Spring Training Game 6 - Castillo, Allard Lead the Way to Shutout Over Jays

2023 Topps #251

Phillies 5, Blue Jays 0
Spring Training Game 6 - Thursday Afternoon, February 29th in Dunedin
Record - 3-1-2

One Sentence Summary:  Max Castillo, Kolby Allard and five other Phillies pitchers combined to shutout the Blue Jays, holding their offense to four hits.

What It Means:  Not a lot of the regulars were in the Blue Jays' line-up, but a spring training shutout is still fairly impressive.

What Happened:  Castillo got the start, pitching the first two innings, with Allard pitching the third and fourth innings.  The Phillies didn't have a lot of big hits, despite the five runs scored.  Trea Turner connected for an RBI single in the fifth and Cristian Pache hit a solo home run, his second of the spring, in the sixth.  The other Phillies runs scored on a bases loaded walk, a bases loaded hit by pitch and a force out.

Featured Card:  Over the years, I've tried not to repost cards previously posted, but Castillo has one mainstream baseball card to his name, and this 2023 Topps card is it.  Castillo has mostly relieved in his limited major league experience, but he's been primarily a starter over his seven-year minor league career.  He's yet another depth addition who will likely start the season with the IronPigs, but could see some big league action at some point.

Camp Head Count:  62

Spring Training Game 5 - Phils Fit to Be Tied Again

2023 Topps Allen & Ginter #158

Phillies 7, Braves 7
Spring Training Game 5 - Wednesday Afternoon, February 28th in Clearwater
Record - 2-1-2

One Sentence Summary:  For the second day in a row, the Phillies couldn't keep a three-run lead in the ninth inning, with their game again ending in a tie.

What It Means:  It's only game five?

What Happened:  J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm hit first inning home runs, giving the Phillies an early 3-0 lead.  Aramis Garcia had a nice day at the plate, with the catcher collecting two RBI-singles.  Tyler Phillips started for the Phillies and allowed a pair of runs in his two innings.  The core of the Phillies' bullpen - Seranthony Dominguez, Matt Strahm, Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman - combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings and five strikeouts.  It was Austin Brice this time who couldn't hold the lead.  With the Phillies leading 7-4, Brice allowed three ninth inning runs and the game ended in a tie.

Featured Card:  Bohm was making his spring debut following some neck stiffness, hitting a two-run home run in his first at-bat.  This is his card from last year's Allen & Ginter set, released in September.

Camp Head Count:  62

Spring Training Game 4 - Phils and Twins Finish in Tie

2023 Chachi #36

Phillies 3, Twins 3
Spring Training Game 4 - Tuesday Afternoon, February 27th in Fort Myers
Record - 2-1-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies played to a tie against the Twins in Fort Myers.

What It Means:  Admittedly every spring I tell myself I'm going to watch or listen to every spring Phillies game, and then usually by the third of fourth game I've stopped following along live and I'm ready for the regular season to start.  Such is the case again this year.

What Happened:  The Phillies scored their runs on an RBI double from Trea Turner in the third, and a two-run home run from David Dahl in the seventh.  Cristopher Sanchez got the start and looked good in his two innings, allowing a hit while striking out one.  In the bottom of the ninth, with the Phillies leading 3-0, pitching prospect Brett Schulze got two quick outs but then allowed five straight batters to reach.  The Twins would tie the game with Schulze charged with the blown save.

Featured Card:  It will be interesting to see where Sanchez fits in the Phillies' starting pitching rotation.  With Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker all but guaranteed spots, Sanchez could find himself once again as the team's fifth starter.  Or he could start the year in Triple-A as eventual rotation depth.  I only have four Sanchez cards in my Phillies collection, and as all have already appeared on my blog, I'll re-feature his 2023 Chachi card.

Camp Head Count:  62

Spring Training Game 3 - Phils Fall Late to Sox

2023 Topps #381

Red Sox 7, Phillies 6
Spring Training Game 3 - Monday Afternoon, February 26th in Fort Myers
Record - 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies collected three home runs, but a group of young arms allowed four unanswered, late runs to the Red Sox in this 7-6 loss.

What It Means:  It's still odd in the year 2024 there are Phillies spring training games that are neither televised or broadcast over the radio.  This was one of those games, and I attempted to follow along with MLB Gameday, but would have preferred having the game on in the background on TV.

What Happened:  Whit Merrifield, Darick Hall and Aramis Garcia all homered for the Phillies.  Dave Buchanan, making his return to the club, got the start and allowed a pair of runs on four hits and a walk over two innings.  All four eighth and ninth inning runs scored by the Red Sox were charged to Noah Skirrow.  Skirrow started the ninth with a walk and hit by pitch, and departed in favor of Andrew Schultz.  Schultz allowed back-to-back singles as the Red Sox tied the game, 6-6.  He then uncorked a wild pitch to allow the winning run to score.

