Phillies at Braves: September 16th to September 18th

2000 Topps Traded #T134

2022 Chachi Fan Favorites #20

Friday and Saturday 7:20, Sunday 1:35
Truist Park - Atlanta, GA

At the Ballpark:  There's a postgame fireworks show tonight, and the first 5,000 fans tomorrow will receive a World Series Champs! poster commemorating the 2021 season.  On Sunday, the first 3,000 kids will receive a Blooper World Series bobblehead.

Phillies 80-63
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 9 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (9-5, 3.62)
Aaron Nola (9-11, 3.31)
Bailey Falter (5-3, 3.80)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .289
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 86
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 38
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 80
Stolen Bases:  J.T. Realmuto - 17

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 11
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.31

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 202
Saves:  Corey Knebel - 12

Braves 88-55
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Mets

Braves Probables
Max Fried (13-6, 2.50)
Jake Odorizzi (1-2, 4.97)
Spencer Strider (10-5, 2.72)

Braves Leaders
Average:  Dansby Swanson - .282
Runs:  Dansby Swanson - 92
Home Runs:  Austin Riley - 36
RBIs:  Matt Olson - 91
Stolen Bases:  Ronald Acuna - 28

Wins:  Kyle Wright - 18
ERA:  Max Fried - 2.50

Strikeouts:  Spencer Strider - 192
Saves:  Kenley Jansen - 33

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

1972 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  40
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photo cards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  With the exception of the card for coach Brandy Davis, all cards contain a blue facsimile autograph.  The backs of the photo cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1972.

How Distributed:  The photo cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.  After an original batch of 30, featuring the manager, the coaches and the 25-man opening day roster, an additional 10 cards were released throughout the season, as evidenced by the inclusion of John Bateman, Jim Nash and Gary Neibauer.  The Phillies traded Tim McCarver to the Expos on June 14th for Bateman.  Nash and Neibauer were acquired from the Braves on June 15th for Joe Hoerner and Andre Thornton.

Studying the back of a 1972 Phillies schedule that contains photos of the entire 25-man opening day roster, I've noticed what I believe to be a few discrepancies with the scans presented with the set's entry at the Trading Card Database.  I believe the photos posted online for the cards of Darrell Brandon, coach Doc Edwards and Chris Short are actually from 1971.  The photos the Phillies most likely would have used for these three photo cards are contained on the scan shown here.  I can confirm this for the Brandon card, as I have that in my collection.

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically): 

1. Mike Anderson 2. John Bateman 3. Bob Boone 4. Larry Bowa 5. Darrell Brandon 6. Byron Browne 7. Steve Carlton      8. Bill Champion 9. Brandy Davis CO 10. Billy DeMars CO            11. Denny Doyle 12. Doc Edwards CO 13. Roger Freed 14. Woodie Fryman

15. Oscar Gamble 16. Terry Harmon 17. Joe Hoerner 18. Tommy Hutton 19. Deron Johnson 20. Pete Koegel 21. Barry Lersch 22. Joe Lis          23. Frank Lucchesi MG 24. Greg Luzinski 25. Tim McCarver 26. Don Money 27. Willie Montanez 28. George Myatt CO

29. Jim Nash 30. Gary Neibauer 31. Ken Reynolds 32. Ray Rippelmeyer CO 33. Bill Robinson 34. Mike Ryan 35. Mac Scarce 36. Dick Selma 37. Mike Schmidt 38. Chris Short 39. Ron Stone 40. Wayne Twitchell

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (2):  Bateman, Neibauer

First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (9):  Anderson, Boone, Carlton, Hutton, Nash, Robinson, Scarce, Schmidt, Twitchell
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (23):  Bowa, Brandon, Browne, Champion, Doyle, Freed, Fryman, Gamble, Harmon, Hoerner, Johnson, Koegel, Lersch, Lis, Luzinski, McCarver, Money, Montanez, Reynolds, Ryan, Selma, Short, Stone

Manager (1):  Lucchesi
Coach (5):  Davis, DeMars, Edwards, Myatt, Rippelmeyer

Surprises:  The biggest surprise is the inclusion of top prospect Mike Schmidt, who made his Major League debut on September 12th.  The 10 photo cards added for players (and one coach) not on the opening day roster were (in order of their season debut) - coach Davis, Oscar Gamble, Bateman, Neibauer, Nash, Joe Lis, Bill Robinson, Mac Scarce, Bob Boone and Schmidt.  The future Hall of Fame third baseman appeared within two sets in 1972, the year before his iconic rookie card appeared with the 1973 Topps set - this set and the Puerto Rico Stickers set, both of which are extremely difficult to find.  This set is also notable for containing the first Phillies cards of both Boone and Steve Carlton.

