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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

1983 Tastykake Phillies

I updated this post here in November 2020 and this original post is now outdated.
 

Number of Cards:  32
Card Size:  3 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Description:  This is the first team-issued set featuring full color photos.  A color head shot of each player is on the front and the backs are either blank or contain an encouraging message "written" by the player.  This is the second consecutive year Tastykake sponsored the set.
How Distributed:  My guess is that these cards were available to purchase in set form at Veterans Stadium and also available individually as players responded to fans' autograph requests.

Additionally, the checklist was most likely finalized prior to the start of the season.  Kiko Garcia is omitted from the set, despite appearing in 84 games for the 1983 Phillies beginning on May 18th.  Dave Roberts was released the day before Garcia made his Phillies debut, and both Sid Monge (to the Padres) and Dick Ruthven (to the Cubs) were traded away on May 22nd.

Complete Standard Checklist:
  • Luis Aguayo (Dear Fan)
  • Porfi Altamirano (Dear Fan)
  • Marty Bystrom (blank)
  • Steve Carlton (blank)
  • Larry Christenson (Dear Fan)
  • Pat Corrales MG (blank)
  • Ivan DeJesus (Dear Fan)
  • John Denny (need)
  • Bob Dernier (Dear Fan)
  • Bo Diaz (Dear Fan)
  • Ed Farmer (Dear Fan)
  • Greg Gross (Dear Fan)
  • Von Hayes (need)
  • Al Holland (Dear Fan)
  • Garry Maddox (Dear Fan)
  • Gary Matthews (Dear Fan)
  • Tug McGraw (Support . . . )
  • Larry Milbourne (Dear Fan)
  • Bob Molinaro (Dear Fan)
  • Sid Monge (Dear Fan)
  • Joe Morgan (Dear Fan)
  • Tony Perez (Dear Fan)
  • Ron Reed (blank)
  • Dave Roberts (Dear Fan)
  • Bill Robinson (need)
  • Pete Rose (Dear Fan)
  • Dick Ruthven (blank)
  • Mike Schmidt (blank)
  • Ozzie Virgil (Dear Fan)
  • Phillies Coaches (blank)
  • Phillie Phanatic (need)
  • Veterans Stadium (blank)
I've listed the inscription that can be found on the back of each of the cards I have in my collection.  As of this writing, I still need the Denny, Hayes, Robinson and Phanatic cards.

One and Done (0):  None.  All players featured in the set also appear on other Phillies baseball cards.
First Appearances (7):  Denny, Hayes, Holland, Milbourne, Molinaro, Morgan, Perez
Returning Players (21):  Aguayo, Altamirano, Bystrom, Carlton, Christenson, DeJesus, Dernier, Diaz, Farmer, Gross, Maddox, Matthews, McGraw, Monge, Reed, Roberts, Robinson, Rose, Ruthven, Schmidt, Virgil

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.  (However, in the case of the seven players listed above, I do believe these Tastykake cards represent their first Phillies baseball cards.)

Manager (1):  Corrales
Coaches (1):  There's one card featuring all five Phillies coaches - Mike Ryan, Deron Johnson, Bobby Wine, Dave Bristol and Claude Osteen.
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The more readily available version features the Phanatic on his ATV.
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)
Other Cards (1):  Veterans Stadium

Variations/Rarities:  According to the set's entry in the 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, several cards are available with different backs.  There's also a different Phanatic card available showing him walking around the field in the vicinity of home plate.  I've listed these variations below.
  • Sid Monge (Quitters never win)
  • Bill Robinson (Stay in school)
  • Pete Rose (A good education)
  • Phillie Phanatic (not on ATV)
I'm the lucky owner of one of the Monge variation back cards.  Behold its majesty.  As of this writing, the Phanatic variation is available on eBay (item 130988665304) but significantly overpriced.

Image from eBay auction 130988665304
Update (3/11/18):  Fellow collector Bill e-mailed to let me know of a few other back variations.  The Greg Gross card can be found with both "Dear Fan" and "Support amateur baseball" backs.  And the ATV variation of the Phanatic can be found with "Dear Fan" and "Tell your parents" backs.

Also See:  I'd eventually like to feature a post on the 1983 Phillies Greatest Moments and Greatest Players postcard sets.
Trivia:  Interestingly enough, the 2001 Standard Catalog lists Joe Amalfitano in the checklist instead of Porti Altamarano.  The Beckett database entry for the set perpetuates this error.  As pointed out by 14,000 Phillies in his checklist entry for the set, both Beckett and the Standard Catalog omit the Roberts card from their checklists.
Resources:  14,000 Phillies, Beckett.com, Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

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