Phillies at Brewers - September 16th to September 18th

2024 Chachi 1984 Topps Missing Links #6

1984 Topps Traded #97T

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:40
American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI

At the Ballpark:  There are a bunch of theme nights and concession/merchandise deals for this series, but no fan-wide giveaways.

Philadelphia Phillies 90-59
1st Place in the N.L. East, 8 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (12-6, 3.05)
Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.60)
Aaron Nola (12-8, 3.62)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .294
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 101
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 35
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 95
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 29

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 15
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.60
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 199
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 13

Milwaukee Brewers 86-62
1st Place in the N.L. Central, 10 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs

Brewers Probables
Aaron Civale (4-2, 3.84)
Colin Rea (12-5, 4.21)
Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.75)

Brewers Leaders
Average:  William Contreras - .280
Runs:  William Contreras - 94
Home Runs:  Willy Adames - 32
RBIs:  Willy Adames - 109
Stolen Bases:  Brice Turang - 43

Wins:  Colin Rea - 12
ERA:  Freddy Peralta - 3.75
Strikeouts:  Freddy Peralta - 184
Saves:  Trevor Megill - 20

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

Series Preview - Brewers at Phillies: May 3rd to May 6th

1986 Topps #209

2021 Chachi 1986 Topps Missing Links #6

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  Dollar Dog Nights are back with the first night celebrated on Monday night.  Hooray?

Brewers 17-11
1st Place in the N.L. Central, 1 game ahead of the Cardinals

Brewers Probables
Adrian Houser (2-2, 3.65)
TBD
Freddy Peralta (3-0, 2.25)
Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 1.80)

Brewers Leaders
Average:  Avisail Garcia - .222
Runs:  Avisail Garcia - 13
Home Runs:  Travis Shaw - 5
RBIs:  Travis Shaw - 21
Stolen Bases:  Avisail Garcia - 3

Wins:  Freddy Peralta - 3
ERA:  Corbin Burnes - 1.53
Strikeouts:  Corbin Burnes - 49
Saves:  Josh Hader - 7

Phillies 13-15
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Mets and Nationals

Phillies Probables
Vince Velasquez (0-0, 6.57)
Aaron Nola (2-1, 3.11)
Chase Anderson (1-3, 5.40)
Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.49)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryce Harper - .317
Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 20
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 8
RBIs:  Didi Gregorius - 17
Stolen Bases:  Roman Quinn - 4

Wins:  Connor Brogdon - 3
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.11
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 41
Saves:  Hector Neris - 5

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

Game 131 - 1989 Tastykake Phillies Update #23 Randy Ready

Nationals 5, Phillies 3
Game 131 - Monday Night, August 27th in Philadelphia
Record - 70-61, 2nd place, 3 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Sloppy defense, sloppy base running and Zach Eflin's latest shaky outing contributed to this lifeless 5-3 loss to the Nationals.

What It Means:  This team needs a jolt of energy.

What Happened:  With the score tied at two in the 4th, the Nationals took a 4-2 lead on an Eflin error and on a ball that should have been caught by Rhys Hoskins but dropped in for a single.  The Phillies ran themselves out of a rally in the 6th when Wilson Ramos was easily thrown out at 3rd trying to gain an extra base when Asdrubal Cabrerea singled.

The only excitement for the Phillies came in the 3rd when Roman Quinn tripled and was singled home by Cesar Hernandez and in the 8th when Hoskins hit his 27th home run.

Featured Card:  The current state of the Phillies is making me very cranky, so here's a card that I recently added to my collection that made me happy.  (Need to offset those negative vibes.)  In 1989, the Phillies produced a 9-card update set to compliment its 37-card set available throughout the season and sponsored by Tastykake.  The nine cards featured players added to the roster throughout the season, most of whom came to the club in the big Chris James, Steve Bedrosian and Juan Samuel deals.  Unable to find a complete 9-card set for sale over the last few decades, I've slowly cobbled together the set and recently added this Randy Ready card to my collection.

As of this writing, I now just need the John Kruk card, featuring him wearing the #11 he first wore when he came to the Phillies (with Ready) from the Padres.

