2009 Topps Update & Highlights #UH30 J.A. Happ

NL Rookie of the Year voting was announced on Monday and the Marlins' Chris Coghlan edged out the Phillies' J.A. Happ for the award. Happ faltered somewhat in September and made only one start in the Postseason, but he still had an incredible rookie year. Happ finished with a 12-4 record, a 2.93 ERA (8th in the NL) and he tied for 1st in the NL in shutouts with 2. (Five NL pitchers had shutouts in 2009, including Cole Hamels.)

Happ joins Kyle Kendrick (5th in 2007), Marlon Byrd (4th in 2003), Jimmy Rollins (3rd in 2001) and Pat Burrell (4th in 2000) as Phillies receiving ROY votes in the '00s, but not enough votes to win.

Four Phillies have won the award since its inception in 1947, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America: Jack Sanford (1957), Richie Allen (1964), Scott Rolen (1997) and Ryan Howard (2005).

Welcome: The Phils added three prospects to their 40-man roster today - lefty pitcher Yohan Flande, righty pitcher Jesus Sanchez and outfielder Quintin Berry. Rosters need to be set by Friday to protect players from the annual Rule 5 draft and the Phils currently have 10 open spots to fill.

Favorite On-Card Autos - Memories of Ocean City

1982 Ocean City Baseball Card Show Postcard - Del Ennis

1983 Girard Great Phillies Moments #3 Art Mahaffey

The proprietors of Dinged Corners recently asked fellow baseball card bloggers to list their three favorite on-card autographs. These are cards on which the autograph landed by placing pen to cardboard, instead of the signor signing a sticker and someone from the card company affixing the sticker to cardboard. Autographed baseball cards the way autographed baseball cards are supposed to be.

My all-time favorite on-card autograph was recently featured following the Phillies World Series Game 5 victory. His Whiteness signed his '59 Topps card for me in person at a baseball card show we attended in Cherry Hill - I think. (Why do I think it was Cherry Hill?)

I've often waxed nostalgic for the long gone Ocean City baseball card shows. Both cards featured here were obtained in person, with my Dad, while attending past Ocean City shows. (I know the Del Ennis autograph isn't technically on a baseball card, but it's still one of my most prized possessions.) I clearly remember standing in line at those shows, waiting for Del Ennis' and Art Mahaffey's autographs. You could hear the waves crashing and gulls calling through the open windows on the Music Pier and I most likely took a break from flipping through Diamond Dust's '75 Topps binder to get these autographs. I didn't really know who these guys were at the time, but my Dad seemed to be in awe of them, so I knew they were special.

I've added dozens of on-card autographs to my Phillies collection since then, but they don't mean nearly as much as these three.

1989 Topps Baseball Talk #40 Robin Roberts

Thanks to the wonders of the internet and my ability to figure out how to download updated drivers for my scanner, scanning capabilities have returned to The Phillies Room. (I don't know what a driver is, what caused it to depart my computer, or how it affects my scanner, but it is now updated.)

A week prior to our Disney trip I completed a trade with David, aka Rhubarb_Runner. In exchange for a stack of Twins cards from his wantlists, David sent over a wonderful collection of Phillies cards from my wantlists, and included a few oddball cards I had never seen. Featured here is one of those cards. This "card" is from a 164-card set issued jointly by Topps and LJN Toy Co. in 1989. According the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, the plastic disc on the back featured a short biography that could be heard by inserting the card into a hand-held player. The biographies are narrated by either Don Drysdale, Joe Torre or Mel Allen. I totally missed these when they first came out, and this is the first time I've ever seen one of these "Baseball Talk" cards. Pretty cool.

Thanks to David's generosity, I've added several '63 Topps, a few '70 Topps and 20 or so '74 Topps cards that look as if they're straight from a vending box to my Phillies collection. Along with the Roberts oddball card, David also included several "repli-cards" masterfully cut from the inserts of a few early '90s Baseball Cards Magazines. I hope to feature a few of these cards in the coming weeks. Thanks again David!

