Summer Camp Game 1 - 2020 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-271 Bryce Harper

Phillies 7, Nationals 2
Summer Camp Game 1 - Saturday Night, July 18th in Washington
Record - 15-5-1

One Sentence Summary:  In front of no fans at Nationals Park, the Phillies returned to exhibition play with a decisive 7-2 win over the Nationals.

What It Means:  This is the first live game summary post I've had the pleasure to compose since the 20th game of spring training back in mid-March.  Live baseball is back for now.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola started and looked ready for the start of the regular season.  Against a line-up of Nationals regulars, Nola pitched five strong innings allowing a hit while striking out four.  Max Scherzer started for the Nationals and got hit fairly hard in his first Summer Camp outing.  Didi Gregorius, masked up, hit a three-run home run in the first and Bryce Harper followed that up with a three-run home run of his own in the second.

Featured Card:  Harper continues to look locked in and for whatever it's worth, his 1 for 3 performance raised his spring/summer exhibition average to .474.  There have continued to be baseball card releases during the shut-down, including this card from the Topps Now Road to Opening Day set that arrive in my mail box in early May.  According to the Topps website, there were 496 of these sets produced.

Camp Head Count:  49 - 4 = 45.  The Phillies officially removed four players from their roster on Saturday afternoon.  Two of the moves were procedural with right-handed pitcher Victor Arano optioned to "Phillies Alternate Training Site," per the team's website, and catcher Henri Lartigue removed from the Player Pool.

The other two moves were somewhat surprising, as the team announced the release of veterans Francisco Liriano (lhp) and Logan Forsythe (inf).  Both seemed to have a real chance of making the 30-man opening day roster given their spring performances, but manager Joe Girardi has indicated the Phillies could go with a more youthful bullpen and bench.  Related to the Phillies' bench, the team also announced super utility man Neil Walker had made the club and a corresponding roster move will eventually be needed to add him to the 40-man roster.

2020 Chachi Almost #5

2020 Chachi Almost #6

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

Catching Up: Remembering Legends, Back to the Future

Leaving 1985 in the past, here's a look at a few things going on in the present for the Phillies.

Sadly, we lost a legend on Thursday morning with the passing of all-time Phillies great Tony Taylor.  A fan favorite and a member of the Phillies family for six decades, Taylor was a 2006 Phillies Wall of Fame inductee and a mainstay at the annual Phillies alumni weekends.  He continued to engage with fans up through last year's alumni weekend, signing as many autographs as he could.  He became a favorite of my son Doug as the two of them had a lengthy conversation during the 2017 alumni weekend, in which Taylor singled out Doug to give him some impromptu life advice.

That was the weekend the Phillies honored three recently departed legends - Jim Bunning, Darren Daulton and Dallas Green - and Taylor was overly emotional when Doug asked him to sign the print featuring the three.  From that night:

Tony Taylor . . . the Phillies great singled out Doug and spent about two minutes talking to him.  He talked about the players on the print, he told Doug to follow his dreams and he told Doug to never give up.  He talked about kindness and helping others and hard work.  He wanted Doug to promise to never throw away the print and to remember everything he had told him.  Finally, he told Doug to pass on everything to his kids and to bring his kids to Phillies games when they were older.  Doug took it all in.  I took it all in.  It was a very cool moment.

Something neither of us will ever forget.  Taylor's card was the first card we purchased when we decided to start collecting the 1965 Topps set late last year.

2010 Phillies Alumni Team Issue

1995 Phillies Team Issue #9

* * *

Long-time player and coach Irish Mike Ryan passed away on July 7th.  A catcher for the Phillies between 1968 and 1973, he made his mark as a long-time and popular Phillies coach following his playing days.   Ryan was a coach for the club between 1980 and 1995, and that tenure is second only in length to his long-time friend and teammate John Vukovich.  Ryan is the only coach in franchise history to coach for the club in three World Series - 1980, 1983 and 1993.

