Friday, May 31, 2013

Brewers at Phillies: May 31st to June 2nd

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05, Sunday 1:35

Brewers 19-33, 5th Place in the N.L. Central, 16 games behind the Cardinals
Phillies 26-28, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

Brewers Probables:  Yovani Gallardo (3-5, 4.79), Mike Fiers (1-3, 5.66), Wily Peralta (3-6, 6.35)
Phillies Probables:  Cole Hamels (1-8, 4.43), Tyler Cloyd (1-1, 5.74), Cliff Lee (6-2, 2.34)

At the Ballpark:  Tonight all kids will receive the Phanatic's latest children's book - Phillie Phanatic's Hall of Fame Journey.  Tomorrow afternoon is the annual Phillies Photo Day, and fans will be allowed down on to the field before the game to take pictures of the Phillies players, coaches and announcers.  All fans will also receive a special Phillies print.  Finally, Sunday afternoon is Father's Appreciation Day with all men 15 and older receiving a special t-shirt.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Chase Utley - .272
Runs:  Domonic Brown and Chase Utley - 21
Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 11
RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 30
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 9

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 6
ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.34
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee - 63
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 10

1973 Topps #386, #74, #451 and #3
1973 Topps Flashback:  On October 31, 1972, the Phillies and Brewers pulled off a blockbuster, seven-player trade.  The Brewers received third baseman Don Money, righty reliever Billy Champion and infielder John Vukovich, while starting pitchers Ken Brett and Jim Lonborg, along with relievers Ken Sanders and Earl Stephenson came to the Phillies.  Today's flashback features three cards with poorly airbrushed logos and a card with a skyward looking Vukovich wearing a uniform that used to have red stripes.  The familiar multi-colored seats of Veterans Stadium are clearly visible behind Money.

Only Money went on to have success in Milwaukee, making four All-Star teams and hitting 134 home runs in his 11 seasons with the Brewers.  Champion went 22-19 from 1973 to 1976 and Vuk hit .149 in parts of two seasons with the Brewers.

On the flip side, Lonborg was the key to the deal for the Phillies.  He helped solidify a pitching rotation that went to the postseason three years in a row from 1976 to 1978.  Lonborg won 17 games in 1974 and was an 18-game winner in 1976.  Brett lasted just one season in Philly (13-9, 3.44 ERA in 31 games) before getting dealt to the Pirates for Dave Cash.

Sanders received a card in the 1973 Topps set with the Phillies, but the team kept him only a month before flipping him to the Twins in the Cesar Tovar deal.  Stephenson never played for the Phils either.

2008 Upper Deck Phillies World Series Champions #PP-41 Shane Victorino

Red Sox 9, Phillies 2
Game 54 - Thursday Night, May 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 26-28, 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Red Sox got to Jonathan Pettibone early and the bullpen continued to underwhelm as the Phillies lost, 9-2.

What It Means:  It means the Phils can try again for .500 in a few days.

What Went Wrong:  The Phillies scored in the first on Delmon Young's two-run home run, and that was it for the night.  Red Sox pitchers allowed a total of six hits.

Pettibone allowed four runs in the top of the first before the fans at Citizens Bank Park were even settled into their seats.  Jeremy Horst (two runs in two innings) and Chad Durbin (three runs in the ninth) failed to keep the game close.  Durbin now owns a 9.00 ERA in 16 appearances this year.

Featured Card:  Perhaps the best part of last night's game (other than the Incredible Hulk throwing out the first pitch) was the mini-tribute to Shane Victorino in the middle of the fourth inning.  The Phillies played a highlight video celebrating Victorino's time in Philly, and the Flyin' Hawaiian stepped out of the Red Sox dugout following the tribute to tip his cap to the crowd.  Victorino is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

On a related note, was 2008 really five years ago?

Thursday, May 30, 2013

2009 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #3 Domonic Brown

Phillies 4, Red Sox 3
Game 53 - Wednesday Night, May 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 26-27, 3rd Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Four solo home runs (two from Domonic Brown) and another strong performance from Kyle Kendrick, led the Phillies to a 4-3 win over the visiting Red Sox.

What It Means:  Once again, the Phillies are a game under .500.  They can reach the break-even mark and take three out of four from the Sox with a win tonight.  (Although as of this writing, they'll need to come from behind.)

What Went Right:  Brown went deep twice to raise his team leading total to 13.  Ryan Howard and Erik Kratz also contributed solo home runs.  Kendrick pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs on four hits.  Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in the ninth, but still managed to lock down his 11th save.

