Diamondbacks at Phillies: May 15th to May 17th

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Diamondbacks 15-18, 4th Place in the N.L. West, 7 games behind the Dodgers
Phillies 13-23, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games behind the Mets

Diamondbacks Probables:  Chase Anderson (0-1, 2.97), Archie Bradley (2-0, 1.80), Josh Collmenter (3-4, 5.27)
Phillies Probables:  Chad Billingsley (0-2, 9.00), Jerome Williams (2-3, 5.21), Sean O'Sullivan (0-2, 5.06)

At the Ballpark:  Tonight is the annual Irish Heritage Celebration while tomorrow night is a Dollar Dog Night.  On Sunday, all kids in attendance will receive a Cody Asche wiffle ball and bat set which is slightly awkward considering that Asche is now playing for the Triple-A IronPigs.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Freddy Galvis - .353
Runs:  Ben Revere - 16
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 7
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 16
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 6

Wins:  Aaron Harang - 4
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 2.03
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 55
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 8

2015 Topps Museum Collection #39 Ryan Howard

Phillies 4, Pirates 2
Game 36 - Thursday Afternoon, May 14th in Philadelphia
Record - 13-23, 5th Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis supported Aaron Harang's fine pitching performance as the Phillies won 4-2.

What It Means:  Two game win streak!  The 2015 Phillies are on fire!

What Happened:  Howard and Galvis each had three hits with Howard blasting his seventh home run of the season.  Cameron Rupp also had a nice day, collecting two hits and throwing out two would be base stealers.

Harang pitched eight shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out six.

Featured Card:  Harang probably deserves the featured card for this game summary post, but seeing as I've already posted his one Phillies card, I'll go with a card for Howard instead.  I'm still not sure why I feel the need to buy these Topps Museum Phillies cards each year.

2015 Chachi #39 Jonathan Papelbon RB

Phillies 3, Pirates 2
Game 35 - Wednesday Night, May 13th in Philadelphia
Record - 12-23, 5th Place, 8 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Jonathan Papelbon became the Phillies all-time saves leader as the Phillies defeated the Pirates, 3-2.

What It Means:  The four game losing streak is over and the Phillies could split the series with the Pirates with a win this afternoon.

What Happened:  Papelbon earned the save with a huge assist from right fielder Jeff Francoeur who gunned down the tying run at the plate for the final out of the game.  Papelbon's save preserved the victory for Cole Hamels, who had pitched seven strong innings and allowed only the two Pirates runs.

Carlos Ruiz (double), Ben Revere (ground out) and Freddy Galvis (single) drove in all three Phillies runs in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Papelbon earns the first Chachi Record Breaker card for the year, which uses the same format as the original 1985 Topps set.  The back of the card would note that Papelbon now sits atop the franchise's all-time saves list with the following pitchers.

1.  Jonathan Papelbon - 113
2.  Jose Mesa - 112
3.  Steve Bedrosian - 103
4.  Mitch Williams - 102
5.  Brad Lidge - 100

Field Report:  We were there for the record setting night, and once again we upgraded our seats to Section 112 for a relatively small price.  Once again, Revere was signing autographs for fans prior to the game and my wife Jenna secured his autograph for our youngest son Ben.  Our Ben's favorite player is Revere, given that they both share the same first name.  To a five-year-old, this is more than enough to qualify as a favorite player.

My personal record improved to 2-3 for the season.

2014 Bowman Chrome #111 A.J. Burnett

Pirates 7, Phillies 2
Game 34 - Tuesday Night, May 12th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-23, 5th Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A.J. Burnett returned to Philadelphia and stymied his former team as the Pirates easily handled the Phillies, 7-2.

What It Means:  The Phils have lost four in a row and are a season high 9 1/2 games behind the first place Mets.

What Happened:  Burnett allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits in his seven innings of work.  Through seven starts this season, Burnett is now 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA.  Sean O'Sullivan and Luis Garcia bore the brunt of the damage, allowing a combined seven runs on seven hits over six innings.

