1975 Phillies Photocards

I updated this post here in September 2020 and this original post is now outdated.

 

Number of Cards:  39
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1975.  Some of the cards contain blue facsimile autographs, as noted on the checklist below.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.

It should be noted that the one card from this set in my collection (to date) features an actual autograph from Johnny Oates.  The original Oates card was distributed without an autograph - facsimile or legitimate.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

Cy Acosta (auto) Dick Allen Mike Anderson Alan Bannister (auto) Carroll Beringer CO (auto) Bob Boone (auto) Larry Bowa Ollie Brown (auto) Steve Carlton Dave Cash (auto) Larry Christenson (auto) Larry Cox (auto) Billy DeMars CO (auto) Jim Essian (auto) Gene Garber Don Hahn Terry Harmon Tom Hilgendorf Joe Hoerner Tommy Hutton

Jay Johnstone Jim Lonborg Greg Luzinski Garry Maddox (auto) Jerry Martin Tim McCarver Tug McGraw Willie Montanez (auto) John Oates Danny Ozark MG (auto) Ray Rippelmeyer CO (auto) Mike Rogodzinski Dick Ruthven Mike Schmidt Ron Schueler (auto) Tony Taylor Wayne Twitchell Tom Underwood (auto) Bobby Wine CO (auto)

One and Done (3):  Acosta, Bannister, Hahn
First Appearances (6):  Hilgendorf, Maddox, Martin, McGraw, Oates, Underwood
Returning Players (25):  Allen, Anderson, Boone, Bowa, Brown, Carlton, Cash, Christenson, Cox, Essian, Garber, Harmon, Hoerner, Hutton, Johnstone, Lonborg, Luzinski, McCarver, Montanez, Rogodzinski, Ruthven, Schmidt, Schueler, Taylor, Twitchell

This set is only hope of finding Phillies baseball cards for Acosta, Bannister and Hahn.  Acosta's card (click here) is particularly interesting to me, as his 1973, 1974 and 1975 Topps cards feature a relatively clean cut pitcher while his card in this set features '70s hair gone wild.

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.

Manager (1):  Ozark
Coaches (4):  Beringer, DeMars, Rippelmeyer, Wine
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  According to the set's entry at The Trading Card Database, there's a Johnstone variation featuring him kneeling in lieu of the standard portrait photo.  Per Rick's comment below, there's also a Cash card available with no autograph.

• Dave Cash (no auto)
• Jay Johnstone (kneeling)

Also See:  1975 Phillies Photo Album
Trivia:  I found the Oates card featured here through an eBay search for "Phillies Postcard."  It was only through the awesome photos provided at The Trading Card Database for this set that I was able to identify these cards as being from 1979.  Collector Dave Sosidka uploaded the checklist and scans of all cards to the databse back in 2011.

The Beckett.com entry for this set lists only 31 cards and omits the cards for Acosta, Martin, Oates and Ruthven.  The set's entry at The Trading Card Database omits the Essian, Hahn, Montanez and Rogodzinski cards but I've added them here per Rick's comment below.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

1970 Phillies Photocards

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

 

Number of Cards:  40
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  Unlike the rest of the Phillies photocards issued throughout the 1970s, the players' position is also included on these cards.  The backs of the cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1970.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:

Larry Bowa John Briggs Byron Browne Jim Bunning Bill Champion Mike Compton Billy DeMars CO Denny Doyle Doc Edwards CO (with hat) Doc Edwards CO (without hat) Woodie Fryman Oscar Gamble Terry Harmon Larry Hisle Joe Hoerner Jim Hutto Grant Jackson Deron Johnson Rick Joseph Bill Laxton

Barry Lersch Joe Lis Frank Lucchesi MG Greg Luzinski Tim McCarver Don Money George Myatt CO Lowell Palmer Sammy Parrilla Scott Reid Ken Reynolds Ray Rippelmeyer CO Mike Ryan Dick Selma Chris Short Ron Stone Tony Taylor Fred Wenz Billy Wilson Rick Wise

One and Done (1):  Laxton
First Appearances (22):  Bowa, Brown, Champion, Compton, Doyle, Gamble, Harmon, Hoerner, Hutto, Joseph, Lersch, Lis, Luzinski, McCarver, Palmer, Parrilla, Reid, Reynolds, Selma, Stone, Wenz, Wilson
Returning Players (11):  Briggs, Bunning, Fryman, Hisle, Jackson, Johnson, Money, Ryan, Short, Taylor, Wise

Short-time Phillie Laxton receives his only Phillies baseball cards in this set.  Parrilla, who appeared in 11 games for the 1970 Phillies also has a card in the 8" x 10" set issued by the team (see below).  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.

Manager (1):  Lucchesi
Coaches (5):  DeMars, Edwards (two versions), Myatt, Rippelmeyer
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  There are two versions of the Edwards card.  One featuring him with a hat, and one featuring him without a hat.  I'm not sure which is more prevalent than the other, so I've listed them both above as part of the main checklist.

