2014 Chachi Transactions #15 Pete Orr

Infielder Pete Orr joined the ranks of former Phillies when he was outrighted off the team's 40-man roster in the week following the 2013 season.  He's since landed with the Brewers, where he'll go to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Orr played in parts of three seasons for the Phillies, accumulating a .247 average over 96 games.  He made the team's opening day rosters in both 2011 and 2012, but spent the majority of last season playing for the Triple-A IronPigs.  His sole Phillies card can be found in the team's second postcard set from 2011, although I have four IronPigs cards of his in my collection.

2013 Chachi #61 Pete Orr

#12

Peterson Thomas Gordon Orr

Infield - Outfield

Bats: Left  Throws: Right  Height: 6'1"  Weight: 195

Born: June 8, 1979, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Home: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Signed: Signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta Braves, July 3, 1999

Teams: Atlanta Braves 2005-2007, Washington Nationals 2008-2009, Phillies 2011-

Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Washington Nationals' organization, November 11, 2010

Contract Status: Signed through the 2013 season

Non-Roster Invitees - The First 9

2012 Grandstand Reading Phillies #18, 2012 Topps #64,
2012 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #15 and 2012 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #2

Much like the Rule 5 draft, the first announcement of non-roster invitees to Spring Training always excites me a little.  Slowly but surely, we're marching towards a new spring and a new season.  Last year, Kevin Frandsen and Raul Valdes were in the first batch of invitees, and they both ended up playing key roles on the 2012 Phillies.  Which of the following nine players will earn a roster spot in 2013?

Here are the first nine, with their 2012 organization and their last major cardboard appearance listed:

Player (position) - 2012 Organization - Last Major Cardboard Appearance
1.  Steven Lerud (c) - Phillies - 2004 Bowman #160 (Pirates)
2.  Michael Martinez (inf) - Phillies - 2012 Topps #64 (Phillies)
3.  Pete Orr (inf) - Phillies - 2008 Topps Update #UH72 (Nationals)

2012 Topps #590

These three players each spent time with the Phillies in 2012.  They've been removed from the 40-man roster and they'll try once against to make it back to the bigs.  This is Orr's third straight invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster player.  Lerud is the early favorite for the non-roster invitee with the longest time since his last major baseball card release.

4.  Cesar Jimenez (lhp) - Mariners - 2009 Upper Deck #857 (Mariners)
5.  Zach Miner (rhp) - Tigers - 2009 O-Pee-Chee #314 (Tigers)
6.  Humberto Quintero (c) - Royals/Marlins/Brewers - 2012 Topps #590 (Astros)
7.  Andres Blanco (inf) - Phillies - 2007 Topps #659 (Royals)
8.  Josh Fields (3b) - Dodgers - 2010 Topps #387 (Royals)
9.  Jermaine Mitchell (of) - Athletics - 2012 Bowman Platinum Prospects Autographs #JM (Athletics)

Of the nine players listed, Quintero has the best chance of making the opening day roster in light of the 50-game suspension being served by Carlos Ruiz in April and May.

* * *

I composed this post with a heavy heart after the horrific news that came out of Connecticut yesterday.  I gave my boys an extra hug before they went to bed last night.  My prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims.

2012 Chachi #11 Pete Orr

#4

Peterson Thomas Gordon Orr

Infield - Outfield

Bats: Left  Throws: Right  Height: 6'1"  Weight: 195

Born: June 8, 1979, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Home: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Signed: Signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta Braves, July 3, 1999

Teams: Atlanta Braves 2005-2007, Washington Nationals 2008-2009, Phillies 2011-

Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Washington Nationals' organization, November 11, 2010

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

The Newest Ex-Phillies

2011 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #20, 2011 Choice Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Series 2 #20 and #19
and 2011 Multi-Ad Reading Phillies #25

Three players and a minor league manager joined the ranks of "Ex-Phillies" since the Phillies season ended.

Catcher Dane Sardinha elected free agency, according to Baseball America's minor league transactions for October 4th through 10th.  Sardinha appeared in 13 games with the Phillies in 2010 and in 15 games in 2011.  He hit .211 in 71 at-bats.  It was evident his tenure with the club had run its course when Erik Kratz was added in September as the team's third catcher instead of Sardinha.

Infielder Pete Orr and outfielder Brandon Moss were outrighted off the team's 40-man roster and both elected free agency.  Orr made it into 46 games with the Phillies, starting 22 games at second and two games at third.  He hit .219 with four RBIs.

Moss was a September call-up who made it into just five games with the Phils.  He went 0 for 6 with two strikeouts in his very brief time with the club.  With Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Moss hit .275 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 80 RBIs.

Former catcher Mark Parent spent the past two season managing in the Phillies minor league system.  He led the Class-A Lakewood BlueClaws to the South Atlantic League Championship in 2010 and he managed the Double-A Reading Phillies to a 74-68 record in 2011.  Parent was recently named the bench coach for the Chicago White Sox under new manager Robin Ventura.

