Happy New Year!

2018 Chachi #57

And that's a wrap on 2018 for The Phillies Room.  May your 2019 be hopeful and peaceful, and may all your checklists be unmarked.

We're going to stay quiet for a little while longer but we'll ease into some long toss and side bullpen sessions before you know it.  Pitchers and catchers and bloggers report for spring training soon . . .

Merry Christmas!

2018 Chachi #56

Merry Christmas from our team to your team!  Have a wonderful holiday and here's to a fantastic, parade-filled 2019!

2018 Chachi #55 Jerad Eickhoff

#48
Jerad Joseph Eickhoff
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  244
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  July 2, 1990, Evansville, IL
Drafted:  Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 15th round of the June 2011 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2015-
Acquired:  Acquired with Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson and Alec Asher from the Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash considerations, July 31, 2015

2015 Chachi #60

2016 Topps #2

22 Eickhoff Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps #2
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2016 Topps #2
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #48
Newest Card:  2018 Topps #621

2016 Phillies Team Issue #48

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 31, 2015 - Cole Hamels (and Jake Diekman) are now officially members of the Texas Rangers and the Phillies have six new players in their organization that I've honestly never heard of before.  No offense meant here, but if Matt Harrison, who was an A.L. All-Star in 2012, bumped into me on the streets of Philadelphia I'd have no idea he was the newest Phillies starting pitcher.

The best way for me to get acclimated with these new guys is to summarize their baseball card careers to date.  I won't attempt to provide scouting reports on these players as I'm just purely interested in getting to know them through their baseball cards for now.  If you want something a little more in-depth, I thought this article was a good read . . .

Jerad Eickhoff (RHP - AAA) - Eickhoff has been in the Rangers organization since 2011 and he's appeared in 18 games this season (17 starts) for the AAA Round Rock Express.  It doesn't appear as if Eickhoff has any mainstream baseball cards to date, although he has appeared in a number of Rangers minor league team sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2015 Chachi #60
2016 Chachi Preview #2
2016 Chachi #17
2016 Chachi #68 ERA Leaders (with Jeremy Hellickson)
2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders (with Jeremy Hellickson and Vince Velasquez)
2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders (with Jeremy Hellickson and Vince Velasquez)
2017 Chachi Preview #3
2017 Chachi #15
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #19 (with Andres Blanco)
2017 Chachi Archives #6
2017 Chachi Photo Night #8
2018 Chachi #55
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #11 (with Jesmuel Valentin and Pedro Guerrero)

Card statistics through 9/3/18.

Game 134 - Asdrubal's Walk-Off! (and How to Stay Dry at Harry the K's)

2018 Chachi #54

Phillies 2, Cubs 1 (10)
Game 134 - Friday Night, August 31st in Philadelphia
Record - 72-62, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Asdrubal Cabrera hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning, sending the Phillies to a 2-1 victory in a game played entirely in the rain.

What It Means:  The Braves lost so after the heartbreak of last week, the Phillies are still only two games out of first place.

What Happened:  Nick Pivetta battled through five innings, allowing a run on five hits.  Five relievers then shut down the Cubs offense, capped by a scoreless 10th inning from Pat Neshek.  The first Phillies run came courtesy of a Cesar Hernandez single in the 6th, scoring Roman Quinn who had doubled to reach.

Featured Card:  I've not done a lot of official Chachi Highlight cards this year, but this seemed like a good occasion for one.  It also solves the problem of not currently having any Cabrera cards in my Phillies collection, although I imagine he'll receive a Topps Now card for his heroics.

Field Report:  And we were there!  Although in the interest of full disclosure we had left well before Cabrera's big hit.  We successfully managed to stretch our dinner at Harry the K's (where it's dry) from a half hour before gametime all the way to the 3rd inning.  Slow eating, ordering one thing at a time and the availability of several open tables were the keys to our success.

After the top of the 4th, the Phillies played a video tribute to the Cubs' new star pitcher, Cole Hamels.  It was a cool moment as Hamels emerged from the Cubs dugout and acknowledged the fans with a wave.  With Hamels' return, I think this means that every member of the 2008 World Champion club returned at some point this season to Citizens Bank Park.

