Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #18 Steve Stanicek

#33
Stephen Blair Stanicek
Pinch Hitter

The older brother of the Orioles' Pete Stanicek, Steve Stanicek accumulated nine pinch-hit appearances with the Phillies as a September call-up in 1989.  A first baseman with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, Stanicek never took the field while with the Phillies.  He had one hit in nine pinch-hit appearances, an RBI single off the Expos' Zane Smith.

In nine seasons in the minor leagues with the Giants, Brewers and Phillies organizations, Stanicek hit 108 home runs.  His best season by far was 1987, when he hit .352 with 25 home runs and 106 RBIs for the Triple-A Denver Zephyrs, earning him a promotion to the Brewers.  His brief appearances with the Brewers in 1987 and the Phillies in 1989 were to be his only Major League action.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  June 19, 1961, Lake Forest, IL
Drafted:  Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round of the 1982 amateur draft, June 7, 1982
Major League Teams:  Milwaukee Brewers 1987; Phillies 1989
Professional Affiliations:  San Francisco Giants 1982-1985; Milwaukee Brewers 1986-1988; Phillies 1989-1990

Phillies Career
9 games, 1 for 9 (.111) with an RBI single and 3 strikeouts
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers, January 11, 1989
Debut:  September 5, 1989 - Pinch-hit for Dwayne Murphy in the seventh inning and flied out to left
Final Game:  October 1, 1989
Departed:  Released by the Phillies, October 11, 1989, but came back to play the 1990 season in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Just for the heck of it, here are the nine batters Stanicek pinch-hit for during his Phillies career: Dwayne Murphy, Todd Frohwirth, Lenny Dykstra, Ken Howell (x 2), Don Carman, Tom Barrett, Jason Grimsley and Pat Combs.

1988 Fleer #174

1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Red Barons #12

1990 CMC #242

1990 ProCards #608

3 Stanicek Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #12
Last Card:  1990 ProCards #608

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1988 Fleer #174
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  1988 Fleer #174
Other Notable Cards:  1984 First Base Shreveport Captains, 1988 Kenner Starting Line-Up Talking Baseball Orioles #16, 1989 ProCards #717, 1990 CMC Pre-Rookie #242

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #17 Gordon Dillard

#50
Gordon Lee Dillard
Relief Pitcher

No offense to Gordon Dillard, but my fondest memory of his brief Phillies career is my Dad announcing in an exaggerated announcer's voice one May morning in 1989, "And my new favorite Phillie is that . . . Gordon Dillard."

Dillard came to the Phillies in December 1988 along with Ken Howell from the Orioles for outfielder Phil Bradley.  The deal was one of a flurry of small trades orchestrated by new Phillies GM Lee Thomas.  Dillard reported to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following spring training in 1989, but was recalled in early May due to an injury to Jeff Parrett.  He appeared in five games for the Phillies, allowing three runs in four innings, and when Parrett returned from the disabled list he was sent back down to Scranton.

Left off the Phillies 40-man roster that offseason, he was selected by the Pirates in the Rule 5 draft, but he'd never make it back to the Majors.

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  May 20, 1964, Salinas, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th round of the 1986 amateur draft, June 2, 1986
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1988; Phillies 1989
Professional Affiliations:  Baltimore Orioles 1986-1988; Phillies 1989; Pittsburgh Pirates 1990; Salinas Spurs (Independent) 1991

Phillies Career
5 games, 4 innings pitched, 6.75 ERA
Acquired:  Acquired with Ken Howell from the Baltimore Orioles for Phil Bradley, December 8, 1988
Debut:  May 5, 1989 - Relieved Howell in the ninth inning of a 7-0 blow-out win against the Reds
Final Game:  May 16, 1989
Departed:  Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 draft, December 4, 1989

1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes-
Barre Red Barons #7

1 Dillard Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #7
Last Card:  1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #7

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  N/A
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  N/A
Other Notable Cards:  1987 ProCards #1489, 1990 CMC #2, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola Baltimore Orioles #105

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #16 Al Pardo

#31
Alberto Judas Pardo
Catcher

For two straight years in 1988 and 1989, when the Phillies needed to add an additional catcher to their bench in September, Al Pardo got the call.  Wearing #35 in 1988 and #31 in 1989, Pardo accumulated only three at-bats in his two stints with the Phillies, striking out twice and grounding out to second.  Prior to his brief Phillies career, Pardo was a back-up catcher for the Orioles, playing in 50 games in 1985 and 1986.

