2018 Chachi #49 Aaron Loup

#47
Aaron Christopher Loup
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  210
Opening Day Age:  30
Born:  December 19, 1987, Raceland, LA
Drafted:  Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 9th round of the 2009 amateur draft, June 9, 2009
Teams:  Toronto Blue Jays 2012-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack, July 31, 2018

2015 Topps #369

2018 Topps Blue Jays #TJ-16

1 Loup Baseball Card in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps #369
First Card:  2018 Topps Blue Jays #TJ-16
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  August 1, 2018 - On Tuesday afternoon, in a flurry of activity leading up to the 4pm non-waiver trade deadline, the Phillies acquired All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos from the Rays and lefty reliever Aaron Loup from the Blue Jays.  The moves capped an impressive week of transactions for the club, as they added two veteran bats (Ramos and Asdrubal Cabrera) and a veteran bullpen arm without subtracting anyone from their Major League roster or dealing any top prospects . . .

I’m genuinely concerned with my dwindling knowledge of current baseball players given that Loup has appeared in 369 games for the Blue Jays since 2012 and yet I’ve never heard of him.  A true left-handed specialist, Loup amassed 318 2/3 inning pitched in those 369 career appearances.  So far this season, he has a 4.54 ERA over 50 games.  He’s also a free agent following this season, and the Phillies gave up Triple-A pitcher Jacob Waguespack for him.  Loup has a card in the 2015 Topps set as well as the 2018 Topps Blue Jays retail team set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #49

Card statistics through 8/17/18.

Game 121 - 2018 Topps Big League Ministers of Mash #MI-5 Rhys Hoskins

Phillies 9, Mets 6 (Game 2)
Game 121 - Thursday Night, August 16th in Philadelphia
Record - 67-54, 2nd place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Home runs from Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery paced the Phillies to this much-needed 9-6 win over the Mets.

What It Means:  As ugly as Game 1 was, this was a therapeutic win and it landed the Phils just a game and a half behind the Braves in the division.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin got off to a shaky start, allowing two runs in the first.  Hoskins hit an absolute bomb of a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 1st off the left field foul pole to give the Phillies the lead for good.  Three more runs were added in the 2nd thanks in part to great baserunning from Roman Quinn and Cesar Hernandez.

Featured Card:  Topps Big League is a welcome addition to the baseball card landscape this year, offering a lower-price alternative to the flagship set and featuring a generous selection of players from each team.  This card is from the Ministers of Mash insert set found within packs of Topps Big League.

Transaction:  Between games of the double header, starting pitcher Eflin was added as the 26th man, Ranger Suarez was optioned back to the IronPigs and Yacksel Rios was added to the bullpen.

Game 120 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #24 Roman Quinn

Mets 24, Phillies 4 (Game 1)
Game 120 - Thursday Afternoon, August 16th in Philadelphia
Record - 66-54, 2nd place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies suffered their most embarrassing loss of the year, using two position players to pitch in the process, as the Mets demolished them 24-4.

What It Means:  Yikes.  Let's move on.

What Happened:  The Phillies received solo home runs from Rhys Hoskins (24), Maikel Franco (20), Nick Williams (17) and Jorge Alfaro (8) before everything went sideways.  The Mets plated 10 runs in the 5th inning.  Starting pitcher Ranger Suarez allowed 8 runs (4 earned) on 11 hits in his shortened four-inning outing.  Mark Leiter, Jr. allowed 7 runs in his 1 inning of work, but thanks to errors from Alfaro and Hoskins, all the runs were unearned.  This is all after Maikel Franco had committed two earlier errors.  It was ugly.

Featured Card:  The Phillies waved the white flag in the 7th inning with Roman Quinn and Scott Kingery "pitching" the final three innings.  Their combined pitching line - 3 innings, 10 hits, 9 runs, 2 walks and a wild pitch.

Transactions:  Both Austin Davis (low back tightness) and Aaron Loup (left forearm strain) landed on the disabled list with the Phillies recalling Suarez and Leiter, Jr. from the IronPigs.

