2016 Stadium Club #166 Freddy Galvis

Phillies 2, Braves 1
Game 102 - Sunday Afternoon, July 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 38-64, 5th place, 23 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Vince Velasquez turned in one of his best performances of the year and Freddy Galvis delivered a walk-off winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Phillies to a 2-1 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies are 9-6 since the All-Star break and they've won eight of their last 11 games.

What Happened:  Velasquez held the Braves scoreless through seven innings, striking out six.  Odubel Herrera manufactured the Phillies' first run in the fourth, reaching on a bunt single, going to second on a wild pitch, going to third when Maikel Franco grounded out, and scoring on a passed ball.  Andrew Knapp started things off in the ninth with a double, eventually coming around to score on Galvis' winning single to right.

Featured Card:  On top of his winning hit, it seemed as if Galvis was making an incredible defensive play every inning.  If he doesn't win a Gold Glove this year, something is wrong.

Transactions:  Pedro Beato, having thrown just 10 pitches in his return to the majors, was placed on the disabled list and Mark Leiter, Jr. was recalled from the IronPigs.  Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, acquired from the Orioles on Friday night, was added to the active roster.

2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #6 Ty Kelly - Signature Edition

Phillies 4, Braves 3 (11)
Game 101 - Saturday Night, July 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 37-64, 5th place, 24 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Odubel Herrera tied up the game in the ninth with a solo home run and Ty Kelly delivered a game-winning hit in the 11th to give the Phillies a 4-3 win.

What It Means:  Don't look now, but the Phillies are playing decent baseball.

What Happened:  The Phils couldn't get much going early in the ballgame, finding themselves down 3-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth.  Aaron Altherr singled home Cesar Hernandez to get the team to within a run, setting up Herrera's heroics in the bottom of the ninth. Singles by Tommy Joseph and Herrera, followed by a walk to Cameron Rupp, loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Kelly in the 11th.  He delivered, and the on-field celebration commenced!

Featured Cards/Field Report:  We were there and let it be known that if you sign an autograph for Doug before the game, you have a really good chance of doing something big.  Doug spent an hour before the game autograph hunting and came away with signatures of coaches Mickey Morandini and Juan Samuel (both repeat signers), Cameron Perkins (repeat signer), Herrera, Kelly and new Phillie Jessen Therrien.  I'm fairly certain this could be the first autograph Therrien has signed as a major leaguer.

2017 Topps Phillies #PHI-10

2017 Topps #38 (Quin-Sig version)

2017 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #29

Kelly liked his custom card from the Phillies Phestival, pausing to look at it and telling Doug, "This is really cool!"  Doug is particularly proud of his quintuple-signature card which features autographs from Kelly, Samuel, Morandini, Perkins and Phillies broadcaster Gregg Murphy.  (The Kelly and Murphy autographs were from previous games.)

Transaction:  Pitcher Pedro Beato was recalled from Lehigh Valley to take the roster spot of Jeremy Hellickson.  The Phillies played with 24 players in this game as new outfielder Hyun Soo Kim had not yet arrived in Philadelphia.

Phillies Debuts:  Therrien and Beato both made their debuts.  Therrien is the 10th player making his Major League debut for the Phillies this season.

18.  Jesen Therrien (rhp) - Relieved Jerad Eickhoff in the sixth, allowing a hit and striking out one (Micah Johnson).
19.  Pedro Beato (rhp) - Relieved Hoby Milner in the eighth and retired the only two batters he faced before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.  It was Beato's first appearance in the majors since 2014.

Photo Night Highlights! (Part Three)

2017 Chachi Photo Night #23

2017 Chachi Photo Night #29

2017 Chachi Photo Night #24

With all the trades happening recently, I had completely forgotten to post the final set of extremely limited edition Chachi insert cards from the team's recent Photo Night.  Here are the final nine cards and you can look back at Part One and Part Two of this series of posts for the other cards in the set.

We didn't recognize Clay Buchholz at first, but that's only because he hadn't pitched with the team since very early in the season.  Kudos to him for coming out for the event.