Featured Card:  Merrifield gets the card here for his first home run in a Phillies uniform, and I hope I'm featuring more of his cards throughout the year.  He's appeared in every Topps flagship set since 2018, and this is his latest flagship appearance from last year's set.

Camp Head Count:  62

Spring Training Game 2 - Pache Delivers as Phils Shut Out Yankees

2023 Topps Update #US154

Phillies 4, Yankees 0
Spring Training Game 2 - Sunday Afternoon, February 25th in Clearwater
Record - 2-0

One Sentence Summary:  Solid pitching and a great start to the spring by Cristian Pache led to this 4-0 victory over the Yankees at the Phillies' spring home opener.

What It Means:  We had this game on in the background as we attended a gathering of family and friends to say goodbye to a dear member of our family who recently passed away.  It was a laid back and informal gathering, with plenty of Phillies talk and lots of laughs, which is exactly what he would have wanted.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola looked solid in his first spring outing, striking out three in two perfect innings.  Five Phillies relievers followed and held the Yankees hitless until Gregory Soto allowed a one out single in the top of the eighth.  Austin Brice looked fantastic as he closed out the game, striking out the side in the ninth.

Pache singled home the first run in the second inning and then hit a solo home run to left center field in the fourth inning.

Featured Card:  Pache scored his first mainstream Phillies baseball card in the 2023 Topps Update set.  He had previously appeared on a Topps Now card following his game-winning pinch-hit home run in a July 17th victory in Miami last season.

Camp Head Count:  62

Before the game, the Phillies announced the signing of Cam Gallagher (c) to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.  Gallagher was brought on border as Rafael Marchan (c) is dealing with a back injury.  With the new catcher's addition, the camp head count increased by one to 62.

Player (position) - 2023 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card

22.  Cam Gallagher (c) - Guardians - 2021 Topps Update #US27 (Royals)

Spring Training Game 1 - Baseball Returns; Phils Rake

2023 Choice Reading
Fightin Phils Update #5

Phillies 14, Blue Jays 13
Spring Training Game 1 - Saturday Afternoon, February 24th in Dunedin
Record - 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  In the first Phillies game of 2024, the offense pounded out 16 hits and enjoyed a 10-run fifth inning in this 14-13 win over the Blue Jays.

What It Means:  With the exception of maybe Johan Rojas, none of the regulars played in this game, but it was still nice to see several potential bench players look productive early.  Like last year, and pretty much every year before that, I spent the day wishing I was in Florida.

What Happened:  For the second spring in a row, Weston Wilson connected for the Phillies' first home run, hitting a two-run blast in the second inning.  Scott Kingery followed a few batters later with a solo home run of his own.  The Phillies piled it on on the fifth inning, with big hits coming from Wilson (two-run double), Rojas (two-run triple) and Matt Kroon (three-run home run).

Phillies pitching allowed the Blue Jays to keep the game interesting.  Kolby Allard got the start and he allowed three runs (two earned) in his two innings of work.  Nick Nelson was hit the hardest, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in two innings.

Featured Card:  Wilson was in line to get the featured card, but since he received the card in last year's first spring game, I went with Kroon instead.  Kroon has steadily climbed through the Phillies' minor league system since 2018, appearing in a bunch of minor league team sets.  This is the newest card of his in my collection, from the 2023 Reading Fightin Phils update set.

Camp Head Count:  61

As the Grapefruit League season begins, the Phillies have 61 players in major league camp - 40 on their 40-man roster and another 21 non-roster invitees.  This is down a few from the 65 players around for the start of spring training in 2023.

Phils Sign Merrifield / Games Start Tomorrow!

2023 Topps Update #US291

2023 Topps Heritage #524

2023 Topps Big League #136

2023 Topps Heritage #668

2017 Chachi Photo Night #14

The Phillies spent most of the offseason with little to no roster movement, but once camp started in Clearwater there was a sudden flurry of moves.  By my unofficial tally, 65 days passed between the Phillies re-signing Aaron Nola on November 19th and the signing of Kolby Allard on January 23rd.  As we look forward to the first Grapefruit League action tomorrow afternoon, here's a look at the latest comings and goings over the past week.

• On February 14th, the signing of Spencer Turnbull (rhp) was announced, and McKinley Moore (rhp) was designated for assignment.  Turnbull is 12-29 over parts of five seasons with the Tigers.  In 2023, he was 1-4 with a 7.26 ERA in seven starts and I'm assuming he'll provide some starting pitching depth at Triple-A.

