Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s - #18 Matt Whiteside

#37
Matthew Christopher Whiteside
Relief Pitcher

A successful relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers in the early 1990s, Matt Whiteside was released at the end of spring training in 1998 and signed on with the Phillies.  He made the club's opening day roster and was used sparingly throughout April and May, appearing in only 10 games.  He was hit hard in his final appearance on May 29th, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits over three innings and was designated for assignment the following day.  Whiteside played out the remainder of the 1998 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, appearing in 30 games and compiling a 6.48 ERA.

Following his short time with the Phillies organization, Whiteside pitched in parts of eight more seasons in professional baseball, including a stint in Japan in 2003.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  August 8, 1967, Charleston, MO
Drafted:  Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 1990 amateur player draft.
Major League Teams:  Texas Rangers 1992-1997; Phillies 1998; San Diego Padres 1999-2000; Atlanta Braves 2001; Toronto Blue Jays 2005
Professional Affiliations:  Texas Rangers 1992-1997; Phillies 1998; San Diego Padres 1999-2000; Atlanta Braves 2001; Colorado Rockies 2002, 2003; Yokohama Bay Stars (Japan) 2003; Atlanta Braves 2004; Toronto Blue Jays 2005; Pittsburgh Pirates 2006

Phillies Career
10 games, 1-1, 8.50 ERA, 18 innings, 6 home runs allowed
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Texas Rangers, March 27, 1998.
Debut:  April 3, 1998 - Pitched two innings of scoreless relief (following Mike Grace and Darrin Winston) in a 5-1 loss to the Braves.
Final Game:  May 29, 1998
Departed:  Granted free agency, October 16, 1998.  Signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres, November 16, 1998.

1993 Topps #468

1994 Donruss #606

1995 Topps #254

1996 Fleer #266

0 Whiteside Baseball Cards in My Collection
First Card:  N/A
Last Card:  N/A

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1993 Topps #468
First Topps Base Card:  1993 Topps #468
Last Mainstream Card:  1996 Fleer #266
Other Notable Cards:  1991 ProCards #2689, 1993 Bowman #283, 1993 Pinnacle #590, 1993 Upper Deck #390, 1994 Donruss #606, 1994 Topps #629, 1995 Topps #254, 2006 Choice Indianapolis Indians #28

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s
1 Louie Meadows
2 Dave LaPoint
3 Darrin Chapin
4 Mickey Weston
5 Bob Wells
6 Tom Edens
7 Omar Olivares

8 Kevin Elster

9 Jim Deshaies

10 Chuck Ricci
11 Dennis Springer
12 Manny Martinez
13 Rafael Quirico
14 Bronson Heflin
15 Glenn Dishman
16 Rob Butler
17 Mike Robertson
18 Matt Whiteside
19 Robert Dodd
20 Joel Bennett
21 Joe Grahe
22 Domingo Cedeno
23 Torey Lovullo

This is a continuing series looking at those players who spent time with the Phillies but possess no baseball card proof of their time in Philadelphia.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.