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Monday, July 31, 2023

Game 104 - Marsh Giveth, Marsh Taketh Away

2023 Chachi Almost #1
Pirates 7
, Phillies 6
Game 104 - Saturday Night, July 29th in Pittsburgh
Record - 56-48, 2nd Place, 11 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola struggled again and Brandon Marsh made a costly outfield error (ruled a triple) in this 7-6 loss to the Pirates.

What It Means:  This game was viewed from the cozy lobby of the Holiday Inn Express in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  It was mostly an unenjoyable game to watch.

What Happened:  Brandon Marsh was all over this game.  In the top of the fourth he hit a bases-clearing double to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  Jake Cave immediately doubled home Marsh and the Phillies were up, 4-1.  In the bottom of the fifth, with the Phillies still holding a 4-3 lead, Endy Rodriguez lined a ball to Marsh that the outfielder whiffed on, resulting in a three-run "triple."  The Pirates went up 6-4 on the  misplayed ball and then scored again when Alika Williams collected his first big league hit, driving home Rodriguez.

Nola took the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on nine hits.  Bryson Stott collected three hits in the losing effort, raising his average to .306.

Transaction/Featured Card:  The Phillies activated Noah Song (rhp) from the 60-day Injured List and designated him for assignment.  Song, a rule 5 pick from the Red Sox, was trying to make it to the majors after serving in the Navy for almost four years.  Here's his rare Chachi Almost card, which could be the only depiction of Song on a Phillies (virtual) baseball card.

Game 103 - Wheeler Rains On Pirates' Night

2023 Topps Heritage #303
Phillies 2
, Pirates 1
Game 103 - Friday Night, July 28th in Pittsburgh
Record - 56-47, 2nd Place, 10 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler and the Phillies bullpen made Kyle Schwarber's two-run home run enough to defeat the Pirates, 2-1.

What It Means:  Our oldest son Doug had an out of town baseball tournament this past weekend, which meant we fortunately almost completely missed the debacle that went down in Pittsburgh.  This was the only one of three games I watched pretty much all the way through, which turned out to be a good thing.

What Happened:  Schwarber hit his 27th home run of the season in the third inning, and the Phillies offense was otherwise 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position the rest of the night.  Bryson Stott continued swinging a hot bat, adding two more hits.  Wheeler earned his 8th win, pitching 6 2/3 innings and having his night interrupted by an absolute downpour in the seventh inning.  After a 42 minute rain delay, he turned the game over to Jeff Hoffman, Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel, who recorded his 17th save.

Featured Card:  I'm looking forward to some more 2023 Topps releases as I'm running out of cards to post from the mainstream sets they've released so far this year.  This is Wheeler's 1974 Topps inspired card from the Topps Heritage set.

Phillies at Marlins: July 31st to August 3rd

2023 Chachi 1965 Topps Missing Links #3
2023 Chachi Series Previews #5

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 6:40, Thursday 12:10

loanDepot park - Miami, FL

At the Ballpark:  On Wednesday, the first 5,000 fans will receive a 2003 replica championship ring in celebration of the Marlins' World Series win over the Yankees 20 years ago.

Phillies 56-49
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 12 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (11-4, 4.06)
Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.22)
Zack Wheeler (8-5, 3.74)
Aaron Nola (9-7, 4.43)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .306
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 61
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 27
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 65
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.74
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 145
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 17
Marlins 57-49
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

Marlins Probables
Edward Cabrera (5-6, 4.74)
Sandy Alcantara (4-9, 4.46)
Braxton Garrett (5-3, 4.08)
Johnny Cueto (0-2, 5.06)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Luis Arraez - .377
Runs:  Jorge Soler - 56
Home Runs:  Jorge Soler - 24
RBIs:  Bryan De La Cruz - 57
Stolen Bases:  Jazz Chisolm - 14

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 8
ERA:  Jesus Luzardo - 3.38
Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 147
Saves:  A.J. Puk - 15

Friday, July 28, 2023

Phillies at Pirates: July 28th to July 30th

2014 Topps Heritage #337
2014 Topps Heritage #160

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA

At the Ballpark:  The first 20,000 fans arriving at PNC Park tonight will receive a Yinzerpalooza t-shirt.  On Saturday, the Pirates are giving away a bobble head of All-Star closer David Bednar.  And on Sunday, all kids will receive a "cuddly pierogy plush."