• On February 16th, Moore and Diego Castillo (inf) were both claimed off waivers.  Moore went to the Yankees with Castillo going to the Orioles.  It's surprising to me Moore would be let go, given he had been identified as one of the organization's top pitching prospects.

• There were a flurry of moves on Monday, with the biggest being the signing of Whit Merrifield (inf) to a one-year deal to provide a solid infield or outfield bench option.  Merrifield has long been a Phillies Room favorite, as he's one of our son Doug's favorite non-Phillies players.  Like Merrifield, Doug prides himself in being able to play all over the diamond, wherever the team needs him to play.  And I'm excited to add some Merrifield baseball cards to my 2024 Phillies binder

• To make room for Merrifield, Kaleb Ort was designated for assignment and later traded to the Orioles for cash considerations.  Ort had been on the 40-man roster for six days.

• Finally, three more non-roster invitees were added, bringing the total spring head count to 61.  Austin Brice (rhp) last pitched in the majors in 2022 with the Pirates, and he's a veteran of seven big league seasons having spent time with the Marlins, Reds, Marlins again, Red Sox and Pirates.  David Dahl (of) was an All-Star with the Rockies in 2019, and he's spent most of the past two seasons bouncing around the minor league systems of the Brewers, Nationals, Dodgers and Padres.  And Ricardo Pinto (rhp) returns to the Phillies, having last pitched in 25 games for the team in 2017.  He's been all over the place since then, having last pitched in the Mexican League in 2023.

Player (position) - 2023 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card

19.  Austin Brice (rhp) - Diamondbacks/Twins - 2023 Topps Pro Debut #PD-86

20.  David Dahl (of) - Padres/Dodgers - 2019 Topps Total (White Sox)

21.  Ricardo Pinto (rhp) - Mexico - 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-GM

Pitchers and Catchers Report!

2014 Topps Update #US-281

We made it!  On Wednesday, there will be activity in Clearwater as it's the first official reporting day for the team's pitchers and catchers.  The day prior, the Phillies continued to tinker with their roster, making a few roster moves.

Kaleb Ort (rhp) was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins, and Diego Castillo (inf) was designated for assignment.  Castillo had been on the 40-man roster for eight days.  Ort has appeared in 47 games with the Red Sox over the past three seasons.  In 2023, he appeared in 21 games overall, making two starts, and was 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings pitched.  Ort has appeared in several minor league team sets, but has yet to receive a mainstream baseball card.

Andrew Bellatti (rhp) and Simon Muzziotti (of) both cleared waivers and were outrighted to the IronPigs.  They'll join the ranks of non-roster invitees, updated below.

And finally, David Buchanan (rhp) was signed to a minor league contract (!) and invited to spring training.  Buchanan, now 34, last pitched for the Phillies in 2015, and he's been active in Japan and Korea ever since.  In 30 starts last season with the Samsung Lions, Buchanan was 12-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 188 innings pitched.  It's an intriguing signing, and there's a good chance Buchanan makes a return with the Phillies at some point during the 2024 season.

Camp Head Count:  58

Player (position) - 2023 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card

1.  Mick Abel (rhp) - Phillies - 2023 Topps Pro Debut #PD-86

2.  Ryan Burr (rhp) - Rays - 2019 Topps Total (White Sox)

3.  Griff McGarry (rhp) - Phillies - 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-GM

4.  Tyler McKay (rhp) - Phillies - N/A

5.  Tyler Phillips (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-TP

6.  Jose Ruiz (rhp) - White Sox / Diamondbacks - 2020 Topps Total #720 (White Sox)

7.  Nick Snyder (rhp) - Rangers - N/A

8.  Aramis Garcia (c) - Phillies - 2020 Topps Total #477 (Giants)

9.  Cody Roberts (c) - Phillies - N/A

10.  William Simoneit (c) - Athletics - N/A

11.  Scott Kingery (inf) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Opening Day Luck of the Irish #LI-3

12.  Nick Podkul (inf) - Phillies - N/A

13.  Carlos De La Cruz (of) - Phillies - 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-CDC

14.  Matt Kroon (of) - Phillies - N/A

15.  Cal Stevenson (of) - Athletics / Giants / Phillies - 2023 Topps Heritage #508

16.  Andrew Bellatti (rhp) - Phillies - 2023 Topps Heritage #568

17.  Simon Muzziotti (of) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Update #US19

18.  David Buchanan (rhp) - Samsung Lions (KBO) - 2015 Topps #218

Phils Add Pair of Castillos, Rucker; Getting Closer to Pitchers and Catchers

2023 Topps #430

2023 Topps Heritage #568

2023 Topps #251

2022 Topps Update #US19

We've started to play a little long toss at The Phillies Room, in anticipation of the imminent return to (mostly) daily posting.  As we start to get loose, hopefully we won't tweak anything, avoiding the fate of Brandon Marsh who felt something wrong with his knee and underwent surgery on Friday.  The Phillies are hoping Marsh is fine and active in time for opening day.

