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Vintage Phillies Team Sets

Friday, October 30, 2020

1985 Tastykake Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards


Number of Cards:  47
Card Size:  3 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Description:  Beginning in 1985, the Phillies used the exact same card design for three straight years.  The only differences with these cards are the photos used and the copyright line on the bottom right of the cards' fronts.  The design removes the Phillies script logo found on the 1984 cards and adds the player's uniform number and position.  The set's sponsor, Tastykake, has its logo featured on the backs of the cards.

How Distributed:  All fans attending the Phillies game at Veterans Stadium on April 21, 1985, received a complete shrink-wrapped set with a header/checklist card on the top.  The back of the header/checklist card advertised that additional sets could be purchased from the Phillies via mail order for $3.50.  The Phillies raised the price of a complete set by fifty cents over the previous year.

The 1985 Tastykake Phillies set seems to be the most ubiquitous of all the team-issued sets from the 1980s.  Up through the mid-2010s, the sets could be readily found on eBay and for sale at Citizens Bank Park.  The Memorabilia Store from Hunt Auctions located behind Section 126 had several of these sets for sale throughout the 2014 season.

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here based on the numbered checklist found on the back of the header card): 

1. Header Card / Checklist
2. John Felske (#7 - MG)
3. Dave Bristol (#4 - CO)
4. Lee Elia (#2 - CO)
5. Claude Osteen (#3 - CO)
6. Mike Ryan (#5 - CO)
7. Del Unser (#25 - CO)
8. Manager and Coaches
9. Pitchers
10. Catchers
11. Infielders
12. Outfielders
13. Larry Andersen (#47 - RHP)     
14. Steve Carlton (#32 - LHP)
15. Don Carman (#42 - LHP)
16. John Denny (#40 - RHP)

17. Tony Ghelfi (#35 - RHP)
18. Kevin Gross (#46 - RHP)
19. Al Holland (#19 - RHP)
20. Charles Hudson (#49 - RHP)
21. Jerry Koosman (#24 - LHP)     
22. Shane Rawley (#48 - LHP)
23. Pat Zachry (#38 - RHP)
24. Darren Daulton (#10 - C)
25. Bo Diaz (#6 - C)
26. Ozzie Virgil (#17 - C)
27. John Wockenfuss (#14 - C)
28. Luis Aguayo (#16 - INF)
29. Kiko Garcia (#18 - INF)
30. Steve Jeltz (#30 - SS)
31. John Russell (#29 - OF-1B)
32. Juan Samuel (#8 - 2B)
33. Mike Schmidt (#20 - 3B)
34. Tim Corcoran (#22 - 1B-OF)
35. Greg Gross (#21 - OF-1B)
36. Von Hayes (#9 - CF)
37. Joe Lefebvre (#23 - OF)
38. Garry Maddox (#31 - OF)
39. Jeff Stone  (#26 - OF)
40. Glenn Wilson (#12 - OF)
41. Ramon Caraballo / Mike Diaz
42. Mike Maddux / Rodger Cole
43. Rick Schu / Chris James
44. Francisco Melendez / Ken Jackson
45. Randy Salava / Rocky Childress
46. Rich Surhoff / Ralph Citarella
47. Team Photo

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Zachry
First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (1):  Rawley
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (26):  Aguayo, Andersen, Carlton, Carman, Corcoran, Daulton, Denny, Diaz, Garcia, Ghelfi, G. Gross, K. Gross, Hayes, Holland, Hudson, Jeltz, Koosman, Lefebvre, Maddox, Russell, Samuel, Schmidt, Stone, Virgil, Wilson, Wockenfuss

Manager (1):  Felske
Coaches (5):  Bristol, Elia, Osteen, Ryan, Unser
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0):  But see below.
Future Phillies (6):  Caraballo / Diaz, Maddux / Cole, Schu / James, Melendez / Jackson, Salava / Childress, Surhoff / Citarella
Other Cards (2):  Header Card / Checklist, Team Photo


Surprises:
  There was very little roster turnover between the end of the 1984 season and spring training 1985, as Shane Rawley and Pat Zachry are the only two new additions to the set.  Along with Zachry's one and done Phillies card, this set includes the only Phillies baseball card of Rich Surhoff.  The stand-alone cards feature the entire opening day line-up and adds Tony Ghelfi, Darren Daulton and Joe Lefebvre, who would spend the entire season on the disabled list.

