Phillies at Diamondbacks - August 8th to August 11th

2024 Chachi 1984 Topps Missing Links #1

2024 Chachi Series Previews #4

Thursday and Friday 9:40, Saturday 8:10 and Sunday 4:10
Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ

At the Ballpark:  On Saturday night, the Diamondbacks are giving the first 30,000 fans a National League Championship replica ring.  Ouch.

Philadelphia Phillies 68-46
1st Place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Kolby Allard (0-0, 4.50)
Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.77)
Aaron Nola (11-5, 3.54)
Cristopher Sanchez (8-7, 3.27)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .297
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 79
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 27
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 78
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 23

Wins:  Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.77
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 148
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 13

Arizona Diamondbacks 63-52
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. West, 3 games behind the Dodgers

Diamondbacks Probables
Jordan Montgomery (7-5, 6.37)
Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.65)
Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.75)
TBD

Diamondbacks Leaders
Average:  Ketel Marte - .298
Runs:  Ketel Marte - 79
Home Runs:  Ketel Marte - 29
RBIs:  Ketel Marte - 80
Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll - 21

Wins:  Zac Gallen - 9
ERA:  Brandon Pfaadt - 3.92
Strikeouts:  Brandon Pfaadt - 124
Saves:  Paul Sewald - 16

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 64 - Phils Ripped by Dodgers

1988 Topps Big #226

Dodgers 9, Phillies 0
Game 64 - Saturday Afternoon, June 10th in Philadelphia
Record - 31-33, 3rd Place, 9 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Phillies' pitching got hit early and often, as the Phillies' hitting continued to slumber in this 9-0 trouncing.

What It Means:  We had debated going to this game as Jenna wanted to see the postgame concert (AJR) but I'm glad we ended up skipping it.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola didn't have it, and he was tagged with six runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.  Jeff Hoffman threw gas on the fire, allowing a pair of Nola's inherited runners to score and then giving up three runs of his own on a J.D. Martinez three-run home run.  In the middle of the nightmare seventh inning, in which the Dodgers scored six times, manager Rob Thomson was ejected.  Thomson had been sticking up for Nola, who was delaying the game (slightly) when asking for new baseballs.  Dylan Covey and Kody Clemens settled things down with a final two scoreless innings.  Clemens has now pitched in four games, and has a respectable 3.38 ERA in 2 2/3 innings.

Featured Card:  I got nothing here.  I spent part of the weekend getting my 1988 Phillies binder added to my collection over at TCDB.com, and this is one of the random cards from the binder.  For the record, my username is Ringo73 at TCDM.com, and my 1988 Phillies binder contains 567 unique Phillies baseball cards.

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

Series Preview - Mets at Phillies: April 30th to May 2nd

1986 Topps #191

1986 Topps #69

Friday 7:05, Saturday 6:05, Sunday 7:08
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  On Sunday night, as part of the team's annual Mother's Appreciation Day, all women will receive a pink J.T. Realmuto t-shirt.

Mets 9-10
Tied for 1st Place in the N.L. East, 1/2 game ahead of the Marlins

Mets Probables
Marcus Stroman (3-1, 2.25)
Taijuan Walker (1-1, 2.14)
David Peterson (1-3, 5.59)

Mets Leaders
Average:  Brandon Nimmo - .345
Runs:  Pete Alonso - 9
Home Runs:  Pete Alonso - 5
RBIs:  Pete Alonso - 12
Stolen Bases:  Brandon Nimmo - 2

Wins:  Marcus Stroman - 3
ERA:  Jacob deGrom - 0.51

Strikeouts:  Jacob deGrom - 59
Saves:  Edwin Diaz - 2

Phillies 12-13
Tied for 1st Place in the N.L. East, 1/2 game ahead of the Marlins

Phillies Probables
Chase Anderson (0-3, 6.48)
Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.13)
Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.58)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  J.T. Realmuto - .329
Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 19
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 8
RBIs:  Didi Gregorius and Rhys Hoskins - 14
Stolen Bases:  Roman Quinn - 4

Wins:  Connor Brogdon - 3
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.11
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 39
Saves:  Hector Neris - 5

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

1985 Game 22 - 1985 Donruss #503 Luis Aguayo

Phillies 7, Astros 5 (13 Innings)
Game 22 - Saturday Night, May 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 10-12, Tied for 4th Place, 4 1/2 games behind the Cubs and Expos

One Sentence Summary:  Luis Aguayo, an unlikely hero, had a four-hit game and hit a two-run home run in the 13th to give the Phillies a 7-5 walk-off win.

