Chachi

Early Saturday morning, our wonderful dog Chachi Nacho Passaro passed away after being part of our happy little family for almost 10 years.  We’ll miss his companionship, his playfulness and his barking at squirrels, mail carriers and passing motorcycles.  He was a good boy.

I had never known a pet as long as I had known Chachi, and it's going to be strange not having him here.  We haven't stopped reminiscing about him and sharing stories of funny things he used to do.  Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that they quickly become part of your every day lives and not having him around has left a sad void for us and our two boys.

Chachi was the first addition to our family in the summer of 2004 before we had kids, and before we were even married.  We lived in a noisy townhouse development and that's where Chachi first developed his dislike of loud neighbors and motorcycles.  We moved into our house in the spring of 2006 and welcomed Doug into our family that winter.  Chachi cautiously sniffed the newcomer and then decided he'd watch guard over the sleeping infant.  Chachi was especially distrustful of the dozens of squirrels who made their homes in our front and back yard trees.

Ben joined us in 2010 and Chachi again dutifully took up the responsibility of watching over and protecting the new addition from all neighborhood menaces.  He had his favorite spots (in front of our open front door, our carpeted staircase, the afternoon sun in the kitchen, the back of our couch) and he had his favorite plush toys (purple bone, pheasant, whale) and he liked nothing more than curling up in Jenna's lap to watch television in the evening.  He was little, he was intelligent and he was very furry.

He'll be missed greatly and I'm glad he was part of our family.

* * *

So what does this have to do with the Phillies or their baseball cards?  Not much really, but it was therapeutic for me to write about Chachi for a little bit.  2014 will mark the tenth year I've produced my own set of virtual Philllies cards, known affectionately as "Chachi" cards.  I'll continue this practice and the name will carry on as a lasting tribute to my late great friend.

2008 Chachi #CNP Chachi Passaro

It boggles my mind that our puppy Chachi is already 7 years old today.  This is his special edition card from the 2008 Chachi set, available as an extremely rare insert.

Happy birthday Chachi!  And please stop eating Cheerios when Ben drops them on the floor.  You're allergic and it makes you all itchy.

2007 Chachi #CNP Chachi Passaro

Happy 6th birthday to my favorite dog, even though you bark too much at squirrels. May your birthday bring win #3 of the 2010 season to the Phillies, and plenty of treats!

2005 Chachi #00 Chachi Passaro

2010: A Chachi Odyssey, Part 1

With a precious few games remaining on the 2009 regular season schedule, and the Phillies clinging to their precarious lead in the NL East, the 2010 Chachi Set Planning Committee recently held its first meeting. The goal of the meeting was to decide which past Topps set should be used as the basis for the upcoming 2010 Chachi release. At its outset, the meeting did not go well.

Doug was insistent on using either the 1990 Donruss (with the original orange borders) or the 1988 Score design (with either purple or green borders) for the set. Jenna wondered aloud what a 2010 set comprised of just Greg Dobbs or Rheal Cormier would look like. Chachi preferred a set of just him in various states of sniffing, scratching or resting. I did the only thing I could to regain control of the meeting by reminding everyone present of the original purpose and meaning of the Chachi set. As I spoke, the committee members stared at me in rapt attention and with reverence as I recounted the definitive Chachi set origin story.

It was a dark and stormy night in the Spring of 2005 . . . To be continued.

2008 Chachi #77 World Series Game 2/Jayson Werth

World Series Game 2 - October 23, 2008

Rays 4, Phillies 2

From the Phillies.com report of the game: Offensively, the Phillies had their chances to push runs across the plate, but they were denied for the most part by Rays starter James Shields and the bullpen, negating Brett Myers' solid outing. With Philly's Game 2 loss to Tampa Bay, the World Series is even at one game apiece.

Shane Victorino: "We're not doing it. That's the bottom line."

Jimmy Rollins, hit by a David Price pitch in the 9th inning, but was denied his base by home plate umpire Kerwin Danley: "He missed it. That's baseball; that's the beauty of sports. Sometimes they're going to get calls right and sometimes they're going to get calls wrong."

Brett Myers: "They have to deal with our crowd now. We're in front of our people, and we definitely play better at home. We took one here, that's a big deal for us. Our park with our fans, we're not down by any means. We actually feel good."

2006 Chachi #00 Chachi Passaro

Happy 5th birthday Chachi! May the Phillies win their first game of 2009 in your honor.