Omissions:  Only 4 of the 38 players to appear with the Phillies in 1972 are not in this set.  Reliever Bill Wilson made his season debut in late July and appeared in 23 games.  The other three players - pitchers Bob Terlecki and Dave Downs along with infielder Craig Robinson - all made their season debuts in August or September.  The only notable omission is the Phillies' second manager during the season, Paul Owens.  Owens, the team's general manager, fired Lucchesi in mid-July and assumed control of a team that would go on to lose 97 games.  

Variations/Rarities:  My only source for this set is the checklist found at The Trading Card Database, and that listing appears to have incorrect photos for the Doc Edwards and Chris Short cards.  I have two versions of the Terry Harmon card in my collection - one with and one without a blue facsimile autograph.

Also See:  1972 Topps #PR1 Mike Schmidt (This is a Phillies Room tribute to what Schmidt's 1972 Topps card could have looked like.)

Resources:  The Trading Card Database

This set was originally featured in a post back in January 2015, and I'm going to slowly go through these team-issued set posts and update them with new information learned (if any) over the past six years.

 

1971 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards / 1973 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards

1970-1979 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

1971 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  32
Card Size:  3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Description:  As was the case with all Phillies photo cards issued throughout the 1970s, these cards feature a black and white photo with the players' name below.  All photo cards contain a blue facsimile autograph.  A lot of the photos used here are repeats from the 1970 team-issued set.  The backs of the photo cards are blank and there's no indication on the cards themselves that they're from 1971.

How Distributed:  The cards were handed out to fans individually and supplied to the players in order to reply to fan mail or honor autograph requests.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe the cards were ever available in complete set form.

Complete Standard Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically): 

1. Larry Bowa 2. Darrell Brandon 3. Byron Browne 4. Jim Bunning 5. Bill Champion 6. Denny Doyle 7. Doc Edwards CO         8. Roger Freed 9. Woodie Fryman 10. Oscar Gamble   11. Terry Harmon

12. Larry Hisle 13. Joe Hoerner 14. Deron Johnson 15. Pete Koegel  16. Barry Lersch 17. Joe Lis 18. Frank Lucchesi MG         19. Greg Luzinski 20. Tim McCarver 21. Don Money 22. Willie Montanez

23. Bob Pfeil 24. Ken Reynolds 25. Mike Ryan 26. Dick Selma 27. Chris Short 28. Ron Stone 29. Tony Taylor 30. John Vukovich 31. Billy Wilson 32. Rick Wise

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Pfeil

First Appearance in Phillies Team Issued Set (5):  Brandon, Freed, Koegel, Montanez, Vukovich
Returning Players in Phillies Team Issued Set (24):  Bowa, Browne, Bunning, Champion, Doyle, Fryman, Gamble, Harmon, Hisle, Hoerner, Johnson, Lersch, Lis, Luzinski, McCarver, Money, Reynolds, Ryan, Selma, Short, Stone, Taylor, Wilson, Wise

Manager (1):  Lucchesi
Coach (1):  Edwards

Surprises:  The entire 25-man opening day roster received photo cards with the exception of John Briggs, who was traded to the Brewers on April 22nd.  Also receiving cards were Bobby Pfeil, Bill Wilson and a trio of Phillies prospects - Oscar Gamble, Greg Luzinski and John Vukovich.

Omissions:  Briggs is a notable omission, but see below for the possible existence of a Briggs photo card in the Variations/Rarities section.  Other than Briggs, only four players appeared with the Phillies and did not receive a card in this set - Lowell Palmer, who pitched in only 3 games, along with September call-ups Mike Anderson, Wayne Twitchell and Manny Muniz.  Once again, that's a fairly comprehensive checklist.

Variations/Rarities:  The checklist found at The Trading Card Database lists two cards for Larry Bowa, with each card having a slightly different autograph placement.  I'm not necessarily interested in these types of variations, but I'll list it here for completeness sake.  One version features Bowa's autograph parallel to the bottom border of the photo, while the other version features his signature dipping down to the right.  The same checklist omits the Doc Edwards and Pete Koegel cards, which I've added based on a a comment from fellow collector Rick left on the original post for this set.