What It Means:  This was the high-water mark for the 1985 Phillies.  They would get to within two games of .500 just one more time in the season, at the beginning of September, but by then they were 18 games out of first place.  On this night, featuring a dramatic win, the Phillies still had hope.

What Happened:  John Denny pitched into the ninth inning for the Phillies, allowing five runs (four earned) on 12 hits while striking out six.  Manager John Felske probably should have lifted Denny after eight innings - see below.  Dave Rucker made his Phillies debut pitching a perfect 12th and 13th innings, and earning the win.

Ozzie Virgil continued to swing a hot bat, hitting a three-run home run in the fourth that put the Phillies ahead 4-2.  Aguayo's first home run of the game in the sixth made it 5-2.  That was the score when Denny allowed a ninth inning, three-run home run to pinch-hitter Harry Spilman to tie the game up.  A costly Juan Samuel error at the start of the inning prolonged the game and led to Spilman's big hit.

Aguayo's walk-off blast came off Astros reliever Bill Dawley with one out and Virgil on first base.

Featured Card:  Aguayo was starting at third base to give the struggling Mike Schmidt a night off, and his big night led to a second start at third the following night.  Through the first 21 games of the season, Schmidt was hitting only .211.  He did get into this game in the ninth, delivering a pinch-hit single but then promptly getting lifted for pinch-runner Kiko Garcia.

This was to be the only four-hit game of Aguayo's career.

Transaction:  Prior to the game, Jerry Koosman landed on the disabled list with an inflamed left knee and Rucker was recalled from Portland.  Rucker had been acquired on April 6th, right before the start of the season, from the Cardinals for reliever Bill Campbell and shortstop Ivan DeJesus.  DeJesus had lost his starting shortstop job to Steve Jeltz and was expendable.

1985 Donruss #260

1985 Donruss #204

1985 Donruss #163

Series Preview - Marlins at Phillies: August 22nd to August 24th

Tuesday Double Header 4:05, Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Marlins 60-62, 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 14 games behind the Nationals
Phillies 45-77, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 29 games behind the Nationals

Marlins Probables:  Dan Straily (7-8, 3.80), Jose Urena (11-5, 3.61), Justin Nicolino (2-1, 4.11), Vance Worley (2-3, 4.82)
Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (9-8, 3.26), Nick Pivetta (4-8, 6.25), TBD, Jerad Eickhoff (3-7, 4.46)

At the Ballpark:  Fans 15 and over attending the double header today will receive a pair of Phillies texting gloves.  On Thursday afternoon, all fans will receive the annual Pride of the Phillies print, featuring Freddy Galvis this year.

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Marcell Ozuna - .306
Runs:  Giancarlo Stanton - 94
Home Runs:  Giancarlo Stanton - 45
RBIs:  Giancarlo Stanton - 97
Stolen Bases:  Dee Gordon - 43

Wins:  Jose Urena - 11
ERA:  Jose Urena - 3.61
Strikeouts:  Dan Straily - 123
Saves:  A.J. Ramos - 20*

*Now with the Mets

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .287
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 60
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco - 17
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 59
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 13

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 9
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.26
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 128
Saves:  Hector Neris - 15

1982 Topps #152

1982 Topps #220

1982 Topps #449

1982 Topps Appreciation:  Topps did a great job capturing the only three players to have started games at second base for the Phillies during the strike-shortened 1981 season.  Manny Trillo started 93 games, Luis Aguayo started 13 and Ramon Aviles started 1 game.

Trillo (147) and Aguayo (11) saw the bulk of the playing time at second base for the Phillies again in 1982, with the newly acquired Dave Roberts also getting 4 starts.

