1993 Topps Commanders of the Hill #25 Curt Schilling

Nationals 4, Phillies 3
Game 51 - Monday Night, May 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 26-25, Tied for 3rd place, 4 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  For the first time all season Hector Neris struggled mightily, allowing three runs in the eighth inning of an eventual 4-3 Nationals win.

What It Means:  The Phillies have a worrisome little four-game losing streak going and they're just a game above .500.

What Happened:  Jeremy Hellickson pitched a gem, allowing just a run on three hits in his seven innings of work.  He struck out eight and was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh after having thrown only 79 pitches.  Neris entered with a slim 2-1 lead and squandered it away first with an RBI single to Jayson Werth to tie the score and then with a two-run single to Daniel Murphy to give the Nationals the lead.

Tyler Goeddel made an amazing throw to first base to double Bryce Harper off first base in the seventh.

Featured Card:  Please ignore the pitcher featured on this baseball card, as he's recently established the fact that he's a bit of a turd in real life.  I wanted to feature this particular card because I believe it's the one card in my Phillies collection decked out in camouflage.  The Phillies and Nationals (and the other 28 Major League teams) wore camouflage uniforms and hats in yesterday's games in honor of Memorial Day.  I'm not a big fan of these uniforms, but anything that draws attention to our national holiday honoring the men and women who gave their lives while in service of our country is fine by me.

Topps issued this 30-card set in packs of five cards each at military snack bars and food courts in 1993.  Packs cost a quarter with the purchase of a fountain soda.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi #37 Andrew Bailey

#38
Andrew Scott Bailey
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  240
Born:  May 31, 1984, Haddon Heights, NJ
Home:  Madison, CT
Drafted:  Selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 6th round of the June 2006 draft
Teams:  Oakland Athletics 2009-2011; Boston Red Sox 2012-2013; New York Yankees 2015; Phillies 2016
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the New York Yankees, December 17, 2015

2009 Topps #441

2016 Phillies Team Issue #38

2 Bailey Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #38
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #38
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #38
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #38

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2009 Topps #441

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #37

Card statistics through 5/30/16.

Series Preview - Nationals at Phillies: May 30th to June 1st (@JohnnyBateman7)

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Nationals 30-21, 1st place in the N.L. East, 1 game ahead of the Mets
Phillies 26-24, Tied for 3rd place in the N.L. East, 3 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Nationals Probables:  Tanner Roark (3-4, 2.71), Joe Ross (4-4, 2.52), Max Scherzer (5-4, 4.05)
Phillies Probables:  Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.97), Aaron Nola (4-3, 2.86), Adam Morgan (1-3, 6.67)

At the Ballpark:  There aren't any giveaways or special promotions for this season, but the Phillies and Nationals (along with all other teams) will wear camouflage uniforms in honor of the Memorial Day holiday.

Nationals Leaders
Average:  Daniel Murphy - .387
Runs:  Anthony Rendon - 33
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 13
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 34
Stolen Bases:  Bryce Harper - 7

Wins:  Stephen Strasburg - 9
ERA:  Joe Ross - 2.52
Strikeouts:  Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg - 90
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 13

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .320
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 28
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard - 8
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 28
Stolen Bases:  Odubel Herrera - 6

Wins:  Vince Velasquez - 5
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.86
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 70
Saves:  Jeanmar Gomez - 17

1970 Topps #417

1970 Topps #218

1970 Topps Appreciation:  Johnny Bateman and Ron Stone were very briefly teammates for the awful 1972 Phillies team.

On June 14, 1972, the Expos traded Bateman to the Phillies for catcher Tim McCarver.  In 82 games with the Phillies, the final year of his 10-year big league career, Bateman hit .222 with 3 home runs and 17 RBIs.  He'd be released by the Phils the following January.  Bateman's spirit lives on through a Twitter account that has so far chronicled his 1966-1968 playing days with the Astros and his 1969-1970 playing days with the Expos.  The account is now following along with Bateman's 1971 season, his final full season in Montreal.

The photo on Stone's 1970 Topps card is from 1966 when the outfielder appeared in 26 games for the Kansas City A's.  Despite appearing in 103 games for the 1969 Phillies, Topps didn't have a more recent photo for Stone available when it came time to put together his 1970 Topps card.  He'd eventually get to appear in a Phillies uniform on his 1971 and 1972 Topps cards.  In parts of four seasons with the Phils, Stone appeared in 362 games and hit .240 with 6 home runs and 89 RBIs.

