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Thursday, December 14, 2023

1997 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards


Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The fronts feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in grey letters against a red stripe background.  The Interleague Play Inaugural Year logo is also featured on the fronts of the cards.  The card backs feature biographical information along with complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  The 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards notes that the set was sold for $10.  For the third year in a row, there was no update set issued.

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

1. Ruben Amaro (#37 - OF)
2. Ron Blazier (#22 - RHP)
3. Ricky Bottalico (#52 - RHP)
4. Rico Brogna (#2 - 1B)
5. Galen Cisco (#42 - Pitching Instructor)        
6. Chuck Cottier (#3 - Bench Coach)
7. Darren Daulton (#10 - 1B/OF)
8. Terry Francona (#7 - MG)
9. Reggie Harris (#40 - RHP)
10. Rex Hudler (#14 - INF)
11. Gregg Jefferies (#25 - LF)
12. Kevin Jordan (#23 - INF)
13. Mark Leiter (#31 - RHP)
14. Mike Lieberthal (#24 - C)
15. Calvin Maduro (#50 - RHP)
16. Wendell Magee, Jr. (#29 - OF)
17. Derrick May (#34 - OF)
18. Hal McRae (#56 - Hitting Instructor)        
19. Brad Mills (#9 - First Base Coach)
20. Michael Mimbs (#47 - LHP)
21. Mickey Morandini (#12 - 2B)
22. Bobby Munoz (#35 - RHP)
23. Mark Parent (#8 - C)
24. Erik Plantenberg (#41 - LHP)
25. Mark Portugal (#21 - RHP)
26. Joe Rigoli (#59 - Bullpen Coach)
27. Scott Rolen (#17 - 3B)
28. Scott Ruffcorn (#33 - RHP)
29. Ken Ryan (#51 - RHP)
30. Curt Schilling (#38 - RHP)
31. Kevin Sefcik (#31 - INF)
32. Jerry Spradlin (#48 - RHP)
33. Kevin Stocker (#19 - SS)
34. Danny Tartabull (#45 - OF)
35. John Vukovich (#18 - Third Base Coach)        
36. Phillie Phanatic

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (2):  Harris, Plantenberg
First Appearances (14):  Blazier, Brogna, Hudler, Leiter, Maduro, Magee Jr., May, Parent, Portugal, Rolen, Ruffcorn, Sefcik, Spradlin, Tartabull
Returning Players (12):  Amaro, Bottalico, Daulton, Jefferies, Jordan, Lieberthal, Mimbs, Morandini, Munoz, Ryan, Schilling, Stocker

Kevin Sefcik's card shows his uniform number as #31, even though Sefcik had switched to #11 at the start of spring training to accommodate veteran addition Mark Leiter who took over #31.  

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, McRae, Mills, Rigoli, Vukovich
Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is once again pictured riding his ATV.
Broadcasters (0):  N/A

Set Composition:  Change was in the air in 1997, as less than half of the players or coaches featured in this set had appeared in previous team-issued photo card sets.  Relievers Reggie Harris and Erik Plantenberg make their first and last appearances on Phillies baseball cards.  The entire 25-man opening day roster is included in the set, along with Kevin Jordan, who opened the season in the minors, and pitchers Mark Portugal and Ken Ryan, who started the season on the disabled list.  Four additional players began the year on the DL and did not receive cards in the set - pitchers Edgar Ramos, Tyler Green and Mike Grace and long-time center fielder Lenny Dykstra.

Omissions:  Any one not on the opening day roster missed getting a photo card, save for two players who were active at the time of the annual ALS Autograph and Auction Party, held on June 19th - see below.  If the Phillies wanted to issue an update set following the All-Star Break, the set could have included Billy Brewer, Rob Butler, Midre Cummings, Bobby Estalella, Wayne Gomes, Ryan Nye, Ricky Otero and Garrett Stephenson.

Variations/Rarities:
  As fellow collector Rick commented on the original post back in November 2014, the Phillies created cards for two additional players for the ALS Autograph and Auction Party - Beech and Gomes.  Also active on June 19th, and not getting cards for the event, were Butler, Nye and Otero.

ALS Autograph and Auction Party
1. Matt Beech (#55 - LHP)
2. Wayne Gomes (#58 - RHP)

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

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


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