2009 Chachi #84 World Series Game 6/Defeated

World Series Game 6 - November 4, 2009
Yankees 7, Phillies 3

This is not a game I particularly care to remember or to recap. Suffice it to say, it was not an enjoyable game. The Yankees soundly defeated the Phillies in Game 6, winning their 27th World Championship.

The Damn Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd when Hideki Matsui golfed a Pedro Martinez fastball into deep right. In total, the eventual World Series MVP would explode for 6 RBIs on three hits in the game. The Phils got a run back in the 3rd when Chooch tripled and Jimmy Rollins drove him in with a sac fly. But that was pretty much the extent of the Game 6 excitement for a Phillies' fan.

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Yankees started another rally when Shane Victorino misplayed a Derek Jeter fly ball, resulting in a single for the Yankees' captain. Matsui knocked in two more with the bases loaded in the inning, making in 4-1 Yankees. After the Yanks scored three more in the 5th, to give them a commanding 7-1 lead, it was all but over. Ryan Howard hit a 2-run homer in the 6th, but it wouldn't be enough.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera recorded the last five outs of the game for the save. I watched the first two outs of the top of the 9th inning, but as of this writing I have yet to see the final out. I saw Shane Victorino send a weak grounder to second and I turned off the TV and went to bed.

Down and Out: This was also the day I started figuring out I was sick. What I thought was a simple cold turned out to be the flu, and our Disney trip took a significant detour. Doug caught it too and we spent the final days of our trip in various stages of grumpiness and/or slumber. I beat it first and then Doug beat it and thankfully Jenna never caught it.

Best Tweet: From beat writer Andy Martino at phillieszone - Robin Roberts in clubhouse. Would be fully rested for a potential Game 7.

Mission Accomplished: The Phillies didn't accomplish their mission, but Doug certainly did. He informed us prior to leaving for "Mickey's House" that he wanted to say hello to Buzz and Woody during his visit. Not only did he get to tell them hello, he also gave them hugs and high fives and informed Woody, "There's a snake in my boots!" Woody seemed amused. And for the record, by my unofficial tally, there were many, many more Phillies fans in Disney than Yankees fans.

2009 Chachi #83 World Series Game 5/Chase Utley

World Series Game 5 - November 2, 2009
Phillies 8, Yankees 6

No matter what the outcome, tonight's ballgame was going to be the last game played in Philadelphia in 2009. Staff ace Cliff Lee came through again, pitching 7 solid innings and ensuring the Phils would make a trip to the Bronx for Game 6.

Lee was erratic in the 1st, perhaps weighed down by the magnitude of this potential elimination game for the Phils. The Yankees scored first in the top of the 1st when Johnny Damon scored on an Alex Rodriguez double. The Phils would quickly jump back into things in the bottom of the inning. Jimmy Rollins singled, Shane Victorino was plunked and Chase Utley homered (the first non-solo home run for the Phillies this series) and the good guys led, 3-1.

The Phils chased Yankees starter A.J. Burnett in the 3rd, scoring twice more and taking a 5-1 lead. Chase Utley's solo home run in the 7th gave the Phils a 7-2 lead and landed Chase in the record books with his 7th career World Series home run. Phillies announcer Larry Andersen christened Chase as the first "Mr. Octember." Just to make sure the last few innings were comfortable for the bullpen, Raul Ibañez added a solo shot a few batters later to make it 8-2 . . . and they would need the cushion. The Yankees would score four times in the 8th and 9th innings, but the Phils hung on to force one more game.

He is the Man: Chase Utley's fifth home run of the 2009 World Series tied him with Reggie Jackson for most home runs in a single World Series. Reggie accomplished the feat in 1977.

Public Service Announcement: If you have a toddler and are weighing your dining options while at Disney's Animal Kingdom, you should steer clear of the Rainforest Cafe. Doug was terrified, terrified, of the swinging monkeys, roaring elephants, dangling snakes and the overall noise of the place. We switched tables a few times, but eventually made our exit. Earlier in the day, Doug loved the Kilimanjaro Safari. As we rode through the safari, he turned to me with a huge grin and exclaimed, "This is cool!" And of course, he loved giving Mickey a high five.

