Game 50 - Nothing Goes Right for Phils in Latest Loss

Cincinnati Reds	9
Philadelphia Phillies	4

1987 Fleer #177

Wednesday Afternoon, May 20th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
25-25, Tied for 2nd Place, 9 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Sal Stewart and the Reds offense demolished Phillies pitching in this 9-4 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies had won six straight series, every series since Don Mattingly was named interim manager, before dropping this series, fairly easily, to the Reds.  The Guardians come to town next in what's looking to be a soggy Memorial Day weekend.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola gave up four runs on eight hits over five long innings.  Relievers Tim Mayza and Jose Alvarado both gave up a pair of runs in their innings of work.  The Phillies' offense had six hits and went 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position.  Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa hit home runs in the sixth to get the Phillies to within a run, making it 5-4, Reds.  But Orion Kerkering gave up a two-run double to Nathaniel Lowe in the top of the seventh to again widen the margin.  Stewart was 4 for 5 with a ninth inning two-run home run off Alvarado.

Kyle Schwarber missed the entire series due to illness.  Bryce Harper and Adolis Garcia were a combined 0 for 19 in the series with eight strikeouts.

Featured Card:  Hey, it's Tom Hume again!

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 10 - Offense Unloads on Fish

2022 Topps Archives #229

Phillies 15, Marlins 3
Game 10 - Monday Night, April 10th in Philadelphia
Record - 4-6, 3rd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Matt Strahm pitched five strong innings and the Phillies' offense jumped on the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner for nine runs in this 15-3 rout.

What It Means:  The Phillies will try to keep it going tonight as they inch closer to evening their won-loss record.

What Happened:  Strahm earned the win, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out six.  McKinley Moore (making his big league debut) and Andrew Vasquez navigated the rest of the game.  Four Phillies players had three hit nights - Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh.  Jake Cave, Bohm and Marsh all homered.  Marlins' starter Sandy Alcantara exited after four innings having allowed nine runs on 10 hits.

Featured Card:  Alec Bohm had quite the game with a pair of runs scored, three hits and six RBIs.  I have a feeling I'll be featuring quite a few of his cards during the 2023 season, which is fine as I have a backlog from 2022.  This is his card from the 2022 Topps Archives set, paying tribute to the 1987 Topps design, which Topps absolutely loves and completely overuses.

Field Report:  We attended our fourth game in a row, and that streak will be broken with the Tuesday night game as we take the night off from the ballpark.  We enjoyed the game from the Diamond Club, with Doug securing pregame autographs from the Marlins' Joey Wendle and the Phillies' Kody Clemens.  Normally, we would have avoided getting tickets for a Monday night game against the Marlins, but we wanted to be there to see Jean Segura receive his 2022 National League Champions ring and to welcome him in his return to Citizens Bank Park.

For the record, Doug also secured an autograph from Phillies' majority owner John Middleton as Alec Bohm was hitting his sixth inning home run.

Joey Wendle tosses Doug a signed ball

Jean Segura gets his ring

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 150 - Nola, Hoskins Lead the Way to Easy Win

2022 Topps
1987 Topps Baseball #87TB-24

Phillies 9, Braves 1
Game 150 - Friday Night, September 23rd in Philadelphia
Record - 83-67, 3rd Place, 12 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The two longest tenured Phillies, Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins, led the Phillies over the Braves in this 9-1 victory.

What It Means:  The magic number to clinch a Wild Card spot is down to 9.  With the Phillies now a half game up over the Padres, they'd head to St. Louis for a three game series if the season were to end today.

What Happened:  Nola threw six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing only four hits.  The offense provided him plenty of cushion, scoring four runs in the second and another four runs in the fourth.  Hoskins was in the middle of both big innings, hitting a two-run double in the second to make it 4-0, and then clubbing a two-run home run in the fourth to make it 6-0.

Featured Card:  Having made his debut with the Phillies in August 2017, and endured a few really lean years with the club, I'm going to be thrilled for Hoskins when the postseason draught ends.  This is his 1987 Topps inspired insert card from Series Two of the Topps flagship release.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

Jeu 79 - Les Coups de Circuit Coulent les Phillies

1987 Donruss #359

Cardinals 7, Phillies 6
Game 79 - Saturday Afternoon, July 2nd in Philadelphia
Record - 41-38, 3rd Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Mets

Post-Vacation Catch-Up Post 8 of 11

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies came back after starter Kyle Gibson allowed four consecutive Cardinals home runs in the first inning, only to lose the game in the ninth on Nolan Arenado's second home run of the game.

