Seeking Alternatives to @Zistle - How Do You Track Your Collection?

2015 Chachi #71

Over five years ago, I took a head-first plunge into Zistle, spending hours upon hours meticulously updating my account on the Zistle database with the baseball cards in my Phillies collection.  This was a huge accomplishment for me, since I never knew exactly how many Phillies baseball cards I owned and I had no way of knowing which Chase Utley cards I had or if I had any Billy Grabarkewitz Phillies baseball card in my collection.  (410 as of this writing and yes, I own three Grabarkewitz cards.)

Over the last few years as I've continued to use Zistle, I've experienced a few slight inconveniences with the Zistle database as cards I had input would appear and then disappear or updates I had suggested would go unnoticed.  Those inconveniences have become bigger annoyances in the past several months as I've been unable to update my collection for Phillies cards from the 2016 Bowman, 2016 Topps Pro Debut and most recently, the 2016 Topps Chrome sets.  I asked the question on the site's fan forum about the lack of recent updates, and one response I received suggested that Zistle was in the midst of legal trouble with Beckett.  (Here's confirmation of this.)

This lengthy prelude is my set-up for the following very basic question:  How do you track your cards?

The recent Zistle issues leave me worried that I may need to migrate the tracking of my collection over to a new platform.  I'm taking suggestions here, and I'd sincerely value your feedback.  I've even opened up a poll in the sidebar to help me with my decision as to what to do next.  (Has this already been the topic of a Blog Bat-Around?  Do those still exist?  If it hasn't may I humbly submit this topic for a Blog Bat-Around?)

As I see it, here are my options:

1.  Zistle - I really like the interface and I've already sunk hours/days of my time into it.  I'm hopeful that it makes a quality return and the glitches/missing sets I've experienced are all remedied.  But . . . I've already been burned once this year when the former Hardball Passport changed owners and the hours I had spent entering games I had attended was all lost.  I'd hate for the same thing to happen with Zistle, so maybe it's time I cut my losses and move on.

2.  Spreadsheet - I'm very tempted by the thought of tracking everything on my own via a massive Excel schedule.  Before his self-imposed hobby exile, the proprietor of 14,000 Phillies had created an incredibly detailed and impressive Phillies checklist in Excel and I may use this as the starting point for my own file.  But this brings it's own set of issues as I'm not Excel savvy enough to be able to run the types of searches I'd need or to sort the data in a meaningful way.

3.  The Trading Card Database - This seems like the best alternative to Zistle, and it's very impressive that it has a full and complete listing of minor league and team issued team sets.  I've had to manually input all recent Phillies minor league and team issued team sets into Zistle, and The Trading Card Database already has these obscure offerings covered.  But the interface seems a little clunky, and I really don't feel like going through the exercise of re-inputting my entire collection into an online database a second time.

4.  Beckett - I'm listing this here as an option, but I believe this would come with a monthly or annual fee and I'm not about to pay for this service.

5.  Other - What am I missing?  What else is out there?  Does anyone remember the old Card Collector software that ran on older PCs?

Thanks again for your help!

Klentak Named New GM

2015 Chachi #70

2015 Chachi #68

Yesterday, the Phillies introduced Matt Klentak as their new general manager, succeeding Ruben Amaro, Jr. who was dismissed in September.  Klentak comes to the Phillies after serving four years as the Angels assistant GM (2012-2015) and four years as director of baseball operation for the Orioles (2008-2011).  Current team president Any MacPhail worked with Klentak while both were with the Orioles.

I'm excited about this move and at the very least the Phillies seem to be embracing the analytical side of the game that has been previously embraced by so many teams.  I'll admit though, it was weird making a custom baseball card for a dude who is (a) younger than me, (b) in a suit and (c) looks as if he could be working a few doors down from me in my office.  For some reason, making fake baseball cards for actual players in their twenties and thirties is fine, but making a fake baseball card for Klentak felt weird.

I thought I should also post the Highlight card I made for manager Pete Mackanin upon the removal of his interim title.  No one knows what the 2016 season has in store, but the two guys at the top of this post - Klentak and Mackanin - will be front and center.

