Thursday, May 31, 2018

Game 53 - 2017 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Update #10 Mitch Walding

Dodgers 8, Phillies 2
Game 53 - Late Wednesday Night, May 30th in Los Angeles
Record - 30-23, 3rd place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  This late night game was mostly devoid of highlights for the Phillies, as the Dodgers easily won, 8-2.

What It Means:  The Phillies will go for the series split tonight and then head to San Francisco for some more late-night, West Coast baseball.

What Happened:  Dodgers starter Ross Stripling allowed a run on four hits in his seven innings of work.  The Phillies didn't score until Nick Williams hit a solo home run (6) in the seventh.  Zach Eflin gave up five runs in his four innings of work.

Featured Card:  Mitch Walding made his Major League debut, starting at third base.  Unfortunately, the debut didn't go so well as Walding went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts.  Walding doesn't have any 2018 baseball cards yet and he's still waiting for his first Phillies card.

Transaction:  Walding had his contract purchased from Lehigh Valley and Pedro Florimon was placed on the disabled list.  Jerad Eickhoff was moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Walding on the 40-man roster.

2018 Chachi #18 Jake Thompson

#44
Jacob Keith Thompson
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  January 31, 1994, Dallas, TX
Drafted:  Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd round of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Acquired with Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher from the Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash considerations, July 31, 2015

2015 Topps Heritage
Minor League #129
2015 Reading Fightin Phils
Holiday Set #27
2016 Bowman
Prospects #BP107
2016 Chachi #54
 
2017 Topps #344
 
41 Thompson Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  2015 Topps Heritage Minor League #129
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Reading Fightin Phils Holiday Set #27
First Phillies Card:  2016 Bowman Prospects #BP107
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2017 Topps #344
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #44
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #44

2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #44
First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 31, 2015 - Cole Hamels (and Jake Diekman) are now officially members of the Texas Rangers and the Phillies have six new players in their organization that I've honestly never heard of before.  No offense meant here, but if Matt Harrison, who was an A.L. All-Star in 2012, bumped into me on the streets of Philadelphia I'd have no idea he was the newest Phillies starting pitcher.

The best way for me to get acclimated with these new guys is to summarize their baseball card careers to date.  I won't attempt to provide scouting reports on these players as I'm just purely interested in getting to know them through their baseball cards for now.  If you want something a little more in-depth, I thought this article was a good read . . .

Jake Thompson (RHP - AA) - Thompson was ranked the second best prospect in the Rangers system in Baseball America's pre-season rankings.  In 17 starts with the Frisco RoughRiders this season, he's 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings.  Thompson has been featured in multiple Topps Heritage Minors and Topps Pro Debut sets since 2010, and his most recent mainstream card was in the 2015 Bowman Inception set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #54
2016 Chachi #56 HL - Strikes out 4 in one inning
2016 Chachi Fan Appreciation Day #4
2017 Chachi #41
2018 Chachi #18

Card statistics through 5/25/18.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Game 52 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #49 Jake Arrieta

Phillies 6, Dodgers 1
Game 52 - Late Tuesday Night, May 29th in Los Angeles
Record - 30-22, 3rd place, 1 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta shut down the Dodgers in his seven innings of work as the offense went 6 for 17 with runners in scoring position in this 6-1 win.

What It Means:  The Braves and Nationals both also won, so the Phillies remain in third place.

What Happened:  Arrieta struck out five and allowed six hits on the way to his fifth win of the season.  Nick Williams hit a solo home run (5) to start the scoring in the second.  Odubel Herrera added a two-run single that inning.  Jorge Alfaro and Carlos Santana both had RBI doubles.

Pedro Florimon had to leave the game in the first after fouling a ball off his foot.  After the game, it was announced that the valuable bench player had broken his foot and was DL-bound.

Featured Card:  This is Arrieta's card from the newly released, series two team-issued photo card set.

2018 Chachi #17 Drew Hutchison

#33
Andrew Scott Hutchison
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  August 22, 1990, Lakeland, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round of the June 2009 draft
Teams:  Toronto Blue Jays 2012, 2014-2016; Pittsburgh Pirates 2016; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, February 15, 2018


2012 Topps Update #US269
2 Hutchison Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
2018 Phillies Team Issue #33

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2012 Topps Update #US269
First Phillies Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #33
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #33
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #33

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  June 15, 2012 - Phillies at Blue Jays Series Preview . . .

