Phillies Missing Links of the 1990s - #11 Dennis Springer

#47
Dennis LeRoy Springer
Starting Pitcher

In 1995, two different pitchers with the surname Springer pitched for the Phillies.  Russ Springer, a right-handed relief pitcher, appeared in 14 games.  Dennis Springer, a knuckle-balling right-hander, started four games for the Phillies.  Russ stuck around through 1996, appearing on two Phillies baseball cards.  Dennis moved on following the season and was doomed to never have a cardboard appearance with the Phillies.

A September call-up along with Chuck Ricci, Springer's best start came against the Marlins on September 19th when he pitched seven innings allowing just a run on four hits.  He'd finish the season with an 0-3 record and a 4.84 ERA.  Springer bounced around a little after leaving the Phillies, pitching in a career high 38 games for the 1999 Florida Marlins and compiling a record of 6-16.  On October 7, 2001, while pitching for the Dodgers, Springer allowed Barry Bonds' record-setting 73rd home run of the season.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  185
Born:  February 12, 1965, Fresno, CA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 21st round of the 1987 amateur draft.
Major League Teams:  Phillies 1995; California Angels 1996; Anaheim Angels 1997, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1998; Florida Marlins 1999; New York Mets 2000; Los Angeles Dodgers 2001-2002
Professional Affiliations:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1987-1993; Phillies 1994-1995; California Angels 1996; Anaheim Angels 1997, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1998; Florida Marlins 1999; New York Mets 2000; Los Angeles Dodgers 2001-2002

Phillies Career
4 games, 0-3, 4.84 ERA, 22 1/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, May 19, 1994.
Debut:  September 13, 1995 - Pitched 5 1/3 innings against the Expos, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits.
Final Game:  September 29, 1995
Departed:  Granted free agency on December 21, 1995 and signed with the California Angels on January 5, 1996.

1995 Dunkin' Donuts Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #22

1998 Topps #243

1998 Collector's Choice #503

2000 MLB Showdown 1st Edition #185

1 Springer Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1995 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Dunkin' Donuts #22
Last Card:  1995 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Dunkin' Donuts #22

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1998 Topps #243
First Topps Base Card:  1998 Topps #243
Last Mainstream Card:  2000 MLB Showdown 1st Edition #185
Other Notable Cards:  1990 CMC #414, 1998 Collector's Choice #503, 1998 Upper Deck #294

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.