Finally, fellow collector Steve notes his checklist for the set contains four additional cards.  The existence of these cards would make sense, as it seems odd the Phillies would create a card for coach Doc Edwards but not the other three coaches.  As noted above, Briggs isn't included in the standard checklist, while the player the Phillies acquired from the Brewers for him (Koegel) did get a photo card.

 

Autograph Variation           1. Larry Bowa

Potential Rarities? 1. John Briggs 2. Billy DeMars CO 3. George Myatt CO 4. Ray Rippelmeyer CO

Also See:  1971 Arco Phillies

Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Steve F. and Rick G.

This set was originally featured in a post back in December 2014, and I'm going to slowly go through these team-issued set posts and update them with new information learned (if any) over the past six years.

 

1970 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards / 1972 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards

1970-1979 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

2010-2022 Phillies Alumni Photo Cards

Number of Known Cards (2010-2019):  110

Number of Known Cards (2022):  4

Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  Either a full color or black and white photo on the front are accompanied by the official Phillies Alumni logo at the top of the card and the subject's name in white letters on a dark red background on the bottom of the card.  The vast majority of the card backs contain a second player photo, biographical information, career and Phillies highlights.  Copyright dates can be found either on the back or fronts of most cards.

Photo from September 2020 Phantastic Auction

How Distributed:  Between 2010 and 2019, the Phillies created special alumni photo cards for returning players, coaches, managers and one executive to sign at various autograph events, during alumni weekends and as part of any reunion-related public appearances.  Locations and dates of where and when I obtained some of these cards are contained in the checklist below.  In September 2020, as part of their Phantastic Auction to benefit Phillies Charities, the Phillies gave collectors the opportunity to bid on 101 of these alumni photo cards, giving us the best opportunity yet to form a complete checklist of the cards released and unreleased over the past decade.

Collectors should note the copyright date on these cards does not necessarily correspond to the year of first issuance.  Complicating any efforts to fully checklist these cards is the fact the Phillies had originally printed the cards with a copyright date on the back reflecting the date of issuance.  In the mid-2010s, the copyright date on the backs of some of these cards is for the date of the photo on the front.  For example, Nick Punto's card contains statistical information through Punto's final season in 2014, but the card contains a 2003 copyright date which corresponds to the photo used.  In 2017, 2018 and 2019 the Phillies seemed to have switched back to using a copyright date that corresponds with the date of issuance and not the date of the photo.

In August 2018, the Phillies produced 20 new alumni photo cards for the express purpose of having them available for returning members of the 2008 World Championship team to sign at a potential pre-game autograph session during that season's Alumni Weekend.  For whatever reason, the planned autograph event was significantly curtailed with only Eric Bruntlett and Pedro Feliz stationed at one sole table for fans.  These 2008 alumni cards remain generally unreleased to the public, with the exception of one copy of each card made available in the 2020 Phantastic Auction along with cards for Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer and Brett Myers which were all made available during the 2019 Alumni Weekend.

I've hopefully captured the vast majority, if not all, of these cards produced and issued by the Phillies between 2010 and 2019.

2022 Update:  New photo cards for Bobby Abreu, Greg Gross, Dick Ruthven and Kevin Saucier were made available prior to the game on Sunday, August 7th as part of the annual Phillies Alumni Weekend.  I'm going to keep these four new cards separate from the list below.

Complete Standard Checklist - 2010 to 2019 (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with copyright date and other notes): 

