2018 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Update #10 JoJo Romero

Phillies 11, Rays 3
Spring Training Game 9 - Saturday Afternoon, March 2nd in Port Charlotte
Record - 6-2-1

One Sentence Summary:  With Bryce Harper holding his introductory press conference on top of the home dugout in Clearwater, the Phillies downed the Rays, 11-3, in Port Charlotte.

What It Means:  With all the Harper hoopla on Saturday, I honestly forgot the Phillies were also playing a baseball game.

What Happened:  Austin Listi, Trevor Plouffe, Andrew Knapp and Andrew McCutchen all doubled for the Phillies while Drew Butera hit his second home run.  Zach Eflin pitched three innings, allowing a run on two hits en route to the win.

Featured Card:  JoJo Romero held the Rays hitless over the final three innings, walking two and striking out three.  He could factor into the Phillies plans at some point during the 2019 season.

Camp Head Count:  61 + 1 = 62.  No word as to when he'll officially suit up, but Harper's arrival brings the camp head count up to 62.  Receiving somewhat less fanfare than Harper, non-roster invitee Gift Ngoepe's visa issues were cleared up and he also reported on Saturday.

Updated Offseason Phillies Transactions

2019 Chachi New Additions #8a

2019 Chachi New Additions #8b

I've been looking forward to updating my offseason tracking schedule with Bryce Harper's name, especially given the rogue's gallery of names in the Moving On section below.  The Phillies have had a pretty decent offseason.

Harper's arrival got me excited enough to make two versions of his Chachi New Additions insert card, a Photoshopped version (hobby exclusive) and the real deal from Saturday's press conference (retail only).

Moving On - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Jose Bautista - of (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - inf (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers on 1/24/19.
• Aaron Loup - lhp (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the San Diego Padres on 2/16/19.
• Wilson Ramos - c (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets on 12/18/18.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jesmuel Valentin - inf (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Pedro Florimon - inf/of (11/3/18) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves.
• Luis Avilan - lhp (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Mets on 1/10/19.
• Justin Bour - 1b (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Angels on 12/15/18.
• Carlos Santana - 1b and J.P. Crawford - ss (12/3/18) - Traded to the Seattle Mariners for James Pazos, Juan Nicasio and Jean Segura.
• Luis Garcia - rhp (12/6/18) - Traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Jose Alvarez.
• Jorge Alfaro - c (2/7/19) - Traded with Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart (with cash) to the Miami Marlins for J.T. Realmuto.

Coming Back

• Trevor Plouffe - inf (10/4/18) - Elected free agency, resigned as a minor league free agent on 2/21/19.

New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason

• James Pazos - lhp, Juan Nicasio - rhp and Jean Segura - ss (12/3/18) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana.
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (12/6/18) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Luis Garcia.
• Andrew McCutchen - of (12/12/18) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• David Robertson - rhp (1/3/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• J.T. Realmuto - c (2/7/19) - Acquired from the Miami Marlins for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart and cash.
• Bryce Harper - of (3/1/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Washington Nationals.

Uniform Number Update - 2019 Edition (Version 3)

2019 Topps Heritage #367

For perhaps the final time, I need to update this post due to the recent addition of the Phillies' new right fielder, Bryce Harper.

If you'd like to go back and see where this started, the first post and second post contain all the previously known new uniform numbers.

New Players (Under 60/40-Man Roster Division)

#3 Bryce Harper - In a somewhat surprising but welcome move, Harper won't be taking his familiar #34 with the Phillies.  In his introductory press conference, he immediately made a fantastic impression with the Phillies fans by declaring that #34 belonged to Roy Halladay.  He'll start his Phillies legacy with #3, which had started this spring with outfield coach Paco Figueroa before going to non-roster invitee Sean Rodriguez and finally ending up with Harper.

Number Swaps

Rodriguez, who apparently has a decent shot at making the club, has switched to #13, which became available once Manny Machado signed with the Padres.  Trevor Plouffe, back in town as a non-roster invitee, saw the #10 he wore last season go to J.T. Realmuto so he's now wearing #80.