1995 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #6 Jim Deshaies

Cubs 7, Phillies 2
Game 50 - Sunday Afternoon, May 29th in Chicago
Record - 26-24, Tied for 3rd place, 3 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Cubs effortlessly completed a sweep of the sinking Phillies with a 7-2 win.

What It Means:  This was the first time the Phillies had been swept by the Cubs in Chicago since July 1995.  They'll head home to open a ten-game homestand against the Nationals, Brewers and Cubs.

What Happened:  Vince Velasquez wasn't able to escape the fifth inning for the second straight start. He allowed seven runs on nine hits (including two home runs) in 4 2/3 innings.  The two Phillies runs came courtesy of solo home runs from Tyler Goeddel (2) and Tommy Joseph (3).

Featured Card:  When the Phillies were swept in a late July weekend series in Chicago in 1995, the losing pitchers were Bobby Munoz, Heathcliff Slocumb and Jim Deshaies.  Speaking of Deshaies, I'm still working on my Missing Links series of custom baseball cards which is attempting to create Phillies cards for those players from the 1980s (and eventually the 1990s) who never appeared with the team on cardboard.

The complete checklist for the Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s insert set can be found here, and Deshaies will eventually be card #9 in the set.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi #36 David Lough

#3
David Dennis Lough
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  January 20, 1986, Akron, OH
Home:  Clinton, OH
Drafted:  Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 11th round of the June 2011 draft
Teams:  Kansas City Royals 2012-2013; Baltimore Orioles 2014-2015; Phillies 2016
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Baltimore Orioles, January 25, 2016

2013 Topps #268

2016 Phillies Team Issue #3

2 Lough Baseball Card in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #3
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #3
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #3
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #3

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps #268

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #36

Card statistics through 5/29/16.

1986 Gatorade Cubs #20 Bob Dernier

Cubs 4, Phillies 1
Game 49 - Saturday Afternoon, May 28th in Chicago
Record - 26-23, 3rd place, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets and Nationls

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Hendricks did his best Williams Perez impersonation, pitching a seemingly effortless complete game against the Phillies in a 4-1 Cubs win.

What It Means:  For the first time since May 5th, the Phillies are once again only three games above .500.  For the third straight series, they'll need a win in the final game of the series to avoid the sweep.

What Happened:  If not for a misplayed pop up in the ninth that Freddy Galvis turned into a double, and a dropped third strike on a Ryan Howard strikeout that allowed Galvis to score, the Phillies would have been shut out.  Jerad Eickhoff turned in a so-so outing, allowing four runs on eight hits in his six innings of work.  Hendricks allowed five hits, one lone run and struck out seven Phillies.

Featured Card:  We caught the end of this game driving home from Doug's soccer tournament held on the Ft. Dix military base on Saturday afternoon.  Doug's team was beaten badly in two games, and the sweltering heat along with another Phillies loss didn't help with our overall mood.  Here's a vintage Bob Dernier card featuring him in action at Wrigley Field to help cheer us all up.  Dernier cards seem to have that effect.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi #34 Elvis Araujo

#59
Elvis Alejandro Araujo
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'7"  Weight:  274

Born:  July 15, 1991, Maracaibo, Venezuela

Home:  Maracaibo, Venezuela

Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent, July 16, 2007

Teams:  Phillies 2015-

Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians, November 13, 2014

2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #45

2015 Chachi #37

2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #59

2015 Topps Update #US95

6 Araujo Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #45
First Phillies Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #59
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps Update #US95
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #59
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #59

Complete Chachi Checklist
2015 Chachi New Additions #1
2015 Chachi #37
2016 Chachi #34

Card statistics through 5/28/16.

2016 Topps Wrigley Field Celebrates 100 Years #WRIG-21 Cole Hamels

Cubs 6, Phillies 2
Game 48 - Friday Afternoon, May 27th in Chicago
Record - 26-22, 3rd place, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets and Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Adam Morgan struggled again, done in by a four-run fourth inning, as the Cubs easily handled the Phillies, 6-2.

What It Means:  Morgan allowed three home runs and his ERA is now up to 6.67.  As much as I like Morgan, I'm curious how much longer the Phillies will leave him in the rotation.  Righty Zach Eflin has made eight starts for the Triple-A IronPigs, and he's 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA.  Alec Asher (3-0, 1.53 ERA) has also looked good for the IronPigs in his four starts.