* * *

In a strange but true move, Amaro, Jr. has been hired by the Boston Red Sox as their new first base coach.  I guess he just wanted to be closer to Section 36?

2015 Chachi #69 Aaron Altherr HL

Phillies 8, Nationals 2
Game 154 - Friday Night, September 25th in Washington
Record - 58-96, 5th Place, 29 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Altherr and Jerad Eickhoff starred in this 8-2 victory over the free-falling Nationals.

What It Means:  With a Phillies win or a Mets win today, the Nationals will be officially eliminated from the postseason.  (I actually smiled writing that.)

What Happened:  It was the Altherr and Eickhoff show.  Eickhoff pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out 10.  Eickhoff struck out Bryce Harper three times in the game, joining Matt Harvey, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner as the only pitchers this season to accomplish that feat.

Altherr hit an inside-the-park grand slam in the third, a solo home run in the fifth and stroked a double in the seventh.  He finished the night having gone 4 for 5 with 5 RBIs.  Darin Ruf (10) and Cody Asche (12) also homered in the winning effort.

Featured Card:  Altherr's historic run around the bases took 14 seconds and was made possible by an ill-advised diving attempt on the ball by Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor.  Taylor missed the ball and it rolled all the way to the warning track.  It was the first inside-the-park grand slam for a Phillies player since Ted Kazanski did it on August 8, 1956.  When he hit his out-of-the-park home run in the fifth, Altherr became the first Phillies player since Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones to hit an inside-the-park grand slam and a "normal" home run in the same game since Jones did it on June 19, 1951.

2015 Chachi #67 Chase d'Arnaud

#2

Chase Jonathan d'Arnaud

Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  205

Born:  January 21, 1987, Torrance, CA

Home:  Long Beach, CA

Drafted:  Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of the June 2008 draft

Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 2011-2012, 2014; Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent, November 13, 2014

2011 Topps Update #US297

2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #6

2 d'Arnaud Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #6
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #8

First Topps Base Card:  2011 Topps Update #US297
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #67

d'Arnaud Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/14/15.

2015 Chachi #66 Ken Roberts

#62

Kenneth Elwin Roberts

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200

Born:  March 9, 1988, Murfreesboro, TN

Drafted:  Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 25th round of the June 2010 draft

Teams:  Colorado Rockies 2015, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Claimed off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, August 30, 2015

0 Roberts Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #66

Roberts Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/13/15.

2015 Chachi #65 Brian Bogusevic

#17

Brian Thomas Bogusevic

Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  216

Born:  February 18, 1984, Oak Lawn, IL

Home:  Palos Heights, IL

Drafted:  Selected by the Houston Astros in the 1st round of the June 2005 draft

Teams:  Houston Astros 2010-2012, Chicago Cubs 2013, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins organization, October 22, 2014

2011 Topps #88

2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3

2 Bogusevic Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #4

First Topps Base Card:  2011 Topps #88
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #65

Bogusevic Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/4/15.

2015 Chachi #64 Colton Murray

#60

Colton James Murray

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195

Born:  April 22, 1990, Overland Park, KS

Home:  Overland Park, KS

Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 13th round of the June 2011 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Via draft

2011 Choice Williamsport
Crosscutters #21

6 Murray Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2011 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #21
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #20

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #64

Murray Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/4/15.

2015 Chachi #63 Erik Kratz

#28

Erik Floyd Kratz

Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  240

Born:  June 15, 1980, Telford, PA

Drafted:  Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 29th round of the June 2002 draft

Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 2010, Phillies 2011-2013, Toronto Blue Jays 2014, Kansas City Roylas 2014-2015, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Seattle Mariners organization, July 17, 2015

2011 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14

2011 Chachi #52

2012 Phillies Team Issue 2 #31

2013 Topps  #361

9 Kratz Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2011 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #14
First Phillies Card:  2012 Phillies Team Issue 2 #31
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  2013 Topps #361
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2012 Phillies Team Issue 2 #31
Latest Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue 2 #31

First Chachi Base Card:  2011 Chachi #52

Kratz Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 9/3/15.

