Pirates at Phillies: May 17th through May 18th

Monday & Tuesday 7:05

Records: Pirates 16-21, 3rd Place in NL Central (5 games behind the Reds); Phillies 23-13, 1st Place in NL East (4 games ahead of the Marlins and Nationals)

Former Pirates with the Phillies: Why does it seem as if these things always start off with Nelson Figueroa? Figueroa pitched in parts of two seasons with the Pirates in 2003 and 2004. Bench coach Pete Mackanin served in that same role with the Pirates from 2003 until 2005. He was named the team's interim manager on September 6, 2005, replacing the fired Lloyd McClendon. Mackanin guided the team to a 12-14 record to finish the 2005 season, and he was not asked back in 2006. (Jim Tracy took over as Pirates' manager in 2006.)

1981 Topps #695 Kent Tekulve

Do you have a player on an opposing team who is one of your absolute favorite players? Are you a die-hard fan of Team A, but you just love rooting for a guy on Team B? Such was the case with my fandom of one Kenton Charles Tekulve back in the early '80s. The guy's baseball cards just looked so cool, and I loved seeing highlights of him pitching on This Week in Baseball. I made it a point to collect his cards when I was growing up, although I'd keep his cards far from my Phillies binder. His 5 x 7 Topps Super card from 1981 hung on my bulletin board, sharing space with Mike Schmidt, Tug McGraw and Bob Boone. So imagine how thrilled I was when the Phillies actually acquired Teke in a trade with the Pirates back in April 1985. Teke pitched with the Phils from 1985 until the team released him following the 1988 season. After his playing days, Teke came back briefly as a color commentator on the Phillies' cable broadcasts.

Pirates Probables: Charlie Morton, Zach Duke

Phillies Probables: Kyle Kendrick, Roy Halladay

2010 Topps National Chicle #92 Cole Hamels

Phillies 4, Brewers 2

Game 36 - Sunday Night, May 16th in Milwaukee

Am I the only one slightly annoyed whenever my team is chosen to play in the Sunday night ESPN game? I like Sunday afternoon baseball. I like listening to the game on the radio as I mow the lawn or lounging in front the TV possibly missing the middle innings as I drift off to sleep. I'm getting old, aren't I?

In any event, the Phillies completed their 3-game sweep of the Brewers, behind the pitching of Cole Hamels, 4-2. Hamels was a strike away from completing six scoreless innings before allowing back-to-back solo home runs to Casey McGehee and Corey Hart. It wasn't pretty, but Cole somehow pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 1st and cobbled together outs until getting pulled in the 7th.

Placido Polanco and Hamels contributed RBI doubles in the first two innings to give the Phils an early 2-0 lead. Jayson Werth, who had doubled to reach, was then doubled home by Wilson Valdez in the 3rd for a 3-0 lead. Finally, Shane Victorino scored the Phils' 4th run of the night on an 8th inning wild pitch. Valdez also contributed some fine defensive work at short in the 8th and 9th innings.

Closer du jour J.C. Romero shut down the Brewers in the 9th for his 1st save, securing Hamels' 4th win of the season.

1982 Topps Phillies - Ultimate Edition

1982 Topps #PR1 Porfi Altamirano & #PR10 Dave Roberts

Pre-blog, a few years ago, I started putting together my "ultimate" Phillies team sets for each year between 1980 and 1989. The sets consisted of the base Topps cards for each player appearing with the Phillies in a given year, plus cards that never were for the folks who played with the Phils but didn't make it into either the Topps base or traded sets. I've previously featured cards from this series for Ryne Sandberg, Julio Franco and Larry Andersen, just to name a few.

One of the relatively newer blogs I've enjoyed following is the Ultimate Baseball Card Set blog, which I've previously touted. Kevin's recent post on the ultimate 1982 Phillies team set led me to dig out these 1982 Topps cards that never were. By my earlier count, and as confirmed by Kevin, there were 12 players to play with the 1982 Phillies and not appear within the Topps base or traded sets that year - including Stan Bahnsen and Dave Roberts, who both appear with other teams within the base set.

Here are the 1982 Topps cards that never were for Porfi Altamirano and Dave Roberts. Both appeared in quite a few games with the '82 club (29 for Porfi, 28 for Roberts) so it's only fitting they finally receive their 1982 Topps baseball cards, as Phillies.

Scrapbook Sunday: May 15-18, 1985

1985 Topps #763 Kiko Garcia

25 years ago this week, the Kiko Garcia era for the Philadelphia Phillies came to an unceremonious end. Kiko had signed with the Phillies in March 1983, after spending the prior two years with the Astros. The 1983 season would be the most successful of his 10-year big league career, as he hit .288 for the NL Champs, appearing in just over half the team's games as a utility infielder. Joe Morgan, the regular second baseman for the Wheeze Kids, got plenty of days off throughout the season, and Kiko filled in nicely.

His playing time decreased in 1984 and in 1985 he appeared in just 4 games before being released by the Phillies on May 17th. He'd never make it back to the Majors, but Kiko was still bouncing around the independent leagues as late as the 1997 season, when he was 43 years old.