Featured Card:  Continuing along with Brown's baseball card history, this post features one of Brown's two cards from 2009.  To recap, Brown debuted on cardboard with a 2007 card in the Williamsport Crosscutters set and then had numerous baseball card appearances in 2008.

The 2009 season was Brown's final full year in the minors before he made his Major League debut on July 28, 2010.  He split the season between High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, hitting a combined .299 in 106 games with 14 home runs.  He appeared on two cards produced by Grandstand - the card featured here from the Threshers' team set and a card in the Florida State League Prospects set.

2013 Chachi #23 Antonio Bastardo

#59
Antonio Francisco Bastardo
Relief Pitcher

Bats: Left  Throws: Left  Height: 5'11"  Weight: 198
Born: September 21, 1985, Hato Mayor, DR
Home: Hato Mayor, DR
Signed: Signed as an amateur free agent, February 17, 2005
Teams: Phillies 2009-
Acquired: Via free agency
Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Red Sox at Phillies: May 29th to May 30th

Wednesday and Thursday 7:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Red Sox 32-21, 1st Place in the A.L. East, 1 game ahead of the Yankees
Phillies 25-27, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

Red Sox Probables:  John Lackey (3-4, 2.72), Jon Lester (6-1, 3.34)
Phillies Probables:  Kyle Kendrick (4-3, 3.29), Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.21)

At the Ballpark:  All kids will receive a W.B. Mason collectible Phillies truck at tonight's ballgame.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Chase Utley - .272
Runs:  Domonic Brown and Chase Utley - 21
Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 11
RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 30
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 9

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 6
ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.34
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee - 63
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 10

1973 Topps #317, #326, #467 and #424
1973 Topps Flashback:  It's a hodge podge for today's flashback, as I have four players from the 1973 Topps set with connections to both the Phillies and the Red Sox.

Danny Cater began his 12-year Major League career by playing in 60 games with the 1964 Phillies.  He played for four other American League teams between 1965 and 1971 before landing in Boston in 1972.  As a back-up to first baseman Carl Yastrzemski, Cater appeared in 211 games over three seasons with the Red Sox, hitting .262.

Darrell "Bucky" Brandon began his career with parts of three seasons with the Red Sox (1966-1968) and ended his career with three seasons as a middle reliever for the Phillies (1971-1973).  He was actually one of the more dependable relievers for the 1972 team, going 7-7 with a 3.45 ERA.  His seven wins that season were good enough for second place on the team, behind Steve Carlton's 27.

Save for 15 games with the 1974 Pirates, Irish Mike Ryan spent his entire 11-year playing career with the Red Sox (1964-1967) and Phillies (1968-1974).  Known more for his defense, Ryan finished just south of the Mendoza Line with a .193 career average.  Following his playing days, Ryan coached with the Phillies from 1980 until 1995.

Denny Doyle is perhaps best remembered for his role on the 1975 Red Sox squad that eventually lost the World Series to the Reds in seven games.  Doyle came to the Red Sox in a June 1975 trade with the Angels, and he'd hit .310 in 89 games while playing solid defense at second base.  He had a hit in all seven 1975 World Series games.  Doyle began his career with four seasons with the Phillies (1970-1973).

2013 Topps Opening Day #25 Jonathan Papelbon

Phillies 3, Red Sox 1
Game 52 - Tuesday Night, May 28th in Boston
Record - 25-27, 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cliff Lee, with a little help from Jonathan Papelbon, handcuffed the Sox offense, as the Phillies won in Boston, 3-1.

What It Means:  The inconsistent season continues, and last night it was the Good Phillies who showed up.  It's amazing they can look like absolute crap one night (see Monday night's game) and then look so good the following night.  The four game home and home series continues with the Red Sox in Philadelphia tonight.

What Went Right:  Lee allowed a first inning run, and then locked in and went to work against the Red Sox bats over the next seven innings.  He lowered his ERA to 2.34 on the way to his sixth win of the season.  Papelbon, pitching in Boston for the first time as a visitor, notched his tenth save.

Michael Young broke an 0 for 22 slump with a solo home run in the first.  The score stayed tied at one a piece until Erik Kratz singled home John Mayberry, Jr. in the seventh.  Domonic Brown, recently named the National League's Player of the Week, added a solo home run in the ninth to give Papelbon a little added cushion.

Featured Card:  Sure, Lee should probably have the featured card in this post since his eight strong innings made the win possible.  But for some reason, manager Charlie Manuel felt the need to pull Lee after 95 pitches and having retired 23 of the last 25 batters he faced, and insert Papelbon into the game.  It's very unlike Manuel to pull a move that seemed based on pure dramatic effect.  I'm just glad the whole thing didn't go south, and Papelbon was able to secure the save.