Game 119 - 2018 Topps #476 Wilson Ramos

Phillies 7, Red Sox 4
Game 119 - Wednesday Night, August 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 66-53, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Wilson Ramos made an impressive Phillies debut, hitting a pair of doubles and a triple while driving in 3 runs as the Phils downed the Red Sox, 7-4.

What It Means:  The Braves also won, so the Phils kept pace with the new division leaders remaining two games behind.

What Happened:  The offense showed signs of life with 12 hits as both Justin Bour and Nick Williams enjoyed multi-hit games.  The bullpen also deserves some credit for this win, as seven relievers filled in nicely after Vince Velasquez exited following just 2 1/2 innings.  Hector Neris recorded two big outs in the 3rd, Adam Morgan pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Seranthony Dominguez recorded the last four outs of the game to earn his 13th save.

Featured Card:  Ramos received a Topps Now card for his debut performance, but until I have that card in hand this is one of only two cards of his currently in my 2018 Phillies binder.

Transaction:  Andrew Knapp was optioned down to Lehigh Valley for a few weeks and Ramos was activated from the disabled list.

Series Preview - Mets at Phillies: August 16th to August 19th

1978 Topps #565

1978 Topps #235

Thursday Double Header 4:05, Friday 6:05, Saturday 4:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Sunday 7:10
BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field - Williamsport, PA

Mets 51-67, 4th place in the N.L. East, 16 1/2 games behind the Braves
Phillies 66-53, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 2 games behind the Braves

Mets Probables:  Corey Oswalt (1-2, 5.03), Steven Matz (5-9, 4.35), Noah Syndergaard (8-2, 3.22), Jacob deGrom (7-7, 1.81), Jason Vargas (2-8, 8.10)
Phillies Probables:  Ranger Suarez (1-0, 7.20), Zach Eflin (8-4, 3.57), Aaron Nola (13-3, 2.28), Jake Arrieta (9-7, 3.33), Nick Pivetta (7-9, 4.37)

At the Ballpark:  The band Old Dominion will perform a post-game concert on Friday night and on
Saturday all kids will receive a Jake Arrieta nickname t-shirt with his "Snake" nickname across the back.  On Sunday night, the two teams will face off in the second annual Little League classic in Williamsport, PA

Mets Leaders
Average:  Asdrubal Cabrera - .277
Runs:  Brandon Nimmo - 65
Home Runs:  Asdrubal Cabrera - 18
RBIs:  Asdrubal Cabrera - 58
Stolen Bases:  Amed Rosario - 13

Wins:  Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler - 8
ERA:  Jacob deGrom - 1.81
Strikeouts:  Jacbo deGrom - 195
Saves:  Jeurys Familia - 17

So the current Mets Triple Crown leader is also the current shortstop for the Phillies.  Neat.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Maikel Franco - .277
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 73
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 23
RBIs:  Rhys Hoskins - 73
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 14

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 13
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.28
Strikeouts:  Nick Pivetta - 153
Saves:  Seranthony Dominguez - 13

Game 118 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #43 Nick Pivetta

Red Sox 2, Phillies 1
Game 118 - Tuesday Night, August 14th in Philadelphia
Record - 65-53, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies line-up produced two hits and Brock Holt launched a pinch-hit home run in the 8th off Tommy Hunter resulting in a 2-1 loss.

What It Means:  The lack of help from the Marlins, a Braves four game win streak, along with the Phillies dropping five of their last seven means the Phillies find themselves in second place for the first time since the 4th of July.

What Happened:  Nick Pivetta made one big mistake - a pitch low and inside to Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon that resulted in a solo home run to right-center and the game's first run.  Rhys Hoskins countered with his 23rd home run in the 5th.  Pivetta lasted six innings, allowing just the one run on three hits while striking out six.  The team's only other hit was an Odubel Herrera single in the 5th.

Featured Card:  Pivetta signed his team-issued photo card for me at June's Phillies Phestival.