* * *

We've enjoyed watching the intrasquad games the team has thankfully decided to broadcast over the past several nights.  The Blue Phillies (wearing white jerseys) have taken on the Red Phillies (wearing red jerseys) at Citizens Bank Park with nary a fan in the stands, coaches playing defense in the later innings and a few players donning face masks throughout the games.  Batters have batted out of order and have occasionally switched teams mid-game to get additional at-bats.  Innings have had anywhere from two to six outs per inning, and everyone seems to be having fun.  It was a little jarring at first to see the shots of the empty blue seats, but I'm grateful to be watching Phillies baseball again.  The team will play one more intrasquad game tonight and then take on the Nationals, Orioles and Yankees for three straight nights beginning on Saturday in exhibition action.

2020 Chachi Almost #4

Camp Head Count:  52 - 2 - 1 + 2 - 2 = 49.  I don't even really know any more, to be honest.  When Summer Camp opened on July 3rd, by my unofficial tally there were 52 players suited up and eligible to participate.  Since then, there have been a few more roster moves that seem to amount to nothing more than paper being pushed around.  On July 13th, the Phillies optioned right-handed pitchers Enyel De Los Santos and Robert Stock to Lehigh Valley.  Both are still in camp and both have appeared in recent intrasquad games, so their removal from the roster was procedural only.

In a move that was more than just procedural, right-handed pitcher Bud Norris was released on July 16th.  Norris has been out of baseball since 2018 but was brought to spring training back in February as a non-roster invitee.  In 4 spring training games before the pandemic, Norris pitched 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks.

Also on July 16th, left-handed pitcher Austin Davis and catcher Rafael Marchan were added to the Phillies Player Pool, only to be immediately placed on the 10-day injured list with what the team described as medical conditions.  The Phillies will open the abbreviated 2020 season on July 24th with a 30-man roster.

1985 All-Star Game - Virgil Robbed of MVP Honors

1986 Donruss All-Stars #26

1986 Donruss All-Stars #29

National League 6, American League 1
All-Star Game - Tuesday Night, July 16th in Minneapolis

One Sentence Summary:  The National League outhit the American League to win the 1985 All-Star Game, 6-1.

What It Means:  The senior circuit was at the tail-end of its dominance in 1985.  Beginning in 1986, the American League would win (or tie) 20 of the next 25 All-Star Games.  (I originally wrote about this All-Star game in a post from 2010.)


What Happened:  In his first All-Star Game appearance, catcher Ozzie Virgil was one of the stars of the game.  In the top of the fifth, Virgil singled off Bert Blyleven to score Darryl Strawberry and Tim Wallach, giving the National League a 4-1 lead.  The N.L. would go on to win, 6-1.  Virgil entered the game in the bottom of the fourth, replacing starting catcher Terry Kennedy, and he caught Nolan Ryan for three scoreless innings.  Virgil would make the squad again in 1987, this time as a member of the Braves.

Outfielder Glenn Wilson was also named to the National League team, replacing an injured Pedro Guerrero on the roster.  Wilson pinch-hit for Jeff Reardon in the top of the ninth, striking out against Willie Hernandez.  Ironically enough, Hernandez, the 1984 A.L. Cy Young and MVP, had been shipped to the Tigers by the Phillies in the deal that brought Wilson and John Wockenfuss to Philadelphia in March 1984.

From a non-Phillies perspective, LaMarr Hoyt got the win with Jack Morris on the losing side.  Hoyt's performance (3 innings, two hits, 1 unearned run) earned him the game's MVP honors, and looking back the award could have just as easily gone to Virgil or Ryan.  Every starter for the American League, with the exception of second baseman Lou Whitaker, was ultimately elected into the Hall of Fame.  Only Tony Gwynn and Ozzie Smith from the N.L. starting line-up have been elected into the Hall as of this writing.

Harmon Killebrew and Sandy Koufax were named honorary captains of each team, as both had competed at the prior All-Star Game held in Minnesota back in 1965.

Featured Cards:  Virgil and Wilson were included within the 1986 Donruss All-Stars set released almost a year after this game.  By the time I added these cards to my collection, Virgil had been traded to the Braves (in December 1985) with Pete Smith for Steve Bedrosian and Milt Thompson.


