Cup of Coffee: 1963 Topps John Paciorek

The column has been quiet because I have been spending my free time with a sketchbook. 

This does not mean I have given up on baseball or card collecting, most of the sketches are of baseball cards. 

One of the projects that I have been working on is a series of "Cup of Coffee" players drawn on, yes, Coffee Cups. 

The first subject of the Series was John Paciorek who at the age of 18 had a perfect batting day during a Houston Colts 13-4 victory over the New York Mets.  Paciorek started in Right Field went 3-3 with a pair of walks and scoring four times. 

 

                Phungo Original: 1963T John Paciorek

That game was played on September 29 1963, John Paciorek would not play another Major League Game. 

He already had a bad back that would only get worse the following spring. He eventually had spinal fusion surgery which helped his back but hurt is game. In 1968 he retired from professional baseball. 

John Paciorek was never issued a baseball card during his career however he was immortalized in a comic:

1980 Topps #481 Tom Paciorek (b-side)

John's brother Tom also made it to the majors, he was fortunate enough to have an 18 year career. The comic on the back of Tom's 1980 Topps card features a nod to John's game with the 1963 Colts.  

Canvas

Since John did not have a baseball card, i needed to create one for the cup. Going with 1963 Topps was an obvious design choice, for the cards image I used a photo that was on the cover of John's biography. 

That's right, there is a biography of John Paciorek, a Cup of Coffee player who appeared in a single major league game. 

Perfect - Steven K Wagner

Beyond that I wanted to add the phrase "Cup of Coffee" to each Cup and the date of the players game. For John Paciorek I put the date on the lid. 

To date we have put together 16 Cups featuring 18 subjects which I have been releasing periodically on Twitter. I hope to also post the cups here to create a more permanent record of the players and their accomplishments. 

If you have an idea for a Cup of Coffee player, please let us know and we will put them on the roster. Thanks Team Phungo.  

Sources & Links

Cup of Coffee Index

Basenall-ref

MLB

Kronozio

Goodreads

Junk of the Month: January 2016

Time to bring back a fan favorite we haven't run in a few years - Junk of the Month!

 2016 Topps #170 New Order (Houston Astros)

Despite the use of the name of a Classic 80's Alternative Band I dislike this card. Checkers are a necessary evil in flagship which have been done a number of different ways. When I was a kid (1970s) they were a checklist, nothing more nothing less. No Player Picture, Not a Team card, not a manager card. 

This year Topps has taken a similar approach to the last couple of releases. A player or team photo of a Highlight from the previous season is on the front with the data on the back.

My Issue w/ 2016 Topps is that the cards are no longer highlights. This year they are multi-player shots. I have no problem with Multi-Player cards - we took a long look at the MPs from 1967 Topps last week. The big difference is that in the 1960s Topps the Multis had some interesting Bio info on the back.

At best it is a half-baked multi-player, at worst it is a throw a picture on a checklist. Regardless it is a downgrade from 2015T

By Definition checkers need to have a checklist on the back.

2016 Topps #170 New Order (b-side)

So No information on the players on the front of the card. In fact the player names for the Carlos' aren't on the card at all (Correa and Gomez).

And there is an oddity that Night Owl Cards brought up last year, for whatever reason the recent checkers are not part of the checklist that they present. This isn't really and issue, but I find it odd especially since the checkers are interspersed throughout the set.

2015 Topps #317 Clayton Kershaw (CL)

Here is an example of how a checker appeared last year. Nice Highlight of a significant baseball event. Player CLEARLY identified.

2015 Topps #317 Clayton Kershaw (CL - b-side)

I would like to see a one sentence summary of the event on the back. For others like me that would like that info Clayton Kershaw no-hit the Rockies in a Dodgers 8-0 victory in LA. The Dodgers Southpaw recorded 15Ks with no walks. A Hanley Ramrirez 7th Inning error was the only blemish on what was otherwise a perfect outing for Kershaw.

It might get a little crowded for a blurb on the back, the typeface is about as small as one would want. While most folks are averse to adding a checklist to the set, I think if it was a highlight card that wold be more acceptable. Highlight cards are good :)

FYI if things go as planned, folks who are fans of checklists will really enjoy this week. Others well maybe you will enjoy something funny I write.

