2012 Chachi #69 Checklist 1-69

A little less than a year ago, I posted a blank version of the 2012 Chachi checklist card, hoping optimistically that the set would contain at least 100 cards.  Thanks to a lengthy (and successful) postseason run and several season highlights, the 2008 Chachi set was the biggest set to date, with 87 cards.  Alas, missing the postseason for the first time since 2006 and an overall uneventful year meant that the 2012 Chachi set eventually clocked in at just 69 cards.  That's the lowest total since the inaugural 2005 Chachi set and its 63 cards.

With this being the final card in the 2012 Chachi set, I've now updated the Chachi Sets gallery which contains links to the Picasa albums for each set since 2005.  I've added a place holder for the 2013 Chachi set for now, and the first official cards from the new set will debut on Opening Day.

Bring it on.

2012 Chachi #68 Jimmy Rollins HL

In late October, Jimmy Rollins nabbed his fourth Gold Glove award for his dazzling defense at shortstop.  It was his first Gold Glove since he won over three consecutive years in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  Only Mike Schmidt (10) and Garry Maddox (8) have won more Gold Gloves in franchise history.

Carlos Ruiz, who was a finalist for the award at catcher, lost out to Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Here's a look back at a few other Chachi cards celebrating past Phillies Gold Glove winners:

2009 - Rollins & Shane Victorino
2010 - Victorino
2011 - Placido Polanco

2012 Chachi #65 Strikeout Leaders - Cole Hamels & Cliff Lee

Presented here is the final team leader card from the 2012 Chachi set.  This year's leaders cards weren't as fun to create or present as in prior years since the totals in all offensive and pitching categories were largely underwhelming.  However, the strikeout leaders should be celebrated for doing something that has only been accomplished three other times in team history.

Cole Hamels set a career high with 216 strikeouts, crossing the 200-K threshold for the second time in his career.  He first did it back in 2010 when he struck out 211.  This was also the second 200-K season for Cliff Lee, but he wasn't close to his team leading 238 from 2011.

Hamels and Lee became the fourth duo in franchise history to both hit the 200 strikeout mark in the same season.  They join:

1965 - Jim Bunning (268) and Chris Short (237)
2010 - Roy Halladay (219) and Hamels (211)
2011 - Lee (238) and Halladay (220)

Here's the team's top ten from the soon to be forgotten 2012 season:

1.  Cole Hamels - 216
2.  Cliff Lee - 207
3.  Roy Halladay - 132
4.  Kyle Kendrick - 116
5.  Joe Blanton - 115
6.  Vance Worley - 107
7.  Jonathan Papelbon - 92
8.  Antonio Bastardo - 81
9.  Jeremy Horst - 40
10.  Michael Schwimer - 36

2012 Chachi #64 Victory Leaders - Hamels, Halladay & Kendrick

There are a few things wrong with this card.

Nothing against Kyle Kendrick, but when your staff boasts Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, there shouldn't be room for any other starting pitcher on a team leaders card.  Halladay and Kendrick both started 25 games during the 2012 season and it's still hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that Kendrick's ERA (3.90) is more than a half a run less than Halladay's (4.49).  I thought it was appropriate that Halladay looks ticked off to be sharing box space with Kendrick on this card.

Hamels had a fantastic year, winning a career high 17 games and signing a six-year contract extension over the summer.

Lee started 30 games during the season, and it was very well documented that he didn't notch his first win until July 4th.  He finished with just 6 wins on the very disappointing season.  To remember happier times, please flash back to the 2011 Chachi Victory Leaders card.

Here are the rest of the team's leaders in wins for 2012:

1.  Cole Hamels - 17
2.  Roy Halladay - 11
2.  Kyle Kendrick - 11
4.  Joe Blanton - 8
5.  Cliff Lee - 6
5.  Vance Worley - 6
7.  Jonathan Papelbon - 5
8.  Raul Valdes - 3
9.  Four tied with - 2

2012 Chachi #62 RBI Leaders - Jimmy Rollins & Carlos Ruiz

The holidays are over, 2013 Topps Series 1 will be released soon and pitchers and catchers will report in a little over a month.  Yet I still haven't posted the final five cards from the 2012 Chachi set.  I'd love to knock these cards out before February, so here's the first of the five remaining cards.