1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

Memory Lane

1985 All-Star Game - N.L. 6, A.L. 1 in Minneapolis
From 1996 - Attending the All-Star Game at The Vet
From 2009 - All-Star Game memories
2010 All-Star Game - N.L. 3, A.L. 1 in Anaheim
2011 All-Star Game - N.L. 5, A.L. 1 in Phoenix
2012 All-Star Game - N.L. 8, A.L. 0 in Kansas City
2013 All-Star Game - A.L. 3, N.L. 0 in Flushing
2014 All-Star Game - A.L. 5, N.L. 3 in Minneapolis

2015 All-Star Game - A.L. 6, N.L. 3 in Cincinnati
2016 All-Star Game - A.L. 4, N.L. 2 in San Diego
2017 All-Star Game - A.L. 2, N.L. 1 in Miami
2018 All-Star Game - A.L. 8, N.L. 6 (10) in Washington
2019 All-Star Game - A.L. 4, N.L. 3 in Cleveland
2020 All-Star Game - Cancelled, COVID-19 Pandemic

1985 Game 86 - 1985 Topps Glossy All-Stars #23 Mike Schmidt

Braves 12, Phillies 3
Game 86 - Sunday Afternoon, July 14th in Atlanta
Record - 37-49, 5th Place, 15 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies slunk into the All-Star break having lost five in a row, including this 12-3 loss to the Braves.

What It Means:  This should do it for my look back at the Phillies' 1985 season.  Unless pandemic conditions worsen, or something unforeseen happens in the coming weeks, the 2020 Phillies are set to open their abbreviated season on July 24th against the Marlins.  They'll play three exhibition games before that against the Nationals, Orioles and Yankees beginning July 18th.

I'm preparing a post summarizing the 1985 All-Star Game, and then I'll travel 35 years back to the future in a return to covering live baseball.  The 1985 Phillies were an incredibly flawed team, but I've genuinely enjoyed going back and looking at their first 86 games.  I started this exercise as a daily diversion in April once the 2020 regular season was postponed, and as a 20 to 30 minute break each day, allowing me to hide from the current sorry state of affairs.

What Happened:  Manager John Felske must not have believed in position players pitching, as Kevin Gross (6 innings, 8 runs) and Dave Rucker (2 innings, 4 runs) shouldered the entire load against the Braves.  The Phillies offense went down relatively quietly.  Von Hayes singled home a run in the third.  Tim Corcoran drove in a pair of runs without a hit, grounding out in the second to score  Glenn Wilson and hitting a sacrifice fly in the sixth.  Mike Schmidt went 1 for 4 and ended the first half with his average up to .242.

Following the game, Wilson and Ozzie Virgil headed to Minneapolis for the 56th mid-summer classic.

Featured Card:  Schmidt and I bid a fond farewell to the 1985 season, and we're hopeful for a short and successful 2020 campaign for the Phils!

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 85 - 1985 Topps #379 Charles Hudson

Braves 13, Phillies 5
Game 85 - Saturday Night, July 13th in Atlanta
Record - 37-48, 5th Place, 14 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Braves destroyed Phillies starter Charles Hudson, scoring nine runs in the first two innings, en route to a 13-5 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies were ending the first half on a down note.  This was their fourth loss in a row and (spoiler alert) they'd lose again on Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break.

What Happened:  This was Hudson's worst start of the season, and he'd straighten things out for the most part throughout the remainder of the year.  In 1 1/3 innings, he allowed nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits.  A costly error from Steve Jeltz prolonged the first inning.  Hudson would have escaped that inning with the Braves up 1-0 if not for Jeltz's error, and following the gaffe Ken Oberkfell hit a two-run triple followed by an RBI single from Glenn Hubbard.  The big blast in the second inning was a three-run home run from Dale Murphy.

Down 11-0, the Phillies put three runs on the board in the fifth on a Von Hayes RBI double, followed by RBI singles from Glenn Wilson and Bo Diaz.  Mike Schmidt hit an eighth inning solo home run, his 11th of the season.

Featured Card:  Hudson stuck around with the Phillies through their 1986 season, and following that season he was traded to the Yankees with minor leaguer Jeff Knox for Tom Barrett and Mike Easler.

Also on this date back in 1985, the Live Aid concert was held in London and Philadelphia.


1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 84 - 1985 Donruss #66 Dale Murphy

Braves 7, Phillies 4
Game 84 - Friday Night, July 12th in Atlanta
Record - 37-47, 5th Place, 13 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Braves scored five times in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a painful 7-5 win over the free-falling Phillies.