Sources and Links
2016 Topps Index
Night Owl Cards
Baseball Almanac
Baseball-ref

2011 Topps USA Baseball #USA-1 Mark Appel (pre-RC)

The most intriguing player returned to the Phillies from the Astros in the Ken Giles trade is 2013 #1 overall pick Mark Appel.

2011 Topps USA Baseball #USA1 Mark Appel

Mark Appel has been unable to match the off-field hype during a professional career that now stands at 250+ innings with a cringeworthy 5.12 ERA. That is not a small sample size although Appel did show modest improvement posting a 4.37 ERA across two levels in 2015.

2011 Topps USA Baseball
Topps USA is a61 card set with a couple of players that have already emerged. Notable Pre-RCss other than Appel in the set are Michael Wacha, Addison Russell, Joey Gallo, and Kevin Gausman.

In 2010 Topps produced a similar set that included Gerrit Cole and others.

2011 Topps USA Baseball #USA1 Mark Appel (b-side)

Mark Appel got card #1 in the set because he is listed first among Collegiate National Team players alphabetically, not because he was the #1 draft pick or #1 prospect. Text on the back of the card mentions Appel's accomplishments at Stanford and Team USA.


2015 WAR Projection

Last season I tried to project the WAR of the 2015 Phils and came up with an incredibly optimisting 70+ Wins -  but I think that was dependent on a deluded idea that Chase Utley was returning to form and that Cliff Lee had a shot to be healthy.

I will attempt to do the same this off-season. I see Mark Appel will appear in the Major leagues late in 2015 but his contributions will be minor. +0.0 WAR is my projection for his first Phillies foray.

As more WAR Projections get posted I will Index and total them similar to the 2015 list.

Sources and Links
2016 Phillies WAR projections Index
Baseball-ref

Happy 50th Birthday Craig Biggio

Just noticed on Twitter that Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is celebrating a Milestone Birthday today.

1991 Score #161 Craig Biggio

I am a fan of the early Biggio cards. Anytime I see one in a dimebox that identifies him as a catcher I will pick it up. 1991 Score captures the young Craig Biggio during his first position switch to Centerfield.

The C-CF on the card has to be an on card rarity. First you have the positions involved, how many Catchers are speedy enough to play center. Secondly you have Score differentiating the specific Outfield position - something that Topps (and others) still don't bother with a quarter century later.

1991 Score #161 Craig Biggio (b-side)

Along with several other accolades the text on the flip side mentions Biggio's unique position change. Nice guest appearance from Moneyball Manger Art Howe with the Quote.


Sources & Links
Phungo Biggio HoF Index
Baseball-ref

AL Wild Card Game: 2015 Topps #318 George Springer

The last time the Astros were in a postseason game was game four of 2005 World Series. Pre-Phillies Brad Lidge took the loss in the game, he is now retired. Craig Biggio batted leadoff for the Astros, he was just inducted into the Hall of Fame. Brad Ausmus started at catcher - he is currently managing the Detroit Tigers.

Tonight there will be a whole new set of Astros on the field.

2015 Topps #318 George Springer (rookie cup/future stars)

One of those new players will be second year right fielder George Springer. 

Prior to the 2014 season Springer was ranked #18 in Baseball America's prospect rankings.  The 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft has put together a pair of solid half-seasons. The trouble is the other half of the last two years Springer has been on the shelf. His rookie campaign ended due to a lingering quadricep injury and this year he missed two months with a broken wrist.

While on the field his Springer has hit 36 career Home Runs in 683 ABs, His .276 BA this season is a vast improvement over last years .231. During each of the last two seasons a potent 126 OPS+.

Springer's dWAR number in 2015 was a positive rather than the negative it was a year ago - this has helped put him at a +3.8 WAR this season an improvement over his rookie +2.0.  

2015 Topps Rookie Cup
George Springer's 2015T card contains the always nice Rookie Cup flair. This card also has a Futures Stars stamp - a tag that Topps brought back in 2014,  Not as much of a fan of this tag, but I am glad Springer got the recognition.

Sources and Links
CBS Sports - David Brown
ESPN/AP
baseball-ref

2015 Hall of Fame Inductee Craig Biggio

Baseball Hall of Fame weekend is here and it is a lot more joyful to have four players going in than a year like 2013 when the BBWAA failed to find a consensus on any players.