Phillies at Red Sox: September 4th to September 6th

Friday 7:10, Saturday 4:05 and Sunday 1:35
Fenway Park - Boston, MA

Phillies 53-81, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 21 1/2 games behind the Mets
Red Sox 61-72, 5th Place in the A.L. East, 15 games behind the Blue Jays

Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (5-4, 4.03), Alec Asher (0-1, 6.35), Jared Eickhoff (1-2, 2.84)
Red Sox Probables:  Joe Kelly (8-6, 4.94), Wade Miley (10-10, 4.57), Eduardo Rodriguez (8-5, 4.25)

At the Ballpark:  The Red Sox host an Autography Alley event before each game of this series, featuring a former Red Sox player signing autographs in Yawkey Way an hour before game time. These three games feature Sam Horn, John Trautwein and Skip Lockwood, respectively.  Sunday afternoon is also On Field Photo Day at Fenway prior to the game.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .295+
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 55
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 21
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 72
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 19+

Wins:  4 tied with - 5*
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 4.89*
Strikeouts:  Aaron Harang - 90*
Saves:  Ken Giles - 11^

Red Sox Leaders
Average:  Xander Bogaerts - .319
Runs:  Mookie Betts - 67
Home Runs:  David Ortiz - 29
RBIs:  David Ortiz - 81
Stolen Bases:  Mookie Betts - 17

Wins:  Wade Miley - 10
ERA:  Eduardo Rodriguez - 4.25
Strikeouts:  Wade Miley - 21
Saves:  Koji Uehara - 25

+Ben Revere, now with the Blue Jays, is the overall team leader with a .298 batting average and 24 stolen bases.
*Cole Hamels, now with the Rangers, is the overall team leader with 6 wins, 3.64 ERA and 137 strikeouts
^Jonathan Papelbon, now with the Nationals, is the overall team leader with 17 saves.

1985 Topps #663

1985 Topps #89

1985 Topps Appreciation:  Given the current status of the Phillies and Red Sox in their respective division standings, featuring two cards of light-hitting middle infielders seems somewhat appropriate. Luis Aguayo and Jackie Gutierrez were briefly teammates together on the 1988 Phillies squad, with Aguayo playing in his last of nine years in Philadelphia and Gutierrez signing up for a 33-game stint before calling it a career.

It's the guys like Aguayo and Gutierrez who I feel don't get enough attention or appreciation from Phillies fans and/or Phillies baseball card collectors.  One of my more ambitious future ideas for The Phillies Room is to do a massive series of dedicated posts with the theme of Every Phillie Ever.

Baseball Reference tells me there have been close to 2,000 different Phillies players in the franchise's 132-year existence so this would be a multi-year undertaking for sure.  Similar to what I'm doing with the Phillies Missing Links project, I'd probably start with the Phillies of the 1980s.  It's time to give the world dedicated posts to the likes of Aguayo and Gutierrrez and their Phillies careers.  We've waited long enough!  (And we'll have to wait a little longer.  Hang in there.)

Planning the 2016 Chachi Set - Part Two

1982 Topps #713

1984 Topps #358

1986 Topps #183

1987 Topps #755

I'm continuing to take a look at the candidates for the 2016 Chachi set.  Here are my quick thoughts on each of the remaining Topps baseball card designs between 1980 and 1989 that haven't yet been used for a Chachi set.  Part One, looking at the remaining designs from 1970 to 1979 can be found here.  What does everyone else think?

1980 Topps - Design already used for the 2009 Chachi set.

1981 Topps - Design already used for the 2006 Chachi set.  Here's a little secret though . . . If I ever feel the need to go back and use a design for a second time, this would be the set I'd go back to.  I just love the little hats.

1982 Topps - I had once openly mocked this set's design as I just didn't think the pink and orange color scheme that Topps chose for the Phillies in this set would ever work with modern photos.  I'm completely re-thinking that prejudice and I'm shocked that this set has now crept to the top of the "defiintely possible" list for the 2016 Chachi set.