Walker, Mystery Phillie: My note on the bottom left indicates another mystery Phillie appearing in a box score. On May 10th, a "Walker" pitched a third of an inning for the Phils according to the box score I clipped from the Atlantic City Press. Unbeknownst to me until many, many years later, "Walker" was actually Phillies reliever Dave Rucker. The Atlantic City Press box score editor had failed me again.

2010 Bowman #117 Shane Victorino

Phillies 10, Brewers 6

Game 35 - Saturday Afternoon, May 15th in Milwaukee

The Phils unloaded with 17 hits against the Brewers this afternoon, winning easily, 10-6. Shane Victorino was the offensive star, going 3 for 6 with 4 RBIs and falling a triple short of the cycle. His 2-run home run in the 6th gave the team a 4-1 lead at the time, and they tacked on 5 more runs in the 7th. Victorino wasn't alone in providing the offense - Placido Polanco had 4 hits, Chase Utley added 2 doubles and knocked in a pair, and Paul Hoover went 3 for 5 while scoring 3 times and driving in 2 runs.

Joe Blanton scattered 6 hits and 5 runs over his 7 innings of work, earning his first victory of '10. With Brad Lidge joining Ryan Madson on the DL today, Jose Contreras officially assumed the closer's role. He put out the mini-fire started by David Herndon in the 9th to earn his first big league save. The Phils go for the 3-game sweep of the Brewers tomorrow night on ESPN.

He Was Robbed: In the 2nd inning, Utley hit a ball to deep right which hit the wall first, right fielder Corey Hart's foot second and bounced over the wall third. The umpires ruled it a ground rule double. However, as the ball never hit the ground, it should have been ruled a home run.

Pat the Ex-Ray: Pat Burrell was designated for assignment by the Rays this afternoon, leaving his future in baseball in jeopardy. Pat's numbers have been absolutely horrendous since signing with the Rays before the 2009 season. There's no chance he ends up back with the Phils, but hopefully he'll latch on with an American League team in need of a DH.

Topps New Baseball Card Blogger Idea Staff - 1st Submission

Having been recently appointed by Night Owl to Topps' new Baseball Card Blogger Idea Staff (or BBCBIS), this is my first suggestion for a new project for the good people over at Topps. (I'm not sure how often we'll meet, or how we'll all get paid, but I'm looking forward to this new and exciting opportunity.)

There are currently 289 members of Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and their ranks will add 3 more members this summer. Each of the members, in order of their induction, make up the first 292 cards in the new 2011 Topps Hall of Fame set, releasing in early 2011. Here's the kicker - each Hall of Famer is pictured on the Topps design from the year of their induction. For those members enshrined prior to 1951, Topps can chose to use an existing Bowman, National Chicle or other vintage design, or they can allow the esteemed artists serving on the BBCBIS to design Topps Cards That Never Were for those years.

The beauty of this set is there are no short-prints. Collectors will be able to buy packs, open packs, find cards they need for their sets and complete those sets. They'll also learn a little about the likes of Rabbit Maranville or King Kelly or Mule Suttles. To make the number of cards in the set a nice, round number, we'll allow Topps to fill out the set with educational baseball history cards, or maybe all-time record holder cards. I'm thinking a set with anywhere from 330 to 400 cards would be just about right. (And I repeat - no short prints.)

If Topps absolutely insists on it, we'll allow only 2 insert sets (at most) or we'll allow parallel cards of each of the base cards featuring the actual 2011 Topps base set design. But that's it. Abe Lincoln or James Knox Polk won't be showing up on any super short-printed 2011 Topps Hall of Fame baseball cards, that's for sure.

To kick things off, here's card #159 in the set - Hall of Famer Robin Roberts, inducted in 1976. I'll invite other members of the newly-formed BBCBIS to submit creations of their own.

And thanks again to Night Owl for the appointment!

2010 Topps National Chicle #37 Ryan Howard

Phillies 9, Brewers 5
Game 34 - Friday Night, May 14th in Milwaukee

With thunderstorms rolling through the area last night, we watched the Phillies defeat the Brewers 9-5, in all their powder blue glory. Both teams wore throwback uniforms from the 1970s, as the Brewers continued their season-long 40th anniversary celebration. The team piled on the offense in support of Jamie Moyer's 5th win of the season. Moyer pitched into the 7th inning, allowing 5 hits - 3 of which were solo home runs in the 2nd inning.

Former Phil Randy Wolf was knocked around in his outing, surrendering 6 runs in his 5 innings of work, including home runs to Ryan Howard and Raul Ibañez. Lead-off man Shane Victorino collected 3 hits and drove in 3 runs and Chase Utley added another home run in the 9th.

#500: Jim Edmonds' home run in the 2nd inning off Moyer was the 500th career home run allowed by the veteran lefty. He's only 5 behind the all-time record holder in that category - Hall of Famer Robin Roberts, who allowed 505 homers.