Phillies 55-47
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 10 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (7-5, 3.88)
Aaron Nola (9-6, 4.25)
Cristopher Sanchez (0-3, 2.98)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .300
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 59
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 26
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 62
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.88
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 134
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 16
Pirates 45-57
Tied for 4th Place in the N.L. Central, 11 1/2 games behind the Brewers

Pirates Probables
Mitch Keller (9-6, 4.01)
Quinn Priester (1-1, 9.28)
Rich Hill (7-10, 4.82)

Pirates Leaders
Average:  Andrew McCutchen - .265
Runs:  Bryan Reynolds and Carlos Santana - 45
Home Runs:  Jack Suwinski - 21
RBIs:  Carlos Santana - 53
Stolen Bases:  Ji Hwan Bae - 20

Wins:  Mitch Keller - 9
ERA:  Mitch Keller - 4.01
Strikeouts:  Mitch Keller - 137
Saves:  David Bednar - 20

Game 102 - Cave, Sosa Star in Big Win Over O's

2019 Topps 1984 Topps
Baseball Rookies #84R-JC
Phillies 6
, Orioles 4
Game 102 - Wednesday Night, July 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 55-47, 2nd Place, 10 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Cave made a game-saving catch in left field and Edmundo Sosa hit a game-winning home run in the seventh, as the Phillies defeated the Orioles, 6-4.

What It Means:  The Phillies took two out of three from the first place Orioles.  They'll open up a weekend series in Pittsburgh on Friday night, following Thursday's off day.

What Happened:  Adeley Rutschman hit a three-run home run off Phillies' starter Ranger Suarez in the third inning to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.  The Phillies would battle back.  Cave doubled home Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos singled home Cave in the bottom of the third.  The Phillies took a brief 4-3 lead in the fourth when J.T. Realmuto doubled home both Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott.  In the top of the sixth, with the tying run on second, Cave made his leaping catch, crashing into the left field wall to retire Ramon Urias and end the inning.  Seranthony Dominguez entered in the seventh, and couldn't keep the Orioles off the board.  Austin Hays singled home James McCann to tie the game up, 4-4.  Sosa's home run came with two outs in the seventh, and a few batters later Bryce Harper would add an RBI single to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect eighth and Gregory Soto pitched a perfect ninth to cement the win.  Soto recorded his second save of the season.

Featured Card:  Cave, who had an incredible run with the Triple-A IronPigs, went 2 for 4 in this game with his RBI double and highlight reel catch.  He missed being included in the IronPigs team set, so I currently have no cards of his in my Phillies baseball card collection.  Here's one of his earlier cards, an insert from the 2019 Topps set, and a potential preview of what I think the 2024 Chachi set could look like.

Game 101 - Harper's Speed, Bohm's Big Hit Walk It Off

2023 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club
Phillies 4
, Orioles 3
Game 101 - Tuesday Night, July 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-47, 2nd Place, 11 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Alec Bohm singled home Bryson Stott with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, as the Phillies pulled out an impressive 4-3 win over the first place Orioles.

What It Means:  A series win over the Orioles would be a huge momentum lift, and the Phillies would do just that on the following night.

What Happened:  Former Phillie Kyle Gibson fared slightly better than Phillies' starter Taijuan Walker, giving up a pair of runs in his six innings, including a solo home run to Bryce Harper in the sixth that tied the game at 2-2.  Walker lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits.  In the top of the eighth, with Matt Strahm pitching, first baseman Ryan O'Hearn hit a home run to right center, giving the Orioles a 3-2 advantage.  The Phillies went down quietly in the eighth, and spirits were fairly low as we watched from home.