Numbers Available - Unofficially Retired Division

#6 Ryan Howard

#11 Jimmy Rollins

#26 Chase Utley

#34 Roy Halladay

Number (Still) Available - Keuchel Division

#60 - It's still odd that this number hasn't been assigned and Dallas Keuchel remains a free agent.  👀

Harper Officially Joins Phillies

2019 Chachi Greatest Moments #1

A signing of this magnitude called for a special Chachi card, so I used the occasion to create a template for a limited edition, one per case, Chachi box topper Greatest Moments card.  The checklist is expected to contain only four cards as I'll use this design to commemorate the retirement ceremonies planned this season for Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard.

I'm still trying to take all of this in, not quite believing that Harper will be the team's right fielder for the entire decade of the 2020s and then some.  As a Phillies fan, I'm thrilled and my sons are excited to finally experience Citizens Bank Park when the seats are full and the team is winning.  As a Phillies baseball card collector, I realize I'll probably need to curtail my collecting habits a little as there's no way I'll be able to keep up with the glut of Harper cards that will make their way into every Topps set for the next 13 years.  Having a mediocre to poor team with a few marketable stars the last few seasons has meant I've been easily and relatively cheaply adding as many Phillies cards as I wanted.  That will probably stop now, but it's a welcome trade-off.

* * *

I'm working a ton these days but I took a break at 2pm today to watch the introductory press conference in Clearwater.  Harper said all the right things.  He's chosen to wear #3 with the Phillies since he said he felt #34 belonged to Roy Halladay.  He wants to recruit Mike Trout in two years.  He wants to be a Phillie for life, mentioning hearing nothing but amazing things about the city and the franchise from Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.  He mentioned that J.T. Realmuto, the Phillies' new catcher is his "favorite player in the game."  He wants to celebrate a Phillies World Series victory on "Broad Street on a frickin' boat or whatever it is and hold a trophy over [his] head, because that's what it's all about."  He was genuine.  And now he's a member of the Philadelphia Phillies for quite a while.

Let's play ball.

Grapefruit Game 8 - 2019 Topps Heritage #453 J.T. Realmuto

Phillies 7, Pirates 3
Spring Training Game 8 - Friday Afternoon, March 1st in Clearwater
Record - 5-2-1

One Sentence Summary:  Adam Haseley drove in four runs and Drew Anderson pitched three shutout innings in this 7-3 win over the Pirates.

What It Means:  The Phillies are undefeated since coming to terms with Bryce Harper.

What Happened:  Anderson allowed two hits while striking out five in his outing.  Haseley hit a three-run home run (1) in the second and J.T. Realmuto followed that with a solo shot, his first of the spring.

Featured Card:  We've been opening a lot of 2019 Topps Heritage at The Phillies Room HQ, and one of us was lucky to pull this short-printed card of Realmuto, one of his last cards featuring him with the Marlins.

Camp Head Count:  61.  The number increases to 62 with the official signing of Harper today, who is rumored to be wearing #3 with the club.  This would seem to indicate the Phillies plan on retiring #34 for Hall of Famer Roy Halladay.

Grapefruit Game 6 - PHILS GET HARPER!

2019 Topps Heritage #415

Phillies 5, Orioles 5
Spring Training Game 6 - Thursday Afternoon, February 28th in Clearwater

Phillies 11, Blue Jays 5
Spring Training Game 7 - Thursday Afternoon, February 28th in Dunedin
Record - 4-2-1

One Sentence Summary:  While word of the massive Bryce Harper signing was spreading through the ballpark and across the internet, the Phillies and Orioles were playing to a 5-5 tie in Clearwater.

What It Means:  Holy crap, the Phillies signed Bryce Harper.

What Happened:  In Clearwater, in a game in which mostly non-roster invitees played, the offense collected 11 hits including two a piece from Darick Hall, Lane Adams, Phil Gosselin and Andrew Romine.  Adonis Medina got the start and allowed two runs in his 1 2/3 innings of work.

In Dunedin, Dylan Cozens and Rob Brantly each drove in three runs, with Cozens hitting a three-run home run in the second.

Featured Card:  As the game in Clearwater progressed, word began to spread that the Phillies had finally landed free agent outfielder Harper.  The terms of the deal (which is still unofficial) are 13 years, $330 million with no opt-out clause and a no-trade clause.  Harper could be playing with the Phillies through the 2031 season, when he'll be 39 years old.  That's a lot of Chachi cards!