2018 Chachi Special Edition #13

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #48

2018 Chachi #53 Jose Bautista

#19
Jose Antonio Bautista
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  37
Born:  October 19, 1980, Santo Domingo, DR
Drafted:  Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft, June 5, 2000
Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 2004; Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2004; Kansas City Royals 2004; Pittsburgh Pirates 2004-2008; Toronto Blue Jays 2008-2017; Atlanta Braves 2018; New York Mets 2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets for a player to be named later or cash, August 28, 2018

2002 Topps Traded #T180

2018 Topps Heritage #139

2 Bautista Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2002 Topps Traded #T180
First Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #139
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #139

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 1, 2011 - Meet the Jays:

Manager - John Farrell is in his first season as manager of the Blue Jays
Starters - J.P. Arencibia (c), Adam Lind (1b), Aaron Hill (2b), Jose Bautista (3b), Yunel Escobar (ss), Juan Rivera (lf), Rajai Davis (cf), Eric Thames (rf), Edwin Encarnacion (dh)
Rotation - Ricky Romero (lhp), Jo-Jo Reyes (lhp), Brandon Morrow (rhp), Carlos Villanueva (rhp)
Bench - Jose Molina (c), John McDonald (inf), Jayson Nix (3b), Corey Patterson (of)
Closer - Frank Francisco (rhp)
Bullpen - Shawn Camp (rhp), Brett Cecil (lhp), Octavio Dotel (rhp), Jason Frasor (rhp), Luis Perez (lhp), Jon Rauch (rhp), Marc Rzepczynski (lhp)
Disabled List - Jesse Carlson (lhp), Casey Janssen (rhp), Jesse Litsch (rhp), Dustin McGowan (rhp)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #53

Card statistics through 8/29/18.

2018 Chachi #52 Luis Avilan

#70
Luis Armando Avilan
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  28
Born:  July 19, 1989, Caracas, VZ
Signed:  Signed by the Atlanta Braves as an amateur free agent, August 22, 2005
Teams:  Atlanta Braves 2012-2015; Los Angeles Dodgers 2015-2017; Chicago White Sox 2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the Chicago White Sox for Felix Paulino, August 22, 2018

2015 Topps Update #US298

0 Avilan Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps Update #US298
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  August 23, 2018 - Earlier in the day, the Phillies announced another trade, sending Double-A pitcher Felix Paulino to the White Sox for lefty reliever Luis Avilan.  Pitching prospect Jose Taveras was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Avilan.  In 58 games this season with the White Sox, Avilan has a 3.86 ERA and a 14 walks to 46 strikeouts over 39 2/3 innings pitched.

Sharing the fate of most middle relievers, Avilan's baseball card appearances have been scarce in spite of appearing in almost 400 games the past 7 seasons.  His most recent mainstream card is from the 2016 Topps set, picturing Avilan with the Dodgers.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #52

Card statistics through 8/28/18.

2018 Chachi #51 Wilson Ramos

#40
Wilson Abraham Ramos
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  245
Opening Day Age:  30
Born:  August 10, 1987, Valencia, VZ
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2004
Teams:  Minnesota Twins 2010; Washington Nationals 2010-2016; Tampa Bay Rays 2017-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations, July 31, 2018

2010 Topps Update #US168

2018 Topps Heritage #228

2 Ramos Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2010 Topps Update #US168
First Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #228
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  April 12, 2011 - Know Your Nationals:

Manager - Jim Riggleman took over the team on July 14, 2009
Starters - Ivan Rodriguez (c), Adam LaRoche (1b), Danny Espinosa (2b), Alex Cora (3b), Ian Desmond (ss), Mike Morse (lf), Rick Ankiel (cf), Jayson Werth (rf)
Rotation - Livan Hernandez (rhp), John Lannan (lhp), Jordan Zimmermann (rhp), Jason Marquis (rhp), Tom Gorzelanny (lhp)
Bench - Jesus Flores (c), Wilson Ramos (c), Jerry Hairston (inf), Laynce Nix (of), Matt Stairs (of)
Closer - Drew Storen (rhp)
Bullpen - Brian Broderick (rhp), Sean Burnett (lhp), Tyler Clippard (rhp), Todd Coffey (rhp), Chad Gaudin (rhp), Doug Slaten (lhp)
Disabled List - Elvin Ramirez (rhp), Henry Rodriguez (rhp), Stephen Strasburg (rhp), Chien-Ming Wang (rhp), Ryan Zimmerman (3b)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #51

Card statistics through 8/17/18.

