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Thursday, January 26, 2023

Phillies Add 21 Non-Roster Invitees to Spring Camp

2022 Topps Pro Debut #PD-8
 
2022 Choice Jersey Shore
BlueClaws #5
2022 Choice Reading Fightin
Phils Update #17
2022 Reading Fightin Phils
Top 10 Prospects
2022  Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #35

I've faithfully tracked the Phillies' non-roster invitee announcements on this blog since 2010, and this is the latest year ever we've received news of the team's invitees.  Adding to the intrigue, the list came all at once instead of in dribs and drabs.  For comparison purposes, the fist seven invitees to 2022 spring training were announced on December 14, 2021.  Here's a look at the 21 players who will show up to Clearwater in a few weeks, along with their 2022 organization and last major baseball card appearance, if any.

Player (position) - 2022 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card
  1. Mick Abel (rhp) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Heritage Minor League #173 (Phillies)
  2. Mark Appel (rhp) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Now #433 (Phillies)
  3. Andrew Baker (rhp) - Phillies - N/A
  4. Jon Duplantier (rhp) - Dodgers - 2021 Donruss Retro 1987 Signatures #87S-JO (Diamondbacks)
  5. Louis Head (rhp) - Marlins / Orioles - N/A
  6. Jake Jewell (rhp) - Guardians / Twins - N/A
  7. Griff McGarry (rhp) - Phillies - N/A
  8. Francisco Morales (rhp) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Update #US318 (Phillies)
  9. McKinley Moore (rhp) - Phillies - N/A
  10. Andrew Painter (rhp) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Pro Debut #PD-48 (Phillies)
  11. Billy Sullivan (rhp) - Phillies - N/A
  12. Jeremy Walker (rhp) - Giants / Rays - 2020 Topps Total #777 (Braves)
  13. Ben Bowden (lhp) - Rockies / Rays / Giants - 2021 Topps Update #US298 (Rockies)
  14. Jim Haley (inf) - Rays - N/A
  15. Scott Kingery (inf) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Opening Day Luck of the Irish #LI-3 (Phillies)
  16. Vimael Machin (inf) - Athletics - 2021 Topps Heritage #502 (Athletics)
  17. Will Toffey (inf) - Phillies - 2020 Bowman Prospect Autographs #PA-WT (Mets)
  18. Weston Wilson (inf) - Brewers - N/A
  19. Vito Friscia (c) - Phillies - N/A
  20. John Hicks (c) - Cubs - 2019 Topps #593 (Tigers)
  21. Max McDowell (c) - Yankees - N/A


Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Rolen Elected Into Hall of Fame

1996 Topps #434
1997 Topps #268
1998 Topps #25
1999 Topps #125
2000 Topps #328
2001 Topps #478
2002 Topps #610
2002 Topps #709

On Tuesday evening, and with 76.3% of the votes, Scott Rolen squeaked into the Hall of Fame and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 23.  It was Rolen's fifth year on the ballot, and he saw a steady ascent since receiving just 10.2% of the votes during his initial year of 2018, when the ballot had been much more crowded.  He's a Hall of Famer on the strength of his combined offensive and defensive output, and his induction hopefully builds the case for Dick Allen, Dale Murphy and eventually Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.

Rolen was drafted by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the June 1993 amateur player draft, and he'd make his big league debut on August 1, 1996, getting the call after third baseman Todd Zeile was dealt to the Orioles at the trade deadline.  Rolen was the team's opening day third baseman in 1997, ultimately winning the Rookie of the Year in the National League, after batting .283 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs.  He'd win his first of eight Gold Gloves the following year in 1998.  Rolen was the Phillies' opening day and regular third baseman between 1997 and mid-2002, during some pretty lean years.  Not looking to sign a contract extension, and wanting to play for a winning team, he was dealt to the Cardinals on July 29, 2002 with Doug Nickle and cash for Placido Polanco, Bud Smith and Mike Timlin.

I was disappointed and upset with Rolen when the trade was announced, and I've since gotten over that.

In his seven seasons with the club, he appeared in 884 games, nearly 200 more than he appeared with the Cardinals.  Rolen batted .282 with 150 home runs and 559 RBIs with the Phillies, again surpassing his totals with the Cardinals.  He's not yet decided which hat his plaque will show when he's inducted, and while a Cardinals hat probably makes the most sense, I'm hoping he wears a Phillies hat.  Rolen also seems a natural candidate to be the team's Wall of Fame Inductee in 2023, but no official announcement has been made.

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Phils Acquire Reliever Soto from Tigers for Vierling, Maton

2023 Chachi New Additions #6
 
2022 Topps Now #342
 
2022 Topps Now #934
 
2022 Topps Now #719
 
2022 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #33

The Phillies bullpen got stronger on Saturday, but it cost the team two young and popular players who both played a part in getting the club to the World Series in 2022.  Gregory Soto (lhp) and Kody Clemens (inf) were acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Matt Vierling (of), Nick Maton (inf) and Donny Sands (c).