Phillies Probables:  Vance Worley (3-2, 3.00), Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.18), Kyle Kendrick (2-6, 5.08)
Blue Jays Probables:  Drew Hutchison (5-3, 4.66), Ricky Romero (7-1, 4.15), Henderson Alvarez (3-6, 3.87)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #17

Card statistics through 5/25/18.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Game 51 - 2015 Topps Gypsy Queen #174 Chase Utley

Dodgers 5, Phillies 4
Game 51 - Monday Night, May 28th in Los Angeles
Record - 29-22, 3rd place, 1 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The defense and bullpen imploded in a nightmare eighth inning, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 win in a game the Phillies absolutely should have won.

What It Means:  The Braves split their double header with the Mets and the Nationals won their game, dropping the Phillies from second place down to third.

What Happened:  Cesar Hernandez hit a three-run home run (7) in the second.  Vince Velasquez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, with the Phillies up 4-0.  It all fell apart after that.  Velasquez allowed a pair of runs before exiting with two outs in the sixth.  Seranthony Dominguez escaped that inning and then struck out the side in the seventh.

Luis Garcia entered in the eighth and this was the series of events - booted ground ball by Maikel Franco, double, enter Adam Morgan, dropped pop up by Cesar Hernandez, ball up the middle to Morgan who couldn't handle the ball, tie game, wild pitch, single to give the Dodgers the lead.

Rhys Hoskins had to leave the game with two outs in the ninth after he fouled a ball off his face.

Featured Card:  Hernandez was supposed to get the card in the post, but the Phils lost and I'm still cranky about it so here's a Chase Utley card instead.  The Silver Fox went 0 for 3 in this game, dropping his season average to .218.

2018 Chachi #16 Ben Lively

#19
Edward Bennett Lively
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  240
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  March 5, 1992, Pensacola, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 4th round of the June 2013 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for Marlon Byrd and cash considerations, December 31, 2014
2015 Grandstand Reading
Fightin Phils #19
2015 Bowman The Farm's
Finest Minis #FFM-BL
2017 Chachi #38
 
2017 Topps Update #US160
 
25 Lively Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #19
First Phillies Card:  2015 Bowman The Farm's Finest Minis #FFM-BL
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2017 Topps Update #US160
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #49
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #19

2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #49
First Mention on The Phillies Room:  January 1, 2015 - It's fitting that the first full post of the new year features the latest veteran departure from the under performing 2014 club. Yesterday afternoon, the Phillies traded outfielder Marlon Byrd (and cash) to the Cincinnati Reds for pitching prospect Ben Lively.  The big squad sure isn't getting any better, but the Phillies' Double-A team should be fun to watch this year with Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin, Tom Windle and Lively slated to be the Fightin Phils' top four starting pitchers.

Byrd was one of the better offensive performers for the Phillies in 2014, hitting .264 in 154 games with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. Although his 185 strikeouts were second only to Ryan Howard's 190 to lead the National League.

Lively joins Endy Chavez in the exclusive club of players the Phillies received in trades for Byrd. The right-handed pitcher had cards in this past year's Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Chrome and Bowman Draft sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #38
2017 Chachi In Action #3
2018 Chachi #16

Card statistics through 5/25/18.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Series Preview - Phillies at Dodgers: May28th to May 31st

1978 Topps #161
1978 Topps #440
Monday 8:10, Tuesday and Wednesday 10:10, Thursday 7:35
Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA

Phillies 29-21, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1/2 game behind the Braves
Dodgers 24-28, 4th place in the N.L. West, 3 1/2 games behind the Rockies

Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (4-5, 4.18), Jake Arrieta (4-2, 2.45), Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.27), Aaron Nola (6-2, 2.27)
Dodgers Probables:  Brock Stewart (0-0, 3.72), Kenta Maeda (4-3, 3.38), Ross Stripling (2-1, 1.74), Clayton Kershaw (1-4, 2.86)

At the Ballpark:  Fans will receive a Dodgers Memorial Day apron tonight and a Chris Taylor bobble head on Wednesday night.

