I Love the 80s - 1982 Philadelphia Phillies

 This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

1981 saw the Phillies attempt to repeat as National League and World Champions. A strong 2nd half vaulted the team into the playoffs, where they came up just short losing the 5th and final game of the NLDS to the Montreal Expos. During the year, Pete Rose passed Stan Musial as the National League's all time hits leader, and Steve Carlton recorded his 3,000th career strikeout. The individual accolades were nice, but the team had higher aspirations.

With the window to win starting to close for the veterans like Rose and Carlton, the team would make a few moves to try to make another championship run in 1982. They cut ties with 33 year old Bob Boone, turning to Ozzie Virgil Jr and Bo Diaz to be the new every(other)day catchers, traded for starting pitcher Mike Krukow to solidify the rotation, and decided to turn to veteran SS Ivan DeJesus to bolster the middle infield. None of these moves would prove fruitful in the long run, with the last trade suffering mightily in hindsight as the return for that investment in DeJesus was future Hall of Fame Second Baseman Ryne Sandberg and veteran Larry Bowa, who provided roughly the same production as DeJesus in 1982. Still a strong presence in the NL East, the Phillies would stay close all season but ultimately finish in 2nd place. 

 The Cards:

Donruss #42 Steve Carlton - In 1982, Carlton was his usual superlative-laden self, winning the Cy Young Award (his 4th), on the back of a league leading 6 shutouts. He was also the NL's best with 23 victories, the last Phillie to win 20 games in the 20th Century, and led the NL in strikeouts for the 4th time. If you're more new school than old-school, you may be pleasantly surprised to know that not only were the counting stats good (Leading all NL pitchers in batters faced, innings pitched, complete games, and Games started), he also led the NL in FIP! Carlton was a no-doubt Hall of Fame case, pairing the 4 Cy Young awards with 2 World Championships. He was a 10 time All-Star, and is one of just 4 players in MLB history to surpass 4,000 career Strikeouts. 

Fleer #251 Tug McGraw - McGraw was another of the Phillies 35+ year old veteran stars in the early 80s. Arguably his finest season came in 1980 as the 35 year old closer for the Phightin' Phils. He finished the regular season with a 1.46 ERA and an ERA+ of 260. He notched 20 saves, but finished another 28 games for the Phillies, striking out 75 batters. He was a member of the 1969 Miracle Mets (but did not pitch in the World Series), and an integral part of the 1980 World Champion Phillies. The 2 time All-Star was a solid to spectacular relief arm for nearly 20 seasons in the big leagues. He struck out nearly twice as many batters as he walked over more than 1,500 innings pitched. McGraw was best known for his signature pitch, a devastating screwball.

Topps #781 Pete Rose - Few players can lay claim to establishing a team's identity the way that Pete Rose did for the Phillies. They were a very good team in the mid to late 70s, but were often on the losing end of battles with in-state rivals the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as Rose's former team, the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds. When Rose left Cincy for Philly in free agency, the fortunes of both teams flipped. As mentioned above, Rose became the all time leader in hits in the National League in 1981, but more importantly, his style of play and leadership helped get the Phillies over the hump against their NL East rivals and win the 1980 World Series. The team hadn't been to the World Series in 30 years, and hadn't won a world series game since 1915! Rose changed that culture in Philadelphia.

Donruss #606 Lonnie Smith - Lonnie Smith is possibly the most underrated player of the 1980s. In the Phillies championship season, Smith led the team in Stolen Bases, but also sported an OPS+ of 130, finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting. Used sparingly in 1980 and due to the strike-shortened 1981 season, his first full season would be 1982. He was traded to Saint Louis, where Smith would finally get the chance to play everyday. He was an All-Star and amassed 6.2 WAR, placing 2nd in the NL MVP race. He hit .307 with 68 Steals and scored a league leading 120 runs for the wild run and gun Cardinal offense that won the 1982 World Series. He'd win 3 World Series championships in the 1980s, for three different teams- the Phils in 1980, the Cardinals in 1982, and the Royals in 1985 - playing key roles on defense, at the plate, and on the bases. The last season of the decade was his best- leading the NL with 8.9 WAR, certainly an MVP worthy season. However, he compiled that season for the lowly Braves, finishing well out of contention and out of sight, out of mind for MVP voters.  Time would catch up to Lonnie and his 1990s career paled in comparison to his 1980s numbers. He'd retire with a 118 OPS+, and a triple slash of .288/.370/.420. It amounted to a solid MLB career that doesn't get talked about that often.

