1980 Burger King Phillies #1 Dallas Green

Saturday night - Braves 6, Phillies 4
Sunday afternoon/evening - Phillies 4, Braves 2

I've spent the last few days of my post-work deadline sabbatical fighting a cold, and the cold ultimately won. However, we did manage to attend an incredible wedding in Dallas, PA, and we now know which hotel in the Dallas vicinity to completely avoid the next time we're in that neck of the woods. (And who knew there was a Dallas in Pennsylvania?) Despite my cold and the fact we were out of town, the Phillies carried on with their series against the Braves.

On Saturday night, the Phils mirrored my energy output for the day by sleepwalking through the first eight innings. The offense was completely shut down by Braves starting pitcher Javier Vazquez, but they rallied late for the sake of appearances and scored four off Braves closer Rafael Soriano in the 9th inning. Two of the late runs were courtesy of Ryan Howard's 41st home run and another run scored on pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs' RBI-single. Phillies starter Pedro Martinez left after just three innings with a pain in the neck.

The Phillies took the game (and the series) this afternoon after waiting out a 2-hour rain delay in the 5th inning. Doubles from Ben Francisco and Raul Ibañez started the scoring in the 4th inning. The Phillies bullpen shut the door on the Braves following the departure of starter Cliff Lee due to the lengthy rain delay. Brad Lidge gave up his obligatory 9th inning run, but managed to save his 31st game of the year.

The team heads into the off-day tomorrow with a magic number to clinch the division of 6. By this time next weekend, I hope to have added a "Phillies Clinch Division for 3rd Year in a Row" highlight card to the 2009 Chachi set. Hard to believe, Harry.

2008 Topps Chrome Dick Perez Refractor #WMDPC3 Ryan Howard

Phillies 9, Braves 4

Behind the power of Ryan Howard and the long relief of Kyle Kendrick, the Phils defeated the Braves tonight by a final score of 9-4. Ryan accounted for the Phils' first three runs, hitting a 2-run home run in the 4th (his 39th) and a solo home run in the 6th (his 40th). Kendrick pitched four innings of scoreless relief to earn the win after starter J.A. Happ was forced from the game for precautionary reasons. (J.A. grimaced coming off the mound in the 3rd inning, which was enough for Charlie Manuel to yank him from the game.)

Jayson Werth added a clutch 2-run single in the 8th inning to provide a little cushion for the back end of the bullpen. Jimmy Rollins (3-run home run) and Ben Francisco (solo shot) padded the cushion even more with back-to-back home runs in the top of the 9th inning.

With the win, coupled with the Braves' defeat, the magic number to clinch the NL East is now in single digits at 8.

Paging Paul Hoover: Carlos Ruiz left the game in the 6th inning with what the team is describing as a sprained left wrist. Look for the Phils to add another catcher to the active roster tomorrow if Chooch's injury is serious.

Trade with Beardy: This Ryan Howard card is courtesy of a recent trade with Beardy of the aptly-named Beardy's Baseball Blog. Beardy also sent along a 2007 Bowman's Best Ryan Howard card and a 2005 Donruss Diamond Kings Studio Portraits Jim Thome card, numbered to just 40 copies. Thanks Beardy!

Phillies at Braves: September 18th through September 20th

Friday 7:30, Saturday 7:00, Sunday 1:30

Records: Phillies 85-60, 1st Place in the NL East (7½ games ahead of the Braves); Braves 78-68, 2nd Place in NL East (7½ games behind the Phillies)

Magic Number: 10. The Braves are now ahead of the Marlins by a half game in the standings and the Marlins are one game back in the loss column. If the Phils sweep the Braves this weekend, and if the Marlins lose their weekend series with the Reds, it's conceivable the Phillies could clinch in Milwaukee next weekend. The goal should be to win every game, go for home field advantage in the Playoffs and make the final series of the season against the Marlins (October 2-4) completely meaningless. We have tickets on October 3rd, and I'd like nothing more than to see Paul Hoover, Miguel Cairo and Andy Tracy in the Phillies' starting line-up that day.

Phillies Probables: J.A. Happ, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Lee

Braves Probables: Tim Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Tommy Hanson

2009 O-Pee-Chee Retro #RM-28 Cole Hamels

Phillies 4, Nationals 2

Perfect through five innings, Cole Hamels won his 10th game of the year as the magic number to clinch the East dropped to 10. Cole's change-up was on tonight and he worked in a healthy mix of fastballs and an occasional curve ball to compliment it. Cole also contributed a bases-loaded RBI-single in the 6th inning. The Phillies starting pitchers have now allowed just three earned runs over the past five games. Brad Lidge pitched a (mostly) uneventful 9th inning for his 30th save of the season.

White rally towels made their 2009 debut at Citizens Bank Park tonight. Watching all 44,000+ fans in attendance wave the towels during key moments of games is a sight to behold.

Finally, for the first time since October 3, 1993, the Phillies are 25 games over .500. Can you believe it?

Chan Ho's Hammy & Shane's Tummy: As expected, Chan Ho Park's hamstring injury is going to sideline the reliever for two to three weeks. Tyler Walker will be expected to step up and serve as a 6th and 7th inning set-up guy in Chan Ho's stead. Shane Victorino had to leave the game tonight in the 7th inning with what was described as a gastro-intestinal malady.

Topps All-Time Fan Favorites - 1980 Topps Phillies

2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #60 Mike Schmidt

2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #76 Bake McBride

Dean Family - This post is for you. The 2003-2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorite sets featured two Phillies cards borrowing the 1980 Topps design: Mike Schmidt and Bake McBride.

