Phillies at Astros: October 3rd to October 5th

2022 Chachi 2000 Topps Missing Links #30

2000 Topps #129

Monday and Tuesday 8:10, Wednesday 4:10
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

At the Ballpark:  All fans receive a Dusty Baker ALCS replica ring on Monday night.  Tuesday night is a Dollar Dog Night at the ballpark and Wednesday afternoon is the Astros' Fan Appreciation Day.

Phillies 86-73
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 14 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola (10-13, 3.36)
Ranger Suarez (10-6, 3.37)
Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.90)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .282
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 98
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 44
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 92
Stolen Bases:  J.T. Realmuto - 21

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 12
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.36

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 226
Saves:  Corey Knebel - 12

Astros 104-55
1st Place in the A.L. West, 16 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners

Astros Probables
Lance McCullers (4-1, 2.38)
Justin Verlander (17-4, 1.80)
Framer Valdez (16-6, 2.89)

Astros Leaders
Average:  Yordan Alvarez - .301
Runs:  Jose Altuve - 102
Home Runs:  Yordan Alvarez - 37
RBIs:  Kyle Tucker - 104
Stolen Bases:  Kyle Tucker - 25

Wins:  Justin Verlander - 17
ERA:  Justin Verlander - 1.80

Strikeouts:  Cristian Javier - 194
Saves:  Ryan Pressly - 32

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

Game 71 - Father's Day at the IronPigs; Phillies Game Skipped

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #17

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #11

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #15

While Jenna took Ben to a family graduation party in Quakertown, Doug and I travelled a little further north to take in an IronPigs game in Allentown.  The rain held out until after the game was over, and it was a wonderful way to spend Father's Day.  Doug continued his minor league ballpark tradition of (a) getting many autographs and (b) getting a ball tossed to him at some point during the game.

Unfortunately, starting pitcher Enyel De Los Santos gave up a trio of home runs (two to Bobby Bradley) and the Clippers, the top affiliate for the Indians, won the game 3-1.  Following the game, the IronPigs opened up the outfield for a Father's Day catch on the field, which was the highlight of the afternoon for both of us.  The afternoon outing merited another 10 cards in the growing Ballpark Visits insert set.  Our next stop is scheduled for Lakewood in July to take in a BlueClaws game.

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #8

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #10

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #13

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #16

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #9

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #12

2019 Chachi Ballpark Visits #14

Meanwhile in Atlanta, the Phillies had a very bad day.

Braves 15, Phillies 1
Game 71 - Sunday Afternoon, June 16th in Atlanta
Record - 39-32, 2nd place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The bullpen game concept completely backfired as the Braves demolished each Phillies pitcher presented to them.

What It Means:  With J.T. Realmuto and Jay Bruce out of the line-up with minor injuries, and no reliable fifth starter in sight, this was a massacre of a ballgame.  Moves will need to be made if the Phillies hope to catch the Braves, and they'll enter the week looking up and two and half games back.

What Happened:  Only utility player Sean Rodriguez, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, escaped without allowing a Braves run.  Vince Velasquez (2 1/3 innings, 4 runs), Cole Irvin (3 2/3 innings, 6 runs) and Jerad Eickhoff (1 inning, 5 runs) were all torched.

Transactions:  Pat Neshek was activated from the Injured List and Irvin was recalled from the IronPigs.  Ranger Suarez and Edgar Garcia were sent back down, but neither arrived in Allentown in time for Sunday's IronPigs game.

Just One Card - 1990s Phillies Edition (Part Two - 1996 to 1999)

Having wrapped up my Phillies Missing Links custom card sets from the 1980s and 1990s, I wanted to look back and those players who just barely missed inclusion.  These are the players who have been featured on one and only one Phillies baseball card.

There were 23 Phillies players from the 1990s with no Phillies baseball card appearances, and there were 26 Phillies players from the decade with only one Phillies baseball card appearance.  Here's part two of the list.  Part one can be found here.

The Jon Zuber card, available only at the 1998 Phillies Phestival, has eluded my search so far.

1996 Phillies Team Issue #5

1996 Phillies Team Issue #43

1996 Phillies Team Issue #54

1997 Phillies Team Issue #40

1997 Phillies Team Issue #41

1998 Phillies Team Issue ALS Phestival #40

1996
Mike Benjamin - 1996 Phillies Team Issue #5
Carlos Crawford - 1996 Phillies Team Issue #54
Ricardo Jordan - 1997 Pacific #381
Dave Leiper - 1996 Phillies Team Issue #43
J.R. Philllips - 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs #159
Jon Zuber - 1998 Phillies Team Issue ALS Phestival #40

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs #159

1997 Fleer #649

1997 Pacific #381

1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #202

1997
Tony Barron - 1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #202
Reggie Harris - 1997 Phillies Team Issue #40
Erik Plantenberg - 1997 Phillies Team Issue #41
Edgar Ramos - 1997 Fleer #649

1999
Scott Aldred - 2000 Phillies Team Issue #30

Jim Poole - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #41

Steve Schrenk - 2000 Phillies Team Issue #52

Paul Spoljaric - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #50

1999 Phillies Team Issue #41

1999 Phillies Team Issue #50

2000 Phillies Team Issue #30

2000 Phillies Team Issue #52

1999 Phillies - The Missing Links

2000 MLB Showdown 1st Edition #337, 1999 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Team Issue #21 and #6,
1999 Multi-Ad Reading Phillies #6

I'm enjoying researching these Missing Links posts almost as much as I'm enjoying researching and composing my Topps Phillies series of posts.  I plan on continuing these posts through the 2000s, but with the caveat that I may need help as I move through that decade.  My baseball card collection from the '90s is much more comprehensive than what I currently own from the '00s.

