2010 04 09 - Phillies Home Opener v Miami Marlins

This one didn't go as well as the O's opener on Friday.  Weather wasn't as good, no long wkend to look forward to afterward, and the Phils lost.  The Phillies Offensive sputtered once again on Monday as they only managed 2 runs which occurred late in the game as the Phils fell 6-2 to the rebranded Miami Marlins. 

Snapshots

Austin Kearns Home Run Trot (click to enlarge)

The Marlins pretty much owned the day so we open with one of their new players.  

Starting Lineups Anthem and the Big Flag.

Cole Hamels

Wasn't Cole's day, nor the Phils.  But it was still a good day.  Bad day at the ballpark is better than most any day in the office.  Go Phils!

More Swag from White Sox Cards

Steve also sent over some UD Documentary cards.

2008 UD Documentary #PHI108 Chase Utley
2008 UD Documentary #WAS108 Austin Kearns


I am the only person on earth collecting UD-Doc. But I am only collecting the two dozen or so cards that are related to games I saw during the 2008 season. Since this set is so large, finding individual cards is the equivalent of finding needles in a haystack. As you know each card is related to a specific game during the 2008 season - Of course each game features two teams, therefore each contest also has two cards.

I do have a dealer that is a regular at my mall card shows that will often have a couple of the Phils versions of UD-Doc. But he understandably doesn't carry the cards that feature the team the Phils faced during a given game.

Special Thanks to Steve who was able to find a couple of the cards from the opposing teams including the Nats one above.

These cards represent a game from July 31st 2008. Often we plan a baseball related activity for my Birthday which happens to be on July 31st. In 08 the Phils were at the Nats new Stadium in DC which provided a great opportunity to catch a Phils road game with relatively little travel.

The Phils won the game and the series easily. Several pictures for the 2009 and 2010 Phungo Card set were taken during this birthday trip to Washington. Like many of these Birthday Baseball Trips it was hot and muggy but it was very enjoyable.

back to the cards...

Never mind the fact that the Card represent a Nats home game, but the card pictures the Nats playing an away game at the Metrodome. The Utley card is in deed an away game for the Phils and could possibly be in Washington, could also be Cincinnati or a variety of other venues I am sure. For both teams the game is #108. The backs do seem to mesh up. UD got some information on the Washington card wrong (on the right). Orr played Shortstop for the Nats that day. Nice job Upper Dreck.


2008 UD Documentary #PHI108 Chase Utley (b-side)
2008 UD Documentary #WAS108 Austin Kearns (b-side)

Go Nats!

2007 Fleer #7 Ryan Zimmerman
2007 Allen & Ginter #3 Austin Kearns
2008 Topps (ser 2) #562 Ronnie Belliard (Gold 282/2008)

What a difference a weekend makes? This has been the Phils entire season. one week they are on life support the next they are right in there with the leaders. The Mets, Brewers, Phillies and now Houston are all incomplete teams and this is keeping one of them from running away with this race.

This all brings us to today's cards. What do the Nats have to do with this playoff chase. Well tonight they host the Mets for the first of four games. If John Lannan does well on the mound tonight, I may partially forgive him for break Utley's hand with an inside pitch last year.

Go Nats!

Plus - Sweeping a critical series late in the year.

Minus - The final game of the sweep was not televised locally because of ESPN's exclusive rights to Sunday Night. ESPN carried the Chisox - Tigers game.

Shenanigans - Astros really get the short end of the stick playing in Milwaukee during hurricane Ike. Not only do the Astros lose the home games, but they end up playing in Milwaukee, which can look like a Cubs home game even when they are playing the Brewers.

But hey the Cubs faitful who made the trek up to Milwaukee were sure rewarded getting to witnees Carlos Zambrano toss that no-hitter. Out of curiosity was that game even on broadcast TV in Chicago - or were they blacked out like us in Philadelphia? The only Highlights I have seen were off the Astros network.

BlogBlogBlog - Fielder's Choice has a fine report on a recent trip to Fenway Park. Also the Nennth Inning has a report on a trip to PetCo and some succesfful autograph hunting.