Featured Card:  If I'm not mistaken, this is Burnett's final Phillies card (as an active player), released in October 2014 right before Burnett returned to Pittsburgh as a free agent.

2015 Chachi #29 Bob McClure CO

#22

Robert Craig McClure

Pitching Coach

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  205

Born:  April 29, 1952, Oakland, CA

Home:  Stuart, FL

Teams - As Player:  Kansas City Royals 1975-1976, Milwaukee Brewers 1977-1986, Montreal Expos 1987-1988, New York Mets 1988, California Angels 1989-1991, St. Louis Cardinals 1991-1992, Florida Marlins 1993

Teams - As Coach:  Florida Marlins 1994, Kansas City Royals 2006-2011, Boston Red Sox 2012, Phillies 2014-

1976 Topps #599

2014 Chachi #29

2014 Phillies Team Issue #22

3 McClure Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
First Phillies Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue #22
Latest Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #22

First Topps Base Card:  1976 Topps #599 (with Rob Dressler, Ron Guidry and Pat Zachry)
First Chachi Base Card:  2014 Chachi #29

McClure Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/12/15.

2015 Chachi #28 Steve Henderson CO

#5

Steven Curtis Henderson

Hitting Coach

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  240

Born:  November 18, 1952, Houston, TX

Home:  Tampa, FL

Teams - As Player:  New York Mets 1977-1980, Chicago  Cubs 1981-1982, Seattle Mariners 1983-1984, Oakland Athletics 1985-1987, Houston Astros 1988

Teams - As Coach:  Houston Astros 1994-1996, Tampa Bay Rays 1998, 2006-2009, Phillies 2013-

1978 Topps #134

2013 Chachi #26

2013 Phillies Team Issue #5

5 Henderson Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue #5
First Phillies Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue #5
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue #5
Latest Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #5

First Topps Base Card:  1978 Topps #134
First Chachi Base Card:  2013 Chachi #26

Henderson Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 5/12/15.

2015 Topps Phillies #PHP-13 Cody Asche

Pirates 4, Phillies 3
Game 33 - Monday Night, May 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-22, 5th Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies let another one get away, dropping the series opener to the Pirates, 4-3.

What It Means:  The team's poor start to the 2015 season is starting to take on historic significance as this fantastic (yet depressing) article points out on Philly.com.  The Phillies 11-22 record represents just the third time in the last 54 years they've been that bad through the first 33 games of the season.  The other miserable seasons were 1971 and 1997.  Take heart though as the 2015 Phillies are much better than their 1904 counterparts who started their season with a 6-26-1 record.

What Happened:  Grady Sizemore knocked in a few runs and Odubel Herrera hit his first Major League home run, but it wasn't enough to overcome a fine pitching performance from the Pirates Gerrit Cole.  Jerome Williams took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings of work.

Featured Card/Transaction:  Following the game, third baseman Cody Asche was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work on his transformation to a left fielder.  Asche's move is in anticipation of Maikel Franco rejoining the team over the weekend to assume the regular third base duties.  Pitcher Sean O'Sullivan was activated from the disabled list, filling Asche's roster spot.

2015 Chachi #27 Larry Bowa CO

#10

Lawrence Robert Bowa

Bench Coach

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170

Born:  December 6, 1945, Sacramento, CA

Home:  Conshohocken, PA

Teams - As Player:  Phillies 1970-1981, Chicago Cubs 1982-1985, New York Mets 1985

Teams - As Coach:  Phillies 1988-1996, Anaheim Angels 1997-1999, Seattle Mariners 2000, New York Yankees 2006-2007, Los Angeles Dodgers 2008-2009, Phillies 2014-

Teams - As Manager:  San Diego Padres 1987-1988, Phillies 2001-2004

1970 Phillies Photocards

1970 Topps #539

2014 Chachi #27

91 Bowa Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  1970 Phillies Photocards #1
First Phillies Card:  1970 Phillies Photocards #1
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  1970 Topps #539 (with Dennis Doyle)
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  1970 Phillies Photocards #1
Latest Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #10

First Chachi Base Card:  2014 Chachi #27

Bowa Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/11/15.