Transaction:  The Phillies traded minor leaguer Jack Zoellner (GCL) to the Orioles for international bonus money.  The team has also reportedly claimed Jose Bautista off revocable waivers from the Mets and the two teams are in the process of working out a deal.

Phillies Alumni Photo Cards - Checklist

This post is no longer being updated. Please see here for an updated post and Checklist for the Phillies Alumni Photo Cards.


This is a post a long-time in the making and one that will most likely be revised frequently.  Since about 2007, the Phillies have been issuing Alumni photo cards for returning players to sign at various meet and greet opportunities.  I'm going to attempt to checklist those photo cards here based on cards in my collection and help from fellow collectors.  I've already received some input from Rick (@rickphils) and Steve F. and I'm hoping they'll both weigh in with additions needed to the list below.

Complicating any efforts to fully checklist these cards is the fact that the Phillies had originally printed the cards with a copyright date on the back reflecting the date of issuance.  More recently, the copyright date on the backs of these cards is for the date of the photo on the front.  For example, I'm fairly certain the Randy Ready card shown above was available during the 2016 Alumni Weekend festivities in August, but the card contains a 1995 copyright date which corresponds to the photo used for the card.

Player - Year First Issued - Copyright Date - Other Notes

• Larry Andersen - 2010 - 2010
• Marlon Anderson - 2016 - 2003
• Bob Boone - 2010 - 2010 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Warren Brusstar - 2017 - 2017 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Pat Burrell - 2015 - 2008 - Available as part of the 2015 Phillies Team Issue 2nd Edition set
• Marty Bystrom - 2017 - 2010 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Larry Christenson - 2017 - 2010 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Rheal Cormier - 2011 - 2011 - Obtained in April 2014 at Citizens Bank Park
• Bob Dernier - 2017 - 2017 - Obtained on July 7, 2017 at Citizens Bank Park
• Jim Eisenreich - 2010 - 2010
• Tommy Greene - 2010 - 2010 - Obtained in March 2013 at Citizens Bank Park
• Ricky Jordan - 2011 - 2011 - Obtained during 2014 Alumni Weekend
• Greg Luzinski - 2010 - 2010 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Garry Maddox - 2017 - NEED
• Charlie Manuel - 2015 - 2011 - Available as part of the 2015 Phillies Team Issue set
• Bake McBride - 2017 - 2017 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Don Money - 2015 - 2015 - Old Phillies logo on back
• Dickie Noles - 2012 - 2012 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Todd Pratt - 2016 - 1993
• Randy Ready - 2016 - 1995
• Jim Thome - 2016 - No copyright - Available briefly as part of 2016 Phillies Team Issue 2nd Edition Update set
• Manny Trillo - 2017 - 2017 - Obtained during 2017 Alumni Weekend
• Del Unser - NEED
• Wilson Valdez - 2014 - 2014 - Obtained in July 2014 at Citizens Bank Park

Update, 6/10/18 - As part of a weekend-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 1993 N.L. Champion Phillies team, on Sunday, June 10th, seven autograph stations were set up throughout the ballpark with 3 players at each table signing Phillies Alumni photo cards until supplies lasted.  Fellow collector Rick provided a photo of the table listing below and he also provided some additional notes on available Phillies Alumni photo cards.  As always, if you have any of these cards and you'd like to send them to a good home, please contact me!

• Ruben Amaro, Jr.
• Larry Andersen - Could be same as previously issued card from 2010.
• Larry Bowa CO - Same as a previously issued card.
• Wes Chamberlain
• Jim Eisenreich - Same as previously issued card from 2010.
• Paul Fletcher
• Tommy Greene - Same as previously issued card from 2010.
• Dave Hollins
• Danny Jackson
• Ricky Jordan - Same as previously issued card from 2011.
• John Kruk  - Same as a previously issued card.
• Tony Longmire  - Same as a previously issued card.
• Jeff Manto
• Roger Mason
• Mickey Morandini
• Todd Pratt - Same as previously issued card from 2016.
• Ben Rivera
• Curt Schilling
• Bobby Thigpen
• Milt Thompson  - Same as a previously issued card.
• David West