So here's a Papelbon card that's even more ridiculous than me not featuring a Lee card in this post.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

1985 Donruss #570 Larry Andersen

Red Sox 9, Phillies 3
Game 51 - Monday Night, May 27th in Boston
Record - 24-27, 3rd Place, 7 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Tyler Cloyd and the Phillies were rudely welcomed in Boston as the Red Sox dismantled the Phillies, 9-3.

What It Means:  The Phillies are now 13-22 against teams not named the Mets or the Marlins and they are 12-20 against teams with winning records.  That's not good.

What Went Wrong:  Cloyd allowed six runs on nine hits in his 2 1/3 innings of work.  The offense went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, leaving ten runners on base.  Red Sox emergency starter Alfredo Aceves held the Phils to one run in his six innings of work, despite entering the game with a 8.20 ERA.  Michael Young went 0 for 5 and is now mired in an 0 for 22 slump.

Featured Card:  About the only enjoyable aspect of last night's game was listening to radio announcers Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen recount (for the third or fourth or fifth time) Andersen's trade to the Red Sox from the Astros back in late August 1990.  The Red Sox were in a pennant race and in need of a right-handed reliever for the stretch run.  They acquired Andersen, who pitched fairly well for Boston - a save and a 1.23 ERA in 15 games.  The Red Sox were swept in the A.L.C.S. by the A's, and Andersen signed with the Padres in the offseason.

That would be the end of the story, except the player the Red Sox gave up for Andersen was Jeff Bagwell.  In 15 seasons with the Astros, Bagwell put up Hall of Fame worthy numbers, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 and the N.L. MVP in 1994.  Upon every Phillies visit to Boston, Andersen good-naturedly puts up with the repeated interview requests to discuss his participation in what has since been acknowledged as one of the worst trades of all time.

By the sixth inning of last night's game, Franzke and Andersen were having a pleasant conversation about this trade and other aspect's of Andersen's career with the actual game as background noise.  Such is the status of the 2013 Phillies season right now - background noise.

2013 Chachi #29 Ryne Sandberg CO

#23
Ryne Dee Sandberg
Third Base Coach

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 6'2"  Weight: 190
Born: September 18, 1959, Spokane, WA
Home: Phoenix, AZ
Teams - As Player: Phillies 1981, Chicago Cubs 1982-1994, 1996-1997
Teams - As Coach: Phillies 2013

Monday, May 27, 2013

Phillies at Red Sox: May 27th to May 28th

Monday and Tuesday 7:10
Fenway Park - Boston, MA

Phillies 24-26, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves
Red Sox 31-20, Tied for 1st Place in the A.L. East with the Yankees, 3 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles

Phillies Probables:  Tyler Cloyd (1-0, 2.70), Cliff Lee (5-2, 2.48)
Red Sox Probables:  Alfredo Aceves (1-1, 8.20), Ryan Dempster (2-5, 4.69)

At the Ballpark:  For purposes of this post, I went back and tallied up all the Major League ballparks I've visited so far in my travels.  The official count stands at 18.

However six of those 18 stadiums - Veterans Stadium, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, (Old) Busch Stadium, Olympic Stadium, (Old) Yankee Stadium and RFK Stadium - no longer exist or no longer house a Major League team.

The 12 other stadiums I've visited are, in order of visit - Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Coors Field, PNC Park, Progressive (then Jacobs) Field, U.S. Cellular Field, Kauffman Stadium, Wrigley Field, Great American Ball Park, Comerica Park, Citizens Bank Park (obviously), Tropicana Field and Dodger Stadium.

Notice what's missing from the list?  Despite having lived on the East Coast my entire life, I've never visited Boston and I've never seen a game in Fenway Park.  This madness needs to end.  I recently called a family meeting and I demanded that we right this wrong as soon as possible, perhaps even this summer.  I've even heard that there's a particular section of Fenway I should check out when (not if) this trip happens.

At the ballpark for this series, Skip Lockwood will be on hand prior to tonight's game to sign autographs for fans, and former Phillie Ken Ryan will sign autographs prior to Tuesday night's game.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Chase Utley - .272
Runs:  Chase Utley - 21
Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 9
RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 27
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 8

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 5
ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.48
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 63
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 9

1973 Topps #65
1973 Topps Flashback:  It's just a quick flashback segment today, featuring the 1972 ERA League Leaders as memorialized within the 1973 Topps set.  Steve Carlton was coming off a career year, in which he went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA for the just plain awful 1972 Phillies squad.  I wrote about that team when I covered the Phillies appearing in the 1972 Topps set.  Luis Tiant spent the bulk of his 19 seasons pitching for the Red Sox (8 seasons), and was a three-time 20-game winner for the club.
   
