2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #27 Aaron Nola

Braves 2, Phillies 1
Game 150 - Sunday Afternoon, September 20th in Atlanta
Record - 56-94, 5th Place, 29 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The offense continue to sputter out, wasting another fine pitching performance from Aaron Nola in their latest 2-1 loss.

What It Means:  The Braves swept the Phillies in this series, winning all three games by a score of 2-1.   The Phillies are proving themselves to be the worst team in baseball, and they now have a four game lead on the Braves for the #1 pick in the June 2016 amateur player draft.

What Happened:  Nola allowed a run on five hits in his seven innings of work.  The run should have been unearned, but the official scorer curiously decided to award a double to Michael Bourn on a ball that Freddy Galvis clearly just booted.  Odubel Herrera was benched in the fourth after throwing his bat and not running out a fly ball out.

Featured Card:  I'm running out of 2015 Nola baseball cards to feature, which is a good thing as the young pitcher could be shut down for the remainder of the season following his next start against the Nationals.  This is his card from the team issued photo card set, which I included back in this post but I never "officially" featured.  Please consider the card officially featured.

2015 Choice Round Rock Express #6 Jerad Eickhoff

Braves 2, Phillies 1
Game 149 - Saturday Night, September 19th in Atlanta
Record - 56-93, 5th Place, 28 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Jerome Williams couldn't keep the Braves off the board in the 8th, and a fine pitching performance from Jerad Eickhoff was wasted in this 2-1 loss.

What It Means:  Just when I thought the Phillies had perhaps found another potential bullpen arm for 2016, Williams blows it.

What Happened:  Eickhoff pitched seven strong shutout innings, allowing just five hits.  Williams gave up the crucial hits in the eighth, but the offense is equally to blame for this loss as they managed only three hits.  Darnell Sweeney went 0 for 4 to lower his average to .161 and couldn't track down the fly ball that ultimately led to the Braves winning run.

Featured Card:  As far as I can tell, here is the complete Eickhoff baseball card checklist to date:

• 2012 Multi-Ad Hickory Crawdads #19
• 2013 Choice Myrtle Beach Pelicans #14
• 2014 Choice Frisco Roughriders #8
• 2015 Choice Round Rock Express #6

Given Eickhoff's great performance in this game, I'm stooping to using an image found in an eBay auction, and not an actual card I own, to give the young rookie the featured card in this post. Hopefully I won't have to resort to such desperate measures next season.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #7 Jim Kern

#37
James Lester Kern
Relief Pitcher

Over 30 years ago when I read in the transaction column of our newspaper that the Phillies hadJim Kern, I knew exactly what Kern looked like thanks to his many fantastic baseball cards. Kern had been a three-time All-Star with the Indians and Rangers in the late 1970s, and I had long admired his colorful baseball cards, some featuring him with a semi-maniacal grin.

signed pitcher

Kern was signed by the Phillies on June 3rd, the day after they placed Tug McGraw on the 21-day disabled list with shoulder soreness.  The hirsute righty reliever had been unemployed since being released by the White Sox on March 1st.

With the Phillies, Kern appeared in eight games, allowing 15 earned runs on 20 hits and 11 walks in 13 1/3 innings for a 10.13 ERA.  If you remove his dreadful first appearance (see box score), his Phillies stats become slightly more respectable - 6.57 ERA, 13 hits and 9 runs in 12 1/3 innings.  When McGraw was activated from the disabled list on July 27th, the Phis released Kern.

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'5"  Weight:  185
Born:  March 15, 1949, Gladwin, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent, September 4, 1967
Major League Teams:  Clevelad Indians 1974-1978, Texas Rangers 1979-1981, Cincinnati Reds 1982, Chicago White Sox 1982-1983, Phillies 1984, Milwaukee Brewers 1984-1985, Cleveland Indians 1986
Professional Affiliations:  Clevelad Indians 1968-1978, Texas Rangers 1979-1981, Cincinnati Reds 1982, Chicago White Sox 1982-1983, Phillies 1984, Milwaukee Brewers 1984-1985, Cleveland Indians 1986