The Quietest Offseason continued with three more roster additions.  With the 40-man roster now at a full 40 and 15 official non-roster invitees coming to camp, there will be 55 players suiting up in Clearwater soon.  Pitchers and catcher report on Wednesday, with the first full squad work out scheduled for Monday, February 19th.  The first Grapefruit League game is less than a week after that on Saturday, February 24th against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

Here's a quick look at the three roster moves made this past week:

• On Monday, Diego Castillo (inf) was claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees.  Castillo played in 96 games for the Pirates in 2022, batting .206, and appeared in just one game for the Diamondbacks in 2023.  He played five positions in the field for the Pirates (ss, 2b, rf, 1b, 3b) while also pitching in two games and DH'ing in two games.  That's him as #64 on the Pirates team card from the 2023 Topps set. 

•  On Tuesday, Michael Rucker (rhp) was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.  Andrew Bellati (rhp), who was out of options, was designated for assignment to make room for Rucker on the 40-man roster.  In 96 games with the Cubs over the past three seasons, all in relief, Rucker is 5-2 with a 4.96 ERA over 123 1/3 innings pitched.  As is the fate of many relievers these days, Rucker has yet to appear on any mainstream baseball cards. 

•  A day later, Max Castillo (rhp) was claimed off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, with Simon Muzziotti (of) designated for assignment.  In 21 games with the Blue Jays and Royals in 2022 and 2023, Castillo was 0-3 with a 5.43 ERA in 59 2/3 innings pitched.  Although he's appeared in less games than Rucker, Castillo made it into the 2023 Topps set last year.

Hoskins Joins Brewers; Phils Sign Lefty Allard

2023 Topps Heritage
Now & Then #NT-6

On Friday, the Rhys Hoskins era in Philadelphia (at least the first one) officially ended when the popular first baseman signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.  I've been hoping since the end of the season the Phillies would find some way to bring Hoskins back into the fold, but with Bryce Harper now the team's everyday first baseman heading into the 2024 season, Hoskins return became even more unlikely.  The Brewers visit Citizens Bank Park June 3rd, 4th and 5th this season, and we'll likely be attendance for at least one of those games, as Hoskins is sure to get a warm reception.

Hoskins' baseball cards first entered my collection in 2014, and he was all over the 2018 baseball card releases following his thrilling debut in 2017.  He might find his way into a few 2024 baseball card sets as a member of the Phillies, but for now, my Hoskins collection stands at 259 different cards.  This is one of the newest cards of his I've added, from the 2023 Topps Heritage High Numbers release, featuring Hoskins mid-slam following his three-run home run against the Braves in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS.

I'm hoping Hoskins comes back to the Phillies at some point, in any capacity.  He's been a fixture of the team for the past six years and was one of the first pieces in place that resulted in the Phillies returning to the World Series in 2022.  Coincidentally, Milwaukee is home to one of the 11 major league ballparks I have yet to visit, and perhaps we'll need to schedule a trip either this year or next.

Thanks for everything, Rhys, and The Phillies Room will be rooting for you!

* * *

2023 Topps Update #US209

This is been the quietest offseason I can remember in my 40+ years of being a Phillies fan.  Manager Rob Thomson was extended through the 2025 season, free agent Aaron Nola was brought back on a seven-year deal . . . and that was kind of it.  Last Tuesday, January 23rd, the Phillies signed free agent Kolby Allard (lhp) and now Allard and Michael Mercado (rhp) are the only two new additions to the Phillies 40-man roster so far this off-season.  

Allard has pitched in parts of six big league seasons with the Braves and Rangers, appearing in four games last year with the Braves in late June and early July.  He's 9-24 lifetime with a 6.10 ERA in 69 games pitched, included 38 starts.  Allard's newest mainstream baseball card can be found in the 2023 Topps Update set.

Spring Training 2024: Phillies Announce 15 Non-Roster Invitees

2023 Topps Pro Debut #PD-86

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #17

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #11

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13

2023 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #12

In a sure sign we're getting closer to baseball again, the Phillies today announced their first 15 non-roster invitees to spring training, which will officially open next month in Clearwater, Florida.  I say "first" as the team has typically added on invitees as the reporting date approaches.  The list below summarizes the Phillies players who will likely be sporting numbers in the 70s and 80s and takes a look at their most recently released mainstream baseball cards, if any.  Only four of the players below are new to the Phillies organization for 2024.