As of this writing, Pardo is one of only four players born in Spain to have reached the Majors.

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  187
Born:  September 8, 1962, Oviedo, Spain
Drafted:  Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2nd round of the 1980 amateur draft, June 3, 1980
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1985-1986; Phillies 1988-1989
Professional Affiliations:  Baltimore Orioles 1980-1986; Atlanta Braves 1987; New York Mets 1987-1988; Phillies 1988-1989; Yucaton Leones 1993

Pardo also appears to have spent time playing in China and Japan.

Phillies Career
3 games, 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts
Acquired:  Purchased from the New York Mets, July 30, 1988
Debut:  September 5, 1988 (Game 1) - Entered the game in the sixth inning, replacing John Russell in a blow-out loss to the Cubs
Final Game:  September 9, 1989
Departed:  Released, October 11, 1989

1986 Donruss #489

1986 Topps #279

1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Red Barons #21

1989 ProCards #711

2 Pardo Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1989 CMC Scraton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #21
Last Card:  1989 ProCards #711

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1986 Donruss #489
First Topps Base Card:  1986 Topps #279
Last Mainstream Card:  1986 Topps #279
Other Notable Cards:  1981 TCMA Miami Orioles #2, 1988 ProCards #1594

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Happy Birthday Doug!

How did nine years go by already?  Our oldest son Doug turns nine today, and I couldn't be prouder of the kid.  Of course I'm biased, but I believe he's by far the coolest, smartest and kindest nine-year-old in the world.

Happy birthday Doug!

P.S.  Sorry the Phillies had to go and trade Ken Giles, one of your favorite players, but the move makes sense.  We'll need to get you an Astros hat to go along with your Red Sox and Angels hats and your Rangers shirt.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #15 Salome Barojas

#31
Salome (Romero) Barojas
Relief Pitcher

You are a true Phillies fan and you immediately gain my respect if you recall any of Salome Barojas' six games with the club in September 1988.  In between 16 seasons pitching in the Mexican League, Barojas enjoyed brief stints with the White Sox, Mariners and Phillies.  As Steve F. points out in a post featuring Barojas from a few years ago, the veteran pitcher was once on the cover of Baseball Digest in July 1982.

As a testament to how thin the Phillies pitching was in 1988, Barojas was purchased from the Mexico City Reds in late July and he was added to the expanded active roster in September.  His final stats with the club aren't great (see below), but he did hold opponents scoreless over his final three appearances.  The Phils released Barojas immediately following the season and he'd go back to the Mexican League, pitching in parts of seven more seasons until retiring at the age of 39.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  June 16, 1957, Veracruz, Mexico
Signed:  Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from the Mexico City Reds, April 1, 1982
Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1982-1984; Seattle Mariners 1984-1985; Phillies 1988
Professional Affiliations:  Cordoba Cafeteros 1976-1979; Reynosa Broncos 1980; Mexico City Reds 1981; Chicago White Sox 1982-1984; Seattle Mariners 1984-1985; Mexico City Reds 1986-1988; Phillies 1988; Mexico City Reds 1989-1994, 1996

Phillies Career
6 games, 0-0, 8.31 ERA over 8 2/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Purchased from the Mexico City Reds, July 28, 1988
Debut:  September 5, 1988 - Relieved Bob Sebra (also making his Phillies debut) in the third inning of an eventual blow-out game against the Cubs.  Barojas would only retire one batter in the inning.
Final Game:  September 26, 1988
Departed:  Released on September 29, 1988 and re-signed with the Mexico City Reds prior to the 1989 season

1983 Donruss #67

1984 Donruss #570

1985 Donruss #605

1985 Fleer #482

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

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1983 Donruss #67
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  1985 Fleer #482
Other Notable Cards:  1983 Fleer #230, 1984 Donruss #570, 1984 Fleer #53, 1985 Donruss #605

My first attempt at a Barojas Phillies baseball card used his photo from his 1985 Donruss card and the 1988 Topps design.

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #14 Bob Sebra

#37
Robert Bush Sebra
Starting Pitcher

Bob Sebra is the one player on this Missing Links list that I'm surprised to see here.  In my mind, Sebra was with the Phillies for much longer than the nine games indicated by his Baseball Reference page.  The right-handed pitcher was acquired from the Expos on September 1, 1988 and he'd start three games for the Phillies in that final month of the season.