Transactions:  J.P. Crawford was sent back to Lehigh Valley prior to the game and the re-invigorated Hector Neris was recalled to help in the bullpen.  The recently designated Jake Thompson was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations.  Thompson never lived up to his potential following his acquisition in July 2015 from the Rangers as part of the Cole Hamels deal.  In 30 games with the Phillies, Thompson went 7-8 with a 4.87 ERA.  He leaves behind a massive amount of Phillies baseball cards as Topps was intent on including him within every set released in 2017, and the Chachi cards listed below.

Ironically enough, the Brewers made room for Thompson on their 40-man roster by designating Alec Asher for assignment.  Asher was one of the other pitchers acquired from the Rangers in the same Hamels deal.

Arrived During the 2018 Season

2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #44

Trevor Plouffe (4/23/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization.
Asdrubal Cabrera (7/27/18) - Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome.
Wilson Ramos (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash.
Aaron Loup (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack.
Justin Bour (8/10/18) - Acquired with cash from the Miami Marlins for McKenzie Mills.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zac Curtis (7/31/18) - Designated for assingnment and claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, 8/7/18.
Jake Thompson (8/14/18) - Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations.

Thompson Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #54
2016 Chachi #56 HL - Strikes out 4 in one inning
2016 Chachi Fan Appreciation Day #4
2017 Chachi #41
2018 Chachi #18

Field Report:  Doug and I attended this game, and I believe the game marks a milestone as it was Doug's first game staying in his seat from start to finish.  Granted, the quick pace of the game helped but it was also the first time Doug remembers seeing the ballpark relatively full and somewhat loud.

We had a bunch of Red Sox fans in our section and other than the inning-long discussion taking place in the row behind us about "what is the Phillie Phanatic," the visiting fans seemed mostly well-behaved.

"Unreleased" Team Issued Photo Cards for 2008 Alumni

Fellow collector Rick recently informed me that the Phillies produced 20 new Alumni Photo Cards for the express purpose of having them available for returning members of the 2008 World Championship team to sign at a potential pre-game autograph event last Sunday during Alumni Weekend.  For whatever reason, the planned autograph event was significantly curtailed with only Eric Bruntlett and Pedro Feliz stationed at one sole table for fans.

For the sake of completion, I'm going to add these cards to the checklist post found here, but I'll note that these cards should be considered unreleased and are generally unavailable to the collecting public.  I've tried contacting the Phillies to see if any extras of these cards could possibly be released into the wild, only to be met with dead ends.  Either the cards have already been destroyed (unlikely) or they've been stashed away in a closet within Citizens Bank Park for some future potential signings.

New Cards of 2008 Alumni

Mick Billmeyer CO Joe Blanton Eric Bruntlett Clay Condrey Roly deArmas CO

Greg Dobbs Rich Dubee CO Chad Durbin Pat Gillick GM Ryan Howard

Kyle Kendrick Jerry Martin CO Jamie Moyer Brett Myers Jimmy Rollins

J.C. Romero Carlos Ruiz Milt Thompson CO Shane Victorino Jayson Werth

In addition to these 20 new cards, here's a list of previously released Alumni Photo Cards featuring members of the 2008 team and the copyright dates on the cards.  The cards above for Eyre and Feliz were available prior to Alumni Weekend, but signed by both on Saturday night as detailed in this post.

• Pat Burrell (2008) - red pinstripes
• Pat Burrell (2012) - cream alternate uniform
• Scott Eyre (2011)
• Pedro Feliz (2009)
• Geoff Jenkins (2014)
• Brad Lidge (2014)
• Charlie Manuel MG (2011) - red pullover
• Charlie Manuel MG (2017) - red pinstripes
• Matt Stairs (2011)

Series Preview - Red Sox at Phillies: August 14th to August 15th

1978 Topps #642

1978 Topps #52

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

Red Sox 85-35, 1st place in the A.L. East, 10 games ahead of the Yankees
Phillies 65-52, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Braves

Red Sox Probables:  Brian Johnson (3-3, 3.95), Rick Porcello (14-5, 4.17)
Phillies Probables:  Nick Pivetta (7-9, 4.51), Vince Velasquez (8-9, 3.98)

At the Ballpark:  Graphic designer Todd Radom will be signing copies of his book, Winning Ugly, from 6pm to 7pm before Wednesday's game at the Phillies Authentics stand behind Section 111.