Player (position) - 2023 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card

1.  Mick Abel (rhp) - Phillies - 2023 Topps Pro Debut #PD-86

2.  Ryan Burr (rhp) - Rays - 2019 Topps Total (White Sox)

3.  Griff McGarry (rhp) - Phillies - 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-GM

4.  Tyler McKay (rhp) - Phillies - N/A

5.  Tyler Phillips (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-TP

6.  Jose Ruiz (rhp) - White Sox / Diamondbacks - 2020 Topps Total #720 (White Sox)

7.  Nick Snyder (rhp) - Rangers - N/A

8.  Aramis Garcia (c) - Phillies - 2020 Topps Total #477 (Giants)

9.  Cody Roberts (c) - Phillies - N/A

10.  William Simoneit (c) - Athletics - N/A

11.  Scott Kingery (inf) - Phillies - 2022 Topps Opening Day Luck of the Irish #LI-3

12.  Nick Podkul (inf) - Phillies - N/A

13.  Carlos De La Cruz (of) - Phillies - 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #CPA-CDC

14.  Matt Kroon (of) - Phillies - N/A

15.  Cal Stevenson (of) - Athletics / Giants / Phillies - 2023 Topps Heritage #508

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20

2023 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #4

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #24

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #28

2023 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #29

1999 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The fronts of the photo cards once again feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in white letters against a blue band.  Scott Rolen's card celebrates his 1998 Gold Glove win with a picture of a Gold Glove on the front of his card.  The card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  For the fifth year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards): 

1. Bobby Abreu (#53 - OF) 2. Marlon Anderson (#16 - 2B) 3. Alex Arias (#26 - INF) 4. Gary Bennett (#14 - C) 5. Jeff Brantley (#45 - RHP) 6. Billy Brewer (#49 - LHP) 7. Rico Brogna (#2 - 1B) 8. Paul Byrd (#34 - RHP) 9. Galen Cisco (#43 - Pitching Instructor)      10. Chuck Cottier (#3 - Bench Coach) 11. Dave Doster (#15 - INF) 12. Rob Ducey (#25 - OF)

13. Terry Francona (#7 - MG) 14. Ron Gant (#5 - OF) 15. Doug Glanville (#6 - OF) 16. Wayne Gomes (#61 - RHP) 17. Mike Grace (#44 - RHP) 18. Ramon Henderson (#59 - Bullpen Coach)      19. Kevin Jordan (#23 - INF) 20. Mike Lieberthal (#24 - C) 21. Carlton Loewer (#46 - RHP) 22. Hal McRae (#56 - Hitting Instructor) 23. Brad Mills (#9 - First Base Coach) 24. Steve Montgomery (#57 - RHP)

25. Chad Ogea (#33 - RHP) 26. Yorkis Perez (#48 - LHP) 27. Jim Poole (#41 - LHP) 28. Tom Prince (#12 - C) 29. Desi Relaford (#8 - SS) 30. Scott Rolen (#17 - 3B) 31. Ken Ryan (#51 - RHP) 32. Curt Schilling (#38 - RHP) 33. Kevin Sefcik (#11 - OF) 34. Paul Spoljaric (#50 - LHP) 35. John Vukovich (#18 - Third Base Coach)      36. Phillie Phanatic

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (2):  Poole, Spoljaric

First Appearance in Phillies Photo Card Set (13):  Anderson, Bennett, Brantley, Byrd, Doster, Ducey, Gant, Loewer, Montgomery, Ogea, Perez, Prince, Ryan
Returning Players in Phillies Photo Card Set (13):  Abreu, Arias, Brewer, Brogna, Glanville, Gomes, Grace, Jordan, Lieberthal, Relaford, Rolen, Schilling, Sefcik

I'm not counting Yorkis Perez's fairly rare photo card issued at the 1998 ALS Autograph and Auction Party as his first appearance.

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, Henderson, McRae, Mills, Vukovich

Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic gets a close up on his 1999 card.

Broadcasters (0):  N/A

Set Composition:  The entire 25-man opening day roster makes it into the set, along with catcher Tom Prince who began the year on the disabled list.  Relievers Billy Brewer and Steve Montgomery also receive cards, although they began the season in Triple-A.

Omissions:  It's fairly easy to piece together an imaginary update set checklist, as the injury prone 1999 Phillies team made fairly frequent roster moves and acquisitions throughout the season.  Seven additional players suited up for the Phillies prior to the All-Star break, and an update set released in early July could have consisted of Joel Bennett, Joe Grahe, Robert Person, Cliff Politte, Steve Schrenk, Amaury Telemaco and Randy Wolf.  On the day of the ALS Autograph Party and Auction, June 21st, Person, Telemaco and Wolf were all on the active roster.

