Happy Trails Brad Lidge

Last last night I heard the news that Brad Lidge is retiring. 



DayF Original Brad Lidge 1/1

This is one of  the favorite cards in the Phungo collection.  And Why not - it is a 1/1, marks a great moment in Phillies history and it is an original work of art by one of my favorite card bloggers DayF the Cardboard Junkie.

 

Brad Lidge will always have a permanent place in Phillies history for his contributions to the 2008 championship 48 for 48 in saves and the moment captured in the DayF work above - The final out of the game 5 clincher.

 

 

Last season I was pretty nervous when Lidge went to the Nationals. I honestly thought he had a few good years left in him.  Obviously I was wrong. Immediatley after the World Series Championship Season Lidge had an absolutely miserable 2009. 2010 and 2011 were mixed with Lidge bouncing on and off the DL and in and out of the closer role.  This past season he really was unable to contribute for the Nationals at all.

 

 

Lidge will be 36 by the end of this month and sadly Light Out must turn the lights out on his career. 11 Seasons, 225 career saves, averaged 11.9K/9 innings for career.  1 World Championship, Pitched in 3 World Series (05, 08 and 09)  His Post Season Numbers include an ERA of 2.18 with 18  Saves.

 

 

Past Lidge Postings   

 

 

The Original DayF Brad Lidge Posting is here.  Includes a couple of other great WS Cards. 

 

Brad Lidge Phungo Card here

 

Phillies 2008 WSC puzzle - featuring Lidge

Farewell Marvin Miller: 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood

There have been a couple of Marvin Miller cards produced in recent years notably in the 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set.  

However, I think this card that doesn't even cite Marvin Miller says more about him, the Reserve Clause, Free Agency and the Marvin Miller Legacy then any other card:

1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood (iimage stolen from the basball card database)

Curt Flood never played a game for the Philadelphia Phillies.  This wasn't because he wrecked his knee in spring training or got cut before he made the team.  This was not because he was a Big Time draftee that couldn't hit a curve or a pitcher who's arm hit the wall and ran out of bullets. It was because Flood was of the opinion that he could not be discarded by the St Louis Cardinals to another franchise without his permission. 

And Marvin Miller agreed with him. 

Great Photos aren't just pictures, there beautiful works of art which tell stories that stretch their physical borders.  Similiarly there are a few baseball cards that live in a different stratosphere.  Most of these are Star Cards of at extreme values.  There are a few others that may be considered commons, but have details that raise them to this Star level.

The 1970 Topps Curt Flood card is great for a couple of reasons.  The biggest of which is the text tells us he is a member of the Phillies, a team for which he never intended to play. In the photo Topps shows Flood's headshot with just the underside of his cap bill so no logo is present.  This way Topps could place the card on any team - which is sort of the way the Cardinals felt about him.  On the underside of the caps bill you can see the upside down 21, The uniform number Flood wore for the Cardinals.  Cool little elements that elevate a card of a minor star 

1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood (b-side)

The cartoon on the cards reverse revals that Flood is an accomplished artist.  It is almost a clue that Curt Flood is a creative person that may think a little differently and is the kind of a guy that may challenge the system.  Just another cool detail about Curt Flood's 1970 Topps card.

It is true that Marvin Miller did a lot more for baseball and baseball players then getting Curt Flood out of Philadelpha and kickstarting the Players Union. But for me he will always be tied to Curt Flood - The Philadelphia Phillies are a footnote in the story and the 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood tells a lot of that story in 9 square inches.    

Further Reading

Dayf over at Cardboard Junkie has a post collecting Marvin Miller Tributes here. 

I particularly like a column by Rob Neyer at SB Nation that chronicles the history of Miller non-election to the Baseball Hall of Fame 

Finally for more on the 1970 Topps #360 Curt Flood card check in with our favorite 1960s Topps Authority Jim from Dowingingtown at his 1970 Topps Blog.

2012 Phungo Cards #20 Carlos Ruiz and a Rant

I am so depressed about Carlos Ruiz getting the hook for violating the MLB PED policy.  2012 was a tough season all around for Philies fans. Somewhere in that darkness Carlos Ruiz emerged as a rock while the 2012 campaign was crumbling.  Now the good feelings of Ruiz's breakout season have turned into a rotten apple that induces one to want to vomit.

2012 Phungo #20 Carlos Ruiz

I am going thru the process of putting together 2013 Phungo Cards right now. Each year Ruiz is one of the first cards I make. There are several reasons for this.  He was always sort of an under the radar player. He's a catcher so he is in tons of shots. He is a little guy - love rooting for the Davids in sports.  And near as I can tell prior to today, I always thought of him as a pretty decent guy.

The Pix on this Phungo card was taken during a Phils 9-3 victory over the Giants in August of 2010.  #Chooch had a double 2 RBIs and a pair of run scored.  He caught one of the first games pitched by Roy Oswalt as a Phillies Pitcher.  Two months later the same Phillies team would lose to the same Giants team in the NLCS.  For more info on the game on 8/17/2010 click here. 