The set's designer's decided to try something different with group photos of coaches and players by position.  Batting practice pitcher Hank King is featured on the coach's card, making this (I believe) his sole Phillies baseball card.  Bill Campbell is featured on the pitcher's card and Ivan DeJesus is featured on the infielder's card, but both are omitted from the regular set.  As the regular season was about to begin, Campbell and DeJesus were traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Dave Rucker.

Of the players receiving solo cards in the regular set, Ghelfi was left off the pitcher's card, John Wockenfuss was (sadly) left off the catcher's card, Kiko Garcia was left off the infielder's card and Lefebvre and Garry Maddox were not on the outfielder's card.

Omissions:  The day before these sets were handed out to fans, the Phillies traded Al Holland to the Pirates for Kent Tekulve.  An update set could have featured Tekulve and other players acquired during the season, such as Derrel Thomas, Tom Foley, Freddie Toliver, Alan Knicely and with a few weeks left to go in the regular season, Dave Stewart.

Variations/Rarities:  Once again, fellow collector Rick came through with a few rarities back when I originally published a post for this set.  These could have been first made available during this season's ALS Autograph Party which would have been in its second season in 1985.  (The Phestival became an official event in 1989.)  Tug McGraw announced his retirement following the 1984 season and this card seems to be a final tribute to the popular lefty reliever.  Fronts and backs of these cards are presented below.

Rarities
1. Tug McGraw - Former Phillies Great
2. Phillies Broadcasters - Richie Ashburn, Harry Kalas, Andy Musser and Chris Wheeler

Also See:  With the 2020 season put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I went back and recapped the Phillies games played in 1985 between that season's opening day and the All-Star break.  An index to those game summaries can be found here.

And here's a commercial from 1985, featuring Garry Maddox and inviting fans to the game on April 21st for their free Phillies photo cards.

Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils).

This set was originally featured in a post back in October 2014, and I'm going to slowly go through some of these team issued set posts and update them with new information learned (if any) over the past six years.


Wednesday, October 28, 2020

1952-69 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards


Number of Cards:
  79
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  These photo cards feature black and white portraits of prominent Phillies players (and managers) to have suited up for the team between 1950 and 1969.  Most of the photo cards contain black facsimile autographs on the fronts, and all the backs are blank.

How Distributed:  The cards were produced throughout the '50s and '60s by the Phillies as needed and as new players joined the club.  There's no way to tell which year any particular card is from, other than each player's card would have been issued during his tenure with the Phillies.  For example, the Johnny Callison card featured above could have been issued at any point, and over several different years from several different printings, between 1960 and 1969, the years Callison played for the Phillies.

Vintage-wise, Dick Sisler is the earliest Phillie represented, having left the club following the 1951 season.  Deron Johnson is the newest Phillie on the checklist, having joined the club in 1969.  The list presented below could grow, although I suspect that any new photo card discoveries from this era would have been made by now.  With the advent of the internet age, the mysteries surrounding these types of issuances are slowly dissipating. 

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically, with variations): 