It was very much a down year all around for the offense as it took just 68 RBIs from Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz to lead the team.  This is the first year since 2000 that the Phillies didn't have at least one player with 100 RBIs or more.  The last time that few RBIs led the team was in the strike-shortened 1994 season when Darren Daulton had 56.  Before that, we have to go back to Juan Samuel's team-leading 67 RBIs in 1988.

The rest of the top ten isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut:

1.  Jimmy Rollins - 68
1.  Carlos Ruiz - 68
3.  Hunter Pence - 59
4.  Ryan Howard - 56
5.  John Mayberry, Jr. - 46
6.  Chase Utley - 45
7.  Ty Wigginton - 43
8.  Shane Victorino - 40
9.  Domonic Brown - 26
9.  Erik Kratz - 26

2012 Chachi #67 Leading Firemen - Jonathan Papelbon & Phillippe Aumont

For the Phillies and their fans, it's been a slow off-season so far.  In prior Novembers, the Phillies made early splashes by signing big free agents or making an occasional trade.  To date, the only move made by the Phillies has been to sign third baseman Josh Fields (formerly of the White Sox and very briefly, the Royals) to a minor league contract.

By this time last year, Jonathan Papelbon had already been a Phillie for a few weeks.  Signed on November 14, 2011, Papelbon was inked to be the team's closer through at least the 2015 season.  He did a decent job in 2012, saving 38 of 42 chances and making the National League All-Star team.  The knock against Papelbon, other than his bizarre Cinco Ocho alter ego, is that he can't pitch effectively when the team is trailing or when the ballgame is tied up.

Only four Phillies recorded saves in 2012, which is less a testament to Papelbon's season as it is to the overall ineffectiveness of the rest of the team's bullpen.  This is one area in dire need of improvement for 2013.  I'm all for reuniting with our old friend Ryan Madson, if he'd be willing to serve as Papelbon's set-up guy.

1.  Jonathan Papelbon - 38 saves
2.  Phillippe Aumont - 2 saves
3.  Antonio Bastardo - 1 save
4.  Josh Lindblom - 1 save

2012 Chachi #60 Batting Leaders - Jimmy Rollins & Kevin Frandsen

I'm sure if I was more savvy with the tools available on Baseball Reference, I could figure out the following question:  When was the last time, prior to this past season, when the Phillies had only player with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title?

A player needs 502 plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, and only one Phillie, Jimmy Rollins with 699 plate appearances, qualified.  John Mayberry, Jr. was next in line with 479 plate appearances.  So while there were a few players with a higher batting average than Rollins' pedestrian .250, he holds the dubious distinction of winning the team's 2012 batting title.

If you throw qualifying plate appearances out the window, here are the Phillies position players who hit over .300 last season:

1.  Kevin Frandsen - .338 (195 AB)
2.  Darin Ruf - .333 (33 AB)
3.  Carlos Ruiz - .325 (372 AB and 421 PA)
4.  Pete Orr - .315 (54 AB)
5.  Juan Pierre - .307 (394 AB and 439 PA)
6.  Jason Pridie - .300 (10 AB)

And if you use a qualifying mark of 3.1 plate appearances per team games played, both Ruiz and Pierre would qualify for the title.

