1985 Phillies - No Missing Links

1985 Topps Traded #121T, 1986 Donruss #34 and 1986 Topps #418

For just the second time since I started this series, I came across a year in which every single player spending time with the Phillies actually has a Phillies baseball card.  (The only other year to this point is 1993.)  I don't think there's any real reason for this to have happened in 1985, as it wasn't a terrific year for the Phils.  But with a little luck, and the existence of the team-issued Tastykake sets, every member of the 1985 squad graces at least a little Phillies cardboard.

In fact, there are just 10 players who appeared with the Phillies in 1985 who didn't appear in either the regular Topps base or traded set.  I created cards for these 10 players, and posted them here.

3 Cards or More
32 Players

Right-handed reliever Dave Shipanoff just makes the cut with three total cards from the 1986 Donruss, Fleer and Tastykake sets.  He appeared in 26 games with the Phils in late 1985, before injuries cut his career short.

2 Cards

Derrel Thomas (63 games in 1985) - 1985 Topps Traded #121T and 1986 Topps #158
Rocky Childress (16 games in 1985 and 2 games in 1986) - 1985 Tastykake Phillies and 1986 Tastykake Phillies

Thomas finished up his 15-year career with the Phillies.  He has the distinction of appearing with three different teams on 1985 baseball cards.  His 1985 Topps card features him as a member of the Expos.  The Expos sold Thomas to the Angels in September 1984, and he played in just 14 games with California.  Fleer hustled a little more than Topps and has him with the Angels on his 1985 card.  Finally, Topps issued a Phillies card for Thomas within its traded series.

Childress never received a standard-sized Phillies card.

1 Card

Pat Zachry (10 games in 1985) - 1985 Tastykake Phillies

Alan Knicely (7 games in 1985) - 1986 Topps #418
Rich Surhoff (2 games in 1985) - 1985 Tastykake Phillies

The inclusion of Knicely's card within the 1986 Topps set always puzzled me, and it would never happen in today's Topps sets.  Knicely came to the Phillies in August 1985 as part of the Bo Diaz deal with the Reds.  Injuries limited his time with the club, and his final Phillies line reads - 0 for 7 with 4 strikeouts.

Technically, Zachry has two cards as he's featured with the rest of the Phillies pitching staff on a multi-player card included within the 1985 Tastykake set.  The 1976 National League Rookie of the Year appeared in just 10 games for the Phillies before getting released in June 1985.

Surhoff, B.J.'s older brother, pitched just one full inning for the Phillies, earning a win on September 8th.  On September 13th, he was traded to the Rangers for Dave Stewart.

Past Missing Link Posts

1980 Phillies - Orlando Isales and Don McCormack

1981 Phillies - Jerry Reed

1982 Phillies - Stan Bahnsen and Alejandro Sanchez

1983 Phillies - Steve Comer
1984 Phillies - Renie Martin, Jim Kern and Mike LaValliere

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