1. Rich Allen - Glasses
2. Rich Allen - No glasses, Phillies visible
3. Rich Allen - No glasses, cropped             
4. Harry Anderson
5. Richie Ashburn
6. Jack Baldschun
7. Dennis Bennett
8. Ed Bouchee
9. Johnny Briggs
10. Jim Bunning      
11. Smoky Burgess
12. John Buzhardt
13. Johnny Callison
14. Doug Clemens
15. Jim Coker
16. Gene Conley
17. Wes Covington
18. Ray Culp
19. Tony Curry
20. Clay Dalrymple - With glove
21. Clay Dalrymple - Portrait
22. Clay Dalrymple - Portrait, cropped
23. Jacke Davis
24. Don Demeter
25. Dick Ellsworth
26. Del Ennis
27. Dick Farrell - '50s version
28. Dick Farrell - '60s version
29. Chico Fernandez
30. Woodie Fryman
31. Tony Gonzalez - Phillies visible        
32. Tony Gonzalez - Phillies partial
33. Dallas Green
34. Dick Groat
35. Granny Hamner
36. John Herrnstein 
37. Larry Hisle
38. Grant Jackson
39. Larry Jackson - Phillie visible
40. Larry Jackson - Cropped
41. Deron Johnson
42. Jerry Johnson
43. Willie Jones
44. Jim Konstanty (Not team issued)
45. Stan Lopata
46. Art Mahaffey
47. Gene Mauch MG
48. Jack Meyer (Not team issued)
49. Don Money
50. Bobby Morgan
51. Wally Post
52. Robin Roberts
53. Cookie Rojas
54. Mike Ryan
55. Ted Savage
56. Eddie Sawyer MG - Facsimile auto
57. Eddie Sawyer MG - No auto
58. Andy Seminick
59. Ray Semproch
60. Chris Short - Phillies visible
61. Chris Short - Phillies partial
62. Roy Sievers
63. Curt Simmons
64. Dick Sisler
65. Bob Skinner MG - Stands behind
66. Bob Skinner MG - No stands
67. Bobby Gene Smith
68. Charley Smith
69. Frank Sullivan
70. Gary Sutherland (Not team issued)
71. Tony Taylor - Facsimile auto
72. Tony Taylor - No auto (Not team issued)
73. Earl Torgeson
74. Gary Wagner
75. Bill White - Portrait
76. Bill White - With bat (Not team issued)
77. Bobby Wine - Phillies visible        
78. Bobby Wine - Phillies partial
79. Rick Wise

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Going through my collection and double checking the Beckett database, I believe these photo cards mark the only Phillies baseball card appearance of Charley Smith (112 games in 1961).
First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (62):  There are 63 known players to have appeared in these postcard sets.  C. Smith and 62 other players who appeared elsewhere on Phillies baseball cards throughout the years.
Managers (3):  Sawyer, Mauch, Skinner


Omissions:
  The players with the most games with the Phillies in the 1950s without a team issued photo card are - Eddie Waitkus (559 games), Ted Kazanski (417 games) and Johnny Wyrostek (315 games).  From the 1960s, the top three players by games played but not appearing on a Phillies photo card are - Ruben Amaro (668 games), Pancho Herrera (271 games) and Don Lock (215 games).

Variations/Rarities:  I've listed in the checklist above the variations to be found for Allen, Dalrymple, Farrell, Gonzalez, L. Jackson, Sawyer, Short, Skinner, Taylor, Wine and White.  I'm not sure which of the versions of their cards are more prevalent than the others, so I've listed them all above as part of the main checklist.

Special Note:  Fellow collector Rick pointed out to me via text that some of the cards included above are not in fact true team issues.  These are either smaller in size, feature action poses or in some cases are printed on a thicker stock of cardboard.  Rick notes the cards listed above that are almost certainly not team-issued are as follows:  Jim Konstanty, Jack Meyer, Gary Sutherland, Tony Taylor (no auto) and Bill White (with bat).  Collectors should also be aware there are photo cards of similar size and paper stock featuring action shots of Jim Bunning, Chris Short and Rick Wise.  Finally, there's a Mike Ryan card available that is slightly smaller in size than the team-issued version.

Resources:  Fellow Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils) provided the checklists I used to compile the list above, and Rick notes these checklists were originally compiled by collector Dan E., and please refer to my Special Note directly above.                                                                  


Checklist by Decade:  Similar to how I store my multi-year Phillies Alumni photo cards, I've broken out these cards by decade, depending on the years in which the player appeared the most.

1950s (22) - Anderson, Ashburn, Bouchee, Burgess, Ennis, Farrell, Fernandez, Hamner, Jones, Konstanty, Lopata, Meyer, Morgan, Post, Roberts, Sawyer (2), Seminick, Semproch, Simmons, Sisler, Torgeson
1960s (57) - Allen (3), Baldschun, Bennett, Briggs, Bunning, Buzhardt, Callison, Clemens, Coker, Conley, Covington, Culp, Curry, Dalrymple (3), Davis, Demeter, Ellsworth, Farrell, Fryman, Gonzalez (2), Green, Groat, Herrnstein, Hisle, G. Jackson, L. Jackson (2), D. Johnson, J. Johnson, Mahaffey, Mauch, Money, Rojas, Ryan, Savage, Short (2), Sievers, Skinner (2), B. Smith, C. Smith, Sullivan, Sutherland, Taylor (2), Wagner, White (2), Wine (2), Wise  

This set was originally featured in a post back in October 2014, and I'm going to slowly go through some of these team issued set posts and update them with new information gleaned (if any) over the past nearly six years.