Finally, and amazingly, we have to go back to 1888 and Phillies Room favorite Sid Farrar to find the last time someone led the team with an average as low as Rollins' .250:

1.  Sid Farrar - .244 in 1888
2.  Jimmy Rollins - .250 in 2012
3.  Gary Matthews - .258 in 1983
4.  Tony Gonzalez - .264 in 1968

2012 Chachi #66 ERA Leaders - Cole Hamels & Cliff Lee

The A.L. and N.L. Cy Young Award winners will be announced in a few weeks, and the two pitchers featured on this card could receive some votes.  Cole Hamels led the team in ERA for the first time since 2008, when he pitched the Phillies to their last World Series Championship.  Roy Halladay, who led the team in 2010 and 2011 had an off year and one would hope he's back in the running for the team's ERA title in 2013.

Pitchers qualify for an ERA title by pitching in at least one inning per team game played.  Only Hamels and Lee had enough innings to qualify for the title, but here are the top five Phillies starters and relievers for 2012:

Starters - ERA (IP)
1.  Cole Hamels - 3.05 (215.1)
2.  Cliff Lee - 3.16 (211.0)
3.  Kyle Kendrick - 3.90 (159.1)*
4.  Roy Halladay - 4.49 (156.1)
5.  Joe Blanton - 4.59 (133.1)^

Relievers - ERA (At least 25 IP)
1.  Jeremy Horst - 1.15 (31.1)
2.  Raul Valdes - 2.17 (29.0)
3.  Jonathan Papelbon - 2.44 (70.0)
4.  Jake Diekman - 3.95 (27.1)
5.  Antonio Bastardo - 4.33 (52.0)

*Includes 13.2 innings as relief pitcher.
^Includes 0.2 innings as relief pitcher.

2012 Chachi #63 Stolen Base Leaders - Juan Pierre & Jimmy Rollins

This post is scheduled to publish on Tuesday morning.  I'm hoping we still have electricity by then as we're getting battered by Hurricane Sandy.  Stay safe everyone!

As expected, the Phillies exercised their option on catcher Carlos Ruiz' contract yesterday, locking him up for the 2013 season at $5 million.  It's expected that the Phils will decline their options on reliever Jose Contreras and third baseman Placido Polanco, who both missed significant time this past season due to injuries.  Ty Wigginton could also find himself without a home as the Phils could decline his option following a disappointing 2012 campaign.*

137 players became free agents immediately following the end of the craptastic 2012 World Series, with Juan Pierre and Brian Schneider both on that list of initial filings.  Pierre had a great season, and I would think the Phillies would want to bring him back to help round out the bench in 2013.  In 130 games, Pierre batted .307 and led the team with 37 stolen bases.

2012 Phillies Team
Issue 2 #23

To date, Pierre has received Phillies cards in the Allen & Ginter's set (both a base card and an insert in the What's in a Name set), the Topps Series 2 set and the two Phillies team issued postcard sets.  Per the checklist I saw for the soon to be shipped Topps Heritage High Numbers boxed set, he's the lone Phillie appearing in that set.

Schneider was limited to just 34 games in 2012 and he hit just .225.  Erik Kratz is his heir apparent to back-up Ruiz in 2013.  Despite his three seasons with the club, Schneider's sole standard size Phillies card is his relic card from the 2010 Topps 206 release.

Moving On

Jason Pridie (10/6/12) - Filed for free agency

Tyson Brummett (10/18/12) - Claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays

David Herndon (10/23/12) - Claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays

Juan Pierre (10/29/12) - Filed for free agency

Brian Schneider (10/29/12) - Filed for free agency

*As soon as I had hit Publish on Monday afternoon, the announcement came that Wigginton's and Contreras' options were declined.  I'll give them a separate departure post.  Later in the evening, the Phillies announced they had also declined Polanco's option.

2012 Chachi #61 Home Run Leaders - Jimmy Rollins & Hunter Pence

The last time the Phillies team leader in home runs had less than 30 home runs was back in 2000 when Scott Rolen led the club with 26.  The last time the Phillies had a home run leader with less than Jimmy Rollins' 23 home runs in 2012 was during the dreadful 1997 season when Rolen led the way again with only 21 round trippers.  Hunter Pence, who was traded to the Giants way back on July 31st, still managed to finish second in the team home run race with 17.