What It Means:  It's impressive the Phillies came back after Gibson's display, but it would have been even more impressive had they managed to win.

What Happened:  Yairo Munoz doubled home a pair of runs in the third inning to tie the score at 5-5.  The Cardinals briefly took the lead again in the fifth, but Nick Castellanos tied it up again in the sixth with an RBI-single.  The amazingly steady Phillies bullpen kept the team in the game until Seranthony Dominguez surrendered Arenado's home run.

Featured Card:  Our European vacation was coming to an end, and we spent this day walking around a small portion of the Louvre, which of course made me think of the one and only Phillies player to have been born in Paris, France.  And now you know.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

Meeting Kent Tekulve

Between a morning travel baseball game and the Saturday afternoon Phillies game, Doug and I squeezed in a quick trip to Carl's Cards & Collectibles in Haverford to pick up a few autographs from former Pirates and Phillies reliever Kent Tekulve.  Teke has long been one of my favorite players, and I actively collected his baseball cards as a kid and I may have actually dressed up as him one Halloween.  (Sunglasses, pillbox Pirates hat, Pirates t-shirt, large wad of Big League Chew in my cheek.)

Tekulve asked Doug how his baseball season was going, what position he played and if he was a better fielder or hitter.  He was gracious with his time, posing for several photos and signing the two items shown below.  The larger square print is from the tough to find 1987 Phillies Great Performers of 1986 set, given out to season ticket holders who paid their balance in full prior to a certain date during the 1987 offseason.  The prints from the set are all from Dick Perez paintings.  The second card signed by Tekulve is from the 1986 Tastykake Phillies set.

It was a great day all around and I was thrilled to meet one of my all-time baseball heroes.

1986 Tastykake Phillies #27

1987 Great Performers of 1986

Game 32 - Phils Hold On to Win Opener in L.A.

2022 Topps 1987 Topps
Chrome Silver Pack #T87C-71

Phillies 9, Dodgers 7
Game 32 - Late Thursday Night, May 12th in Los Angeles
Record - 15-17, Tied for 2nd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies bullpen nearly blew another game in which they had led by 7-1, but fortunately the Dodgers bullpen was shaky as well and the Phillies would ultimately win, 9-7.

What It Means:  The Phillies won the series opening game against the best team in baseball in their home ballpark, so that's something to be happy about.  I was preparing for a medical procedure on Friday morning so I was able to watch the entirety of this game, whether I wanted to or not.

What Happened:  The Phillies were up 7-1 after five and a half innings.  Bryce Harper hit a solo home run in the first and added an RBI-double in the fifth.  Three runs crossed in the second on a Kyle Schwarber RBI-single and a Johan Camargo two-run home run.  Jean Segura scored a head's up run in the fourth, tagging and scoring on a Camargo pop up to deep second base.  After the game was tied 7-7 (see below), the Phillies scored in the ninth on a Daniel Hudson wild pitch and a Harper sacrifice fly.

Zack Wheeler returned from the Covid list and provided 5+ innings, allowing three runs on six hits.  Jose Alvarado was the culprit out of the bullpen who couldn't hold a 7-3 lead.  Alvarado allowed four runs on five hits and a walk in the eighth inning and Andrew Bellatti was able to work out of a bases loaded mess to keep the score tied.  Closer Corey Knebel created some drama of his own by loading the bases in the ninth, with no outs, before retiring Austin Barnes, Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor on three fly outs.  Knebel recorded his seventh save.

Featured Card:  Harper went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs in this game, and he'll be settling in as the team's permanent DH for a bit longer.  Tests show he's partially torn his UCL, leaving him unable to throw and play the field.  As much as I'm a National League purist, the introduction of the permanent DH in the National League in 2022 is extremely fortuitous, considering that otherwise Harper would have been lost for the season because of his injury.