Sebra joined the club in Clearwater for spring training in 1989 and he started the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Recalled on May 18th, Sebra was around when the Phillies started a massive overhaul of their roster that began when Mike Schmidt announced his retirement on May 29th.  Within a  month, key cogs Chris James, Steve Bedrosian and Juan Samuel were all traded away.  Sebra was one of a few players sent back down to Triple-A to make room for the new players acquired from the Giants and Mets in the Bedrosian and Samuel trades.  A few weeks later, Sebra himself was dealt away to the Reds.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  200
Born:  December 11, 1961, Ridgewood, NJ
Drafted:  Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 5th round of the 1983 amateur draft.
Major League Teams:  Texas Rangers 1985; Montreal Expos 1986-1987; Phillies 1988-1989; Cincinnati Reds 1989; Milwaukee Brewers 1990
Professional Affiliations:  Texas Rangers 1983-1985; Montreal Expos 1986-1987; Phillies 1988-1989; Cincinnati Reds 1989-1990; Milwaukee Brewers 1990; Houston Astros 1991; Chicago Cubs 1992; Texas Rangers 1992; St. Louis Cardinals 1993; Somerset Patriots 1998 (Independent)

Phillies Career
3-5 with a 5.32 ERA in 9 games and 45 2/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Acquired from the Montreal Expos for Travis Chambers, September 1, 1988.
Debut:  September 5, 1988 - Started the first game of a double header in Chicago, lasting just two innings and allowing five runs on five hits.
Final Game:  June 15, 1989
Departed:  Traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later (Jeff Gray), July 13, 1989.

1987 Donruss #468

1987 Topps #479

1988 Topps #93

1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Red Barons #4

5 Sebra Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1988 Donruss #458
Last Card:  1989 CMC Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #4

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1987 Donruss #468
First Topps Base Card:  1987 Topps #479
Last Mainstream Card:  1988 Topps #93
Other Notable Cards:  1983 TCMA Tri-Cities Triplets #1, 1988 Score #337, 1993 Fleer/ProCards #213

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

The Day We Met the Hit King & Lefty

I shook hands with Pete Rose and Steve Carlton yesterday.

Doug and I attended the Fanatics Authentic Sports Spectacular in Oaks, Pennsylvania yesterday and I splurged on "photo opportunity" tickets to meet two of the most iconic players from my childhood. "Opportunity" is a bit of misnomer here since that implies you may or may not come away from your experience with an actual photo.  But we did, and I digress.

The price for the tickets was hefty.  However, while I'll soon forget the amount I paid for the tickets I'll never forget the look on Doug's face as he greeted these two all-time greats.  He stammered out a "hello" to each of them and they were both very pleasant to him.  Carlton was actually more conversational with Doug than Rose, which surprised me a little.  Also, Carlton is very large man with a no joking around firm handshake.

The rest of the show was secondary to meeting Rose and Carlton, but here are a few highlights:

• Doug came away with many more cards than I did.  He completed his 2015 Topps Update set and I sincerely appreciate the deep discounts he received once the dealers realized these cards were for an eight year old's set.  I made it a point to get the more generous dealers' business cards and I'll have no problem throwing some future business their way.  Doug also added to his Mike Trout collection and he picked up some cheap, recent Phillies game-used memorabilia cards.
• I added the 1980 and 1981 Phillies Media Guides to my collection.
• I also crossed another 16 cards off my 1971 Topps want list and I added a few Phillies high number cards from the 1960s.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #13 Bill Scherrer

#34
William Joseph Scherrer
Relief Pitcher

Lanky, lefty reliever Bill Scherrer was with the Phillies organization in 1988 for a little over a month. Brought into the organization on June 25th, he had a rough go of it out of the bullpen for eight games before being released on August 1st.

When the Phillies signed Scherrer, I remembered him as one of the relievers on the 1984 Tigers team that defeated the Padres in the World Series.  But perhaps his best season was the year before when he went 2-3 with a 2.74 ERA over 73 games with the 1983 Reds.

Scherrer's short-time within the Phillies organization means I haven't been able to find any photographic proof of his time with the club.  I'm not thrilled with the card I've created for him, and I'd welcome the chance to give him a better Phillies card if and when a better Phillies picture ever presents itself.  I made an even clumsier attempt at a Scherrer Phillies card a few years back, using his photo from his 1985 Topps card.