In my previous post on these sets, I failed to mention what I really enjoy about these cards - the card backs. The backs are true to the original design, but they feature complete career statistics for the featured player during his tenure with the team displayed. So the back of Mike Schmidt's card features his entire career statistics, and Bob Dernier's card features his complete Phillies stats from his two tours of duty with the team. This was a nice touch by Topps.

A few other notes:

- There are 22 Phillies cards spread throughout the three years' of sets. Mike Schmidt appears in each of the three sets. John Kruk and Lenny Dysktra both appear in two of the sets.

- Personal favorite Kent Tekulve does not appear as a Phillie, but he's in the 2003 set featured as a Pirate on the 1984 Topps design.

- I am puzzled as to why I don't own these complete sets.

2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #115 Bob Dernier

The 1980 Topps blog recently posted a few cards from the Topps All-Time Fan Favorites sets. The cards posted borrowed their design from the 1980 Topps set (hence their inclusion on the Dean Family's blog). Topps released three of these sets from 2003 through 2005 and I've collected the Phillies cards from them. The sets consist of all-time "fan favorites" (hence the name of the set) featured on the familiar Topps' designs of the past four decades. What is unfamiliar are the pictures selected for each fan favorite. While the intent was to match a picture and a Topps design from the same year or era, the picture selection committee had a few misses.

The Bob Dernier card pictured here features a 1982 Topps design, but a 1988-1989 vintage picture of Bobby D. This always bugged me a little. But what always bugged me a little more isn't the picture selection, it's the "3rd Base" position indicator on the bottom left of the card. Only the most die-hard of Bob Dernier fans would know he was originally drafted as a third baseman, a position he last played at Class A Peninsula in 1979. Why feature a Gold Glove outfielder as a third baseman? Surely this was done by Topps just to perplex me.

Feel free to compare and contrast with Bob Dernier's actual 1982 Topps card, featured in that year's Traded series.

2009 Topps #557 Jayson Werth

Phillies 6, Nationals 1

The magic number dropped to 11 tonight, following the 6-1 win over the Nationals. Jayson Werth's grand slam in the 7th inning was the big blast in the game, and it was the record 10th grand slam of the year for the team.

Joe Blanton wriggled in and out of trouble throughout his six innings of work, allowing five hits and four walks while striking out seven. Had reliever Tyler Walker not allowed a ninth inning run to the Nationals, it would have been the Phils' third straight shutout and the first time the franchise had accomplished that feat since August 1969.

The Nationals are not a good team. They've made several base running blunders over the past few nights and they definitely play like a team 45 games under .500. The Phils go for the three-game sweep tomorrow night behind starting pitcher Cole Hamels.

Stealing Home: As part of a delayed double steal, Chase Utley stole home tonight in the 1st inning. Jayson Werth had stolen home earlier in the year and the last time two Phillies stole home in the same year was 1997, when Kevin Stocker and Scott Rolen both pulled it off.

1978 Phillies Spring Training & 1978 Topps #PR1 Todd Cruz

My Mom continues to scan and discover old family photographs taken by my Pop-Pop throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s. She recently came across slides from a Spring of 1978 trip taken by my Nana, Pop-Pop, Uncle Dell and Aunt Becky to Clearwater, Florida - the Phillies' Spring Training home. My Mom asked if I could identify any of the players in a picture snapped by my Pop-Pop. (That's my Uncle Dell's hat brim and right arm, snapping a similar picture at the same time.) Based on my research, here's what I've found:

- I can clearly make out players wearing #41 and #16, and what appear to be coaches wearing #23 and #59. (I wonder why the players are wearing their baby blue away uniforms?)

- Pitcher Jim Lonborg wore #41 for the Phils from 1973 until 1979, and that's definitely not Lonborg in the picture. Therefore, I'm guessing these are minor league players.

- Both Jim Morrison and Todd Cruz wore #16 for the Phillies in 1978. I suppose the player pictured here could be Todd Cruz, but I still believe this is a minor league work-out featuring a few pitchers and catchers. Cruz was primarily a middle infielder.

- I was fairly certain coach #59 was Bobby Tiefenauer . . . until I looked it up and found Tiefenauer had worn #5 during his tenure as a Phillies' coach.

In summary, I have no idea who these people are. I know they are Phillies, and most likely minor leaguers. I also know my Pop-Pop appeared to have had a wonderful time on this trip.

Even though it's probably not Todd Cruz: Todd Cruz played in three games for the '78 Phils before going on to find relative success as a role player in the American League with the Royals, Angels, White Sox, Mariners and Orioles from 1979 until 1984. As an Oriole, he started all five 1983 World Series games against the Phillies as the O's third baseman. He's got a World Series ring, but he's never been featured on a baseball card as a Phillie until now. I used the 1978 Topps design and Todd's picture from the 1979 Phillies Yearbook for the card.

1979 Topps #317 Jose Cardenal

I'm off from work today, so I decided to do what most hard working Americans would choose to do on a day off: blog about Jose Cardenal's afro while a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978 and 1979.

Jose Cardenal's 1979 Topps card is the first (and only) to feature him in an actual Phillies' uniform and not a (poorly) airbrushed looks-kind-of-like-a-Phillies-hat. Unfortunately, it appears as if Jose took the shears to the afro at some point between 1978 and 1979. Alas, 1978 was to be the high hat mark for Jose in terms of pure afro grandeur. We'll have to rely on another blogger or the Dean Family's 1980 Topps blog in order to track the 'fro progress in 1980. Jose appears as a Met in the 1980 Topps set on card #512.