1. Bobby Abreu (2004) - Bat lowered, first available at some point after 2014. 2. Dick Allen (2017) 3. Ruben Amaro, Jr. (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 4. Larry Andersen (2010) 5. Marlon Anderson (2003) - First available in 2016. 6. Mick Billmeyer CO (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card.  7. Joe Blanton (2018) - Obtained on 8/4/19 during 2019 Alumnni Weekend. 8. Bob Boone (2010) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 9. Ricky Bottalico (2010) 10. Larry Bowa (No date) - Wall of Fame plaque is on the back. 11. Eric Bruntlett (2018) - From 2018 Alumni Weekend. 12. Warren Brusstar (2017) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 13. Jim Bunning (2011) 14. Pat Burrell (2012) - Cream alternate jersey. 15. Pat Burrell (2008) - Red pinstripes jersey, available as part of the 2015 Phillies Team-Issued 2nd Edition set. 16. Marty Bystrom (2010) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 17. Steve Carlton (2017) 18. Dave Cash (2011) 19. Wes Chamberlain (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 20. Larry Christenson (2010) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 21. Clay Condrey (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 22. Rheal Cormier (2011) - Obtained on 8/12/14 at Citizens Bank Park. 23. Darren Daulton (2010) 24. Roly deArmas CO (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 25. Bob Dernier (2017) - Obtained on 7/7/17 at Citizens Bank Park. 26. Greg Dobbs (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 27. Denny Doyle (2010) 28. Rich Dubee CO (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 29. Mariano Duncan (2018) 30. Chad Durbin (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 31. Jim Eisenreich (2010) 32. Lee Elia CO (2010) 33. Scott Eyre (2011) 34. Pedro Feliz (2009) - First available at some point after 2012. 35. Paul Fletcher (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 36. Ben Francisco (2019) - First available during 2019 Alumni Weekend. 37. Gene Garber (2010) 38. Pat Gillick GM (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 39. Doug Glanville (2010) 40. Wayne Gomes (2012) 41. Dallas Green MG (2010) 42. Tyler Green (2010) 43. Tommy Greene (2010) - Obtained on 3/30/13 at Citizens Bank Park. 44. Von Hayes (2012) 45. Al Holland (2011) 46. Dave Hollins (2010) 47. Ryan Howard (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 48. Raul Ibanez (2019) - Unused 2019 Alumni Weekend card. 49. Pete Incaviglia (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 50. Danny Jackson (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 51. Geoff Jenkins (2014) 52. Ricky Jordan (2011) - Obtained on 8/9/14 during 2014 Alumni Weekend.  53. Kyle Kendrick (2018) - Obtained on 8/4/19 during 2019 Alumnni Weekend. 54. John Kruk (2011) 55. Brad Lidge (2014)

56. Mike Lieberthal (2012) 57. Tony Longmire (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 58. Greg Luzinski (2010) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 59. Pete Mackanin CO (2019) - Unused 2019 Alumni Weekend card. 60. Garry Maddox (2017) - First available on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 61. Jeff Manto (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 62. Charlie Manuel MG (2011) - Red pullover, available as part of the 2015 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Card set. 63. Charlie Manuel MG (2017) - Red pinstripes jersey, available for autographs at the 2018 Phillies Phestival on 6/21/18. 64. Jerry Martin CO (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 65. Roger Mason (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 66. Gary Matthews (2010) 67. John Mayberry, Jr. (2019) - Unused 2019 Alumni Weekend card. 68. Bake McBride (2017) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 69. Tim McCarver (2012) 70. Jason Michaels (2004) - First available at some point after 2011. 71. Don Money (2015) - Old Phillies logo on back. 72. Willie Montanez (2011) 73. Mickey Morandini (2018) - Obtained at 2018 ALS Phillies Phestival. 74. Jamie Moyer (2018) - Obtained on 8/4/19 during 2019 Alumnni Weekend. 75. Dale Murphy (2018) - Obtained on 8/4/19 during 2019 Alumnni Weekend. 76. Brett Myers (2018) - Obtained on 8/4/19 during 2019 Alumnni Weekend. 77. Dickie Noles (2012) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend.  Includes black facsimile autograph. 78. Roy Oswalt (2014) 79. Placido Polanco (2010) 80. Todd Pratt (1993) - First available in 2016. 81. Nick Punto (2003) - First available at some point after 2014. 82. Randy Ready (1995) - First available in 2016. 83. Ben Rivera (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 84. Mike Rogodzinski (2010) 85. Jimmy Rollins (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 86. J.C. Romero (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 87. Aaron Rowand (2014) 88. Carlos Ruiz (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 89. Juan Samuel (Unknown) 90. Curt Schilling (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 91. Matt Stairs (2011) 92. Kevin Stocker (2012) 93. Tony Taylor (2010) 94. Bobby Thigpen (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 95. Jim Thome (2016) - Available briefly as part of the 2016 Phillies Team-Issued 2nd Edition set. 96. Milt Thompson (2016) 97. Milt Thompson CO (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 98. Manny Trillo (2017) - Obtained on 8/13/17 during 2017 Alumni Weekend. 99. Del Unser (2012) 100. Chase Utley (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 101. Wilson Valdez (2011) - Obtained on 7/12/14 at Citizens Bank Park. 102. Shane Victorino (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 103. Ozzie Virgil (2012) 104. Jayson Werth (2018) - Unused 2018 Alumni Weekend card. 105. David West (2018) - First available on 6/10/18, 25th Anniversary of '93 team. 106. Mitch Williams (2010) 107. Bobby Wine (2015) - Old Phillies logo on back. 108. Rick Wise (2010) - Posed pitching photo 109. Rick Wise (2011) - Pitching from mound 110. Randy Wolf (2016)