Tiant never faced off against the Phillies.  His only time in the National League consisted of nine starts for the 1981 Pirates - none of which came against the Phils.

2013 TSR Custom Kevin Frandsen

Nationals 6, Phillies 1
Game 50 - Sunday Afternoon, May 26th in Washington
Record - 24-26, 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The wheels came off in the seventh inning, as the Nationals plated five and went on to win by a score of 6-1.

What It Means:  It means that somehow Cole Hamels is now 1-8.  It also means that to this point in the season, I am officially unimpressed with Ruben Amaro, Jr.'s big offseason acquisitions of Ben Revere, Michael Young and Delmon Young.  Revere actually had a decent game, but the two Youngs went 0 for 8 while looking bad on defense.

What Went Wrong:  With the bases loaded in the seventh and the score tied at one, Jhonatan Solano hit a soft bouncer to Michael Young at third.  Young threw wide of the plate and two runs scored.  A double by Steve Lombardozzi scored two more and Lombardozzi advanced to third on Delmon Young's error.  He'd come home to score a few batters later when Denard Span doubled.  Just like that, it was 5-0, Nationals.

Chad Durbin allowed an additional run in the eighth for old time's sake.

Featured Card:  Nothing good came from this game.  First baseman Kevin Frandsen, spelling Ryan Howard due to lingering knee issues, was hit with a Stephen Strasburg 95-mph fastball in the second, and he was ejected in the fourth for arguing a check swing strike call.  Honestly, it seemed as if Frandsen and Hamels were the only two Phillies on the field yesterday showing any passion.

Frandsen only has one official 2013 baseball card and it appears in the team-issued postcard set.  He has a card in this year's Chachi set, and last month the good folks over at The Shlabotnik Report gave us another Frandsen custom card.  TSR goes the extra step of using a custom-made, unique design for its 2013 set.  While you're trying to recover from the latest display of Phillies futility, head on over there and check out the set so far.  Tell 'em Jim sent you.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

2013 Chachi #20 Chad Durbin

#45
Chad Griffin Durbin
Relief Pitcher

Bats: Switch  Throws: Right  Height: 6'2"  Weight: 223
Born: December 3, 1977, Spring Valley, IL
Home: Baton Rouge, LA
Drafted: Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round of the June 1996 draft
Teams: Kansas City Royals 1999-2002, Cleveland Indians 2003-2004, Arizona Diamondbacks 2004, Detroit Tigers 2006-2007, Phillies 2008-2010, Cleveland Indians 2011, Atlanta Braves 2012, Phillies 2013-
Acquired: Signed as a free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves, January 29, 2013
Contract Status: Signed through the 2013 season with a club option for 2014

2007 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #1 Domonic Brown

Phillies 5, Nationals 3
Game 49 - Saturday Night, May 25th in Washington
Record - 24-25, 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Key hits from Domonic Brown and Delmon Young, and three shutout innings from the bullpen led to a 5-3 Phillies win over the Nationals.

What It Means:  Everything went right!  The Phils got hits when they needed them and the bullpen actually did its job.  The team will try once again for the elusive .500 mark this afternoon.

What Went Right:  Jonathan Pettibone had another impressive outing, pitching six strong innings and allowing only three runs.

With the score tied at three in the eighth, Michael Young drew a one out walk.  He scored all the way from first when Delmon Young lined a ball to right.  Somehow, D. Young ended up with only a single on the play.  Michael Martinez came in to run for D. Young, and he was brought home by Brown's double.

Brown and Erik Kratz had hit back-to-back home runs in the second to give the Phils an early 2-0 lead.

2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP199 and
2008 Multi-Ad Lakewood BlueClaws #3
Featured Card:  I only have three Domonic Brown baseball cards from 2013, and I've already featured all three of them.  So similar to what I did with Kyle Kendrick, let's go back to Brown's baseball card beginnings.  Brown was drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round of the June 2006 draft.  As far as I can tell, he didn't appear on any baseball cards that year and he only appeared in 34 games with the Phillies Gulf Coast League team.

In 2007, Brown played the bulk of the season with the Rookie-A Williamsport Crosscutters.  Given his status as one of the top prospects on the team, Brown received the first card in the Crosscutters' team set.  You'll note that all early cards of Brown's feature the spelling of his first name as "Dominic."  It was only right before his arrival in the Majors was imminent that Brown informed the Phillies that they had misspelled his name ever since drafting him.