Number 1: If you asked the question, "Who is the last Phillie to wear the number 1?," most people would respond, Richie Ashburn. But most people would be wrong. Jose Cardenal wore #1 for the Phillies in 1978 and until he was sold to the Mets on August 2, 1979. Richie had his #1 retired on August 24, 1979, and no Phillie player has worn it since. And now you know.

1978 Topps #210 Jose Cardenal

I’ve mentioned previously this is one of my busiest times of year at work. The first two weeks of September have been a blur, with no real time to sit and reflect, to stop and smell the roses or to blog. It’s been get up, get showered, go to work, work, go to sleep, repeat since a few weeks before Labor Day. But my deadlines have now passed, and life (the important part) can resume.

I’ve eaten a lot of lunches and dinners at my desk in my office over the past several weeks. Fortunately, I’ve been able to fire up my Google Reader and check in on the many wonderful baseball card blogs floating around out there during the 30 minutes or so of my solitary sandwich time. The blog roll on the left sidebar of this humble blog kept me entertained for many a meal.

Which naturally brings us to . . . Jose Cardenal’s afro. Besides potentially being an amazing name for a garage band, I read about the evolution of Jose Cardenal’s afro on the Wrigley Wax blog. Where else am I going to get this kind of insight as to the growth and under-hat positioning of Jose Cardenal’s afro as pictured on his 1970’s Topps baseball cards? It's this kind of post that made me look forward each day to catching up with the numerous and immensely entertaining baseball card blogs I follow.

Starting today, I’m taking a few days off from work to decompress and to generally just sit and smile. The first thing I wanted to do was to start where Wrigley Wax left off and track down Jose Cardenal’s 1978 Topps card, which I had vaguely recalled featured a ginormous afro. I was right. Here’s to deadlines met, well deserved rest days, baseball card blogs and Jose Cardenal’s afro.

2009 Phillies Team Issue Update #34 Cliff Lee

Phillies 5, Nationals 0

Not to be outdone by the Sunday night performance of Pedro Martinez, Cliff Lee threw a gem tonight. His third complete game and his first shutout as a Phillie gave the team the win over the last place Nationals by a score of 5-0. His final pitch was clocked at 92mph - evidence he still had plenty of gas left in the tank even after throwing 124 pitches. The magic number to clinch the division drops to 12 with the victory.

The Phils never looked back after their 4-run second inning, which included a bases-clearing, 3-run double from catcher Carlos Ruiz. In his post-game interview, Cliff Lee was quick to point out what a great game Chooch had called from the behind the plate. Jayson Werth contributed a 3-hit night and scored on Chooch's double.

Dobbs Alert: The Lakewood BlueClaws took a commanding two games to none lead in the best-of-five South Atlantic League Championship Series tonight, beating the Greenville Drive, 3-0. Greg Dobbs served as the lead-off hitter and third baseman for the BlueClaws, going 0 for 2 in the game.

Nationals at Phillies: September 15th through September 17th

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 7:05

Records: Nationals 50-93, Last Place in NL East (32½ games behind the Phillies); Phillies 82-60, 1st Place in NL East (7 games ahead of the Marlins)
Magic Number: 13
Why such a short post?: Work deadlines and professional obligations demand it. Whaddya gonna do?
Nationals Probables: Garrett Mock, Livan Hernandez, J.D. Martin
Phillies Probables: Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels

2009 Multi-Ad Lakewood BlueClaws #9 Travis d'Arnaud

The big club is off today, but the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws begin play in the South Atlantic League Championship Series tonight. They'll face off in the best-of-five series against the Greenville Drive, the Red Sox' Class A affiliate. Phils' reliever Clay Condrey, currently on a rehab assignment, gets the start in the opener for the BlueClaws.

Top prospect Travis d'Arnaud was the team's primary catcher this year, hitting .255 (.303 in the second half) with 13 home runs and 71 RBI. Entering the 2009 season, Travis was ranked by Baseball America as the Phils' 7th best prospect in their system.

One of these years, we're going to make the roadtrip to First Energy Park in Lakewood either in addition to or in lieu of our annual trip to Lehigh Valley to catch an IronPigs game.

Best of luck to the BlueClaws!

UPDATE - Apparently Clay Condrey wasn't starting tonight for the BlueClaws, but he did pitch an inning in relief.

2009 Chachi Originals #2 Pedro Martinez

Phillies 1, Mets 0 (Game 2)

It was an absolute pleasure to watch Pedro Martinez pitch tonight. The future Hall of Famer pitched 8 shutout innings while throwing 130 pitches - the most pitches he's thrown in a game since May 1, 2001. He struck out seven while walking only two and allowing six hits. When Pedro was signed by the Phils back on July 15th, no one could have predicted his Phillies tenure would be this successful to this point. Pedro improved his record to 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA, and the team is now 7-0 in the games Pedro has started.

The Phils manufactured their lone run in the 1st inning when Jimmy Rollins scored on a Chase Utley single. Jimmy had walked to start the game and he advanced to second on a Shane Victorino single. In the 9th, manager Charlie Manuel spun the closer wheel and Ryan Madson's name came up. Fortunately, Madson was able to shut down the Mets for his 8th save of the season.

With the victory resulting from Pedro's masterpiece, the magic number to clinch the division drops to 14, and the Mets have been officially eliminated from the NL East. The Phils' lead is back to 6½ games over the Marlins. It was a very, very good day.

2009 Topps Heritage #185 Kyle Kendrick

Phillies 5, Mets 4 (Game 1)

And a nice, cleansing deep breath . . . Ahhhh. Not one to make things easy for himself (or this Phillies fan watching from home with the TV on mute), Brad Lidge closed out the game today as the Phils downed the Mets, 5-4. Lidge picked up his 29th save the day after Ryan Madson imploded against the Mets, but he first yielded two runs in the inning. An RBI-single in the 8th from pinch-hitter Andy Tracy proved to be a huge insurance run.