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  170
Born:  January 20, 1958, Tonawanda, NY
Drafted:  Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round of the 1977 amateur draft, January 11, 1977.
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1982-1984, Detroit Tigers 1984-1986, Cincinnati Reds 1987, Baltimore Orioles 1988, Phillies 1988
Professional Affiliations:  Cincinnati Reds 1977-1984, Detroit Tigers 1984-1986, Cincinnati Reds 1987, Baltimore Orioles 1988, Phillies 1988, Chicago Cubs 1988, San Francisco Giants 1988, New York Mets 1989, Texas Rangers 1989

Phillies Career
8 games, 0-0, 5.40 ERA in 6 2/3 innings
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Baltimore Orioles, June 25, 1988.
Debut:  July 5, 1988 - Pitched an inning against the Braves in a 10-5 blow-out loss.
Final Game:  July 28, 1988
Departed:  Released on August 1, 1988, and signed with the Chicago Cubs organization on August 8, 1988.

1984 Donruss #203

1984 Topps #373

1987 Topps #98

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

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1984 Donruss #203
First Topps Base Card:  1984 Topps #373
Last Mainstream Card:  1987 Topps #98
Other Notable Cards:  1985 Topps #586, 1986 Topps #217, 1988 CMC Rochester Red Wings #9

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #12 Bill Dawley

#43
William Chester Dawley
Relief Pitcher

Bill Dawley peaked early with the Astros, making the All-Star team during his 1983 rookie season and winning 11 games in 1984.  He went on to be a solid reliever with the White  Sox in 1986 and the Cardinals in 1987.  Signed by the Phillies prior to the 1988 season, Dawley got the call in the second week of the season when Mike Maddux landed on the disabled list.  He struggled in his few appearances before landing on the disabled list himself with elbow issues.

Dawley was sidelined for most of the 1988 season but was activated once rosters expanded in September.  He was immediately released following the season, ending his one-year Phillies career.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  235
Born:  February 6, 1958, Norwich, CT
Drafted:  Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 7th round of the 1976 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  Houston Astros 1983-1985, Chicago White Sox 1986, St. Louis Cardinals 1987, Phillies 1988, Oakland Athletics 1989
Professional Affiliations:  Cincinnati Reds 1976-1982, Houston Astros 1983-1985, Chicago White Sox 1986, St. Louis Cardinals 1987, Phillies 1988, Oakland Athletics 1989, Milwaukee Brewers 1989

Phillies Career
8 games, 0-2, 18.50 ERA in 8 2/3 innings
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the St. Louis Cardinals, February 10, 1988
Debut:  April 17, 1988 - Relieved David Palmer in a game against the Expos, pitching 1 1/3 innings and allowing two runs.
Final Game:  September 13, 1988
Departed:  Released by the Phillies on October 7, 1988, and signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics in January 1989.

1984 Donruss #328

1984 Topps #248

1988 Donruss #331

1988 Topps #509

4 Dawley Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1988 Donruss #331
Last Card:  1988 Topps #509

I made a card for Dawley in the style of the 1988 Topps set, which can be found here.

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1984 Donruss #328
First Topps Base Card:  1984 Topps #248
Last Mainstream Card:  1988 Topps #509
Other Notable Cards:  1986 Topps #376, 1987 Topps #54, 1988 Fleer #29, 1988 Score #328

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #11 Jeff Bittiger

#34
Jeffrey Scott Bittiger
Starting Pitcher

When rosters initially expanded in September 1986, the Phillies recalled outfielder Chris James, infielder Greg Legg and starting pitcher Jeff Bittiger.  Bittiger had come to the Phillies along with catcher Ronn Reynolds in January in a deal with the Mets that sent two prospects to New York.  He had a decent season with Triple-A Portland (13-8, 4.15 ERA) and the Phillies needed starting pitching help during the final month of their season, so he got the call-up.