The top vote getter in 2013 was Craig Biggio, who despite racking up 3000 hits is viewed as a borderline Hall of Famer.  Borderline or not, the Career Astro is now a member of the Hall.

1991 Score the Franchise #802 Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio will go into the hall as a second baseman, but he debuted at the Major League Level as a catcher. Anytime I see a Biggio Catcher card in a dime box, I add it to the Phungo Collection.

This one is one of my favorites. It is clear Biggio is wearing the tools of Ignorance and I like that the catcher helmet identifies him with the #7 that the Astros have now retired in his honor.

1991 Score the Franchise #802 Craig Biggio (b-side)

The text on back of this 1991 card captures Biggio at the moment he is transferring away from the catcher position. He would moved to the Outfield before settling in at second base for the bulk of his career although he would do time back in center in 2003.

1991 Score
The Franchise is a 26 card subset with one star card to represent each of the Major Leagues then 26 teams. The Phillies Rep in the set is Lenny Dykstra. 

Craig Biggio Hall of Fame Index
1989 Donruss #561 (2013 HoF Ballot Resume)
1991 Score #161 (50th Birthday Posting)
2009 Phungo BFI (vs Cole Hamels)

Sources and Links
Baseball-ref
Cardboard Connection

ANNIVERSARY: 1985 07 13 Live Aid

Thirty Years ago the Live Aid Concert was held at a pair of sights Wembley Stadium in London and Locally at JFK stadium

2015 Topps Baseball History #14A Live Aid Concerts 

This year as part of their Baseball History Insert Set Topps issued a Live Aid Card. Unfortunately for us Philadelphians the photo on the card is from Wembley.

Chuck Darrow who writes for the Daily News in Philadelphia wrote a a nice remembrance/synopsis of the JFK show in Today's Philly Inquirer. He mentions the Hooters, Teddy Pendegrass, Joan Baez, Zeppelin, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, CSNY and others as Highlights - and also the Heat and Humidity as a challenge.  



Live Aid Philadelphia Ticket Stub (from Philly Inquirer 2015 07 12)

The Live Aid tix in 1985 carried a $35 price tag.

2015 Topps Baseball History #14A Live Aid Concerts 

Among the folks mentioned on the Topps card are Organizer Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, Elton John, Madonna, U2, the Who, Queen and Sir Paul McCartney

The Baseball event paired with Live Aid is Nolan Ryan's 4000th Strikeout which occurred a few days prior to Live Aid on July 11th.

 

2015 Topps Baseball History #14B Nolan Ryan 4,000 Ks (image stolen from Baseballcardz)

The cards are designed with a subtle border tying them together into a single piece - the Live Aid card would be on the left with Nolan on the right - reminiscent of the 1983 Fleer Black n Blue card.

Detroit Tigers fan @robbyt86 was at that game and recently posted this tweet and picture.

Notice the full on Rainbow uniform worn by Ryan in RobbyT's shot. It appears that the photo used on the 2015 Topps card is not from the actual game in which Ryan recorded his 4000th K, but in a game a few years later.

1990 Topps

1990 Topps #4 Nolan Ryan The Astros Years 

In 1990 Topps honored Nolan Ryan and his 5000th Strikeout with a subset at the top of the flagship release. Card #4 discusses the Astros Years which included K number 4000.

1990 Topps #4 Nolan Ryan The Astros Years (b-side)

Ryan's Stikeout of Danny Heep is mentioned pretty much dead center of the text above.

Sources and Links
Nolan Ryan HoF Index
VittlesTunes Index
Cardboard Connection
robbyt86 of Detroit Tigers Cards and Stuff
Chuck Darrow Philly.com
baseball-ref
ballcardz

Domingo Santana: Former Phils Farmhand gets first MLB hit

After a miserable debut a year ago Domingo Santana picked up his first major league hit today.

2011 Topps Heritage Minors #158 Domingo Santana

The surprising Astros acquired Santana as part of the Hunter Pence trade in 2011.The lean years and deals for future prospects appear to be paying off for Houston.

At the time of the trade Santana was such a low level prospect that it was hard to project if he was a major league talent. This season he was listed as the #71 prospect by MLB.com. This may only be a short callup, but hopefully Doming Santana will soon be in the majors to stay.