1983 Topps - Design already used for the 2011 Chachi set.

1984 Topps - I don't mind this design, but I'll let you know that finding two photos of some of the more obscure Phillies for the 2011 Chachi set was a royal pain.  (I'm looking right at you, Mike Zagurski.)  I can't imagine the 2016 Phillies are going to field a team of well known players with readily available photos, so I may need to pass on this design for a few more years.

1985 Topps - Design already used for the 2015 Chachi set.

1989 Topps #438

1986 Topps - I wouldn't have a problem using this set's design, but there are too many other sets available that I like more than this one.

1987 Topps - This is a great design and I'd love to finish up my project of creating a 1987 Topps style font.  I've got a good start on this project, but I just need to find a spare day to wrap it up.  I'll use this design at some point, but probably not in 2016.

1988 Topps - Design already used for the 2014 Chachi set.

1989 Topps - This set's design has never been one of my favorites, and it would be tough to replicate the script font used for the each team's name.  I've tried creating custom 1989 Topps cards before and I had a tough time with the spacing of the letters in each player's name.  Cross this one off the list for the foreseeable future.

1985 Tastykake Phillies

I updated this post here in October 2020 and this original post is now outdated.

 
Number of Cards:  47
Card Size:  3 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Description:  Beginning in 1985, the team used the exact same card design for three straight years.  The only things differentiating the cards are the photos used and the copyright line on the bottom right of the cards' fronts.  The design removes the Phillies script logo found on the 1984 cards and adds the player's uniform number and position.
How Distributed:  All fans attending the Phillies game at Veterans Stadium on April 21, 1985, received a complete shrink-wrapped set with a header/checklist card on the top.  The back of the header/checklist card advertised that additional sets could be purchased from the Phillies via mail order for $3.50.  The Phillies raised the price of a complete set by fifty cents over the previous year.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards themselves aren't numbered, but I'm presenting the checklist below based on the numbered checklist found on the back of the header card.

Header Card/Checklist John Felske MG Dave Bristol CO Lee Elia CO Claude Osteen CO Mike Ryan CO Del Unser CO Manager and Coaches Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Larry Andersen Steve Carlton Dan Carman John Denny Tony Ghelfi Kevin Gross Al Holland Charles Hudson Jerry Koosman Shane Rawley Pat Zachry Darren Daulton

Bo Diaz Ozzie Virgil John Wockenfuss Luis Aguayo Kiko Garcia Steve Jeltz John Russell Juan Samuel Mike Schmidt Tim Corcoran Greg Gross Von Hayes Joe Lefebvre Garry Maddox Jeff Stone Glenn Wilson Ramon Caraballo/Mike Diaz Mike Maddux/Rodger Cole Rick Schu/Chris James Francisco Melendez/Ken Jackson Randy Salava/Rocky Childress Rich Surhoff/Ralph Citarella Team Photo

One and Done (1):  Zachry
First Appearances (1):  Rawley
Returning Players (26):  Aguayo, Andersen, Carlton, Carman, Corcoran, Daulton, Denny, Diaz, Garcia, Ghelfi, G. Gross, K. Gross, Hayes, Holland, Hudson, Jeltz, Koosman, Lefebvre, Maddox, Russell, Samuel, Schmidt, Stone, Virgil, Wilson, Wockenfuss

This tells me there was very little roster turnover between the end of the 1984 season and spring training 1985, as Rawley and Zachry are the only two new additions to the set.  Along with Zachry's one and done Phillies card, this set includes the only Phillies baseball card of Rich Surhoff.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set.  These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.  (In fact, Rawley made his Phillies cardboard debut within the 1984 Fleer Update set.)

Manager (1):  Felske
Coaches (5):  Bristol, Elia, Osteen, Ryan, Unser
Phillie Phanatic (0)
Broadcasters (0)
Group Photos (5):  Manager and Coaches, Pitchers, Catchers, Infielders, Outfielders
Future Phillies (6):  Caraballo/Diaz, Maddux/Cole, Schu/James, Melendez/Jackson, Salava/Childress
Other Cards (2):  Header/checklist card, team photo

The set's designer's decided to try something different with group photos of coaches and players by position.  Batting practice pitcher Hank King is featured on the coach's card, making this (I believe) his sole Phillies baseball card.  Bill Campbell is featured on the pitcher's card and Ivan DeJesus is featured on the infielder's card, but both are omitted from the regular set.  As the regular season was about to begin, Campbell and DeJesus were traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Dave Rucker.