Also See:  1970 Topps Phillies
Trivia:  According to entries found at The Trading Card Database and Beckett.com, there was also a 12-card "Picture Pack" set issued in 1970 containing cards measuring 4 1/4" x 7".  And again per The Trading Card Database, a 26-card set containing 8" x 10" black and white cards featuring a portrait and a posed photo of each player was also released.

Resources:  As far as I can tell, there's no other record or checklist of this set available online.  Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils) was kind enough to send along the scan shown here, which is what I used to compile the checklist above.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2015 Chachi Preview #2

I'm thankful that Cliff Lee has been cleared to start an offseason throwing program and I'm hopeful that he can contribute to the starting pitching rotation that right now (gulp) is led by Jerome Williams and David Buchanan.  As of this writing, Cole Hamels is still around but it's looking more and more likely that he's pitching elsewhere in 2015.

I'm also extremely thankful for my family, my friends, my house and my health.  All the best to you and yours this Thanksgiving!

2003 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  35
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The fronts feature full color photos and a bottom border incorporating the logo from the final season of Veterans Stadium with the stadium and Philadelphia skyline in the background.  The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.  Kevin Millwood's card celebrates his no-hitter from April 27, 2003.

How Distributed:  The 35-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  Unlike its predecessors, this set wasn't available immediately at the start of the season.  Other than the broadcasters' card, the photos used are from early April games at The Vet.  Several cards feature players wearing the throw-back 1970s uniforms worn during the team's opening series against the Pirates.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Tyler Houston 3 - Todd Pratt 4 - David Bell 5 - Pat Burrell 6 - Jimmy Rollins 7 - Gary Varsho CO 9 - Tomas Perez 10 - Larry Bowa MG 13 - Turk Wendell 16 - Joe Kerrigan CO 18 - John Vukovich CO 19 - Dan Plesac 21 - Greg Gross CO 22 - Jason Michaels 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Jim Thome 27 - Placido Polanco 29 - Marlon Byrd

30 - Tony Scott CO 31 - Brandon Duckworth 33 - Ricky Ledee 34 - Kevin Millwood 35 - Joe Roa 37 - Rheal Cormier 39 - Brett Myers 43 - Randy Wolf 44 - Vicente Padilla 49 - Jose Mesa 51 - Terry Adams 52 - Carlos Silva 53 - Bobby Abreu 54 - Hector Mercado 59 - Ramon Henderson CO Phillie Phanatic Phillie Broadcasters

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (11):  Bell, Byrd, Houston, Mercado, Michaels, Millwood, Myers, Plesac, Polanco, Roa, Thome
Returning Players (15):  Abreu, Adams, Burrell, Cormier, Duckworth, Ledee, Lieberthal, Mesa, Padilla, Perez, Pratt, Rollins, Silva, Wendell, Wolf

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.  (I'm not counting the relatively rare 2002 Thome card as his official first appearance in these team issued sets.)

Manager (1):  Bowa
Coaches (6):  Gross, Henderson, Kerrigan, Scott, Varsho, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is featured with his predecessor mascot, Phil, who was resurrected for festivities celebrating The Vet's final season.  Phil's better half, Phillis, is not featured.  Phillies SGA featured a post a few years ago on the fate of Phil and Phillis, and we've visited them several times at Storybook Land.
Broadcasters (1):  John Kruk joined the broadcast team in 2003, and he's featured along with Chris Wheeler, Larry Andersen, Harry Kalas and Scott Graham.
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  The set's listing at Beckett.com mentions that the following cards are available with red facsimile autographs - Abreu, Burrell, Lieberthal, Rollins and Thome.

It's also strange to me that the base set's size dipped down to 35 cards for the first time since 1993.  This makes me wonder if a 36th card was produced and pulled prior to the set's release.  Dave Hollins went to spring training with the Phillies, opened the season with the Triple-A Red Barons and announced his retirement on May 15th.  Could he have been the 36th card?  Of course, this is all pure speculation on my part and I've probably been spending too much time recently with these team issued sets.

Also See:  Sponsored by Fleer, Tastykake and MAB Paints, a 13-card set was given away to all fans on September 28th featuring the All Vet Team.  Please see here for more on this set, courtesy of the 14,000 Phillies Database Project.  My post on the 2003 Topps Phillies cards featured several photos from the Final Innings series at The Vet.  Other 2003 related posts include a look at 2003 Opening Day and Millwood's no-hitter.
Trivia:  The set's listing at Beckett.com omits Wolf's card for some reason.
Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies SGA 2003; 14,000 Phillies

Hamels is Still Here; 5 More Non-Roster Invitees

2014 Topps #101

Can you feel the excitement?  Are you ready for the regular season to start so that the Phillies can claim their rightful place atop the N.L. East?  Can you sense the sarcasm with which I'm writing these words?