Transaction:  Wheeler (rhp) was activated from the Covid injured list and Bailey Falter (lhp) was optioned back to Lehigh Valley.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 11 - Phils Go Quietly Into the Late Night

1987 Donruss Highlights #2

Rockies 4, Phillies 1
Game 11 - Monday Night, April 18th in Denver
Record - 4-7, Tied for 4th Place, 3 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The offensive woes continued for the Phillies, as the Rockies easily handled them in this 4-1 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies have lost six of their last seven, and they'll try to break the skid with more late night baseball in Denver on Tuesday.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola had a decent outing, pitching into the sixth inning and allowing a pair of runs on six hits while striking out four.  Jose Alvarado allowed a runner inherited from Nola to score on a wild pitch.  The struggling Phillies offense managed five hits, going 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position.  They scored their lone run in the eighth when Didi Gregorius doubled home Alec Bohm.

Featured Card:  When the Phillies aren't playing, finding baseball cards to feature for these game summary posts becomes a daily challenge.  Fortunately, yesterday was the 35th anniversary of Mike Schmidt connecting for his 500th career home run in Pittsburgh off pitcher Don Robinson. Embedded below is a link to the wonderful video from 1987, That Ball's Outta Here! - The Mike Schmidt Story.

 

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training Game 15 - 1987 vs. 2022 Phillies Media Guides

1987 Donruss Opening Day #160

Orioles 3, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 15 - Friday Afternoon, April 1st in Sarasota
Record - 7-6-2

One Sentence Summary:  A week away from opening day, the Phillies lost a close one to the Orioles in spring training action.

What It Means:  If not for the owners' lock-out, the regular season would have already started but instead we'll have one more week of exhibition action.

What Happened:  The pitching quartet of Ranger Suarez, Corey Knebel, Bailey Falter and Nick Nelson held the Orioles to three runs on five hits with Falter pitching three scoreless innings.  Alec Bohm, trying desperately to make the opening day roster, had a pair of hits, including his first home run of the spring.

Featured Card:  On Thursday, the Phillies released the first images of their 2022 Media Guide, with the 2021 MVP, Bryce Harper, paying tribute to the 1986 MVP, Mike Schmidt.  It's a great little homage to the team's 1987 Media Guide, and as a life-long Phillies fan I'm always appreciative with the team does something like this.  Given the lack of any notable action in this game, I'm also happy whenever I have an excuse to post a vintage Schmidt card.

Camp Head Count:  38

1987 Tastykake Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  51
Card Size:  3 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Description:  With the exception of the copyright date on the bottom right, these photo cards are identical in design to the sets issued in 1985 and 1986.  Fronts feature a full color picture and the backs include brief biographical notes on each player.

How Distributed:  All fans attending the Sunday, April 12th Phillies game at Veterans Stadium received the original 47-card set.  The four blank-backed update cards (I believe) were sold separately at the stadium late in the season.  I have a very vague recollection of purchasing the four photo card update set for $1 at a second half game.  Lee Elia was named the new Phillies manager on June 18th following the firing of John Felske.  The others featured in the update set made their Phillies debuts in May or June, as follows:  Wally Ritchie - May 1st, Keith Hughes - May 19th and Jeff Calhoun - June 16th.  Given those debuts, I would guess the update cards were available during the second half of the season, following the All-Star break.

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

1. Luis Aguayo (#16 - INF) 2. Doug Bair (#58 - RHP) 3. Steve Bedrosian (#40 - RHP) 4. Don Carman (#42 - RHP) 5. Joe Cipolloni (#23 - C) 6. Joe Cowley (#39 - RHP)       7. Darren Daulton (#10 - C) 8. Ken Dowell (#37 - SS) 9. Mike Easler (#34 - LF) 10. John Felske (#7 - MG) 11. Marvin Freeman (#48 - RHP)         12. Todd Frohwirth (#52 - RHP) 13. Greg Gross (#21 - OF-1B) 14. Kevin Gross (#46 - RHP) 15. Von Hayes (#9 - 1B) 16. Tom Hume (#41 - RHP)