What It Means:  If you thought the prior day's walk-off win from the Braves was tough to take, this one was even worse.

What Happened:  Manager John Felske must have had little to no faith in any of his relievers other than Kent Tekulve, Don Carman and Larry Andersen.  Andersen was the victim for the second night in a row, surrendering the winning three-run home run to Dale Murphy as the Braves walked it off.  Felske used all three of his top relievers in the inning in an attempt to record three outs.  Tekulve, who had recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning, departed in the ninth with one out and runners on second and third.  Carman entered and induced a ground out that scored a run, but then walked the next batter to put Braves runners at the corners with two outs.

Andersen entered and Ramirez, who had singled off him in the prior game, singled again to tie this game at 4-4.  Murphy then hit his blast for the win.

Shane Rawley pitched well in his start, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits in 7 1/3 innings. The Phillies scored their four runs off Braves starter Steve Bedrosian, with Ozzie Virgil connecting for a two-run single in the fourth that would give the Phillies a 3-2 lead.

Featured Card:  Murphy would join the Phillies five years and a few weeks after this game when he was acquired with Tommy Greene for Jeff Parrett, Jim Vatcher and Victor Rosario on August 3, 1990.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 83 - 1985 Fleer #244 Larry Andersen

Braves 3, Phillies 2
Game 83 - Thursday Night, July 11th in Atlanta
Record - 37-46, 5th Place, 13 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Braves scored a run in each of the final three innings, ultimately walking off with the 3-2 win when Rafael Ramirez singled home the winning run off Larry Andersen.

What It Means:  This was another tough loss and it handed John Denny another no decision.

What Happened:  Denny went 7 2/3 innings, and left with the Phillies holding a slim 2-1 lead.  Don Carman relieved him and the reliever's troubles continued as he allowed a single to Ken Oberkfell to tie the game.  Andersen came on in the ninth and allowed a lead-off double to Rick Cerone.  Milt Thompson ran for Cerone and ultimately came around to score on Ramirez's winning hit.  Both Ramirez and Oberkfell had three hits a piece for the Braves.

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the third when Juan Samuel led off with a home run off Braves' starter Zane Smith.  Their second run came home when Glenn Wilson singled in Von Hayes in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie.

Featured Card:  Andersen had been one of the Phillies' top relievers in 1984, and he struggled at times throughout the 1985 season.  His next successful year with the team would come in 1993 during his second stint in Philadelphia, as he was part of the crew that inexplicably won the National League pennant against the Braves.  Thompson, who scored the winning run in this game, and Andersen would go on to be teammates on that '93 squad.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 82 - 1985 Fleer #364 Dickie Thon

Astros 10, Phillies 0
Game 82 - Wednesday Night, July 10th in Houston
Record - 37-45, 5th Place, 12 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  Avoiding the sweep, the Astros unloaded on the Phillies both at the plate and with a complete game shutout from Mike Scott in this 10-0 drubbing.

What It Means:  The Phillies limped out of Houston and flew to Atlanta following this game for a four-game set with the Braves to conclude the first half of the season.  The wheels were about to come off for the team as they headed into the second half of the 1985 season on a low note.

What Happened:  Yikes.  Koosman didn't retire a batter in the first inning, facing six batters and leaving with his team trailing 4-0.  Reliever Rocky Childress wouldn't fare much better, giving up an inherited runner tagged to Koosman and then four more runs of his own in his four innings of work.  Koosman's ERA went from 2.73 to 3.45 following this outing.  Scott allowed four hits and struck out seven on the way to improving his record to 8-4.  (USA Today apparently had a misprint in this boxscore, showing Scott's record at 7-4.)

Jose Cruz sealed the win with a bases clearing triple in the first inning.  Bill Doran also had a pair of RBIs along with a pair of doubles.

Featured Card:  Future Phillie Dickie Thon added an RBI-double in the fifth, greeting new reliever Dave Rucker.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 81 - 1985 Topps Stickers #369 Juan Samuel

Phillies 5, Astros 3
Game 81 - Tuesday Night, July 9th in Houston
Record - 37-44, 5th Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies rode a five-run fourth inning to an eventual 5-3 win over Bob Knepper and the Astros.