Of the players receiving solo cards in the regular set, Ghelfi was left off the pitcher's card, Wockenfuss was (sadly) left off the catcher's card, Garcia was left off the infielder's card and Lefebvre and Maddox were not on the outfielder's card.

Variations/Rarities:  Thanks again to Rick, who passed along the scan below and information on two additional cards that I would definitely consider "rarities."  I've not seen either of these cards listed on any checklists for this set, nor have I come across either card in my travels.

• Tug McGraw - Former Phillies Great
• Broadcasters - Richie Ashburn, Harry Kalas, Andy Musser and Chris Wheeler

McGraw announced his retirement following the 1984 season and this card seems to be a final tribute to the popular lefty reliever.

Also See:  Scrapbook Sunday: September 1, 1985
Trivia:  The 1985 Tastykake Phillies set seems to be the most ubiquitous of all the team issued sets from the 1980s.  The sets can be readily found on eBay and at Citizens Bank Park.  The Memorabilia Store from Hunt Auctions located behind Section 126 had several of these sets for sale this past season.
Resources:  Phillies SGA 1985; Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

Phillies at Mets: August 29th to August 31st

Friday and Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:10
Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Phillies 61-72, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 14 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Mets 62-72, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 14 games behind the Nationals

Phillies Probables:  David Buchanan (6-7, 4.21), Jerome Williams (2-0, 1.77), A.J. Burnett (7-14, 4.30)
Mets Probables:  Jacob deGrom (6-6, 3.13), Bartolo Colon (12-10, 3.82), Dillon Gee (5-6, 3.77)

At the Ballpark:  Three ballgames, three giveaways this weekend at Citi Field.  First up, all fans will receive a Mets t-shirt tonight as part of the season-long Free Shirt Friday promotion.  Tomorrow night, the first 20,000 fans will receive a Curtis Granderson Bobblehead and on Sunday, the first 15,000 fans will receive a Mets Lunch Cooler Bag.  Not a bad weekend haul!

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Ben Revere - .310

Runs:  Jimmy Rollins - 71

Home Runs:  Marlon Byrd - 24

RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 81

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 39

Wins:  A.J. Burnett, Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick - 7

ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.59

Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 158

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 33

1988 Topps #356 and #787

1988 Topps Appreciation:  For a few magical months at the beginning of the 1988 season, Luis Aguayo and Billy Almon were teammates on the Phillies.  By July, they had both gone their separate ways.

Aguayo was the club's long-time utility infielder, logging 471 games with the Phillies in nine seasons between 1980 and 1988.  He was the first player traded during the Lee Thomas era, being shipped to the Yankees by Thomas just weeks after the new General Manager had joined the club.  On July 15, 1988, Aguayo was traded to New York for pitcher Amalio Carreno and I honestly remember being a little sad that day since I had no real memory of the pre-Aguayo days.

Almon had already left town a month prior to Aguayo's departure, having been released by the Phillies on June 16, 1988.  In his 20 games with the club, Almon hit just .115 (3 for 26).  He had been traded by the Mets to the Phils at the end of spring training for a few prospects and his short time in Philly marked the end of his 15-year career.

1984 Topps Phillies - Missing Links

A few years ago, I went through the process of creating Topps Phillies cards for every Phillies player between 1980 and 1988 who didn't make it onto an official card during the year (or years) they played with the club.  Presented here are eight of the 1984 Topps Phillies "cards that never were."  I'd share the card I created for Mike LaValliere, but it's not one of my best.  I'll consider that one to be a work in process until I can find a better picture of Spanky in a Phillies uniform, or until my Photoshop skills greatly improve.

PR1

PR2

PR4

PR11

PR12

PR13

PR14

PR15