Phillies Career
8 games, 0-1, 10.13 ERA in 13 1/3 innings
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Chicago White Sox, June 3, 1984
Debut:  June 10, 1984 - Entered in the 12th inning of a 5-5 game against the Pirates and allowed 7 runs on 7 hits in the loss
Final Game:  July 20, 1984
Departed:  Released, July 27, 1984, and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on August 8, 1984

1975 Topps #621

1979 Topps #573

1983 Donruss #355

1983 Fleer #240

0 Kern Baseball Cards in My Collection
First Card:  N/A
Last Card:  N/A

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1975 Topps #621 (with John Denny, Rawley Eastwick and Juan Veintidos)
First Topps Base Card:  1975 Topps #621
Last Mainstream Card:  1983 Topps #772
Other Notable Cards:  1979 Topps #573, 1981 Topps #197, 1982 Donruss #89, 1982 Topps #463

Sources:  Thanks to Friend O' the Blog Steve F. for the photo of Kern from a 1984 Phillies program! Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

This is a continuing series looking at those players who spent time with the Phillies but possess no baseball card proof of their time in Philadelphia.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #20 Adam Morgan

Braves 2, Phillies 1
Game 148 - Friday Night, September 18th in Atlanta
Record - 56-92, 5th Place, 28 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Adam Morgan pitched well in this 2-1 loss to the Braves, and the offense had chances to take the lead in 6th, 7th and 9th innings but couldn't get the job done.

What It Means:  With 14 games remaining, the Phillies will need to go 7-7 to avoid a 100 loss season.  They've won 7 of their last 25 games entering tonight's game.

What Happened:  Morgan gave his team a chance to win by allowing just two runs over his six innings of work.  Cameron Rupp hit a solo home run in the second.  The offense went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Featured Card:  A 2016 rotation spot is likely Morgan's to lose.  The rookie pitcher is a prime candidate for inclusion in the upcoming Topps Update set and he's one of the cards I would have loved to have seen in a third Phillies team issued set.  Both of his 2015 baseball cards to date can be found within the Lehigh Valley IronPigs team sets.

Phillies at Braves: September 18th to September 20th

Friday 7:35, Saturday 7:10 and Sunday 1:35
Turner Field - Atlanta, GA

Phillies 56-91, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 27 1/2 games behind the Mets
Braves 57-90, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 26 1/2 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (5-6, 4.60), Jared Eickhoff (1-3, 3.90), Aaron Nola (6-2, 4.11)
Braves Probables:  Williams Perez (5-6, 5.36), Ryan Weber (0-1, 4.38), Julio Teheran (10-7, 4.34)

At the Ballpark:  It's Zombie Night at Turner Field tonight, which is honestly not a commentary on the teams playing but an actual promotion.  Sunday is a Bark in the Park day and there will be a pre-game autograph session with Gene Garber, Charlie Leibrandt and Wes Helms in the Braves Fan Plaza.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .296+
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 59
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 23
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 77
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 19+

Wins:  Ken Giles and Aaron Nola - 6*
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 5.04
Strikeouts:  Aaron Harang - 101*
Saves:  Ken Giles - 13^

Braves Leaders
Average:  Nick Markakis - .296
Runs:  Nick Markakis - 65
Home Runs:  Freddie Freeman - 16
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman - 56
Stolen Bases:  Cameron Maybin - 21

Wins:  Julio Teheran - 10
ERA:  Shelby Miller - 3.00
Strikeouts:  Shelby Miller - 159
Saves:  Jason Grilli - 24

1985 Topps #129

+Ben Revere, now with the Blue Jays, is the overall team leader with a .298 average and 24 stolen bases.
*Cole Hamels, now with the Rangers, is the overall team leader with 6 wins (tied) and 137 strikeouts.
^Jonathan Papelbon, now with the Nationals, is the overall team leader with 17 saves.

1985 Topps Appreciation:  Perhaps the autograph seekers heading to the Alumni Sunday autograph signing will choose to have Garber's 1985 Topps card signed.  Garber was a successful closer for the Phillies during his time with the club from 1974 to 1978, but he found his greatest career success during his ten seasons with the Braves.