2018 Chachi #50 Justin Bour

#33
Justin James Bour
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  265
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  May 28, 1988, Washington, DC
Drafted:  Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 25th round of the 2009 amateur draft, June 9, 2009
Teams:  Miami Marlins 2014-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired with cash from the Miami Marlins for McKenzie Mills, August 10, 2018

2015 Topps Update #US35

2018 Topps Heritage #113

2 Bour Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps Update #US35
First Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #113
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  September 14, 2014 - Kyle Kendrick held the Marlins to a run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of work, while striking out six.  In what has now become standard operating procedure, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon closed out the seventh, eighth and ninth to seal the victory.  (Wouldn't it be awesome to see that trio in action for a contending team?)

Maikel Franco and Marlon Byrd drove in the only two Phillies runs in the first.  Byrd also threw out Justin Bour at home in the top of the seventh to preserve the slim Phillies lead.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #50

Card statistics through 8/17/18.

2018 Chachi #49 Aaron Loup

#47
Aaron Christopher Loup
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  210
Opening Day Age:  30
Born:  December 19, 1987, Raceland, LA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 9th round of the 2009 amateur draft, June 9, 2009
Teams:  Toronto Blue Jays 2012-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack, July 31, 2018

2015 Topps #369

2018 Topps Blue Jays #TJ-16

1 Loup Baseball Card in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps #369
First Card:  2018 Topps Blue Jays #TJ-16
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  August 1, 2018 - On Tuesday afternoon, in a flurry of activity leading up to the 4pm non-waiver trade deadline, the Phillies acquired All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos from the Rays and lefty reliever Aaron Loup from the Blue Jays.  The moves capped an impressive week of transactions for the club, as they added two veteran bats (Ramos and Asdrubal Cabrera) and a veteran bullpen arm without subtracting anyone from their Major League roster or dealing any top prospects . . .

I’m genuinely concerned with my dwindling knowledge of current baseball players given that Loup has appeared in 369 games for the Blue Jays since 2012 and yet I’ve never heard of him.  A true left-handed specialist, Loup amassed 318 2/3 inning pitched in those 369 career appearances.  So far this season, he has a 4.54 ERA over 50 games.  He’s also a free agent following this season, and the Phillies gave up Triple-A pitcher Jacob Waguespack for him.  Loup has a card in the 2015 Topps set as well as the 2018 Topps Blue Jays retail team set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #49

Card statistics through 8/17/18.

2018 Chachi #48 Asdrubal Cabrera

#13
Asdrubal Jose Cabrera
Infield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  32
Born:  November 13, 1985, Puerto La Cruz, VZ
Signed:  Signed the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent, August 26, 2002
Teams:  Cleveland Indians 2007-2014; Washington Nationals 2014; Tampa Bay Rays 2015; New York Mets 2016-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome, July 27, 2018.

2008 Topps #617

0 Cabrera Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2008 Topps #617
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 13, 2011 - 2011 All-Star Game . . . The Phillies sent five players to the All-Star Game, but only three were eligible to play in the game.  Placido Polanco was voted by fans to be the starting third baseman for the National League but he had to sit out due to lingering back problems.  Ironically enough, the man traded away by the Phils to originally acquire Polanco started at third in his place - Scott Rolen.  Shane Victorino won the fans' Final Man vote, but he landed on the disabled list right before the break.

Cole Hamels was named to the squad but he was not allowed to pitch as a result of a new rule which made any of Sunday's starting pitchers ineligible to pitch in the All-Star game.

So injuries and a silly rule meant only two of the Phillies five representatives saw action in Phoenix. National League starting pitcher Roy Halladay threw two perfect innings, inducing three ground-outs, two fly outs and a strike out of the Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera.  He needed just 19 pitches (14 for strikes) in his quick outing.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #48

Card statistics through 7/29/18.