Rant

First and foremost Carlos Ruiz is the one responsible for his misuse of whatever he was taking, but I want to blame everyone else.

Charlie Manuel - To be honest Charlie's record speaks for itself - He is a good manager with a World Series and NLCS crown under his belt.  My #1 Beef w/ Charlie is a lot different then other folks.  I firmly believe that Manuel sticks with his vets way too much.  Carlos Ruiz is not a big man and he is playing the most grueling position on the diamond.  He has had increasing games every season from 2009-2011.  This would have continued in 2012.  Manuel rarely takes the opportunity to use his stars in the DH role whenever the opportunity is presented in interleague play.  I realize there are issues with DHing a Catcher but it can be done.  Ruiz needs more days off.  Manuel need to honor this.

Ruben Amaro Jr - Amaro is responsible for putting together the roster. I honestly don't really believe in blowing a lot of money on your 2 catcher, but Brian Schneider hit so poorly that it put Manuel in the position where he had to start Carlos Ruiz everyday.

Chase Utley - At the beginning of 2012 the Phils were really short on offense with both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard being out of the lineup.  I am not sure where the communication broke down but Utley seemed to think he would be ready for the 2012 season - he was not. 

Carlos Ruiz was stuck with carrying the offense early in the 2012 season and did a remarkable job. Now we find out that he was taking Aderall. 

Post Mortem 2012

I have likely that bottled up since it became clear the Phillies season was going south way back June, feels good to put pen to paper.  cmon spring training.

 

Card Show Today In Oaks PA - BWG Rick MacLeish

Today there is a Poppel produced Show in Oaks PA.  It is at the Arnolds Family Fun Center.  Arnolds is the place behind the Target comples which houses the Go-Kart Track.  It is near the Expo center where CSA used to produce some larger shows.

The Poppel shows are a good local show. There small with only a handful of dealers but those dealers have an interesting mix of things.  Typically good for an afternoon thumbing through dime boxes with some oddball items, perhaps some good vintage.  I think the 35 tables is a bit of an overestimate on their part.  Their shows are about a dozen dealers.


Todays show will have 3 autograph signers including Rick MacLeish

Brush With Greatness

Night Owl is in the process of sifting thru some BWG stories - currently he is doing non-baseball which likely will consist of the Buffalo Bills and Hockey players.  In that spirit I will pass along one of my encounters.

During the summer of 2000 I think - I was involved in a summer shore house rental in Sea Isle City NJ.  One of the bars we frequented (I think it was called the Carousel) was a friendly outdoor deck with great drinks service and fun patrons.  One of the regular customers was Rick MacLeish.  I can't remember a single conversation we had beyond saying hello - but I remember always enjoying the fact he was there.

Additional signers today including NFL vets Tom Woodeschick and Lou Michaels.   

I plan on hitting the show for a few hours around noon.  Say Hi - I am the good looking guy with the Red Phungo Binder of checklists.  I can't think of a better way to spend Small Business Saturday then supporting some curmudgeonly old card dealers. 

For additional info on Philadelphia area card shows click here.

Philly Sports Hall of Fame - Mike Piazza

The story is known well - Mike Piazza was picked by the Dodgers in the 62nd round as a favor to Tommy LaSorda who was childhood friend of Mike Piazza's father. The pick was the 390th of the 1988 draft.   

A few weeks ago Mike Piazza was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.  He never played for the Phillies, but athletes from the Philadelphia area are also considered for the Local Hall. This winter Piazza will be on the ballot for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time. There are many first times on the 2013 ballot with impressive credentials, but questionable issues both on and off the field - Clemens, Bonds, Schilling Sammy Sosa. Piazza's name and steroids have been linked a few times - The BBWAA voters will need to figure out what that information means to them.  

Piazza's career numbers are very impressive and for me are hall worthy.  427 Homers, 1335 RBIs, 2127 Hits and a .308 BA from a guy who was primarily a catcher.  He was Rookie of the Year in 1993 and finished 2nd in the MVP voting twice (1996 - Ken Caminiti, 1997 - Larry Walker).  He was a 12 time all-star and took home 10 Silver Slugger awards.  Piazza does not have a World Series Ring, but he was part of 5 playoff runs for 3 different teams (Dodgers, Mets, and oh yeah the Padres).  As a member of the 2000 Mets Piazza played in the Subway Series versus the Yankees and Roger Clemens. 

  

1994 Topps #1 Mike Piazza 

1994 Topps

Perhaps because it falls in the years between and UbiquiBlogging this set doesn't appear to come up often.  Regardless, I think it is pretty decent looking and could use further observation. The photos are interesting - an off center home plate border focuses attention to the image without being too showy.  The team name and player name are both listed in a minimalist yet clear fashion. It is from last years that Topps did NOT use foil on their base cards (there is a parallel set - topps gold - that has foiled player names). It's a simple design that complements that helps feature the photo - Does a card design need to be any more?