Fleer #258 Mike Schmidt - Not too often do you see Schmidt sporting a full beard - nearly mistook him for Bill Walton! The Hall of Fame Third Baseman was right in the middle of his prime career years, the reigning NL MVP from 1980 and 1981. His 1982 season may have seen a slight dip in batting average, but he led the league (again) in OBP and Slugging. He was also right in the middle of a run of 9 consecutive Gold Gloves (he'd add one more before his career was over), and 5 straight Silver Slugger awards. In all, he'd be a 10 time All-Star, 10 Gold Gloves, 6 Silver Sluggers, 3 MVPs (80,81, and 86) and is generally regarded as one of the best third basemen of all time. He was the NL HR king 8 times, and his 548 career homers still ranks 16th, even after the steroid era saw 13 more members join the 500 HR Club. 

Topps #581 Ron Reed - Reed's career in many ways is reminiscent of Dennis Eckersley in miniature. Reed started his career in the Braves rotation and was pretty good. He was an All-Star in 1968 as a rookie, and followed it up with an 18-10 record in 1969. Reed transition from the rotation to the bullpen in 1976 for the Phillies, and became a mainstay in their relief corps until after his 40th birthday. Reed was essentially the team's closer in 1982, saving 14 games and sported a 2.66 ERA over 57 appearances. For his career he started 236 games and finished 300 as a reliever. He faced over 10,000 batters and still had a better than league average ERA+ of 108. Fun fact about Ron Reed - before playing baseball, he played for the Detroit Pistons for 2 seasons, averaging 8 points and 6.4 rebounds a game.

Donruss #441 Gary Matthews - "Sarge" came to the Phillies after the 1980 World Championship season from Atlanta in exchange for the legendary Bob Walk. Matthews was known for a blend of power and speed and was extremely durable. He played all 162 games for the Phillies in 1982, and would go on to show his skills at their peak in the 1983 NLCS. His three homers against the Dodgers powered the "Wheeze Kids" to the 1983 World Series, earning him MVP honors in the process. Matthews was the 1973 Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star in 1979 with Atlanta. He'd go on to have a magical season with the Cubs in 1984, leading the NL in walks and OBP, scoring 101 runs to mark his career high. Matthews finished his career with 2,011 hits, 234 homers, and scored 1,083 runs.

Fleer #260 Manny Trillo -You have to be pumped when you can wear a "World Champions" patch on your jacket. Trillo was the Phils All-Star/Gold Glove/Silver Slugger winning second baseman in the early 80s, earning each accolade at least once between 1979 and 1982. Timely hitting in the 1980 NLCS made him the MVP of the Series. He hit .381 with 4 RBI for the Phils against Houston. He won all 3 of his Gold Gloves with the Phillies, but he was highly regarded for his defense throughout his career. He was best known for his rifle throwing arm, somewhat rare for a second baseman. His defensive prowess was so tantalizing that it was the subject of a controversy in Oakland during the team's three-peat in the mid 70s. In 1974, A's Owner Charlie Finley wanted Manny to be on the active roster so badly he tried to coerce infielder Mike Andrews to sign a statement saying he was injured to make room for Trillo on the roster. The move was met with a near team-wide mutiny, and it took a ruling from MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to re-instate Andrews and restore peace in the locker room. Trillo was then traded after the 1974 series to the Cubs in exchange for Billy Williams. 

Donruss #189 Sparky Lyle - Best known for his seasons in Yankee pinstripes. Lyle was a 16 year veteran pitching for elite teams in both leagues. He was a late season acquisition of the Phillies in 1980, and was not eligible for the post-season. His 14 innings of work down the stretch included a pair of saves and a miniscule 1.98 ERA. He's known as the first AL reliever to win a Cy Young award (1977), and one of the first to enter the game with a signature song playing to announce his arrival on the mound. (The same music used by High School graduations all over the country as well as Macho Man Randy Savage, "Pomp and Circumstance") Lyle credits Red Sox great Ted Williams with the advice that made him a big leaguer. Williams told him he'd never make it to the show without a slider. After perfecting the pitch in the minor leagues, Lyle would debut with Boston during the 1967 Impossible Dream Season. Lyle is quoted as saying "when Ted Williams told you something, you tried it."

1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Miguel Cairo

There are players in Major League history with more eye-popping stats than infielder Miguel Cairo, but very few of them were unanimous selections for the Topps All-Star Rookie team. Cairo was playing his first full MLB season at the age of 24 in 1998. He was already playing for his 4th MLB franchise, but it was because lots of teams wanted him! The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays needed talented players to fill out their roster - and Cairo fit the bill at second base.

His rookie season included 138 hits (26 doubles and 5 Triples) and 19 stolen bases in 150 games. He was the 8th pick in the Expansion draft, plucked from the Cubs organization. 