2015 Chachi #62 Alec Asher

#49

Alec Edward Asher

Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  230

Born:  October 4, 1991, Lakeland, FL

Drafted:  Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 4th round of the June 2012 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Acquired with Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson and Jared Eickhoff from the Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash considerations, July 31, 2015

0 Asher Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #62

Asher Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/30/15.

2015 Chachi #61 Nefi Ogando

#56

Nefi Ismael Ogando

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  218

Born:  June 3, 1989, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Home:  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 14, 2010

Teams:  2015

Acquired:  Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for John McDonald, August 31, 2013

2014 Grandstand Reading
Fightin Phils #25

3 Ogando Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2014 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #25
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Stroehmann SGA #25

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #61

Ogando Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/28/15.

2015 Chachi #60 Jerad Eickhoff

#48

Jerad Joseph Eickhoff

Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  240

Born:  July 2, 1990, Evansville, IN

Drafted:  Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 15th round of the June 2011 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Acquired with Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson and Alec Asher from the Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash considerations, July 31, 2015

0 Eickhoff Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #60

Eickhoff Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/22/15.

2015 Chachi #59 Darnell Sweeney

#24

Darnell Thomas Sweeney

Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  195

Born:  February 1, 1991, Hollywood, FL

Drafted:  Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13th round of the June 2012 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Acquired with John Richy from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Chase Utley and cash considerations, August 19, 2015

0 Sweeney Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #59

Sweeney Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/22/15.

2015 Chachi #58 Aaron Altherr

#40

Aaron Samuel Altherr

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  215

Born:  January 14, 1991, Landstuhl, Germany

Home:  Buckeye, AZ

Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 9th round of the June 2009 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2014-

Acquired:  Via draft

2011 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #22

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP112

2014 Chachi #52

11 Altherr Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2011 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #22
First Phillies Card:  2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP112
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Stroehmann SGA #22

First Chachi Base Card:  2014 Chachi #52

Altherr Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/21/15.

2015 Chachi #57 Adam Loewen

#21

Adam A. Loewen

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  245

Born:  April 9, 1984, Vancouver, BC

Home:  Scottsdale, AZ

Drafted:  Selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round of the June 2002 draft

Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 2006-2008, Toronto Blue Jays 2011, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, April 16, 2014

2004 Topps #691

2014 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #17

2 Loewen Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2014 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #17
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #16

First Topps Base Card:  2004 Topps #691 (with Nick Markakis)
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #57

Loewen Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/11/15.

2015 Chachi #56 Jordan Danks

#15

Jordan Cooper Danks

Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  220

Born:  August 7, 1986, Austin, TX

Home:  Pfugerville, TX

Drafted:  Selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 7th round of the June 2008 draft

Teams:  Chicago White Sox 2012-2014, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, January 16, 2015

2012 Topps Update #US322

2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #7

1 Danks Baseball Card in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #7
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #7

First Topps Base Card:  2012 Topps Update #US322
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #56

Danks Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 8/3/15.

2015 Chachi #55 Dalier Hinojosa

#94

Dalier (Hernandez) Hinojosa

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  230

Born:  February 10, 1986, Isla de la Juventud, Cuba

Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, October 10, 2013

Teams:  Boston Red Sox 2015, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Selected off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, July 15, 2015

0 Hinojosa Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #55

Hinojosa Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

I saw Hinojosa pitch a scoreless ninth inning of the Phillies game on July 31st - his Phillies debut.

Cards and game statistics through 8/3/15.  For some reason, Hardball Passport hasn't been updating my personal statistics over the past month.

Cole Hamels Throws No-Hitter!

2015 Chachi #52

Phillies 5, Cubs 0
Game 99 - Sunday Afternoon, July 25th in Chicago
Record - 36-63, 5th Place, 17 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  In what could possibly be his last start with the Phillies, Cole Hamels threw the the 13th no-hitter in team history as the Phillies won against the Cubs, 5-0.