Red Sox Leaders
Average:  Mookie Betts - .350
Runs:  Mookie Betts - 99
Home Runs:  J.D. Martinez - 37
RBIs:  J.D. Martinez - 104
Stolen Bases:  Mookie Betts - 23

Wins:  Rick Porcello - 14
ERA:  Chris Sale - 1.97
Strikeouts:  Chris Sale - 219
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 35

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Maikel Franco - .279
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 73
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 22
RBIs:  Rhys Hoskins - 72
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 14

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 13
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.28
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 149
Saves:  Seranthony Dominguez - 12

Game 117 - 2017 Topps Now #417 Freddy Galvis

Padres 9, Phillies 3
Game 117 - Sunday Afternoon, August 12th in San Diego
Record - 65-52, Tied for 1st place, 5 games ahead of the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Freddy Galvis hit his first career grand slam off Jake Arrieta in the 3rd and it was all downhill from there.

What It Means:  As Jim Salisbury summarized in his Tweet, the Phillies went 2-4 on this road trip scoring just 15 runs.  They were on their way to a third shutout until scoring three runs in the 8th inning of this game.  The Phillies will face off against the best team in baseball at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night.

What Happened:  Arrieta struggled through five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.  The team looked sloppy in the field, committing two official errors, but making many more mental mistakes and minor miscues.  Nick Williams and Carlos Santana hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the 8th.

Featured Card:  Galvis continued to punish his former team, going 2 for 4 in this game with 1 of the 6 stolen bases against Phillies catchers.

Game 116 - 2018 Topps Big League #386 Cesar Hernandez

Phillies 5, Padres 1
Game 116 - Saturday Night, August 11th in San Diego
Record - 65-51, 1st place, 1 game ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 7 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  The offense plated five runs to avoid being shut out for the third straight game in this 5-1 win over the last place Padres.

What It Means:  The Braves lost to the Brewers, putting the Phillies back into sole possession of first place.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola earned his 13th win, allowing just four hits in his six innings of work.  Nick Williams started the scoring with a first inning triple, and was driven in himself by a double from Asdrubal Cabrera.  Maikel Franco (19) and Cesar Hernandez (10) added home runs in the winning effort.

Featured Card:  Hernandez's home run set a career high and the second baseman has been a steady presence all season at the top of the order and at second base.

Transaction:  In a bit of roster gymnastics, Zach Eflin was optioned to Lehigh Valley and Justin Bour was added to the active roster.  Eflin can be added to the roster as the 26th man for the upcoming double header with the Mets, and another move will be needed once his spot in the rotation comes around again.

Field Report:  We returned on Sunday afternoon after a week-long visit to the Happiest Place on Earth.  While there were several Friendly Encounters throughout the week, perhaps my favorite was this rare sighting of Big Al from the Country Bear Jamboree.

2018 Chachi Friendly Encounters #12

Game 115 - Phils Shutout Again; Acquire Bour from Fish

Padres 2, Phillies 0
Game 115 - Late Friday Night, August 10th in San Diego
Record - 64-51, Tied for 1st place, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Nationals

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 6 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies couldn't figure out Padres starting pitcher Jacob Nix, making his Major League debut, as the offense was shut out for the second game in a row.

What It Means:  The loss dropped the team back into a tie for first with the Braves.

What Happened:  Nix pitched six scoreless innings, bettering Zach Eflin who allowed two runs in his six innings of work.  The Phillies offense produced 8 singles and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Featured Cards/Transactions:  In a somewhat unexpected move, the Phillies acquired first baseman Justin Bour (and cash) from the Miami Marlins for minor-league pitcher McKenzie Mills.  Bour, who had been hitting .227 with 19 home runs, is expected to serve as a left-handed bat off the bench during the stretch run.  His baseball cards can be found throughout just about every major 2018 Topps and Panini release.  To make room for Bour on the 40-man roster, pitcher Jake Thompson was designated for assignment.  Hopefully, Thompson clears waivers and ends up back with the IronPigs.

