Thursday, April 24, 2014

2014 Chachi #8 Cody Asche

#25
Cody James Asche
Third Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  198
Born:  June 30, 1990, St. Charles, MO
Home:  O'Fallon, MO
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 4th round of the June 2011 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2013-
Acquired:  Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2011 Bowman Draft Prospects #BDPP2
#16 - 2014 Topps Phillies #PHI-10

First Chachi Card:  2013 Chachi #53

2014 Chachi #7 Carlos Ruiz


#51
Carlos Joaquin Ruiz
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  206
Born:  January 22, 1979, David Chiriqui, Panama
Home:  David Chiriqui, Panama
Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent, December 4, 1998
Teams:  Phillies 2006-
Acquired:  Via free agency

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2006 Topps 52 #139
#103 - 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen #204

First Chachi Card:  2006 Chachi #33


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

2014 Chachi #6 Domonic Brown

#9
Domonic Larun Brown
Left Field

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  230
Born:  September 3, 1987, Zephyrhills, FL
Home:  Clearwater, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 20th round of the June 2006 draft
Teams: Phillies 2010-
Acquired:  Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP199
#70 - 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen #11

First Chachi Card:  2010 Chachi #47

2014 Chachi #5 Marlon Byrd

#3
Marlon Jerrard Byrd
Center Field

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  245
Born:  August 30, 1977, Boynton Beach, FL
Home:  Calabasas, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the10th round of the June 1999 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2002-2005, Washington Nationals 2005-2006, Texas Rangers 2007-2009, Chicago Cubs 2010-2012, Boston Red Sox 2012, New York Mets 2013, Pittsburgh Pirates 2013
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 12, 2013

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2001 Bowman Draft Picks #BDP23
#118 - 2014 Topps Phillies #PHI-2

First Chachi Card:  2005 Chachi #27


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

2014 Chachi #4 Ryan Howard

#6
Ryan James Howard
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  250
Born:  November 19, 1979, St. Louis, MO
Home:  Tampa, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 5th round of the June 2001 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2004-
Acquired:  Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2001 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres #62
#454 - 2014 Topps Opening Day #203

First Chachi Card:  2005 Chachi #29

Wrapping Up Chachi Set Odds & Ends

2014 Chachi Transactions #17
2014 Chachi Transactions #19
2014 Chachi Transactions #20
2014 Chachi Transactions #22
I have a number of special Chachi insert cards that have been sitting in my draft folder for a few months as I've had no real good reason to post them.  I figured with the entire staff and management team of The Phillies Room away on spring break this week, this would be a good opportunity to feature all these cards together and wrap up a few loose ends.

First up is a quartet of players who joined the ranks of ex-Phillies this past offseason.  Zach Miner and Mauricio Robles were short-timers with the Phillies last season with Miner appearing in 16 games (three as a starter) and going 0-2 with a 4.40 ERA and Robles making it into just three games and pitching 4 2/3 innings.

Miner signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason, and unbeknownst to me Robles signed with the White Sox organization in November.  Had I known about the Robles signing, he would have been featured sooner in the Chachi Transaction insert set, but as it is he's most likely the last card in the set.

Joe Savery was the club's #1 pick back in 2007 and he first appeared with the Phillies in 2011.  In parts of three seasons, Savery went 3-2 in 41 games with a 4.15 ERA.  I first posted about Savery and his long and winding journey to the Majors in this post after he had made his Phillies debut.

Sadly, Phillies Room favorite Kevin Frandsen is now a member of the rival Nationals.  Presumably the odd man out this past spring, Frandsen landed himself a guaranteed contract with the Nationals, where he'll undoubtedly and repeatedly punish the Phillies throughout this season.

2014 Chachi Preview #3
2014 Chachi Almost #1
2014 Chachi #49
2014 Chachi Almost #3
Finally, here are four cards only a die-hard Phillies and virtual Phillies baseball card aficionado would enjoy.  (All seven or so of us.)  John McDonald probably doesn't need to have another virtual Phillies card, but I loved this photo of him in a throw-back uniform so I went ahead and gave him a card.  Michael Stutes was one of the team's best relievers in 2011, but injuries have hampered his career and he's currently out of baseball following his release a few weeks ago.

Kevin Munson was the team's offseason Rule V draft pick, and he made it part-way through the spring before being sent back to the Diamondbacks.  And veteran infielder Ronny Cedeno was attempting to latch on as bench player with the club, but (thankfully) the Phillies decided to stick with their younger guys and Cedeno was released.  He's since come back to the organization and is playing with the IronPigs.

UPDATE, 6/7/14 - In an unprecedented event, Cedeno will actually have a card in this year's regular Chachi base set.  Following Cedeno's departure at the end of spring training, he was quickly brought back into the fold by the organization and he had his contract selected from the IronPigs in early June.  I will update the official checklist to show this once "Almost" card as an actual "Chachi" card.

The first reader to comment on this lapse in The Phillies Room continuum will receive a coveted The Phillies Room No-Prize.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Phillies at Dodgers: April 21st to April 24th

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:10 
Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA

At the Ballpark:  There are a few great giveaways during this series.  On Tuesday night, all fans will receive a nice looking Dodgers fleece blanket.  On Thursday night, all fans will receive a Clayton Kershaw Cy Young Bobblehead.  This definitely beats the Rockies Dinger Bobblehead Bunny Gnome, or whatever it was.

Programming Note:  The Phillies Room staff and series preview production department is currently away on spring break.  As such, these crucial game preview posts are lacking any current won-loss records, pitching probables and Phillies team leaders.  We will return to business as usual next week.