What Happened:  Morgan allowed six runs on eight hits in his four innings of work.  Maikel Franco drove in both Phillies runs with a sacrifice fly in the third and an infield single in the seventh.

Featured Card:  The last time the Phillies visited Chicago last July, Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter in his final start for the Phillies.  I created a Chachi Highlight card to celebrate the occasion, and Topps also gave Hamels a card in their Wrigley Field Celebrates 100 Years insert set.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi #33 John McLaren CO

#9
John Lowell McLaren
Catching Coach

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  September 29, 1951, Galveston, TX
Home:  Peoria, AZ
Teams - As Coach:  Toronto Blue Jays 1986-1990; Boston Red Sox 1991; Cincinnati Reds 1992; Seattle Mariners 1993-2002; Tampa Bay Rays 2003-2005; Seattle Mariners 2007; Washington Nationals 2010-2011; Phillies 2016
Teams - As Manager:  Seattle Mariners 2007-2008; Washington Nationals 2010

2008 Topps #463

2016 Phillies Team Issue #9

2 McLaren Baseball Card in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #9
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #9
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #9
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #9

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2008 Topps #463

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #33

Card statistics through 5/27/16.

2016 Donruss #164 Odubel Herrera

Phillies 8, Tigers 5
Game 47 - Wednesday Afternoon, May 25th in Detroit
Record - 26-21, 3rd place, 2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Odubel Herrera and Peter Bourjos homered in this 8-5 win against the Tigers, helping the Phillies avoid the series sweep.

What It Means:  The Phils were two games out of first place following Wednesday's games.  They'll truly be tested with a three-game weekend series in Chicago against the Cubs - the team with the most wins in baseball.

What Happened:  Herrera's blast, followed by an impressive bat flip, came in the fourth inning and gave the Phillies what seemed like a comfortable 5-1 lead.  Bourjos' solo home run in the seventh proved to be a valuable insurance run.  Andres Blanco had two hits and stole home in the second inning when Tigers catcher James McCann attempted to throw to second to catch Bourjos stealing.

Aaron Nola notched his fourth win of the season with six solid innings and Jeanmar Gomez recorded his 17th save.

Featured Card:  Herrera was featured in the first game of this series due to his benching for not running out a ground ball.  It's nice to now feature a card of his for something positive.  This is his logo-less card from this year's Donruss set.  (I still refuse to call it Panini Donruss.)

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

Series Preview - Phillies at Cubs: May 27th to May 29th

Friday, Saturday and Sunday 2:20
Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL

Phillies 26-21, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 2 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Cubs 31-14, 1st place in the N.L. Central, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Pirates

Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (1-2, 5.61), Jared Eickhoff (2-6, 3.86), Vince Velasquez (5-1, 2.75)
Cubs Probables:  Jon Lester (4-3, 2.60), Kyle Hendricks (2-4, 3.30), John Lackey (4-2, 3.38)

At the Ballpark:  This afternoon, the first 5,000 adults will receive a '90s Cubs Visor, compliments of Budweiser.  This Bud's for you.  And what's better than three holiday weekend afternoon games at Wrigley?

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .327
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 27
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard - 8
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 26
Stolen Bases:  Odubel Herrera - 6

Wins:  Vince Velasquez - 5
ERA:  Vince Velasquez - 2.75
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 70
Saves:  Jeanmar Gomez - 17

Cubs Leaders
Average:  Ben Zobrist - .346
Runs:  Ben Zobrist - 34
Home Runs:  Anthony Rizzo - 11
RBIs:  Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo - 35
Stolen Bases:  Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward - 6

Wins:  Jake Arrieta - 9
ERA:  Jake Arrieta - 1.72
Strikeouts:  Jake Arrieta - 67
Saves:  Hector Rondon - 8

1970 Topps #24

1970 Topps #654

1970 Topps #375

1970 Topps Appreciation:  On November 17, 1969, the Phillies traded long-time right-fielder, three-time All-Star and fan favorite Johnny Callison (with player to be named later Larry Colton) to the Cubs for Oscar Gamble and Dick Selma.