Sources and Link
Baseball-ref
Houston Astros
cardboard connection

TRENDY: Carlos Correa gets the Call

The Houston Astros have announced that they are calling up Baseball America's #4 Prospect

2014 06 17 Carlos Correa Greets Corey Seager at 2014 Class-A All-Star Game

Just short of a year ago the Wilmington Blue Rocks hosted the California vs Carolina League All-Star game. The two biggest stars in the game may have both played the same position. Shortstops Carlos Correa and Corey Seager were both on the California squad. The photo above was taken during the game intros. The shot is definitely one of the my favorites in the Phungo Collection.

Sources and Links
Houston Astros
baseball-ref

1965 April 9 - The Astrodome Opens

Fifty Years ago the Astrodome opened. Last year Topps honored the anniversary as part in the Heritage Baseball Flashbacks set.

2014 Topps Heritage Baseball Flashbacks #BF-A Astrodome

The card had the date and the venue's catchy nickname "The Eight Wonder of the World". The game played on April 9th was not the first official game played at the Astrodome, rather it was an exhibition game versus the New York Yankees.

2014 Topps Heritage Baseball Flashbacks #BF-A Astrodome (b-side)

The B-side covers the basics of the game. But there are a variety of fun facts regarding the game.

The game was a sellout (47876), First Pitch was thrown by former Phillies right-hander Turk Farrell.  The first batter of the game was Mickey Mantle who doubled and later hit the venue's first Home Run.

That was the sole run for the Yankees in a low scoring affair that went into extra innings tied 1-1. The Astros won the game on a 12th inning pinch single by Future Hall of Famer Nellie Fox who was beginning his final season. The first Astro to bat in the new ballpark was a Rookie Second Baseman who would also have a Hall of Fame career, Joe Morgan.

2010 Obak #77  Roy Hofheinz

One of the principle folks in getting Houston an MLB franchise was Roy Hofheinz. A former mayor of the city who also helped to get the Astrodome built.

In 2010 Tristar/Obak honored Hofheinz with a baseball card. The quirky series circumvents the MLB licensing issues by focusing on Former Players, Minor Leaguers and the History of the Game both on and off the field. 

2010 Obak #77  Roy Hofheinz (b-side)

The Flip side of the card briefly discusses the contributions of Roy Hofheinz to Houston baseball.

Astrodrome Today (er well in 2012)
Recently Deadspin ran an article based off of anonymous photos taken by a troika of brothers that had snuck into the dome. Click here to view the adventure.

Sources and Links
Astros Daily
Obak
Baseball-ref
deadspin

OSCARS: Boyhood and Jason Lane 2006 Topps #473

Our final Oscars film posting features the Richard Linklater film "Boyhood"

This the other nominee that team Phungo checked out this year. Linklater like Anderson is another filmmaker whose career I have followed. I have seen the the Before trilogy (including Waking Life which includes an obscure scene related to Before...) and I loved Slacker.

I saw Boyhood in the theater and look forward to seeing it again. A few years from now I see this film getting heavy rotation on the USA/TBS/TNT circuit - think Shawshank. I would have to see it again, but I think the scenes will keep the viewer there until the commercial, and get you to return afterward.

Boyhood has gotten press regarding how the movie was filmed over a 12 year period. I think this is a bit of diservice to the film. Yes the process is ambitious and complicated, but focusing on the method misses out on some of the films other qualities. There are several interesting stories with the "non-story" All the characters grow up, not just Mason. It is obvious that the father (Ethan Hawke) is a man-child, but we also get to see Patricia Arquette's character grow up as well.

When you think about it the filming over 12 years idea is really just a fiction version of the Seven up! documentary series. 

Boyhood on Card

 2006 Topps #473 Jason Lane (snagged from baseball Card database)

There is a scene in the movie where Ethan Hawke takes the kids to a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the hometown Houston Astros. It is apparent that they shot a live game. I did some research in an attempt to find out what game it was, but was unsuccessful.

Fortunately, I was not the only baseball/film nerd that needed to find out this information.  Spencer Bingol did the research and figured out that Linklater took a bit of creative license with the actual events.

Jason Lane really did hit a Home Run off of the Brewers but it was not a game winner. In fact it was in a game that the Astros lost.

The game was played on August 18th 2005, during Houston's NL Championship campaign. Roger Clemens had the Astros up 2-1 after 6, but the Rocket fell apart in the 7th. A mix of line drives and walks led to four Brewers runs and that was it for the Astros.

