1984 Topps #210 Joe Morgan1984 Fleer #27 John Denny
When I was a kid I was always fond of the 1983 team - despite having moved on from baseball to other popular teenage pursuits like girls and cars I found time for the 83 Phillies. I grew up in south central Pennsylvania which had divided loyalties in the early 80s. They were the Phillies and the Orioles, in 1983 the two teams met in the I-95 World Series.
The Phils took game one 2-1 behind the 5 hit pitching of the National League Cy Young winner John Denny. The Orioles went on to win the next four games.
The Morgan card is likely one of the few of him in a Phillies uniform. It is pretty representative of the 1983 Wheeze Kids also, they featured seven starting postion players at the age of 30 and over - this year the only starter over 30 for both teams may be Pat Burrell in some games. And Morgan is a former Red as were Pete Rose and Tony Perez who were also on the team.
John Denny was the other pitcher on the team - racking up a 19-6 record and winning the Cy Young while Steve Carlton paced the team in innings with 283 innings.
I am actually a fan of both clubs, primarily the Phillies, but I also follow whats going on down in Baltimore - I try and make it down to Camden Yards a couple of times a year and I like checking in at Orioles Card "O" the day for O's information.
When my brothers and I were kids we dubbed this World Series as the dullest one we ever sat through. Just goes to show perspective is everything. I'm sure you or Cliff at Capewood's or Kevin at O's Card of the Day thought the complete opposite.
ReplyDeleteYou only go to Baltimore a couple of times a year? You are like down there every other week! You didn't even take your girlfriend to a game there this year.
ReplyDeleteHi Paul. BJ commented at my place and gave me the url for your blog. I've added it now to my Reader so I can follow your baseball stuff. While I do enjoy baseball a lot, I'm not exactly what one would call an AVID fan. (I like the Pirates so what does that tell you -cellar dwellers that they are!) But I did recommend your blog to one of the bloggers on my blogroll -Suldog. So if you see a comment come through with that name, that's my blogger buddy! Anyway, he's a huge baseball fan -Red Sox though -and also a really interesting blogger too. Check his site out sometime too.
ReplyDeletehttp://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/
See ya - Jeni
It was the World Series and the Phillies were in it. How could it be dull? It was a big disappointment is what it was. 1984 was the last gasp of the Phillies team that had peaked in 1980. Phillies fans had little to cheer about again until 1993. And 1993 just stands out like a beacon in the dark years on both sides of it.
ReplyDeleteTopps managed to squeeze a Joe Morgan Phillies card into the 1983 Traded set. And Donruss and Fleer had him as a Phillie in 1984 as well.