In 2008, Brown made his national baseball card debut with an appearance in the Bowman Chrome Prospects insert set.  He also appeared in a number of Donruss and Tristar issues, and at least three minor league issues.  The card I've featured here is from the main Lakewood BlueClaws team set.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

2013 Chachi #40 Michael Stutes

#40
Michael Christopher Stutes
Relief Pitcher

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 6'1"  Weight: 185
Born: September 4, 1986, Lake Oswego, OR
Home: Lake Oswego, OR
Drafted: Selected by Phillies in 11th round of June 2008 draft
Teams: Phillies 2011-
Acquired: Via draft
Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

2013 Bowman #34 Ben Revere

Nationals 5, Phillies 2
Game 48 - Friday Night, May 24th in Washington
Record - 23-25

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies handed a win to the Nationals as shoddy defense and a lack of offense contributed to the 5-2 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies had a chance to hit .500 for the first time since April 14th, but it was not to be.  They'll need to win the next two games against the Nationals in order to arrive in Boston on Monday at break-even.

What Went Wrong:  The bottom of the fifth was a disaster for the Phillies.  With a runner on first and one out, Adam LaRoche hit a deep fly to center that probably should have been caught by Ben Revere.  Instead, the ball dropped in and LaRoche had an RBI-triple.  A few batters later, after the Nationals had taken a 3-2 lead, Michael Young couldn't handle a ground ball which went (erroneously) for a hit and kept the inning alive.  Steve Lombardozzi, the next batter, doubled to score two more Nationals runs.

From the sixth through the ninth innings, the Phillies were held hitless.

Featured Card:  Revere had a miserable night, misplaying the ball in the bottom of the fifth and grounding into a rally killing double play in the top of the fifth.  He left three men on base and his 0 for 4 dropped his season average to .250.  He's starting to hear boos and his first few months in Philly have been fairly miserable - some would even say they've been Otero-ish.

So let's show Revere some love with this post.  Maybe if I feature his first baseball card featuring him in red Phillies pinstripes, it will help turn things around.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Phillies at Nationals: May 24th to May 26th

Friday 7:05, Saturday 7:15 and Sunday 1:35
Nationals Park - Washington, D.C.

Phillies 23-24, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves
Nationals 24-23, 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 4 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables:  Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 2.82), Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.00), Cole Hamels (1-7, 4.45)
Nationals Probables:  Jordan Zimmermann (7-2, 1.62), Dan Haren (4-5, 5.54), Stephen Strasburg (2-5, 2.66)

At the Ballpark:  On Saturday, the first 15,000 fans will receive a Nationals Lunch Tote.  It's the perfect way to carry your lunch into work with a intense amount of Natitude.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Michael Young - .287
Runs:  Chase Utley - 21
Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 8
RBIs:  Ryan Howard and Chase Utley - 25
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 8

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 5
ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.48
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 57
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 8

1973 Topps #486 and #377
1973 Topps Flashback:  Today's flashback features two of the three men to have managed at least 1,000 Phillies games - the other of course being the current Phillies manager,  Charlie Manuel.

1973 was Danny Ozark's first season at the helm, and my guess is that there's a Dodgers hat somewhere underneath the airbrushed Phillies logo appearing on this card.  Prior to being hired by the Phillies, Ozark spent eight seasons as a coach for the Dodgers on Walter Alston's staff.  Ozark led the Phils to three division titles in 1976, 1977 and 1978, but his teams never advanced to the World Series. He was fired in August 1979 after 1,105 games with the Phillies and a career win-loss record of 594-510-1.

Three of his four coaches - third base coach Billy DeMars, pitching coach Ray Rippelmeyer and first base coach Bobby Wine - were hold-overs from the previous Frank Lucchesi/Paul Owens administrations.  Only bullpen coach Carroll Beringer was added to the staff  when Ozark joined the team, assuming the same coaching position he had previously held with the Dodgers.  Beringer and Rippelmeyer made it through the 1978 season, while DeMars and Wine would go on to win World Series rings in 1980 under Ozark's successor, Dallas Green.

Gene Mauch began his managerial career with nine tumultuous season with the Phillies between 1960 and 1968.  He joined the expansion Montreal Expos for their first season in 1969 and managed the club through 1975.  In his 1,127 games with the Expos, Mauch compiled a record of 499-627, never finishing better than fourth place in the N.L. East.

There are two other Phillies connections on Mauch's manager card.  Dave Bristol served as the team's hitting coach from 1982 until 1985 and again in 1988, and Cal McLish served under Mauch as a coach during the 1965 and 1966 seasons, following three seasons pitching with the Phillies from 1962 to 1964.