Small Gripe: I've discussed it already this season, but it bugs me when teams wear throw-back uniforms with their modern-day helmets. The powder blue and maroon combos looked great when the Phils were playing defense, as long as you ignored the bright red cleats. But once they came up to bat, the bright red helmets of today clashed badly with the maroon glory of yesteryear. Just saying.

Phillies at Brewers: May 14th through May 16th

Friday 8:10, Saturday 4:10, Sunday 8:05

Records: Phillies 20-13, 1st Place in NL East (1 game ahead of the Nationals); Brewers 15-19, 3rd Place in NL Central (4½ games behind the Cardinals)

Former Brewers with the Phillies: Nelson Figueroa pitched briefly for the Brew Crew in 2002, and TV broadcaster Gary Matthews served as the team's hitting coach back in 2000. First base coach Davey Lopes managed the Brewers from 2000 until his dismissal 16 games into the 2002 season. His record with the Brewers was 144-195, and his best year was his first, when his team finished in 3rd place in the NL Central.
2004 Bowman Heritage #42 Randy Wolf

Hungry Like the . . . Oh Never Mind: Randy Wolf, tonight's starting pitcher for the Brewers, spent 8 years pitching for the Phillies between 1999 and 2006. Entering the 2010 season, Wolf is 9th all-time on the Phillies' career strikeout list with 971. He's bounced around a little since his time with the Phils, pitching the Dodgers, Padres, Astros, Dodgers again, and now with the Brewers.

Phillies Probables: Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels
Brewers Probables: Randy Wolf, Chris Narveson, Doug Davis

1934-1936 Diamond Stars #40 "Blondy" Ryan

I've featured several cards from the new 2010 Topps National Chicle baseball card set in recent weeks, and I wanted to dedicate an entire post to the original Diamond Stars set to compare and contrast. In order to do that, I first had to obtain an original. I recently found this baseball card for a reasonable price on eBay, using the "Best Offer" feature. With its arrival, Blondy now usurps Chile as the oldest baseball card in my collection.

The Briefest Review of 2010 Topps National Chicle You'll Read: I like the new retro-themed set. Some folks have complained about the quality of a few of the paintings, and I agree some portraits leave a lot to be desired. However, this is a cool set overall and I've happily added the Phillies team set to my collection. If anyone reading this is horribly offended by their Topps National Chicle cards, please send them to me. I may just attempt to collect this set.

2010 Topps National Chicle #253 Ryne Sandberg

How Did Topps Do?: They done good. The colors, print and style of the original are accurately captured on the new Topps set. The Topps cards are larger than the originals, but that's OK. Topps mimics the backs of the originals very closely, down to the layout and brief biographical information at the bottom.

R327: The original Diamond Stars set was released between 1934 and 1936 by the National Chicle chewing gum company. Designated R327 in Jefferson Burdick's American Card Catalog, the set consisted of 108 cards and featured Art Deco-style paintings, all the rage in the '30s. The year of issue can be determined by the player's statistics on the back of the card, as well as the copyright designation. The card backs feature a brief biography of the player, along with his full name, some vital stats and select on-field statistics from the prior few years.

A near complete set of Diamond Stars cards (from Charlie Conlon's collection no less) recently sold for just over $7,000.

Some 40 years after their issuance, a blank-backed proof sheet of 12 additional cards were discovered that would have brought the set size to 120 cards. Sport Americana, Beckett's predecessor in the price guide world, issued these 12 cards as "1937 Diamond Stars" in the early '80s.

Phillies in the Set: There are 6 Phillies cards in the set. Shortstop Dick Bartell (1931-34), manager-catcher Jimmie Wilson (1923-28; 1934-38), this "Blondy" Ryan card, outfielder Harvey Hendrick (1934), second baseman Lou Chiozza (1934-36) and outfielder Ethan Allen (1934-36).

John Collins Ryan: Infielder "Blondy" Ryan played in just 39 games for the '35 Phils and was sold to the New York Yankees in August of that year. As was the team's practice throughout the decade of the '30s, good players were traded off or sold once they attained some value. In 6 seasons with the White Sox, New York Giants, Phillies and Yankees, Blondy hit .239 in 386 games, and he finished 9th in the AL MVP voting in 1933.

1935 Phillies: The '35 Phils were not very good. The team finished with a record of 64-89, second to last in the National League. First baseman Dolph Camilli led the offense with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs. The team contained such notables as Bubber Jonnard, Dino Chiozza (Lou's brother), Orville Jorgens and (my favorite) Pretzel Pezzullo. Tragically, the team's starting second baseman, Mickey Finn, died during the season while being treated for ulcers. The sole highlight probably came on May 24th when the Phillies participated in the first ever night game, played against the Reds at Crosley Field. The Phils lost that match, 2-1.

The Phillies uniform depicted on Blondy Ryan's baseball card, with the Old English "P", was last worn by the Phillies in 1933. Their 1935 uniforms are actually similar in style to the alternate day-game uniforms the team wears today.