Other 1993 Alumni Cards

• Darren Daulton  - Same as a previously issued card.
• Mariano Duncan
• Pete Incaviglia
• Kevin Stocker
• Mitch Williams

Padres at Phillies: June 10th to June 12th

Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Padres 28-35, 4th Place in the N.L. West, 13 1/2 games behind the Giants
Phillies 25-36, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves and Nationals

Padres Probables:  Ian Kennedy (5-6, 3.39), Tyson Ross (6-5, 3.22), Andrew Cashner (2-5, 2.13)
Phillies Probables:  A.J. Burnett (3-5, 4.41), Kyle Kendrick (1-6, 4.3), Cole Hamels (2-3, 3.49)

At the Ballpark:  All fans attending tonight's ballgame will receive a cool looking Chase Utley bobble head.

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .314

Runs:  Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley - 31

Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 11

RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 41

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 17

Wins:  Cliff Lee - 4

ERA:  Cliff Lee - 3.18

Strikeouts:  A.J. Burnett - 67

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 13

1988 Topps #426, #596 and #572

1988 Topps Appreciation:  I've been warming up my son Doug (he's seven) to the fact that the Phillies might be trading off several of his favorite players in the upcoming weeks and months.  He's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Cliff Lee, Marlon Byrd and yes, even Chase Utley could be playing for a different team by the time the summer is over.  It doesn't seem right to him.

I clearly remember my Dad telling me when the Phillies traded Chris James back on June 2, 1989 to the Padres.  I didn't understand how the team could just unceremoniously dump the home grown James, who at the time was one of my favorite players.  In return for James, the Phillies acquired two players I had never really heard of - John Kruk and Randy Ready.  Kruk immediately became the team's new regular left fielder, while Ready filled the void left by James at third base.  James had only been the team's regular third baseman for a little over a month, following the unexpected retirement of Mike Schmidt.

Obviously, the James deal ended up working out in the Phillies favor.  Ready remained with the Phillies through the 1991 season, filling in at third, second and left field.  The real pay-off from the deal was Kruk, who went on to become a three-time All-Star and lead the Phillies to the 1993 World Series.

If the Phillies do start the fire sale that seems inevitable, I at least hope they'll get a John Kruk back in return.

1989 Donruss Baseball's Best #184 Ken Howell

To celebrate the first week of Spring Training, I'm sharing one of my annual rituals.  Each year I go through the active rosters, coaching staffs and non-roster invitee lists to see where former Phillies have landed.  This post looks at the NL West and the AL West.

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Non-Roster Invitees - Infielders Cody Ransom (10) and Andy Tracy (08-09)

Colorado Rockies
The Rockies don't have one former Phillie donning the purple and silver this spring.

Los Angeles Dodgers
40-Man Roster - Pitcher Vicente Padilla (00-05) and catcher Rod Barajas (07)
Non-Roster Invitee - Infielder Juan Castro (10)

1989 Donruss Baseball's
Best #215

Staff - First base coach Davey Lopes (coach 07-10) and bullpen coach Ken Howell (89-90)

San Diego Padres
Staff - Hitting coach Randy Ready (89-91; 94-95) and bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds (90-91)

San Francisco Giants
40-Man Roster - Outfielders Pat Burrell (00-08) and Aaron Rowand (06-07)

1989 Donruss #487

AL West
Los Angeles Angels
40-Man Roster - Outfielder Bobby Abreu (98-06)
Non-Roster Invitee - Pitcher Eric Junge (02-03)

Oakland Athletics
There are no former Phillies on the 40-man roster, but there are plenty of former Phillie farm hands - Gio Gonzalez, Josh Outman, Adrian Cardenas and Michael Taylor

Seattle Mariners
Non-Roster Invitees - Pitchers Fabio Castro (06-07) and Nate Robertson (10)

Texas Rangers
40-Man Roster - Reliever Arthur Rhodes (06)
Non-Roster Invitee - Outfielder Endy Chavez (05)
Staff - Pitching coach Mike Maddux (86-89)