Complete Standard Checklist - 2022

1.  Bobby Abreu (No date) - Bat in air, and first available on 8/7/22 during Alumni Weekend

2.  Greg Gross (2022) - First available on 8/7/22 during Alumni Weekend

3.  Dick Ruthven (2022) - First available on 8/7/22 during Alumni Weekend

4.  Kevin Saucier (2022) - First available on 8/7/22 during Alumni Weekend

Surprises/Omissions:  I'm aware of 8 additional cards that were not part of the 101 cards auctioned off in September 2020 - Pat Burrell (red pinstripes jersey), Bob Dernier, Denny Doyle, Lee Elia, Gene Garber, Charlie Manuel (red pinstripes jersey), Mike Rogodzinski and a second card for Milt Thompson featuring him as a coach.

The biggest omission here is that no card has ever been produced (that we're aware of) for the greatest Phillies alumnus of all-time - Mike Schmidt.

Variations/Rarities:  There are a few variations to these cards available, all with identical photos to their "regular" counterparts.  A second Rheal Cormier card was issued with a 2017 copyright date and omitting his Minor League Career notes on the back.  There are also cards available for Dave Hollins, Ricky Jordan and Tony Taylor with both 2010 and 2011 copyright dates.  These three cards with 2010 copyrights have glossy backs as opposed to the usual matte backs.

Also See:  This is my third attempt at posting a checklist for these cards with prior attempts coming in December 2016 and June 2018.  Fellow collector Rick has been a huge help with gathering information on these cards over the years.  More recent thanks goes to fellow collector Matt who sent me the Eric Bruntlett and Paul Fletcher cards for my collection.

Please see here for a smaller checklist for the team-issued alumni photo cards issued in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  These cards use a different design than the alumni cards issued between 2010 and 2019.

Checklist by Era:  This is how I've sorted these cards in a binder, and I thought if it was helpful for me it might be helpful for other collectors too.

1960s (2) - Bunning, Wine

1970s (11) - Allen, Cash, Doyle, Garber, McCarver, Money, Montanez, Rogodzinski, Taylor, Wise (2)

1980 World Champions (17) - Boone, Bowa, Brusstar, Bystrom, Carlton, Christenson, Elia, D. Green, G. Gross, Luzinski, Maddox, McBride, Noles, Ruthven, Saucier, Trillo, Unser

1980s (6) - Dernier, V. Hayes, Holland, Matthews, Samuel, Virgil

1993 N.L. Champions (26) - Amaro Jr., Andersen, Chamberlain, Daulton, Duncan, Eisenreich, Fletcher, T. Green, Greene, Hollins, Incaviglia, Jackson, Jordan, Kruk, Longmire, Manto, Mason, Morandini, Pratt, Rivera, Schilling, Stocker, Thigpen, Thompson, West, Williams

1990s - 2000s (15) - Abreu x 2, Anderson, Bottalico, Cormier, Glanville, Gomes, Lieberthal, Michaels, Murphy, Punto, Ready, Rowand, Thome, Wolf

2008 World Champions (30) - Billmeyer, Blanton, Bruntlett, Burrell (2), Condrey, deArmas, Dobbs, Dubee, Durbin, Eyre, Feliz, Gillick, Howard, Jenkins, Kendrick, Lidge, Manuel (2), Martin, Moyer, Myers, Rollins, Romero, Ruiz, Stairs, Thompson, Utley, Victorino, Werth

2009 N.L. Champions (4) - Francisco, Ibanez, Mackanin, Mayberry Jr.

2010s (3) - Oswalt, Polanco, Valdez

2000-Present Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

A Look at What Santa Brought . . . with Help from My Mom (#SBWTMABCTJ)

This is a post I look forward to writing all year.  We're on the other side of another Christmas, and our family continued our tradition of turning Christmas into a 3-day event.  We celebrate in our house on Christmas day, at my Mom's house the day after Christmas and with my wife's family a few days after that.  It's a fun three days that leave me happy, slightly tired and stuffed with food.