Kyle Kendrick was the story today. In his first big league start since September 2008, Kyle pitched into the 8th inning, before turning the game over to the bullpen. He did a fantastic job locating his change-up and as a result, his sinker was all the more effective. Stellar defense from the infield, especially Jimmy Rollins, aided Kyle in his first win of the season.

Ben Francisco and Shane Victorino each homered in the victory. With the win, and with the Marlins' loss this afternoon, the magic number to clinch the division is now 15.

2008 Chachi #29 Kyle Kendrick HL

Kyle Kendrick will be making an emergency start in Game 1 of today's double header with the Mets. (I guess it's not really an emergency if they've been planning this out for about a week.)

But I digress . . . Back on February 16, 2008, Kyle was the target of an elaborate practical joke as he was led to believe he had been traded to the Yomiuri Giants (of the Japanese Baseball League) for Kobayashi Iwamura. In on the joke were then assistant-GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., manager Charlie Manuel, Kendrick's own agent and the prank's architect, Brett Myers. Members of the media also participated, as they staged an impromptu news conference around a stunned Kendrick in front of his locker.

A relieved Kendrick was eventually told by Myers he'd been "Punk'd". Watching the video of the prank a year in a half later, you almost feel sorry for the guy.

Kendrick was an integral part of the Phils' Postseason push in 2007, but he struggled in 2008 and was left off the Postseason roster. He spent the majority of 2009 starting for AAA Lehigh Valley, where he had a decent season. Today's start may be the first of several auditions for Kyle as he tries to make his way into the team's 2010 starting rotation plans.

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

2009 Chachi #57 Andy Tracy

In the late '50s and throughout the '60s, Topps was notorious for using the same picture of a player from year to year in its baseball card sets. On certain rare occasions, the Chachi set is not immune to this practice. I haven't posted it yet, but Andy Tracy's 2008 Chachi card bears the same picture as this, his 2009 Chachi card. There are a lot of good pictures out there of Andy with the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but there are very few of him as a Phillie.

Phillies debut: August 24, 2008
Major League debut: April 25, 2000
Former teams: Montreal Expos 2000-2001, Colorado Rockies 2004
How acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the New York Mets' organization, November 20, 2007
Pictured: This is Andy's picture from the 2008 NLDS special edition of Phillies Magazine.

Andy had a solid 2009 with the IronPigs, hitting .254 and leading the team with 26 home runs and 96 RBI. He'll serve as an occasional left-handed bat off the bench over the remaining weeks of the regular season.

2009 Topps Chrome #169 Cole Hamels

Phillies 4, Mets 2

Playing in a driving drizzle all night, the Phils beat the struggling Mets tonight by a score of 4-2. Cole Hamels was the biggest reason for the victory, as he pitched into the 7th inning while allowing only a run. He struck out six Mets and while allowing seven hits on the way to his 9th victory of the year.

The offense had runners on base in every inning but stranded a staggering 13 runners on base. However, a few timely hits and a sacrifice fly accounted for the team's four runs. Shane Victorino enjoyed a 3-hit game.

Acting set-up man Brett Myers pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning and acting closer Ryan Madson secured his 3rd save this week, his 7th save of the season. With the win, the magic number to clinch the division fell to 18. As I was writing this, the Nationals defeated the Marlins and the magic number dropped down to 17.

Sign #47 that I'm Getting Old: We had tickets for tonight's game, and we didn't use them. I had a long week at work and Jenna has been under the weather, so we decided to ditch. Watching the game from the comfort (and dryness) of our living room, we convinced ourselves we had made the right choice as we watched the poncho-clad crowd get soaked.

Mets at Phillies: September 11th through September 13th

Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05, Sunday 1:05 & 8:05

Records: Mets 62-78, 4th Place in NL East (18 games behind the Phillies); Phillies 79-59, 1st Place in NL East (5 games ahead of the Marlins)

Double Dip: Sunday's day-night double header is a result of the rain-out on May 3rd.

Where we are, where we're going and what's what: The Phillies have 24 more games remaining on the 2009 regular season schedule and their magic number to clinch the division stands at 19. After four with the Mets, the Nationals come to town for three. The Phils then head out on the road for a 10-game stretch in Atlanta, Miami and Milwaukee. The streaking Marlins face the Nationals for three this weekend before a road trip to St. Louis and Cincinnati. The Mets are awful. Even with the Phillies using two emergency starters, anything less than three out of four this weekend would be disappointing.

Mets Probables: Nelson Figueroa, Mike Pelfrey, Tim Redding, John Maine

Phillies Probables: Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Pedro Martinez

2002 Topps #359 United We Stand: Braves-Phillies

2007 Chachi #18 Zack Segovia UER

Nationals 8, Phillies 7

Nose to the grindstone, I didn't see any of the first eight innings of tonight's game. I checked the score occasionally and my happiness at the quick 2-0 start by the Phils soon dissipated as the Nationals tacked on more and more runs. I checked throughout the evening, but the score just got more and more lopsided in favor of Washington.

Driving home, and listening now on the radio, I gathered from Larry Andersen that sloppy play, a lack of offense (again), and two errors by Jimmy Rollins had contributed to the 8-2 Nationals score.

Finally home, I settled in to watch the final inning. Nationals' reliever (and former Phillie) Zack Segovia started the bottom of the ninth, loaded the bases and allowed a grand slam to pinch-hitter Matt Stairs. Had the Phils pulled off the comeback, you'd be looking at a Matt Stairs baseball card right now instead of Zack's (or Zach's) Chachi card from a few years back. One of the "rules" of this blog is if the Phils lose, a current Phillie's baseball card isn't featured in the post. Unfortunately for Matt, and the Phillies, Ryan Howard weakly grounded into a game-ending double play to squelch the rally and drop the Phils' lead in the NL East to 5 games.