In the bottom of the ninth, with Orioles' reliever Yennier Cano on the  mound, Bryce Harper singled to left to provide some hope.  With two outs, Stott doubled to right and Harper sped around the bases to score from first and tie the game.  J.T. Realmuto then beat out an infield hit to prolong the inning.  Bohm singled to left, easily scoring Bohm and starting the on-field victory celebration.

Featured Card:  This is Bohm's Phillies Kids Club card, available at the ballpark to members of the aforementioned club.  This is a nice little set of 12 cards, and our youngest son Ben is just three cards away from a complete set.

Transaction:  Seranthony Dominguez (rhp) was activated from the Injured List prior to the game and Andrew Bellatti (rhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

2023 Chachi #36 Cristopher Sanchez


#61
Cristopher Alexis Sanchez
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  165
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  December 12, 1996, La Romana, Dominican Republic
Acquired:  Traded by the Tampa Bays to the Phillies for Curtis Mead, November 20, 2019
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible 2026
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2021-2023

Cristopher Sanchez made his big league debut in June 2021, and he'd appear in seven games that season for the Phillies, making one disastrous start in which he lasted just a third of an inning against the Nationals.  In 2022, Sanchez made 15 appearances with the club, including three starts.  And while he's 0-3 so far in 2023, he's been one of the team's more reliable starting pitchers in his eight starts so far.

Sanchez was active for one game in late April, and joined the roster for good on June 17th, when Seranthony Dominguez landed on the Injured List.

2020 Chachi New Additions #5
2021 Chachi #37
2022 Chachi #21

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  N/A
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #32
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  4 as of 7/25/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2021 Chachi #49 - Weird Game HL
2023 Chachi #36

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Game 100 - Orioles Squeak By Phils in Ninth

2021 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs Update #29
Orioles 3
, Phillies 2
Game 100 - Monday Night, July 24th in Philadelphia
Record - 53-47, 3rd Place, 12 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Continued sloppy play and a lack of timely or extra-base hits led to this 3-2 loss to the first place Orioles.

What It Means:  The loss dropped the Phillies back to third place in the division.  They're also a half-game behind the Wild Card race with the Reds, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Giants all currently vying for three spots.

What Happened:  This game was ugly and Cristopher Sanchez deserved better.  Trea Turner made a pair of errors, and was ejected after striking out in the fifth.  The lack of offense was again on display with the Phillies' first run scoring in the fifth on a Kyle Schwarber sacrifice fly and Nick Castellanos singling home the tying run in the bottom of the eighth.  Bryce Harper was thrown out at home attempting to score the go-ahead run.  With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Craig Kimbrel on the mound, a runner on third and two outs, Colton Cowser doubled to left field, just eluding a diving Schwarber.  The Phillies put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Cionel Perez got out of the jam to secure the win for the Orioles.

Featured Card:  Sanchez went seven strong innings, allowing two runs on a pair of home runs and striking out eight.  I have four baseball cards of his in my Phillies collection, including this minor league card from the 2021 IronPigs update set.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Orioles at Phillies: July 24th to July 26th

1965 Topps #15
2014 Topps Heritage #208

Monday and Tuesday 6:40, Wednesday 6:05

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies are hosting a Christmas in July theme night on Tuesday night.  On Wednesday, along with the annual German Heritage Celebration, all kids 14 and under receive a MLB Network hat.

Orioles 61-38
1st Place in the A.L. East, 2 games ahead of the Rays

Orioles Probables
Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.80)
Kyle Gibson (9-6, 4.76)
Kyle Bradish (6-5, 3.05)

Orioles Leaders
Average:  Austin Hays - .296
Runs:  Gunnar Henderson - 53
Home Runs:  Anthony Santander - 17
RBIs:  Anthony Santander - 55
Stolen Bases:  Jorge Mateo - 23

Wins:  Dean Kremer - 10
ERA:  Tyler Wells - 3.65
Strikeouts:  Tyler Wells - 110
Saves:  Felix Bautista - 28
Phillies 53-46
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (0-3, 3.06)
Taijuan Walker (11-4, 4.11)
Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.07)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .304
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 57
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 26
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 61
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.88
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 134
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 16

Game 99 - Phils Survive Late Scare; Break Losing Streak

2023 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #29
Phillies 8
Guardians 5 (10 Innings)
Game 99 - Sunday Afternoon, July 23rd in Cleveland
Record - 53-46, Tied for 2nd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  After Craig Kimbrel blew his first save of the year, the Phillies plated four 10th inning runs and held on to win this game, 8-5.

