Name the Game: 2014 Chrome #174 Chase Utley

If you want to Name the Game DON'T SCROLL BEYOND THE CARD!

Otherwise stay with us and I will discuss this card below.

2014 Topps #174 Chase Utley (Black Parallel #61/100)

The Photo features Phungo favorite Chase Utley, it appears he is recording a putout on the front end of a possible double play with Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana sliding into second base.

Chase is wearing the Phillies alternative cream jerseys which are reserved for day games. Those two facts point pretty quickly to a single game, a sad 10-4 loss on the 15th of May in 2013. If we look a little deeper we find the only time Santana reached base was in the 7th inning.  He was erased a pitch later on a 6-4-3 double play induced by Phillies pitcher Phillippe Aumont versus the Indian Ryan Raburn

Getty Got It
Once we established the date as a cross check we scanned the Getty Archive and found the image. Hovering the cursor over the photo yield the date and location information which confirms the 2013 05 15 date mentioned above. It also credits Hunter Martin as the Photographer.

Phungo Games

Ticket 2015 05 15 Indians @ Phillies

One of the reasons this card caught my eye is that it is from a Phungo Game - A game attended by Team Phungo. For our dismal game report on that disaster click here. 

Flip

2014 Topps #174 Chase Utley (b-side Black Parallel #61/100)

This is a parallel from the 2014 Chrome set. The black border refractor is a nice look for Phillies Cards - Nice contrast with the Red and having an Indians uni in the frame doesn't hurt. These parallels have a limited print run of 100 copies which can be seen in the top right corner.

To see the vanilla Utley Chrome card you can click here to see our blaster break from 2014.

Variations
In addition to all the parallels the Image also shows up on the mini variation of the 2014 Gypsy Queen Chase Utley card. An example can be seen in the Cardboard Connection Variation Guide - scroll down to card #255.
 
Sources and Links
Phungo Games Index
Chase Utley Player Collection
Baseball-ref
Getty Images
Hunter Martin Photography
Cardboard Connection 

Updates
2016 0121: Game Ticket Added

Monte Irvin (1919-2016)

Last week we found out about the passing of Giants Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin.

2003 UD Vintage #89 Monte Irvin

One of the interesting things I found out about Monte Irvin is that he donated proceeds from his autograph signings to benefit his alma mater Lincoln University, a Historic Black College just beyond the edge of the Philadelphia suburbs.

2003 UD Vintage #89 Monte Irvin (b-side)

For their 2003 set UD swiped the design from 1965 Topps - which makes for a great looking card no matter who is in charge.

Card related Tributes and other Memorials
HELP!!! - I got pretty sick last week and was unable to collect as many of these links as I would have liked, if you have a posting please let me know

Arpsmith (1992 Front Row)
Baseball Happenings (GREAT personal recollection story, numerous autograph)
Bob Lemke (1952 Topps)
Cards that Never Were (1957 Topps - custom, 1949 Bowman - custom)
Paul's Random Stuff (HoF Postcard auto)

Cardboard Connection - Top 10 Monte Irvin Cards
Phungo Monte Irvin HoF Index


Sources and Links
Lincoln University
Lincoln Lions baseball-ref 

Phungo Monte Irvin HoF Index

Welcome to the HoF Ken Griffey Jr

Welcome to the Hall Ken Griffey Jr!

1994 Topps #388 All-Star Outfielders Len Dykstra & Ken Griffey Jr
Nice of Junior to climb into the Hall, give some respectability to the above card.

If you want a card that says both Hall of Shame (Dykstra) and Hall of Fame, Griffey of course, this is the one.

For more thoughts on the above card see our posting from last month.

Sources and Links
BBWAA

2016 HoF Candidates: Billy Wagner

Today we turn to the most prominent Phillies player added to the HoF Ballot, Billy Wagner

2005 Topps Opening Day #117 Billy Wagner

Wagner was in Philadelphia for only 2 seasons, but it seemed like longer.

During a 16 year career for five different teams Billy the Kid collected 422 career saves which ranks 5th all time. 59 of those saves were with the Phillies which was the only team for which Wagner didn't make the postseason.

Phungo HoF Verdict - Veto
Billy Wagner is not a Hall of Famer. Closers are paid to save games, and while Wagner ranks 5th all-time in that category I just don't value the category nor the position.

2005 Topps Opening Day
Topps OD is pretty much a rehash of flagship. 2005 is no exception, however it is one of the better replications, the Blue Foil for the player name is an upgrade over the silver/gold that is present on the originals - gives the cards some added color.

2005 Topps Opening Day #117 Billy Wagner
2005 Topps Billy Wagner

Here we have OD and flagship - the one obvious visual downside of the latter set is the garish Opening Day flare.

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2005 Topps Opening Day #117 Billy Wagner (b-side)

The backsides are the same for OD. I do like the quote from Jimy Williams as he notes Billy Wagner as a standup guy. Of course Wagner wasn't afraid to mention that his teammates weren't living up to expectations and Jimy Williams would eventually join the Phillies as Bench coach and then leave after the team won a World Championship.