What It Means:  As discussed in yesterday's game summary post, my family would have completely missed watching these games as we were enjoying our vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia.  I remained focused on collecting boxscores for each Phillies game, dutifully clipping this one from The Virginia Pilot.

What Happened:  There was no score after three innings when the Phillies offense came to life.  In quick succession - Rich Schu led off with a double, Glenn Wilson singled, Mike Schmidt singled scoring Schu, Garry Maddox singled scoring Wilson, Bo Diaz doubled scoring Schmidt, Luis Aguayo was intentionally walked to load the bases, Juan Samuel singled scoring Diaz and Aguayo after pitcher Kevin Gross had grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Maddox at home.

Gross earned the win, lasting 6 2/3 innings and giving up two runs on six hits.  He was pulled in the seventh after walking Jose Cruz with the bases loaded.  Don Carman continued his struggles, allowing another Astros run, before Kent Tekulve was called upon to record the game's final out and record his eighth save.

Featured Card:  Samuel had the big hit in the fourth, plating two runs.  He also stole his 29th base following his hit as a rattled Knepper probably wasn't paying much attention to him.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 80 - 1985 Topps #454 Glenn Wilson

Phillies 7, Astros 4
Game 80 - Monday Night, July 8th in Houston
Record - 36-44, 5th Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies unloaded for 20 hits inside the Astrodome, defeating the Astros, 7-4.

What It Means:  The source of this game's box score in my 1985 Phillies Scrapbook caught my interest as I indicate I clipped it from The Richmond Times.  Enlisting the help of my Mom, and asking her to go back through old family photo albums, we confirmed our family was on vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia while the Phillies were taking on the Astros in Houston.  My parents worked hard so that we could have one vacation a summer, and I have great memories of the few trips we took down to Virginia to visit Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.

What Happened:  This was more of a blow-out than the final score indicates, as the Phillies led 7-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth.  Don Carman had a rare rough outing, allowing three Astros runs to score before Kent Tekulve came on to lock down the save.  Charles Hudson had another effective start, allowing a run on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings while striking out seven.  Mark Knudson was the sacrificial pitching lamb for the Astros, giving up 14 hits and seven runs in his seven-inning outing.

Other than an RBI-triple from Mike Schmidt in the third, every other Phillies run came from a single or a force out.  Von Hayes, Glenn Wilson and Ozzie Virgil all had three hits, with Wilson also driving in three runs.

Featured Card:  I seem to remember Wilson usually doing well against the Astros, his home state team.  With the All-Star Game coming up, Wilson would be a late addition to the National League roster, replacing the injured Pedro Guerrero.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 79 - 1985 Fleer #535 Tom Foley

Reds 3, Phillies 2 (10 Innings)
Game 79 - Sunday Afternoon, July 7th in Philadelphia
Record - 35-44, 5th Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The bullpen duo of Don Carman and Kent Tekulve faltered as the Reds came from behind to win this game in extra innings, 3-2.

What It Means:  It was free family cooler day at The Vet, and over 32,000 fans went home with a new Phillies cooler after this loss.

What Happened:  Shane Rawley left the game after seven innings with the Phillies holding a slim 2-1 lead.  He had allowed a run on seven hits while striking out six, and unfortunately he was on his way to a no decision.  The Phillies had pushed across their two runs on an RBI-single from Greg Gross in the fifth, and in the seventh on an RBI-single from Juan Samuel.

Don Carman allowed the Reds to tie the game in the eighth after Dave Parker tripled and came home on a Tony Perez single.  Kent Tekulve surrendered a solo home run to Cesar Cedeno in the 10th sending the Reds to the victory.

Featured Card:  Researching the Phillies' 1985 season, I was very surprised to see the team made zero roster moves that July.  That's unheard of in today's game, where roster moves happen seemingly every week.  The Phillies placed Steve Carlton on the disabled list on June 21st and recalled reliever Rocky Childress.  For the next 40 games, the roster was set with the players shown below, and the transaction-less streak was broken when the club traded Bo Diaz to the Reds on August 7th for Tom Foley, Alan Knicely and (eventually) Fred Toliver.

Also unheard of today, the Phillies carried only 10 pitchers, but three catchers, throughout the month of July.  And the most surprising factoid of all?  14 of the team's opening day roster of 25 made it through the entire season, on the active roster for all 162 games.  I've shown those 14 players below in red.