Dodgers Leaders
Average:  Matt Kemp - .333
Runs:  Chris Taylor - 36
Home Runs:  Cody Bellinger and Yasmani Grandal - 8
RBIs:  Yasmani Grandal - 28
Stolen Bases:  Yasiel Puig - 5

Wins:  Kenta Maeda - 4
ERA:  Alex Wood - 3.75
Strikeouts:  Kenta Maeda - 66
Saves:  Kenley Jansen - 11

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .331
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 35
Home Runs:  Carlos Santana - 9
RBIs:  Carlos Santana - 32
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 9

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.27
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola and Nick Pivetta - 67
Saves:  Hector Neris - 9

Game 50 - 2010 Topps National Chicle #21 J.A. Happ

Blue Jays 5, Phillies 3
Game 50 - Sunday Afternoon, May 27th in Philadelphia
Record - 29-21, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Former Phillie J.A. Happ held the Phillies offense in check while reliever Tommy Hunter had another rough outing in this 5-3 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies were in first place for less than a day as the Braves won on Sunday.  They'll hope to get back to the top spot during a four-game series in Los Angeles.  The Braves are back home against the Mets.

What Happened:  Nick Pivetta started and allowed two runs while striking out seven in his five innings of work.  Hunter managed just two outs in the sixth before being pulled having allowed a pair of Jays runs to score.  The only Phillies offense came in the sixth when Maikel Franco, Carlos Santana, Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams strung together four straight singles to score three runs.

Featured Card:  Happ has been tough on the Phillies since they traded him to the Astros in the July 2010 Roy Oswalt deal.  In his five starts against his former team, Happ is 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA.

Final Look at Offseason Moves (Late May Edition)

2018 Chachi Departures #14
2018 Chachi Departures #13
I almost deleted this post from my draft folder, but then I decided it would be amusing to look back at the players who appeared with the Phillies last season and have since moved on.  I know "it's still early," but to think back to where the club was last year compared to where they are this year makes me hopeful that better things will continue to come.

This post also serves as a final "Departure" tribute to catcher Cameron Rupp, and to a lesser extent, reliever Ricardo Pinto.  As of Friday night, Rupp was hitting .257 with 7 home runs for the Triple-A Round Rock Express.  His final Phillies baseball cards can be found within both Series One of the Topps flagship release as well as the Topps Phillies retail team set.

Cameron Rupp Complete Chachi Checklist
2013 Chachi #63
2014 Chachi #53
2015 Chachi #10
2016 Chachi #10
2016 Chachi #43 HL - Rupp Hangs On
2016 Chachi Archives #7
2016 Chachi Photo Day #34
2017 Chachi #7
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #11
2017 Chachi Archives #4
2017 Chachi Photo Night #28 (with Clay Buchholz and Andrew Knapp)
2017 Chachi Photo Night #29 (with Iggy)
2018 Chachi Fly Eagles Fly #3
2018 Chachi Departures #14

Ricardo Pinto Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #42
2017 Chachi Photo Night #14
2018 Chachi Departures #13