It will become the biggest contract in the history of the game, topping the recent deal signed by Manny Machado and the 2014 contract between Giancarlo Stanton and the Marlins.  Harper's arrival could mean the end of the line for one of Roman Quinn, Aaron Altherr or Nick Williams.

Kevin Negandhi Tweeted that the Phillies are the first team in history to add three position players in an offseason, all of whom were All-Stars in the previous season, with the three players being Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura.

Camp Head Count:  61.  This number will go up to 62 when Harper officially signs.

GO PHILS!

Grapefruit Game 5 - 2017 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs #RA-RQ Roman Quinn

Twins 4, Phillies 2 (7 Innings)
Spring Training Game 5 - Wednesday Afternoon, February 27th in Clearwater
Record - 3-2

One Sentence Summary:  The Twins took this rain-shortened game, 4-2.

What It Means:  Tuesday's game against the Yankees was completely washed out, and the Phillies were lucky to get seven innings in with this soggy game against the Twins.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez and Cole Irvin each pitched a pair of innings and each was tagged for two runs.  Jean Segura and Andrew McCutchen had the only two multi-hit performances from the Phillies.

Featured Card:  Roman Quinn appears to be injured again, this time with a mild strain of his right oblique.  The speedy outfielder, who appeared on a glut of cards in 2017 but only a handful in 2018, has been plagued by injuries his entire career.

Camp Head Count:  61.  Bryce who?

Grapefruit Game 4 - 2018 Topps Now Offseaon #OS55 Jean Segura

Phillies 12, Tigers 7
Spring Training Game 4 - Monday Afternoon, February 25th in Clearwater
Record - 3-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies out-hit the Tigers in this 12-7 win.

What It Means:  It's early, but it's nice to see the offense hitting the ball even if all but one of their 13 hits were singles.

What Happened:  The Phillies had a big fifth inning, scoring 7 runs.  Five straight singles from Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Maikel Franco started the big rally with Shane Robinson adding a two-run single to cap it.  Franco enjoyed a four-RBI day.

JoJo Romero got the start and allowed a run in his two innings of work.  James Pazos worked a scoreless top of the fifth to pick up the win.

Featured Card:  This is Segura's first official Phillies card, even though he's pictured in a Mariners uniform.  Only 175 of these Topps Now Offseason cards for Segura were produced.

Camp Head Count:  61.  I guess Sean Rodriguez's knee isn't as bad as everyone thought as he pinch-hit in this game.

Grapefruit Game 3 - 2018 Topps Living Set #86 Nick Williams

Phillies 10, Tigers 6
Spring Training Game 3 - Sunday Afternoon, February 24th in Lakeland
Record - 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense banged out 14 hits in this 10-6 drubbing of the Tigers.

What It Means:  The game was more lopsided than the final outcome, as the Tigers added five runs in the final two innings.  Prospect Tyler Viza was hit hard, allowing four runs on five hits in 2/3 of an inning.

What Happened:  Nick Williams started the scoring with a three-run home run (1) in the first.  Drew Butera added his own three-run home run (1) in the fifth and Dylan Cozens hit a bomb (1) that almost cleared the right floor roof in the sixth.  Roman Quinn, Cozens, Scott Kingery and Williams each contributed two hits.  Drew Anderson got the win, allowing a run in his 2 2/3 innings of work.

Featured Card:  This is Williams' card from the Topps Living Set, so called since Topps has pledged to never complete the set.  Each week, three new cards are made available for sale and the selection for the Phillies has been somewhat questionable.  Since its introduction last March, Rhys Hoskins, Kingery, Pat Neshek, Jake Arrieta, Williams, J.P. Crawford, Jorge Alfaro and Aaron Altherr have received the Living Set treatment.

Among those I'd like to see represent the Phillies in the Living Set:  J.T. Realmuto, Aaron Nola, Richie Ashburn, Mike Schmidt, John Kruk and eventually Mike Trout.

Camp Head Count:  61.

