Game 119 - 1995 Mellon Phillies #5 Gary Varsho

Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 2
Game 119 - Late Tuesday Night, August 17th in Phoenix
Record - 61-58, 2nd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Gibson and JD Hammer pitched effectively, but the Phillies offense remained jet lagged after the trip out west in this lifeless 3-2 loss.

What It Means:  No other team in baseball has lost more games than the Diamondbacks this season, and the Phillies line-up managed just three hits in this game.  Not great.

What Happened:  Gibson went six solid innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, and Hammer followed with two perfect innings while striking out four.  Bryce Harper homered for the Phillies in the third and the only other Phillies run scored on a wild pitch in the ninth.

Featured Card:  Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho is the son of former Phillies player and coach Gary Varsho, and he's named after his Dad's one-time teammate Darren Daulton.  The elder Varsho appeared in 72 games for the Phillies in 1995, his final season in the majors.  He'd manage the Reading Phillies for several years before joining the big league coaching staff between 2002 and 2006.

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

2019 Chachi #61 Charlie Manuel CO

#41
Charles Fuqua Manuel
Hitting Coach

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  195
Opening Day Age:  75
Born:  January 4, 1944, Northfork, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Teams - As Player:  Minnesota Twins 1969-1972; Los Angeles Dodgers 1974-1975
Teams - As Coach:  Cleveland Indians 1988-1989, 1994-1999; Phillies 2019
Teams - As Manager:  Cleveland Indians 2000-2002; Phillies 2005-2013

1970 Topps #194

2005 Chachi #36

2005 Topps Update #UH87

2006 Chachi #27

2007 Chachi #27

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  1970 Topps #194
First Phillies Card:  2005 Phillies Team Issue #41*
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2005 Phillies Team Issue #41
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  2005 Topps Update #UH87
Newest Card Added:  2019 Phillies 2009 10th Anniversary Postcards (with David Montgomery and Ruben Amaro, Jr.)

*Manuel also has a card issued in the style of the 2004 Phillies Team Issue, made available during that offseason's winter caravan.

36 - Manuel baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/13/19.

2005 Phillies Team Issue #41

Complete Chachi Checklist
2005 Chachi #35 - Team Card
2005 Chachi #36 - with Gary Varsho, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2006 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2006 Chachi #27
2007 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2007 Chachi #27 - with Jimy Williams, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2008 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2008 Chachi #27 - with Jimy Williams, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2008 Chachi #74 HL - Clinch NLCS, with Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs
2008 Chachi #82 HL - World Series Champs
2008 Chachi #84 HL - World Series Parade
2009 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2009 Chachi #44 AS
2009 Chachi #77 HL - National League Champs, with Brad Lidge, Pedro Martinez and Chan Ho Park
2009 Chachi #84 - World Series Game 6, with Pedro Martinez and Chase Utley
2010 Chachi #27 - with Pete Mackanin, Rich Dubee, Mick Billmeyer and Sam Perlozzo
2010 Chachi #43 AS - with Chase Utley
2011 Chachi #26
2011 Chachi #56 RB - Become all-time winningest Phillies manager
2012 Chachi #26
2013 Chachi #26 - with Mick Billmeyer, Steve Henderson, Rod Nichols and Juan Samuel
2013 Chachi #58 HL - 1,000th Win
2016 Chachi Special Edition #13
2019 Chachi #61

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Just One Card - 1990s Phillies Edition (Part One - 1990 to 1995)

Having wrapped up my Phillies Missing Links custom card sets from the 1980s and 1990s, I wanted to look back at 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 one of the list, with part two to follow in a separate post.

1989 Tastykake Phillies #19

1992 Medford Phillies Update #35

1994 Phillies Team Issue Update #50

1992 Donruss Rookies #108

1992 Fleer Ultra #547

1993 Bowman #272

1993 Fleer #495

1994 Topps #328

1990
Tom Nieto - 1989 Tastykake Phillies #19

1992
Greg Mathews - 1993 Fleer #495
Julio Peguero - 1992 Fleer Ultra #547
Don Robinson - 1992 Medford Phillies Update #35
Steve Scarsone - 1992 Donruss Rookies #108

1993
Paul Fletcher - 1993 Bowman #272
Donn Pall - 1994 Topps #328

1994
Andy Carter - 1994 Phillies Team Issue Update #50

1995
Kevin Flora - 1996 Score #238
Steve Frey - 1996 Phillies Team Issue #37
Ryan Karp - 1994 Bowman #552
Gary Varsho - 1995 Phillies Team Issue #5

1995 Phillies Team Issue #5

1994 Bowman #552

1996 Score #238

1996 Phillies Team Issue #37

1995 Phillies - The Missing Links

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs (#190), 1995 Topps Traded #90T,
1995 Fleer Update #U-120 and 1996 Score #238

This little project of mine really picked up some speed with the rogue's gallery that made up the 1995 Phillies team.  There were 50 players who appeared at some point with the 1995 Phillies, so it's only natural that some of them would never be represented on cardboard as Phillies.  Couple the large number of players with decreased baseball card production in 1995, and there are quite a few missing links.