Starting pitchers (5) - John Denny, Kevin Gross, Charles Hudson, Jerry Koosman, Shane Rawley
Relief pitchers (5) - Larry Andersen, Don Carman, Rocky Childress, Dave Rucker, Kent Tekulve
Catchers (3) - Bo Diaz, Ozzie Virgil, John Wockenfuss
Infielders (7) - Luis Aguayo, Tim Corcoran, Steve Jeltz, Juan Samuel, Mike Schmidt, Rick Schu, Derrel Thomas
Outfielders (5) - Greg Gross, Von Hayes, Garry Maddox, John Russell, Glenn Wilson
Disabled List (3) - Steve Carlton, Darren Daulton, Joe Lefebvre

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 78 - 1985 Donruss #641 Pete Rose

Reds 4, Phillies 2
Game 78 - Saturday Night, July 6th in Philadelphia
Record - 35-43, 5th Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  Pete Rose and Dave Parker keyed a two-run rally for the Reds in the third ultimately leading to a 4-2 win over the Phillies.

What It Means:  I'm reminded here of a feature in the box scores from The Sporting News that I really appreciated.  I remember noticing for the first time these box scores included multiple position listings if a player had moved positions during the game.  It's a small thing, but if not for these box scores I wouldn't have known Steve Jeltz pinch ran and then stayed in the game to play shortstop.  Similarly, I wouldn't have known Max Venable started for the Reds in center field but at some point moved over to left.  Again, not major stuff here, but I remember thinking at 11 years old this was pretty cool.

What Happened:  With the game tied at one entering the third, Venable doubled and came home on a Rose single.  Rose went to second on the throw home and scored when Parker singled him home.  John Denny pitched well, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings, but he was saddled with the loss dropping him to 5-7.  Only Garry Maddox had multiple hits for the Phillies, as their offense went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

I found the highlights from the game on YouTube from ESPN's Sports Center broadcast, embedded below.  (I'm not sure why the screen shot uses the Phillies logo introduced in 1992.)

Featured Card:  As shown in the clip below, Rose still had a habit of losing his helmet when rounding third and heading home.  His baseball cards were still a fairly hot collectible back in 1985.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 77 - 1985 Tastykake Phillies #15 Don Carman

Phillies 5, Reds 2
Game 77 - Friday Night, July 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 35-42, 5th Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  A four-run 7th inning, capped by a two-run home run from John Russell gave the Phillies a 5-2 come from behind win against the Reds.

What It Means:  The Phillies continued to play good baseball and they were now only seven games below an even .500.  However, the team would continue to take almost equal steps forward and backward throughout July, ultimately finishing the month nine games below .500 and 15 1/2 games behind the top spot in the division.

What Happened:  Trailing 2-1, the Phillies mounted a four-run rally following the 7th inning stretch.  Mike Schmidt started the seventh with a single off Reds' starter Tom Browning and came home to score and tie the game when Glenn Wilson doubled.  Ozzie Virgil reached on an error by third baseman Nick Esasky, with Wilson scoring in the process.  Russell followed that a few batters later with his two-run home run.  Schmidt had two hits in this game, including a solo home run in the first, and improved his average to .240.

Jerry Koosman pitched well (6 2/3 innings, two runs) but came away with a no decision.  Larry Andersen was the beneficiary of the win with Don Carman recording his third save after two scoreless innings of relief to close out the game.  Carman got pinch-hitter Pete Rose to fly out to right for the final out.

Featured Card:  I feel Carman's performance this season has been often overlooked, so I'll give him the card here.  Following this outing, Carman's ERA was down to 1.76 for the season and he was clearly one of manager John Felske's most reliable relievers.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 76 - 1985 Cigna Phillies #14 Kevin Gross

Phillies 3, Reds 1
Game 76 - Thursday Afternoon, July 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 34-42, 5th Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  Kevin Gross limited the Reds to three hits in his complete game, as the Phillies won on Independence Day, 3-1.

What It Means:  The Phils were playing pretty good baseball, and at almost the mid-point of the season they were only eight games under .500.  Unfortunately, they continued to look up at the much better Mets, Cubs, Expos and Cardinals in the N.L. East.