In need of a starting pitcher in 1978, and with a glut of bullpen arms, the Phillies dealt Garber to the Braves on June 15th of that year for starting pitcher Dick Ruthven. Garber relinquished his Braves closer role in 1985 to the newly acquired Bruce Sutter.

Phillies Missing Links of the 1980s - #6 Steve Comer

#44
Steven Michael Comer
Starting/Relief Pitcher

Flipping through a 1983 Phillies program at some point in the mid-1980s, I did a double take when I came across a photo and biography for pitcher Steve Comer.  "He was with the Phillies?" I remember actually saying out loud.  In the days before the internet or my meticulously maintained Phillies Scrapbooks (which I began in 1984), Comer had completely slipped through my Phillies radar.

Comer was released by the Mariners organization in mid-June 1983 and signed with the Phillies a week later.  He pitched decently enough for the Portland Beavers to earn a call-up on August 29th to start the second game of a double header against the Padres.  Comer earned the win in that game and he would then languish in the bullpen before logging two relief appearances with the Phils in early October.  Left off the postseason roster, Comer nevertheless received a N.L. Champions ring from the club.

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  195
Born:  January 13, 1954, Minneapolis, MN
Signed:  Signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent, July 10, 1976
Major League Teams:  Texas Rangers 1978-1982, Phillies 1983, Cleveland Indians 1984
Professional Affiliations:  Texas Rangers 1976-1982, Seattle Mariners 1983, Phillies 1983, Cleveland Indians 1984, Phillies 1985

Phillies Career
3 games, 1-0, 5.19 ERA in 8 2/3 innings pitched
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Seattle Mariners organization, June 22, 1983.
Debut:  August 29, 1983 (Game 2) - Started and pitched 6 innings, allowing seven hits and walking two.
Final Game:  October 2, 1983
Departed:  Granted free agency on December 21, 1983, and signed with the Cleveland Indians, January 19, 1984.

Comer signed with the Phillies again on May 15, 1985.  He appeared in 19 games for the Triple-A Portland Beavers before calling it a career.

1979 Topps #463

1983 Donruss #163

1983 Topps #353

1985 Topps #788

3 Comer Baseball Card in My Collection
First Card:  1983 Donruss #163
Last Card:  1983 Topps #353

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1979 Topps #463
First Topps Base Card:  1979 Topps #463
Last Mainstream Card:  1985 Topps #788
Other Notable Cards:  1981 Topps #592, 1982 Donruss #341, 1983 Fleer #564

Sources:  Baseball Reference, SABR and The Trading Card Database

This is a continuing series looking at those players who spent time with the Phillies but possess no baseball card proof of their time in Philadelphia.  I will make my way through the decade of the 1980s first and then work my way forward.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

1995 Leaf #325 Charlie Hayes

Nationals 12, Phillies 2
Game 147 - Wednesday Night, September 16th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-91, 5th Place, 27 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Nationals offense left no Phillies pitcher unscathed in this 12-2 lashing.

What It Means:  The Nationals completed the three-game sweep.  The Braves and Phillies will battle it out for last place in the East beginning tomorrow night.

What Happened:  Rookie starting pitcher Alec Asher endured his fourth rough outing, dropping his record to 0-4 and raising his ERA to 9.78.  The Phillies struck out 13 times.

Featured Card:  As Todd Zolecki Tweeted, the Phillies have struck out 13 or more times in three consecutive games for the first time since 1915.  Jim Salisbury followed that up by pointing out that the 42 strikeouts by the Phillies offense in this series were the most ever over a three-game series, breaking the record of 38 set by the 1995 club.

Charlie Hayes, who led the 1995 club with 88 strikeouts, no doubt contributed to the now broken record.

2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #4 Andres Blanco

Nationals 4, Phillies 0
Game 146 - Tuesday Night, September 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-90, 5th Place, 27 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Stephen Strasburg dominated the Phillies line-up, allowing just one hit in the easy 4-0 Nationals win.

What It Means:  I'm officially ready for this season to end.

What Happened:  David Buchanan lowered his ERA to 8.49 by allowing only two runs in his six innings of work.  Cody Asche had the sole hit for the Phillies.