2010 Phillies Team Issue #17 Mick Billmeyer

Rockies 4, Phillies 3 (Game 1 - 10 Innings)

Game 33 - Wednesday Afternoon, May 12th in Denver

If bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer is truly stealing signs using binoculars from the bullpen, I wish he could have at least signalled to Chad Durbin to tell him not to hang a curveball to Miguel Olivo in the bottom of the 10th inning this afternoon. The Phils let one get away to the Rockies, dropping the first game of a double header, 4-3. Olivo hit a walk-off home run to end the game, capping his 5 for 5 afternoon.

The game should have never been tied up. Sloppy play by the Phils in the 7th allowed the Rockies to tie the game, and chase starter Roy Halladay. Errors by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth prolonged the inning for the Rockies and Doc was pulled after 121 pitches. (Werth's error was later changed to a triple for Brad Hawpe.)

Howard and Chase Utley each had three hits in the losing effort.

There's No Crying in Baseball: Maybe I'm just a hopeless homer, but the sign-stealing allegations levied against the Phillies seem ridiculous to me. I share manager Charlie Manuel's opinion as to why teams accuse the Phils of stealing signs: "Because we beat them. That’s why. What the hell? Keep crying."

Hoover Returns: Catcher Carlos Ruiz left the game in the 4th inning with what was later diagnosed as a sprained ligament in his right knee. Paul Hoover entered the game, making his 2010 debut. Had Hoover been injured, the Phils' emergency catcher is Jayson Werth, who last caught a game as a member of the Blue Jays' organization back in 2002. Hoover will be card #36 in the 2010 Chachi set.

2003 Fleer Double Header Let's Play Too! #13 Marlon Byrd

Last night's rain/thunderstorm/snow combination in Denver forced the postponement of the Phillies/Rockies game and necessitated a split day-night double header today. The Game 1 forecast for this afternoon calls for freezing rain in Denver, with a high of about 41 degrees.

While I'm sure the players aren't thrilled, Marlon Byrd and I are very excited for two baseball games today!

(Actually, I can't say with certainty if Marlon is actually thrilled or not, as his Cubs are playing a matinee this afternoon in Chicago where temperatures are currently in the 40's.)

2007 Chachi #10 Carlos Ruiz

Phillies 9, Rockies 5
Game 32 - Monday Night, May 10th in Denver

11:35 - Drifting in and out of sleep, I finally decided to call it a night and go to bed with the Phillies and Rockies knotted in a 5-5 tie.
12:17 - This is the estimated time when the game actually ended, based on the 3:37 time of game in the boxscore.

I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see the Phils' 4-run rally in the top of the 9th. The team took the first of a 3-game set in Denver behind the offense of Carlos Ruiz and the speed of Shane Victorino, who hit two triples and scored three times.

Ruiz remains red-hot and hopefully he's accumulating enough votes to send him to Anaheim for the 2010 All-Star Game. He went 4 for 5 last night with the game-winning RBI in the 9th inning. He's now hitting .354, which places him 3rd in batting average in the National League. He leads the league with a .481 on-base percentage. The hot bat he displayed in the 2009 Postseason (aka Chooch-tober) has shown no signs of cooling off.

Pinch-hitter Ross Gload put the game out of reach after Chooch's heroics with a 3-run home run. Newly appointed interim closer Jose Contreras pitched a scoreless 9th to close out the game.

Bullpen Woes: With Brad Lidge out (again) because of the bum elbow and J.C. Romero still shaking off rust, Contreras and Chad Durbin have been the heroes of the Phillies' 2010 bullpen so far. There's no word yet as to how serious Lidge's latest ailment is, and if it will result in another DL stint.

Phillies at Rockies: May 10th through May 12th

Monday & Tuesday 8:40, Wednesday 3:10

Records: Phillies 19-12, 1st Place in NL East (2 games ahead of the Mets and Nationals); Rockies 15-16, 3rd Place in NL West (4 games behind the Padres)

Former Rockies with the Phillies: Reliever Jose Contreras finished 2009 with the Rockies, pitching against the Phillies in the NLDS. Pinch-hitter Ross Gload played in 26 games with the 2002 Rockies. And hitting coach Milt Thompson wrapped up his 13-year playing career with 14 games with the Rockies in 1996.

1995 Topps Traded #140T Charlie Hayes

The First Ex-Phillie Rockies: On November 17, 1992, the Rockies and Florida Marlins participated in an expansion draft to populate their new teams for Opening Day 1993. With their 26th and final pick in the 1st round, the Rockies selected pitcher Andy Ashby from the Phillies' list of unprotected players. Pitcher Keith Shepherd was taken with their 50th pick in the 2nd round and outfielder Braulio Castillo was selected with their 70th pick overall in the 3rd and final round.

However, the very first Ex-Phillie to don the purple and silver in an actual game was third baseman Charlie Hayes. Hayes had been selected with the Rockies' 3rd pick in the expansion draft from the New York Yankees, eventually becoming the team's opening day third baseman. He played in Colorado in 1993 and 1994 before coming back to the Phillies via free agency for the 1995 season.