Moving On - 2017-2018 Offseason
  • Henderson Alvarez - rhp (10/4/17) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League, 3/16/18.
  • Ty Kelly - 2b-of (10/4/17) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Mets, 1/22/18.
  • Kevin Siegrist - lhp (10/4/17) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2/24/18.
  • Andres Blanco - inf (11/2/17) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the San Francisco Giants, 1/30/18.
  • Clay Buchholz - rhp (11/2/17) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent
    with the Kansas City Royals, 3/20/18.
  • Hyun Soo Kim - of (11/2/17) - Elected free agency, signed with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization, 12/18/17.
  • Daniel Nava - of (11/2/17) - Elected free agency, signed as a minor league free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2/6/18.
  • Jesen Therrien - rhp (11/6/17) - Outrighted off 40-man roster and elected free agency, signed as a minor league free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11/29/17.
  • Michael Mariot - rhp (11/6/17) - Elected free agency, signed as a minor league free agent with the San Diego Padres, 11/29/17.
  • Colton Murray - rhp (11/6/17) - Elected free agency, signed as a minor league free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/14/17.
  • Brock Stassi - 1b (11/6/17) - Elected free agency, signed as a minor league free agent with the Minnesota Twins, 12/7/17.
  • Cameron Perkins - of (12/11/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners.
  • Freddy Galvis - ss (12/15/17) - Traded to the San Diego Padres for Enyel De Los Santos.
  • Tommy Joseph - 1b (3/19/18) - Claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers.
  • Cameron Rupp - c (3/26/18) - Released and signed as a minor league free agent with the Texas Rangers, 4/3/18.
  • Ricardo Pinto - rhp (3/27/18) - Traded to the Chicago White Sox for future considerations.
Coming Back - 2017-2018 Offseason
  • Pedro Florimon - inf-of (11/13/17) - Signed to a minor league contract.
New Additions - 2017-2018 Offseason
  • Engelb Vielma - inf (11/20/17) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
  • Pat Neshek - rhp (12/15/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Colorado Rockies.
  • Tommy Hunter - rhp (12/15/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Tampa Bay Rays.
  • Carlos Santana - 1b (12/20/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians.
  • Drew Hutchison - rhp (2/15/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
  • Jake Arrieta - rhp (3/12/18) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Chicago Cubs.
Already Gone - 2017-2018 Offseason
  • Engelb Vielma - inf (12/11/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Game 49 - 2018 Topps Base Variations #226 Nick Williams #BeBold

Phillies 2, Blue Jays 1
Game 49 - Saturday Afternoon, May 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 29-20, 1st place, 1/2 game ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola carried a no-hitter into the seventh and Nick Williams hit a key, 8th inning pinch-hit home run to give the Phillies a 2-1 win over the Jays.

What It Means:  The Braves loss coupled with this win means that for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, the Phillies are in first place.

What Happened:  Nola looked gassed after a rain delay following the sixth inning.  After walking a pair of batters to open the 7th, Russell Martin singled to left, ending the no-hit bid and tying the game at one.  Williams untied it with his home run (4) in the eighth.  Seranthony Dominguez recorded his first career win with a scoreless eighth and Luis Garcia shut down the Jays in the ninth to notch his first save of the season.

The Phillies scored first in the fifth on Maikel Franco's solo home run (8) to left.

Featured Card:  I vetoed my family's choice for featured card (Nola) and selected Williams since his pinch-hitting has been so successful and so unexpected this year.  He's 9 for 19 this season as a pinch-hitter with three home runs, each of which have given the Phillies the lead in a ballgame.  This is his short-printed base variation card from the Series One Topps flagship release.

2018 Chachi #15 Vince Velasquez

#28
Vincent John Velasquez
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  203
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  June 7, 1992, Montclair, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the June 2010 draft
Teams:  Houston Astros 2015; Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Acquired with Mark Appel, Brett Oberholtzer, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz from the Houston Astros for Ken Giles and Jonathan Arauz, December 12, 2015

2015 Topps Update #US258
2016 Chachi #18
22 Velasquez Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps Update #US258
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #28
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #28
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #28

2016 Phillies Team Issue #28
First Mention on The Phillies Room:  December 13, 2015 - Farewell Ken Giles; Closer Traded to Astros in 7-Player Deal - Of course I understand the rationale behind the Phillies trading their young closer Ken Giles to the Astros for five players.  There's no need for a top caliber closer on a team that will most likely finish buried in the second division again in 2016.  Even though he's young and inexpensive, it makes sense to trade Giles for potential building blocks for the future.

Still . . . this stinks.  I'm bummed.  My (now nine-year-old) son Doug is bummed.  My wife is bummed.  My youngest son Ben is mildly perturbed.  Giles is a genuinely likable guy, and someone I would have loved to have rooted for with the Phillies for years to come.  Instead, I'll root for him and his Astros unless they're facing off against the Phillies.  It's crazy to me that the four pitchers who threw the combined no-hitter for the Phils back in 2014 are now pitching elsewhere.

As is the case with any trade, much better analysis can be found on other websites and blogs.  What I'm most interested in are the baseball cards available for the five newest Phillies.