What Happened:  Gross evened his record at 7-7 and lowered his ERA below three at 2.99 with this performance.  He allowed one run on three hits while striking out four.  The Phillies scored quickly off Reds starter Mario Soto with two solo home runs in the first from Juan Samuel and Von Hayes.  Ozzie Virgil completed the scoring with another solo home run off Soto in the sixth.

Pete Rose went 0 for 3, and recounts the game in the summary below from his Countdown to Cobb book.

Featured Card:  After some inconsistent starts, Gross was emerging as one of the stronger pitchers in the Phillies starting rotation.  This was his second complete game in a row and he was 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA over his last three starts.  In the book excerpt below, after Rose recounts his visit to the racetrack for a little innocent betting (ahem), the Reds manager lumps Gross in the same category with the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 75 - 2010 Topps National Chicle #253 Ryne Sandberg

Cubs 4, Phillies 3
Game 75 - Wednesday Night, July 3rd in Philadelphia
Record - 33-42, 5th Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  Phillies closer Kent Tekulve disappointed a huge fireworks crowd, letting a game against the Cubs get away in a 4-3 loss.

What It Means:  Over 56,000 fans were on hand to see this late inning loss, but hopefully an amazing postgame fireworks show made up for their disappointment.

What Happened:  The Phillies held a 2-1 lead heading to the eighth, with both their runs coming in the fourth.  Von Hayes led off that inning with a solo home run off Cubs' starter Dennis Eckersley and Derrel Thomas later singled home Mike Schmidt.  The usually reliable Kent Tekulve faltered for the Phils, allowing the Cubs to tie the game in the eighth.  Ryne Sandberg walked and went to third on a Davey Lopes single.  Sandberg came home on a Keith Moreland sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies retook the lead when Ozzie Virgil singled home Hayes.  But Tekulve couldn't get the final three outs in the ninth, allowing singles to Thad Bosley and Billy Hatcher before Sandberg's double scored the tying and eventual winning runs.

Charles Hudson's efforts were for naught, as he had pitched seven innings allowing a run on eight hits.  This was Tekulve's fifth blown save of the season.

Featured Card:  Sandberg was coming off his 1984 N.L. MVP campaign, and he continued to haunt his former team.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

Summer Camp Opens Today; Play Ball?

2020 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day #OD-276

Today is the day the Phillies open Spring Training II, or Summer Camp as it's being officially marketed by MLB.  The team will train at Citizens Bank Park and nearby FDR Park in Philadelphia over the next several weeks, with the possibility of up to three exhibition games.  There's already some drama surrounding the club's return, as they placed four players mysteriously on the injured list yesterday with no explanation and apparently the list was made public accidentally.  Matt Gelb recounts the transaction snafu in an article for The Athletic.  To sum up the situation, the players have landed on the new COVID-19 injured list but that list was intended to stay private.  Someone input the transactions into MLB's database and the team's official website was updated showing the moves.  As of this writing, the moves are still publicly disclosed here.

2019 Choice Williamsport
Crosscutters #22

Camp Head Count:  53 + 3 - 4 = 52.  Tommy Hunter (rhp), Hector Neris (rhp), Ranger Suarez (lhp) and Scott Kingery (2b) were subtracted from the official camp head count, landing on the COVID-19 list.  This doesn't mean they necessarily have contracted the virus, but that they've been exposed to it or they are exhibiting symptoms.  In any event, the Phillies could be without their closer (Neris) and everyday second baseman (Kingery) if the season actually begins at the end of July.

Gelb also reported the Phillies had released and then re-signed pitcher Anthony Swarwak, who had been a non-roster invitee in Clearwater. Swarwak increased the Player Pool to 54 before the removal of the four players yesterday.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, it was announced catchers Henri Lartigue and Logan O'Hoppe had been added to the Player Pool, bringing the official count to 52 players in camp.  Lartigue had been a non-roster invitee earlier in the spring and O'Hoppe was a 23rd round pick by the Phillies in the 2018 draft.  He played for the Williamsport Crosscutters last season.  Up until adding these two catchers, the Phillies had only three catchers in camp.

1985 Game 74 - 1985 Fleer #263 Shane Rawley

Phillies 11, Cubs 2
Game 74 - Tuesday Night, July 2nd in Philadelphia
Record - 33-41, 5th Place, 11 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  After a quiet game the day before, the Phillies offense exploded for 11 runs on 12 hits in this 11-2 walloping of Rick Sutcliffe and the Cubs.