Featured Card:  Andres Blanco batted clean-up in this game, marking the first time in his big league career in that spot in the line-up.  I've read and heard a lot this season about Blanco's veteran leadership in the clubhouse (along with Jeff Francoeur's.)  He's been one of the team's top hitters while playing all four infield positions whenever needed.  I haven't had a chance to feature either of Blanco's two Phillies cards yet this season, and this non-eventful loss to the Nationals gives me the chance to show Blanco a little Phillies Room appreciation for his role this year on the team.

2015 Topps #481 Freddy Galvis

Nationals 8, Phillies 7 (11 Innings)
Game 145 - Monday Night, September 14th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-89, 5th Place, 27 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies battled back (posted up) four times in this game, but the Nationals ultimately prevailed in 11 innings, 8-7.

What It Means:  Sure the Phillies lost this one, but Freddy Galvis hitting a solo home run off Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon in the bottom of the 10th was a great moment.  It was Papelbon's first blown save of the year in his first appearance against his former team.

What Happened:  Jayson Werth hit two home runs, including a fifth inning grand slam off Aaron Nola and a tie-breaking solo home run in the 10th.  Ryan Howard (23), Cody Asche (9) and Galvis (7) all homered for the Phillies.  Dalier Hinojosa and Luis Garcia couldn't keep the Nationals off the board in 10th and 11th innings.

Featured Card:  Galvis gets the card for his heroics against one of the most unpopular ex-Phillies in recent memory.

Virtual Phillies Wall Update:  In what will most likely be the final roster move of the regular season, infielder Cesar Hernandez was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a dislocated thumb and infielder Chase d'Arnaud was recalled from Lehigh Valley.  d'Arnaud is card #67 in this year's jam-packed Chachi set.

2015 Chachi #67 Chase d'Arnaud

#2

Chase Jonathan d'Arnaud

Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  205

Born:  January 21, 1987, Torrance, CA

Home:  Long Beach, CA

Drafted:  Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of the June 2008 draft

Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 2011-2012, 2014; Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent, November 13, 2014

2011 Topps Update #US297

2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #6

2 d'Arnaud Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #6
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  2015 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #8

First Topps Base Card:  2011 Topps Update #US297
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #67

d'Arnaud Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/14/15.

Nationals at Phillies: September 14th to September 16th

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

Nationals 72-70, 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets
Phillies 56-88, Tied for 4th Place in the N.L. East, 26 1/2 games behind the Mets

Nationals Probables:  Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.32), Stephen Strasburg (8-7, 4.30), Gio Gonzalez (10-7, 3.88)
Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.56), David Buchanan (2-8, 9.11), Adam Morgan (5-6, 4.60)

At the Ballpark:  There are theme nights galore during this series, but otherwise no special giveaways.

Nationals Leaders
Average:  Bryce Harper - .333
Runs:  Bryce Harper - 104
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 36
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 85
Stolen Bases:  Michael Taylor - 15

Wins:  Max Scherzer and Jordan Zimmermann - 12
ERA:  Max Scherzer - 2.91
Strikeouts:  Max Scherzer - 231
Saves:  Drew Storen - 29

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .299
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 59
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 22
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 76
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 19+

Wins:  Ken Giles and Aaron Nola - 6*
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 5.04
Strikeouts:  Aaron Harang - 101*
Saves:  Ken Giles - 13^

+Ben Revere, now with the Blue Jays, is the overall team leader with 24 stolen bases.
*Cole Hamels, now with the Rangers, is the overall team leader with 6 wins (tied) and 137 strikeouts.
^Jonathan Papelbon, now with the Nationals, is the overall team leader with 17 saves.

2014 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #2 Aaron Altherr

Phillies 7, Cubs 4
Game 144 - Sunday Afternoon, September 13th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-88, Tied for 4th Place, 26 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The bats of Aaron Altherr and Ryan Howard led to the 7-4 wins over the Cubs on a cool, overcast Sunday afternoon.

What It Means:  The Phillies ended up with a four-game series split after dropping both ends of Friday night's double header.  The Nationals, who appear to be on life support, come to town for three games beginning tonight.