What It Means:  The Phillies escaped Cleveland having won one out of the three games, and the first place Orioles come to town next for a three game series.  In the standings, the Phillies are a half game behind both the Diamondbacks and the Giants for the second and third Wild Card spots.

What Happened:  Kimbrel couldn't get the job done, giving up a solo home run to David Fry and costing Aaron Nola his 10th win.  Nola had gone seven innings, allowing three runs on a pair of home runs while striking out seven.  The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the seventh when Brandon Marsh singled home J.T. Realmuto.  The "single" likely should have been scored an error as third baseman Jose Ramirez dropped a pop up.

In the 10th, after Kimbrel had blown the save, Bryce Harper singled home ghost runner Johan Rojas to give the Phillies the lead.  J.T. Realmuto would add a sacrifice fly and then Alec Bohm would cap the scoring with a two-run single.  In the bottom of the 10th, reliever Jeff Hoffman loaded the bases with no outs and manager Rob Thomson turned to Yunior Marte to restore order.  Marte retired the heart of the Guardians' line-up, leaving the bases loaded and securing his second save of the year.

Featured Card:  This is the only Marte baseball card in my Phillies collection so far, and it's his card from the IronPigs team set.

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Game 98 - Phils Continue to Find Ways to Lose

2019 Bowman Heritage #53VR-86
Guardians 1
, Phillies 0
Game 98 - Saturday Night, July 22nd in Cleveland
Record - 52-46, Tied for 2nd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Managing just two hits against Guardians' pitching, and allowing the only run of the game to score on a botched pop up, the Phillies produced another frustrating loss, dropping this game, 1-0.

What It Means:  They'll try not to get swept out of Cleveland this afternoon with Aaron Nola on the mound.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler was the hard-luck loser, allowing just a run on five hits in his seven innings.  He struck out eight.  The Guardians scored in the sixth when a pop up from Jose Ramirez landed between Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and Nick Castellanos, scoring Amed Rosario from first base.  It was like watching a bad Little League play.  Trea Turner singled in the first and Edmundo Sosa led off the sixth with a double, but wouldn't move as Kyle Schwarber, Turner and Castellanos went down in order.

Featured Card:  Old friend Enyel De Los Santos, now one of the Guardians' most reliable relievers, pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out Marsh.  De Los Santos has appeared in 92 games for the Guardians over the past two seasons, earning a record of 9-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 94 innings pitched.  He was all over the 2019 baseball card sets with the Phillies, including this card from the 2019 Bowman Heritage set.

Game 97 - Harper Debuts at 1B; Phils Fall Again

2023 Bowman #24
Guardians 6
, Phillies 5
Game 97 - Friday Night, July 21st in Cleveland
Record - 52-45, Tied for 2nd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies squandered plenty of scoring opportunities, falling to the Guardians in this series opener, 6-5.

What It Means:  The streaky 2023 season continues, with the Phillies dropping their third game in a row.

What Happened:  The Phillies offense left the bases loaded three times, unable to put together productive at-bats to score runs.  Jake Cave popped up to second with the bases loaded in the second.  Trea Turner lined out to center with the bases loaded in the fourth, and then Turner struck out and Nick Castellanos flew out to left with the bases loaded in the sixth.  In the seventh, J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott hit back-to-back home runs, the first time the Phillies offense, built for hitting home runs, had done that all season.