In three starts, Bittiger would go 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA and the Phils ended up releasing him in December.  His longest stint in the Majors came in 1988 with the White Sox when he appeared in 25 games, earning him a number of mainstream baseball cards in 1989.  Bittiger pitched professionally with the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks for seven seasons between 1996 and 2002, finally retiring at the age of 40.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  April 13, 1962, Jersey City, NJ
Drafted:  Drafted by the New York Mets in the 7th round of the June 1980 amateur player draft
Major League Teams:  Phillies 1986, Minnesota Twins 1987, Chicago White Sox 1988-1989
Professional Affiliations:  New York Mets 1980-1985, Phillies 1986, Minnesota Twins 1987, Chicago White Sox 1988-1989, Los Angeles Dodgers 1990, Cleveland Indians 1991, Oakland Athletics 1992, Rochester Aces (Independent) 1993, Kansas City Royals 1993, Winnipeg Goldeyes (Independent) 1994-1995, Oakland Athletics 1995, Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks 1996-2002

Phillies Career
3 games, 1-1, 5.52 ERA in 14 2/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets with Ronn Reynolds for Rodger Cole and Ronnie Gideon, January 16, 1986.
Debut:  September 2, 1986 - Lasted five innings against the Padres, allowing five runs on six hits.
Final Game:  October 4, 1986
Departed:  Released on December 8, 1986, and signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves, December 20, 1986.

1986 ProCards Portland Beavers #1

1988 Score Rookie & Traded #66T

1989 Topps #209

1989 Upper Deck #509

1 Bittiger Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1986 ProCards Portland Beavers#1

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1988 Score Rookie & Traded #66T
First Topps Base Card:  1989 Topps #209
Last Mainstream Card:  1989 Upper Deck #509
Other Notable Cards:  1982 TCMA Jackson Mets #1, 1989 Bowman #60, 1989 Score #512, 2003 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks Team Issue #35

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #10 Tom Gorman

#33
Thomas Patrick Gorman
Relief Pitcher

The season before he had eight relief appearances with the Phillies, Tom Gorman was on the other end of one of the most memorable games in Phillies history.  Gorman was the starting pitcher for the Mets on June 11, 1985, lasting a third of an inning and allowing six runs including the first of two Von Hayes home runs hit in the first inning.  The Phillies would go on to win the game 26-7.

Gorman was released by the Mets at the end of spring training in 1986, and signed a few weeks later with the Phillies.  He'd spend the bulk of the 1986 season pitching for the Triple-A Portland Beavers, but he'd get the call to the Phillies in early July when the struggling Mike Maddux was sent down.  Gorman struggled in his eight outings and he was sent back to Portland in early August, replaced on the roster by Michael Jackson who would soon make his big league debut and assume Gorman's #33.

Gorman finished out the season in Portland and was released following the 1986 season.

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  194
Born:  December 16, 1957, Portland, OR
Drafted:  Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 4th round of the 1980 amateur player draft, June 3, 1980
Major League Teams:  Montreal Expos 1981-1982, New York Mets 1982-1985, Phillies 1986, San Diego Padres 1987
Professional Affiliations:  Montreal Expos 1980-1982, New York Mets 1982-1985, Phillies 1986, San Diego Padres 1987, Minnesota Twins 1987, Oakland Athletics 1988

Phillies Career
8 games, 0-1 and 7.71 ERA in 11 2/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets, April 19, 1986
Debut:  July 5, 1986 - Relieved Tom Hume in the 6th inning and allowed a run over two innings to the Reds
Final Game:  August 5, 1986
Departed:  Released on October 7, 1986.  Signed as a minor league free agent with the San Diego Padres, January 13, 1987

1984 Topps #774

1986 Fleer #82

1986 Topps #414

1986 ProCards Portland Beavers #7

3 Gorman Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1986 Fleer #82
Last Card:  1986 ProCards Portland Beavers #7

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1984 Topps #774
First Topps Base Card:  1984 Topps #774
Last Mainstream Card:  1986 Topps #414
Other Notable Cards:  1985 Topps #53, 1991 WIZ Mets #146

I first attempted a Phillies card for Gorman using the photo from his 1986 ProCards Portland Beavers card a few years ago.  This original card can be found here.

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

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.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Farewell, 2015 Phillies Season!

Phillies 7, Marlins 2
Game 162 - Sunday Afternoon, October 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-99, 5th Place, 27 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Altherr paced the offense and David Buchanan ended on a pitching high note as the Phillies closed out this awful season with a 7-2 win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  The Phils avoided 100 losses, but the 99 losses were still the most in a season since 1969.  Pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater in a little over four months.

What Happened:  Altherr's three-run triple in the seventh broke the game open.  He also had an RBI-double in the fifth, which could have easily been ruled an E4 by the gracious official score keeper.  Andres Blanco capped off his career year with an RBI-double int he fourth to start the scoring.