As we await the inevitable announcement of a Cole Hamels trade to the Red Sox or the Dodgers or the Cubs or a mystery team, let's take a look at five more players who will be joining the Phillies in Clearwater wearing uniform numbers in the 70s.

Player (position) - 2014 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance
1.  Andres Blanco (inf) - Phillies - 2007 Topps #659 (Royals)
2.  Brian Bogusevic (of) - Marlins - 2014 Topps #524 (Marlins)
3.  Russ Canzler (inf) - Yankees/Phillies - N/A
4.  Chase d'Arnaud (inf) - Pirates - 2012 Topps Heritage #323 (Pirates)
5.  Jeff Francoeur (of) - Padres - 2014 Topps Update #US-167 (Padres)
6.  John Hester (c) - Angels - 2010 Upper Deck #31 (Diamondbacks)
7.  Darin Mastroianni (of) - Twins/Blue Jays - 2013 Topps #528 (Twins)
8.  Xavier Paul (of) - Orioles/Diamondbacks - 2013 Topps Update #US-194 (Reds)
9.  Paul Clemens (rhp) - Astros - 2013 Panini Prizm #213 (Astros)
10.  Rene Garcia (c) - Astros - 2009 Bowman Prospects #BP81 (Astros)
11.  Koyie Hill (c) - Phillies - 2011 Topps Update #US13 (Cubs)
12.  Chris Nelson (inf) - Reds/Padres - 2014 Topps #101 (Angels)
13.  Cord Phelps (inf) - Orioles - N/A

The "Last Major Baseball Card Appearance" is fairly subjective.  In any instance where someone had multiple cards released, I'll list the base card that's the most obtainable in my estimation.

It's worth noting that Clemens is one of the top prospects from the Braves system that was traded to the Astros in July 2011 in the Michael Bourn deal.  Phelps has had a bunch of Tristar, Razor and Donruss/Playoff cards issued since 2008 but for this little exercise, I'm not counting those "pre-rookie" cards.

2002 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The early 2000s were in full effect with these cards, thanks to the Phillies design department.  Full color photos share the card with a multi-colored, computer-ish looking geometric border, complete with three different sized floating baseballs.  The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.  Scott Rolen's card celebrates his 2001 Gold Glove win, although the actual text on the card prematurely predicts his 2002 Gold Glove win.
How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

3 - Todd Pratt 5 - Pat Burrell 6 - Doug Glanville 7 - John Mabry 8 - Marlon Anderson 9 - Tomas Perez 10 - Larry Bowa MG 11 - Jimmy Rollins 13 - Turk Wendell 15 - Dave Hollins 16 - Travis Lee 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 21 - Greg Gross CO 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Gary Varsho CO 27 - Ricky Bottalico 30 - Tony Scott CO

31 - Robert Person 33 - Ricky Ledee 34 - Nick Punto 35 - Cliff Politte 37 - Rheal Cormier 40 - Jose Santiago 43 - Randy Wolf 44 - Vicente Padilla 46 - Vern Ruhle CO 48 - David Coggin 49 - Jose Mesa 51 - Terry Adams 52 - Carlos Silva 53 - Bobby Abreu 56 - Brandon Duckworth 59 - Ramon Henderson CO Phillie Phanatic Phillie Broadcasters

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (9):  Adams, Coggin, Duckworth, Ledee, Mabry, Punto, Santiago, Silva, Wendell
Returning Players (18):  Abreu, Anderson, Bottalico, Burrell, Cormier, Glanville, Hollins, Lee, Lieberthal, Mesa, Padilla, Perez, Person, Politte, Pratt, Rolen, Rollins, Wolf

Coggin, Duckworth, Santiago and Wendell appear on 2001 late season additions and I'll change their First Appearance designation above if I can determine whether or not the 2001 late season cards were issued together in an update set form, or if they were one off rarities.  (I believe they would have been issued in update set form.)

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.

Manager (1):  Bowa
Coaches (6):  Gross, Henderson, Ruhle, Scott, Varsho, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  After an 11 year absence and for the first time since 1990, the broadcasters received their own card in the team issued set.  Scott Graham, Harry Kalas, Larry Andersen and Chris Wheeler are featured in a photo taken during spring training.
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  The set entry for the 2003 Phillies Team Issue at Beckett.com makes mention of cards for Jim Thome and Greg Luzinski in the style of the 2002 cards, given away at the team's winter caravan.  The existence of these cards have been confirmed by Rick's and Steve's comments below.

• 19 - Greg Luzinski
• 25 - Jim Thome

Rick also mentions that the Abreu, Burrell, Lieberthal and Rolen cards are available with facsimile autographs.

Also See:  There was a standard-sized 36-card team set given away at The Vet during the year and jointly sponsored by Acme and Nabisco.  I'd like to eventually feature a post on this giveaway set, and a sample of a card from this set can be found here.
Trivia:  The 2002 set is back on Beckett's radar after the 1999, 2000 and 2001 issues had been completely ignored by the online database.
Resources:  Beckett.com; The Trading Card Database; Phillies collectors Rick and Steve (per their comments below)

1990 to 1999 Phillies Team Issued Photo Cards Want List

This want list is no longer being updated, and a new want list can be found here.

