Phillies at Braves: September 26th to September 29th

Thursday 7:10, Friday 7:30, Saturday 7:10 and Sunday 1:35
Turner Field - Atlanta, GA

Phillies 72-86, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 21 games behind the Braves
Braves 93-65, 1st Place in the N.L. East, 9 1/2 games ahead of the Nationals

Phillies Probables:  Tyler Cloyd (2-6, 5.40), Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.93), Ethan Martin (2-4, 6.25), Zach Miner (0-1, 3.08)
Braves Probables:  David Hale (0-0, 0.00), Kris Medlen (14-12, 3.24), Mike Minor (13-8, 3.22), Julio Teheran (13-8, 3.09)

At the Ballpark:  Fan Appreciation Weekend kicks off tonight at Turner Field.  The highlights of the weekend series are fireworks on Friday night and a 2014 Souvenir Schedule Cup give-away on Saturday night.

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .282

Runs:  Chase Utley - 72

Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 27

RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 82

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins - 22

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 14

ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.93

Strikeouts:  Cliff Lee - 209

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 29

2013 Chachi Preview #5

1973 Topps Appreciation:  The only Phillies-related card from the 1973 Topps set not to appear in these series preview posts is the Mike Schmidt rookie card.  I did a whole post on that iconic card a few years back, so please go check out that post.  I also took a stab a creating a 1973 Topps solo card for Schmidt, which I posted here.

The card featured here has been sitting in my draft folder since Spring Training when Schmidt served as a guest hitting instructor with the Phils for a few weeks in February.  It's fitting that this card wraps up my season long look back at the 1973 Topps set.

And in case you missed it, I've already chosen the Topps set to use as the basis for my 2014 Chachi set.  Look for Chachi Transactions cards throughout the offseason and the official set will make its debut on opening day.

Phillies at Marlins: September 23rd to September 25th

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:10
Marlins Park - Miami, FL

Phillies 71-84, Tied for 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 21 games behind the Braves
Marlins 57-99, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 35 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables:  Roy Halladay (4-4, 6.71), Zach Miner (0-1, 3.22), Cole Hamels (8-14, 3.62)
Marlins Probables:  Nathan Eovaldi (3-6, 3.79), Henderson Alvarez (4-5, 4.05), Jacob Turner (3-8, 3.74)

At the Ballpark:  The Marlins have some promotional ticket packages available for this series, but no giveaways are scheduled.  It's probably for the best, as there will likely be a ton of empty seats for these weekday games.

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .281

Runs:  Chase Utley - 71

Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 27

RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 82

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins - 22

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 14

ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.93

Strikeouts:  Cliff Lee - 209

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 28

1973 Topps Flashback:  The Standard Catalog describes the 1973 Topps Team Checklists set as "relatively scarce" and "somewhat mysterious," which is probably why I didn't know the set existed until a few years ago.  Not to be confused with the red-bordered 1974 Topps Team Checklists set, this set is believed to have been included with the high-numbered series of 1973 Topps cards, and it might have also been made available as a mail-away offer.

The card backs feature an alphabetical team checklist of all base cards appearing for each given team within the 1973 Topps set.  Interestingly enough, it also features any Rookie Stars cards featuring Phillies players, but it does not checklist the team card (#536).  I also found it interesting that the front of the card contains the facsimile autograph for "Robert" Boone, even though Boone didn't receive his own card in the set.

As it stands right now, the 2013 Chachi set will have 73 cards, with team leaders and a checklist card wrapping up the set.

Mets at Phillies: September 20th to September 22nd

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Mets 68-84, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 22 games behind the Braves
Phillies 71-81, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 19 games behind the Braves

Mets Probables:  Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 6.12), Dillon Gee (11-10, 3.47), Carlos Torres (3-5, 3.39)
Phillies Probables:  Cole Hamels (8-13, 3.48), Tyler Cloyd (2-5, 5.06), Cliff Lee (14-6, 2.95)

At the Ballpark:  This is the final home series of the year for the Phillies.  Saturday night is German Heritage night at the ballpark, and Sunday is the annual Fan Appreciation Day.  All fans will receive a commemorative postcard set, marking highlights of the 2013 season, and a 2014 schedule magnet.

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .279

Runs:  Chase Utley - 69

Home Runs:  Domonic Brown - 27

RBIs:  Domonic Brown - 81

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 22

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 14

ERA:  Cliff Lee - 2.95

Strikeouts:  Cliff Lee - 201

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 28