At my Mom's house, I anxiously unwrapped a present to find a box of Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy.  There wasn't any salt water taffy inside the box, but instead I found the first card needed from my (now outdated) Ten Most Wanted list and a clue to the location of more cards.  With the help of my sons and my nieces, the clue was solved and my boyhood teddy bear was found holding a package with the rest of the cards shown in the photo above.  Once again, my Mom had made a Ten Most Wanted list obsolete!  It was another successful installment of Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim, and the hauls from past Christmases are linked below.

Here's a list of the treasures added in the 2019 Edition of #SBWTMABCTJ:

1949 Bowman #216 Schoolboy Rowe
1952 Topps #185 Bill Nicholson
1953 Topps #10 Smoky Burgess
1956 Topps #296 Andy Seminick
1957 Topps #314 Ed Bouchee
1965 Topps #474 Cookie Rojas
1966 Topps #585 Tony Taylor
1967 Topps #242 RBI Leaders
1970 Topps #645 Don Money
1972 Topps #690 Willie Montanez

These ten most wanted lists are going to be tougher to put together as I'm getting closer and closer to a complete run of Bowman and Topps cards throughout the 1950s and 1960s.  The 1965 Topps Cookie Rojas card completed my Phillies team set from that year, and I now have the pleasure of tracking down those Phillies cards all over again for our 1965 Topps set.

An unexpected surprise was the addition of the 1966 Phillies Yearbook and a Sports Illustrated from 1958 with outfielding and base running tips from Richie Ashburn.  My Mom once again did an amazing job and she already knows how much she means to me.

2011 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim

Part 1 - Continuing a Tradition

Part 2 - 1971 Topps Set - 13 More Down

Part 3 - 1952 Topps Phillies

Part 4 - 1951 Bowman Phillies

Part 5 - Curt Simmons - Two New Bowman Cards

Part 6 - 1955 Bowman and Topps Phillies

2012 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Part 1 - 1941 Double Play Litwhiler & May
Part 2 - 1963 Topps John Herrnstein rookie card (featuring Willie Stargell)
Part 3 - 1940 Play Ball Phillies - Part 1
Part 4 - 1940 Play Ball Phillies - Part 2
Part 5 - 1950 Bowman Del Ennis

2013 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Part 1 - 1998 Upper Deck Scott Rolen
Part 2 - 1968 Topps Phillies Team Card
Part 3 - 1966 Topps Bob Uecker
Part 4 - 1955 Bowman Robin Roberts
Part 5 - 1965 Topps Johnny Callison
Part 6 - 1954 Bowman Richie Ashburn

2014 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Part 1 - 1952 Bowman and 1953 Bowman Color Richie Ashburn
Part 2 - 1950 Bowman Roberts, 1951 Topps Blue Backs Jones, 1955 Bowman Wyrostek
Part 3 - 1995 Collector's Choice Hayes and 1999 Fleer Mystique Burrell

2015 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Seven Phillies Cards from the 1950s Crossed Off the List

2016 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Part 1 - 10 vintage Phillies cards added to the collection
Part 2 - 2 modern oddball Phillies cards find a new home

2017 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
Vintage cards crossed off the list, 1959 Topps Phillies team set completed!

2018 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
8th annual haul completes 1953 Bowman Color Phillies team set

2019 Santa Brings Way Too Many Awesome Baseball Cards to Jim
1965 Topps team set completed, getting closer to most 1950s team sets

Series Preview - Braves at Phillies: July 26th to July 28th

2019 Chachi Fan Favorites #13

2019 Chachi 1971 Topps Missing Links #9

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

Braves 60-43, 1st place in the N.L. East, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Nationals
Phillies 54-48, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

Braves Probables:  Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.46), Max Fried (10-4, 4.08), Kevin Gausman (3-5, 5.71)
Phillies Probables:  Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.40), Zach Eflin (7-10, 4.25), Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.64)

At the Ballpark:  Christmas in July is the theme for Friday night's game.  On Saturday, players and coaches will stroll on the field for the annual pre-game photo night.  It's also 1970s Retro Night, and the Phillies will be wearing their infamous Saturday Special, all-burgundy uniforms worn only once back in 1979.  Finally on Sunday, all kids will receive a Bryce Harper replica jersey.