2017 Chachi Photo Night #25

2017 Chachi Photo Night #26

2017 Chachi Photo Night #28

2017 Chachi Photo Night #27

2017 Chachi Photo Night #30

2017 Chachi Photo Night #31

Hellickson Traded to Orioles for Kim and Cleavinger

2016 Topps Now #468

After what seemed like dozens of "final starts with the Phillies" between last season and this season, Jeremy Hellickson was finally dealt.  A short while after announcing the Howie Kendrick deal with the Nationals, the Phillies confirmed late on Friday night they had traded Hellickson (and cash) to the Orioles for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, left-handed pitcher Garrett Cleavinger and future international bonus money.

In 52 starts with the Phillies over the past two seasons, Hellickson went 18-15 with a 4.09 ERA and was most likely the team's most reliable starting pitcher during this basement dwelling era.  He was the Phillies opening day starter in 2016 and 2017.  By my tally, he's appeared on 13 different Phillies baseball cards, the most recent of which being his Topps Gypsy Queen card.  Perhaps his best start with the Phillies came on September 17th of last season when he pitched a complete game shutout against the Marlins and earned a Topps Now card for his performance.  Hellickson joins an Orioles team that's currently below .500 (48-54) and 6 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card standings.

2016 Topps Heritage #721

2017 Choice Bowie Baysox

Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will join the Phillies active roster, taking the place of the departed Howie Kendrick.  Kim was hitting .232 this season with the Orioles in 56 games.  In 95 games last season, he hit .302 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs.  His most readily available baseball cards can be found in 2016 Topps Heritage, 2016 Topps Update and the 2017 Topps Orioles team set.  He's also appeared on a few relic cards within 2017 Donruss and he has a number of baseball cards in Korean sets between 2009 and 2015.

Pitcher Garrett Cleavinger is 2-4 with a 6.28 ERA this season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox.  His baseball cards can be found within recent Orioles' minor league team sets as well as within the 2015 Panini Contenders set.

Jeremy Hellickson Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi New Additions #2
2016 Chachi #9
2016 Chachi #68 ERA Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff
2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez
2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez
2016 Chachi Photo Day #27
2017 Chachi #9
2017 Chachi Archives #17

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.
• Howie Kendrick - lf-2b (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Washington Nationals for McKenzie Mills and future considerations.
• Jeremy Hellickson - rhp (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Baltimore Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.
• Hyun Soo Kim - of (7/28/17) - Acquired with Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for Jeremy Hellickson and cash.

Kendrick Shipped to Nationals for Pitching Prospect

2017 Topps Phillies #PHI-16

The trade announcement we were expecting following Friday night's game was that Jeremy Hellickson had been dealt to a contender.  We'd have to wait for that announcement, as the Phillies first announced they had traded Howie Kendrick (and cash) to the Nationals for Class A left-handed pitcher McKenzie Mills and international signing bonus money.

In his half a season with the Phillies, Kendrick was one of their more reliable hitters although he battled several nagging injuries.  In 39 games, Kendrick hit .340 with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs, receiving 24 starts in left field and 10 starts at second base.  His Phillies baseball card legacy (for now) is limited to the team-issued photo card, and cards in the Topps Heritage and Topps Phillies retail team set.  He also shared a Topps Now card with the also departed Michael Saunders.

Coming to the Phillies is 21-year-old McKenzie Mills, an All-Star this year with the Class A Hagerstown Suns.  He's 12-2 with a 3.01 ERA over 18 starts, with an impressive 118 strikeouts to just 22 walks.  He had just been promoted to the High A Potomac Nationals, which makes it likely he'll join Clearwater's roster.  It appears as if the only baseball card appearances to date for Mills have been within Nationals' minor league team sets.

Howie Kendrick Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi New Additions #2
2017 Chachi #2
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #16
2017 Chachi Photo Night #21

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.
• Howie Kendrick - lf-2b (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Washington Nationals for McKenzie Mills and future considerations.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Foil #222 Jake Thompson

Phillies 10, Braves 3
Game 100 - Friday Night, July 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 36-64, 5th place, 25 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  A seven-run fifth inning, along with a big night from Aaron Altherr, led to this 10-3 win over the Braves.

What It Means:  The game was somewhat secondary as we awaited news of a trade.  Starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was pulled from the bullpen prior to the game (while he was warming up) and Jake Thompson made the emergency start.

What Happened:  Thompson pitched extremely well, earning the win and shutting out the Braves over five innings while allowing five hits.  Altherr hit a pair of home runs (15 and 16).  Altherr and Cameron Rupp (10) went back-to-back to start the fifth and Tommy Joseph would later add a three-run home run (16).  Freddy Galvis had a two-run triple in the inning, scoring on a throwing error from second baseman Brandon Phillips.