3 or More Cards
36 Players

1995 Phillies Team Issue #5 and
1996 Phillies Team Issue #37

2 Cards
Russ Springer (14 games in 1995 and 51 games in 1996) - 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Autographs and 1996 Phillies Team Issue #33
Dave Gallagher (62 games in 1995) - 1995 Phillies Team Issue #17 and 1995 Topps Traded #90T
Gene Harris (21 games in 1995) - 1995 Fleer Update #U-120 and 1995 Phillies Team Issue #33

Springer was actually a key contributor to the 1996 squad, but as a middle reliever he was among the first to get cut by the card companies when it came to player selection.  Gallagher wrapped up his 9-year career with a decent season with the Phillies.  He hit .318 as the team's fourth outfielder.  Harris was shipped to the Orioles in June for Andy Van Slyke.  By the time his Fleer Update card was released, he was already an ex-Phillie.

1 Card
Gary Varsho (72 games in 1995) - 1995 Phillies Team Issue #5

Steve Frey (9 games in 1995 and 31 games in 1996) - 1996 Phillies Team Issue #37

Andy Carter (20 games in 1994 and 4 games in 1995) - 1994 Phillies Team Issue Update #50

Kevin Flora (24 games in 1995) - 1996 Score #238

Ryan Karp (1 game in 1995 and 15 games in 1997) - 1994 Bowman #552

Paul Fletcher (1 game in 1993 and 10 games in 1995) - 1993 Bowman #272

Varsho appeared on a number of team-issued cards between 2002 and 2006 during his time as a Phillies coach, but he had only one card with the Phillies as a player.

1994 Bowman #552,
1995 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Team Issue (#6), (#20) and (#22)

0 Cards
Kevin Elster (26 games in 1995)

Omar Olivares (5 games in 1995)

Chuck Ricci (7 games in 1995)

Dennis Springer (4 games in 1995)
Jim Deshaies (2 games in 1995)

1995 Pacific #410

If you remember Elster and Deshaies playing with the Phillies, than you are truly a die-hard Phillies fan.  Elster came to the Phillies in July after bouncing from the Yankees and Royals organizations in June.  The Beckett database shows that Elster didn't appear on one single baseball card in 1994 or 1995, and by the time he was featured on a few 1996 cards he was already with the Rangers.

The only thing I remember about Olivares' stay with the Phillies is that he wore #00.  Ricci actually won a game with the Phillies, and the only Phillies-related card I have of him doesn't even feature a photo of the guy.  Dennis Springer (no relation to Russ) started his 8-year career with 4 games with the 1995 Phillies.  His claim to fame is that he gave up Barry Bonds' 73rd home run back in 2001.  He's featured in the same all-painting minor league set as Ricci.

Deshaies caught on with the Phillies in a last-ditch effort to keep his career going after 11 seasons spent mostly with the Astros.  He started two games with the club in late July, going 0-1 with a 20.25 ERA in 5 1/3 innings.  He was released on July 31st.

So there were five Phillies from the 1995 season who never appeared on a Phillies baseball card.  I have a feeling that number is about to jump once we hit the dark days of 1996, 1997 and 1998.

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

2004 MLB Showdown Strategy #S21 Think Again

Mets 5, Phillies 0

Game 45 - Wednesday Night, May 26th in New York

When the Phillies went through offensive droughts during the Larry Bowa era, the fiery manager would wear his emotions on his sleeve. And you had a feeling that after a game like this one, the latest in a painfully dull string of losses, Bowa would have entered the clubhouse, overturned the post-game buffet table and started screaming at Marlon Anderson and Travis Lee and Scott Rolen.

But this is the Charlie Manuel era. The team has won three divisions titles in a row and a World Championship. Manuel looks frustrated in the dugout, but his quiet confidence and unflappable optimism have kept the team afloat during similar stretches like this in the past. It's only a matter of time before they collectively bust out of this "mix-up," as Manuel calls it, and put a Major League whoopin' on the poor pitcher who happens to be on the mound the night they figure it all out. Here's hoping they bust out tomorrow night and Mike Pelfrey's ERA goes up a couple of runs.

And I strongly dislike Rod Barajas.

Depressing Tweet of the Night: From Todd Zolecki, "The Phillies have not scored a run in a combined 28 innings against the last 4 starting pitchers they've faced." He went on to point out the Phillies are now scoreless in 35 of their last 36 innings.

2006 Chachi #28 Gary Varsho CO

Pirates 6, Phillies 4

I wanted to gush about another come-from-behind Phillies victory tonight. I wanted to feature a Ben Francisco card (he doubled in the tying run in the 9th inning) or a Shane Victorino card (he tripled in Francisco as the go-ahead run a few batters later). I could have even gone with a Jimmy Rollins card, since he hit two home runs in the game.

But Brad Lidge blew the game. Again. For the 9th time.

Instead of a celebratory post, all I've got is a slight case of indigestion and this Chachi card of former Phillies and current Pirates bench coach Gary Varsho, looking rather dour. I know how you feel Gary.