What Happened:  Altherr tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a wild pitch. Howard homered (his 22nd) and drove in three runs.  Freddy Galvis had three hits and added a big two-run double in the eighth while Brian Bogusevic made two fantastic plays in right field.  Dalier Hinojosa pitched a scoreless seventh inning, earning his first Major League victory.

Cesar Hernandez collided with the Cubs Anthony Rizzo on a play, dislocating his thumb.  With the injury, his season could be over.

Featured Card:  I'm fresh out of Altherr's 2015 baseball card, so here's his lone 2014 baseball card (in my collection) from the Reading Fightin Phils team set.

2015 Topps #420 Cody Asche

Phillies 7, Cubs 5
Game 143 - Saturday Night, September 12th in Philadelphia
Record - 55-88, 5th Place, 26 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Cody Asche hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth leading to the dramatic 7-5 win for the Phillies.

What It Means:  Somehow, I now have a winning record (7-6) in Phillies games I've attended this season.

What Happened:  The Phillies plated five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-1 lead only to have the bullpen allow four runs to the Cubs in the top of the eighth.  Asche's walk-off brought a joyful close to a long night.

Featured Card/Field Report:  Doug and I went to this game together and despite the 50 minute rain delay at the outset of the game, we really enjoyed ourselves.  We spent the car ride home trying to figure out who should receive the featured card for this post.  We had a few different options:

• Jared Eickhoff - Pitched seven strong innings and allowed a run on just three hits while striking out eight.
• Ryan Howard - Pinch-hit for Darin Ruf in the seventh and smashed the first pitch he saw to right for an RBI single, tying up the game at 1-1.
• Darnell Sweeney - Walked with the bases loaded in the seventh to send in the go-ahead run.
• Cesar Hernandez - Laced a three-run double a batter later to give the Phils a 5-1 lead.

In the end though, we decided Asche was the most deserving of the featured card given his game-winning heroics.

In case you're wondering . . . It appears as if no new team-issued photo card set will appear in 2015. The vendor who we spoke with mentioned the Aaron Nola "update" card had been inserted to the Series 2 sets (now available for $3) but that no other new cards would be released this season.  I may pick up another set for $3 just to double check.

2015 Bowman Inception Prospect Autographs #PA-JT Jake Thompson

Cubs 7, Phillies 3 (Game 2)
Game 142 - Friday Night, September 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-88, 5th Place, 26 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies only had 5 hits in the nightcap of the double header and starting pitcher Alec Asher struggled again in the 7-3 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies are a season low 34 games under .500.  With 20 games remaining, they'll need to go 9-11 to avoid a one hundred loss season.

What Happened:  Asher was chased after five innings having allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks.  Ryan Howard doubled in the seventh to break an 0 for 35 slump.

Featured Card:  While one former Rangers farmhand (Asher) struggled, another former Rangers farmhand (Jake Thompson) was excelling on the mound.  Thompson, acquired from the Rangers along with Asher and four other players for Cole Hamels, pitched a three-hit shutout in the Double-A playoffs on Friday night.  I don't actively collect non-Phillies baseball cards of players who have yet to actually play for the Phillies, but I couldn't resist adding this autographed card to my collection.

I do believe this is the first season in a while where I'm anxious for the season to end just so we can start daydreaming about the possibilities of next season.

2015 Donruss #21 Ryan Howard

Cubs 5, Phillies 1 (Game 1)
Game 141 - Friday Afternoon, September 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-87

One Sentence Summary:  The last place Phillies ran into the Jake Arrieta buzzsaw as the Cubs downed the Phillies, 5-1.

What It Means:  Due to the rain-out on Thursday night, the Phillies played their first home single-admission double header since September 3, 2006.  Shane Victorino had a walk-off single in the first game against the Braves that day.

What Happened:  Arrieta won his 19th game and lowered his ERA to 1.99.  His sole blemish was a solo home run allowed to Aaron Altherr (his third) in the second inning.

Featured Card:  The struggling Ryan Howard, not quite a Diamond King this year, broke out of an 0 for 35 slump in the second game of this double header.  It was the longest hitless streak for a Phillies player since Raul Ibanez also went 0 for 35 in 2011.