Featured Card:  Harper made his big league debut at first base, making all plays and diving into the camera well along the first base line to catch a foul pop in the third.  I don't necessarily like the idea of Harper and his surgically repaired elbow over at first base, especially if it doesn't result in any additional offense from the Phillies' line-up.  I just received this Bowman card in the mail, and the prospect-heavy Bowman Phillies team set is sitting on the table next to me ready to be catalogued and sorted.

Transactions:  Josh Harrison (inf) was activated from the Injured List and Jake Cave (of) returned from Lehigh Valley.  Darick Hall (1b) and Drew Ellis (inf) both returned to the IronPigs.

2023 Chachi #35 Luis Ortiz


#56
Luis Francisco Ortiz
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  230
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  September 22, 1995, Sanger, CA
Acquired:  Selected off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, November 9, 2022
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible 2026
Major League Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 2018-2019; San Francisco Giants 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

As of this writing, Luis Ortiz has been on the Phillies' active roster for 29 games this year, making 10 appearances.  In 14 innings pitched, he's allowed 15 hits, six runs, five walks and struck out 12.  Ortiz shows up on the Phillies' official website as "Luis F. Ortiz" but everywhere else drops the middle initial so that's what I went with for his debut Chachi card.  Ortiz was last up as the 27th man for the double header against the Padres on July 15th, throwing an inning and allowing a run in Game 2.

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  2014 Bowman Draft #DP26
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2019
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #27
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  1 as of 7/21/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2023 Chachi #35

Saturday, July 22, 2023

2023 Chachi #33 Kody Clemens


#23
Kody Alec Clemens
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  May 15, 1996, Hornell, TX
Acquired:  Traded by the Detroit Tigers with Gregory Soto to the Phillies for Nick Maton, Donny Sands and Matt Vierling, January 7, 2023
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible 2026
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

After a solid spring training, Kody Clemens was one of the last cuts before Rob Thomson finalized his opening day 26-man roster.  Clemens would be called up for the season's seventh game following Darrick Hall's hand injury.  He then spent most of April, and all of May and June on the active roster, making 35 starts at first base, a start in right field and a start as the team's DH.  He was optioned back down to Lehigh Valley on July 2nd in favor of a returning Hall.

In 47 games so far this season with the Phillies, Clemens is batting .230 with four home runs.  He's also made four relief appearances, in mop-up roles, allowing just a run in 2 2/3 innings pitched for an impressive 3.38 ERA.

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  2018 Bowman Draft #BD-121
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2023
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Topps Now #407
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  3 as of 7/21/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2023 Chachi #33

Friday, July 21, 2023

1990 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards


Number of Cards:  45
Card Size:  4 1/8" x 6"

Description:  For the second year in a row, the card fronts feature an action photo with the player's, coach's or manager's name in a red band with white text.  The card backs feature biographical information along with complete career statistics.  The set is sponsor-less, as Tastykake sponsored its final set in 1989 and the Medford Food Company wouldn't come along as the new sponsor until 1991.

How Distributed:  It took me years to track down this set, and I finally found one in September 2014 at The Philly Show.  The dealer I bought the set from told me these cards were never sold in complete set form and he had hand-collated the entire 1990 set.  According to him, the cards were distributed four or five at a time throughout the season at Veterans Stadium.  I don't know if all that's true or not, and I don't know how to verify it, but it would help explain why this photo card set eluded my collection for 24 years.

An eight-card update set was produced very late in the season, featuring what was most likely Dale Murphy's first Phillies baseball card.  Murphy was acquired from the Braves on August 3rd.

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards): 

1. Darrel Akerfelds (#35 - RHP)
2. Rod Booker (#37 - INF)
3. Sil Campusano (#6 - OF)
4. Don Carman (#42 - LHP)
5. Pat Combs (#38 - LHP)
6. Dennis Cook (#39 - No position)   
7. Darren Daulton (#10 - C)
8. Lenny Dykstra (#4 - OF)
9. Curt Ford (#27 - OF)
10. Jason Grimsley (#54 - RHP)
11. Charlie Hayes (#8 - 3B)
12. Von Hayes (#9 - OF)
13. Tom Herr (#28 - 2B)