Phillies Probables: Kyle Kendrick, Roy Halladay, Jamie Moyer

Rockies Probables: Greg Smith, Aaron Cook, Esmil Rogers

2010 Chachi #23 Jose Contreras

Phillies 5, Braves 3

Game 31 - Sunday Afternoon, May 9th in Philadelphia

The bullpen and three solo home runs paved the way to victory for the Phillies on Mother's Day. Using a pink bat in honor of the day, Placido Polanco hit the first of the team's homers in the 2nd inning. Jayson Werth followed in the 3rd and Shane Victorino added his in the 7th. The bullpen trio of Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras and Brad Lidge combined for four scoreless innings, necessitated by Cole Hamels' early exit. Lidge earned his first save of 2010, recording his first two outs on long fly balls that most likely would have tied the game had the wind not been blowing in at the ballpark.

The win capped a successful 7-3 homestand as the Phillies now head out on the road for 6 games in Denver and Milwaukee.

A Special Mother's Day: Prior to the game, an on field ceremony was held to honor the mother of relief pitcher Jose Contreras, 75-year-old Modesta Camejo. Camejo was recently granted permission to come to the U.S., and she hadn't seen her son in the eight years since he had defected from Cuba. (There's a great story on the Phillies website fully detailing the touching reunion.)

Contreras, who assumes the set-up role vacated by an injured Ryan Madson, has been one of the team's most effective relievers so far this year. He's card #23 in the 2010 Chachi set.

Phillies debut: April 8, 2010

Major League debut: March 31, 2003

How acquired: Signed as a free agent formerly with the Colorado Rockies

Others wearing #52 in the 2000s: Steve Schrenk 2000, Felipe Crespo 2001, Carlos Silva 2002-2003, Fabio Castro 2006-2007, Tyler Walker 2009

2009 Postseason: Jose appeared in two relief appearances for the Rockies against the Phillies in the NLDS, allowing a run (on a Carlos Ruiz RBI-single) in his two innings of work.

Pictured: Spring Training action, March 3, 2010

Scrapbook Sunday: May 8-12, 1986

1986 Topps Mini League Leaders #55 Mike Schmidt

Happy Mother's Day! I spent a significant amount of time during my youth putting these scrapbooks together, and all the while talking Phillies and baseball with my Dad. But my Dad will agree it was my Mom from whom I inherited my creative side and the desire to pour my fanaticism into a creative outlet.

My Mom fostered this creativity. She encouraged me to draw and keep scrapbooks. She encouraged me to use my imagination and my artistic skills. And she emboldened me to always march to my own drummer and to be true to myself. She taught me a lot of lessons, but one of the biggest lessons she instilled within me was to seek out whatever brought me happiness and pursue it. This lesson was simple - whether it be collating scrapbooks or making your own baseball cards, if it results in happiness, it's not a waste of time and it should be embraced.

My wife Jenna keeps me in line on a daily basis and she's amazing with our two sons. I'm grateful to have found someone who not only appreciates the importance of having hobbies and pursuing them, but someone who also shares my same passion for baseball. She's encouraged me to keep score at baseball games and to pursue the final cards needed to complete baseball card sets. She reads this little blog and she knows exactly what I mean when I say something like, "I need to update my lists." And I see her, again on a daily basis, encourage and enable our oldest son to pursue whatever makes him happy, just like my Mom did for me. (Our youngest son is only in the eat/sleep/poop phase, so she's not much of an influence on him - yet.)

So Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and my wife. I sincerely appreciate everything you've done and continue to do and I hope the Phils win this afternoon, in your honor.

1960 Topps #264 Robin Roberts

Braves 4, Phillies 1

Game 30 - Saturday Afternoon, May 8th in Philadelphia

Not a lot to write home about today with regards to the Phillies performance. The team dropped a lackluster game to the Braves, 4-1, on a afternoon dominated by wind and ice cream in a helmet. Doug and I attended our second exclusive father-son game, and we made it through the 5th inning before Doug's boredom and the pull of his Star Wars men at home forced our departure. On a picture perfect afternoon, if you didn't mind the occasional gale-force winds, we enjoyed gigantically huge servings of soft-serve vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles in plastic mini-Phillies helmets.

From what I can gather, the Phils had their chances, leaving plenty of men on base and falling victim to 3 double plays. The loss snapped the Phillies 4-game win streak, but the ice cream was delicious and Doug (and his Dad) left smiling.

#36 Again: Soley for lack of any idea for a baseball card subject to represent this afternoon's loss, I'm going with another Robin Roberts baseball card. I have more cards of Roberts than I originally thought, and I'll happily share them whenever possible.

2010 Chachi #35 Jamie Moyer HL

Phillies 7, Braves 0

Game 29 - Friday Night, May 7th in Philadelphia

With a black #36 on his right shoulder, Jamie Moyer's Roberts-esque performance and a trio of 2-out big hits led the Phils over the Braves tonight, 7-0. Moyer pitched a gem, becoming the oldest man in Major League history to throw a complete game shutout at 47 years and 170 days. He allowed just 2 hits, walking none and striking out 5. His 105-pitch performance included a 3-pitch 2nd inning and a stretch of 17 straight Braves retired from the 2nd through the 7th innings.