2009 Chachi #85 Gold Gloves HL

The 2009 National League Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced this afternoon and both Jimmy Rollins (shortstop) and Shane Victorino (outfield) retained their places on the team. This is the third consecutive Gold Glove for Jimmy and it's Shane's second in a row.

Jimmy became the fifth Phillie to win at least three Gold Gloves, joining the elite group of Mike Schmidt (10), Garry Maddox (8), Manny Trillo (3) and Scott Rolen (3). Shane became the first Phillies outfielder to win consecutive Gold Gloves since the original Secretary of Defense accomplished the feat from 1975 to 1982.

Fare Thee Well, Eric: I happened to check the Transactions tab on the Phillies website today and noticed Eric Bruntlett had been dropped from the team's 40-man roster. He's currently listed as a minor league free agent. Eric will be forever remembered as the guy who scored the game winning runs in Games 3 and 5 of the 2008 World Series. He also turned a memorable unassisted triple play earlier this year.

The Complete Set: Unless J.A. Happ wins the NL Rookie of the Year honors on Monday, the 2009 Chachi set will have only three more cards - #83 World Series Game 5, #84 World Series Game 6 and the Checklist at #86.

2009 Chachi #82 World Series Game 4/Pedro Feliz

World Series Game 4 - November 1, 2009

Yankees 7, Phillies 4

The Phillies lost their first ever game played in November in excruciating fashion, giving the Yankees a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. In terms of painful losses, this loss could be compared to the agonizing 1993 World Series Game 6 loss courtesy of Mitch Williams and Joe Carter. (I just used excruciating, painful and agonizing in the first paragraph - this should be a great post.)

The Yankees jumped on Phillies starter Joe Blanton early, scoring two in the 1st inning. The Phils quickly got one back in the bottom of the 1st on a Chase Utley RBI-double. After that, Blanton and Yankees starter CC Sabathia settled in for a few innings. In the 4th, after Ryan Howard singled and stole second to start the inning, Pedro Feliz singled him home to tie the game. The tie would be short-lived however when Blanton walked Nick Swisher to start the Yankees' 5th, and he'd ultimately come around to score. (Don't walk the lead-off guy after your team ties the game, Joe!) The Yankees would eventually score twice to regain the lead, 4-2.

CC's final pitch of the night resulted in a Chase Utley solo home run in the 7th, to make it 4-3 Yankees. With two outs and a full count in the bottom of the 8th, Pedro Feliz lined a solo home run to left off Joba Chamberlain, and I may have awakened a zebra. (More on that later.)

And then it all went horribly wrong. Brad Lidge retired the first two Yankees in the top of the 9th, and had two strikes against Johnny Damon. It all happened so fast: Damon bloops a single to left, Damon steals second, notices no one is covering third and steals third, Teixeira gets drilled, A-Rod doubles, Damon scores, Posada singles to left, scoring Teixeira and A-Rod, 7-4 Yankees, Mariano Rivera pitches 1-2-3 bottom of 9th, game over. Excruciating.

In the Jungle: We watched this game from our room at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Unbelievably, zebras, giraffes and gazelles were roaming the savanna during the game, viewable from our balcony. Earlier in the day, we grooved with Frozone and Mr. Incredible at the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It Street Party at the Magic Kingdom. Jenna's highlight was watching Doug react to the 4-D Mickey's Philharmagic movie, especially during the "Be Our Guest" segment.

2009 Chachi #81 World Series Game 3/Jayson Werth

World Series Game 3 - October 31, 2009

Yankees 8, Phillies 5

Had this been 2008, an early 3-run lead with Cole Hamels on the mound would be all the Phillies would need to practically guarantee a victory. Unfortunately, this is 2009 and the night quickly turned into Cole's Halloween Horrors.

The home crowd was electric as Cole finally took the mound an hour and twenty minutes after the scheduled start of the game, due to the obligatory World Series Game 3 rain delay. Jayson Werth put the Phillies on the board first with a solo home run to lead off the 2nd inning. Jimmy Rollins drew a bases loaded walk for the Phils' second run of the game and one batter later, Shane Victorino's sac fly to left scored the third run.