Zack or Zach?: I guess this card could be considered an uncorrected error card, hence the "UER" designation in the title. Back in 2007, depending on which source I checked, Mr. Segovia spelled his first name either with a k or an h. On the Phils' TV broadcast the day of his debut, the graphics throughout the game spelled his name with an h, so that's what I went with for his card. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

1980 TCMA Whiz Kids

1980 TCMA Whiz Kids #17 Del Ennis

1980 TCMA Whiz Kids #6 Dick Sisler

I recently acquired the 31-card 1980 TCMA Whiz Kids set - a set I've been searching for ever since I saw it for the first time in a Cooperstown gift shop back in the late '80s. Souvenir funds were tight, and I opted for a few more Hall of Fame plaque postcards rather than shell out the $10 for the set back then. It's been on my wantlist ever since, and the set recently appeared on eBay for a reasonable price. Quest completed.

All the greats from the 1950 NL Champs are in the set, including Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Del Ennis, Dick Sisler, Curt Simmons and Jim Konstanty. The set features every player to don a Phillies uniform in 1950, with the exception of Steve Ridzik, Jack Brittin, Paul Stuffel, Johnny Blatnik and Milo Candini. Ridzik, Brittin, Stuffel and Blatnik each appeared in four games or less for the team, but I'm surprised at the omission of Candini, who appeared in 18 games as a relief pitcher.

The set also features the team's manager, Eddie Sawyer, and his coaches - Benny Bengough, Dusty Cooke and Cy Perkins.

2009 Topps Phillies #PHI13 Ryan Madson

Phillies 6, Nationals 5

And that's how you close a ballgame. Ryan Madson earned his 6th save of the season tonight, as the Phils hung on to beat the Nationals, 6-5. The game ended on a picture-perfect line drive double play, giving the new closer (?) his second save in as many nights.

While not as dominant as he was in his first starts as a Phillie, Cliff Lee pitched a good game, lasting into the 8th inning and allowing four earned runs. He's now 6-2 with the Phillies.

The offense continues to come around. Jayson Werth and Raul Ibañez went a combined 4 for 9 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. A Pedro Feliz solo home run in the 8th inning provided a key insurance run. On 9/9/09, the magic number drops to 19.

Crowded Bench: The Phils recalled Sergio Escalona and purchased the contract of Andy Tracy prior to the game, bringing the active roster to 32 players. To make room on the 40-man roster, pitcher Rodrigo Lopez was released. Rodrigo was the odd man out when Pedro Martinez joined the starting rotation. In 7 games with the Phils, he went 3-1 with a 5.70 ERA. Andy Tracy will be card #57 in the 2009 Chachi set.

2006 Chachi #10 Sal Fasano

If I were to list my top five passions, it would go like this: family, baseball, Phillies, Beatles, Disney. Easy isn't it?

Today is a huge day for me and Beatles fans everywhere. The Beatles' entire back catalogue is being re-released in deluxe remastered format, available in cool looking mono and stereo box sets. The reviews of the new CDs make me extremely anxious to hear the songs in all their remastered glory. Today is also the release date for the new The Beatles: Rock Band video game, which is forcing me to ask Santa for a Wii for Christmas. (Santa - If you're reading this blog, I'd like a Wii and some late-'50s Phillies cards. Thanks.)

Why Sal Fasano?: I recently put on an old Sal’s Pals t-shirt (see picture), which led Doug to ask, “Is that your Beatles shirt?” My 2-year-old is familiar with the Beatles as a result of the recent introduction of Yellow Submarine into his DVD library. He made the honest mistake of thinking the image on the t-shirt was one of the Beatles. If you've seen Yellow Submarine before, you can appreciate it’s something a toddler would enjoy. His favorite songs are currently the title track and "All Together Now." My son seems to be musically inclined (the proud father says), and it brings me great joy to see the Beatles have entered into his world. In any event, Sal Fasano and the Beatles are now permanently linked in my mind.

Bonus Quiz: What's the Beatles connection to the time this post was published?

2009 O-Pee-Chee #79 Raul Ibañez

Phillies 5, Nationals 3

See? I knew it would all work today.

I had a tough time deciding tonight between a Raul Ibañez card or a Ryan Madson card. In the end, I decided to go with the Raul card, to celebrate his first three-hit game since early June. All five runs scored tonight by the Phils came courtesy of solo home runs - 2 from Raul (29 and 30), and one each from Jayson Werth (32), Carlos Ruiz (9) and Chase Utley (30). The Phillies now have four different players with 30 home runs for the first time in the franchise's history and just the 12th time in Major League history. (Worthy of a Chachi highlight card? Still deciding . . . )

Pedro Martinez provided a quality start, pitching into the 7th inning and allowing just the 3 Nationals runs. Brett Myers finished the 7th, pitched a quick 8th and gave way to Brad Lidge in the 9th. Charlie Manuel had issued a shaky vote of confidence for Lidge prior to the game, stating, "I think that he's our closer."

So the man the manager thinks is the closer pressed the issue by allowing a single, inducing a ground out, hitting a guy, throwing a wild pitch, and finally walking a guy to load the bases. Exit Lidge, enter Ryan Madson. Madson worked out of the jam to record his 5th save of the year and the Phils won the ballgame. But where do they go from here? Who's the closer tomorrow night? Can the Phils score without relying on a home run? Stay tuned.