Monday, October 26, 2020

2006 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards


Number of Cards:
  43
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The Phillies moved back to a simplified design with their 2006 team-issued set, with the fronts featuring full color photos and a white block design in one of the top corners.  The horizontal card backs once again feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The original 37-card, first version of this set was available for sale at Citizens Bank Park throughout at least the first month of the season.  At some point after the season was underway, and perhaps even as early as mid-May, four player cards were added, and for some reason the cards of coaches Mick Billmeyer and Milt Thompson were re-issued with different photos.  The cards of Tomas Perez, Ricardo Rodriguez and Robinson Tejada were removed from the second version of the set.  Rodriguez was released on March 29th, Tejada was traded to the Rangers on April 1st for David Dellucci and Perez was released on April 2nd.

The second version of the set was advertised with a sticker displayed prominently on the front of the packaging (see below).  Three of the four players added were on the team's opening day roster - Dellucci, Gavin Floyd and Geoff Geary.  Top prospect Cole Hamels was the fourth player added, and he was recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 12th.  As the photo used for Hamels' card was taken during spring training, the Phillies could have rushed an updated version of the set to be ready for Hamels' debut or at least shortly thereafter.

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number from the front of cards): 
1. Bobby Abreu (#53)         
2. David Bell (#25)
3. Mick Billmeyer CO (#17)          
4. Marc Bombard CO (#7)
5. Eude Brito (#58)
6. Pat Burrell (#5)
7. Rheal Cormier (#37)
8. Bill Dancy CO (#16)
9. Rich Dubee CO (#28)
10. Sal Fasano (#13)
11. Ryan Franklin (#23) 
12. Aaron Fultz (#46)
13. Alex Gonzalez 
(#8)
14. Tom Gordon (#45)
15. Ramon Henderson CO (#31)          
16. Ryan Howard (#6)
17. Cory Lidle (#30)       
18. Jon Lieber (#21)
19. Mike Lieberthal (#24)
20. Ryan Madson (#63)
21. Charlie Manuel MG (#41)
22. Brett Myers (#39)
23. Abraham Nunez (#3)
24. Tomas Perez (#9)
25. Arthur Rhodes (#22)  


26. 
Ricardo Rodriguez (#47)
27. Jimmy Rollins (#11) 
28. Aaron Rowand (#33)         
29. Julio Santana (#44)
30. Robinson Tejada (#50)
31. Milt Thompson CO (#15)          
32. Chase Utley (#26)
33. Gary Varsho CO (#19)
34. Shane Victorino (#18)
35. Randy Wolf (#43)
36. Phillie Phanatic
37. Phillies Broadcasters


Complete Update Checklist, 2nd Version:  

1. Mick Billmeyer CO (#17) - In the dugout   
2. David Dellucci (#2)

3. Gavin Floyd (#34)
4. Geoff Geary (#56)                    
5. Cole Hamels (#35)          
6. Milt Thompson CO (#15) - Watching BP          
One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Rodriguez
First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (14):  Brito, Dellucci, Fasano, Franklin, Geary, Gonzalez, Hamels, Howard, Nunez, Rhodes, Rowand, Santana, Tejada, Victorino
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (16):  Abreu, Bell, Burrell, Cormier, Floyd, Fultz, Gordon, Lidle, Lieber, Lieberthal, Madson, Myers, Perez, Rollins, Utley, Wolf

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer (2), Bombard, Dancy, Dubee, Henderson, Thompson (2), Varsho
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  The set contains the highly coveted Scott Franzke rookie card.  Franzke is featured along with fellow broadcasters Scott Graham, Chris Wheeler, Larry Andersen and Harry Kalas.

Version 1
Version 2
Version 1
Version 2

Surprises:
  The Phillies made a flurry of roster moves before opening day, so the creator of this set's checklist can be forgiven for opting to include Rodriguez (who never played a game for the Phillies) Perez and Tejada and missing out on Dellucci, Floyd and Geary.