Cole's night started to unravel in the 4th inning after he had retired 10 of the first 11 Yankee batters. Following a walk to Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez got the Yankees within a run with an instant-replay reviewed and approved 2-run home run. The Yanks plated three more in the 5th and Cole's night was over. The Phillies bullpen then allowed solo runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings.

Solo home runs from Jayson Werth (his second of the night) in the 6th and Carlos Ruiz in the 9th closed the gap a little, but it was not enough. With the 8-5 win, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

He Said What?: Following Game 3, when asked to comment upon his disappointing 2009 season, Cole Hamels reportedly responded he "can't wait for it to end." This is not the type of quote that will endear you to Phillies fans, Cole.

MIA: After three games, Ryan Howard is 2 for 13 with 9 strikeouts. Jimmy Rollins is 2 for 10.

Downtown Disney on Halloween: If you're considering spending Halloween in Downtown Disney next year - don't. The place was a madhouse since there were various free candy pick-ups scattered throughout the marketplace. And the heat (88 degrees) precluded Doug from donning his Buzz Lightyear costume. All was not lost as we made a pitstop at the Lego store and added a Lego circus train to Doug's growing collection.

2010 Chachi Ex-Phillies

2010 Chachi Ex-Phillies #X1 Brett Myers

2010 Chachi Ex-Phillies #X2 Pedro Martinez

Twenty-eight people cast their votes in the poll to help decide which Topps set should be used as the basis for the 2010 Chachi set. Amazingly enough, the results fell in line with how I was hoping the poll would turn out (voters could vote more than once):

1974 Topps - 11 votes

1983 Topps - 10 votes

1971 Topps - 8 votes

1982 Topps - 2 votes

To commemorate the 1974 Topps set's victory, I'm featuring the first two ex-Phillies of the offseason. Brett Myers and Pedro Martinez filed for free agency on Friday, and they join Miguel Cairo and Pedro Feliz as members of the 2009 NL Champs who most likely won't return next year. I thought Brett Myers had pitched his final game as a Phillie back in May, but to his credit, he worked his way back from injury. It was a fun ride with Pedro, although I'm not convinced he was the right choice to start Game 6.

There's still some unfinished business with the 2009 Chachi set - I need to complete the World Series cards (unfortunately) and a checklist is needed. The 2010 Chachi set will debut on Opening Day, April 5, 2010.

1982 Donruss #585 Phillies Finest

We planned our Disney trip months in advance, without once considering the Phillies would be in the midst of their second consecutive World Series. With the Series tied at a game a piece, and with my rally towel packed, we arrived Saturday afternoon at the Happiest Place on Earth. We were ready for a week filled with rides and character greetings during the day and Phillies baseball at night. I was ready for a week of sensory overload.

The night before departing for our trip, my scanner died, perhaps overwhelmed by the Braulio Castillo baseball card I had forced it to endure. Fortunately, before it had fizzled out, I had scanned in a number of cards to post in order to celebrate each Phillies victory. Unfortunately, I was able to post just one celebratory baseball card following the team's Game 5 victory on Monday night. Presented here is one of my favorite Phillies baseball cards, which would have appeared had Pedro Martinez not been abused by Hideki Matsui in Game 6.

I'm disappointed in the outcome of the World Series - as are most non-Yankees fans. However, this is indeed a great time to be a Phillies fan, and there's a lot to look forward to during the Hot Stove season. I'm certainly not wishing away the winter, but it will be a happy day in February when the calendar tells us, "Pitchers and Catchers Report".

1999 SkyBox Premium #274 Scott Rolen

Pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training in a little over three months.

The Phillies: Doing it again in '10.

Phillies at Yankees: November 4th through November 5th

Wednesday & Thursday 7:57

The Glass is Half Full: A win Wednesday night will force a Game 7. A win Thursday night will give the Phillies a World Championship title for the second year in a row.
Phillies Probables: Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels
Yankees Probables: Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia

1959 Topps #300 Richie Ashburn

1992 Bowman #104 Braulio Castillo

1995 Fleer Update #U-122 Gregg Jefferies

1993 Triple Play #129 Equipment

Starting this evening and throughout the first week of November, The Phillies Room will be temporarily closed for routine equipment maintenance and systems upgrades. Although the timing of this closure is questionable and somewhat regrettable, it is nevertheless unavoidable. We will be taking copious notes throughout the remainder of the World Series and our regularly scheduled postings will return next weekend. Rest assured, dear readers and fellow bloggers, 2009 Chachi World Series cards will be produced and shared upon our return.