Here's the rest of the top ten for 2012:

1.  Jimmy Rollins - 23

2.  Hunter Pence - 17

3.  Carlos Ruiz - 16

4.  Ryan Howard - 14

4.  John Mayberry, Jr. - 14

6.  Chase Utley - 11

6.  Ty Wigginton - 11

8.  Shane Victorino - 9

8.  Erik Kratz - 9

10.  Domonic Brown - 5

10.  Jim Thome - 5

2012 Chachi #59 Tyson Brummett

Nationals 5, Phillies 1
Game 162 - Wednesday Afternoon, October 3rd in Washington
Record - 81-81, 3rd Place, 17 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies closed out their 2012 season with a lethargic loss to the division champs.

What It Means:  The team's streak of nine straight winning seasons is over.  The last time the Phils finished with an 81-81 record was back in 1984 under manager Paul Owens.  Hopefully, the 2013 Phillies will have more success than the 1985 squad that finished with a 75-87 record under new manager John Felske.

2012 Phillies Team
Issue 2 #5

What Went Wrong:  The offense had another rough day, going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.  Nate Schierholtz (3 for 3) and Kevin Frandsen (2 for 4) tried their best, but it wasn't enough.  Cliff Lee finished the season with a 6-9 record after allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings of work.

The first move of an upcoming busy offseason was the dismissal of three coaches.  Bench coach Pete Mackanin, hitting coach Greg Gross and first base coach Sam Perlozzo did not have their contracts renewed.  Ryne Sandberg is expected to take one of the open positions unless he ends up with a manager's job next season.

Featured Cards:  After Jonathan Papelbon suffered through his latest and final flame-out of the season, righty Tyson Brummett made his Major League debut and recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning.  He became the eighth player to make his debut this season, which is the most for the Phils since 15 players debuted in 1996.  With Brummett's Chachi card produced, the only cards remaining from the 2012 Chachi set are some team leaders cards and the set's checklist.

#59

Tyson Colby Brummett

Relief Pitcher

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 6'0"  Weight: 185

Born: August 15, 1984, Columbus, MS

Home: Salt Lake City, UT

Drafted: Selected by Phillies in 7th round of June 2007 draft

Teams: Phillies 2012

Acquired: Via draft

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

2012 Chachi #57 Darin Ruf

Phillies 6, Nationals 3
Game 154 - Tuesday Night, September 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 78-76, 3rd Place, 15 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Darin Ruf hit a home run in his first Major League start as the Phillies defeated the Nationals, 6-3.

What It Means:  The Phillies did their part to postpone the Nationals' inevitable pennant clinching celebration.

What Went Right:  Ruf started the scoring with his solo home run in the second.  The Phils added four more runs in the third on Ryan Howard's RBI-single and a three-run home run from Carlos Ruiz.  Chooch is padding his career highs in home runs and RBIs as he now sits with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs in his career year.

Cole Hamels had a short outing, but he still earned his 16th win of the season.  A quartet of Phillies relievers held the Nationals scoreless before closer Jonathan Papelbon locked down the win and his 37th save.

Featured Card:  Ruf gets his well-deserved Chachi card, most likely becoming the final player featured in the 2012 Chachi set.  With his shot last night, Ruf has now hit 39 total home runs on the season - his first 38 coming in his record-setting year with Double-A Reading.  Here's the back of his card:

#18

Darin Cortland Ruf

Outfield-First Base

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 6'3"  Weight: 220

Born: July 28, 1986, Omaha, NE

Home: Omaha, NE

Drafted: Selected by Phillies in 20th round of June 2009 draft

Teams: Phillies 2012

Acquired: Via draft

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

2012 Chachi #58 Ryan Howard HL

Braves 8, Phillies 2
Game 152 - Saturday Afternoon, September 22nd in Philadelphia
Record - 77-75, 3rd Place

One Sentence Summary:  Roy Halladay (perhaps hurt?) didn't survive the second inning as the Phillies lost to the Braves, 8-2.