Braves Leaders
Average:  Freddie Freeman - .303
Runs:  Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 79
Home Runs:  Freddie Freeman - 25
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman - 79
Stolen Bases:  Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 22

Wins:  Max Fried and Mike Soroka - 10
ERA:  Julio Teheran - 3.42

Strikeouts:  Julio Teheran - 108
Saves:  Luke Jackson - 17

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .277
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto - 59
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 21
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 70
Stolen Bases:  Scott Kingery and Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.64

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 145
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Series Preview - Phillies at Tigers: July 23rd to July 24th

1971 Topps #138

1971 Topps #39

Tuesday 7:10 and Wednesday 1:10
Comerica Park - Detroit, MI

Phillies 52-48, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves
Tigers 30-65, 5th place in the A.L. Central, 29 games behind the Twins

Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.77), Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.87)
Tigers Probables:  Matthew Boyd (6-8, 4.13), Jordan Zimmermann (0-7, 7.51)

At the Ballpark:  With the purchase of a special theme ticket, a pair of Tigers "Ugly Christmas socks" could be yours on Tuesday night.  If I'm not mistaken, this is the Phillies first trip to Detroit since May 2016 when the pitching probables were also Nola and Velasquez along with Jeremy Hellickson.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .280
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto - 58
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 21
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 70
Stolen Bases:  Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.77

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 138
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Tigers Leaders
Average:  Nicholas Castellanos - .284
Runs:  Nicholas Castellanos - 56
Home Runs:  Brandon Dixon - 12
RBIs:  Brandon Dixon - 38
Stolen Bases:  Niko Goodrum - 11

Wins:  Matthew Boyd - 6
ERA:  Spencer Turnbull - 3.65

Strikeouts:  Matthew Boyd - 160
Saves:  Shane Greene - 22

Game 99 - Meeting Willie Montanez; Phils Bats Go Quiet

Pirates 5, Phillies 1
Game 99 - Saturday Night, July 20th in Pittsburgh
Record - 51-48, 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Pirates, wearing throwback monochrome black uniforms to celebrate their 1979 team, held the Phillies offense to three singles in this 5-1 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies have not won three in a row since the end of June.

What Happened:  The offense couldn't solve Joe Musgrove and three Pirates relievers.  Phillies starter Zach Eflin went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits.

Featured Card:  Doug and I made the trip to Havertown on Saturday afternoon to Carl's Cards & Collectibles as Phillies greats Willie Montanez and Greg Luzinski were appearing to sign autographs.  Full disclosure here, I was more interested in meeting Montanez than Doug was but he agreed to make the trip with me and he was a good sport posing for a picture with the former outfielder.

2019 Choice Rochester
Red Wings

Transactions:  On Saturday morning, the Phillies acquired right-handed reliever Mike Morin from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.  Morin will hopefully provide some much-needed bullpen depth.  With the Twins this season, he had appeared in 23 games and pitched to a 3.18 ERA.  He's appeared in 209 games over his six-year career with the Angels, Royals, Mariners and Twins, owning a 10-8 record and a 4.48 career ERA.

JD Hammer was sent back down to the IronPigs to make room for Morin and Seranthony Dominguez was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired rom the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.

Series Preview - Phillies at Braves: Setpember 20th to September 23rd

2018 Chachi 1978 Topps Missing Links #12

1978 Topps #38

Thursday and Friday 7:35, Saturday 1:05, Sunday 1:35
SunTrust Park - Atlanta, GA

Phillies 78-73, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves
Braves 84-68, 1st place in the N.L. East, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies

Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (9-11, 4.50), Nick Pivetta (7-13, 4.67), Jake Arrieta (10-9, 3.77), Aaron Nola (16-5, 2.44)
Braves Probables:  Kevin Gausman (5-2, 2.61), Julio Teheran (9-8, 3.97), Sean Newcomb (12-9, 4.04), Mike Foltynewicz (11-10, 2.90)

At the Ballpark:  On Saturday, the first 40,000 fans will receive a pink tomahawk in support of the Braves' Breast Cancer Awareness day.  Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day with fans able to take photos on the field prior to the game, kids can run the bases following the game and former Phillies Gene Garber and Paul Byrd (along with Phil Niekro and Tommy Gregg) will be signing autographs beginning at 11:30.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .256
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 86
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 32
RBIs:  Rhys Hoskins - 92
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 18

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 16
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.42
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 201
Saves:  Seranthony Dominguez - 14

Braves Leaders
Average:  Freddie Freeman - .311
Runs:  Ozzie Albies - 101
Home Runs:  Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 26
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis - 92
Stolen Bases:  Ender Inciarte - 26