14. Dave Hollins (#15 - INF)
15. Ken Howell (#43 - RHP)
16. Ron Jones (#26 - OF)
17. Ricky Jordan (#17 - 1B)
18. John Kruk (#11 - OF-1B)
19. Steve Lake (#25 - C)
20. Nick Leyva (#16 - MG)
21. Carmelo Martinez (#24 - OF)
22. Roger McDowell (#13 - RHP)
23. Chuck McElroy (#51 - LHP)
24. Terry Mulholland (#45 - LHP)   
25. Jeff Parrett (#49 - RHP)

26. Randy Ready (#23 - 3B)
27. Bruce Ruffin (#47 - LHP)
28. Dickie Thon (#21 - SS)
29. Jim Vatcher (#31 - OF)
30. Phillies Coaches
31. Phillie Phanatic
32. Richie Ashburn (#1 - OF)
33. Steve Carlton (#32 - LHP)
34. Robin Roberts (#36 - RHP)   
35. Mike Schmidt (#20 - 3B)
36. Phillies Broadcasters
37. PRISM Broadcasters

Complete Update Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards):
1. Joe Boever (#30 - RHP)
2. Jose DeJesus (#54 - RHP)
3. Marvin Freeman (#48 - RHP)   
4. Tommy Greene (#49 - RHP)   
5. Chuck Malone (#53 - RHP)
6. Brad Moore (#46 - RHP)
7. Dale Murphy (#3 - OF)
8. Dickie Noles (#34 - P)

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (0):  N/A
First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (15):  Akerfelds, Boever, Booker, Campusano, Combs, DeJesus, Freeman, Greene, Grimsley, Hollins, Malone, Martinez, McElroy, Murphy, Vatcher
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (21):  Carman, Cook, Daulton, Dykstra, Ford, C. Hayes, V. Hayes, Herr, Howell, Jones, Jordan, Kruk, Lake, McDowell, Moore, Mulholland, Noles, Parrett, Ready, Ruffin, Thon

Manager (1):  Leyva
Coaches (1):  The coach's card features Larry Bowa, Darold Knowles, Hal Lanier, Denis Menke, Mike Ryan and John Vukovich.
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic returns after a one year absence.  The photo used pictures him atop the Phillies dugout.
Broadcasters (2):  The core TV/radio broadcast team of Richie Ashburn, Harry Kalas, Andy Musser and Chris Wheeler are featured on a card.  The PRISM broadcast team of Jim Barniak, Garry Maddox and Mike Schmidt are featured on another.
Commemorative Cards (4):  Ashburn, Carlton, Roberts and Schmidt

Schmidt's #20 was retired in a pre-game ceremony on May 26th, and cards of the four players to have their numbers retired - Ashburn, Roberts, Carlton and Schmidt - are included in the set.  Also of interest is Schmidt's first card as a broadcaster, featuring him with his fellow PRISM broadcasters.  Schmidt's first stint as a broadcaster lasted just the one season.

For those of you not in the Philadelphia area, PRISM was the Philadelphia-based HBO equivalent that broadcast a handful of Phillies games every year between 1976 and 1997.

Set Composition:  Of the 27-man opening day roster, only Moore and Frohwirth are omitted from the original set, with Moore getting a card in the update set.  Tommy Barrett and Floyd Youmans spent the entire season on the Disabled List, and Steve Ontiveros spent all but the last month of the season out with an injury, and none of those three are in the set.  Beginning the year in the minors, but earning a spot on the checklist are Grimsley, Jones and Vatcher.  The latter two were added to the roster on May 30th, and Grimsley wasn't called up until August 8th.

The eight card update set may not have all been issued all at once, given Freeman and Boever are both in it and they were traded for each other on July 23rd.  Freeman headed to the Braves with Boever coming to the Phillies.  Murphy and Greene were acquired from the Braves on August 3rd for Parrett, Vatcher and minor leaguer Victor Rosario.  Noles is a surprise addition, as he was on the active roster for three games in early May, his comeback attempt cut short by arm injuries.