Omissions:  There are a few omissions here, although none are egregious.  Reliever Chris Booker started the season on the disabled list and was claimed off waivers by the Royals on May 10th.  There are a number of players who were seeing regular time with the club prior to the All-Star Break.  Catchers Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste were both recalled at various points over the first few months of the season due to injuries to Mike Lieberthal and Sal Fasano.  Relievers Clay Condrey and Brian Sanches were up and down a few times as was outfielder Chris Roberson.  Rick White was claimed off waivers from the Reds on June 23rd.

The annual ALS Phillies Phestival was held on May 22nd.  The only players on the active 25-man roster on that date without photo cards are Coste, Roberson and Ruiz.  The Phillies acquired veterans Jamie Moyer, Jose Hernandez and Jeff Conine in August for an improbable pennant run, so there were plenty of options had the team decided to issue an update set.

Variations/Rarities:  Fellow collector Rick clued me in to cards being available with black facsimile autographs for four of the team's stars.

Facsimile Autographs       
1. 
Pat Burrell (#5)
2. Ryan Howard (#6)

3. Mike Lieberthal (#24)
4. Jimmy Rollins (#11)

Also See:  The Phillies gave away a set of Wall of Fame postcards on August 11th featuring cards of the 29 Wall of Famers, up through the 2006 induction of Dallas Green.  On Fan Appreciation Day, September 24th, the Phillies handed out a Topps team card pack containing 27 cards with yellow ink replacing the normal foil found on regular 2006 Topps cards.  There's a nice entry for the set over at 14,000 Phillies.

Resources:  Phillies collectors Steve and Rick (@rickphils).


This set was originally featured in a post back in December 2014, and I'm going to slowly go through some of these team issued set posts and update them with new information learend (if any) over the past nearly six years.

2005 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 2007 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Friday, October 23, 2020

2007-2009 Phillies Alumni Photo Cards


Number of Known Cards:
  42
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  I was admittedly completely unaware of the existence of these cards until an eBay search in 2018 yielded photos of team-issued photo cards for Phillies alumni using a design I had never seen before.  The 2008 cards have a blue border with the Phillies Alumni logo along with the player's name and uniform number at the bottom.  The 2009 cards have a gray border with the same Phillies Alumni logo at the bottom, again along with the player's name and uniform number.  Copyright dates and the corresponding year of issuance can be found on the backs of these cards.

How Distributed:  Between 2007 and 2009, the Phillies created special alumni photo cards for returning players to sign at various autograph events, during alumni weekends and as part of any reunion-related public appearances.  A team card for the 1950 National League Champion Whiz Kids was also created.  Fellow collector Rick shared with me his list of these cards, which is where the information below comes from.  He also notes the 2007 Tekulve card was created for an autograph signing with the ex-reliever that was ultimately cancelled due to inclement weather.


Complete 2007 Checklist 
(Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically): 
1. Rico Brogna
2. Marty Bystrom (blank back)                
3. Larry Christenson
4. Darren Daulton
5. Terry Harmon (blank back)
6. Von Hayes
7. Ricky Jordan
8. Dickie Noles (blank back, 5 x 7)              
9. Mike Rogodzinski                
10. Kent Tekulve
11. Bob Walk
12. Mitch Williams

Complete 2008 Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically): 
1. 1950 Phillies Team
2. Dick Allen
3. Larry Andersen
4. Ricky Bottalico
5. Jeff Brantley
6. Larry Christenson (same photo as 2007)
7. Gene Garber
8. Dallas Green
9. Terry Harmon
10. Tommy Herr
11. Tommy Hutton                       
12. Ricky Jordan
13. Garry Maddox
14. Jerry Martin
15. Gary Matthews
16. Mike Rogodzinski                            
17. Juan Samuel
18. Del Unser
19. Ozzie Virgil

Complete 2009 Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically): 
1. Bob Boone
2. Ricky Bottalico                  
3. Bob Dernier
4. Jim Eisenreich
5. Jim Kaat
6. John Kruk
7. Mike Lieberthal
8. Mickey Morandini              
9. Dickie Noles
10. Juan Samuel (same photo as 2008)
11. Tony Taylor

I am actively seeking these cards and please contact me if you have any for sale or trade.  My want list is linked below.

Also See:
 I recently updated, hopefully for the final time, my post covering the alumni photo cards issued between 2010 and 2019.