Grapefruit Game 2 - 2018 Topps Gallery #95 Dylan Cozens

Pirates 3, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 2 - Saturday Afternoon, February 23rd in Clearwater
Record - 1-1

One Sentence Summary:  Jason Martin hit a two-run home run off Phillies reliever Luke Leftwich in the 9th inning, sending the Pirates to a 3-2 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies will not finish the spring undefeated.  I'll happily admit that I recorded the TV broadcast of this game, worked a full day and then watched the game at night having already known the outcome.  It was glorious.

What Happened:  Enyel De Los Santos pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four.  Dylan Cozens, competing for an outfield bench spot, had a pair of doubles.  Jean Segura doubled in his first plate appearance for the Phillies.  Matt McBride added a solo home run in the 9th.

Featured Card:  I'm pulling for Cozens to have a big spring.  Topps resurrected its Gallery brand with a Walmart exclusive release in November.  The player selection for the Phillies in the 8-card team set is a bit odd with Cozens, Nick Pivetta and Victor Arano receiving cards but usual suspects Odubel Herrera, Maikel Franco and Jake Arrieta getting left out.

Camp Head Count:  61.  As an aside, like most Phillies fans I can not wait for the day when I can stop picking up my phone throughout the day, refreshing Twitter and hoping for some tidbit of news on Bryce Harper.  For now at least, the official camp head count remains at 61.

Grapefruit Game 1 - 2019 Topps #327 Maikel Franco

Phillies 3, Rays 2
Spring Training Game 1 - Friday Afternoon, February 22nd in Port Charlotte
Record - 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  Maikel Franco hit a solo home run, Scott Kingery rounded the bases in the first with a Little League home run and Cole Irvin got the win in the team's 2019 debut.

What It Means:  And we're back!  I had the pleasure of listening to the last inning of this game on my way home from work on Friday.  It's early, and I don't know if this will be the plan throughout the regular season, but I like the radio booth trio of Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen and Kevin Frandsen.

What Happened:  Kingery scored in the first when center fielder Kevin Kiermaier tripped and fell while pursuing his fly ball and then Willy Adames threw wild to home.  Irvin struck out 3 and allowed a run in his 2 1/3 innings of work.

Featured Card:  Nobody is happier that Manny Machado officially signed with the Padres on Wednesday than Maikel Franco.  It's a big year for Franco and he's off to a good start with a solo home run in this game.  This is one of the 13 Phillies cards found in the 2019 Topps Series One team set.

Camp Head Count:  61.  As this year's exhibition season opens, the Phillies have 39 players on their 40-man roster and another 22 non-roster invitees.  Unfortunately, a few days into camp utility player Sean Rodriguez tore his right meniscus and could miss significant time.  (Bad news for anyone who purchased a custom #3 Rodriguez Phillies jersey.)  Taking his place in the pecking order is old friend Trevor Plouffe who the Phillies brought back on a minor league deal on Thursday.  (Thanks to Brian Smith on Twitter for letting me know that Plouffe will be wearing #80.)

Additionally, outfielder Gift Ngoepe has yet to arrive due to visa issues, so the active camp head count is actually only 59.

Player (position) - 2018 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance*
1.  Jeremy Bleich (lhp) - Athletics - 2010 Topps Pro Debut #35 (Yankees)
2.  Rob Brantly (c) - Braves/Indians - 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen #33 (Marlins)
3.  Phil Gosselin (inf) - Reds/Braves - 2017 Topps Heritage #135 (Diamondbacks)
4.  Josh Martin (rhp) - Indians - 2012 Bowman Draft Picks #BDPP160 (Indians)
5.  Matt McBride (c-1b) - Phillies - 2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects #MM (Indians)
6.  Gregorio Petit (inf) - Twins - 2015 Topps Heritage #667 (Yankees)
7.  Shane Robinson (of) - Yankees - 2014 Topps #483 (Cardinals)
8.  Gift Ngoepe (inf) - Blue Jays - 2018 Topps Heritage #579 (Blue Jays)
9.  Edward Paredes (lhp) - Dodgers - N/A
10.  Andrew Romine (inf) - Mariners - 2018 Topps Heritage #641 (Mariners)
11.  Malquin Canelo (inf) - Phillies - N/A
12.  Tyler Gilbert (lhp) - Phillies - N/A
13.  Deivi Grullon (c) - Phillies - 2013 Bowman Chrome #BCP128 (Phillies)
14.  Adam Haseley (of) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #131 (Phillies)
15.  Cole Irvin (lhp) - Phillies - 2016 Bowman Draft Chrome #BDC-4 (Phillies)
16.  Austin Listi (inf-of) - Phillies - N/A
17.  Mickey Moniak (of) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #261 (Phillies)
18.  JoJo Romero (lhp) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #92 (Phillies)
19.  Lane Adams (of) - Cubs/Braves - 2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-241 (Braves)
20.  Drew Butera (c) - Royals/Rockies - 2018 Topps Royals #KR7 (Royals)
21.  Sean Rodriguez (inf) - Pirates - 2018 Topps Update #US108 (Pirates)
22.  Trevor Plouffe (inf) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Now #499 (Phillies)