2015 Chachi #66 Ken Roberts

#62

Kenneth Elwin Roberts

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200

Born:  March 9, 1988, Murfreesboro, TN

Drafted:  Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 25th round of the June 2010 draft

Teams:  Colorado Rockies 2015, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Claimed off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, August 30, 2015

0 Roberts Baseball Cards in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #66

Roberts Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

N/A

Cards and game statistics through 9/13/15.

2002 Topps #359 United We Stand: Braves-Phillies

This post was originally published in February 2013.

I went back through my 2001 and 2002 Topps sets while putting together the recently published 2001 Topps Phillies post and the (hopefully) soon to be published 2002 Topps Phillies post.  In my opinion, one of the best subsets Topps has ever included within its flagship set is the 8-card "America: United We Stand" subset featuring iconic images from the first baseball games following the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Found in series one of the 2002 Topps set, the cards served as a poignant reminder of how much baseball meant to our country (and selfishly me) following the attacks.  I didn't remember this until looking up the set's entry at BaseballCardPedia.com, but the cards were in packs of series one as early as November 2001.

Members of the 2001 Phillies team are featured on card #359, standing solemnly along the first base line at Veterans Stadium, listening to the National Anthem prior to their game against the Braves on September 17th.  A few years ago, when scanning the card for an old post, I really started to look at the players featured on the card and I realized they had probably never been properly identified.  There are 11 Phillies players featured in profile on the card - some of which who would never have a proper Topps card or a proper Phillies baseball card.

Using the team's 2002 Media Guide and 2001 transactions listing, I pieced together the active Phillies roster as of September 17, 2001.  With the recent roster expansions, the Phillies were carrying 32 active players with two more players on the disabled list.  I tried to find video of the pre-game ceremony on-line, to no avail.  So based on my recollection of the team at the time, I think the players featured on the card are as follows, from left to right:

1.  Eddie Oropesa
2.  P.J. Forbes (not Nick Punto as originally believed - see update below)
3.  David Coggin
4.  Doug Nickle - I wasn't sure about this one, but according to Baseball Reference, Nickle's height is 6'4", the same height as Coggin who is standing next to him.
5.  Turk Wendell (not Jose Santiago as originally believed - see update below)
6.  Felipe Crespo - Crespo was acquired from the Giants in late July.  This marks his first and only appearance as a Phillie on a baseball card.
7.  Randy Wolf - I remember Wolf dyed his hair a garish blonde for some inexplicable reason during the summer of 2001.
8.  Brian L. Hunter
9.  Eric Valent
10.  Rheal Cormier
11.  Perhaps Jimmy Rollins?  This one is just too hard to tell.  (UPDATE - I'm going with Steve F. in thinking that this is actually Bobby Abreu.)

Granted, the identification of these players is something that might only be interesting to me but I'm glad I can now (mostly) identify the Phillies featured on one of the more meaningful baseball cards Topps has ever produced.

UPDATE - Back in April, I received an e-mail from former Phillies pitcher Doug Nickle who confirmed it was indeed him in the photo standing next to David Coggin.  Doug was kind enough to point out that the players to either side of him are P.J. Forbes (and not Nick Punto) and Turk Wendell (not Jose Santiago).  According to the team's 2002 Media Guide, Forbes had his contract purchased from Scranton on September 17th, prior to the this game.  I've updated the listing above to reflect this information.

Thanks again Doug for the e-mail and I'm happy there's now an official record of the Phillies appearing on this important baseball card.

1993 Fleer Ultra #83 Ruben Amaro, Jr.

Braves 8, Phillies 1
Game 140 - Wednesday Night, September 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-86, 5th Place, 24 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies went quietly into the night in the latest lopsided loss of the lost 2015 season, dropping this game to Julio Teheran and the Braves, 8-1.

What It Means:  With the Phillies loss and the Mets win, the Phillies were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

What Happened:  David Buchanan returned to the rotation and was absolutely crushed - 4 runs on 10 hits and 3 walks in 3 1/3 innings.  Ken Roberts and Nefi Ogando made their Phillies debuts out of the bullpen and both allowed a pair of Braves runs in their initial outings.