Callison was in the twilight of his impressive 16-year career and he'd enjoy his last full season as a regular in 1970.  Playing in 147 games, he hit .264 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs, although according to his SABR biography he spent the season clashing with Cubs manager Leo Durocher. Callison played sparingly for the Cubs in 1971 and was traded to the Yankees in January 1972 where he spent the last two seasons of his career.

Selma had an unimpressive four-year stint with the Phillies, going 11-21 in 142 games with a 3.73 ERA.  As the team's primary closer in 1970, he recorded a career high 22 saves.

Gamble spent three years with the Phillies as a back-up outfielder.  In 254 games with the Phillies, he hit .241 with 8 home runs and was traded away to the Indians in November 1972 as part of the (first) Del Unser trade.

2016 Chachi #32 Rick Kranitz CO

#33
Richard Alan Kranitz
Bullpen Coach

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  September 15, 1958, San Rafael, CA
Home:  Scottsdale, AZ
Teams - As Coach:  Chicago Cubs 1996-1998, 2000-2002; Florida Marlins 2006-2007; Baltimore Orioles 2008-2010; Milwaukee Brewers 2011-2015; Phillies 2016

2016 Phillies Team Issue #33

2 Kranitz Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #33
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #33
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #33
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #33

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #32

Card statistics through 5/26/16.

2016 Chachi #30 Mickey Morandini CO

#12
Michael Robert Morandini
First Base Coach

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 22, 1966, Leechburg, PA
Home:  Glen Mills, PA
Teams - As Player:  Phillies 1990-1997; Chicago Cubs 1998-1999; Phillies 2000; Toronto Blue Jays 2000
Teams - As Coach:  Phillies 2016

1988 Topps Traded #71T

1990 CMC #240

1990 Bowman #153

155 Morandini Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  1990 CMC #240
First Phillies Card:  1990 Bowman #153
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  1991 Medford Phillies #12
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #12

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  1988 Topps Traded #71T

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #30

Card statistics through 5/25/16.

2013 Topps Heritage Then & Now #TN-BV Jim Bunning & Justin Verlander

Tigers 3, Phillies 1
Game 46 - Tuesday Night, May 24th in Detroit
Record - 25-21, 3rd place, 3 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The offense's May nap continued as Justin Verlander and the Tigers easily defeated the Phillies, 3-1.

What It Means:  For the second time in two series, the Phillies find themselves once again needing a win in the final game in order to avoid a series sweep.

What Happened:  Verlander and closer Francisco Rodriguez held the Phillies to five hits, with Verlander striking out 10 in his eight innings of work.  Jeremy Hellickson kept the Phils in the game with three runs allowed over his seven innings.

Ryan Howard, serving as the team's DH, singled in the game raising his average to .159.  It was Howard's first single since April 29th.

Featured Card:  This is the sole Verlander card in my Phillies collection, pairing the pitcher with his 1964 counterpart, Jim Bunning.  This card has always bothered me since it clearly shows Bunning in his second stint with the team in the early 1970s, wearing the then modern Phillies uniform.  It's little details like this that seem to be neglected by Topps on a fairly regular basis.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Phillies Team Issue - 2nd Edition

Number of Cards:  44
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  Following the standard formula for team-issued photo card sets in recent years, the front of the cards feature the player's name, position and uniform number on a band across the bottom of the card.  The band for this set is wood-grained, using a design element last used for the 2012 first edition team set.  A Phillies logo appears on every card in the top left.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

With the exception of the Cody Asche card, all photos used for these cards are from the first month and a half of the 2016 season.

How Distributed:  The second series set went on sale at Citizens Bank Park on or around May 20th for $5 a set.  I attended the game on May 17th, and I'm fairly certain the first series set was still on sale at that point.

An update set was sold at the ballpark beginning with the August 12th Alumni Weekend series.  The update set removes four cards and adds six cards to the set.