1988 Topps #92 and #149
1988 Topps Appreciation:  Today's Appreciation features a former Phillie and a future Phillie.  Len Matuszek came up through the Phillies system and made his debut at the end of the strike-shortened 1981 season.   He played in parts of the 1982 and 1983 seasons, before being named the team's starting first baseman to start the 1984 season and given the unenviable task of trying to replace Pete Rose.  In 101 games that season, Matuszek hit .248 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.  Following the season, he was shipped to the Blue Jays for three prospects including Phillies Room favorite Dave Shipanoff.

Matuszek played just a season in Toronto before finding a home for 2 1/2 more seasons in L.A. with the Dodgers.  Along with his 1988 Score card, this card represents Matuszek's final tribute card following his final season in 1987.

I remember Ken Howell coming to the Phillies thinking he was the answer to all the team's problems.  He wasn't.  Howell spent the first five seasons of his career with the Dodgers before being swapped to the Orioles in December 1988 and then flipped to the Phillies four days later.  He arrived with Gordon Dillard from the O's in exchange for outfielder Phil Bradley.  Injuries seriously limited Howell's time with the Phillies, as he appeared in just 51 games for the team, going 20-19 with a 3.85 ERA.

Happy Birthday Ben!


They say that time flies when you're having fun, and that's definitely been the case over the past four years with our youngest son Ben.  The little dude turns four today, and I couldn't be prouder of how smart, kind and gentle he is.

Happy birthday Ben and we can't wait to celebrate your big day!

Memory Lane
2010 - Welcome Ben!
2010 - Ben is born, Roy Halladay wins, all is right with the world
2011 - Ben turns one as Roy Oswalt pitches the Phillies past the Padres
2012 - Happy 2nd Birthday Ben!
2013 - Happy 3rd Birthday Ben!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

2014 Chachi #3 Chase Utley

#26
Chase Cameron Utley
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  December 17, 1978, Pasadena, CA
Home:  San Francisco, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 1st round of the June 2000 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2003-
Acquired:  Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2001 Bowman Draft Picks #BDP69
#359 - 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen #255

First Chachi Card:  2005 Chachi #13


Happy Easter! - Doug's First Custom Cards



Best Easter present ever.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

2014 Chachi #2 Jimmy Rollins

#11
James Calvin Rollins
Shortstop

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  180
Born:  November 27, 1978, Oakland, CA
Home:  Alameda, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the June 1996 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2000-
Acquired:  Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 1998 Bowman Chrome #181
#407 - 2014 Topps Opening Day #157

First Chachi Card:  2005 Chachi #1

2014 Chachi #1 Ben Revere

#2
Ben Daniel Revere
Center Field

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  165
Born:  May 3, 1988, Atlanta, GA
Home:  Richmond, KY
Drafted:  Selected by the Minnesota Twins in in the 1st round of the June 2007 draft
Teams:  Minnesota Twins 2010-2012, Phillies 2013-
Acquired:  Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for Vance Worley and Trevor May, December 6, 2012

Phillies Cards in My Collection:  
#1 - 2013 Topps Heritage #177
#19 - 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen Autographs #GQA-BR

First Chachi Card:  2013 Chachi #1

Friday, April 18, 2014

Phillies at Rockies: April 18th to April 20th

Friday 8:40, Saturday 8:10 and Sunday 4:10 
Coors Field – Denver, CO 

At the Ballpark:  On Sunday afternoon, the first 15,000 fans will receive a Dinger Bunny Bobblehead Gnome.  For those of you confused by this, it's a bobble head of the Rockies' mascot (Dinger) outfitted as the Easter Bunny while posing as a lawn gnome.  There's a lot going on with this giveaway.

Programming Note:  The Phillies Room staff and series preview production department is currently away on spring break.  As such, these crucial game preview posts are lacking any current won-loss records, pitching probables and Phillies team leaders.  We will return to business as usual next week.

1988 Topps #154
1988 Topps Appreciation:  Whenever the Phillies play the Rockies, Marlins or Diamondbacks this year, I need to get creative if there's going to be any kind of 1988 Topps Appreciation.  I can report this is the furthest I've stretched to try to draw a connection between a Philllies-related 1988 Topps card and the team's series opponent.

Jeff Stone.  Get it?  Stone . . . rocks . . . Rockies?  This is the kind of thing that happens when you draft these posts right before vacation after a 70-hour work week.

2014 Phillies Team Issue #34 A.J. Burnett

Phillies 1, Braves 0
Game 15 - Thursday Afternoon, April 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 7-8, 4th Place, 3 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A.J. Burnett pitched a fantastic game, and Ben Revere provided the lone run the team needed to come away with a 1-0 victory over the Braves.

What It Means:  It means the Phillies avoided the sweep, and now they head out to the west coast for a ten-game swing against the Rockies, Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

What Happened:  Pitching with a hernia (how does one actually do anything with a hernia?), Burnett shut out the Braves for seven innings and only allowed three hits.  Antonio Bastardo and Jonathan Papelbon held off the Braves offense for the final two innings.  Revere singled home Domonic Brown in the eighth with the only run of the game.

Featured Card:  Burnett has cards so far this year in the Topps Heritage and Gypsy Queen sets, but he's featured with his former team, the Pirates.  This is his first and lone Phillies card to date, found within the team issued postcard set.  If he pitches another gem soon, I'll break down and feature one of his 2014 Pirates cards.