Featured Card:  I'm late in posting this game summary, which gives me the opportunity for a few brief comments on the departure of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.  Amaro was relieved of his duties today and the team's search for a new general manager will begin immediately.

Amaro's demise was ultimately brought on by his inability to field a winning team over the past three seasons.  Ironically enough, just like Ed Wade before him, if the Phillies go on to find success in the near-term, it will be the players Amaro drafted and recently traded for that will form the nucleus of the next wave of playoff caliber baseball in Philadelphia.

It was definitely time for Amaro to go though and I'm anxious to see what comes next.

Cubs at Phillies: September 10th to September 13th

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

Cubs 80-58, 3rd Place in the N.L. Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Cardinals
Phillies 54-86, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 24 1/2 games behind the Mets

Cubs Probables:  Jake Arrieta (18-6, 2.03), Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.08), Dan Haren (9-9, 4.78), Hammel (8-6, 3.59)
Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (5-5, 4.42), Alec Asher (0-2, 10.61), Jared Eickhoff (1-3, 4.70), Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.02)

At the Ballpark:  On Friday night, all fans 15 and over will receive a Phillies knit hat.  On Sunday afternoon, all kids receive the Phanatic's latest DVD entitled The Phillie Phanatic's One-Man Band. I'll think I'll just wait for it to come to Netflix.

Cubs Leaders
Average:  Anthony Rizzo - .285
Runs:  Dexter Fowler - 90
Home Runs:  Anthony Rizzo - 29
RBIs:  Anthony Rizzo - 88
Stolen Bases:  Dexter Fowler - 17

Wins:  Jake Arrieta - 18
ERA:  Jake Arrieta - 2.03
Strikeouts:  Jake Arrieta - 197
Saves:  Hector Rondon - 27

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .300
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera - 57
Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 21
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 72
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 19+

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6*
ERA:  Aaron Harang - 5.02*
Strikeouts:  Aaron Harang - 96*
Saves:  Ken Giles - 12^

+Ben Revere, now with the Blue Jays, is the overall team leader with 24 stolen bases.
*Cole Hamels, now with the Rangers, is the overall team leader with 6 wins (tied), 3.64 ERA and 137 strikeouts
^Jonathan Papelbon, now with the Nationals, is the overall team leader with 17 saves.

1985 Topps #98

1985 Topps #39

1985 Topps Appreciation:  When these two teams first met up in July, I featured eight cards of players who appeared with the Cubs in the 1985 Topps set who had previously spent time with the Phillies.  I don't have anything nearly as interesting planned this time around, although two cards of two underrated back-up catchers who spent time with the Phillies is certainly interesting to me.

Any time I get the chance to feature a baseball card of Phillies Room favorite Johnny Wockenfuss, I'm taking it.  And this Steve Lake baseball card contains no clue of the future cardboard greatness Lake, and his exotic pet bird Ruffles, would one day attain.  We had no idea.

2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #10 Aaron Nola

Phillies 5, Braves 0
Game 139 - Tuesday Night, September 8th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-85

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola halted the Phillies five-game losing streak with an impressive seven inning outing against the Braves in a 5-0 victory.

What It Means:  It means with 6 wins, Nola is now tied for the team lead in victories with Cole Hamels.  Keep in mind Nola made his Major League debut on July 21st.

What Happened:  Nola allowed six hits in his seven innings of work while striking out seven.  Luis Garcia and Ken Giles helped preserve the shutout.  The relievers were afforded a nice cushion thanks to a three-run home from Odubel Herrera in the eighth.

Featured Card:  The Eastern League play-offs begin tonight with the Reading Fightin Phils taking on the Binghampton Mets.  Nola began his season with seven wins in 12 starts for the Fightin Phils, and this is his card from their team set.

Virtual Phillies Wall Updates:  The Lehigh Valley IronPigs season came to a close and the Phillies added three more pitchers to their stable - starting pitcher David Buchanan, along with relievers Nefi Ogando and Ken Roberts.  Roberts spent the bulk of this season with the Rockies, and he'll receive a Chachi card once a photo shows up of him in a Phillies uniform.