Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s - #6 Tom Edens

#45
Thomas Patrick Edens
Relief Pitcher

Tom Edens may have had a chance at appearing on a Phillies baseball card if not for the player's strike that prematurely ended the 1994 season.  Acquired from the Astros on July 31, 1994 in exchange for Milt Thompson, Edens appeared in just three games for the Phillies before the team played its last pre-strike game on August 11th.

On that day, the Phillies walked-off with a 2-1 win over the Mets when Ricky Jordan singled home Billy Hatcher with the winning run.  Edens had pitched two scoreless innings in the 14th and 15th, earning the win and becoming the answer to the following trivia question:  Who was the last Phillies pitcher to take the mound prior to the 1994 player's strike?

Another bit of Phillies trivia involving Edens is that he was the player to be named later received from the Mets in the July 1989 Lenny Dykstra-Juan Samuel trade.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  185
Born:  June 9, 1961, Ontario, OR
Drafted:  Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 14th round of the 1983 amateur draft, June 6, 1983
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 1987; Milwaukee Brewers 1990; Minnesota Twins 1992; Houston Astros 1993-1994; Phillies 1994; Chicago Cubs 1995
Professional Affiliations:  Kansas City Royals 1983; New York Mets 1984-1989; Phillies 1989; Milwaukee Brewers 1990; Minnesota Twins 1991-1992; Houston Astros 1993-1994; Phillies 1994; Chicago Cubs 1995; Baltimore Orioles 1996

Phillies Career
3 games, 1-0, 2.25 ERA in 4.0 IP
Acquired:  Acquired from the Houston Astros for Milt Thompson, July 31, 1994
Debut:  August 2, 1994 - Relieved Bobby Munoz, pitching the final inning in a 3-2 loss to the Pirates
Final Game:  August 11, 1994
Departed:  Released on November 18, 1994 and signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, April 8, 1995

1991 Donruss #590

1991 Topps #118

1994 Donruss #456

1994 Topps #427

5 Edens Baseball Cards in My Collection
First Card:  1994 Donruss #456
Last Card:  1994 Flair #169

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1991 Donruss #590
First Topps Base Card:  1991 Topps #118
Last Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps #427
Other Notable Cards:  1983 TCMA Butte Copper Kings #4; 1989 ProCards #1956; 1991 Upper Deck #616, 1992 Stadium Club #662, 1993 Score #450
Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

This is a continuing series looking at those players who spent time with the Phillies but possess no baseball card proof of their time in Philadelphia.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.