Cairo signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a minor league free agent when he was just 16 years old out of Venezuela. He made a big impression after a great year in High A Bakersfield in 1994 - he stole a career best 44 bases while hitting .291 in 155 games. From then on he was an intriguing target for various teams looking to improve their org's speed and/or defense. Seattle picked him up in a trade with the Dodgers after the 1995 season, then flipped him to Toronto less than a month later. He had a strong season in AAA for the Jays, and made his MLB debut in April of that year. He then came to the Cubs in time for the 1997 season, and he spent another year mostly in AAA, now in Iowa. He had 159 hits for the AAA team, and once again showed decent speed with 40 steals. The Devil Rays felt he was ready to take the next step and handed him the starting 2B job for 1998.

His most prolific seasons came as Tampa's starting second baseman, where he hit .275/.319/.356. He wasn't a power hitter, is what I'm saying. But he did pile up the singles and was a talented defender. He'd end up back in the Cubs organization in 2001 after the Devil Rays wanted to give Brent Abernathy a shot as the everyday 2nd baseman. Cairo was released in November by the Devil Rays, then picked up by Oakland, and was traded late in Spring training to the Cubs. The Cubs provided Cairo with the opportunity to re-invent himself from a light hitting second baseman into a light hitting utility infielder. This would be a key development for Cairo, as his versatility would allow him to prove his usefulness to many more teams for many more years. 

After a season with Chicago (split between AAA and the big league club), Cairo caught the eye of the Cardinals' Tony LaRussa. The Cubs placed Cairo on Waivers and the Cardinals snapped him up in time for the 2001 post season run. Cairo would pick up a hit and a stolen base against the eventual World Series Champion Diamondbacks in the 2001 NLDS. The following year, Cairo would play all over the diamond, appearing at every position except pitcher, center field, and catcher. He filled the Super Utility role that was a vintage LaRussa strategy. He would give anyone and everyone a day off when called upon, and was a valuable double switch option in the National League. 

In the 2002 NLDS, Cairo reached base in all 5 plate appearances. He'd add 5 more hits in the NLCS, but the Cardinals fell just short, losing to the Giants

                       

Cairo had a great season with the Yankees in 2004, again playing all over the infield. He appeared in a career high 122 games, and topped 100 hits for the first time since his days as an everyday player in Tampa. He would go on to play for the Mets, then back to the Yankees, then the Cardinals again, then Seattle and Philadelphia before finally settling for a 3 year stint in Cincinnati. His time with Philly included his only World Series experience, though he was on the roster he did not get a plate appearance. In all, Cairo played in 17 MLB seasons, and collected over 1,000 career hits and scored over 500 career runs. 

This year Cairo has re-united with Tony LaRussa to serve as the bench coach for the Chicago White Sox.

Do you have any Miguel Cairo memories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading! 

1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Catcher A.J. Hinch

A.J. Hinch had all the trappings of a future star - he was a high school superstar, an Olympian, and a college standout. combine that with a quick run through the minors and you get a player ripe for Topps All-Star Rookie status. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was the only rookie catcher to play over 100 games in 1998.

The Oakland A's in 1998 were still looking for their next franchise catcher. Long-time catcher Terry Steinbach, a holdover from the great A's teams of the late 80s, left the team to play for his hometown Twins in 1997. Without him, the A's split their catching duties between 29 year old Brent Mayne, 28 year old switch hitter George Williams, and Izzy Molina (no relation). Williams actually had a pretty good season, with an OPS+ of 111 and an OBP of .397. Of course, Moneyball was still a few seasons away, so the A's were looking for power from the catching position. A.J. Hinch was poised to be the man for the job after a hot season in the minors, in which he hit 24 homers across two levels. 

For the big league club in 1998, Hinch struggled to adjust to major league stuff. He did have 9 homers and added 10 doubles, but slugged just .341 for the season. The big issue, which had not been hinted at in his amateur or minor league career, were the strikeouts. Hinch whiffed 89 times in that first year, good for a K rate of 22.8%. He displayed some decent skills behind the plate, throwing out 35 base stealers and committing just 9 errors in 120 games. 

 

Hinch came of age in Oklahoma, winning the 1992 Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He had starred on the Junior Team USA squad in 1991 and 1992, and he would join the big boys for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics, where he shared in a Bronze medal finish. He was drafted out of high school by the White Sox, but opted instead to retain amateur status with Team USA and his college of choice, Stanford. He stayed in school all 4 years, despite being drafted again following his Junior year, when was named the PAC-10 player of the Year. He would repeat the feat as a Senior, before being drafted a third time, now by the Oakland A's in the 3rd round of the June MLB draft. 
     

                                                            

His rookie season would be his best in terms of games played and several offensive categories. In 2000, Hinch was sent back to Triple-A to try to right the ship after a rough 1999. He was part of the 3 team deal in the 2001 off-season that sent Johnny Damon to Oakland and Ben Grieve to Tampa Bay. Hinch landed in Kansas City, where he would serve as Brent Mayne's backup - the same Brent Mayne he succeeded in Oakland back in 1998. Hinch would bounce around the league for a couple years as a backup in Detroit and Philadelphia, playing a majority of his games in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He retired following the 2005 season, but had already started making plans for his next steps as early as 2003 when he attended the Winter Meetings and met with several General Managers. 

