2012 Phillies Team Issue - 1st Edition

Number of Cards:  39
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The card fronts feature color photos from spring training and a wood grained bottom border containing the player's name, number and position.  Each card also contains the "2012 First Edition" legend on the front, which at the time was a really good indication that a second edition set would eventually be issued.  The Phillies script logo appears in one of the upper corners.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  Sets were available for sale at Citizens Bank Park through early July.  I picked up my 38-card set at the sixth game of the season in mid-April and I discussed the set's checklist in a post found here.

As pointed out by Steve in his comment, the set he purchased actually contains 39 cards with the additional card being a broadcaster card.  Honestly, if I've learned nothing else by putting together these posts it's that I should buy the annual team issued sets early and often.  It seems as if the composition of these sets changes repeatedly throughout the season.

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

2 - Sam Perlozzo CO 3 - Hunter Pence 5 - Pete Mackanin CO 6 - Ryan Howard 7 - Michael Martinez 8 - Shane Victorino 9 - Domonic Brown 10 - Juan Pierre 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - Juan Samuel CO 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 17 - Mick Billmeyer CO 19 - Laynce Nix 21 - Greg Gross CO 22 - Scott Podsednik 23 - Brian Schneider 24 - Ty Wigginton 25 - Jim Thome 26 - Chase Utley

27 - Placido Polanco 30 - Rich Dubee CO 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - Roy Halladay 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Antonio Bastardo 38 - Kyle Kendrick 40 - Michael Stutes 41 - Charlie Manuel MG 44 - Michael Schwimer 49 - Vance Worley 50 - Chad Qualls 51 - Carlos Ruiz 52 - Jose Contreras 56 - Joe Blanton 57 - David Herndon 58 - Jonathan Papelbon Phillie Phanatic Broadcasters

One and Done (2):  Podsednik, Qualls
First Appearances (6):  Galvis, Nix, Papelbon, Pierre, Schwimer, Wigginton
Returning Players (22):  Bastardo, Blanton, Brown, Contreras, Halladay, Hamels, Herndon, Howard, Kendrick, Lee, Martinez, Mayberry Jr., Pence, Polanco, Rollins, Ruiz, Schneider, Stutes, Thome, Utley, Victorino, Worley

Podsednik was close to making the the team out of spring training, but the final outfielder's roster spot went to Pierre instead.  He was traded to the Red Sox in mid-May and never officially suited up with the Phillies.  This set also contains the one and only Phillies baseball card for reliever Qualls, who struggled mightily in his short time with the club.

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 Wigginton card found in the style of the 2011 second edition set as his first appearance.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (6):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Gross, Mackanin, Perlozzo, Samuel
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1)
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I'm not aware of any variations or rarities to be found within this set although the existence of the broadcaster's card was news to me.  As has been the case with the 2010 and 2011 team issued sets, variations or rarities are usually found with the design of the second series set.

Also See:  My youngest son Ben attended his first ever Phillies game on April 29, 2012.
Resources:  14,000 Phillies; The Trading Card Database; Phillies collector Steve