Phillies at Nationals: September 8th through September 10th

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 7:05

Records: Phillies 77-58, 1st Place in NL East (6 games ahead of the Marlins); Nationals 47-90, Last Place in NL East (31 games behind the Phillies)

What the Phils need now are some true words of wisdom: Take a deep breath. Forget about those pesky Astros. Blown saves? What blown saves? Now get out there and win. As Charlie Manuel recently said, "[Forget] the last couple years. What the hell? That don’t mean [shamrocks]."

Magic Number: 21

Phillies Probables: Pedro Martinez, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton

Nationals Probables: John Lannan, Garrett Mock, Livan Hernandez

1988 Donruss #535 Kent Tekulve

Astros 4, Phillies 3

Labor Day Weekend 2009 was not a fun time for the Phillies or me. I at least had a little bit of fun on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, sandwiched in between two very long, headache-inducing, gray days at work. Yes, I labored on Labor Day. We had a small family BBQ late Saturday afternoon and Doug and I mowed the lawn, played (Lego) garage and chased each other on Sunday. The Phillies weren't so lucky, and no amount of Legos, however cool, could solve their offensive woes at this point.

This is my second busiest time of the year at work. I didn't get a chance to listen to the Phillies today, and that's probably a good thing. I find myself completely consumed with my job at times and hours can pass by without me knowing it. I get too wrapped up in details, I dwell on things and I occasionally (internally) freak out. I start to wonder if life would be easier had I been a pumpkin farmer. I lose sight of what's important and I find I need to take a deep breath and regroup.

So that's what I'm going to do. I hope the Phils do the same.

It's September 7th and the Phillies are in first place with a six-game lead. They open a 3-game series with the last place Nationals tomorrow. As for the deadlines at work - they'll be met. They always are. Things look bleak right now, but there's always a good Kent Tekulve baseball card waiting to bring cheer. And then there's family.

Each night, right before he goes to bed, Jenna asks Doug what his favorite part of the day was. Tonight he answered, "When Daddy came home." That was my favorite part of the day too. Amen and Happy Labor Day.

2004 Topps #181 Jason Michaels

Happy Labor Day!

Jason Michaels, or J-Mike to the cool kids, played in parts of five seasons with the Phillies from 2001 until 2005. He hit .291 during his time in Philly, hitting 21 home runs and knocking in an even 100 runs. He was Pat Burrell’s sidekick, as both Jason and Pat attended the University of Miami together and rose through the ranks of the Phillies’ system at roughly the same pace. J-Mike and Burrell (along with Todd Pratt and Tyler Houston) dyed their hair a shocking bleach blonde in 2003, which some thought was a combination protest/sign of solidarity against then manager Larry Bowa.

In January 2006, the Phils traded Jason to the Cleveland Indians for relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes. At the time, I believe the move was made partly to acquire Rhodes, but partly to separate Jason from Burrell, in the hopes that Burrell would focus more on his on-field performance rather than his off-field performance. (If you know what I mean.) Jason was the Indians’ starting left fielder in 2006, and he’s since spent time with the Pirates and now the Astros.

1985 Donruss #44 Steve Jeltz

Astros 4, Phillies 3

The recent offensive woes of the Phillies have now reached Jeltzian proportions. The good news is the team still holds a 6½ game lead in the NL East with 28 games to play. With the Marlins losing today, the magic number to clinch the division decreased to 21.

There's not much to report on today's game. The offense was provided by solo home runs from Jimmy Rollins, Ben Francisco and Jayson Werth. Cole Hamels looked hittable again, and his body language on the mound after getting hit around wasn't good. The team tries to avoid the series sweep tomorrow in a Labor Day matinee.

More Call-Ups: Shane Victorino and Ryan Madson are nursing injuries so the team recalled John Mayberry, Jr. and Kyle Kendrick from AAA Lehigh Valley prior to the game.

2007 SP Rookie Edition #239 Michael Bourn

Following the 2007 season, the Phillies decided a few things. First, Shane Victorino was going to be the team’s regular center fielder in 2008. Second, they needed a closer. Brett Myers had done a respectable job in the second half of the season, as he stepped in to close once Tom Gordon’s injuries ended Flash’s season and his Phillies tenure.

Michael Bourn had been labeled as a speedy spray hitter with decent range in the outfield. He was a September call-up in 2006, entering games late as a pinch-runner and ultimately as a defensive replacement in right field for Bobby Abreu. In 2007, he saw action in 107 games with the Phils, hitting .277 with a .348 OBP, 3 triples and 18 stolen bases. Again, he was used as a pinch-runner and late inning defensive replacement (this time for Pat Burrell in left field) and he only actually started 15 games.

When former GM Pat Gillick pulled the trigger on the deal sending Bourn, Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo to the Astros for Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett in November 2007, I was in Dallas for training. I read the news in the paper (Dallas Morning Star?) and I was a little shocked the team wasn't bringing back Brett Myers to close, and even a little more shocked the Phils gave up so little to obtain Lidge. Lidge was a former All-Star who had struggled at times with the Astros, with those struggles coming in spurts and at the most inopportune times. Gillick knew what he was doing however, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bourn has finally gotten the chance to start in Houston, and he could actually be the team’s MVP this year.

2007 Chachi #56 Pete LaForest

This is Part 2 of The Phillies Room celebration of the under appreciated (and occasionally forgotten) third catcher of September:

2005 - A.J. Hinch was added to the roster for the second straight year. A.J. would not appear in a game with the 2005 Phillies.

2006 - Carlos Ruiz was recalled on August 30th, and Tim Gradoville was purchased on September 6th. Chooch had made his big league debut that May, and he appeared in 10 games down the stretch, hitting .360 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI. As previously lamented, Gradoville never appeared in a game.

