Braves at Phillies: August 2nd to August 4th

Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05 and Sunday 8:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  It's Alumni Weekend at the ballpark this weekend, which is an event I look forward to every year.  This year's weekend favors the 1993 N.L. Champs, celebrating their 20th anniversary.  Tonight, Curt Schilling will be inducted onto the Phillies Wall of Fame and all fans will receive a commemorative Schilling print.

Saturday is Alumni Day when more than 50 former Phillies will be introduced in a pre-game ceremony.  And on Sunday, which is now a night game (thanks a lot, ESPN), there will be a pre-game salute to the 1993 N.L. Champs with all fans receiving a 1993 N.L. Champions Pennant.  For complete details on the weekend's events and to see photos of the prints being given away, please see the team's official press release.

1973 Topps #169 and #559

1973 Topps Flashback:  In December 1973, the Phillies traded right-handed reliever Barry Lersch and middle infielder Craig Robinson to the Braves for right-handed starting pitcher Ron Schueler.  Legend has it that the Braves thought they were acquiring left-handed pitcher Randy Lerch in the trade, but someone botched it and they ended up with the righty Lersch instead.

In retrospect, the Phillies probably got the better end of the deal.  Schueler was primarily a reliever with the Phils, although he did start 27 games for the club in 1974.  His best season was probably 1976 when he appeared in 35 games and pitched to a 2.90 ERA.  He left the Phils following the '76 season and spent three seasons with the Twins and White Sox.  He served as the GM for the White Sox from 1991 to 2000.

Lersch compiled a record of 18-32 in 168 games with the Phillies between 1969 and 1973.  He spent most of 1974 in the minors with the Braves before getting sold to the Cardinals in mid-September.  He wrapped up his brief career with one game with the Cards in which he allowed 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings for a 40.50 ERA.

No pitching probables or Phillies team leaders in this game summary post, as I'm currently away from The Phillies Room HQ (again) and the blog is on auto-pilot.