What It Means:  The push for a play-off spot just got a little more difficult.  The Phillies fell back to four games behind the Cardinals for the second Wild Card with ten games to play.  The Dodgers and Brewers also stand between the Phils and the Cardinals.

What Went Wrong:  Halladay was off from the start.  He allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings, and it was just the second time in his career that he failed to make it through two innings.

Featured Card/Field Report:  Doug and I attended this game together, and while the ballgame was a bust, the father/son outing was a success.  Doug did his best bottomless pit impersonation, downing a cheeseburger, some fries, a huge cherry water ice and most of a box of popcorn.

While Doug was working on his water ice, Ryan Howard hit his 300th career home run on a blast to center off Braves pitcher Mike Minor in the fourth.  Howard joins Mike Schmidt as the only two Phillies to have hit 300 home runs with the franchise.

So we witnessed some history yesterday.  Or more accurately, I witnessed history since Doug was too focused on his delicious cherry water ice.  I'll tell him about it one day.

I dropped to an ugly 4-8 mark in Phillies games I've attended this year.  I plan to make it to one more game this year before calling it a season.

2012 Chachi #55 Justin De Fratus

#79

Justin A. De Fratus

Relief Pitcher

Bats: Switch  Throws: Right  Height: 6'4"  Weight: 220

Born: October 21, 1987, Oxnard, CA

Home: Oxnard, CA

Drafted: Selected by Phillies in 11th round of June 2007 draft

Teams: Phillies 2011-

Acquired: Via draft

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

2012 Chachi #56 Jimmy Rollins HL

Reds 2, Phillies 1
Game 136 - Tuesday Night, September 4th in Cincinnati
Record - 65-71, 3rd Place, 18 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense was held in check and a blown umpire's call cost them a run, as the Reds won, 2-1.

What It Means:  We're one day closer to the offseason.

What Went Wrong:  The Phils managed just four hits all night, with their lone run coming when Domonic Brown walked with the bases loaded in the fourth.  Nate Schierholtz followed with a sinking liner to center that was ruled a catch, and an eventual double play, but was shown on replays to clearly be a trapped ball.  The Phils would have scored their second run of the game if not for the botched call.

Kyle Kendrick's only blemish was a two-run home run to Jay Bruce in the sixth.

Featured Cards:  With a chop double down the first base line in the fifth, Jimmy Rollins collected his 2,000th career hit.  He became the fourth Phillie to reach that milestone, following Ed Delahanty (2,207), Richie Ashburn (2,217) and Mike Schmidt (2,234).  That's elite company for the shortstop, who collected his first hit with a triple off the Marlins' Chuck Smith back on September 17, 2000.  Following the game, Rollins admitted that the next milestone he's shooting for is 2,192 hits, which would give him one more than his former manager, Larry Bowa.

1980 Baseball Immortals #33, 2010 Topps #409b,
2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #269 and 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces #70

2012 Chachi #53 Steven Lerud

#39

Steven James Lerud

Catcher

Bats: Left  Throws: Right  Height: 6'1"  Weight: 215

Born: October 13, 1984, Reno, NV

Home: Reno, NV

Drafted: Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of June 2003 draft

Teams: Phillies 2012

Acquired:  Signed by the Phillies as minor league free agent, formerly with the Baltimore Orioles organization, December 12, 2011

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible

2012 Chachi #52 Phillippe Aumont

#48

Phillippe Aumont

Relief Pitcher

Bats: Left  Throws: Right  Height: 6'7"  Weight: 260

Born: January 7, 1989, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Home: Redmond, WA

Drafted: Selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st round of June 2007 draft

Teams: Phillies 2012

Acquired: Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez for Cliff Lee, December 16, 2009

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration eligible