Variations/Rarities:  Fellow collector Rick confirmed there are no rarities to be found with this set's design, although in a comment to the original post for this set he mentioned there are a few variations available with facsimile autographs.

Also See:  The Phillies produced three Stadium League sets, and these have proved to be somewhat difficult for me to track down.

• Stadium League SGA - This is a standard-sized, 9-card set with gray borders, given away on Fan Appreciation Day, October 3rd.  The backs of the cards contain individual player highlights from the 1999 season.
• Stadium League Phillies Finest - This is a standard-sized, 9-card set with no borders and Phillies Finest written on the back.  The 14,000 Phillies database entry for the set states the cards were given away as prizes to kids playing a card flipping game in the Fun Zone at Veterans Stadium.
• Stadium League Phillies Finest (5 x 7) - This is a larger version of the 9-card Fun Zone giveaway set, and the origin of these cards is (so far) unknown.

This set was originally featured in a post back in November 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

1998 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 2000 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

Annual Christmas Haul: Santa Mom Writes Book, Delivers Baseball Cards

The author with her book and grandkids

It's become a tradition to gather at my Mom's house on the day after Christmas to exchange gifts with her and my sister's family.  There are way too many gifts exchanged, way too much food eaten, and it's one of the best days of my year.  

Before we get to that though, on Christmas day I unwrapped three cards from my wife Jenna and our sons with a common theme.  They were kind enough to get me the three #1 cards from my next three set builds, 1959 Topps, 1955 Bowman and 1966 Topps, which given I now have a sizable stack from each set, I guess I can say I'm now officially collecting.  

As we approach the end of 2023, I'm 18 cards away from a 1934-36 Diamond Stars set, with that set build likely slowing down in 2024 given the scarcity and price tags of the remaining cards needed.  We're almost two-thirds of the way through the 1969 Topps set, and if I compose five posts a week on the cards we've added, my 1969 Topps blog should be caught up by this time next year.  It's feasible that set is completed by 2025.

My Mom kicked off my collection of the 1955 Bowman set last Christmas, and I've since added a few more cards throughout 2023.  A family friend gifted me his 1959 Topps doubles in February, and I'll be tackling that set once the 1969 Topps set is wrapped up.  And then there's the 1966 Topps set, which I started collecting in the late 1980s given I had the "big" card from the set already in my collection - card #50, Mickey Mantle.  Adding these three #1s was a great way to admit I'm now once again a full-fledged complete set collector, having spent the better part of the last two decades exclusively collecting Phillies baseball cards.

Three #1s

My family also gave me a 2023 Topps factory set, continuing that tradition, and I'm now the proud owner of every Topps flagship set from 1956, 1965 and 1970 through 2023.  The 2023 Topps cards have already been sorted.

My Mom's big surprise for us on the 26th was the announcement she had written a book.  It's wonderful.  It's a collection of stories from her childhood through today, with brief histories of her family and poignant remembrances I'm grateful will now be passed down to our grandkids.  I'm about half-way through reading it as I write this, and I'm taking my time, making sure to take it all in.  She told us writing the book was fun and therapeutic, which I can completely understand given I've authored posts for this blog with only brief interuptions over the past almost 15 years.  Honestly, all the other gifts opened yesterday were very much overshadowed by my Mom's book, and at first I missed the fact I hadn't opened two boxes in my pile about an hour into the exchange.  Since I hadn't yet opened any baseball cards, I had a fairly good idea what was in them, or at least what was in one of them.

Mom has always come through with items from my want lists, and she decided this year to tackle my few remaining Phillies Media Guide needs.  I had never even seen the Phillies Media Guides from the 1960s, and now I'm just one away (1967) from having a full run between 1965 and 2023.  The next box I opened contained 10 individually wrapped baseball card-sized packages, and as I started opening them I noticed they were the first cards from the 1955 Bowman checklist.  Ironically enough, I went from having no Hoyt Wilhelm cards from the 1955 Bowman set to having two over a two day period, and one of them will be offered up for trade soon.  (If you're reading this, and looking to obtain a 1955 Wilhelm card for something of equal value, please leave a comment or send me a message.)

It was another wonderful Christmas, and I'm reminded again how lucky I am.  I hope you and your family had a fantastic holiday season, and here's to a happy, healthy and safe 2024.