17. Ken Jackson (#51 - SS) 18. Mike Jackson (#33 - RHP) 19. Chris James (#18 - OF) 20. Greg Jelks (#45 - 1B-OF) 21. Steve Jeltz (#30 - SS) 22. Greg Legg (#11 - INF) 23. Mike Maddux (#44 - RHP) 24. Tom Newell (#50 - RHP) 25. Jim Olander (#38 - OF) 26. Lance Parrish (#13 - C) 27. Shane Rawley (#28 - LHP)         28. Ronn Reynolds (#29 - C) 29. Ron Roenicke (#17 - OF) 30. Bruce Ruffin (#47 - LHP) 31. John Russell (#6 - C-OF) 32. Juan Samuel (#8 - 2B)

33. Bob Scanlan (#39 - RHP) 34. Dan Schatzeder (#35 - LHP) 35. Mike Schmidt (#20 - 3B) 36. Rick Schu (#15 - 3B) 37. Jeff Stone (#14 - OF) 38. Kent Tekulve (#27 - RHP) 39. Milt Thompson (#24 - OF) 40. Freddie Toliver (#43 - RHP) 41. Len Watts (#49 - LHP) 42. Glenn Wilson (#12 - RF) 43. Phillies Coaches 44. Jeff Kaye / Darren Loy 45. Shawn Barton / Rick Lundblade         46. Phillies Team Card 47. Phillie Phanatic

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

1. Jeff Calhoun (#31 - LHP)         2. Lee Elia (#4 - MG)

3. Keith Hughes (#19 - OF) 4. Wally Ritchie (#38 - LHP)

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (7):  Bair, Cowley, Jelks, Legg, Olander, Scanlan, Watts

First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (12):  Calhoun, Dowell, Easler, Freeman, Frohwirth, Hughes, M. Jackson, Newell, Parrish, Ritchie, Roenicke, Schatzeder
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (25):  Aguayo, Bedrosian, Carman, Cipolloni, Daulton, G. Gross, K. Gross, Hayes, Hume, K. Jackson, James, Jeltz, Maddux, Rawley, Reynolds, Ruffin, Russell, Samuel, Schmidt, Schu, Stone, Tekulve, Thompson, Toliver, Wilson

Managers (2):  Elia, Felske
Coaches (1):  Jim Davenport, Lee Elia, Claude Osteen, Mike Ryan and Del Unser are all featured on a card together.

Phillie Phanatic (1):  I believe the photo used was taken as the Phanatic was atop the Phillies dugout in Clearwater.

Multi-Player Prospect Cards (2):  Kaye / Loy, Barton / Lundblade
Other Cards (1):  Team card

Surprises:  There are a couple of things with this set only a few of us would find interesting.  As far as I can tell, this is the first team-issued photo card set featuring solo cards of players who never actually played for the Phillies.  Joe Cipolloni, Jim Olander, Bob Scanlan and Len Watts never got the call to the big leagues with the team, nor did the four prospects featured on the multi-player cards for that matter.  Marvin Freeman and Ronn Reynolds appear in the set as well, although neither played with the Phillies in 1987.  Freeman's season was hampered by injuries and he appeared in 19 minor league games.  Reynolds was dealt to the Astros on April 2nd for Calhoun.

There are two #39's in the set - Scanlan and Joe Cowley.  Scanlan started the spring with #39 and Cowley most likely requested the number upon his arrival from the White Sox late in the spring on March 26th.  Cowley had worn #40 with the White Sox, but that number already belonged to Steve Bedrosian.

Omissions:  None!  Every single player to appear with the Phillies in 1987 is represented in this set, and that's really impressive.

Variations/Rarities:  There's a Phanatic photo variation featuring the mascot riding his ATV, and a variation of the widely available Phanatic card but with different writing on the back.  There's also a black and white portrait version of a Don Carman card and fellow collector Bill W. e-mailed me to let me know the card was available at a Pennsylvania baseball card show in 1987 where Carman was an autograph guest.

Phanatic Variations 1. On dugout, different writing on back         2. Riding ATV

Black & White Variation 1. Don Carman (#42 - LHP)

Also See:  One of the more desirable (in my opinion) and difficult to find team issued sets is the 1987 Phillies Great Performers of 1986 set, issued to season ticket holders who renewed their 1987 season tickets early.  14,000 Phillies created an entry for this set as part of his Phillies Database Project.

Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collectors Rick G., Steve F. and Bill W.

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.