1993 Medford Phillies #20

1990 Phillies Team Issue ALS Phillies Phestival

2 - Larry Bowa CO 22 - Hal Lanier CO Larry Bowa Dallas Green MG Greg Gross Greg Luzinski

Garry Maddox Bake McBride Tug McGraw Paul Owens Manny Trillo Del Unser

1992 Medford Phillies ALS Phillies Phestival/Late Season Additions

Jay Baller - 1992 Phillies Stan Javier - 1992 Phillies Joe Millette - 1992 Phillies Todd Pratt - 1992 Phillies Mike Williams - 1992 Phillies Dick Allen - Phillies Alumni Steve Bedrosian - Phillies Alumni Dave Cash - Phillies Alumni Sparky Lyle - Phillies Alumni

Garry Maddox - Phillies Alumni Tug McGraw - Phillies Alumni Dickie Noles - Phillies Alumni Bobby Shantz - Phillies Alumni Joe Coleman, Jr. - Non-Phillie Joe Coleman, Sr. - Non-Phillie Joe Torre - Non-Phillie Elmer Valo - Philadelphia A's

1993 Medford Phillies ALS Phillies Phestival/Rarities

3 - Dale Murphy 19 - Kevin Stocker (running) 20 - Mike Schmidt

48 - Mark Davis 52 - Tim Mauser

1997 Phillies Team Issue ALS Phillies Phestival

• 55 - Matt Beech
• 58 - Wayne Gomes

1998 Phillies Team Issue ALS Phillies Phestival

• 40 - Jon Zuber
• 45 - Yorkis Perez
• 47 - Mike Welch

* * * 

WORK IN PROGRESS

1991 ALS Phillies Phestival - Gene Garber, Ron Reed, Eddie Sawyer MG

1996 ALS Phillies Phestival/Late Season Additions - Rich Hunter, Bobby Munoz, Glenn Murray, Desi Relaford, Jim Wright CO

Farewell Lincoln and Brignac

2015 Chachi Departures #2

2015 Chachi Departures #3

As a younger Phillies fan, I developed an irrational loyalty to such notable Phillies players as Dave Roberts, Ronn Reynolds and Mark Ryal.  I have no idea why.  I'm finding the same pattern is being followed by my seven-year-old son Doug, as one of his favorite players this past season was Reid Brignac.  (He also has a completely unjustified dislike for Jeff Manship, which makes absolutely no sense.)

In any event, we had to break the news to Doug last week that Brignac, along with Brad Lincoln, had signed minor league deals elsewhere.  Brignac received his sole Phillies card this year in the team's second series photo card set, available for sale at the ballpark.  Lincoln was in the first series set, as well as in the IronPigs team set.

With Brignac going to the Marlins, it gave me a chance to break out my 1985 Topps style Marlins template.  I'll have more on the color scheme selected (and why) in a future post.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Miami Marlins organization 11/19/14)
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Sean O'Sullivan (10/6/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and released.
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates 11/14/14)
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization 11/18/14)

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Koyie Hill (11/20/14) - Signed to a minor league contract.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.

Biddle, Morgan and Ogando Added to 40-Man Roster

2014 Topps Heritage Minor League #193

2014 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #BCAP-AM

2014 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #25

I'm taking a break from the Phillies Team Issue posts to look at three recent prospects added to the team's 40-man roster.  The addition of these three to the roster keeps them safe from next month's Rule 5 draft.  As of this writing, there are 38 players on the Phillies roster.

I'm not an expert on future Phillies, so please see the fine Phuture Phillies blog for more on these players or follow along at Phillies Minor Thoughts.

Jesse Biddle (lhp) - Biddle had a lost season in 2014, appearing in just 19 games and missing significant time due to concussion-related symptoms incurred during a violent hail storm.  In total, the 2010 first round pick went 5-10 with a 4.58 ERA playing mostly between High A Clearwater and Double-A Reading.  Biddle has appeared on quite a few Phillies baseball cards since 2010, and his most recent baseball card can be found within the 2014 Topps Heritage Minor League set.

Adam Morgan (lhp) - Morgan was the team's third round pick in the 2011 draft.  After finishing the 2013 season with Lehigh Valley, Morgan missed the entire 2014 season due to shoulder surgery.  He was omitted from any of the team's minor league sets in 2014, but he can be found in the 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs set.

Nefi Ogando (rhp) - Ogando emerged as one of the system's top pitching prospects after an impressive 2014 campaign with Double-A Reading.  I say impressive in the sense that he apparently has a big upside, not in the sense that his numbers at Reading were impressive.  Ogando, acquired from the Red Sox last season for veteran infielder John McDonald, went 5-1 with a 6.27 ERA this past season.  He struck out 57 while walking 28 in 56 innings of work.  If he can gain any semblance of control, he might just emerge as a 2015 bullpen candidate.  His sole Phillies card to date can be found in the Reading team set.