Vincent Velasquez (rhp) - Velasquez appeared in 19 games for the Astros in 2015, and the 23-year-old was considered to be one of the top prospects in the Astros farm system.  He began appearing in Bowman releases in 2010 and he has cards in the 2015 Topps Heritage and 2015 Topps Update sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi New Additions #10
2016 Chachi #18
2016 Chachi #35 HL
2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders (with Jeremy Hellickson and Jerad Eickhoff)
2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders (with Jerad Eickhoff and Jeremy Hellickson)
2016 Chachi Archives #8
2016 Chachi Photo Day #18
2017 Chachi #18
2017 Chachi Photo Night #27
2018 Chachi #15

Card statistics through 5/25/18.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Game 48 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue #46 Adam Morgan

Blue Jays 6, Phillies 5
Game 48 - Friday Night, May 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 28-20, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies nearly pulled off a fantastic come-from-behind win, but a 9th inning rally fizzled and the Blue Jays emerged victorious.

What It Means:  The Braves also loss, so the Phillies remain just a half game behind them in the division.

What Happened:  With the bases loaded in the ninth, Rhys Hoskins struck out looking and Odubel Herrera grounded weekly to second to end the game.  Zach Eflin hit his first career home run, but he allowed three first inning runs and pulled from the game in the fifth.  Carlos Santana hit a two-run home run (9) in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Adam Morgan pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out three and lowering his ERA to 1.98.

Field Report:  Doug and I watched this game from our "normal" seats in Section 315.  It was Bark in the Park night and we were amazed at the number of dogs walking around in the upper concourse.  What a fantastic event!  The Pennsylvania SPCA was on hand soliciting donations, and Doug and I both bought a mystery bag containing an autographed baseball.  Doug made out better than I did with his bag as he got a Santana autograph while my baseball was signed by Morgan.

2018 Phillies Team Issue - 2nd Edition


Number of Cards:  46 + 8 cards added to an update set
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The second series of 2018 team-issued photo cards feature a design very reminiscent of the update set issued at the end of the 2017 season.  The cards have a gray border with the player's name and uniform number at the bottom and the Phillies script logo at the top.  The photos featured are from the first month and a half of the 2018 season.  Consistent with prior years' designs, the horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  Sets most likely went on sale at the beginning of the late May homestand with the Braves beginning on May 21st.  I purchased my set for $5 at a Scorecards stand on May 23rd.

On September 11th, an "update" set went on sale comprised of 8 new cards inserted into the packaging of the previously available 46 cards.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.  The set comes in clear packaging with Rhys Hoskins and Aaron Nola facing up on either side, and with the cards largely in alphabetical order.

  • 2 - J.P. Crawford
  • 3 - Jose David Flores CO
  • 4 - Scott Kingery
  • 5 - Nick Williams
  • 7 - Maikel Franco
  • 8 - John Mallee CO
  • 9 - Jesmuel Valentin
  • 13 - Pedro Guerrero CO
  • 15 - Andrew Knapp
  • 16 - Cesar Hernandez
  • 17 - Rhys Hoskins
  • 18 - Pedro Florimon
  • 19 - Ben Lively
  • 22 - Gabe Kapler MG
  • 23 - Aaron Altherr
  • 24 - Roman Quinn
  • 27 - Aaron Nola
  • 28 - Vince Velasquez
  • 31 - Mark Leiter, Jr.
  • 33 - Drew Hutchison
  • 35 - Jim Gott CO
  • 37 - Odubel Herrera
  • 38 - Jorge Alfaro
  • 39 - Rick Kranitz CO
  • 40 - Tommy Hunter
  • 41 - Carlos Santana
  • 43 - Nick Pivetta
  • 44 - Jake Thompson
  • 45 - Chris Young CO
  • 46 - Adam Morgan
  • 48 - Jerad Eickhoff
  • 49 - Jake Arrieta
  • 50 - Hector Neris
  • 53 - Yacksel Rios
  • 55 - Hoby Milner
  • 56 - Zach Eflin
  • 57 - Luis Garcia
  • 58 - Seranthony Dominguez
  • 59 - Rob Thomson CO
  • 61 - Edubray Ramos
  • 62 - Dusty Wathan CO
  • 64 - Victor Arano
  • 81 - Craig Driver CO
  • 82 - Bob Stumpo CO
  • 93 - Pat Neshek
  • Phillie Phanatic
Update Set
  • 13 - Asdrubal Cabrera
  • 19 - Jose Bautista
  • 25 - Dylan Cozens
  • 33 - Justin Bour
  • 40 - Wilson Ramos
  • 47 - Aaron Loup
  • 54 - Austin Davis
  • 70 - Luis Avilan
One and Done (6):  Avilan, Cabrera, Bautista, Bour, Loup, Ramos
First Appearances (4):  Cozens, Davis, Dominguez, Rios
Returning Players (32):  Alfaro, Altherr, Arano, Arrieta, Crawford, Eflin, Eickhoff, Florimon, Franco, Garcia, Hernandez, Herrera, Hoskins, Hunter, Hutchison, Kingery, Knapp, Leiter Jr., Lively, Milner, Morgan, Neris, Neshek, Nola, Pivetta, Ramos, Quinn, Santana, Thompson, Valentin, Velasquez, Williams