2018 Chachi #47 Roman Quinn

#24
Roman Tredarian Quinn
Outfield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  May 14, 1993, Port St. Joe, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the June 2011 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2016, 2018
Acquired:  Via draft

2012 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #24

2013 Bowman Prospects #BP95

2016 Chachi #63

2017 Topps #498

58 Quinn Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2012 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #24
First Phillies Card:  2013 Bowman Prospects #BP95
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2017 Topps #498
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue #24
Newest Card:  2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #24

2017 Phillies Team Issue #24

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  November 21, 2015 - Three Prospects Added to 40-Man Roster . . .

Roman Quinn (of) - Quinn, one of the organization's top prospects, was sidelined most of last season with a hip injury.  Before the injury, he hit .306 with 15 RBIs and 29 stolen bases for Reading.  Quinn has been a mainstay in various Bowman and Topps minor league sets since 2013.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #63
2016 Chachi Fan Appreciation Day #1
2017 Chachi Almost #23
2018 Chachi #47

Card statistics through 7/27/18.

2018 Chachi #46 Ranger Suarez

#55
Ranger Jose Suarez
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  210
Opening Day Age:  22
Born:  August 26, 1995, Pie de Cuesta, VZ
Signed:  Signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent, April 1, 2012.
Teams:  Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Via free agency

2016 Choice Williamsport
Crosscutters #31

4 Suarez Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2016 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #31
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #33

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  November 21, 2017 - 40-Man Roster Additions/Subtractions . . .

Added to 40-Man Roster

• Ranger Suarez (lhp) - Appears in the 2016 Crosscutters and the 2017 BlueClaws minor league team sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #46

Card statistics through 7/27/18.

2018 Chachi #43 Trevor Plouffe

#10
Trevor Patrick Plouffe
Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  31
Born:  June 15, 1986, West Hills, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round of the 2004 amateur draft, June 7, 2004.
Teams:  Minnesota Twins 2010-2016; Oakland Athletics 2017; Tampa Bay Rays 2017; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization, April 23, 2018.

2005 Topps Update #UH95

2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #22

1 Plouffe Baseball Card in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2005 Topps Update #UH95
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #22
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #22

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 15, 2018 - There were a flurry of roster moves before this game.  De Los Santos and infielder Trevor Plouffe had their contracts purchased from Lehigh Valley.  Reliever Jake Thompson and outfielder Dylan Cozens were both optioned to Lehigh Valley while reliever Hoby Milner was designated for assignment.  To make additional room on the 40-man roster, Pedro Florimon was moved to the 60-day disabled list.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #43

Card statistics through 7/21/18.

2018 Chachi #42 Enyel De Los Santos

#51
Enyel De Los Santos
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  170
Opening Day Age:  22
Born:  December 25, 1995, San Pedro de Macoris, DR
Signed:  Signed by the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent, July 17, 2014.
Teams:  Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the San Diego Padres for Freddy Galvis, December 15, 2017.

2018 Choice Phillies Minor League
Top 30 Prospects #13

2 De Los Santos Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2018 Choice Phillies Minor League Top 30 Prospects #13
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #9

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  December 15, 2017 - Galvis Traded to Padres . . . Early Friday afternoon, the Phillies traded shortstop Freddy Galvis to the Padres for Double-A starting pitcher Enyel De Los Santos.  Having made his debut on April 5, 2012, Galvis had been the team's longest tenured player, and that title now falls to Cesar Hernandez.  Moving the 28-year-old Galvis to the Padres opens up the shortstop position for J.P. Crawford.

Galvis had become a veteran leader in the Phillies clubhouse over the past few seasons, and he obtained his goal of playing in all 162 games in 2017.  The team's regular shortstop beginning in 2015, Galvis was the club's opening day second baseman in 2012 due to an injury to Chase Utley.  In six seasons with the Phils, Galvis hit .245 over 642 games while providing solid infield defense.  I'll miss seeing Galvis out at short, but with his free agency approaching at the end of the 2018 season, it was time for him to move on and give Crawford a shot.

