Friday, August 10, 2012

Cardinals at Phillies: August 10th to August 12th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35

Cardinals 61-51, 3rd Place in the N.L. Central, 5 games behind the Reds
Phillies 50-61, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 18 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Cardinals Probables:  Kyle Lohse (12-2, 2.79), Jake Westbrook (11-8, 3.76), Lance Lynn (13-5, 3.52)
Phillies Probables:  Roy Halladay (5-6, 4.02), Cliff Lee (2-6, 3.78), Vance Worley (6-7, 3.83)

At the Ballpark:  It's the annual Alumni Weekend at Citizens Bank Park, with the highlight being the induction of former Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal into the Phillies Wall of Fame tonight.  There's a ton of stuff going on Saturday as well, with full details of the festivities here.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Carlos Ruiz - .335
Runs:  Jimmy Rollins - 64
Home Runs:  Carlos Ruiz - 14*
RBIs:  Carlos Ruiz - 58*
Stolen Bases:  Juan Pierre - 27

Wins:  Cole Hamels - 12
ERA:  Cole Hamels - 3.14
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 153
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 24

*Hunter Pence, now with the Giants, has the overall lead with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs.

1979 Topps #111 and #136
1979 Topps Flashback:  Today's flashback features two players with both Phillies and Cardinals connections.

Roger Freed was the Phillies regular right fielder in 1971 after being acquired in the off-season from the Orioles for Grant Jackson and two prospects.  He played in a career high 118 games that year, also enjoying a career high in RBIs (37) and tying his career high in home runs (6).  Following a disappointing 1972 season, Freed was shipped to the Indians with Oscar Gamble for Del Unser.  Freed enjoyed his most successful professional season in 1976 with the Montreal Expos' top farm club, the Denver Bears.  He hit 42 home runs that year and won MVP honors for the American Association.  He found some stability with the Cardinals from 1977 to 1979 as the back-up at first base to Keith Hernandez.  Freed has one mainstream Phillies card, from the 1972 Topps set.

Jim Kaat is one of only a few players to have appeared in the Majors in four different decades.  He came up with the Washington Senators in 1959 and called it a career after being released by the Cardinals in July 1983.  Kaat spent three seasons with the Phillies from 1976 to the beginning of the 1979 season, going 27-30 with a 4.23 ERA.  He was acquired from the White Sox in December 1975 in a deal that sent Dick Ruthven to Chicago.  He started the decisive Game 3 of the 1976 N.L.D.S for the Phillies in which the Phils eventually lost to the Reds.  He also won the last of his 16 Gold Gloves in 1975 and 1976 as a member of the Phillies.  The Phils sold him to the Yankees in May 1979.  Kaat had his first mainstream Phillies card within the 1976 Topps Traded set, and his 1979 Topps card was his final mainstream Phillies card as an active player.



3 comments:

Jim from Downingtown said...

I can remember thinking back then, what a great trade Paul Owens pulled off (one of his first since assuming the GM role in June 1972) in getting Del Unser for the 2 stiffs Freed and Gamble. DEL UNSER!

Jim from Downingtown said...

...and Jim Kaat was the last active player from the original Washington Senators.

Jim said...

Very cool tidbit on Kaat and the Senators - I didn't know that.