Memory Lane
2009 Additions - Quintin Berry, Yohan Flande and Jesus Sanchez
2010 Additions - Cesar Hernandez, Matt Rizzotti, Harold Garcia, Freddy Galvis and Justin De Fratus*
2011 Additions - Phillippe Aumont, Jake Diekman, Tyson Gillies and Sebastian Valle
2012 Additions - Zach Collier, Ethan Martin, Trevor May and Jonathan Pettibone
2013 Additions - Aaron Altherr, Kelly Dugan, Tommy Joseph and Rob Rasmussen

*Somehow I skipped 2010 and didn't do a post.

2001 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  40 (with perhaps another 7 in an update set)
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  For the first time since 1988, the Phillies added a white border to the card fronts, with all the earmarks of an early 2000s baseball card design - too many different fonts, inexplicable geometric shapes and lines and several different design elements mushed together.  The player's name is featured twice and we also get the player's position and uniform number along with Phillies 2001 in red lettering running up the lower right corner.  The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 40-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  With 40 cards, this is the largest base set of team issued cards that I've chronicled so far.  Similar to the 2000 team set, and based on Rick's comment below, there are also 7 update cards available.

For now, I'm listing the 7 update cards under the Variations/Rarities section until I know for certain they were issued together in set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Rob Ducey 4 - Gary Bennett 5 - Pat Burrell 6 - Doug Glanville 7 - Richie Hebner CO 8 - Marlon Anderson 9 - David Newhan 10 - Larry Bowa MG 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - Brian L. Hunter 13 - Tomas Perez 16 - Travis Lee 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 21 - Greg Gross CO 22 - Jason Michaels 23 - Kevin Jordan 24 - Mike Lieberthal 27 - Ricky Bottalico 30 - Tony Scott CO

31 - Robert Person 33 - Rheal Cormier 34 - Paul Byrd 35 - Cliff Politte 37 - Omar Daal 39 - Bruce Chen 43 - Randy Wolf 44 - Vicente Padilla 45 - Chris Brock 46 - Vern Ruhle CO 47 - Amaury Telemaco 49 - Jose Mesa 50 - Ed Vosberg 53 - Bobby Abreu 54 - Eddie Oropesa 55 - Clemente Alvarez CO 57 - Nelson Figueroa 59 - Ramon Henderson CO 61 - Wayne Gomes Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (3):  Hunter, Oropesa, Vosberg
First Appearances (11):  Chen, Cormier, Daal, Figueroa, Lee, Mesa, Michaels, Newhan, Padilla, Politte, Rollins
Returning Players (17):  Abreu, Anderson, Bennett, Bottalico, Brock, Burrell, Byrd, Ducey, Glanville, Gomes, Jordan, Lieberthal, Perez, Person, Rolen, Telemaco, Wolf

Hunter, Oropesa and Vosberg receive their only Phillies cards in this set.  Hunter actually has a card in the 2001 Topps Traded set, but the front and back photos are of Brian R. Hunter, who had spent time with the Phillies in 2000.  This is Newhan's only Phillies card featuring him in a Phillies uniform.  His 2000 Pacific Omega card lists him as a Phillie, but features a photo of him in a Padres uniform.

Chen, Daal, Lee, Padilla and Politte appear on 2000 late season additions and I'll change their First Appearance designation above if I can determine whether or not the 2000 late season cards were issued together in an update set form.

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.

Manager (1):  Bowa
Coaches (7):  Alvarez, Gross, Hebner, Henderson, Ruhle, Scott, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is shown strumming a guitar atop the Phillies dugout.
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Bowa made his return in 2001 as the new Phillies manager.  Alvarez was the team's bullpen catcher, marking the first time anyone holding that position had been memorialized with a card in the team issued set.  Rolen's card celebrates his 2000 Gold Glove win with a picture of the award on the front of his card.

Variations/Rarities:  Here are the 7 late season additions to the set, courtesy of Rick's comment below.

3 - Todd Pratt 13 - Turk Wendell 19 - Johnny Estrada 40 - Jose Santiago

48 - Dave Coggin 52 - Felipe Crespo 56 - Brandon Duckworth

The Crespo card is intriguing to me, as it marks his sole appearance on a Phillies baseball card.  (I'm not counting his appearance here.)

Also See:  2001 Phillies Mini-Reunion; 2001 Topps Brian Hunter (Part 1 & 2)
Trivia:  Beckett and all other online resources omit this set from their databases, marking the third year in row this is the case for the Phillies team issued set.
Resources:  Phillies collecter Rick (@rickphils)

2000 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  36 (with perhaps another 11 in an update set)
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  For this set, the Phillies decided to actually come up with a baseball card design, and not just figure out a new font to use for each player's name.  For the first time ever, the team logo is on the front of the cards and the player's, coach's or manager's name is in bold white text against a blue curved background.  Mike Lieberthal's card celebrates his 1999 Gold Glove win.