I have 47 different Galvis baseball cards in my collection, beginning with his 2007 card in the Williamsport Crosscutters team set and ending with his 2017 Topps Now Players Weekend card.  He'll most likely find his way to a few more Phillies cards within early 2018 Topps releases.

De Los Santos spent the 2017 season with the San Antonio Missions.  Todd Zolecki Tweeted that he was the No. 13 prospect in the Padres system and he'll land at the No. 9 spot in the Phillies system.  That seems like a pretty good return for Galvis.  De Los Santos appeared in the 2016 Topps Heritage Minors set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #42

Card statistics through 7/21/18.

2018 Chachi #41 Drew Anderson

#63
Andrew James Anderson
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  200
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  March 22, 1994, Reno, NV
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 21st round of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Via draft

2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #1

2017 Chachi #51

8 Anderson Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #1
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2018 Choice Phillies Minor League Top 30 Prospects #23

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  November 20, 2016 - Phillies Overhaul 40-Man Roster . . . On Friday afternoon, in the biggest 40-man roster overhaul in recent memory, the Phillies dropped three players and added 11 in preparation for the upcoming Rule 5 draft.  Over the past seven offseasons, the most prospects added to the 40-man roster in November prior to this was five.  Here's a look at the 11 players added, their 2016 clubs, and a few brief notes.

• Drew Anderson (rhp) - Lakewood/Clearwater - Struck out 78 in 70 innings and pitched the first four innings of a combined Threshers no-hitter in July.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #51
2018 Chachi #41

Card statistics through 7/21/18.

All-Star Game - 2018 Chachi #45 Aaron Nola AS #AllStarGame

American League 8, National League 6 (10)
All-Star Game - Tuesday Night, July 17th in Washington

One Sentence Summary:  Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer hit back-to-back home runs off the Dodgers' Ross Stripling in the 10th inning to give the A.L. and 8-6 win, and their sixth win in a row.

What It Means:  I wrote this sentence in last year's All-Star Game summary post, and it applies again this year:  "Don't get me wrong, I still love the All-Star Game, but . . . Fox's ridiculous in-game stunts left me a little jaded . . . Players were mic'd up and interviewed in the field during live at-bats. I wanted to watch a baseball game."  I think I'm getting old.

My favorite thing about this year's All-Star Game is that it's the first Mid-Summer Classic that both my two sons watched with me.  They watched the pre-game introductions with Ben making it through 5 innings and Doug lasting a few innings longer.  I'm getting to that point in my fandom where Doug knows all the players better than I do and I'll admit there were a few American League players I had never heard of before this game.

What Happened:  The two teams set an All-Star Game record with 10 total home runs.  Joining Bregman and Springer with long balls were Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Willson Contreras, Trevor Story, Jean Seguera, Christian Yelich, Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto.  Gennett's was responsible for sending the game into extra innings as his tied the game at five with one out in the bottom of the 9th.

We also learned during the game that slugger Manny Machado would be heading from the Orioles to the Dodgers and our entire household collectively booed.

Featured Card:  The Phillies were short-changed and sent only one All-Star to Washington.  Aaron Nola entered the game in the 5th inning, relieving Mike Foltynewicz.  He struck out Salvador Perez and Mookie Betts swinging before allowing a single to center from Jose Altuve.  Nola then induced a pop-out to first from his future teammate Trout to end the scoreless inning.

Memory Lane

From 1996 - Attending the All-Star Game at The Vet
From 2009 - All-Star Game memories
2010 All-Star Game - N.L. 3, A.L. 1 in Anaheim
2011 All-Star Game - N.L. 5, A.L. 1 in Phoenix
2012 All-Star Game - N.L. 8, A.L. 0 in Kansas City
2013 All-Star Game - A.L. 3, N.L. 0 in Flushing
2014 All-Star Game - A.L. 5, N.L. 3 in Minneapolis

2015 All-Star Game - A.L. 6, N.L. 3 in Cincinnati
2016 All-Star Game - A.L. 4, N.L. 2 in San Diego
2017 All-Star Game - A.L. 2, N.L. 1 in Miami

All-Star Break Odds & Ends - Hoskins, Truby, Milner & Machado

2018 Chachi #44

Along with the rest of baseball, The Phillies Room is enjoying a short break before the official start of the second half of the season on Friday night.  Here are some odds and ends from the break that I thought merited a quick post.