2007 - Rod Barajas was activated from the DL and Pete LaForest was claimed off waivers from the Padres. Barajas served out the remaining sentence of his forgettable year with just 5 at-bats in September, collecting 3 hits as a pinch-hitter. LaForest went 1 for 11 as a pinch-hitter.

2008 - Lou Marson started the final game of the 2008 season, going 2 for 4 with his first career home run.

2009 - Paul Hoover . . . to be determined.

2005 Chachi #14 Jason Michaels

Astros 5, Phillies 4

Too difficult to write complete, coherent paragraphs . . . Going with a list of observations instead.

- Phils couldn't string anything together tonight until Astros' starter Roy Oswalt was forced to the leave the game in the 7th inning with an injury.

- The team mounted an impressive comeback, scoring 4 unanswered runs. In the top of the 8th, Ryan Howard's RBI-triple and Pedro Feliz' game-tying single were the key hits. (A Ryan Howard card should be adorning this post.)

- Brett Myers returned to active duty, pitching a solid (and surprising) 8th inning. He calmed down after allowing a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced.

- And then . . . and then . . . Brad Lidge. He entered with a 4-3 lead and he blew it. He blew it big time. He blew it for the 10th time. 10 blown saves. An 0-7 record. An Eatonish ERA of 7.15. It's enough to make you want to cuss on a blog. Former Phil Jason Michaels scored the winning run.

Now Charlie Manuel is a much smarter baseball man than I will ever be. But for the love of Johnny Wockenfuss, we need to stop letting Brad Lidge try to close out games! We've got several viable options in the bullpen now - Myers, Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson (maybe), even Tyler Walker's been doing a decent job. Enough is enough. And now that I completely sound like someone who would call into a sports talk radio show, I shall be on my way.

2002 Fleer Platinum #194 Johnny Estrada

One of the rites of passage when rosters expand to 40 players is the inevitable addition of a third catcher. Teams typically carry just two catchers throughout the year, but September rolls around and teams figure, "They're giving us the ability to carry 40 live bodies, so why not carry a third catcher - just in case." The Phillies have followed suit with this practice and each September sees the addition of a third catcher who will be used sparingly, if at all. I thought I'd look back over the past decade to see which catchers served in this highly under appreciated role. Here's Part 1:

2000 - Gary Bennett was added and later Clemente Alvarez joined him when Mike Lieberthal's season ended early due to injury. Bennett had previously appeared with the Phils in parts of four seasons from 1995-1999. Upon his call-up in September 2000, he became the team's primary catcher due to Lieby's injury. Alvarez appeared in just two games with the Phils, starting the final game of the 2000 campaign.

2001 - Matt Walbeck had one at-bat as a pinch-hitter on September 30th, singling against the Marlins' Antonio Alfonseca.

2002 - Johnny Estrada, who had seen regular playing time in 2001, played in just 10 games for the 2002 Phillies, managing a .118 average. He was traded to the Braves a few months later for Kevin Millwood.

2003 - Kelly Stinnett was acquired on August 31st from the Reds, prior to the Postseason roster deadline. He actually performed well down the stretch, hitting .429 mainly as a pinch-hitter. He caught four innings of the Phils' September 9th game against the Braves.

2004 - A.J. Hinch made it into four September games with the 2004 Phillies, hitting just .182.

1981 Topps #3 RBI Leaders - Cecil Cooper & Mike Schmidt

Astros 7, Phillies 0

Astros' manager Cecil Cooper had to be happy with what he saw tonight, as the Astros embarrassed the Phils, 7-0. Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel can't be thrilled with the way his team's offense seems to have completely disappeared. Sure they took two out of three from the Giants, but they did it scoring only three runs.

Cliff Lee got knocked around in his three innings of work, allowing six runs on nine hits. (You read that right - Cliff Lee lasted only three innings tonight.) The Astros' scoring started on a 2-run double by pitcher Wandy Rodriguez. The other five runs scored by the Astros didn't matter much, as both the Phils and Chachi scored the same amount of runs tonight.

Transactions: Brett Myers was activated from the 60-day DL today, and he'll most likely pitch in a set-up capacity out of the bullpen. In a flurry of roster finagling, Steven Register was designated for assignment. Steven had appeared in one game with the Phils in July.

2009 Chachi #56 Paul Hoover

Recently recalled catcher Paul Hoover will wear #24 with the Phillies, as he waits for a chance to get into a game.

Phillies debut: September 25, 2009
Major League debut: September 8, 2001
Former teams: Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2001-2002, Florida Marlins 2006-2008
How acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Florida Marlins' organization, January 7, 2009

Pictured: Paul in action with the IronPigs earlier this year.

Paul has played in parts of five big league seasons, but his career high in games played came last year when he appeared in 13 games with the Marlins. Paul does not yet own a home run in the Majors.

Phillies at Astros: September 4th through September 7th

Friday 8:05, Saturday 7:05, Sunday & Monday 2:05

Records: Phillies 77-54, 1st Place in NL East (8 games ahead of the Braves); Astros 63-70, 4th Place in NL Central (15 games behind the Cardinals)

Houston Who?: 131 games into the 2009 season, and this is the first time the Phillies and Astros will play this year. That doesn't make sense.