2018 Choice Phillies Top 30
Prosepcts #22

Mills came to the Phillies last July in the deal that sent Howie Kendrick to the Nationals.  He's in the Top 30 Prospects set released by the Reading Fightin Phils this year as card #22.

Finally, the Phillies sent Enyel De Los Santos back down to Lehigh Valley and activated J.P. Crawford from the disabled list.

Arrived During the 2018 Season
Trevor Plouffe (4/23/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization.
Asdrubal Cabrera (7/27/18) - Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome.
Wilson Ramos (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash.
Aaron Loup (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack.
Justin Bour (8/10/18) - Acquired with cash from the Miami Marlins for McKenzie Mills.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zac Curtis (7/31/18) - Designated for assingnment and claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, 8/7/18.

Game 114 - 2015 Phillies Team Issue #63 Jake Diekman

Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 0
Game 114 - Wednesday Afternoon, August 8th in Phoenix
Record - 64-50, 1st place, 1/2 game ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 5 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  Patrick Corbin and a pair of relievers held the sleepy Phillies offense to four hits in this 6-0 loss.

What It Means:  Enjoying a rare afternoon off while staying at the new Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, I was excited to find this game being broadcast on the MLB Network.  My excitement quickly waned and then transformed into an afternoon nap.

What Happened:  Vince Velasquez lasted just four innings, allowing four runs on six hits.  Cesar Hernandez contributed half of the Phillies offensive output with a pair of singles.

Featured Card:  Jake Diekman was rumored to be coming back to the Phillies prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, but instead headed to the Diamondbacks from the Rangers on July 31st.  He was on the mound and contributed the first of two Diamondbacks throwing errors on Tuesday night when Hernandez circled the bases following his bunt.

Game 113 - 2018 Topps Living Set #60 Pat Neshek

Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 2
Game 113 - Late Tuesday Night, August 7th in Phoenix
Record - 64-49, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 4 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies bounced back from their late night, extra-inning loss the night before to down the D-Backs, 5-2.

What It Means:  With the Braves splitting a double header against the Nationals, the Phillies increased their lead in the East to a game and a half.

What Happened:  Pivetta threw six scoreless innings while striking out six.  Nick Williams started the scoring in the 3rd with a solo home run (16).  The Phillies added four insurance runs in the 8th, including a "Little League" home run when Cesar Hernandez bunted back to pitcher Jake Diekman and came all the way around to score on two throwing errors.

Featured Card:  Pat Neshek has quietly done his job all season, and his scoreless 9th inning netted him his 2nd save.  This is his card from the ongoing Topps Living Set, which he's offered to sign to anyone sending it to him with a SASE in care of the Phillies.

2018 Choice Lehigh
Valley IronPigs #7

Transactions:  In need of an extra arm following the 14 inning game on Monday night, the Phillies sent Dylan Cozens to Lehigh Valley and recalled Enyel De Los Santos.  Additionally, reliever Zac Curtis officially left the organization when he was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers.  Curtis is going to join the ranks of the Missing Links as his only Phillies-related baseball card can be found in this year's Lehigh Valley IronPigs team set.

Curtis Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #61
2018 Chachi #34

Arrived During the 2018 Season
Trevor Plouffe (4/23/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization.
Asdrubal Cabrera (7/27/18) - Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome.
Wilson Ramos (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash.
Aaron Loup (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zac Curtis (7/31/18) - Designated for assingnment and claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, 8/7/18.

Game 112 - 2018 Topps National Baseball Card Day SGA #PH-8 Jake Arrieta

Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 2 (14)
Game 112 - Late Monday Night, August 6th in Phoenix
Record - 63-49, 1st place, 1 game ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 3 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  Seranthony Dominguez's blown save in the 9th wasted an outstanding performance from Jake Arrieta as the Diamondbacks eventually won the game in 14 innings, 3-2.

What It Means:  This game falls into the very small population of "games for which I did not see or hear a single live pitch" this season.

What Happened:  Arrieta threw eight scoreless innings, allowing only three hits.  Dominguez recorded only one out in his shaky outing, with David Peralta hitting a home run off him and another home run off Austin Davis in the 14th to win the game.