Moving On
Dane Sardinha 10/10/11 - Elected free agency
Brandon Moss 10/17/11 - Outrighted to Lehigh Valley and elected free agency
Pete Orr 10/17/11 - Outrighted to Lehigh Valley and elected free agency

2011 Just Fair '11 Pete Orr

Phillies 5, Marlins 3

Game 36 - Wednesday Night, May 11th in Miami

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense was dead through the first six innings before scoring five times in the last three frames and winning the game, 5-3.

What It Means:  After the bottom of the sixth, with the Marlins up 3-0, it appeared as if the Phillies would leave Miami having lost their last two series against N.L. East rivals.  However, they pulled out the win to improve their record to 24-12 and increase their lead in the division to three games over the Marlins.  There's an off-day today before the weekend series with the Braves in Atlanta.

What Went Right:  The Phils decided to come to life in the seventh.  Raul Ibanez doubled and came home on Pete Orr's RBI-double.  A few batters later, pinch-hitter Ross Gload grounded out, bringing home Dane Sardinha, who had reached on first baseman Gaby Sanchez' error.  The Phillies tied it up in the eighth thanks to Shane Victorino's bullet of a home run over the left field wall.

In the ninth, Jimmy Rollins singled home Sardinha and Orr, who had singled and doubled, respectively, to reach earlier in the inning.  Ryan Madson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save.

2011 Just Fair '11 Cliff Lee
(Bonus Card!)

What Went Wrong:  The Phils had a chance to score in the fourth when Cliff Lee lined a single off second baseman Omar Infante.  But Brian Schneider, who had reached on a double, blew a tire rounding third and had to hobble back to the base.  (The word is that he pulled a hamstring.  It's a good thing Carlos Ruiz is expected to be activated on Friday.)

Before Orr's pinch-hit, RBI-double in the seventh, the Phillies had not scored while Lee was on the mound in 27 innings. 

Featured Card:  Following the game, I was determined to feature a Pete Orr baseball card in the game summary post.  Problem was, other than Orr's 2011 Chachi card, which I've already posted, I don't own (in reality or virtually) any other cards of the guy.

As I was lamenting this fact, I began going through the unread posts via my Google Reader subscriptions and I noticed A Hair Off Square was going gangbusters last night with his Just Fair '11 creations.  The light bulb went off and I contacted the proprietor of that blog to see if he could help me out.  What you see at the top of this post in his custom Pete Orr card, which as far as I know, is Orr's second virtual 2011 baseball card.  Hopefully he ends up with a "real" baseball card at some point this year. 

Please check out A Hair Off Square for more Just Fair '11 cards as well as his History of Joakim Soria cards, as told through 61 years of Topps baseball card designs.  You won't be disappointed.

2011 Topps Phillies #PHI4 Cole Hamels

Phillies 4, Nationals 1
Game 28 - Tuesday Night, May 3rd in Philadelphia

One Sentence Summary:  Cole Hamels did it all tonight, pitching a complete game for the victory, and kick-starting the offense with his first career triple in the third inning.

What It Means:  The Phillies are now 19-9, temporarily a half game ahead of the Marlins in the N.L. East, pending the outcome of the Marlins-Cardinals game in St. Louis.

What Went Right:  Hamels continued his recent trend of fantastic pitching.  He allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out six.  Jimmy Rollins, batting lead-off for the first time this season, brought home Hamels in the third with an RBI-single.  Rollins tripled and came home on Placido Polanco's sac fly in the fifth.  The Phils added a few insurance runs in the seventh, but they weren't needed, given Hamels' fine performance.

Raul Ibanez broke an 0 for 35 skid with a double in the fourth, avoiding Desi Relaford's "record" of 0 for 36 in 1998.

Featured Card:  There's a good chance Hamels' 2011 Topps Series 2 will look like this when it's released in June.  This card is from the Topps Phillies team set.

Field Report:  Sadly, this picture most likely represents the closest Pete Orr and Brian Schneider will get to appearing in the 2011 Topps set this year.  The Phillies post each game's starting line-up on the wall just outside Ashburn Alley with giant Topps baseball cards and I was happy to see Orr finally has a card . . . Final tally for Jenna and me on Dollar Dog Night - 4 dogs.  Although a few of our dogs looked as if they had been prepared a few weeks ago . . . Jayson Werth received a mixed bag of cheers and boos upon his first visit back to Citizens Bank Park.  He politely doffed his batting helmet to the crowd in the top of the first, and he signalled to the outfield crowd in the bottom of the first as he took his place in right field.  He went 0 for 3 with a walk . . . The Phillies are now 3-1 in games I've attended this year.

2011 Chachi #13 Pete Orr

#5

Peterson Thomas Gordon Orr

Infield - Outfield

Bats: Left  Throws: Right  Height: 6'1"  Weight: 195

Born: June 8, 1979, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Home: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Signed: Signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta Braves, July 3, 1999

Teams: Atlanta Braves 2005-2007, Washington Nationals 2008-2009, Phillies 2011-

Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Washington Nationals' organization, November 11, 2010

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

Complete Topps Base Set Checklist:

2006 Topps Update #111 - Braves

2007 Topps Update #114 - Braves

2008 Topps Update #UH272 - Nationals