Wins:  Sean Newcomb - 12
ERA:  Mike Foltynewicz - 2.90
Strikeouts:  Mike Foltynewicz - 188
Saves:  Arodys Vizcaino - 15

Series Preview - Phillies at Pirates: May 19th to May 21st

Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05 and Sunday 1:35
PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA

Phillies 14-24, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 10 games behind the Nationals
Pirates 18-23, 5th Place in the N.L. Central, 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers

Phillies Probables:  Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 3.71), Vince Velasquez (2-3, 5.63), Aaron Nola (2-0, 4.50)
Pirates Probables:  Trevor Williams (2-2, 6.41), Ivan Nova (3-3, 2.48), Chad Kuhl (1-4, 6.69)

At the Ballpark:  The Pirates are throwing out some fairly strong promotions for this weekend series.  There will be fireworks after the game tonight and on Sunday all kids will receive a Pirates baseball glove.

On Saturday afternoon, the first 20,000 fans will receive what's being called a "Bob Walk Chair-Tip Bobblechair."  My assumption is that this is the typical broadcasting positioning of former Phillies pitcher and current Pirates broadcaster Bob Walk.  Very cool item.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .299
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 30
Home Runs:  Aaron Altherr - 8
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 28
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 6

Wins:  Jeremy Hellickson - 4
ERA:  Jeremy Hellickson - 3.71
Strikeouts:  Jerad Eickhoff - 43
Saves:  Hector Neris - 4

Pirates Leaders
Average:  Josh Harrison - .286
Runs:  Andrew McCutchen - 19
Home Runs:  Josh Bell - 9
RBIs:  Andrew McCutchen - 19
Stolen Bases:  Gregory Polanco - 6

Wins:  Ivan Nova - 3
ERA:  Ivan Nova - 2.48
Strikeouts:  Gerrit Cole - 50
Saves:  Tony Watson - 8

1982 Topps #235

1982 Topps #332

1982 Topps #458

1982 Topps #485

1982 Topps Appreciation:  If you had told me in 1982 that Mike Easler, Don Robinson and Kent Tekulve, all major stars for the Pirates in my mind, would be playing for the Phillies in the coming decade I would have been ecstatic.  Tekulve had a successful run with the Phillies as one of their most reliable relief pitchers in the late 1980s.  Easler and Robinson had less successful, and much shorter, stints with the Phillies.

Willie Montanez, the Phillies' regular center fielder in 1971 and 1972 and their starting first baseman in 1974, came back to the organization on August 10, 1982, having been released by the Pirates. Montanez appeared in the final 18 games of his 14-year career with the Phillies, hitting just .063 (1 for 16) primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement for Pete Rose at first base.

1974 Johnny Pro Phillies - Complete Set (at least by my standards)

Several years ago, I began a quest to collect a complete Phillies team set of 1974 Johnny Pro Phillies cards.  I was able to easily (and cheaply) add 11 of the 12 cards to my collection, but the twelfth card, the elusive (and expensive) Mike Schmidt card, remained the sole card I needed to complete this team set.

To provide a little more background on this set, here's what I wrote about it back in November 2012:

I wasn't aware of the awesomeness of the 1974 Johnny Pro Phillies set until adding the Bill Robinson card to my collection last month at the Valley Forge card show.  Johnny Pro Enterprises (not sure what they did back in the day) issued two regional baseball card sets in the early '70s.  Their first set was released in 1973 and featured 28 different Orioles cards on a green background.  In 1974, Johnny Pro issued 12 Phillies cards on a white background.

The player photos on these cards were designed to be perforated and displayed in a stand that could also be punched out of the white background.  Which brings us to the reason for this post.

A few weeks ago, I was browsing eBay and came across a partial set of eleven 1974 Johnny Pro Phillies cards for sale, but the photos had long ago been separated from their original white backgrounds.  The picture accompanying the auction is shown at the top of this post.  Most importantly to me, included in the lot was the Schmidt card I needed.  I was one of only two bidders, and I was a little surprised my low bid actually won the auction.  Sure, the Schmidt card is missing its background, but I'm now considering my 1974 Johnny Pro Phillies set to be complete.

A few of these cards may need to be upgraded at some point, but the full gallery of this terrific oddball set from 1974 is presented below.

Memory Lane
10/3/12 - Baseball Card Show Report - Valley Forge
11/8/12 - Two More Added
12/4/12 - Four More to Go