Omissions:
  Back-up catcher Tom Nieto appeared in 17 games but was on the team's active roster for 73 games during the season.  Late season call-ups Wes Chamberlain, Mickey Morandini, Louie Meadows and Darrin Fletcher all saw time with the Phillies in September, so it's understandable no photo cards were created for that quartet.

Variations/Rarities:
  Fellow collector Rick left a few comments on my original post for this set and sent me an e-mail with scans showing 12 cards made available at the 1990 ALS Autograph Party fund raising event (later the Phillies Phestival) held at Veterans Stadium on July 30th.  The Phillies issued 10 cards celebrating the ten year anniversary of the 1980 World Champions.  Coach Hal Lanier received his own card and there are two versions of cards for Larry Bowa - one showing him as a coach, and one showing him up at bat.  The back of the 1980 commemorative cards feature a 10th Reunion logo.
ALS Autograph Party
1. Larry Bowa (coach)
2. Larry Bowa (1980)
3. Dallas Green (1980)   
4. Greg Gross (1980)
5. Hal Lanier (coach)
6. Greg Luzinski (1980)
7. Garry Maddox (1980)
8. Bake McBride (1980)   
9. Tug McGraw (1980)
10. Paul Owens (1980)
11. Manny Trillo (1980)   
12. Del Unser (1980)


Also See:  The Mysterious Jim Vatcher Card
Trivia:  The Beckett database incorrectly lists the set as "1990 Phillies Tastykake" even through the Tastykake logo or name is nowhere to be found on the set.  The Beckett database also omits the eight update cards.  The 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards lists the set at "1990 Phillies Photocards," and omits the Vatcher card from the main set.  For years, my want list for this set included only 44 cards as most published checklists for the set omit the Vatcher card.
Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

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

Phillies at Guardians: July 21st and July 23rd

2023 Chachi 1965 Topps Missing Links #9
2014 Topps Heritage #380

Friday and Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:40

Progressive Field - Cleveland, OH

At the Ballpark:  Tonight is Free Shirt Friday for the first 12,500 fans and it's also a dollar dog night (while supplies last).  On Saturday, the first 12,500 fans will receive a Steven Kwan bobblehead.  And on Sunday, it's Guardians' mascot Slider's birthday with the first 10,000 fans receiving a Topps Guardians baseball card set.

Phillies 52-44
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 10 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (2-4, 3.84)
Zack Wheeler (7-4, 4.04)
Aaron Nola (9-6, 4.27)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .305
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 56
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 26
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 59
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Taijuan Walker - 4.04
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler - 126
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 16
Guardians 47-49
2nd Place in the A.L. Central, 2 games behind the Twins

Guardians Probables
Gavin Williams (1-2, 3.94)
Tanner Bibee (5-2, 3.32)
TBD

Guardians Leaders
Average:  Josh Naylor - .310
Runs:  Steven Kwan - 65
Home Runs:  Josh Naylor - 15
RBIs:  Josh Naylor - 75
Stolen Bases:  Andres Gimenez and Steven Kwan - 15

Wins:  Tanner Bibee and Shane Bieber - 5
ERA:  Shane Bieber - 3.77
Strikeouts:  Shane Bieber - 95
Saves:  Emmanuel Clase - 25

Game 96 - Burnes Buries Phillies Offense in Shutout

1981 Fleer #527
Brewers 4
, Phillies 0
Game 96 - Thursday Afternoon, July 20th in Philadelphia
Record - 52-44, Tied for 2nd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Corbin Burnes made easy work of the Phillies line-up, as the Brewers shut out the Phillies, 4-0.

What It Means:  After dropping the series to the Brewers, the Phillies hit the road for a three-game series in Cleveland.  The Phillies are the last of 28 teams to face off against Cleveland since the team changed its name to the Guardians before the 2022 season.

What Happened:  Burnes allowed a pair of singles and a walk over eight innings of work while striking out 10.  Taijuan Walker had his winning streak snapped, as he received absolutely no offensive support.  Walker was charged with four runs on six hits in six innings.