Former Phillies with the Astros: I guess we should start with the current Astros' GM and co-architect of the 2008 World Champion Phillies, Ed Wade. Ed was the Phils' GM for eight seasons from 1998 until 2005. Center fielder Michael Bourn (2006-2007) is having a break-out year, currently leading the NL with triples (11) and stolen bases (49). Back-up catcher Chris Coste (2006-2009) has played 29 games for the Astros and is hitting .203 since the Phils waived him in July. Fourth outfielder Jason Michaels (2001-2005) is hitting .233 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI this year. Color commentator Jim Deshaies pitched in two games for the 1995 Phillies. Finally, Geoff Geary (2003-2007) is currently pitching for the AAA Round Rock Express in Round Rock, Texas.

Magic Number: 23

Phillies Probables: Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ

Astros Probables: Wandy Rodriguez, Roy Oswalt, Bud Norris, Brian Moehler

1998 Skybox Dugout Axcess #35 Curt Schilling

Former Phillie Curt Schilling is apparently mulling the possibility of a Senate run to fill the Massachusetts seat vacated by the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy.

The Phillies Room Responds: While we appreciate Curt Schilling's years of service to the Phillies' organization, The Phillies Room in no way endorses Mr. Schilling's potential run for the Senate. Instead, we are intrigued by the possibility of endorsing Kent Tekulve for the vacated seat. We would gladly welcome the opportunity to work with Senator Tekulve.

2009 Phillies Team Issue Update #45 Pedro Martinez

Phillies 2, Giants 1

Phillies announcer Chris Wheeler called tonight's game a "belly burner," which is Wheels-speak for a game that could have easily induced indigestion. Pedro Martinez, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge shut down the Giants tonight to win the game and take the series. Pedro's only mistake came on his first pitch of the game, which Eugenio Velez hit for a lead-off home run. He settled in after that, pitching seven strong innings and striking out nine.

Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge did their jobs tonight, closing down the Giants in the eighth and ninth innings. Lidge earned his 28th save.

The Phillies runs were provided by Jayson Werth's 30th home run of the year (a solo shot in the second) and Ryan Howard's RBI-double in the sixth.

The Newest Phil: Catcher Paul Hoover joined the team today as their third catcher. Paul will be happy to know he'll eventually be card #56 in the 2009 Chachi set.

To Hit, or Not to Hit, that is the Question: Todd Zolecki tweeted last night that Raul Ibañez actually said this when approached about his struggles at the plate: "I think it was Shakespeare who said, 'My head is bloodied, but unbowed.' Keep fighting." Pat Burrell definitely never provided post-game quotes like that. (The quote is actually from William Ernest Henley.)

2007 Upper Deck Goudey #3 Aaron Rowand

Giants 4, Phillies 0

I thought Brad Penny was struggling this year? And where's the Phillies' offense (again)?

Making his 2009 NL debut, Giants pitcher Brad Penny shut down the struggling Phillies offense for eight innings. The Phillies managed just five hits on the night, never advancing as far as third base. Phillies starter J.A. Happ ran into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing back-to-back home runs to Juan Uribe and Aaron Rowand.

Tomorrow's another day, boys. And that's all I've got.

2009 Topps Heritage #264 Cole Hamels

Phillies 1, Giants 0

Is he back? Cole Hamels pitched a complete game shutout tonight, limiting the Giants to just two hits and retiring 21 in a row at one point. Cole struck out nine and stole a base (!) in the 5th inning. He currently has a scoreless inning streak of 19 innings going - matching his career high. It was nice to see dominant Cole again, and I hope he sticks around for the next two months.

The Phils' lone run was actually a manufactured run, and not the result of a home run. Ryan Howard doubled in Shane Victorino in the 4th inning. Shane had reached on a single, stole second and was moved to third on a Chase Utley ground-out.

After a lengthy rain delay, the Braves-Marlins game is just getting underway in Miami. As of right now, the magic number to clinch the East stands at 25.

Jack's Back: September is here, which means teams can expand their active rosters to 40 players. The Phils added only lefty reliever Jack Taschner to the roster today, although it's expected the team will add a third catcher and a pinch-running specialist once the AA and AAA seasons conclude later this week.

2008 Chachi #34 Brad Harman

In a bit of roster maneuvering before the Postseason roster midnight deadline last night, Brad Harman found himself designated for assignment and removed from the team's 40-man roster. I'm guessing this will pretty much end Brad's Phillies career.

Brad saw limited action with the Phillies last year when Jimmy Rollins missed time due to an injury in April and May. He went 1 for 10 in six games with two starts at second base.

Brad struggled this year for AA Reading, hitting .203 as the team's regular second baseman.

In other roster maneuvering news, the Los Angeles Dodgers added fan favorite and ex-Phillie Jim Thome via a trade with the White Sox last night. Hopefully, the Phils will get to visit with their old friend during the NLCS.

Giants at Phillies: September 1st through September 3rd

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 7:05

Records: Giants 72-59, Tied for 2nd Place in the NL West (5½ games behind the Dodgers); Phillies 75-53, 1st Place in NL East (7½ games ahead of the Braves)
Played with the Giants and the Phillies: Per Baseball Reference.com, 224 players have played for both the Giants (New York and San Francisco) and the Phillies, including - Steve Bedrosian, Ollie Brown, Steve Carlton, Scott Eyre, Pedro Feliz, Aaron Fultz, Al Holland, Garry Maddox, Gary Matthews, Joe Morgan, Casey Stengel and Michael Tucker
Postseason Preview?: If the season ended today, the Phillies would face either the Giants or the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams are currently battling it out for the NL Wild Card, which scares me a little. Usually, the team that has to scratch and claw its way into the Postseason is the team that performs the best in the first round. Of the two teams, I like the Phils’ chances against the Rockies better. The Giants starting pitching staff could be difficult in a short series, and they just added Brad Penny.
Giants Probables: Jonathan Sanchez, Brad Penny, Tim Lincecum
Phillies Probables: Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Pedro Martinez