Richard Linklater 2015 
Prior to becoming a film director Richard Linklater went to Sam Houston State on a baseball scholarship. Later this year Linklater returns to the diamond for his upcoming film That's What I'm Talking About, about, yep college baseball - preview copy describes it as a spiritual sequel to "Dazed to Confused"

Jason Lane
The photo on Jason Lane's 2006T Card was likely taken during the 2005 season, which puts it in the time period of the Boyhood clip. Lane is in a road uni on the card so it is definitely not the same game as the film, but captures Lane in the the era.

After being out of Major League Baseball for seven years, Lane returned in 2014. However, he didn't make his return as a power hitting outfielder, he came back as a pitcher. In 10+ innings for the Padres Lane gave up only one run while picking up six Ks. He is among San Diego's non-roster invitees for the 2015 season.

Sources and Links
2015 Oscars Index
Washington Post - Michael Cavna
Slashfilm
imdb
Baseball Card Database
Baseball-ref

Reading the Competition: Jose Alutve 2013 Topps Archives #176

A quick post that allows me to continue complaining about the Phillies lack of youth movement. This week the Houston Astros are in town which gives us the opportunity to cover Jose Altuve.

2013 Topps Archives #176 Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is having a breakout year. He is leading the league in Batting Average, Hits and Stolen Bases.  Offensively, I think Altuve's output is what the Phillies would like to see from outfielder Ben Revere.

At 24 the Astros 2nd baseman is in his 4th major league season yet he is younger then the entire Phillies Roster outside of Cody Asche and Rookie Ken Giles. Contrast that with the Astros who have 6 of their 8 starters under the age of 25.

1990 Topps
I should really dislike this card, This is my least favorite Topps design. In addition I am not a fan of the Astros 1970s/80s rainbow unis. They may be for some folks, but not me. Strangely the combination, the bright threads and the bright green border work well together. The orange yellow inner border also contributes. It doesn't appear this color combo was used a lot in the original set. The inner boarder appears to be across most Astros cards but the outer border varies with the green not be really common. Veteran pitcher Jim Clancy's #648 card carried this combo, unfortunately he isn't wearing the colorful rainbow Jose Altuve is sporing.  

Sources
Baseball-ref
Baseball Card Database

Johnny Damon Number Retirement by Wilmington Blue Rocks and Class A All-Star Game

On Tuesday Night as Part of the California vs Carolina League All-Star game the Wilmington Blue Rocks retired the jersey #18 of Johnny Damon

Johnny Damon

I have been a Damon fan for a variety of reasons. He was an exciting palyer who racked up a lot of hits, ran well and had some pop. He made it to the playoffs with the A's Red Sox and Yankees winning the World Series with the latter two squads. One of the other reasons I like Damon is we share an ethnicity. He and I both have a Thai Mother and American father. it is a unique combination that was precipitated by each of our fathers being stationed in Thailand during the Viet Nam War.

Jonny Damon has honored his heritage by returning to Thailand to promote baseball and represented the country as a player during the 2013 World Baseball Calssic.

In a nice touch to the retirement ceremony, Damon and the Blue Rocks brought back Damon's House Mother from his Wilmington tenure. She is shown in the background of the above photo along with another popular Blue Rocks alum Mike Sweeney.

All-Star Game

There was also a game played last night - The Carolina League All-Stars hosted their Califormia League counterparts. Both Leagues are at a level that is referred to as High Class A. It was a good opportunity for us East Coasters to see some prospects that play for Western Division organizations.

Tha Cal League won the game 3-2 with two Cincinnati Reds prospects leading the way.

Kyle Waldrop

All Three of California's Runs were plated by Kyle Waldrop who hit a Long 2 Run HR to center in addtion to an RBI single.

Ben Lively

The Reds #9 Prospect Ben Lively stuck out 2 of the first 3 batters he faced while pitching a pair of perfect innings for the victors. I would think that Lively has greatly icreased his Prospect status this season posting a 10-1 record and 2.28 ERA including a solid 95-16 K/BB ratio. Both Lively and Waldrop were promoted to AA Pensacola following the game.