Jayson Stark's Twitter feed provided a few interesting tidbits after the game. Before tonight, the oldest player to throw a shutout was the Yankees' Phil Niekro in 1985 at 46 years, 188 days. The oldest non-knuckleball-throwing pitcher to pitch a shutout was Satchel Paige in 1952 at 46 years, 75 days.

The scoring summary is easy: Jayson Werth hit a 3-run home run in the 3rd, Raul Ibañez hit a 2-run single in the 5th and Wilson Valdez followed with another 2-run single a few batters later. But the night belonged to Jamie Moyer, who earned the 2010 Chachi set's first highlight card of the year. Robin Roberts would have been proud.

Braves at Phillies: May 7th through May 9th

Friday 7:05, Saturday 3:10, Sunday 1:35

Records: Braves 12-16, 5th Place in NL East (5 games behind the Phillies); Phillies 17-11, 1st Place in NL East (2 games ahead of the Mets and Nationals)

2003 Topps Gallery Hall of Fame #26 Robin Roberts

#36: Starting with tonight's game, the Phillies will wear a #36 patch on their jersey sleeves in memory of pitcher Robin Roberts, who passed away yesterday. Bill Conlin's article in today's Philadelphia Daily News is required reading for every Phillies fan.

Braves Probables: Derek Lowe, Kris Medlen, Kenshin Kawakami

Phillies Probables: Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels

1961 Topps #20 Robin Roberts

Phillies 7, Cardinals 2

Game 28 - Thursday Afternoon, May 6th in Philadelphia

It was a surreal day. I returned to work for the first time in two weeks following the birth of our son, Ben. It felt a little like the first day of school, slight case of nausea and all. On the way to lunch with a few co-workers, I came within a foot of Robert DeNiro. He and fellow actor Bradley Cooper were filming a scene for their new movie in front of the building where I work, and DeNiro and I walked right past each other. Back in the office after lunch, my friend Chris motioned me over and asked, "Did you hear about Robin Roberts?" That's never a question you want to hear in regards to someone in their '80s.

Robin Roberts passed away this morning at the age of 83. He pitched for the Phillies from 1948 until 1961. Page 278 of the 2010 Phillies Media Guide contains a listing of the team's career pitching top 10 for all the major pitching categories, and Roberts' name is all over the page. His #36 was the first number retired by the Phillies, and he was the first inductee into the Phillies Wall of Fame. I've read all the statements issued by current and former Phillies including Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Jamie Moyer, Jayson Werth and others, and every single statement makes mention of what a gentleman Roberts was and how he was a pleasure to be around. He was a Hall of Famer, an All-Star, a champion and a class act. And he'll be missed.

The Game: The Phils won easily this afternoon, behind the pitching of Roy Halladay who won his 5th game of the year. Jayson Werth started the scoring early with a 3-run home run in the first. Both Werth and Robin Roberts grew up in Springfield, Illinois, and Werth paid tribute to the all-time great by saluting to the sky when he crossed home plate.

2010 Chachi #17 J.A. Happ

J.A. Happ only started two games this year before landing on the disabled list with a strained left forearm. Recent reports indicate he may not be back until late May, at the earliest. Happ prefers to pronounce his fist name as simply "Jay," which is a source of much confusion among national baseball broadcasters. He's #17 in this year's Chachi set.

Phillies debut: June 30, 2007
How acquired: Selected by Phillies in the 3rd round of June 2004 draft
Others wearing #43 in the 2000s: Andy Ashby 2000, Thomas Jacquez 2000, Randy Wolf 2001-2006, J.A. Happ 2008-2009
2009 Postseason: Happ had a 2.70 ERA in 6 relief appearances.
Pictured: NLDS Game 3, October 11, 2009 - Happ started against the Rockies, lasting just 3 innings in the frigid temperature.

2010 Phillies Team Issue #38 Kyle Kendrick

Phillies 4, Cardinals 0

Game 27 - Wednesday Night, May 5th in Philadelphia

Another night, another fine pitching performance in South Philly. (And thankfully there were no buffoons running onto the field during the game tonight.) Kyle Kendrick out dueled Brad Penny and the Phils won their second low-scoring game in a row, 4-0.

The Phillies collected their first hit and their first runs in the 4th inning, when Placido Polanco launched his 4th home run of the year with Shane Victorino aboard. Victorino followed that up in the 6th with a solo home run. Finally, pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs drove in pinch-runner Wilson Valdez with a double to center in the 7th.

Kendrick was quite possibly pitching to keep his rotation spot, and his performance could have delayed his transfer to the bullpen. Through 7 innings, he allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Most importantly, he looked confident on the mound. In his prior pitching performances this year, he looked tentative, as if any hit, walk or umpire's tight strike zone could spook him. The Cuban Connection of Danys Baez in the 8th and Jose Contreras in the 9th pitched perfect innings to secure Kendrick's first victory of 2010.

Depth at Short: Juan Castro left the game in the 7th with a strained left hamstring, and he could be DL-bound. In the interim, it appears as if Valdez may be the team's new shortstop. Jimmy Rollins hopes to begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend in Lehigh Valley.

