Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #2 Don McCormack

#17
Donald Ross McCormack
Catcher

Don McCormack was drafted by the Phillies in the 4th round of the 1974 amateur draft.  With Bob Boone as the team's regular catcher and both Keith Moreland and Ozzie Virgil passing McCormack on the organizational depth chart, he appeared in only five games with the Phillies - all as a September call-up.

After his playing days were over, McCormack came back to the Phillies organization managing the Batavia Clippers (Rookie A, 1988-1989) the Reading Phillies (AA, 1990-1993) and the Clearwater Phillies (High A, 1994-1995).  McCormack most recently managed the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League between 2001 and 2006.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  September 18, 1955, Omak, WA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Phillies in the 4th round of the June 1974 amateur draft
Major League Teams:  Phillies 1980-1981
Professional Affiliations:  Phillies 1974-1981, Detroit Tigers 1982

Phillies Career
5 games, .400 (2 for 5)
Acquired:  Via draft
Debut:  September 30, 1980 - Replaced Moreland behind the plate in the 9th inning of a 14-2 blow-out of the Cubs
Final Game:  October 4, 1981
Departed:  Released on March 29, 1982 and signed with the Detroit Tigers organization

1980 Topps #PR11

1981 TCMA Oklahoma City 89ers #9

1981 Topps #PR7

1991 ProCards #1385

5 McCormack Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1981 TCMA Oklahama City 89ers #9
Last Card:  1991 ProCards #1385

I've created two previous McCormack custom cards in the style of the 1980 and 1981 Topps sets, using his photos from the 1980 and 1981 Phillies Yearbooks.

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  N/A
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  N/A
Other Notable Cards:  1979 Oklahoma City 89ers Team Issue #21, 1982 TCMA Evansville Triplets #12, 1995 Fleer/ProCards Clearwater Phillies #231, 2007 Choice Long Island Ducks #18

Sources:  The Greatest 21 Days, 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.

1981 Phillies - The Missing Links

1981 Fleer #22, 1981 TCMA Oklahoma City 89ers #7 and #9 and 1994 Topps Traded #130T

There's only one new addition to the Missing Link Phillies players in 1981 as there were only 36 different Phillies players in the strike-shortened season.  The addition of Donruss and Fleer to the baseball card landscape forever altered collecting patterns, as we collectors now had a choice of which product would receive our hard-earned lawn mowing money.  Of course Donruss and Fleer are now long gone and we're stuck with collecting whatever product Topps decides to dole out.  But I digress.

3 Cards or More
31 Players

2 Cards
**John Vukovich (153 games from 1970-1971, 1976-1977 and 1979-1981) - 1980 Burger King Phillies #8 and 1981 Fleer #22
**Mark Davis (11 games in 1980 and 1981, 25 games in 1993) - 1982 Topps #231 and 1993 Ultra #437

1 Card
Dan Larson (21 games from 1978-1981) - 1980 Phillies Postcards #15

0 Cards
Jerry Reed (11 games from 1981-1982)
Don McCormack (5 games from 1980-1981)

1993 Upper Deck
Then and Now #TN6

Ryne Sandberg, who played just 13 games with the 1981 Phillies, could have made the list, if not for his Phillies cards issued following his Hall of Fame playing career.  I believe his first official Phillies card was the 1993 Upper Deck Then and Now card.  This insert card featured a head shot of Sandberg as a Phillie over a holographic image of him as a Cub.  Topps gave him a Phillies card in its 1994 Traded set and two more cards within its 2010 National Chicle set.

Jerry Reed began his nine-year career with 11 forgettable games with the declining Phillies in 1981 and 1982.  He compiled a 1-1 record and a 6.08 ERA before being packaged with two other prospects in the deal with the Indians that brought John Denny to the Phillies.  Reed spent three seasons in Cleveland, three more seasons in Seattle and finished up with a half season in Boston.  He had to wait until 1986 for his "rookie" cards, appearing with the Indians in the 1986 Fleer and Topps sets.

Past Missing Link Posts
1980 Phillies - Orlando Isales and Don McCormack

1990 Phillies - Louie Meadows

1991 Phillies - Dave LaPoint

1992 Phillies - Darrin Chapin and Mickey Weston

1993 Phillies - None

1994 Phillies - Tom Edens and Bob Wells

1995 Phillies - Jim Deshaies, Kevin Elster, Omar Olivares, Chuck Ricci and Dennis Springer

1996 Phillies - Glenn Dishman, Bronson Heflin, Manny Martinez and Rafael Quirico

1997 Phillies - Rob Butler and Mike Robertson

1998 Phillies - Robert Dodd and Matt Whiteside

1999 Phillies - Joel Bennett, Domingo Cedeno, Joe Grahe and Torey Lovullo

2000 Phillies - Clemente Alvarez, Kirk Bullinger, Mark Holzemer and Bryan Ward

**UPDATE (6/19/15) - I know now that Vukovich had additional Phillies baseball cards in the 1971, 1980 and 1981 Phillies Photocards sets.  Davis has additional team issued cards in the 1982 Tastykake Phillies set and in the style of the 1993 Medford Phillies set.