Soto was an All-Star with the Tigers in 2021 and 2022, and he converted 30 of 33 save opportunities last season.  He appeared in a career-high 64 games, striking out 60 in 60 1/3 innings pitched.  His most recent mainstream baseball card can be found in the 2022 Topps set, and he began appearing in Bowman sets in 2018.  He wore #65 with the Tigers, and presumably he'll take that number with the Phillies too.  Clemens, son of former pitcher Roger Clemens, made his big league debut last season in May.  In 56 games with the Tigers, he batted .145 (17 for 117) while seeing time at third base, first base, second base, left field and seven games (!) as a reliever in blow-out losses.  He received a Topps Now card last season to mark his call-up.

It's tough to see Vierling and Maton go, as both were fan favorites and I'll forever associate both with the improbable march to the World Series in 2022.  Both came up with the team in 2021, filling in at various times as regulars.  Maton appeared in 86 games for the Phillies, batting .254.  He'll be remembered for the game-winning home run he hit off the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara in mid-September and the walk-off single against the Reds in early September to keep the Phillies' play-off hopes alive.

Vierling appeared in 151 games, batting .260 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs.  He struggled in the postseason, batting just .154 while getting starts in center field in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series.  Vierling had a few big hits in 2022, including his ninth inning home run off Brewers' closer Josh Hader in June and a 10th inning walk-off single against the Blue Jays in late September.  Doug fortunately got him to autograph a few cards at the Philly Show a month ago.

Donny Sands made it into three games with the Phillies in 2022, going 0 for 3.  He was used sparingly, but was on the active roster for 21 games.  Sands received a card in the IronPigs team set to mark his time with the club.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason
  • Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
  • Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
  • Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
  • Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
  • David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
  • Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12/16/22.
  • Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
  • Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 1/4/23.
  • Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Nick Maton - inf , Matt Vierling - of and Donny Sands - c (1/7/23) - Traded to the Detroit Tigers for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens.
New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason
  • Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
  • Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
  • Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
  • Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
  • Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
  • Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
  • Erich Uelmen - rhp (1/4/23) - Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
  • Craig Kimbrel - rhp (1/4/23) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Gregory Soto - lhp and Kody Clemens - inf (1/7/23) - Acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Nick Maton, Matt Vierling and Donny Sands.

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Phils Ink Kimbrel for Bullpen; Jean Signs with Fish

2023 Chachi
New Additions #5
2023 Chachi
New Additions #4
2022 Topps Now
Postseason #PS-120
2022 Topps Heritage #670
 

The National League Champions have been keeping busy since the holidays.  Reliever Craig Kimbrel (rhp), the major league's active saves leader with 394, was signed to a one-year, $10 million contract on January 4th, with Francisco Morales (rhp) being designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space.  Kimbrel solidifies an already strong bullpen, and he'll join manager Rob Thomson's closer by committee program.  In 63 games with the Dodgers in 2022, Kimbrel was 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA and 22 saves in 27 opportunities.  His most recent baseball cards can be found in the Topps Heritage and Topps Update sets.

Before the Kimbrel signing was made official, the Phillies also announced they had acquired Erich Uelmen (rhp) from the Cubs for cash considerations.  Vinny Nittoli (rhp) was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.  Uelmen made his big league debut in July for the Cubs, and he'd pitch in 25 games, all in relief, earning a 4.67 ERA over 27 innings.  He had an autographed insert in the 2018 Bowman set, but he's been otherwise absent from major Topps releases.

There were also a few moves made with former Phillies, most notably with Jean Segura (2b) signing a two-year deal with the Marlins.  Segura was a key player for the team over the past four seasons, appearing in 427 games overall and batting .281 with 43 home runs and 176 RBIs.  He had a number of clutch hits last year in the regular and postseason, and made several unforgettable defensive plays as well. He'll be missed, and I'm sure he'll have a huge hit for the Marlins in the next two seasons against his former team.

Finally, Noah Syndergaard (rhp), a big acquisition for the club for the stretch drive, signed a deal with the Dodgers.  Thor appeared in just 10 regular season and four postseason games for the Phillies, going 5-2 in nine starts with a 4.12 ERA in August, September and early October.  He was the losing pitcher in Game 5 of the World Series against the Astros.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason
  • Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
  • Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
  • Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
  • Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
  • David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
  • Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12/16/22.
  • Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
  • Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 1/4/23.
  • Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
  • Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason
  • Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
  • Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
  • Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
  • Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
  • Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
  • Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
  • Erich Uelmen - rhp (1/4/23) - Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
  • Craig Kimbrel - rhp (1/4/23) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Friday, January 6, 2023

NEW BLOG: Collecting the 1969 Topps Set

Earlier this week, as we turned the calendar to 2023, I started a new set-collecting blog for the 1969 Topps set we're building.  It's going to look and feel mostly like the blog I recently wrapped up, which chronicled our collation of a complete 1965 Topps set between December 2019 and December 2022.  Presented below is the post for the first official card we added to our set - Cookie Rojas.

Please check out my new project and follow along as I collect the under appreciated 1969 Topps set.

