2014 Phillies Team Issue - 1st Edition

Number of Cards:  41
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  This is the third of four straight team issued sets featuring basically the same design elements.  The player's name, number and position are listed at the bottom of the card in a red and blue design with the Phillies script logo appearing in one of the top corners.  All photos used for this set were taken during spring training 2014.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The set was available for sale at the ballpark from the beginning of the season through mid-August when it was replaced with a new second series set.  I purchased my set on April 12th and it contained the apparently rare Bobby Abreu card.  Abreu was with the club throughout spring training but was released prior to the start of the regular season.

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

2 - Ben Revere 3 - Marlon Byrd 5 - Steve Henderson CO 6 - Ryan Howard 8 - Juan Samuel CO 9 - Domonic Brown 10 - Larry Bowa CO 11 - Jimmy Rollins 12 - John Mizerock CO 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - John Mayberry, Jr. 16 - Cesar Hernandez 18 - Darin Ruf 19 - Tony Gwynn, Jr. 21 - Wil Nieves 22 - Bob McClure CO 23 - Ryne Sandberg MG 25 - Cody Asche 26 - Chase Utley 27 - Roberto Hernandez 30 - Justin De Fratus

31 - Brad Lincoln 33 - Cliff Lee 34 - A.J. Burnett 35 - Cole Hamels 37 - Mike Adams 38 - Kyle Kendrick 39 - B.J. Rosenberg 44 - Jonathan Pettibone 45 - Pete Mackanin CO 48 - Phillippe Aumont 49 - Ethan Martin 51 - Carlos Ruiz 53 - Bobby Abreu 54 - Rod Nichols CO 58 - Jonathan Papelbon 59 - Antonio Bastardo 63 - Jake Diekman 74 - Maikel Franco Phillie Phanatic Phillies Broadcasters

One and Done (1):  Lincoln
First Appearances (7):  Asche, Burnett, Franco, Gwynn Jr., Nieves, R. Hernandez, Martin
Returning Players (23):  Abreu, Adams, Aumont, Bastardo, Brown, Byrd, De Fratus, Diekman, Galvis, Hamels, C. Hernandez, Howard, Kendrick, Lee, Mayberry Jr., Papelbon, Pettibone, Revere, Rollins, Rosenberg, Ruf, Ruiz, Utley

This is the only place to find a Brad Lincoln Phillies card.  The reliever made it into two games with the club, pitching to a 11.57 ERA over 2 1/3 innings.

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):  Sandberg
Coaches (7):  Bowa, Henderson, Mackanin, McClure, Mizerock, Nichols, Samuel
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  Newcomers Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs join Gregg Murphy, Larry Andersen, Tom McCarthy, Scott Franzke and Jim Jackson.
Commemorative Cards (0)

Variations/Rarities:  I'm not aware of any variations or rarities available with this set, but based on collector Steve's experience I know that the Abreu card was pulled shortly after the set was issued.  Apparently most sets available for sale up until the issuance of the second series contain only 40 cards.

In December 2019, fellow collector Rick found a version of the Freddy Galvis card for sale at the annual Phillies holiday sale with a Citizens Bank Park logo on the back and a 2015 copyright.

Trivia:  Maikel Franco made his Phillies debut on September 2, 2014, wearing #7.  His card in this set contains the #74 he wore as a non-roster invitee during spring training.
Resources:  This set hasn't made it yet onto any of the mainstream online checklists/databases.