Featured Card:  Despite spending most of the season in the minors, Thompson is all over the 2017 Topps baseball card releases.  He's had at least one card in every major Topps release this season, including this parallel foil card from Allen & Ginter.

Transactions:  Reliver Jesen Therrien was recalled from the IronPigs prior to the game to take Pat Neshek's spot on the roster.  Following the game, trades were announced sending Howie Kendrick to the Nationals and Jeremy Hellickson to the Orioles.  I'll have follow-up posts on both transactions and the players received in return.

Series Preview - Braves at Phillies: July 28th to July 31st

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35 and Monday 12:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Braves 48-52, 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 13 games behind the Nationals
Phillies 35-64, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 25 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Braves Probables:  Julio Teheran (7-8, 4.67), Sean Newcomb (1-5, 4.81), R.A. Dickey (6-7, 4.31), Mike Foltynewicz (9-5, 3.82)
Phillies Probables:  Jeremy Hellickson (6-5, 4.73), Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.71), Vince Velasquez (2-6, 5.49), Nick Pivetta (3-6, 5.73)

At the Ballpark:  There's a Hunter Hayes postgame concert following the game tomorrow night, and I'm a little embarrassed that I have no idea who that is.  On Sunday, all kids will receive a "Phanatic Solar Bobble Body," which bobbles whenever in sunlight.  And on Monday, kids will be invited down to the field postgame to run the bases.

Braves Leaders
Average:  Ender Inciarte - .298
Runs:  Ender Inciarte - 68
Home Runs:  Freddie Freeman - 18
RBIs:  Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis - 48
Stolen Bases:  Ender Inciarte - 13

Wins:  Mike Foltynewicz - 9
ERA:  Mike Foltynewicz - 3.82
Strikeouts:  Mike Foltynewicz - 101
Saves:  Jim Johnson - 22

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .271
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 48
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph - 15
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 54
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 9

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.17
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 107
Saves:  Hector Neris - 9

Neshek Traded to Rockies for Prospects

2017 Stadium Club #91

Pat Neshek's services were not needed in Wednesday night's 9-0 win over the Astros.  Had he entered that ballgame, he would have tried to extend his home scoreless streak to 24 games.  Following the game, Neshek, the team's "most targeted player," was sent to Colorado for three Single A prospects. He joins a Rockies team 13 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the N.L. West, but atop the Wild Card standings in the league.

Neshek appeared in 43 games for the Phillies, pitching to an unbelievable 1.12 ERA over 40 1/3 innings.  He was the Phillies' lone representative at the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami.  He gave collectors three major-release Topps cards (to date) - Heritage, Gypsy Queen and Stadium Club - along with the team-issued photo card.  A fellow collector himself, Neshek was a willing TTM signer, returning cards to my son Doug within a week's time.

He could be the first of several trades executed by the Phillies between now and August 31st.


The three players received in return - shortstop Jose Gomez, pitchers Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer - all were South Atlantic League All-Stars this year.  Each appears in the this year's Asheville Tourists team set, and the cards featured below are from currently active eBay auctions.  It will be awhile until we can judge the Neshek trade on the return received, as each of these prospects is at least several years away from the majors.  (Larry Shenk had more here on these prospects, including where they'll be assigned.)

Pat Neshek Complete Chachi Collection
2017 Chachi New Additions #1
2017 Chachi #23
2017 Chachi #47 AS
2017 Chachi Archives #11
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #9
2017 Chachi Photo Night #7

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter #206 Aaron Nola

Phillies 9, Astros 0
Game 99 - Wednesday Night, July 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 35-64, 5th place, 25 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola continued his winning ways with a 10-strikeout performance against the first place Astros.

What It Means:  As Tweeted by Baseball Reference, Nola is the first pitcher since 2014 to have seven straight starts with seven or more strikeouts and less than two or fewer runs allowed.  The last five pitchers to accomplish that feat are Corey Kluber, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, CC Sabathia and Josh Johnson.  And as Tweeted by Matt Gelb, Nola is the first Phillies pitcher with seven straight starts with seven or more strikeouts since Curt Schilling in 1998.