1969 Topps #507 Cookie Rojas - Philadelphia Phillies


Octavio Victor Rojas
Philadelphia Phillies
Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  March 6, 1939, La Habana, Cuba
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1962; Philadelphia Phillies 1963-1969; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Kansas City Royals 1970-1977
As a Manager:  California Angels 1988; Florida Marlins 1996

A long-time utility player for the Phillies, Cookie Rojas enjoyed the best years of his career as the starting second baseman for the Royals in the early 1970s.  Rojas was a five time All-Star - once with the Phillies in 1965 and then four times with the Royals between 1971 and 1974.  Blocked at second base by Tony Taylor (#108) early in his career, Rojas moved around the field playing wherever needed for Phillies manager Gene Mauch (#606).  He finished in the top 10 in singles in his respective league in 1965, 1966 and 1974.  Rojas is second on the Royals' all-time games played list at second base behind Frank White.

Rojas played for 16 seasons, accumulating a .263 average over 1,822 games.  Following his playing career, Rojas stayed in the game serving as a coach for the Cubs between 1978 and 1981, and becoming the first Cuban born manager in major league history when he was at the helm for the Angels in 1988, succeeding his former manager Mauch as manager of that club.  He later served as a coach for the Marlins (1993-1996), Mets (1997-2000) and Blue Jays (2001-2002).  He's been the Spanish-language color commentator on Marlins television broadcasts since 2003.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set / 
Card #3
November 6, 2021 from Cooperstown, NY (Stonehouse Toys of Fame)
In early November 2021, needing a quick vacation and wanting to take our sons to Cooperstown for the first time, we took advantage of the annual NJEA Teacher Convention in which public schools are closed for a few days.  We loaded our car on a Thursday morning with a loose plan of spending two days in Cooperstown and the surrounding area over the weekend, shopping in the village, soaking in the Hall of Fame exhibits and eating a few good dinners.  The 4 1/2 hour drive to Otsego County was scenic and enjoyable.  Most of the day Friday was spent in the Hall of Fame and Saturday was dedicated largely to shopping in the many stores, mostly baseball related, located in the blocks surrounding the Hall.

We'd add nine cards to our 1965 Topps set during the weekend and four cards to our not-yet-collecting 1969 Topps set.  This Rojas card was pulled from a stack of loosely organized vintage Topps commons found within the subterranean Stonehouse Toys of Fame and it cost me $3.  I hadn't planned on adding any 1969 Topps cards during this trip, but by the end of the weekend Rojas would be joined by three other cards from the set.  It's fitting Rojas would be the first official card purchased for our 1969 Topps set build, as his 1965 Topps card was one of the first five cards we purchased for that set in December 2019.

The Card / Phillies Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Given the card comes late in the set, I'm going to assume this is one of the newer photos to appear, perhaps taken as late as spring training 1969.  The back of the card highlights Rojas' 14-game hitting streak in 1968 which came in May and early June.  Rojas' versatility is also mentioned, and through the 1968 season he had pitched in one game, caught in seven games, played a game at first base and played three games at third base.

Accuracy Index:  This card scores a +5 for showing Rojas on the correct team and not recycling an old photo.

1969 Season
This was to be Rojas' seventh and final season with the Phillies.  In 110 games, he batted .228, the fourth year in a row his average had declined.  Rojas made 96 starts overall, with 94 starts coming a second base and a pair of starts in April in left field.  Taylor gradually saw more playing time at second base as the season progressed, and by the end of the season the Phillies had decided to move ahead with young Denny Doyle as Rojas' permanent replacement for 1970.  As noted below, Rojas was shipped to the Cardinals on October 7, 1969 as part of a blockbuster seven-player deal.

Phillies Career
The Phillies acquired Rojas from the Reds on November 27, 1962 for reliever Jim Owens, and his Topps rookie card in the 1963 set shows him wearing a Reds uniform top.  He played for seven seasons with the Phillies, appearing in at least 100 games every year except his first in 1963.  His best season with the club was 1965 when Rojas was named to his first All-Star team, joining his teammates Dick Allen (#350) and Johnny Callison (#133).  He appeared in 142 games that year, and saw more time at second base than usual due to a season long slump endured by regular second baseman Taylor.  He also led the team with a .303 average, which placed him eighth overall in the league.

After several years of declining offensive output, the Phillies traded him in October 1969.  Rojas was one of the players included in the blockbuster deal between the Phillies and Cardinals that shipped Allen and Jerry Johnson (#253) to St. Louis in exchange for Curt Flood (#540), Tim McCarver (#475), Byron Browne and Joe Hoerner (#522).  (Flood never reported to the Phillies, but that's a story for another post.)

Rojas played in 880 games for the Phillies - the exact amount of games he played for the Royals.

1963 Topps #221
1968 Topps #39
1971 Topps #118
1975 Topps #169
1988 Topps Traded #97T

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1963 Topps #221
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (16):  1963-1977, 1988
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-CR
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards:  90 in the Beckett online database as of 12/27/22.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference / SABR
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room