Line Ups

A couple of noteables in there. Courtney Hawkins is the White Sox prospect that did a backflip on the podium at the 2012 Draft. Last year Team Phungo ran down to Wilmington to give Hawkins the Eye Test. He failed miserably, I am happy to report Hawkins is having a much better 2014 and appears to be a lot more patient at the plate. Kyle Wren is the son of Braves GM Frank Wren. Corey Seager is making some noise in the Dodgers Org, batting .340 with 12 Homers this season. Gabriel Guerrero is the nephew of Vlad and appears to have a similar build and batting stance. He his playing well for Seattles Hi Desert squad.

Carlos Correa

2013 1st overall pick Carlos Correa didn't get to start but did sub into the game. He went 0-2 with a K in his first AB. Still 19 Correa has displayed good hitting ability at the Hi-A level well represented by his .329/.421/.502 slash line. He was as big as any player on the field for the game and it will be interesting to see if he remains at shortstop or moves to another position as he continues to fill out.

Sources
Johnny Damon Index
Baseball America

2014 Hall of Fame Candidate: Craig Biggio 1989 Donruss #561

Earlier this year Craig Biggio had a pretty solid HoF Ballot debut. He picked up 68% of the 569 votes cast in the 2013 election. This left him 39 votes shy of the 427 necessary for Hall induction.

1989 Donruss #561 Craig Biggio

There are 28 MLB players who have 3000 or more career hits. 25 of those 28 are in the Hall of Fame, the other 3 are Derek Jeter (active), Pete Rose (ineligible) and Rafael Palmiero (in limbo).  Craig Biggio is on the low end of the club at 3060, but is good enough to rank him 21st all time.  Six of the 7 members of the 3000 hit club that are below Biggio were first ballot Hall of Famers - The exception is Palmiero.

He ranks very high in a number of offensive categories 1844 Runs (15th), 4711 TBs (33rd), 668th doubles (5th, 1st among second basemen). The seven time all-star also earned kudos in the field with four gold glove awards at second base.     


Biggio's WAR/WAR7/JAWS numbers are all just below the HoF averages for second baseman. Part of this may be due to his many ABs at other positions. I don't think we should hold Biggio's versatility against him here - his other positions were basically Catcher and Centerfield - not like he was slacking over at first or DH.  


1989 Craig Biggio
I am a fan of cards showing players outside of their typical position. The early Craig Biggio cards may be the King of the off-Postion cards. Unless you have done the pitcher/position player jump the best you can do is catcher. And here we have early cards of a potential HoF playing catcher - Love it.   

Phun Phact
The first of Craig Biggio's 3060 career hits came off of Orel Hershiser in a game where he was catching future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

Phungo Verdict: HOF - 3000 hit clubs, several other very good accumulator numbers at a middle infield position and respectable advanced metrics.  Honestly, I am not sure how Biggio didn't get in a year ago.


Sources & Links
Phungo Craig Biggio HoF Index

2014 HoF Candidates 
Phungo HoF Page
baseball-ref.com

30 Years ago - Steve Carlton passes the Big Train in Career Ks

On May 20th 1983, 30 years ago today, Steve Carlton passed Walter Johnson's mark for Career Strikeouts (3508).  Earlier in the 1983 Season Nolan Ryan had also passed the Big Train. Gaylord Perry would follow in August.

 

1984 Topps #4 1983 Highlights Ryan, Carlton and Perry Surpass Walter Johnson

Topps noted the accomplishment as part of their Highlights Series that opened 1984 Topps. Carlton at times passed Ryan as the career strikeout leader but his career ultimately ended much earlier then the Ryan Express and Ryan would retire as the all-time strike out king.  Nolan Ryan remains the career K leader today. 

1984 Topps #4 1983 Highlights Ryan, Carlton and Perry Surpass Walter Johnson (B-side)

The flip of the card has a short blurb on noting the date and venue where each of the future Hall of Famer's passed Johnson.

For The Collector
The first six cards of the 1984 Topps set are Highlight cards.  Three of them are shared cards similar to the Ks card above.  One of which features Gaylord Perry again as a noted retiree (with Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Bench) the other is a 1983 No-Hitters Card (Dave Righetti, Bob Forsch, Mike Warren).  The first 3 cards are all solo highlights - Carlton 300 Wins, Rickey 100 SBs, Dan Quisenberry Record 39 saves in a season.