The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics along with the Phillies 2000 logo that was ubiquitous this season on the team Yearbook, marketing material, game programs, etc.  The Hatfield logo appears on the back of each card as well, making me wonder if this set should be christened the 2000 Hatfield Phillies set?

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  Based on Rick's comment below, there are also 11 update cards available.  Given the rampant player turnover in 2000, aided by the Curt Schilling trade, it makes sense that the team would issue its first true update set in five years.

For now, I'm listing the 11 update cards under the Variations/Rarities section until I know for certain they were issued together in set form.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Rico Brogna 3 - Chuck Cottier CO 5 - Ron Gant 6 - Doug Glanville 7 - Terry Francona MG 8 - Desi Relaford 9 - Brad Mills CO 11 - Kevin Sefcik 12 - Mickey Morandini 13 - Tomas Perez 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 22 - Tom Prince 23 - Kevin Jordan 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Rob Ducey 26 - Alex Arias 30 - Scott Aldred

31 - Robert Person 33 - Pat Burrell 34 - Paul Byrd 38 - Curt Schilling 40 - Galen Cisco CO 42 - Mike Jackson 43 - Andy Ashby 44 - Carlos Reyes 46 - Trever Miller 47 - Amaury Telemaco 52 - Steve Schrenk 53 - Bobby Abreu 54 - Randy Wolf 55 - Chris Brock 56 - Hal McRae CO 59 - Ramon Henderson CO 61 - Wayne Gomes Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (4):  Aldred, Miller, Reyes, Schrenk
First Appearances (6):  Brock, Burrell, Perez, Person, Telemaco, Wolf
Returning Players (18):  Abreu, Arias, Ashby, Brogna, Byrd, Ducey, Gant, Glanville, Gomes, Jackson, Jordan, Lieberthal, Morandini, Prince, Relaford, Rolen, Schilling, Sefcik

My copies of Glanville's and Wolf's cards are signed . . . and I have no idea why.  My guess is that I attended one of the old Phillies Winter Caravan stops where these two players were signing autographs, but my memory of the early 2000s is hazy at best.

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.

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, Henderson, McRae, Mills, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is shown wearing what I believe is a Phillies khaki bucket hat - one of the giveaways during the year.
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  Here are the 11 late season additions to the set, courtesy of Rick's comment below.

10 - Travis Lee 16 - Marlon Anderson 19 - Brian R. Hunter 21 - Kent Bottenfield 35 - Cliff Politte 37 - Omar Daal

39 - Bruce Chen 41 - Jason Boyd 44 - Vicente Padilla 45 - Jeff Brantley 50 - Ed Vosberg

Also See:  2000 Phillies - The Missing Links, 2000 Topps David Newhan
Trivia:  Similar to the 1999 set, Beckett and all other online sources ignore this set.  Francona's card (linked above) features a lurking Ed Wade, who was the club's general manager from 1998 to 2005.
Resources:  Phillies collecter Rick (@rickphils)

1999 Phillies Team Issue

I updated this post in December 2023 and this original post is now outdated.

 
Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The fronts once again feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in white letters against a blue band.  Scott Rolen's card celebrates his 1997 Gold Glove win with a picture of a Gold Glove on the front of his card.  The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  For the fifth year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Rico Brogna 3 - Chuck Cottier CO 5 - Ron Gant 6 - Doug Glanville 7 - Terry Francona MG 8 - Desi Relaford 9 - Brad Mills CO 11 - Kevin Sefcik 12 - Tom Prince 14 - Gary Bennett 15 - Dave Doster 16 - Marlon Anderson 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 23 - Kevin Jordan 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Rob Ducey 26 - Alex Arias

33 - Chad Ogea 34 - Paul Byrd 38 - Curt Schilling 41 - Jim Poole 43 - Galen Cisco CO 44 - Mike Grace 45 - Jeff Brantley 46 - Carlton Loewer 48 - Yorkis Perez 49 - Billy Brewer 50 - Paul Spoljaric 51 - Ken Ryan 53 - Bobby Abreu 56 - Hal McRae CO 58 - Steve Montgomery 59 - Ramon Henderson CO 61 - Wayne Gomes Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (2):  Poole, Spoljaric
First Appearances (13):  Anderson, Bennett, Brantley, Byrd, Doster, Ducey, Gant, Loewer, Montgomery, Ogea, Perez, Prince, Ryan
Returning Players (13):  Abreu, Arias, Brewer, Brogna, Glanville, Gomes, Grace, Jordan, Lieberthal, Relaford, Rolen, Schilling, Sefcik

Relievers Poole and Spoljaric commemorate their time with the Phillies with their sole Phillies baseball cards in this set.  I think when I've wrapped up this project, I'd like to go back and look at those players who had their one and only Phillies baseball cards within the team issued sets.  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.  (I'm not counting Perez's fairly rare card issued at the 1998 ALS Phillies Phestival as his first appearance.)

