1978 Phillies Photocards

I updated this post here in November 2020 and this original post is now outdated.

 

Number of Cards:  33
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 1978.  Some of the cards contain blue facsimile autographs, as noted on the checklist below.  Tug McGraw's card features a rare horizontal format to fit his post wind-up photo.

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

Carroll Beringer CO Bob Boone (auto) Larry Bowa (auto) Warren Brusstar Jose Cardenal (auto) Steve Carlton (auto) Larry Christenson Billy DeMars CO Rawly Eastwick Barry Foote Gene Garber Bud Harrelson Richie Hebner (auto) Dave Johnson (auto) Jay Johnstone (auto) Jim Kaat (auto) Randy Lerch

Jim Lonborg Greg Luzinski (auto) Garry Maddox (auto) Jerry Martin Bake McBride (auto) Tim McCarver (portrait) Tug McGraw (horizontal action) Jim Morrison Danny Ozark MG (auto) Ron Reed Ray Rippelmeyer CO Dick Ruthven Mike Schmidt Ted Sizemore (auto) Tony Taylor CO (auto) Bobby Wine CO (auto)

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (4):  Cardenal, Eastwick, Harrelson, Morrison
Returning Players (23):  Boone, Bowa, Brusstar, Carlton, Christenson, Foote, Garber, Hebner, Johnson, Johnstone, Kaat, Lerch, Lonborg, Luzinski, Maddox, Martin, McBride, McCarver, McGraw, Reed, Ruthven, Schmidt, Sizemore

I actually get disappointed now when there's not someone with a One and Done card in these 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.

Manager (1):  Ozark
Coaches (5):  Beringer, DeMars, Rippelmeyer, Taylor, Wine
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  As Rick points out in his comment below, there are three variations to be found within this set.  Note that these aren't necessarily rarities as I'm not sure which version of each player's card is more prevalent.

• Tim McCarver (action photo - swinging)
• Tug McGraw (portrait)
• Mike Schmidt (auto)

Finally, while not part of the team issued set per se, there is a 1978 color postcard of the Phillie Phanatic that was issued by Harrison/Ericsson.  I'm not including it as part of the main checklist above but it should be noted that the card does exist.  (The same note pertains to the 1980 and 1981 team issued sets.)

Also See:  1978 Phillies Spring Training and 1978 SSPC Baseball the Phillies Way - Part One and Part Two.
Trivia:  The Beckett database has no record of this set.  Bob Boone's card uses the same photo as his 1977 photocard, but with a slightly different autograph placement.
Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collectors Steve and Rick (@rickphils)