Hoskins Home Run Derby Heroics
Rhys Hoskins was impressive in Monday night's Home Run Derby, defeating Brewers slugger Jesus Aguilar in the first round 17-12, and nearly defeating Kyle Schwarber in the second round.  Hoskins slugged 20 home runs while Schwarber bested him by one with 21.  Bryce Harper would defeat Schwarber in the final round to be crowned the champion.  Pitching to Hoskins was his former manager with the Lakewood BlueClaws, Chris Truby.

Truby appeared in 263 big league games with the Astros (2000-2001), Expos (2002), Tigers (2002) and Devil Rays (2003).  He managed in the Phillies farm system from 2009 to 2013 before being named the team's minor league infield coordinator in 2014.

2011 Multi-Ad Lakewood BlueClaws #31

2018 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #19

2003 Leaf Good Rookies #9

Milner Moves On
I'm hoping to have to update this comings and goings list over the next few weeks, but for now there's only one new addition with the recent departure of Hoby Milner.  The lefty reliever was sold to the Rays on July 15th.  In 47 games with the club, Milner owned an impressive 2.70 ERA and it's hard for me to understand how there just wasn't a place for him in the team's bullpen.  He owns three different team-issued photo cards, but no mainstream Phillies baseball cards.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Milner Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #44
2018 Chachi #21

Machado Phillies Baseball Cards
And finally, it stings a little that Manny Machado will be playing out the remainder of the 2018 season with the Dodgers and not the Phillies.  In the end, the price was way too high for a 2 1/2 month rental player and the Phillies will undoubtedly pursue Machado once he's a free agent following the season.

It's a small consolation to me that I have 22 different cards of Anderson Machado in my Phillies collection.  Not really.  Sorry Anderson.

2018 Chachi #40 Austin Davis

#54
Austin Richard Davis
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  224
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  February 3, 1993, Scottsdale, AZ
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 1st and 12th round of the June 2014 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Via draft

2015 Choice Lakewood
BlueClaws #5

4 Davis Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #5
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2017 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Update #55

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  June 19, 2018 - Prior to the game, the Phillies made the somewhat surprising move of optioning one-time closer Hector Neris to Lehigh Valley.  Neris is 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA so far this season and his June ERA is 9.45.

Lefty reliever Austin Davis had his contract selected to take Neris' place in the bullpen.  A 2014 12th round draft pick, Davis has baseball card appearances in four Phillies minor league team sets to date.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #40

Card statistics through 6/19/18.

2018 Chachi #39 Dylan Cozens

#25
Dylan Wallace Cozens
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  245
Opening Day Age:  23
Born:  May 31, 1994, Scottsdale, AZ
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Via draft

2012 Bowman Draft Draft Picks #BDPP42

2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #7

34 Cozens Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Card:  2012 Bowman Draft Draft Picks #BDPP42
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #7
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP63

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  August 24, 2014 - 2nd Annual Lakewood BlueClaws Outing . . . The BlueClaws are the Phillies Low A team playing in the South Atlantic League.  We were once again able to get first row tickets right behind the BlueClaws bullpen, and my oldest son Doug spent the bulk of the hour leading up to the game tracking down autographs.

He got autographs from BlueClaws home run leader (and Phillies top prospect) Dylan Cozens along with catcher Willians Astudillo.  He also got autographs from former big leaguers Gregg Legg and Les Lancaster, both of whom were ejected in this game for arguing balls and strikes.

Our youngest son Ben was the recipient of a baseball when BlueClaws starting pitcher Ranfi Casimiro finished his pre-game warm-up, walked over to Ben and handed him his ball.  I wanted to include Casimiro's card in this post because his generosity was such an awesome gesture.  There were a ton of kids seeking autographs (and demanding baseballs) in our section and Casimiro made it a point to walk over to the youngest, quietest kid and hand him a ball.  Ben went to bed clutching both the baseball and his new BlueClaws giant foam finger.

It was a great night of baseball along with a fun night for our family, and we'll be back for another game (or two) in 2015.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi Almost #14
2018 Chachi #39

Card statistics through 6/13/18.