Every player/coach/mascot available in the first series release is repeated in this second series release with four additional cards added for relievers Rios and Dominguez along with bullpen catchers Stumpo and Driver.  This is the first time the Phillies have included their bullpen catcher(s) in their main photo card set since Clemente Alvarez received a card within the 2001 release.

Jesmuel Valentin's card switches his uniform number from the #76 he wore in spring training to the #9 he's wearing now.  Roman Quinn remains in the set even though he's spent the first part of the season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  The only odd man odd here is reliever Zac Curtis who was on the active roster for 10 days in early May.

For the 8 players inserted into the set late in the season, this marks each of their first appearances in a team-issued photo card set and 5 of the players received their first ever Phillies baseball cards - Avilan, Bautista, Bour, Davis and Loup.  Cozens has a few Phillies baseball cards already to his name while Cabrera and Ramos have recently appeared on Topps Now cards.

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):  Kapler
Coaches (10):  Driver, Flores, Gott, Guerrero, Kranitz, Mallee, Stumpo, Thomson, Wathan, Young
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (0)
Other Cards (0)

For the second set in a row, the broadcast team has been omitted.  The Phanatic is pictured in front of the wall climb now featured in The Yard, a kid's area that opened at the start of the 2018 season at the former location of Bull's BBQ.

Rarities:  On June 10th, fellow collector Steve's son participated in a baseball clinic at Citizens Bank Park sponsored by Chevrolet.  Following the session, during which Rhys Hoskins made an appearance, the kids all received a pack of autographed coaches cards.  8 of the 12 coaches cards were identical to those found for sale within the first and second issuance of the photo card sets, but 4 of the cards were unique.  In the style of the second photo card set were cards of Mike Calitri, Manager of Advance Scouting, and former big leaguer Sam Fuld, the team's Major League Player Information Coordinator.
  • 87 Sam Fuld
  • 95 Mike Calitri

Friday, May 25, 2018

Series Preview - Blue Jays at Phillies: May 25th to May 27th

1978 Topps #169
1978 Topps #568
Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05 and Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Blue Jays 23-27, 4th place in the A.L. East, 11 games behind the Red Sox
Phillies 28-19, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1/2 game behind the Braves

Blue Jays Probables:  Sam Gaviglio (1-0, 0.93), Jaime Garcia (2-3, 6.28), J.A. Happ (6-3, 3.97)
Phillies Probables:  Zach Eflin (1-0, 1.56), Aaron Nola (6-2, 2.37), Nick Pivetta (4-2, 3.23)

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies are sponsoring a Bark in the Park event tonight.  Tomorrow, all kids will receive a Phillies water bottle and on Sunday all kids will receive a Rhys Hoskins Starting Lineup figure.

Blue Jays Leaders
Average:  Kevin Pillar - .280
Runs:  Kevin Pillar - 26
Home Runs:  Yangervis Solarte - 11
RBIs:  Yangervis Solarte - 31
Stolen Bases:  Kevin Pillar - 8

Wins:  J.A. Happ - 6
ERA:  J.A. Happ - 3.97
Strikeouts:  J.A. Happ - 71
Saves:  Roberto Osuna - 9

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .343
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 34
Home Runs:  Carlos Santana - 8
RBIs:  Three tied with - 30
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 9

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.37
Strikeouts:  Vince Velasquez - 64
Saves:  Hector Neris - 9

Game 47 - On the Field for Batting Practice #StrikeOutALS


Phillies 4, Braves 0
Game 47 - Wednesday Night, May 23rd in Philadelphia
Record - 28-19, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta dealt against the Braves, helping secure the series win.