2010 Chachi #16 Kyle Kendrick

Kyle Kendrick appeared to have turned things around in Spring Training, shadowing new acquisition Roy Halladay in an attempt to learn from a master. Unfortunately, his season is off to a shaky start (0-1, 7.61 ERA) and his spot in the rotation may be in jeopardy. He opened the season as the team's #3 starter and he's #16 in this year's Chachi set.

Phillies debut: June 13, 2007
How acquired: Selected in the 7th round of the June 2003 draft.
Others wearing #38 in the 2000s: Curt Schilling 2000, Tim Worrell 2004-2005, Tim Gradoville 2006, Kyle Kendrick 2007-2009
2009 Postseason: Kendrick found himself on the NLDS roster as a long reliever, but he did not appear in a game. He was left of the NLCS and World Series rosters.
Pictured: Kendrick pitches in his best game of 2009, a victory against the Mets on September 13, 2009.

2009 O-Pee-Chee Walk-Off Winners #WK5 Carlos Ruiz

Phillies 2, Cardinals 1 (10 Innings)

Game 26 - Tuesday Night, May 4th in Philadelphia

The Phils won in dramatic fashion tonight, thanks to a walk-off solo home run in the 10th inning from Carlos Ruiz. (As I'm writing this, Chooch was double-pied during his post-game interview by Shane Victorinio and Greg Dobbs.)

Maybe Cole Hamels read my blog post from earlier today and got fired up when I referred to him as young Colbert? It's extremely doubtful, but something certainly flipped his switch as Hamels dominated the Cardinals tonight. Through the first 6 innings, Hamels and Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright traded scoreless frames. The Cards had managed 6 hits, while the Phils had just 3. Cole's performance was particularly impressive against the mighty Albert Pujols. Pujols went 0 for 4 against Hamels, including a key pop-up in the 5th with Cardinal runners on 1st and 2nd.

In the bottom of the 7th, Raul Ibañez led off with a triple to center and was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Carlos Ruiz. In the top of the 9th, the Cardinals tied it up when David Freese and Yadier Molina started the inning with back-to-back doubles. Hamels exited to a standing ovartion, Brad Lidge and his effective slider entered, and the game went briefly to extra innings.

On the 5th pitch of the bottom of the 10th, Carlos Ruiz sent a deep fly ball just into the left field stands and the Phils were victorious.

2010 Chachi #15 Cole Hamels

The Phils are hoping young Colbert turns things around tonight against the Cardinals. When he's not endorsing Xfinity cable or New Era caps, Cole spends time on the mound for the Phils, trying to recapture that 2008 Postseason glory. He's #15 in this year's Chachi set.

Phillies debut: May 12, 2006
How acquired: Selected by Phillies in the 1st round of the June 2002 draft.
Others wearing #35 in the 2000s: Cliff Politte 2000-2002, Joe Roa 2002-2003, Kelly Stinnett 2003, Roberto Hernandez 2004, Cole Hamels 2006-2009
2009 Postseason: Cole struggled against the Rockies, Dodgers and Yankees, going 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA.
Pictured: Cole pitches against the Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series, October 31, 2009.

1995 Score #22 Lenny Dykstra

Cardinals 6, Phillies 3

Game 25 - Monday Night, May 3rd in Philadelphia

The frustration displayed by Lenny Dykstra on this baseball card is symbolic of the way the Phillies have been playing lately. Joe Blanton pitched a solid game in his 2010 debut, but the puzzling Phillies offense coupled with questionable umpiring sunk the Phils tonight against the Cardinals, 6-3.

Blanton, just activated from the DL, allowed only 2 runs in his 6+ innings of work, while surrendering 10 Cardinals hits. Nelson Figueroa came on after Blanton departed and allowed a bases-clearing double to David Freese, tacking 2 more runs onto Blanton's total for the night. The fact Figueroa was called into the game in such a crucial situation speaks volumes about the state of the team's bullpen. With Brad Lidge easing his way back from injury and Ryan Madson now out with an anger-induced broken toe, the worrisome bullpen is officially a cause of concern.

The team managed just 3 hits off Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia. A first inning home run from Chase Utley was (correctly) ruled to be foul upon the umpires' review of instant replay. Manager Charlie Manuel was ejected in the 5th for arguing a play in which interference was called on Blanton as he was crossing 1st base. The interference call resulted in a double play for the Cardinals and thwarted any hope of a 5th inning rally.

The only excitement for Phillies fans tonight (other than Manuel's ejection) came from solo home runs from Utley and Jayson Werth. Other than that, it was just one of those games that makes you feel like yelling at an umpire.

Cardinals at Phillies: May 3rd through May 6th

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05

Records: Cardinals 17-8, 1st Place in NL Central (4½ games ahead of the Cubs); Phillies 14-10, 1st Place in NL East (½ game ahead of the Mets)

Former Cardinals with the Phillies: Jamie Moyer pitched with the Cardinals in 1991, going 0-5 with a 5.74 ERA and spending most the of the year with their AAA affiliate in Louisville. Placido Polanco came up through the Cardinals' system, playing with them from 1998 until his trade to the Phillies in the July 2002 Scott Rolen deal. Hitting coach Milt Thompson played with the Cardinals from 1989 until 1992, having been traded by the Phils in December 1988 for Steve Lake and Curt Ford.