Featured Card:  Arrieta still gets the card for his performance, and I can only hope this late night loss doesn't come back to haunt the Phillies late in the season.

Game 111 - 2018 The Shlabotnik Report Asdrubal Cabrera (@Shlabotnik_Rpt)

Phillies 5, Marlins 3
Game 111 - Sunday Afternoon, August 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-48, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 2 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  Asdrubal Cabrera broke a 3-3 tie in the 8th with a towering 2-run home run to right, sending the Phillies to a 5-3 win.

What It Means:  Prior to the game, the Phillies celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2008 World Champions with many of the former players and coaches returning to be honored.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola allowed a pair of runs in his six innings of work, and the Marlins tied the game up in the 7th when Justin Bour homered off Seranthony Dominguez.  Cabrera's big hit untied the game in the 8th, and Tommy Hunter pitched a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save.

Featured Card:  I pride myself for my custom card creations, but they're technically more "tributes" than "customs."  I'm borrowing designs from old Topps cards, while the team over at The Shlabotnik Report creates a fresh, new design each year for their truly custom set.  To date, the only Phillies cards for Cabrera (that I'm aware of) are from this year's Chachi set and TSR.  If you're not familiar with the TSR output of truly custom cards, do yourself a favor and head on over there.

2008 Alumni Team Picture - 10th Anniversary

Game 110 - Doug's Big Night of Autographs, The Sequel

Phillies 8, Marlins 3
Game 110 - Saturday Night, August 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 62-48, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 1 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  Four home runs backed another impressive outing from Zach Eflin as the Phils downed the Fish, 8-3.

What It Means:  The win extended the Phillies' lead in the division to a game and a half over the Braves.

What Happened:  Nick Williams (15), Asdrubal Cabrera (19 overall, 1 with the Phillies), Carlos Santana (17) and Cesar Hernandez (9) all homered.  Eflin went eight strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits.

Featured Cards/Field Report:  We were fortunate enough to be able to take two separate vacations this summer and before leaving for vacation #2, Doug and I decided to attend the Phillies Wall of Fame ceremony for the late Roy Halladay and former General Manager Pat Gillick.  We really wanted to witness the ceremony (which was fantastic, as expected) but Doug also wanted to try to get some alumni autographs in the Hall of Fame Club.

It seemed much more crowded than last year (see link below) and Doug wasn't able to wiggle his way to the front of the roped off area outside the suite where the alumni were gathering . . . or so we thought they were gathering.  He just missed getting a Pat Gillick signature and managed autographs from Dickie Noles and Pete Mackanin before frustration and some boredom set in.

That's when I noticed that the players were leaving the suite by another door, mostly unnoticed, and heading down to a different suite.  With most autograph hunters positioned by the first door, the casual fans walking through the Hall of Fame Club didn't notice the alumni leaving by the second door.  But I did.

We stationed ourselves there and Doug was able to top his record from last year by gathering 20 autographs.  Players such as Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre, Pedro Feliz and Eric Bruntlett stood casually in the open while Doug asked them politely for an autograph.  Once other fans saw someone signing something, a slightly bigger crowd gathered.  Some of the returning players and coaches were happy to sign for Doug as long as he walked quickly with them to the second suite down the hall.  Brett Myers, Geoff Jenkins and Jamie Moyer were too quick for me to get pictures, but I managed to get a photo of Moyer from the back, featuring his glorious ponytail.

When the evening was through, Doug had collected autographs from most of the returning alumni, and I've included a legend above of his signed Wall of Fame print for our future reference.  (We're in the process of getting this framed.)  Some of the players/coaches lingered around long enough that he was able to get a second autograph to be included in my collection.  Eyre, Feliz, Rich Dubee and Milt Thompson signed photo cards for Doug along with his Wall of Fame print.  The prize of his collection was Pat Burrell.  Burrell personalized his Wall of Fame print from 2015 and he actually chatted a little with Doug before disappearing.  I don't know if Burrell signed for anyone else.

It was another memorable night, and we'll be back for more next year!  Of course I needed to make a very limited edition insert set to mark the occasion, and those cards are featured here.