Uniform Number Update - 2019 Edition (Version 2)

2019 Topps Now Offseason #OS67

The Phillies' own website has been tardy in updating for new uniform numbers this offseason, so I've had to rely on Twitter to provide answers to my burning uniform number related questions.  The official team roster page still shows J.T. Realmuto's number as "--" while non-roster invitees Sean Rodriguez and Drew Butera are no where to be seen.

Here's the second post (of possibly three?) summarizing the team's uniform number developments.  The first post can be found here.

New Players (Under 60/40-Man Roster Division)

• #10 J.T. Realmuto - Strangely enough, even with his familiar #11 available, Realmuto will wear #10 with the Phillies.  Only the Phillies know for certain, but could they be leaning towards retiring #11 (Jimmy Rollins), #6 (Ryan Howard) and #26 (Chase Utley) this summer?  Special ceremonies are planned for all three players.

Number Swaps

• #21 Vince Velasquez - Velasquez switched to this number after wearing #28 the past three seasons with the Phillies.  Non-roster invitee Andrew Romine is currently wearing #28.
• #38 Paco Figueroa - Figueroa had been assigned #3, but recent non-roster invitee Sean Rodriguez has claimed that number so Figuera is now #38 which was made available when Jorge Alfaro was traded to the Marlins.
• #39 Chris Dickerson - With the arrival of Realmuto, Dickerson swaps out #10 for #39.

Numbers Available - Unofficially Retired Division
#6 Ryan Howard
#11 Jimmy Rollins
#26 Chase Utley

Numbers (Still) Available - Harper/Keuchel Division
#34, #60

With Manny Machado reportedly signing with the Padres, #13 goes back into the mix.

Numbers Available - Up for Grabs Division
#13.  After the five numbers currently unassigned listed above, and the now free and clear #13, the next available uniform number is #80.

Rodriguez is Non-Roster Invitee #21

2018 Topps Update #US108

While the Phillies continue to circle around free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, they're also still tinkering with a potential supporting cast, adding infielder Sean Rodriguez to their list of non-roster spring training invitees.  It's going to be crowded in Clearwater, as Rodriguez brings the list of current players heading to camp to 60.

Rodriguez is an 11-year big league veteran, and he appeared in 66 games last season for the Pirates.  He's played with the Angels (2008-2009), Rays (2010-2014), Pirates (2015-2016, 2017-2018) and Braves (2017).  He appeared in a career-high 140 games for the Pirates in 2016, spending time at every position except catcher and pitcher.

