Cubs at Phillies: September 10th to September 13th

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

Cubs 80-58, 3rd Place in the N.L. Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Cardinals
Phillies 54-86, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 24 1/2 games behind the Mets

Cubs Probables:  Jake Arrieta (18-6, 2.03), Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.08), Dan Haren (9-9, 4.78), Hammel (8-6, 3.59)
Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (5-5, 4.42), Alec Asher (0-2, 10.61), Jared Eickhoff (1-3, 4.70), Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.02)

At the Ballpark:  On Friday night, all fans 15 and over will receive a Phillies knit hat.  On Sunday afternoon, all kids receive the Phanatic's latest DVD entitled The Phillie Phanatic's One-Man Band. I'll think I'll just wait for it to come to Netflix.

Cubs Leaders
Average:  Anthony Rizzo - .285
Runs:  Dexter Fowler - 90
Home Runs:  Anthony Rizzo - 29
RBIs:  Anthony Rizzo - 88
Stolen Bases:  Dexter Fowler - 17

Wins:  Jake Arrieta - 18
ERA:  Jake Arrieta - 2.03
Strikeouts:  Jake Arrieta - 197
Saves:  Hector Rondon - 27

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .300
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera - 57
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 21
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 72
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 19+

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6*
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 5.02*
Strikeouts:  Aaron Harang - 96*
Saves:  Ken Giles - 12^

+Ben Revere, now with the Blue Jays, is the overall team leader with 24 stolen bases.
*Cole Hamels, now with the Rangers, is the overall team leader with 6 wins (tied), 3.64 ERA and 137 strikeouts
^Jonathan Papelbon, now with the Nationals, is the overall team leader with 17 saves.

1985 Topps #98

1985 Topps #39

1985 Topps Appreciation:  When these two teams first met up in July, I featured eight cards of players who appeared with the Cubs in the 1985 Topps set who had previously spent time with the Phillies.  I don't have anything nearly as interesting planned this time around, although two cards of two underrated back-up catchers who spent time with the Phillies is certainly interesting to me.

Any time I get the chance to feature a baseball card of Phillies Room favorite Johnny Wockenfuss, I'm taking it.  And this Steve Lake baseball card contains no clue of the future cardboard greatness Lake, and his exotic pet bird Ruffles, would one day attain.  We had no idea.

Phillies at Cardinals: June 19th to June 22nd

Thursday and Friday 8:15, Saturday 4:10, Sunday 2:15
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO

Phillies 32-38, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 5 games behind the Nationals
Cardinals 39-33, 2nd Place in the N.L. Central, 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers

Phillies Probables:  David Buchanan (2-3, 5.97), A.J. Burnett (4-6, 4.17), Cole Hamels (2-3, 2.78), Kyle Kendrick (3-6, 3.97)
Cardinals Probables:  Shelby Miller (7-5, 3.42), Jaime Garcia (3-0, 3.72), Adam Wainwright (9-3, 2.15), Michael Wacha (5-5, 2.79)

At the Ballpark:  The Cardinals are taking care of their fans this weekend.  Tonight, the first 25,000 fans will receive a 1964 Bob Gibson replica jersey.  On Saturday, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Cardinals tote bag and the give-away on Sunday is a batting practice cap with a 2013 N.L. Champions logo.  Not a bad haul!

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .302

Runs:  Chase Utley - 38

Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 13

RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 47

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 20

Wins:  Antonio Bastardo, A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee - 4

ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.78

Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 76

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 16

1988 Topps #509, #208, #612 and #310

1988 Topps Appreciation:  It's another hodge podge offering in this series preview post.  The Cardinals and Phillies face off in only two series this year, and each series preview post will feature four Cardinals cards from the 1988 Topps set with Phillies connections.

Bill Dawley is the only player featured here who actually suited up with the Phillies in 1988.  Dawley was already at the tail-end of his seven-year career when he came to the Phillies as a free agent in February 1988.  He had been released by the Cardinals following the 1987 season after appearing in 60 games and going 5-8 with a 4.47 ERA.  He fared poorly with the Phillies, lasting only eight games and allowing 13 runs in 8 2/3 innings pitched for a 13.50 ERA.

Steve Lake (1989-1992), Tommy Herr (1989-1990) and Curt Ford (1989-1990) were all teammates on Nick Leyva's 1989 and 1990 Phillies squads.  Lake and Ford were acquired together in a December 1988 deal that sent Milt Thompson to the Cardinals.  Herr had been traded to the Twins at the beginning of the 1988 season after nine strong seasons in St. Louis.  After a season in Minnesota, Herr came to the Phillies via free agency and hit .277 in two seasons as the club's regular second baseman.

He was traded to the Mets in August 1990 in order to make way for the up and coming Mickey Morandini.

1991 Studio #216 Steve Lake

Mets 10, Phillies 9

Dear fellow Phillies fans and blog readers,

In lieu of a recap/rant with regards to today's debacle of a baseball game against the Mets, please enjoy this baseball card featuring former back-up catcher Steve Lake and his exotic pet bird, Ruffles. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Hakuna matata.

Kind regards,

Jim

The Phillies Room