Pirates at Phillies: May 11th to May 14th

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Pirates 15-16, Tied for 3rd Place in the N.L. Central, 7 games behind the Cardinals
Phillies 11-21, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

Pirates Probables:  Gerrit Cole (4-1, 2.27), A.J. Burnett (1-1, 1.66), Francisco Liriano (1-2, 2.79), Vance Worley (2-2, 4.63)
Phillies Probables:  Jerome Williams (2-2, 5.18), Sean O'Sullivan (0-1, 4.91), Cole Hamels (2-3, 3.68), Aaron Harang (3-3, 2.38)

At the Ballpark:  All fans in attendance will receive a Phillies hat at the game tonight.  Based on the picture accompanying the announcement of the promotion, it looks as if this is a grey Phillies hat being given away?  That's kind of melancholy isn't it?

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Freddy Galvis - .340
Runs:  Ben Revere - 14
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 6
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 15
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 6

Wins:  Aaron Harang - 3
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 2.38
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 46
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 6

1985 Topps #125

1985 Topps Traded #117T

1985 Topps Appreciation:  In a Scrapbook Sunday post from over five years ago, I wrote about the trade that brought submariner Kent Tekulve from the Pirates to the Phillies on April 20, 1985.  Tekulve has always been a favorite of mine and he'd be a first ballot inductee into The Phillies Room Hall of Fame if and when I ever get the funding to open up a proper museum.

Making New Mother's Day Memories with the Phillies

Mets 7, Phillies 4
Game 32 - Sunday Afternoon, May 10th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-21, 5th Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Chad Billingsley and the Phillies played well for the first four innings, but the Mets eventually pulled away from the last place club and won the ballgame, 7-4.

What It Means:  The Phillies lost the series and they now have a losing record (7-8) at home.  They are tied with the Brewers for the worst record in baseball and they'll open a four-game series against the Pirates tonight.

What Happened:  The wheels came off for Billingsley in the fifth when he allowed a two-run home run to Curtis Granderson.  Billingsley had hit a home run into the left field foul pole in the third to put the Phillies on the board.

Featured Card/Field Report:  My wife Jenna requested that we spend Mother's Day at the Phillies game and who was I to deny this request despite the struggling product on the field?  I decided to splurge and buy four last minute tickets off StubHub in the Diamond Club section of the ballpark, right behind home plate.

We had never sat in the Diamond Club before and it's going to be hard going back to the cramped, non-cushioned seats that us common folk usually have to endure.  We had a fantastic time!  Before the game, both our sons shared a dance with the Phanatic outside the Phanatic Attic store.  The air conditioned indoor portion of the Diamond Club came in handy in the middle innings when the afternoon sun got to be a little too intense for our youngest son Ben.  Most importantly though, my wife had a great time and she's declared her fandom for the Diamond Club seats.

We'll definitely look for discounted Diamond Club seats for future games . . . at least until the Phillies field a competitive team again and those tickets once again become difficult to obtain.  (My personal Phillies record is now 1-3 this year.)

2015 Chachi #26 Ryne Sandberg MG

#23

Ryne Dee Sandberg

Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  190

Born:  September 18, 1959, Spokane, WA

Home:  Phoenix, AZ

Teams - As Player:  Phillies 1981, Chicago Cubs 1982-1994, 1996-1997

Teams - As Coach:  Phillies 2013

Teams - As Manager:  Phillies 2013-

1981 TCMA Oklahoma City '89ers #17

1983 Topps #83

1993 Upper Deck Then and Now #TN6

2013 Chachi #29

31 Sandberg Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  1981 TCMA Oklahoma City '89ers #17
First Phillies Card:  1993 Upper Deck Then and Now #TN6
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  1994 Topps Traded #130T
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue #23
Latest Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #23

First Topps Base Card:  1983 Topps #83
First Chachi Base Card:  2013 Chachi #29

Sandberg Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/915.