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, Henderson, McRae, Mills, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic gets a close up on his 1999 card.
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  As far as I know, there are no variations or rarities to be found connected to this set.  Rick points out in his comment below that there are few cards available with a facsimile autograph.

Also See:  The Phillies issued a nine-card "Stadium League" set given away on Fan Appreciation Day.  I'd like to feature this set in a future post.  Also see the 14,000 Phillies database entry for the 1999 Stadium League Phillies Finest nine-card set, which was given away as a prize to kids playing a card flipping game in the Fun Zone at the Vet.

Trivia:  I believe this is the first team issued set I've covered that has been completely ignored by Beckett and any other online source.  The set is omitted from the 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards.  Galen Cisco's card uses the same photo as his 1998 card.
Resources:  Me . . . until Rick or Steve comment with the variations available for this set from the 1999 ALS fund raising event!

1998 Phillies Team Issue

I updated this post here in December 2023 and this original post is now outdated.

 
Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The fronts feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in large capital letters framing one of the corners of the card.  Scott Rolen's card features a badge on the front celebrating his 1997 National League Rookie of the Year win, while Curt Schilling's card celebrates his league leading 319 strikeouts in 1997.  The card backs feature biographical information with the Phillies wordmark logo in the background.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  For the fourth year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Rico Brogna 3 - Chuck Cottier CO 5 - Mark Lewis 6 - Doug Glanville 7 - Terry Francona MG 8 - Mark Parent 9 - Brad Mills CO 11 - Kevin Sefcik 14 - Rex Hudler 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 21 - Mark Portugal 23 - Kevin Jordan 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Gregg Jefferies 26 - Alex Arias 27 - Bobby Estalella 28 - Tyler Green

30 - Desi Relaford 31 - Mark Leiter 33 - Ruben Amaro 38 - Curt Schilling 41 - Billy McMillon 43 - Galen Cisco CO 44 - Mike Grace 48 - Jerry Spradlin 49 - Billy Brewer 52 - Ricky Bottalico 53 - Bobby Abreu 54 - Garrett Stephenson 55 - Matt Beech 56 - Hal McRae CO 58 - Darrin Winston 59 - Ramon Henderson CO 61 - Wayne Gomes Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (0):  But see below under Variations/Rarities . . .
First Appearances (12):  Abreu, Arias, Beech, Brewer, Estalella, Glanville, Gomes, Lewis, McMillon, Relaford, Stephenson, Winston
Returning Players (16):  Amaro, Bottalico, Brogna, Grace, Green, Hudler, Jefferies, Jordan, Leiter, Lieberthal, Parent, Portugal, Rolen, Schilling, Sefcik, Spradlin

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.  (I'm including Beech and Gomes in this tally even though they had fairly rare "update" cards available at the 1996 ALS Phillies Phestival event.)

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, Henderson, McRae, Mills, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  It could be said that this is the set that first tipped me off that variations and rarities existed for these team issued sets.  For years, I was comfortable in the knowledge that once I purchased the complete set from the Vet, I was done for the year.  As Steve F. pointed out back in the 1998 Phillies - The Missing Links post, Jon Zuber had a card produced in the same style as the rest of the 1998 team issued set, most likely to allow him to respond to autograph requests and making it his sole Phillies baseball card.  I'd love to one day track down this card.

In Rick's comment below, he confirms the existence of two more cards issued at the ALS Phillies Phestival - Perez and Welch.

• 40 - Jon Zuber
• 45 - Yorkis Perez
• 47 - Mike Welch

Also See:  1998 Topps Phillies; Scott Rolen is a Bum
Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collectors Steve F. and Rick (@rickphils)

1997 Phillies Team Issue

I updated this post here in December 2023 and this original post is now outdated.

 
Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The fronts feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in grey letters against a red stripe background.  The Interleague Play Inaugural Year logo is also featured on the fronts of the cards.  The card backs feature biographical information along with complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  The 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards notes that the set was sold for $10.  For the third year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Rico Brogna 3 - Chuck Cottier CO 7 - Terry Francona MG 8 - Mark Parent 9 - Brad Mills CO 10 - Darren Daulton 12 - Mickey Morandini 14 - Rex Hudler 17 - Scott Rolen 18 - John Vukovich CO 19 - Kevin Stocker 21 - Mark Portugal 22 - Ron Blazier 23 - Kevin Jordan 24 - Mike Lieberthal 25 - Gregg Jefferies 29 - Wendell Magee, Jr. 31 - Mark Leiter

31 - Kevin Sefcik 33 - Scott Ruffcorn 34 - Derrick May 35 - Bobby Munoz 37 - Ruben Amaro 38 - Curt Schilling 40 - Reggie Harris 41 - Erik Plantenberg 42 - Galen Cisco CO 45 - Danny Tartabull 47 - Michael Mimbs 48 - Jerry Spradlin 50 - Calvin Maduro 51 - Ken Ryan 52 - Ricky Bottalico 56 - Hal McRae CO 59 - Joe Rigoli CO Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (2):  Harris, Plantenberg
First Appearances (14):  Blazier, Brogna, Hudler, Leiter, Maduro, Magee Jr., May, Parent, Portugal, Rolen, Ruffcorn, Sefcik, Spradlin, Tartabull
Returning Players (12):  Amaro, Bottalico, Daulton, Jefferies, Jordan, Lieberthal, Mimbs, Morandini, Munoz, Ryan, Schilling, Stocker

Change was in the air in 1997, as less than half of the players or coaches featured in this set had appeared in previous team issued sets.  Relievers Harris and Plantenberg make their first and last appearances on Phillies baseball cards.