Buchanan pitched 6 2/3 solid innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out seven.  He also had seven strikeouts.

Featured Cards/Field Report:  Doug and I got washed out on Friday night, so we exchanged those tickets to tickets to this game.  I finished the 2015 season with an impressive 9-6 record in Phillies games I attended.  Some of the highlights from this game for us:

• Doug got a retro bobble head at the gate and we both received our 2016 Phillies schedule magnets.
• Walking past the Ashburn Alley entrance, I noticed Phillies pitcher Colton Murray hanging out pretty much by himself.  He was kind enough to pose for a picture with Doug.
• A few feet away from Murray, Doug spotted Phillies pitcher Adam Morgan and Morgan signed Doug's baseball and also posed for a picture.  (We missed our chance to get Murray to sign the ball.)
• At the entrance to the Hall of Fame Club, Phillies braodcasters Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen were chatting with fans entering the ballpark.  They both signed Doug's ball, which was the same ball Franzke had dropped to Doug in August.
• Carlos Ruiz was honored before the game for having caught four Phillies no-hitters.  Former manager Charlie Manuel was on hand to present Ruiz with an awesome looking painting commemorating his feat.
• A dead hawk had to be removed from the left field foul area in the middle of the game, temporarily delaying the game.  Can't say I've ever seen that before.
• Future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki pitched (!) the eighth inning for the Marlins.  He allowed doubles to Odubel Herrera and Darnell Sweeney but escaped having allowed just a run.

Ken Giles faces the final batter of the 2015 season

Memory Lane - Game 162
For the seventh season in a row, I posted on the daily highs and lows of the Phillies and (God willing) I'll be back for an eighth season in 2016.

I'll keep doing this as long as I'm able and as long as it continues to be fun for me.  It's your comments, your e-mails and your participation that make this even more enjoyable for me.  As always, thank you for reading!

October 4, 2009 - Catcher Paul Hoover singled in the winning run in the 10th in a 7-6 win over the Marlins.
October 3, 2010 - The Phillies lost 8-7 to the Braves in their final tune-up before facing the Reds in the N.L.D.S.
September 28, 2011 - The Phillies closed out the 2011 regular season with a 13-inning victory against the Braves, setting a franchise record with their 102nd regular season win.
October 3, 2012 - The Phillies closed out their 2012 season with a lethargic 5-1 loss to the N.L. East Champion Nationals.
September 29, 2013 - Zach Miner got the ball for the Phillies and lasted 2 1/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Braves.
September 28, 2014 - Cole Hamels pitched another fine game and suffered through another outing with minimal run support.

Meeting The Bull (Again)

Phillies 4, Mets 3
Game 157 - Tuesday Night, September 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 60-97, 5th Place, 29 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Darin Ruf's three-run home run in the first along with excellent relief pitching gave the Phillies the 4-3 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies will need to go 3-2 the rest of the way to avoid 100 losses.

What Happened:  Ruf's home run was key but it turned out the Phillies also needed the insurance run delivered with an Aaron Altherr RBI single in the seventh.  Adam Loewen retired the final batter of the fifth inning which made him the pitcher of record.  He recorded his first win since 2007 and also recorded his first hit since 2011 when he was an outfielder for the Blue Jays.

Featured Card/Field Report:  The paid attendance was 15,227, but I'd estimate there were much fewer than half of that actually at the game.  Doug and I were at this game, along with a few thousand of our closest friends and a lot of empty blue seats.  We got a little wet from a steady rain in the later innings, but overall we had a good time.

The sparse crowd gave us just about all of Section 315 to ourselves and allowed us to leisurely browse the concourse and the various merchandise stores and kiosks prior to and during the game. The Phillies are now an improbable 8-6 this season in games I've attended.  A few other observations:

• Greg Luzinski was perched in his usual seat by Bull's BBQ and Doug had brought along a 1972 Ticketron Phillies card for The Bull to sign.  Luzinski obliged with an autograph and a picture, although he did seem a little cranky.  I guess sitting through 70+ Phillies home games this season will do that to a guy.
• Darnell Sweeney has an official giant line-up card, but Brian Bogusevic does not.
• I bought a $3 second series photo card set solely to confirm there were no new cards added to the set.  Suspicion confirmed.

Memory Lane

Bull Meeting #1 - April 2010

Bull Meeting #2 - August 2013