1985 Tastykake Phillies

I updated this post here in October 2020 and this original post is now outdated.

 
Number of Cards:  47
Card Size:  3 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Description:  Beginning in 1985, the team used the exact same card design for three straight years.  The only things differentiating the cards are the photos used and the copyright line on the bottom right of the cards' fronts.  The design removes the Phillies script logo found on the 1984 cards and adds the player's uniform number and position.
How Distributed:  All fans attending the Phillies game at Veterans Stadium on April 21, 1985, received a complete shrink-wrapped set with a header/checklist card on the top.  The back of the header/checklist card advertised that additional sets could be purchased from the Phillies via mail order for $3.50.  The Phillies raised the price of a complete set by fifty cents over the previous year.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards themselves aren't numbered, but I'm presenting the checklist below based on the numbered checklist found on the back of the header card.

Header Card/Checklist John Felske MG Dave Bristol CO Lee Elia CO Claude Osteen CO Mike Ryan CO Del Unser CO Manager and Coaches Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Larry Andersen Steve Carlton Dan Carman John Denny Tony Ghelfi Kevin Gross Al Holland Charles Hudson Jerry Koosman Shane Rawley Pat Zachry Darren Daulton

Bo Diaz Ozzie Virgil John Wockenfuss Luis Aguayo Kiko Garcia Steve Jeltz John Russell Juan Samuel Mike Schmidt Tim Corcoran Greg Gross Von Hayes Joe Lefebvre Garry Maddox Jeff Stone Glenn Wilson Ramon Caraballo/Mike Diaz Mike Maddux/Rodger Cole Rick Schu/Chris James Francisco Melendez/Ken Jackson Randy Salava/Rocky Childress Rich Surhoff/Ralph Citarella Team Photo

One and Done (1):  Zachry
First Appearances (1):  Rawley
Returning Players (26):  Aguayo, Andersen, Carlton, Carman, Corcoran, Daulton, Denny, Diaz, Garcia, Ghelfi, G. Gross, K. Gross, Hayes, Holland, Hudson, Jeltz, Koosman, Lefebvre, Maddox, Russell, Samuel, Schmidt, Stone, Virgil, Wilson, Wockenfuss

This tells me there was very little roster turnover between the end of the 1984 season and spring training 1985, as Rawley and Zachry are the only two new additions to the set.  Along with Zachry's one and done Phillies card, this set includes the only Phillies baseball card of Rich Surhoff.

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.  (In fact, Rawley made his Phillies cardboard debut within the 1984 Fleer Update set.)

Manager (1):  Felske
Coaches (5):  Bristol, Elia, Osteen, Ryan, Unser
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Group Photos (5):  Manager and Coaches, Pitchers, Catchers, Infielders, Outfielders
Future Phillies (6):  Caraballo/Diaz, Maddux/Cole, Schu/James, Melendez/Jackson, Salava/Childress
Other Cards (2):  Header/checklist card, team photo

The set's designer's decided to try something different with group photos of coaches and players by position.  Batting practice pitcher Hank King is featured on the coach's card, making this (I believe) his sole Phillies baseball card.  Bill Campbell is featured on the pitcher's card and Ivan DeJesus is featured on the infielder's card, but both are omitted from the regular set.  As the regular season was about to begin, Campbell and DeJesus were traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Dave Rucker.

Of the players receiving solo cards in the regular set, Ghelfi was left off the pitcher's card, Wockenfuss was (sadly) left off the catcher's card, Garcia was left off the infielder's card and Lefebvre and Maddox were not on the outfielder's card.

Variations/Rarities:  Thanks again to Rick, who passed along the scan below and information on two additional cards that I would definitely consider "rarities."  I've not seen either of these cards listed on any checklists for this set, nor have I come across either card in my travels.

• Tug McGraw - Former Phillies Great
• Broadcasters - Richie Ashburn, Harry Kalas, Andy Musser and Chris Wheeler

McGraw announced his retirement following the 1984 season and this card seems to be a final tribute to the popular lefty reliever.

Also See:  Scrapbook Sunday: September 1, 1985
Trivia:  The 1985 Tastykake Phillies set seems to be the most ubiquitous of all the team issued sets from the 1980s.  The sets can be readily found on eBay and at Citizens Bank Park.  The Memorabilia Store from Hunt Auctions located behind Section 126 had several of these sets for sale this past season.
Resources:  Phillies SGA 1985; Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)