Sources and Links
2016 HoF Candidates
Baseball-ref
baseball cardpedia


 

2016 HoF Ballot: Alan Trammell & aWARds 1987 MVP

In a couple of days the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the members of the 2016 class. One of the most debated of the candidates is Detroit Tigers Alum Alan Trammell.

1980 Topps Alan Trammell

It is my opinion that Trammell's performance during the final week of the 1987 regular season should have put him in the Hall.

Well in reality his overall career accomplishments should be good enough but more on that later now back to 1987.

The 1987 AL MVP award went to Toronto Blue Jays Left Fielder George Bell. Here I present an argument that today with the emphasis on advanced metrics (notably WAR) the Award would go to Alan Trammell.  

The difference between Bell and Trammell in 1987 was 12 points, which is less than a single first place ballot (14 pts are awarded for a 1st). Both players had very good years. Bell's standout numbers were his league leading 134 RBIs and 369 Total Bases. His 47 Homers were second only to Rookie of the Year Mark McGwire, whom we covered for 2016 HoF Candidates recently. Trammel batted .343 (3rd AL), with a .402 OBP (5th) .953 OPS (6th) and 329 TBs (4th). All good numbers and when coupled with the demand of playing a middle infield position I submit that they are comparable to Bell's.

Voters didn't have the advantage of consulting WAR numbers in 1987, but we do now. The results are not even close. Trammell wins easily 8.2 - 5.0. Baseball-ref has stated that a differences of 1 or 2 wins is not "definitive" - the +3.2 advantage of Trammell beyond this +2.0 margin.

My third argument for Trammel's 1987 MVP award is The Tigers won the AL East while George Bell's Blue Jays finished 2nd. Furthermore Alan Trammell was critical to Detroit overtaking Toronto during the final week of the Season. Following play on September 26th the Blue Jays held a +3.5 Game lead on the Tigers. Detroit had 8 games to play, Toronto 7.

For the balance of the season the Tigers went 6-2 while the Blue Jays failed to win a game.

During the stretch Alan Trammell batted .313/.405/.500 with a Homer, 3 RBI and 4 Runs Scored while George Bell went .111/.250/.111 with no XBH and 1 RBI.

There it is - nearly comparable traditional numbers, WAR numbers that favor Trammell as well as a convincing edge in team accomplishment.

It should be noted that Alan Trammell finished 3rd in AL WAR in 1987. The two players who finished above him were Roger Clemens (+9.4) and Wade Boggs (+8.3) both of the Boston Red Sox  who finished 20 games back of the Tigers. Trammell did pace Boggs in oWAR +8.2 to +7.6

Phungo HoF Verdict - HOF
The missed MVP award may not even matter if one guides their HoF vote via WAR. For his career Alan Trammell had a +70.4 WAR this ranks 11th all time among Shortstops, just below Derek Jeter (+71.8) There are 21 HoF Shortstops with an average WAR of 66.7. Trammell has a +62.4 oWAR ranking 81st among ALL position players. Notables that rank below Trammell include Ernie Banks (+61.8), Eddie Murray (+61.2), and Ryne Sandberg (+59.5).

In additon Alan Trammell checked the Box on a World Championship in 1984 when he was named as the Series MVP.

If he had the Regular Season MVP on his shelf I believe that his Hall of Fame candidacy would not even be in doubt. It is a shame that we didn't have advanced metrics in WAR in 1987, but the BBWAA has the opportunity to right that wrong this week.

Sources and Links
Alan Trammell HOF Index
2016 HoF Candidates
Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball-ref

aWARds Series Index

This is an Index to our various postings dedicated to WAR and MLB aWARds.

1974 Topps Mike Schmidt

1966 MVP AL - Frank Robinson/Earl Wilson Snub
1974 MVP NL - Steve Garvey or Mike Schmidt
1974 ROY NL - Greg Gross vs Bake McBride
    1974 ROY NL - Bake McBride vs Greg Gross
1980 MVP AL - Thurman Munson vs George Brett
1987 MVP AL - Alan Trammell vs George Bell
2008 MVP AL - Nick Markakis receives ZERO MVP votes
2014 CYA NL - Cole Hamels Snubbed

Christmas Greetings from Play at the Plate

For me one of the great things about having a hobby is the folks I meet that have a common interest.

And those relationships often go beyond the hobby - we make friends, banter about other topics family successes, failures, good times and bad.

Recently Brian from the Texas Rangers related blog mentioned that he was sending out Holiday Cards. Just another great way of keeping in touch - in an old school sort of way, that really has nothing to do with the Hobby, except when you include MLB Stickers

Thanks to Brian and every at PATP I hope and his family had as good a Christmas as all the folks hear at Phungo HQ. 

2015 MLB Stickers
Nice Selection of mostly recently departed Phillies except Chooch. The Lot also includes a Player PATP fans are familiar with, former Ranger Cliff Lee.

Fortunately for Phillies Team Collectors the 2015 MLB Stickers checker includes the Phanatic - He will always bea Phillie. 

Links
Chase Utley Player Collection Index