What It Means:  The Phillies are a half game behind the Braves in the division as they open up a Memorial Day weekend series at home against the Blue Jays.

What Happened:  Arrieta struck out 7 in his 6 2/3 innings of work.  Seranthony Dominguez and Hector Neris took care of the final 7 outs.  Carlos Santana and Cesar Hernandez contributed RBI singles while Maikel Franco and Nick Williams added RBI doubles.

2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #4
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #3
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #5
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #6
Featured Cards/Field Report:  Back in November, my wife Jenna and I attended the 40th Anniversary Gala of the Philadelphia ALS Association.  A close family friend of ours is battling ALS and the work of the Association is invaluable to the ALS patients and families in our community.

Jenna bid on and won a Phillies VIP Package that included a signed baseball from Rhys Hoskins, a signed bat from Nick Williams and a signed catcher's mitt from Cameron Rupp.  The package also included the opportunity to watch the Phillies take batting practice before a game and a behind the scenes tour of Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies contacted Jenna in April and we picked this game against the Braves for our "VIP" experience, partly because it was also Star Wars Night.  The experience did not disappoint.

2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #7
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #9
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #8
2018 Chachi
Friendly Encounters #10
The highlight of course was getting to watch the Phillies take batting practice from right behind home plate.  We were told not to call over to the players, but several of them wandered over to us anyway.  Thanks to Scott Kingery, Carlos Santana, Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams and Jesmuel Valentin for taking time to sign some autographs and pose for pictures.  Santana offered Ben a hug, and Ben managed to avoid touching the pine tar already accumulating on Santana's right shoulder.  Broadcasters Tom McCarthy and Gregg Murphy also obliged with autographs and pictures.

After the players had all batted, manager Gabe Kapler made his way over to us and asked to see Doug's stack of Phillies baseball cards.  He looked at each one, pausing for comments, and then was impressed to see a Williams card in the style of the original 1983 Topps set.  It's something we and our sons will never forget.  Thanks again to the Phillies for a truly memorable experience!


2018 Chachi #14 Nick Pivetta

#43
Nicholas Jhoncarlo Pivetta
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  210
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  February 14, 1993, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Drafted:  Selected by the Washington Nationals in the 4th round of the June 2013 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Traded from the Washington Nationals for Jonathan Papelbon and cash considerations, July 28, 2015

2016 Grandstand Reading
Fightin Phils #23
2017 Chachi #40
 
2017 Topps Update #US235
 
13 Pivetta Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2016 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #23
First Phillies Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue Phillies Phestival #43
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue Phillies Phestival #43
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2017 Topps Update #US235
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #43

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 29, 2015  - All-Time Phillies Saves Leader Papelbon Traded to Nationals - There has been a deal.

The big news throughout the day yesterday was the pending trade of the Phillies all-time saves leader, and general overall nutjob Jonathan Papelbon.  The deal was officially announced before the start of the fifth inning in last night's game and I'm glad the Papelbon era (2012-2015) has officially come to a close.

Papelbon was traded to the Nationals (with cash considerations) for Double-A prospect Nick Pivetta. Pivetta is a lanky right-handed starting pitcher who was drafted by the Nationals in 2013.  Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked him the Nationals 10th best prospect.  He has yet to appear on any mainstream baseball cards although a quick eBay search shows that he has several cards in recent Nationals minor league team sets.

I decided to add Pivetta to the growing Chachi Almost set and hopefully he's appearing on a Chachi base card in the near future.  Given that he's recently appeared in three games for Double-A Harrisburg, I went ahead and assigned him to the Reading Fightin Phils for his card.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2015 Chachi Almost #10
2017 Chachi #40
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #15
2017 Chachi In Action #6
2017 Chachi Archives #3
2017 Chachi Photo Night #9
2018 Chachi #14

Card statistics through 5/21/18.