What Happened:  As impressive as Nola's pitching performance was, the offense's performance was even more impressive.  Cameron Rupp hit a pair of two-run home runs (8 & 9), and Maikel Franco added a two-run home run (15) of his own.  Tommy Joseph had a three-hit night, including a two-run double in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Here's Nola's just-released card from this year's Allen & Ginter set.

Transactions:  Prior to the game, Aaron Altherr was activated from the disabled list and Daniel Nava was added to the disabled list with a left hamstring strain.

Following the game, All-Star Pat Neshek was traded to the Rockies for three low-A prospects.  I'll have more on this deal in a separate post.

2016 Topps Heritage High Numbers #548 Charlie Morton

Astros 5, Phillies 0
Game 98 - Tuesday Night, July 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 34-64, 5th place, 25 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense mustered four doubles, but went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position as former Phillies Charlie Morton and Ken Giles contributed to the shutout win for the Astros.

What It Means:  The Astros are way better than the Phillies.

What Happened:  Nick Pivetta was cruising until allowing four runs in the sixth.  He struck out seven in his outing.  Charlie Morton improved to 8-4, pitching seven innings and striking out nine. Giles, in a non-save situation, struck out a pair in his first outing against his former team.

Odubel Herrera was benched in the seventh when he didn't run out a dropped third strike.

Featured Card:  In his fourth start with the Phillies last season, Morton injured his hamstring and was done for the year.  He pitched a total of 17 1/3 innings with the Phillies, earning three Phillies baseball cards for his short tenure with the club.  Morton has Phillies cards in the team-issued photo card set (the first edition), the Topps retail team set, and in the Topps Heritage High Numbers set, featured here.

Field Report:  Doug and I enjoyed (?) this game with a few thousand other Phillies fans, although the highlight for Doug was once again adding a number of Phillies autographs to his collection.  As has been his routine for recent games, Doug stations himself at the corner of the Phillies dugout, with a handful of other autograph seekers, and patiently awaits* for a player or coach to make his way over.

He added five autographs to his collection last night:  Tommy Joseph, Cameron Perkins, Hector Neris, and coaches Juan Samuel and Mickey Morandini.

*He calls their name relentlessly, but politely, until they come over.

Nick Williams now has a 2016 Topps-style giant card for the Ashburn Alley starting line-up

Gametime with a small Phillies crowd (click to enlarge)

Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s - #21 Joe Grahe

#50
Joseph Milton Grahe
Pitcher

A workhorse reliever for the Angels in the early 1990s, Joe Grahe pitched 17 games for the Rockies in 1995 and then would spend the next three seasons trying to get back to the majors.  Between 1992 and 1994, Grahe appeared in at least 40 games with the Angels, notching a career high 21 saves in 1992.

Signed by the Phillies in February 1999, Grahe began the season with Double-A Reading before his 0.90 ERA in his first seven games earned him a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  He pitched well for the Red Barons and when the Phillies shook up their bullpen in early July, Grahe got the call along with Steve Schrenk.  (Mike Grace was sent down and Yorkis Perez landed on the disabled list.)  Grahe appeared in five games in his first stint with the Phils, not allowing a run in four innings pitched.  After a brief demotion, Grahe was again recalled in late August, sticking around through the end of the season and used sparingly as a fifth starter and occasional reliever.

Grahe became a free agent following the 1999 season, but he'd resign with the Phillies.  He'd appear in just six minor league games in 2000 before his playing career came to an end.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  196
Born:  August 14, 1967, West Palm Beach, FL
Drafted:  Drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1989 amateur player draft.
Major League Teams:  California Angels 1990-1994; Colorado Rockies 1995; Phillies 1999
Professional Affiliations:  California Angels 1990-1994; Colorado Rockies 1995; Bangor Blue Ox (independent) 1997; Nashua Pride (independent) 1998; New York Yankees 1998; Phillies 1999-2000

Phillies Career
13 games, 5 starts, 1-4, 3.86 ERA, 32 2/3 innings, 16 strikeouts, 17 walks
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees organization, February 2, 1999.
Debut:  July 3, 1999 - Pitched 2 shutout innings in a 21-8 blowout win against the Cubs, relieving Paul Byrd.  Struck out three and walked three.
Final Game:  October 1, 1999 - Started against the Expos and was chased after 1/3 inning having allowed five runs on six hits and a walk.
Departed:  Departed the Phillies organization at some point during or after the 2000 season.