But before we get to Y2K, here's a look at those members of the 1999 Phillies team with sparse to non-existent Phillies cardboard representation.  There were 41 different players to suit up with the Phils in 1999.

1999 Phillies Team
Issue #12

3 Cards or More
31 Players

2 Cards
Steve Montgomery (53 games in 1999) - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #57 and 2000 MLB Showdown 1st Edition #337
Tom Prince (4 games in 1999 and 46 games in 2000) - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #12 and 2000 Phillies Team Issue #22

This will sound very strange to all but a few of my readers, but I was beyond thrilled when I tracked down Montgomery's Phillies card from the MLB Showdown set.  It drove me batty that this guy appeared in so many games for the Phillies in 1999, yet he didn't have a proper (regular sized) baseball card.


1 Card

Steve Schrenk (32 games in 1999 and 20 games in 2000) - 2000 Phillies Team Issue #52

Scott Aldred (29 games in 1999 and 23 games in 2000) - 2000 Phillies Team Issue #30

Jim Poole (51 games in 1999) - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #41
Paul Spoljaric (5 games in 1999) - 1999 Phillies Team Issue #50

If not for the Phillies team issued postcard set, this quartet of relievers would have no Phillies baseball cards to their names.

1999 Phillies Team Issue #50 and #41

2000 Phillies Team Issue #52 and #30

0 Cards
Domingo Cedeno (32 games in 1999)
Torey Lovullo (17 games in 1999)
Joe Grahe (13 games in 1999)
Joel Bennett (5 games in 1999)

Cedeno never had a chance for a Phillies card as he falls into that black hole category of players acquired and released by the team within the same year.  He was acquired by the Phillies in early July from the Mariners as an emergency back-up for shortstop Alex Arias, who was forced into starting duties when Desi Relaford tore ligaments in his wrist.  Upon Relaford's return in September, Cedeno was unceremoniously released after posting a .152 average in 32 games.

1994 Topps #776

Lovullo was a September call-up for the Phillies.  He played the last of his 17 games in the Majors with the Phils, after enjoying seven seasons with the Tigers, Yankees, Angels, Mariners, A's and Indians.

Like Lovullo, Grahe was a veteran who had previously played in parts of six seasons with the Angels and Rockies.  He spent the 1999 season, his last in the Majors, between the Phillies and their Triple-A affiliate in Scranton.

Bennett was briefly forced into the starting rotation in May when Spoljaric was traded away to the Blue Jays in exchange for Robert Person.

Past Missing Link Posts

1990 Phillies - Louie Meadows

1991 Phillies - Dave LaPoint

1992 Phillies - Darrin Chapin and Mickey Weston

1993 Phillies - None

1994 Phillies - Tom Edens and Bob Wells

1995 Phillies - Jim Deshaies, Kevin Elster, Omar Olivares, Chuck Ricci and Dennis Springer

1996 Phillies - Glenn Dishman, Bronson Heflin, Manny Martinez and Rafael Quirico
1997 Phillies - Rob Butler and Mike Robertson
1998 Phillies - Robert Dodd and Matt Whiteside

1999 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Team Issue #28 Steve Schrenk

Red Sox 5, Phillies 2
Game 82 - Thursday Afternoon, June 30th in Philadelphia

One Sentence Summary:  The Sox took advantage of the Phillies shaky middle relief, salvaging the final game of the three-game set, 5-2.

What It Means:  After the loss, the Phils record is 51-31 and they have a four game lead over the Braves.

What Went Wrong:  It looked as if Cole Hamels was well on his way to finally notching his tenth win of the season when a line drive off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez knocked the glove off his hand and sent him to the showers after four innings.  Relievers David Herndon and Andrew Carpenter couldn't fend off the Sox offense, as they allowed all five runs in their combined four innings of work. 

X-rays on Hamels' hand were negative, although it's too soon to say if he'll make his next start or not.

The offense sputtered along, managing just four hits and going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.  Two of those hits came from Ryan Howard, including his ninth inning two-run home run.

Featured Card:  The Phils failed to sweep the Sox at home in the three-game series, something they had done once before back in June 2000.  The winning pitchers in those three games were Jeff Brantley, Randy Wolf and Steve Schrenk.  I had Schrenk sign this card in the summer of 2000 during the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons' visit to Durham to take on the Bulls.  During an ill-fated two and a half year period in which I lived in Raleigh, I never missed a chance to catch the Red Barons when they came to town.  When I asked Schrenk to sign this card, he was honestly impressed I had it in my collection and he flipped it over to review the stats before signing and handing it back to me.

Schrenk is still with the Phillies organization as the pitching coach for the Low-A Lakewood BlueClaws.