What It Means:  Little did I know I'd witness history when I began working in our yard and mowing our lawn yesterday afternoon.  Listening to the radio broadcast of the game the entire time, I finished up after the fifth inning and sat in our garage to listen to the sixth and seventh innings.  I decided I didn't want to be exiled in the garage in case history was made, so I got over any lingering superstitions and went inside to watch the final two outs on TV with my family.

As Hamels collected the final outs he needed, my oldest son Doug could barely contain himself and my youngest son Ben wondered what all the commotion was about.  We jumped and screamed and clapped as Odubel Herrera somehow caught the final out of the game in center to preserve the no-hitter.  If this was in fact Hamels' last game as a Phillie, he gave us all a wonderful parting gift and a fantastic memory that I'll never forget.

What Happened:  Hamels struck out 13 and threw 129 pitches.  His only blemishes on the day were two walks allowed to Dexter Fowler.  Ryan Howard's three-run home run in the third gave Hamels all the run support he'd need.  The Phils scored twice more in the eighth when Cody Asche singled and Freddy Galvis blooped a double to the outfield grass behind first base.  Anthony Rizzo fielded the ball and immediately threw it beyond third, allowing Galvis to come around to score.

2015 Chachi #53

2015 Chachi #54

Featured Cards:  Hamels gets the main Highlight card here, but I also wanted to work in a Highlight card for Herrera and a Record Breaker card for Carlos Ruiz.  I was going to go with a few dreaded short-printed variation cards to accomplish this, but then I decided to just add three cards to the main set.  (Years from now, when set collectors are trying to put together their 2015 Chachi sets, they'll thank me for this.)

Ruiz joins Jason Varitek as the only catchers in Major League history to have caught four no-hitters and he becomes the only National League catcher to have accomplished this feat.  I also love the picture below capturing the moment after Herrera's grab when Ruiz and Howard were the first to greet Hamels on the mound.  Chase Utley (currently on the disabled list, but in Chicago) joined the trio a few seconds later.

Herrera's circus catch to record the 27th out preserved the no-hitter and he also made a nice play on a David Ross liner in the eighth for the second out of that inning.

Memory Lane
5/29/10 - Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in Major League history
10/6/10 - Halladay no-hit the Reds in Game 1 of the N.L.D.S.
9/1/14 - Hamels, Diekman, Giles and Papelbon combine for the franchise's 12th no-hitter

2015 Chachi #51 Aaron Nola

#27

Aaron Michael Nola

Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  200

Born:  June 4, 1993, Baton Rouge, LA

Home:  Baton Rouge, LA

Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 1st round of the June 2014 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Via draft

2014 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #49

2014 Bowman Draft Picks #DP4

11 Nola Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2014 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #49
First Phillies Card:  2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Draft Picks #DP4
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Bowman Inception Prospect Autographs #PA-AN

First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #51

Nola Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 7/22/15.

2015 Chachi #50 Jeff Francoeur HL

Phillies 8, Marlins 7
Game 94 - Sunday Afternoon, July 19th
Record - 32-62, 5th Place, 19 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeff Francoeur provided the heroics with a walk-off, two-run home run to give the Phillies an 8-7 victory and the series sweep.

What It Means:  The Phillies have started the second half with a 3-0 record and they'll face the Rays for three games beginning tonight.

What Happened:  For the second game in a row, and as several Major League scouts looked on, Cole Hamels looked awful.  Hamels left after three innings having allowed five runs on eight hits while throwing 76 pitches on a scorching hot day.

The Phillies plated five runs in the second capped by home runs from Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis.  They took a 6-5 lead into the eighth, but Ken Giles couldn't preserve the lead.  Now trailing 7-6 heading to the ninth, Carlos Ruiz led off with a walk and Francoeur followed with his big hit a few pitches later.

Featured Card:  I don't feature Chachi Highlights cards for every walk-off win, but Francoeur has been one of the few first half bright spots for this team and I wanted to get him one more Phillies card before his inevitable trade in a few weeks' time.  Given the dearth of true Phillies highlights so far this season, I'll take my bright spots wherever I can get them.