For the Collector  

I am not sure where I picked up this 1994 Piazza card but suspect it came out of a dime box. 

There is a rookie cup on this card, but it is not Piazza's rookie card - It his his first Topps Solo card - he appeared on a 1993 Topps Rookie Catchers card that also includes Carlos Delgado.

Mike Piazza cards from 1992 include issues from Bowman UD and Fleer.  Two Piazza card that appear to garner some coin on ebay are the Fleer #U-192 and Bowman #461: 

 

Mike Piazza 1992 Fleer and Bowman Pricing	2012 11 20
1992 Fleer Update #u-92 - Low	$19.02
1992 Fleer Update #u-92 - PSA 10 GEM MT (Hi)	$149.99
1992 Fleer Update #u-92 - PSA 8 NM-MT (Low)	$23.00
1992 Bowman #461 - Low	$4.25
1992 Bowman #461 - PSA 10 GEM MT (Hi)	$107.00
1992 Bowman #461 - BGS 8.5 NM-MT+ (Low)	$8.50

Sources & Links
Mike PIazza HoF Index

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie Cup Index

Topps #1 Club

Wikipedia - Mike Piazza

Baseball-Ref - Mike Piazza

ebay.com

Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame 

Jamie Moyer 50

2009 Phungo #50 Jamie Moyer

Above is a card of Jamie Moyer from the innaugural Phungo set of 2009.  This past weekend Moyer turned 50. This past season he made headlines for several starts he made with the Colorado Rockies in which age related records were broken.  Unfortunatley time caught up with Jamie Moyer in 2012 and he was released. 

Milestones

I have not seen an official announcement of Moyer's retirement, and maybe we won't get one.  I hope he gets another shot.  Moyer is the only player to pitch in the 2012 season that is older then I am.  For whatever reason as long as there is somebody out there playing baseball that is older then me, it helps me feel younger - and I like being able to hold onto that feeling. 

1972 Cy Young Award Winner Steve Carlton

David Price  and RA Dickey were just announced as this years Cy Young Award winners.  Tonight I would like to take a look back at a Phillies pitcher that won the award several times.    
 

1972 Topps #751 Steve Carlton

2012 marks the 40th anniversary of Steve Carlton winning the award for his 1972 campaign in which he recorded 27 of the Philllies 59 wins.  It was the first of four Cy Young awards for Carlton.   

I am sure the 1972 Topps Carlton Card is a favorite of many Phillies fans.  It represents one of the best trades in Phillies history.  Rick Wise for Steve Carlton.  Wise was a very competent pitcher, but no one knew at the time of the trade that Carlton would go on to put up a Hall of Fame numbers.  

This card is from my childhood collection which explains the rough but acceptable condition.  I likely inherited this card from an older kids collection or acquired the it via trade.  For purposes of this column I have added the 72 Topps Carlton Traded Card to the FTC analysis below.  The card is a High number and trends in the $5-$10 range.    

For the Collector

Phungo has been running variations of Hall of Fame Profile since our inception.  I have intended to revisit the For the Collector (FTC) portion of the posts to see what happens regarding card pricing for the different players.  Time has finally passed and today we are going to look at the FTC for Steve Carlton. 

The original Phungo HoF profile for Steve Carlton was in July of 2010.  I ran the same or similar ebay Queries recently and found the following

Topps Cards	2010 07 22	2012 11 12
1965 Topps #477 RC Lo  21.49	$23.59	$21.49
1965 Topps #477 RC Hi (unknown Grade)	$218.40
1965 Topps #477 RC Hi (Graded - PSA Mint 9)		$832.00
1972 Topps #751		$4.25
1972 Topps #751 (Graded PSA Mint  9)		$112.75
1973 Topps #300 Lo	$1.81	$1.54
1973 Topps #300 Hi (unknown Grade)	$17.75
1973 Topps #300 Hi (Graded - PSA Mint 9 )		$249.50
Autograph Cards	2010 07 22	2012 11 12
2010 07 22 Losest - 2003 Timeless Treasures	$13.49
2012 11 12 Lowest - 2004 Fleer GOTG sticker		$7.26
05 Baseball Heroes #d/99 sticker	13.49
05 Baseball Heroes #d/20 sticker		$15.74
1999 Fleer SI on card	$15.50	$12.24
2007 Sweet Spot (#d/25) Faded	$19.37
2007 Sweet Spot (#d/50) Faded		$9.25
2005 Sweet Spot Bat Barrell (#d/10)	$38.50
2005 Sweet Spot Leather (#d/25)		$16.26
2010 Sportskings Steve Carlton Auto Jersey.	$102.98
2012 Topps Triple Threads GU Sticker Auto 1/1 (Phils Pix but Cardinals Jersey)		$202.50

Basically we found that the pricing of Steve Carlton cards has gone down.  However there appears to be some Hi-End cards available in this 2012 survey that were not sold in our 2010 sample.  I look forward to seeing how these numbers look in a few more years.