Featured Card:  The Phillies gave me nothing to work with for this game, so here's a Brewers baseball card found in my 1981 Phillies binder.  On March 31, 1981, Dick Davis was traded from the Brewers to the Phillies for pitcher Randy Lerch.  Topps, Fleer and Donruss had already set their checklists for their respective sets, so Davis appears with the Brewers in all three issuances.  He'd get a Phillies card in the 1981 Topps Traded set and appear in all three sets with the Phillies in 1982.

Game 95 - Costly Error, No Offense Leads to Loss

2018 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards -
2nd Edition
Brewers 5
, Phillies 3
Game 95 - Wednesday Night, July 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 52-43, 2nd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A costly error and a lack of timely hitting combined to cost the Phillies this game, as they fell to the Brewers, 5-3.

What It Means:  A series win was still possible with a victory on Thursday afternoon.  But (spoiler alert) the Phillies couldn't muster any offense in that game either.

What Happened:  Two unearned runs scored off Cristopher Sanchez in the second inning after Edmundo Sosa booted a ground ball.  Down 3-0, the Phillies would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Nick Castellanos connected for his 14th home run of the season.  In the fifth, Kyle Schwarber tied the game with a two-run single to center, scoring Alec Bohm with Brandon Marsh close on Bohm's heels.  But the bullpen couldn't stop the Brewers, and the Phillies were done scoring for the day.  Matt Strahm allowed a run in the seventh and Andrew Bellatti gave up another costly run in the ninth.

Featured Card:  In the sixth inning, Bryce Harper had a bizarre at-bat against former Phillies reliever Hoby Milner.  Harper seemingly stood still while he was called out on strikes for the first out of the inning.  Manager Rob Thomson would address the at-bat the next day, basically saying Harper was just trying to get a good read on Milner and ran out of time.  The Phillies released two team-issued photo card sets back in 2018 (the good old days?), and this is Milner's card from the second set.

Game 94 - Nola Handles Brew Crew in Win

2023 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day #OD-183
Phillies 4
, Brewers 3
Game 94 - Tuesday Night, July 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 52-42, 2nd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola was fantastic and the Phillies offense collected several timely hits in this series opening 4-3 win over the Brewers.

What It Means:  This was the fourth win in a row for the Phillies, and it lifted them into sole possession of second place for the first time since May 14th.

What Happened:  Nola earned his ninth win with 7 1/3 innings of work, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out six.  Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth to record his 16th save.  Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run, his 26th of the year.  Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott would later contribute RBI singles.  Trea Turner was 2 for 4 with a triple as his average crept past .250.

Featured Card:  It was Nola's second effective outing in July, following his win over Zach Eflin and the Rays back on July 4th.  This is his card from the Topps Now Road to Opening Day set, featuring an oddly cropped photo.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Brewers at Phillies: July 18th to July 20th

2014 Topps Heritage #25
1965 Topps #163

Tuesday and Wednesday 6:40, Thursday 12:35

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies host their annual Irish Heritage Celebration at the ballpark tonight.  Following the Businessperson's Special on Thursday, all kids can stay after the game to run the bases.

Brewers 52-42
1st Place in the N.L. Central, 2 games ahead of the Reds

Brewers Probables
Julio Teheran (2-3, 3.64)
Wade Miley (6-2, 3.06)
Corbin Burnes (8-5, 3.73)

Brewers Leaders
Average:  Christian Yelich - .286
Runs:  Christian Yelich - 69
Home Runs:  Willy Adames - 16
RBIs:  Christian Yelich - 49
Stolen Bases:  Christian Yelich - 21

Wins:  Corbin Burnes - 8
ERA:  Corbin Burnes - 3.73
Strikeouts:  Corbin Burnes - 115
Saves:  Devin Williams - 23
Phillies 51-42
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 10 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola (8-6, 4.39)
Cristopher Sanchez (0-3, 3.26)
Taijuan Walker (11-3, 4.00)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .303
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 55
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 25
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 58
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Taijuan Walker - 4.00
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 126
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 15