Player (position) - 2018 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance*
1.  Jeremy Bleich (lhp) - Athletics - 2010 Topps Pro Debut #35 (Yankees)
2.  Rob Brantly (c) - Braves/Indians - 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen #33 (Marlins)
3.  Phil Gosselin (inf) - Reds/Braves - 2017 Topps Heritage #135 (Diamondbacks)
4.  Josh Martin (rhp) - Indians - 2012 Bowman Draft Picks #BDPP160 (Indians)
5.  Matt McBride (c-1b) - Phillies - 2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects #MM (Indians)
6.  Gregorio Petit (inf) - Twins - 2015 Topps Heritage #667 (Yankees)
7.  Shane Robinson (of) - Yankees - 2014 Topps #483 (Cardinals)
8.  Gift Ngoepe (inf) - Blue Jays - 2018 Topps Heritage #579 (Blue Jays)
9.  Edward Paredes (lhp) - Dodgers - N/A
10.  Andrew Romine (inf) - Mariners - 2018 Topps Heritage #641 (Mariners)
11.  Malquin Canelo (inf) - Phillies - N/A
12.  Tyler Gilbert (lhp) - Phillies - N/A
13.  Deivi Grullon (c) - Phillies - 2013 Bowman Chrome #BCP128 (Phillies)
14.  Adam Haseley (of) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #131 (Phillies)
15.  Cole Irvin (lhp) - Phillies - 2016 Bowman Draft Chrome #BDC-4 (Phillies)
16.  Austin Listi (inf-of) - Phillies - N/A
17.  Mickey Moniak (of) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #261 (Phillies)
18.  JoJo Romero (lhp) - Phillies - 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League #92 (Phillies)
19.  Lane Adams (of) - Cubs/Braves - 2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-241 (Braves)
20.  Drew Butera (c) - Royals/Rockies - 2018 Topps Royals #KR7 (Royals)
21.  Sean Rodriguez (inf) - Pirates - 2018 Topps Update #US108 (Pirates)

Uniform Number Update - 2019 Edition

2015 Topps #400

2016 Topps Heritage #384

2017 Topps Update #US149

2018 Topps Big League #94

2018 Topps Heritage #388

New uniform numbers recently popped up on the team's roster page on its website, and that means we're officially getting closer to the start of spring training.  As I've done the past few years, here's a run-down of the new numbers.  As of this writing, the newly acquired J.T. Realmuto hasn't officially been assigned a number, but I would think he'll end up with his familiar #11, which is conveniently available.

New Players (Under 60/40-Man Roster Division)

• #2 Jean Segura - The new shortstop takes the number worn by J.P. Crawford last year, one of the players sent to the Mariners for Segura.
• #12 Juan Nicasio - Jose Bautista wore this number last season, and the #58 worn by Nicasio during his two-game stint with the Phillies in 2017 is now occupied by Seranthony Dominguez.
• #22 Andrew McCutchen - Cutch assumes his familiar #22, coaxed away from manager Gabe Kapler.
• #30 David Robertson - This number was vacant last season, having been worn by Matt McBride in spring training.
• #47 James Pazos - The Phillies will not be retiring this number for Aaron Loup, so it's available for Pazos.
• #52 Jose Alvarez - The same can be said for #52 and its wearer last season, Zac Curtis.

It should also be noted that several non-roster invitees have been assigned low numbers, including #9 Phil Gosselin, #18 Lane Adams, #31 Shane Robinson, #33 Matt McBride, #40 Gregorio Petit and #44 Rob Brantly.

New Coaches

• #3 Paco Figueroa - Former first base coach Jose David Flores was #3 in 2018.
• #10 Bobby Dickerson - Trevor Plouffe briefly wore this number last season.
• #57 David Lundquist - Luis Garcia had worn this number since making his debut in 2013.

Number Swaps

• #19 Gabe Kapler - When McCutchen claimed #22, Kapler switched to #19 which is a number he wore with the Rangers, Red Sox and Rays during his playing days.

Highest Number
JoJo Romero was assigned #79 which is the highest new number.  Pat Neshek (#93) and Tommy Hunter (#96) are coming back with their curiously chosen numbers as well.

Duplicate Numbers
#28 - The Phillies website lists this number for both Vince Velasquez, who has worn it the last three seasons and non-roster invitee Andrew Romine.  My guess here is that Romine is actually #21 and this is just an error on the website.

Numbers Available - Unofficially Retired Division
#6 Ryan Howard
#11 Jimmy Rollins
#26 Chase Utley

Numbers Available - Machado/Harper/Keuchel Division
#13, #34, #60

Numbers Available - Up for Grabs Division
#21 - How is this number not taken for the second year in a row?  Non-roster invitee Collin Cowgill wore this number last spring and Clay Buchholz had the number for a very brief time in 2017.
#39 - Worn by pitching coach Rick Kranitz last year.
#41 - Worn by Carlos Santana last season.  I'm guessing this number goes to the recently signed Drew Butera, who hasn't yet shown up on the Phillies website.