1998 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The fronts feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in large capital letters framing one of the corners of the card.  Scott Rolen's card features a badge on the front celebrating his 1997 National League Rookie of the Year win, while Curt Schilling's card celebrates his league leading 319 strikeouts in 1997.  The card backs feature biographical information with the Phillies wordmark logo in the background.  There are some strangely cropped photos in the set - see the cards for Billy Brewer and Bobby Abreu as examples.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  For the fourth year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards): 

1. Bobby Abreu (#53 - OF) 2. Ruben Amaro (#33 - OF) 3. Alex Arias (#26 - INF) 4. Matt Beech (#55 - LHP) 5. Ricky Bottalico (#52 - RHP) 6. Billy Brewer (#49 - LHP) 7. Rico Brogna (#2 - 1B) 8. Galen Cisco (#42 - Pitching Instructor) 9. Chuck Cottier (#3 - Bench Coach) 10. Bobby Estalella (#27 - C) 11. Terry Francona (#7 - MG) 12. Doug Glanville (#6 - OF)

13. Wayne Gomes (#61 - RHP) 14. Mike Grace (#44 - RHP) 15. Tyler Green (#28 - RHP) 16. Ramon Henderson (#59 - Bullpen Coach) 17. Rex Hudler (#14 - INF) 18. Gregg Jefferies (#25 - LF) 19. Kevin Jordan (#23 - INF) 20. Mark Leiter (#31 - RHP) 21. Mark Lewis (#5 - INF) 22. Mike Lieberthal (#24 - C) 23. Billy McMillon (#41 - OF) 24. Hal McRae (#56 - Hitting Instructor)

25. Brad Mills (#9 - First Base Coach) 26. Mark Parent (#8 - C) 27. Mark Portugal (#21 - RHP) 28. Desi Relaford (#30 - INF) 29. Scott Rolen (#17 - 3B) 30. Curt Schilling (#38 - RHP) 31. Kevin Sefcik (#11 - INF) 32. Jerry Spradlin (#48 - RHP) 33. Garrett Stephenson (#54 - RHP) 34. John Vukovich (#18 - Third Base Coach) 35. Darrin Winston (#58 - LHP) 36. Phillie Phanatic

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (0):  But see below under Variations/Rarities . . .

First Appearance in Phillies Photo Card Set (12):  Abreu, Arias, Beech, Brewer, Estalella, Glanville, Gomes, Lewis, McMillon, Relaford, Stephenson, Winston
Returning Players in Phillies Photo Card Set (16):  Amaro, Bottalico, Brogna, Grace, Green, Hudler, Jefferies, Jordan, Leiter, Lieberthal, Parent, Portugal, Rolen, Schilling, Sefcik, Spradlin

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, Henderson, McRae, Mills, Vukovich

Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is once again pictured atop his ATV.

Broadcasters (0):  N/A

Set Composition:  The entire 25-man opening day roster is represented in the set with the exception of reliever Matt Whiteside, who signed with the Phillies on March 27th, a few days prior to opening day.  Wayne Gomes, Matt Beech and Bobby Estalella would start the season in the minors, but they're in the set too.  Billy McMillon, who spent the entire 1998 season in Triple-A was the only miss for the Phillies on the checklist and the only player in the set not to suit up at some point during the 1998 season for them.

Omissions:  A card for Whiteside would have been nice, as he would never appear with the Phillies on a baseball card.  (His Chachi Missing Links card will have to suffice.)  Other players who spent significant time with the team that could have found their way into an update set include pitchers Yorkis Perez,  Carlton Loewer, Ken Ryan and Mike Welch along with Paul Byrd, who joined the Phillies on August 14th.  Cards for rookies Jon Zuber, Gary Bennett and Marlon Anderson would have welcome additions to an update set too.

Variations/Rarities:  This is the set that first tipped me off that variations and rarities existed for these team-issued photo card sets.  For years, I was comfortable in the knowledge that once I purchased the complete set from the Vet, I was done for the year.  As Steve F. pointed out back in the 1998 Phillies - The Missing Links post in March 2012, Zuber had a card produced in the same style as the rest of the 1998 team issued set, most likely to allow him to respond to autograph requests and making it his sole Phillies baseball card.  Fellow collector Rick noted in a comment to the original post for this set that cards were issued for Perez and Welch to sign at the annual ALS Autograph and Auction Party, held on June 29th.

Toby Borland and Loewer were on the active roster on June 29th, but cards weren't produced for them for the ALS event.  Oddly enough, Welch was not active on June 29th, and the Phillies wouldn't add him to their roster until July 10th, the first game following the All-Star break.

There's also a Dickie Noles card available with a 1998 copyright on the back and sponsored by Independence Blue Cross/Pennsylvania Blue Shield.