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.  (And I'm not including the rare 1996 Rolen team issued card documented within the 1996 Phillies Team Issue post.)

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, McRae, Mills, Rigoli, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is once again pictured riding his ATV.
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I wasn't aware of any variations or rarities to be found in connection with this set . . . until (once again) Rick weighed in with his comment below.  The following cards were available at the 1997 ALS Phillies Phestival:

• 55 - Matt Beech
• 58 - Wayne Gomes

Trivia:  Sefcik's card shows his uniform number as #31, even though Sefcik had switched to #11 at the start of spring training to accommodate veteran Leiter who took over the #31.  The Beckett database lists the entire 36-card set.
Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

2015 Chachi Departures #1 A.J. Burentt

A.J. Burnett's recent signing with the Pirates allows me to play with my 1985 Topps template and make a Pirates card to mark Burnett's return to Pittsburgh.  This is the first of what should be many cards in the 2015 Chachi Departures insert set.

Burnett received a one-year deal from the Pirates worth $8.5 million, after turning down an option worth $12.75 million to pitch for the Phillies in 2015.  So in essence, Burnett paid $4.25 million not to pitch for the Phillies.  While you and I try to wrap our minds around that, here's the latest list of offseason Phillies comings and goings.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Sean O'Sullivan (10/6/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and released.
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates 11/14/14)
Koyie Hill (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.

The First Eight Non-Roster Invitees

2014 Topps Update #US-167

Whenever I get around to starting my band, and it comes time to decide on our band's name, I'm going throw out Non-Roster Invitees for consideration.

While other teams are busy trying to sign the big-name free agents or pull off blockbuster deals, Phillies fans are left sifting through the names of former big leaguers who could eventually see time in red pinstripes in 2015.  The rebuilding process is officially here, which means bodies are needed to populate Ryne Sandberg's 25-man roster beginning in April.  Listed below are the first eight players who will by vying for a coveted roster spot throughout spring training.  These signings were announced on Thursday afternoon.

Player (position) - 2014 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance
1.  Andres Blanco (inf) - Phillies - 2007 Topps #659 (Royals)
2.  Brian Bogusevic (of) - Marlins - 2014 Topps #524 (Marlins)
3.  Russ Canzler (inf) - Yankees/Phillies - N/A
4.  Chase d'Arnaud (inf) - Pirates - 2012 Topps Heritage #323 (Pirates)
5.  Jeff Francoeur (of) - Padres - 2014 Topps Update #US-167 (Padres)
6.  John Hester (c) - Angels - 2010 Upper Deck #31 (Diamondbacks)
7.  Darin Mastroianni (of) - Twins/Blue Jays - 2013 Topps #528 (Twins)
8.  Xavier Paul (of) - Orioles/Diamondbacks - 2013 Topps Update #US-194 (Reds)

The "Last Major Baseball Card Appearance" is fairly subjective.  In any instance where someone had multiple cards released, I'll list the base card that's the most obtainable in my estimation.  It's stunning to me that Blanco's last major baseball card came way back in the 2007 Topps set.  Canzler has several minor league cards, but he's never appeared on a mainstream, Major League baseball card.

Memory Lane

2013 Non-Roster Invitees
2014 Non-Roster Invitees

2015 Chachi New Additions #1 Elvis Araujo

It's come to this.  The first addition to the Phillies 40-man roster this offseason is 23-year-old left-handed reliever Elvis Araujo.  This is what passes for big news these days for the Phillies, as they're now officially looking to unload anyone and everyone in an effort to finally start the rebuilding process.  Araujo joins a stable of young, cheap relievers who could possibly see action out the club's bullpen in 2015.

Araujo has pitched in the Indians organization since 2008 (as a 16-year-old) and between High A and Double-A last year, he went 2-1 in 43 games with a 3.42 ERA and 11 saves.  You're in luck if you're trying to track down a baseball card of the newest Phillie, as Araujo was featured in the 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects set.  He'll most likely compete for a bullpen job out of spring training, but I'd expect to see him begin the season in the minors.

In other news, the Phillies invited their first seven players to spring training as non-roster invitees, and I'll feature those guys in a separate post.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Sean O'Sullivan (10/6/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and released.
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.
Koyie Hill (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.