Complete Standard Checklist (38):  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

2 - Tyler Goeddel 3 - David Lough 4 - Andres Blanco 5 - Steve Henderson CO 6 - Ryan Howard 7 - Maikel Franco 8 - Juan Samuel CO 9 - John McLaren CO 10 - Larry Bowa CO 12 - Mickey Morandini CO 13 - Freddy Galvis 15 - Emmanuel Burriss 16 - Cesar Hernandez 17 - Peter Bourjos 18 - Darin Ruf 22 - Bob McClure CO 25 - Cody Asche 27 - Aaron Nola 28 - Vince Velasquez

29 - Cameron Rupp 30 - David Hernandez 33 - Rick Kranitz CO 34 - Brett Oberholtzer 37 - Odubel Herrera 38 - Andrew Bailey 39 - Adam Morgan 45 - Pete Mackanin MG 46 - Jeanmar Gomez 48 - Jared Eickhoff 50 - Hector Neris 51 - Carlos Ruiz 57 - Luis Garcia 58 - Jeremy Hellickson 59 - Elvis Araujo 60 - Colton Murray 94 - Dalier Hinojosa Phillie Phanatic Phillies Broadcasters

Complete Update Checklist (6)

19 - Tommy Joseph 41 - Jimmy Paredes 52 - Severino Gonzalez

56 - Zach Eflin 61 - Edubray Ramos 25 - Jim Thome (Alumni)**

One and Done (0 for now)
First Appearances (7):  Eflin, Gonzalez, Joseph, Murray, Neris, Paredes, Ramos
Returning Players (26):  Araujo, Asche, Bailey, Blanco, Bourjos, Burriss, Eickhoff, Franco, Galvis, Garcia, Goeddel, Gomez, Hellickson, C. Hernandez, D. Hernandez, Herrera, Hinojosa, Howard, Lough, Morgan, Nola, Oberholtzer, Ruf, Ruiz, Rupp, Velasquez

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):  Mackanin
Coaches (7):  Bowa, Henderson, Kranitz, McClure, McLaren, Morandini, Samuel
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is shown wearing the day week day alternate red jersey top.
Broadcasters (1):  After an absence in the first series, the broadcasters card returns with Tom McCarthy, Larry Andersen, Ben Davis, Scott Franzke, Gregg Murphy, Mike Schmidt, Matt Stairs and Jim Jackson.
Other Cards (1):  Thome (Alumni Card)

The following players who were in the first series set have been dropped from this second series set (6):  Bobby LaFromboise, Charlie Morton, Edward Mujica, James Russell, Daniel Stumpf and Darnell Sweeney.  Morton is out for the season with an injury, Stumpf has been suspended for PEDs and the other four players are all currently with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

The following players/cards have been added (4):  Elvis Araujo, Colton Murray, Hector Neris, Broadcasters.

Variations/Rarities (6/13/16):  Fellow collector Steve F. sent the scan below of cards for Joseph and Jimmy Paredes, which were available at the ALS Festival on June 9th.  Hopefully these cards make it into the sets currently for sale at the ballpark.  (They did - see above!)

• 19 - Tommy Joseph
• 41 - Jimmy Paredes

Update Set (8/13/16):  On August 12th, I purchased an update set which added cards of the six players listed above and removed the cards for the following four players:  David Lough, Emmanuel Burriss, Elvis Araujo and Dalier Hinojosa.

Update (8/29/16):  As pointed out by Steve F. in his comment the Thome card should be considered a short-print, as it was only intended to be included within the photo card set during Alumni Weekend.

Update (12/15/18):  At the recent Phillies holiday sale, an annual event held at Citizens Bank Park, Steve found another rare version of a card in this set's style.  There's a Tommy Joseph card available showing him wearing the team's alternate, home day-game uniform.

• 19 -  Tommy Joseph (alternate uniform)

Also See:  Ben & Doug's Amazing Autograph Adventure

2016 Bowman #67 Odubel Herrera

Tigers 5, Phillies 4
Game 45 - Monday Night, May 23rd in Detroit
Record - 25-20, 3rd place, 2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Tigers combined for six solo home runs, but ultimately the Tigers prevailed, 5-4.

What It Means:  The Phillies have now lost three of their last four games. The trail doesn't get any easier as they're entering a stretch of playing all above .500 teams.

What Happened:  Vince Velasquez struggled again with his control, and he was gone from this game after 95 pitches and just four-plus innings.  Colton Murray entered the game and allowed the final two deciding runs to score.  Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph both homered for the Phillies, while Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs for the Tigers.

Featured Card:  Pete Mackanin sent a message to one of his stars and the entire team by benching Odubel Herrera in the seventh inning after Herrera failed to run out a grounder back to the pitcher. The move may have cost the Phillies some much needed offense in the latter innings, but it had to be done and hopefully it pays dividends throughout the rest of the season.

This is Herrera's most recent mainstream card, from the 2016 Bowman release.