ALS Autograph/Auction Party        1. Yorkis Perez (#45 - LHP) 2. Mike Welch (#47 - RHP) 3. Jon Zuber (#40 - 1B/OF)

Independence Blue Cross/Blue Shield 1. Dickie Noles (#34 - RHP)

Also See:  1998 Topps Phillies

Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collectors Steve F. and Rick (@rickphils)

This set was originally featured in a post back in November 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

1997 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 1999 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

1997 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  36
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The fronts feature full color photos with the player's, coach's or manager's name in grey letters against a red stripe background.  The Interleague Play Inaugural Year logo is also featured on the fronts of the cards.  The card backs feature biographical information along with complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The 36-card set was available for sale at Veterans Stadium throughout the season.  The 2001 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards notes that the set was sold for $10.  For the third year in a row, there was no update set issued.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards): 

1. Ruben Amaro (#37 - OF) 2. Ron Blazier (#22 - RHP) 3. Ricky Bottalico (#52 - RHP) 4. Rico Brogna (#2 - 1B) 5. Galen Cisco (#42 - Pitching Instructor)         6. Chuck Cottier (#3 - Bench Coach) 7. Darren Daulton (#10 - 1B/OF) 8. Terry Francona (#7 - MG) 9. Reggie Harris (#40 - RHP) 10. Rex Hudler (#14 - INF) 11. Gregg Jefferies (#25 - LF) 12. Kevin Jordan (#23 - INF)

13. Mark Leiter (#31 - RHP) 14. Mike Lieberthal (#24 - C) 15. Calvin Maduro (#50 - RHP) 16. Wendell Magee, Jr. (#29 - OF) 17. Derrick May (#34 - OF) 18. Hal McRae (#56 - Hitting Instructor)         19. Brad Mills (#9 - First Base Coach) 20. Michael Mimbs (#47 - LHP) 21. Mickey Morandini (#12 - 2B) 22. Bobby Munoz (#35 - RHP) 23. Mark Parent (#8 - C) 24. Erik Plantenberg (#41 - LHP)

25. Mark Portugal (#21 - RHP) 26. Joe Rigoli (#59 - Bullpen Coach) 27. Scott Rolen (#17 - 3B) 28. Scott Ruffcorn (#33 - RHP) 29. Ken Ryan (#51 - RHP) 30. Curt Schilling (#38 - RHP) 31. Kevin Sefcik (#31 - INF) 32. Jerry Spradlin (#48 - RHP) 33. Kevin Stocker (#19 - SS) 34. Danny Tartabull (#45 - OF) 35. John Vukovich (#18 - Third Base Coach)         36. Phillie Phanatic

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (2):  Harris, Plantenberg

First Appearances (14):  Blazier, Brogna, Hudler, Leiter, Maduro, Magee Jr., May, Parent, Portugal, Rolen, Ruffcorn, Sefcik, Spradlin, Tartabull
Returning Players (12):  Amaro, Bottalico, Daulton, Jefferies, Jordan, Lieberthal, Mimbs, Morandini, Munoz, Ryan, Schilling, Stocker

Kevin Sefcik's card shows his uniform number as #31, even though Sefcik had switched to #11 at the start of spring training to accommodate veteran addition Mark Leiter who took over #31.  

Manager (1):  Francona
Coaches (6):  Cisco, Cottier, McRae, Mills, Rigoli, Vukovich

Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is once again pictured riding his ATV.

Broadcasters (0):  N/A

Set Composition:  Change was in the air in 1997, as less than half of the players or coaches featured in this set had appeared in previous team-issued photo card sets.  Relievers Reggie Harris and Erik Plantenberg make their first and last appearances on Phillies baseball cards.  The entire 25-man opening day roster is included in the set, along with Kevin Jordan, who opened the season in the minors, and pitchers Mark Portugal and Ken Ryan, who started the season on the disabled list.  Four additional players began the year on the DL and did not receive cards in the set - pitchers Edgar Ramos, Tyler Green and Mike Grace and long-time center fielder Lenny Dykstra.

Omissions:  Any one not on the opening day roster missed getting a photo card, save for two players who were active at the time of the annual ALS Autograph and Auction Party, held on June 19th - see below.  If the Phillies wanted to issue an update set following the All-Star Break, the set could have included Billy Brewer, Rob Butler, Midre Cummings, Bobby Estalella, Wayne Gomes, Ryan Nye, Ricky Otero and Garrett Stephenson.

Variations/Rarities:  As fellow collector Rick commented on the original post back in November 2014, the Phillies created cards for two additional players for the ALS Autograph and Auction Party - Beech and Gomes.  Also active on June 19th, and not getting cards for the event, were Butler, Nye and Otero.

ALS Autograph and Auction Party 1. Matt Beech (#55 - LHP) 2. Wayne Gomes (#58 - RHP)

Resources:  Beckett.com; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

This set was originally featured in a post back in November 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

1996 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 1998 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page