1986 Tastykake Phillies Photo Cards / 1988 Tastykake Phillies Photo Cards

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

Annual Section 36 Package Arrives, Marking End of Winter

2018 Topps All-Star Game Factory Set #11

2018 Topps Big League Rainbow Foil #227

2018 Topps Big League Black & White #297

1987 Sportflics #123

2014 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Refractors #128

Like the groundhog emerging from its hole or the first sign of green leaves on the trees, the annual arrival of a box of baseball cards from Section 36 means that we've survived another winter and spring time is almost here.  Each year, Section 36 reduces its baseball card inventory by parting with cards from 10 years prior.  I was expecting the haul to be heavy with cards from 2009, but to my surprise most of the cards were from the past two years.  I think this is because the prior year packages had already featured quite a few cards from 2009, leaving more room for newer cards in this year's box.

I always enjoy receiving this package, flipping through the cards initially and then sorting them.  I couldn't help but notice Doug eyeing up a few cards as I first flipped through them, and sure enough there are a few cards that have already mysteriously disappeared and have already made their way into his Phillies binder.

Here are some other observations from this year's installment:

• The oldest card received was a 1987 Sportflics Juan Samuel card.  I remember when Sportflics first came out and thinking we were truly living in the future.  Cards that move?  What magical witchcraft is this?
• Curt Schilling, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt were heavily featured in this year's assortment of cards.
• Doug was a huge fan of the 2018 Topps Big League set, so numbered parallels from that set for Vince Velasquez and Nick Williams have already entered his collection.  His favorite autograph-seeking cards are the black and white parallels Topps puts out, so it's only a matter of time before he tracks down a new Williams' autograph.
• Manufactured "Patch" cards confuse me somewhat as an old school collector, but I think these are cool.
• I received a full 2018 Topps Phillies team set with a special foil All-Star Game stamp on the front.  These were available only with complete Topps factory sets and I'm always happy to add these quirky parallels to my collection.
• Finally, and what could be the first of many Bryce Harper cards sent to me from Section 36 over the next 13 years, I received a rare French text variation card of Harper's from the recently released 2019 Topps Heritage set.

2018 Topps Players Weekend Patches #PWP-RH

2019 Topps Heritage French Text #415

2019 Topps 150th Anniversary Manufactured Patches #AMP-RH

Another great package and all welcome editions to The Phillies Room archives!  A return package featuring nothing but Red Sox cards will soon be on its way to Section 36.

Memory Lane - Section 36 Purge

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009 (Mostly in spirit only)

2017 - Mid-Year Surprise Package

Pondering the 2019 Chachi Design - Reader Input Requested #Collect

1971 Topps #119

1972 Topps #528

1984 Topps #101

1986 Topps #585

1987 Topps Traded #103T

It's about this time each year that I start to think ahead to the next season and the design I'll use for my annual custom Phillies team set.  I've called these cards "Chachi" cards since first creating the set during the 2005 season in honor of our late, great first dog, Chachi.  I've been working my way through the Topps designs of the 1970s and 1980s, and my choices are dwindling in terms of sets I've not yet tackled.

As a look into this annual process, here's a summary of what sets are off the board (for now) since they've already been used, and a look at the handful of sets still remaining.

1970 Topps - 2016 Chachi
1973 Topps - 2013 Chachi
1974 Topps - 2010 Chachi
1975 Topps - 2005 Chachi
1976 Topps - 2007 Chachi
1977 Topps - 2008 Chachi
1978 Topps - 2018 Chachi
1979 Topps - 2012 Chachi
1980 Topps - 2009 Chachi
1981 Topps - 2006 Chachi
1982 Topps - 2017 Chachi
1983 Topps - 2011 Chachi
1985 Topps - 2015 Chachi
1988 Topps - 2014 Chachi

And the candidates for the 2019 Chachi set:

1971 Topps - I've come close to using this design so many times, but I've never been able to pull the trigger.  The actual 1971 Topps set is awesome, but I'm afraid I'd get tired of creating cards with the all-black border half-way through the season.  I either need to use this design in 2019, or wait a few years as Topps will be using this design for its 2020 Topps Heritage set.

1972 Topps - I can say the same thing about the 1972 Topps set - awesome set, but I could get tired of the psychedelic tombstone design by early summer.  And there's no way I'm talented enough to re-create the team name font so I'd have to scan in a card for each team I wanted to feature and I'd pass on making cards for minor league teams.  No fun.