Recently added to The Phillies Room - 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi #29 Bob McClure CO

#22

Robert Craig McClure

Pitching Coach

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  205
Born:  April 29, 1952, Oakland, CA
Home:  Stuart, FL

Teams - As Player:  Kansas City Royals 1975-1976; Milwaukee Brewers 1977-1986; Montreal Expos 1987-1988; New York Mets 1988; California Angels 1989-1991; St. Louis Cardinals 1991-1992; Florida Marlins 1993

Teams - As Coach:  Florida Marlins 1994; Kansas City Royals 2006-2011; Boston Red Sox 2012; Phillies 2014-

1976 Topps #599

2014 Chachi #29

2014 Phillies Team Issue #22

6 McClure Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle

First Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
First Phillies Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
Latest Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #22

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  1976 Topps #599 (with Rob Dressler, Ron Guidry and Pat Zachry)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2014 Chachi #29
2015 Chachi #29
2016 Chachi #29

Card statistics through 5/23/16.

Series Preview - Phillies at Tigers: May 23rd to May 25th

Monday and Tuesday 7:10, Wednesday 1:10
Comerica Park - Detroit, MI

Phillies 25-19, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 2 games behind the Nationals
Tigers 21-22, 4th place in the A.L. Central, 4 1/2 games behind the White Sox

Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (5-1, 2.42), Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 3.99), Aaron Nola (3-3, 2.85)
Tigers Probables:  Mike Pelfrey (0-4, 5.49), Justin Verlandar (3-4, 4.58), Anibal Sanchez (3-5, 6.23)

At the Ballpark:  On Tuesday night, the first 10,000 adults will receive a Tigers patriotic hat in celebration of Armed Forces and Veteran Recognition night at the ballpark.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .325
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 26
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 8
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 25
Stolen Bases:  Odubel Herrera - 6

Wins:  Vince Velasquez - 5
ERA:  Vince Velasquez - 2.42
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 64
Saves:  Jeanmar Gomez - 16

Tigers Leaders
Average:  Nick Castellanos - .340
Runs:  Ian Kinsler - 40
Home Runs:  Ian Kinsler - 10
RBIs:  Nick Castellanos - 30
Stolen Bases:  Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin - 4

Wins:  Jordan Zimmermann - 7
ERA:  Jordan Zimmermann - 2.52
Strikeouts:  Justin Verlander - 60
Saves:  Francisco Rodriguez - 12

1970 Topps #662

1970 Topps #313

1970 Topps Appreciation:  I wonder how these two former Phillies manager would handle the entire Ryan Howard situation?  Howard, clearly in continuous decline, has struggled mightily so far this season and has lost his every day first baseman's job whenever there's a left-handed pitcher starting for the opponent.  Darin Ruf shared platoon duties with Howard at the start of the season and Tommy Joseph is now languishing behind the former All-Star.  I get that it's a delicate situation, but Howard's .161 average and his 4 for 44 in the month of May (through Saturday) is impossible to defend.

On to the 1970 Topps Appreciation portion of this post . . . Frank Lucchesi was a first year manager in 1970, guiding the Phillies to a fifth place finish in the National League with a 73-88 record.  His tenure would last until July 9, 1972 when Paul Owens came down from the front office to manage the team through the duration of one of their worst seasons in franchise history.  Lucchesi's overall record at the helm for the Phillies was 166-233.  He'd manage again for the Rangers from 1975 to 1977 (142-149) and on an interim basis for the Cubs in 1987 (8-17).

Mayo Smith managed in parts of three decades for the Phillies (1955-1958), Reds (1959) and Tigers (1967-1970).  He's featured as the Phillies manager in both the 1955 and 1956 Topps sets.  1970 was to be his final season managing in the Majors, and he guided the Tigers to a 79-83 finish.  Billy Martin would take over in Detroit in 1971.

A quick word about my 1956 Topps blog . . . It's still out there, although it's been dormant since late March.  I kind of thought this would happen once the Phillies season was in full swing, although I thought I'd have more time to dedicate to the 1956 Topps set since the Phillies were predicted to be awful in 2016.  The Phillies haven't been awful, and my 1956 Topps blog has paid the price.  Rest assured, I'll pick it up again at some point and my goal is to finish it up in a shorter time frame (about 20 years) than it took my Dad and me to complete the set.

1956 Topps #60