1983 NL Champions
I am adding this post to the 1983 Phillies series we are running this summer. Past 83 NL Champs posting have included:   
John Denny
Garry Maddox
Tony Perez
 

Sources & Links
Phungo Steve Carlton HoF Index
Phungo Nolan Ryan HoF Index
Phungo Gaylord Perry HoF Index

Baseball Card Database

Baseball-ref.com

Moneyball 2011 - Art Howe

Understandably Art Howe isn't very happy with his portrayal in Moneyball.  Google his name and you can find a bevy of articles that all mention his complaints.

For my part I will mention that the Brad Pitt version of "Moneyball" is a Movie and is just that.  The Film is based on "Moneyball" the book, which is the work of the talented author Michael Lewis.  That being said the book is only one persons interpretation of the events.

Opinion:  There really isn't anything such as unbiased journalism - we all have our slants and opinions - Michael Lewis is an author and he is in the business of selling books.  As a narrative "Moneyball" has lots of villains - to make the story more effective it was likely best for Lewis to find a way of personifying the villain (the possibly outmoded way of judging baseball talent - scouting) as a person - In the book and the movie this is largely done in the form of A's manager Art Howe - to a somewhat lesser extent the A's scouts were also villified.
 

I think this works for the story, casual baseball fans, and film fans.  And isn't the audience that Moneyball is after?

1979 Topps #329 Art Howe  (image stolen from the Baseball Card Database)

For the record, during each of the finals two seasons Art Howe was with the Athletics they 100 games.  The A's have not won a 100 games since Howe left almost a decade ago.  Howe took the A's to the playoffs during each of his final 3 seasons with the team.  In the 9 seasons since the A's have returned to the playoff only twice, Although they did win a series in 2006 under Ken Macha - Art Howe has never won a post-season series as a manager.  

After leaving Oakland Howe led the Mets through a couple of mediocre seasons in 2003-04.  He was in the Rangers organization as recently as 2008 but appears to be cuirently out of baseball.

Moneyball 2011

Links to  previous MB 2011 posts

Moneyball The Movie

Bennett Miller

Billy Beane

Jeremy Brown

Michael Lewis

Michael Oher 

Ron Washington

Tony LaRussa

etc

Here is a link to a Moneyball and Collecting related article in Beckett that I first saw referenced by Chris Olds via Twitter. 

2011 Phungo Cards - Michael Bourn

When your favorite team trades a player you like, it is always hard to take - but if it is the right move, you cannot deny the positive impact.  Following the 2007 season the Phils traded speedster Michael Bourn to Houston in order to pick up Closer Brad Lidge.  Lidge was obviously a Major Contributor to the Phils 2008 Championshiis squad and it was definitely the right move. 

I liked Bourn and have followed his career in Houston as he has become an all-star a very good lead off hitter and a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder.  This was all fine while he was playing CF for the Houston Astros. 

2011 Phungo #37 Michael Bourn

Unfortunatley, Bourn has been traded to the Phils division rivals, the Atlanta Braves.  When it is all over I think both the Braves and Phils get in this year, but I don't look forward to facing the pesky Bourn in a potentential playoff match up if it occurs.

It's a shame that things didn't work with the Astros for Bourn who is from the Houston area.  Regardless I hope his career continues to prosper, except when he faces the Phils.

Phungo 5 Returns with Capewood's Collections!

Today is opening day for many teams across the Major Leagues, while the Phils open tomorrow versus the Houston Astros.  This means the return of Phungo 5,  and for the second consecutive year Capewood's Collections will help us out with the season debut of P5.


1) As an Astros and Phils Fan, how cool is it to have the Phils and Astros meeting on opening day?

The Astros have played the Phillies pretty tough the past few years. It's hard to tell what the Astros are going to do in 2011. They finished last season strong but haven't looked too good this spring. It's always a tough decision for me as to who to root for. It wasn't too long ago when both teams had a chance for the playoffs and I would usually root for whoever I thought had the best chance. This year I think it's the Phillies and I'll be rooting for them. It would be cooler if Oswalt was going to pitch against them in the opening series but I think he is 4th in the rotation.

2002 Bowman Chrome #79 Roy Oswalt

2) Who is your favorite player to follow that has been involved in the many Phils-Astros trades we have seen recently?

Obviously, the Big O. He's been one of my favorite Astros and I heavily collect his cards. He hasn't gotten the recognition he's deserved while pitching in relative obscurity in Houston. I'm hoping he has a great season.