In the interim, and as part of our ongoing effort to share Phillies baseball cards with the blogosphere, our IT department will be posting a single baseball card at the conclusion of each World Series game. The baseball card posted will reflect the outcome of the game and, by extension, my mood following each game. When the Phillies win, one of my favorite Phillies cards from my collection will appear. In the unlikely event of a Phillies loss, the woeful occurrence will be shamed with one of my least favorite Phillies cards.

Finally, the 2010 Chachi poll (see sidebar) is nearing its close. If you haven’t voted already, please consider voicing your opinion on this important decision.

Go Phils!

Yankees at Phillies: October 31st through November 2nd

Saturday 7:57, Sunday 8:20 & Monday 7:57

Back Home: Jimmy Rollins wasn't impressed with the ambiance of new Yankee Stadium. He was surprised at how low key the crowd seemed, noting they only momentarily came to life following a home run and then they calmed back down. A reporter asked him if the atmosphere this year was a little more akin to a World Series than last year. Jimmy, without hesitation, replied, "When we get to Philly, it will." The Phils return for three at home and hopefully there will be no need for a return train trip to New York.
Happy Halloween!: A year ago today, Philadelphia hosted the 2008 World Champions' parade down Broad Street.
Yankees Probables: Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett
Phillies Probables: Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee

2007 Chachi #12 Greg Dobbs

Other Game 2 thoughts . . .

Worked out OK in '08: The Phils won Game 1 of the World Series last year and lost Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays. They came home to sweep the Rays, taking the World Series in five games.

Golden Sombrero: Ryan Howard did not enjoy Game 2. The Big Piece went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and tipped his cap to A.J. Burnett following the game: "He had his curveball working today. It was a nasty pitch - nasty." The top four guys in the line-up combined to go 1 for 13 against the A.J. Burnett-Mariano Rivera tandem.

Get Well Soon: Greg Dobbs and Tyler Walker (not on the Postseason roster) were sent home from New York with the flu. Dobbs was slated to DH last night, but Matt Stairs got the start instead.

2009 Chachi #80 World Series Game 2/Pedro Martinez

World Series Game 2 - October 29, 2009
Yankees 3, Phillies 1
Exactly one year after the Phillies won Game 5B of the 2008 World Series, they dropped Game 2 of the 2009 World Series to the Yankees, 3-1. If you had told me going into these first two games the Phils would split before heading back to Philly for three, I would have been happy with that outcome. Still, it would have been nice to head home with a 2-0 series lead.

Pedro Martinez was back in the Bronx - the location of a few infamous incidents he'd probably prefer to forget. He and Yankees starter A.J. Burnett threw a lot of pitches early, but after 5 innings each pitcher had allowed only a run a piece.

The Phils struck first in the 2nd inning. Raul Ibañez doubled to left and came around to score when a sharp grounder from Matt Stairs eluded Alex Rodriguez' glove for a single. The Yanks tied things up in the 4th when Mark Teixeira hit a Pedro Martinez change-up for a solo home run to right-center. In the 6th, Pedro struck out Teixeria and A-Rod before Hideki Matsui lofted a home run into the short porch in right giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. By this point, A.J. Burnett had settled in and the Phillies' offense wasn't able to get anything going.

Entering the 7th, Pedro had allowed just four hits and struck out eight. He gave up a few singles to start the 7th, and his night was done. Chan Ho Park entered the game and promptly allowed an inherited runner to score, making it 3-1 Yankees. All in all, Pedro pitched a good ballgame but A.J. Burnett pitched better, and a sweep in New York was not to be. Although he allowed a few base runners, Mariano Rivera entered in the 8th for a 2-inning save and shut the door on the Phils.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for a Halloween night Game 3. Hakuna Matata.

2007 Phillies Team Issue #10 Karim Garcia

Who are you, Karim Garcia?

Go Pedro and Go Phils!