1991 Donruss #737

1995 Topps #278

1999 Multi-Ad Reading Phillies #6

2000 Q Cards Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #10

2 Grahe Baseball Cards in My Collection
1999 Multi-Ad Reading Phillies #6
2000 Q Cards Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #10

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1991 Donruss #737
First Topps Base Card:  1991 Topps #426
Last Mainstream Card:  1995 Topps #278
Other Notable Cards:  1991 Score #367, 1992 Topps #496, 1993 Topps #129, 1993 Upper Deck #290, 1994 Topps #691

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s
1 Louie Meadows
2 Dave LaPoint
3 Darrin Chapin
4 Mickey Weston
5 Bob Wells
6 Tom Edens
7 Omar Olivares

8 Kevin Elster

9 Jim Deshaies

10 Chuck Ricci
11 Dennis Springer
12 Manny Martinez
13 Rafael Quirico
14 Bronson Heflin
15 Glenn Dishman
16 Rob Butler
17 Mike Robertson
18 Matt Whiteside
19 Robert Dodd
20 Joel Bennett
21 Joe Grahe
22 Domingo Cedeno
23 Torey Lovullo

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.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

2004 Choice Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #17 A.J. Hinch

Astros 13, Phillies 4
Game 97 - Monday Night, July 24th in Philadelphia
Record - 34-63, 5th place, 25 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The first place Astros banged out 18 hits and 13 runs against the last place Phillies in this lopsided loss.

What It Means:  The Astros, with the second best record in baseball at 66-33, had a record of 55-111 in 2013.  The Phillies (and their fans) are hoping to mirror the recent success of the Astros, and hopefully it doesn't take more than a few seasons to get back to somewhat competitive baseball.

What Happened:  Vince Velasquez faced off against his former team for the first time, allowing four runs over three innings before a two-hour rain delay cut his outing short.  Following the storm, Ricardo Pinto allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits in 1 1/3 inning of work.

Cesar Hernandez had three hits and Nick Williams continued to swing a hot bat, lacing a three-run triple in the seventh.

Featured Card:  I'm close to wrapping up the Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s series of custom cards, which tackled the task of producing Phillies virtual cards for those players from the 1990s that never appeared on an actual Phillies baseball card.  Current manager A.J. Hinch will be on the checklist when I begin the Phillies Missing Links of the 2000s set.  I wrote about Hinch in a post from 2009 (featuring his 2005 Chachi card) and the card featured here is one of the two Hinch minor league cards in my Phillies collection.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s - #20 Joel Bennett

#37
Joel Todd Bennett
Starting Pitcher

Released by the Orioles on July 27, 1998, Joel Bennett signed a minor league deal with the Phillies a few days later and spent the remainder of the season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. Bennett had started the 1998 season going 10-0 for the Rochester Red Wings, and he was named the starting pitcher for the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game.  The Orioles soon called him up, but he would opt for free agency a week later when the Orioles tried to send him back down to Rochester.

The Phillies invited him to spring training in 1999 as a non-roster invitee and he got the call to the majors on May 7th when Paul Spoljaric was traded to the Blue Jays.  He'd start three games for the Phillies, struggling in each appearance before moving to the bullpen for a pair of games.  His roster spot was needed when the Phillies claimed Amaury Telemaco off waivers from the Diamondbacks, and Bennett was sent back to the minors on June 9th.  His big league career with the Phillies lasted a few days more than a month.

Bennett pitched in the Red Sox system in 2000 before latching on with the independent New Jersey Jackals.  He'd pitch in parts of seven seasons with the Jackals between 2001 and 2007, compiling a record of 59-19 in 104 games.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  160
Born:  January 31, 1970, Binghampton, NY
Drafted:  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 21st round of the 1991 amateur player draft.
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 1998; Phillies 1999
Professional Affiliations:  Boston Red Sox 1991-1996; Baltimore Orioles 1996-1998; Phillies 1998-1999; Boston Red Sox 2000; New Jersey Jackals (independent) 2001-2007

Phillies Career
5 games, 2-1, 9.00 ERA (17 earned runs in 17 innings pitched), 13 strikeouts
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Baltimore Orioles, July 30, 1998.
Debut:  May 8, 1999 - Started and earned the win against the Rockies in Denver, allowing two solo home runs to Dante Bichette and Todd Helton over five innings of work.
Final Game:  June 6, 1999 - Relieved Robert Person in the sixth inning, allowing two runs on five hits over 1 2/3 innings and ultimately earning the win when the Phillies came from behind to win.
Departed:  Granted free agency, October 6, 1999, and signed with the Boston Red Sox organization that offseason.