3) Thumbs Up or Down for the centerfield pole and Hill in Houston.

A Thumbs Up. It's an interesting feature to have in a ballpark. It's fun to watch a right fielder trying to play a ball there. But to tell the truth, I think it's pretty rare for the Hill to be a problem. It's a long way from home plate.

4) Any  News on the Bonsai Trees, I don't believe we have seen them in a while. 

Ah, the Bonsai Trees. I started this hobby without realizing how much effort it was going to take. I've lost a few plants but am now down to a number that I can deal with. I've got 8 healthy plants, 4 inside and 4 outside. It was a cold winter here with some freezing rain. I lost one plant because I didn't get them inside fast enough. I'm hoping to have them cleaned up and featured in a post soon.

5) What is your favorite Movie set in Houston?  

I had to think about this for a bit and look up movies on Wikipedia. The only movie which came to mind was Bill Murray's Rushmore. There are a few movies, which in some way or another deal with the space program, such as Apollo 13, Armageddon and Space Cowboys, but most of those movies actually take place in outer space. Arlington Road with Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins was set in Houston but could have been anywhere. The subdivision where Arlington Road was located pretty much looked like a hundred different subdivisions in the Houston suburbs. And there there is Independence Day where the government sacrifices Houston while atomic bombing an alien ship. That scene where they show a road sign indicating a freeway exit to the University of Houston, used to establish that we really were in Houston, totally does not exist. 

There are a few more either set in Houston or filmed in Houston but I haven't seen them. All in all, I'd say Rushmore. It was a good movie and it was one of Bill Murray's first real serious roles and I like that side of him.

Scorecard

Team Phungo frowns upon the Hill, but awards double points for coming up with Rushmore as a film recommendation.  So 5 out of 5 for Cliff for the opening Phungo 5 of 2011.  

For a look back at Cliff's P5 from 2010 click here.

Pull N Junk of the Month - January 2011

I always think that Junk of the Month is more interesting then Pull of the Month, So I am going to start with that:

Junk of the Month

 2010 Obak #108 Tinkers-Evers-Chance, Baseball's Sad Lexicon



First off - I am having a PC issue at home so pardon the Pix instead of Scans approach.

I actually am very happy with what I have seen from 2010 Obak.  I was a bit disappointed with the physical aspects (cereal box card  quality) of the cards, but I did like the look and the checklist of the cards.  Much better than either edition of Topps 206.

But this card made me shudder - He we have the subjects of a 1910 poem juxtaposed with the Wrigley Field Marquee - Lights added 1982.     

Pull of the Month

2010 Topps Updates & Highlights #PPA-JCA Jason Castro


Jason Castro was named the Astros #1 Prospect by Baseball America in 2010.  His debut was unremarkable, but I will be keeping an eye on him.  This card was pulled from a retail pack at my local Wawa a block from my house - Retail Mojo! 


Contenders

2010 Obak Mini #10 Hank Greenberg
2010 Obak #63 Eberhard Anheuser

As I mentioned above I am a fan of Obak - here's your proof.  I am still on a mini kick and a Mini of any Hall of Famer is a Win.  Ok, I am not a Bud fan, but if it is the only beer that they are selling at a game, I am not afraid to admit I will overpay for it.  A Hall of Fame mini and a Beer related Trading Card are your Runners Up for January 2011 Pull of the Month.

2010 Pull N Junk Playoffs: Junk - First Quarter

I am going to start with Junk first - The Junk pulls are so much more fun.  Here are the nominees for Junk of the Year from the First Quarter.


January

2009 Topps T206 #26 Chein-Ming Wang
Topps gets the nod here for including Wang in a year end set despite that fact that he barely played (and poorly at that) for a World Championship Team.
 

February

Chunky guys from 2010 UD 
Pablo Sandoval
Marlon Byrd
Carlos Lee

I didn't like this set at all.  It was just drab.    


March


 
 2010 Topps Opening Day #M15 Mr Met

Any Mr Met card is sure to get a Junk o the Month nomination from Team Phungo 

Ok Your Turn Phungo Readers:

What is Junk of the Month for the first Quarter of 2010:
1 - Chien Ming Wang
2 - Pablo Sandoval
3 - Marlon Byrd
4 - Carlos Lee
5 - Mr Met


Please vote in the Comments.