Thanks to Revere & Herrera for the Autographs!

2015 Phillies Team Issue #2

2015 Phillies Team Issue #37

Mets 3, Phillies 2
Game 31 - Saturday Night, May 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-20, 5th Place, 8 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Mets held on to beat the Phillies, 3-2, in a ballgame that was actually relatively well-played.

What It Means:  The series is now split and the Phils will try for the elusive series win this afternoon.

What Happened:  Pitching seven strong innings, Aaron Harang turned in another quality start with his only major blemish being the two-run home run allowed to Juan Lagares in the seventh.  The Phils had a huge chance to re-take the lead in the eighth when they loaded the bases, but Carlos Ruiz grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Ruiz had previously given the team the temporary lead with a two-out RBI double in the sixth.  Chase Utley pinch-hit in the ninth, singling off Jeurys Familia and breaking his 0 for 19 slump.

Featured Cards/Field Report:  I decided to upgrade our tickets for this game via the MLB Ballpark app and Doug and I enjoyed ourselves in row two of Section 112 right behind first base.  One of the few advantages of the Phillies being in last place is that great seats are readily available and relatively cheap.

Right before the game started, Ben Revere and Odubel Herrera came over to our section and graciously signed autographs for Doug.  Revere and Herrera easily signed twenty-plus autographs and only stopped when it was time to take the field for the game.

If you're keeping track at home, I'm now 1-2 in the Phillies games I've attended this year.

2015 Chachi #25 Jonathan Papelbon

#58

Jonathan Robert Papelbon

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  227

Born:  November 23, 1980, Baton Rouge, LA

Home:  Watersound, FL

Drafted:  Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 4th round of the June 2003 draft

Teams:  Boston Red Sox 2005-2011, Phillies 2012-

Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox, November 14, 2011

2006 Topps #355

2012 Topps Heritage #136

2012 Chachi #25

36 Papelbon Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2012 Topps Heritage #136
First Phillies Card:  2012 Topps Heritage #136
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  2012 Topps #345
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2012 Phillies Team Issue #58
Latest Card:  2015 Topps '52 Tribute Gold #295

First Topps Base Card:  2006 Topps #355
First Chachi Base Card:  2012 Chachi #25

Papelbon Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/8/15.

2015 Chachi #24 Ken Giles

#53

Kenneth Robert Giles

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205

Born:  September 20, 1990, Albuquerque, NM

Home:  Phoenix, AZ

Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 7th round of the June 2011 draft

Teams:  Phillies 2014-

Acquired:  Via draft

2012 Multi-Ad Lakewood BlueClaws #11

2014 Bowman Prospects #BP99

2014 Chachi #50

12 Giles Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2012 Multi-Ad Lakewood BlueClaws #11
First Phillies Card:  2014 Bowman Prospects #BP99
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2014 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53
Latest Card:  2015 Topps Gypsy Queen Mini #286

First Chachi Base Card:  2014 Chachi #50

Giles Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/8/15.

2015 Topps '52 Tribute Gold #299 Cole Hamels

Phillies 3, Mets 1
Game 30 - Friday Night, May 8th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-19, 5th Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Cole Hamels pitched a gem and actually received some run support as the Phillies defeated the first place Mets, 3-1.

What It Means:  Hamels outdueled Mets ace Matt Harvey, earning his second win of the year.

What Happened:  Hamels took care of the first seven innings, allowing a run on four hits.  Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon shut down the Mets in the final two innings and Papelbon's save tied him with Jose Mesa on the franchise's all-time leaderboard.

Ryan Howard drove in two runs and hit his sixth home run of the year in the fourth inning.  Freddy Galvis raised his team leading average to .351 with a three hit night.

Featured Card:  I really like these giant Topps Tribute '52 cards, only available for sale on the Topps website.  Sure it's a gimmicky cash grab by the company, but the cards make me think of the giant cards they put out in the early '80s.  I still love those cards.