What It Means:  Sutcliffe came back down to earth following his 1984 Cy Young Award winning performance.  Still, it's impressive he was able to battle through five innings after the Phillies had quickly scored four in the first.  He departed having allowed seven runs on eight hits, including a pair of home runs.

What Happened:  The home runs allowed came from Glenn Wilson in the first with three on (not surprising) and Derrel Thomas in the fifth with one on (surprising).  Greg Gross kept the scoring going after Sutcliffe departed, with an RBI-triple in the sixth off former teammate Warren Brusstar.  Steve Jeltz added a two-run triple in the eighth.  I'm curious as to why Jeltz was in the game at that point.  The official record shows he entered the game as a defensive replacement for Thomas in the sixth right after Thomas had hit his home run.  Was Jeltz really that much of a defensive upgrade over Thomas, or had Thomas perhaps hurt himself rounding the bases?

Ozzie Virgil quietly scored twice and added two hits to improve his average to .282.

Featured Card:  Shane Rawley pitched his first complete game of the season, giving up two runs on eight hits.  As the beneficiary of the offensive outburst, Rawley evened his record at 6-6.

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index

1985 Game 73 - 1985 Fleer #630 Mike Schmidt & Ryne Sandberg

Cubs 3, Phillies 1
Game 73 - Monday Night, July 1st in Philadelphia
Record - 32-41, 5th Place, 11 games behind the Cardinals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense went quiet against Cubs pitchers Ray Fontenot and Lee Smith as the Cubs prevailed, 3-1.

What It Means:  This was the game Mike Schmidt took the field pre-game wearing his disguise of a long wig and sunglasses.  Schmidt had made very unflattering comments about the Phillies' fanbase during the team's trip to Montreal.

What Happened:  The Phillies line-up had eight singles and went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.  Only Schmidt had multiple hits and the lone run came in the second on a Steve Jeltz ground-out back to the pitcher.  Ozzie Virgil broke for home as Fontenot threw to second for the force, and the Phillies' scoring was over for the day.

John Denny pitched well for the Phillies, lasting seven innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits.  The Cubs line-up was once again littered with former Phillies, with Ryne Sandberg (2b), Gary Matthews (lf), Richie Hebner (3b) and Larry Bowa (ss).  Bob Dernier was on the disabled list and missed this series.

Featured Card:  Schmidt would pick it up in the second half, after he had attempted to clear the air with the Phillies' fans.  The first half MVPs for the club were Virgil, Glenn Wilson and Juan Samuel on the offensive side with Von Hayes also having a steady, but not great, year.  The Phillies received surprisingly consistent starting pitching in the first half from Kevin Gross, Denny, Steve Carlton and Jerry Koosman.  Don Carman and Kent Tekulve were the club's top relievers through June.

June 1985 Leaders
Games:  Juan Samuel, Mike Schmidt and Glenn Wilson - 27
Average:  Greg Gross - .324
Runs:  Juan Samuel - 19
Home Runs:  Ozzie Virgil - 4
RBIs:  Glenn Wilson - 24
Stolen Bases:  Juan Samuel - 9

Games:  Larry Andersen and Don Carman - 13
Wins:  John Denny and Kevin Gross - 3
Innings Pitched:  Kevin Gross 39 1/3
ERA:  Jerry Koosman - 1.48
Strikeouts:  John Denny - 29
Saves:  Kent Tekulve - 4

Cumulative Season Leaders - 1st Half
Games:  Juan Samuel and Glenn Wilson - 86
Average:  Ozzie Virgil - .285
Runs:  Juan Samuel - 55
Home Runs:  Mike Schmidt and Ozzie Virgil - 11
RBIs:  Glenn Wilson - 61
Stolen Bases:  Juan Samuel - 30

Games:  Don Carman - 42
Wins:  Kevin Gross - 8
Innings Pitched:  John Denny - 129 2/3
ERA:  Steve Carlton - 2.43
Strikeouts:  Kevin Gross - 83
Saves:  Kent Tekulve - 8

1985 Virtual Phillies Wall / 1985 Season Summary Index