1984 Topps - This design has grown on me, and I'm far enough away from having used the 1983 Topps design that maybe it's time to give this a shot.  As an added bonus, it's colorful.

1986 Topps - This set is also a dark horse candidate, and it's moved up in the rankings since someone gave me the name of the font to use for the team name (Napoli Serial Heavy).  But it's somewhat of a boring design.

1987 Topps - Like the 1971 Topps design, I've come close to using this in the past but Topps' over-saturation of 1987 Topps style cards as inserts in prior years caused me to back away.

1989 Topps - I'll probably never use this design.  I wouldn't know how to re-create the style and font used for the team name and I'd have to go the 1972 Topps route (see above) if I were to use this set's design.

1965 Topps #352

1981 Donruss #175

1982 Donruss #219

1983 Fleer #163

1991 Topps #618

I've also recently given some thought to leaving the friendly confines of the Topps sets from these two decades and using the design of one of my other favorite sets.

1965 Topps - My favorite design from the 1960s.
1981 Donruss - One of the first sets I remember collecting, and I've always had a soft spot for the very early Donruss designs.
1982 Donruss - See above.
1983 Fleer - Another nostalgic set for me with a simple design.
1991 Topps - My son Doug has become partial to this set's design for some reason.  Given that 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of the first Chachi set, maybe I'll go with this design then and replace the "40" from the original with a "15".

What do you think?  What set would you like to see on this blog throughout next season?  Any other sets I'm omitting that deserve consideration?

1987 Star Steve Carlton #13

Giants 5, Phillies 4
Game 119 - Late Thursday Night, August 17th in San Francisco
Record - 43-76, 5th place, 29 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola's streak of 10 consecutive games allowing two or fewer runs was snapped and the Giants went on to hold off the Phillies in this 5-4 defeat.

What It Means:  The Phillies have lost five in a row and 7 of their last 8 games.

What Happened:  Nola's final line shows five runs allowed over five innings of work.  The Phillies attempted a come-back with a three-run sixth inning, but it wasn't enough.  Cameron Rupp (11) and Nick Williams (6) both homered in the game.

Featured Card:  I got nothing.  Here's an oddball card of Phillies all-time great Steve Carlton looking strange in a Giants uniform.

Transaction:  The Phils don't need another starting pitcher until Tuesday's double header against the Marlins, so Nick Pivetta was optioned to Lehigh Valley and infielder/outfielder Pedro Florimon had his contract selected.  Pedro Beato was designated for assignment to make room for Florimon on the 40-man roster.

23.  Pedro Florimon (rf) - Replaced Hyun Soo Kim in right field in the eighth inning as part of a double switch and grounded out to second in the ninth.

Remembering Dutch

Like all baseball and Phillies fans, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Phillies great Darren Daulton on Sunday night after his four year battle with brain cancer.  Doug and I met Dutch in September 2014 at the Valley Forge baseball card show and I wrote this at the time:

By far, the highlight of the day was getting to meet Phillies great Darren Daulton.  There were a number of current Phillies signing earlier in the day, but Doug's mid-morning soccer game meant that we didn't arrive until most of the current Phillies had already left. We scanned the list of upcoming autograph signers, and decided we'd like to meet Daulton. 

Dutch could not have been any nicer to us.  He took his time to talk to Doug and he graciously posed for several pictures.  As we were walking away, Daulton called Doug back over and said, "Now listen, here's the deal.  When you make the big leagues, you have to remember that you owe me an autograph."  Doug smiled from ear to ear, and shortly thereafter he announced that Daulton had joined the ranks of his favorite all-time players along with Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Mike Trout.

I followed social media all day Monday for the accolades and tributes that came pouring in from former teammates and coaches of Daulton's, and I'll pay tribute here with a gallery of his Topps baseball cards.  Thanks for everything, Dutch.

1986 Topps #264

1987 Topps #636

1988 Topps #468

1989 Topps #187

1990 Topps #542

1991 Topps #89

1992 Topps #244

1993 Topps #180

1994 Topps #380

1995 Topps #477

1996 Topps #85

1998 Topps #218