Memory Lane - Past Induction Ceremonies/Alumni Weekends

2009 - Harry Kalas

2010 - Darren Daulton

2011 - John Kruk

2012 - Mike Lieberthal

2013 - Curt Schilling

2014 - Charlie Manuel
2015 - Pat Burrell
2016 - Jim Thome
2017 - Tribute to Jim Bunning, Dallas Green and Darren Daulton
2018 - Roy Halladay and Pat Gillick

Phillies Missing Links of the 2000s - #29 Les Walrond

#44
Leslie Dale Walrond
Relief Pitcher

Les Walrond had already been playing professional baseball for 10 seasons, including very brief parts of two seasons with the Royals and Cubs, when the Phillies purchased his contract from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs on August 2nd.  Reliever Rudy Seanez had landed on the disabled list and the Phillies went with the lefty Walrond to fill his spot.  He got knocked around a little in four appearances and was sent back down when Seanez returned.  Walrond was then one a slew of September call-ups for the club but he'd appear in just two more games that season.

Walrond was a 13th round draft pick of the Cardinals and his 15 year odyssey saw him spend time with the Cardinals, Royals, Marlins and Cubs before his six games with the Phillies.  He pitched for two seasons in Japan and Korea in 2009 and 2010 before coming back to the Phillies organization and appearing in 33 games for the Reading Phillies and IronPigs in 2011.

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  November 7, 1976, Muskogee, OK
Drafted:  Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1998 amateur draft, June 2, 1998.
Major League Teams:  Royals 2003; Cubs 2006; Phillies 2008
Professional Affiliations:  St. Louis Cardinals 1998-2003; Kansas City Royals 2003-2004; Florida Marlins 2005; Chicago Cubs 2006-2008; Phillies 2008; Yokohama Bay Stars (Japan) 2009; Doosan Bears (Korea) 2010; Phillies 2011; Lancaster Barnstormers (Independent) 2011-2012; Toronto Blue Jays 2012

Phillies Career

6 games, 10 1/3 innings, 1-1, 6.10 ERA, 13 hits, 9 walks, 12 strikeouts
Acquired:  May 3, 2008 - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Chicago Cubs organization.
Debut:  August 5, 2008 - Relieved Clay Condrey in the 7th inning of a game against the Marlins.  Faced 5 batters, recording a strikeout and then allowing a walk, a wild pitch, another walk and a single to Alfredo Amezaga before he was pulled in favor of Ryan Madson.
Final Game:  September 28, 2008 - Was the winning pitcher the day after the Phillies had clinched the division, relieving Kyle Kendrick in the 5th and pitching 2 scoreless innings.
Departed:  November 4, 2008 - Selected off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays.

2 Walrond Baseball Card in My Collection
2008 Multi-Ad Lehigh Valley IronPigs #24
2011 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #27

Complete Chachi Checklist
2008 Chachi #44
2009 Chachi Transactions #3

2001 Donruss Class of 2001 #127

2006 Topps 52 #28

2008 Multi-Ad Lehigh Valley IronPigs #24

2008 Chachi #44

2011 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #27

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2001 Donruss Class of 2001 #127
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  2006 Topps 52 #28
Other Notable Cards:  2002 Ultra #272, 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man #599, 2006 Upper Deck #1042

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

Phillies Missing Links of the 2000s
1 Kirk Bullinger
2 Chris Pritchett
3 Bryan Ward
4 Mark Holzemer
5 Turner Ward
6 P.J. Forbes
7 Matt Walbeck
8 Kelly Stinnett
9 Valerio de los Santos
10 Josh Hancock
11 Brian Powell
12 Paul Abbott
13 Todd Jones
14 A.J. Hinch
15 Ramon Martinez
16 Matt Kata
17 Aquilino Lopez
18 Adam Bernero
19 Jose Hernandez
20 Randall Simon
21 Anderson Garcia
22 Russell Branyan
23 John Ennis
24 Kane Davis
25 Pete LaForest
26 T.J. Bohn
27 R.J. Swindle
28 Mike Cervenak
29 Les Walrond

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.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.