1994 Bowman #287

1999 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Team Issue #6

1 Bennett Baseball Card in My Collection
1999 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Team Issue #6

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1994 Bowman #287
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  1994 Bowman #287
Other Notable Cards:  1992 Fleer/ProCards #1767, 1997 Best Bowie Baysox #7, 1998 Q Cards Rochester Red Wings #6

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s
1 Louie Meadows
2 Dave LaPoint
3 Darrin Chapin
4 Mickey Weston
5 Bob Wells
6 Tom Edens
7 Omar Olivares

8 Kevin Elster

9 Jim Deshaies

10 Chuck Ricci
11 Dennis Springer
12 Manny Martinez
13 Rafael Quirico
14 Bronson Heflin
15 Glenn Dishman
16 Rob Butler
17 Mike Robertson
18 Matt Whiteside
19 Robert Dodd
20 Joel Bennett
21 Joe Grahe
22 Domingo Cedeno
23 Torey Lovullo

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.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

Series Preview - Astros at Phillies: July 24th to July 26th

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

Astros 65-33, 1st Place in the A.L. West, 17 games ahead of three teams
Phillies 34-62, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 24 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Astros Probables:  Brad Peacock (8-1, 2.49), Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.18), Mike Fiers (7-4, 3.59)
Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (2-5, 5.14), Nick Pivetta (3-5, 5.58), Aaron Nola (7-6, 3.38)

At the Ballpark:  Tuesday night will be the club's annual Christmas in July celebration.

Astros Leaders
Average:  Jose Altuve - .358
Runs:  George Springer - 82
Home Runs:  George Springer - 27
RBIs:  Carlos Correa - 67
Stolen Bases:  Jose Altuve - 21

Wins:  Dallas Keuchel - 9
ERA:  Mike Fiers - 3.59
Strikeouts:  Lance McCullers - 114
Saves:  Ken Giles - 21

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Aaron Altherr - .288
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 46
Home Runs:  Tommy Joseph - 15
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 52
Stolen Bases:  Howie Kendrick - 8

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 7
ERA:  Jeremy Hellickson - 4.73
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 97
Saves:  Hector Neris - 9

1982 Topps #218

1982 Topps #377

1982 Topps #404

1982 Topps Appreciation:  The three Astros pictured here would go on to join the Phillies later in their careers.

Dave Roberts (1982) appeared in 28 games with the Phillies at the end of his 10-year career, hitting .182 (6 for 33).  Kiko Garcia (1983-1985) provided a boost to the Phillies offense during their pennant-winning season of 1983, hitting .288.

Dickie Thon (1989-1991) served as the Phillies starting shortstop for three years, in between the Steve Jeltz and the Juan Bell eras.  In 431 games, Thon hit .259 with the Phils.

Phils Take Series; Photo Night Highlights! (Part Two)

2017 Chachi Photo Night #8

2017 Chachi Photo Night #32

Phillies 6, Brewers 3
Game 96 - Sunday Afternoon, July 22nd in Philadelphia
Record - 34-62, 5th place

One Sentence Summary:  Jerad Eickhoff pitched six solid inning and Nick Williams started the scoring with a two-run home run in the fourth as the Phillies defeated the Brewers, 6-3.

What It Means:  The Phillies have won back-to-back series for the first time since April.  The first place Astros roll into town to begin a three-game series on Monday night.

What Happened:  Along with allowing only two runs on three hits over six innings, Eickhoff also contributed two hits and scored a run.  Luis Garcia pitched a perfect ninth to record his first save of the season.  Howie Kendrick had a clutch two-run single in the fifth.

Featured Cards:  Here's the next gallery of extremely limited edition Chachi insert cards from Saturday's Photo Night.  Eickhoff and Williams highlight the post given their efforts in this win.

2017 Chachi Photo Night #12

2017 Chachi Photo Night #13

2017 Chachi Photo Night #14

2017 Chachi Photo Night #15

2017 Chachi Photo Night #16

2017 Chachi Photo Night #17

2017 Chachi Photo Night #18

2017 Chachi Photo Night #19

2017 Chachi Photo Night #20

2017 Chachi Photo Night #21