1967 Topps #146 Steve Carlton

Lefty's Origins: Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton began his career with the Cardinals, making his Major League debut on April 12, 1965. He pitched for the Cards in the 1967 and 1968 World Series, but he had to wait until the 1978 NLCS to pick up his first Postseason victory. For a little while in the early-80s, back when I was a wee lad, this was one of the oldest baseball cards I owned. I bought the card from the "Card Doctor" in Millville on High Street and I remember the distinct feeling of holding something really old in my hands as we exited his store. For more on the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals, please visit here and browse some of the other great cards from the '67 Topps set while you're at it.

Cardinals Probables: Jaime Garcia, Adam Wainwright, Brad Penny, Kyle Lohse

Phillies Probables: Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Roy Halladay

2010 Topps National Chicle #23 Shane Victorino

Phillies 11, Mets 5

Game 24 - Sunday Night, May 2nd in Philadelphia

Down 5-2 against Mets' ace Johan Santana with 2 outs in the 4th, things did not look good for the Phillies. Jamie Moyer was getting squeezed by the home plate umpire and he had already allowed 2 home runs - a 3-run shot to David Wright and a 2-run homer to Phillie-killer Rod Barajas. The Phils had added two solo home runs, from Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard in the 1st, but Santana seemed to be settling in.

And then things got fun. The Phils scored 9 times with 2 outs in the 4th, stunning the Mets and whipping the sold out Citizens Bank Park crowd into a frenzy. The big blow was Shane Victorino's grand slam which followed a bases-loaded walk to Moyer. In total, Santana allowed 10 runs - the most runs he had ever allowed in a single game. Before Santana had a chance to warm his spot on the bench, Chase Utley added a 2-run home run to cap the inning's scoring.

The decisive win elevated the Phillies back into the top spot in the NL East. So after a rough start on Friday night, the Phils bounced back to take 2 of 3 from the Mets. The next test starts tomorrow night when the St. Louis Cardinals visit for 4 games.

Why did he wait until he left?: In 8 games against the Phillies since 2007, Rod Barajas is hitting .565 (13 for 23) with 7 home runs and 14 RBIs.

Scrapbook Sunday: June 11, 1985

1986 Tastykake Phillies - A Night to Remember

I clearly remember watching/listening to this game, thinking there's no way the Phillies could keep scoring runs. But they kept scoring runs. As someone who loved to study the boxscores in the next morning's Sports section, I easily spent 20 minutes going through this beauty line by line, in awe of all the numbers on the Phillies side. For three hours and twenty-one minutes, the Phils absolutely pummelled the Mets. What a wonderful memory.

2010 Topps National Chicle #122 Roy Halladay

Phillies 10, Mets 0

Game 23 - Saturday Afternoon, May 1st in Philadelphia

Just what the doctor ordered! Everything clicked today as Roy Halladay threw a 3-hit complete game shutout, and the Phils banged out 13 hits to take care of the Mets.

Halladay improved his record to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.47 on a day he was never really in trouble. 88 of his 118 pitches were strikes and it seemed as if more often than not he was starting hitters with an 0-1 or 0-2 count. Halladay added a single and scored a run just for good measure.

The big hits in the Phillies' 6-run 4th inning were a 2-run double from Juan Castro followed shortly by a 3-run home run from Shane Victorino. Raul Ibañez followed that up with a 2-run triple in the 5th, and the Phils tacked on two more in the 7th for the decisive victory. Chase Utley enjoyed his first 3-hit game of 2010, also scoring 3 times.

Hopefully the team saved some runs for the series finale tomorrow night.

2010 Topps National Chicle #251 Richie Ashburn

After the rough week or so endured by Phillies fans which included a dearth of offense, a plethora of shaky pitching and a salt in the wound pitching performance from ex-Phillie Cliff Lee last night, it's time to cleanse the palate. Yes, the Phillies find themselves in 3rd place this afternoon, behind the first place Mets and the second place Nationals. But Roy Halladay is on the mound today, the sun is shining and the team is due.

April 2010 is over and May 2010 is here. Time to fire up the grill, prepare Doug's sandbox for the summer, mute this afternoon's Fox broadcast and turn up the radio. I have a feeling May is going to be a very good month.

To start the month off right, I'm presenting my new favorite baseball card of 2010. Topps National Chicle was released last week. The set is based off the Diamond Stars set produced by the National Chicle (rhymes with pickle) chewing gum company from 1934 to 1936 and the entire set features current and retired baseball stars as painted by noted artists. This Richie Ashburn card is a beauty, as are the Chase Utley and Jayson Werth cards. (I'm sure those cards will be featured in future posts.) There are two Ryne Sandberg Phillies cards in the set - one featuring him in his 1981 Phillies uniform and the other portraying him wearing a batting practice jersey and modern helmet from 2010. It's a fun little twist to the normal shots used for retired superstars.

Happy May Day and Go Phils!