After his retirement, he served with the Diamondbacks as a minor league director of operations, then as the team's director of player development. In 2009, he was given the opportunity to be the team's manager. This learning experience would lead to a scouting gig and assistant general Manager role with the Padres, before the now controversial tenure as manager of the Houston Astros. Taking over for Bo Porter in 2014, Hinch inherited a team that was expected to lose, but more importantly, expected to learn how to win. The team exceeded expectations and made it to the post season for the first time in a decade with a Wild Card berth. The Astros remained competitive in the next few years while gaining experience. The good news is that they did learn to win, the bad news is how they won. The Astros won the 2017 World Series, but later were discovered to have done so with the benefit of an elaborate system for intercepting and relaying the opponent's pitches. For his part, Hinch did express regret and was the first to publicly apologize for the scandal. He listed as his biggest regret that he did not do more to curb the sign stealing when he first became aware of it. 

Hinch has been given another chance to show his integrity - following the retirement of Ron Gardenhire, Hinch was hired to be the manager of the Detroit Tigers for the 2021 season. 

Do you have any A.J. Hinch memories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Uh... please be civil!

Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Third Baseman Scott Rolen

It's a pretty straightforward formula - be the Rookie of the Year, get a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie roster. That was certainly true for Scott Rolen, who had a very good rookie season in 1997, good enough to be the NL Rookie of the Year. He was the perfect choice to be the Topps All-Star Rookie 3rd Baseman. Rolen led the Phillies in Homers, Runs scored, Runs Batted in, Walks, and Stolen Bases.

Not only was Rolen putting up big numbers, but his teammates were impressed with how he did it. Then 35 year old journeyman catcher Mark Parent summed it up best by saying Rolen was "going to be worth the price of admission for years to come."

Rolen was the Phillies 2nd Round selection in 1993, drafted right out of high school from Jasper, IN. He was, like many All-Star rookies, a multi-sport star. In addition to baseball, Rolen was a phenomenal basketball player, setting a record for points in a game (50), and scored 47 in a sectional playoff game -- with a severely sprained ankle. He was recruited and offered basketball scholarships from Georgia and Oklahoma State, but the Phillies' offer to Indiana's Mr. Baseball was too good to pass up. Rolen was also a skilled tennis player, and might have made a good quarterback had he not been injured playing football, deciding to stick with Basketball and Baseball. It is worth noting however that all of his teammates and coaches were quick to point out his humility despite his obvious great talent.

Once in pro ball, Rolen found success at each level. With Single A Spartanburg, Rolen hit .294 with 14 homers as a 19 year old. He would be promoted twice as a 20 year old, and in 1996 he moved up 3 levels and made his MLB debut as a 21 year old.

In his second full MLB season, Rolen won his first Gold Glove at third base. He also hit 31 homers and drove in 110 runs for the Phillies, leading the team in both categories. He was also the Phillies leader in Wins Above Replacement. In 1999 he had an OPS+ of 120, and followed it up with another outstanding season in 2000, winning his 2nd Gold Glove and once again hitting big in the middle of the order. The team was struggling however, and Phils Manager Terry Francona was fired in the off-season. Larry Bowa was brought in to replace him, and friction between Rolen and Bowa began almost immediately. When Bowa openly criticized Rolen for not hitting in a series against Boston, the relationship took a turn for the worse. Rolen later played through criticism from general manager Dallas Green that August, stating that Rolen was "not a great player," so the following spring, entering his final season of his contract, Rolen expressed the desire to be traded, and also that he wanted to leave because they didn't want him, and weren't likely to keep him (or the rest of the talented young core) for the long haul. He would be ripped by the media as well that season, being labeled a "clubhouse cancer" for his earlier comments about management.

The Phillies would trade Rolen to St. Louis in exchange for Placido Polanco, Mike Timlin, and Bud Smith. The Cardinals organization was a great landing spot for Rolen, who had an appreciation for Rolen's style of play and of course his skill both on offense and defense. He would make an immediate impact in St. Louis, hitting .429 in the NLDS, though his post season was cut short due to injury and missed the NLCS. His best individual season was 2004, when he hit 34 homers and drove in 124 runs, finishing 4th in the MVP voting. He slashed .314/.409/.598. He had a 158 OPS+ and had a WAR of 9.2 - good for 3rd best in the NL that year (Thanks Barry). But his best season in Saint Louis was probably actually 2006, because it was the year his team became World Series Champs. After going hitless in the 2004 Series, Rolen would redeem himself by hitting .421 in 5 games including a home run.

Following his tenure in Saint Louis, Rolen was traded to Toronto, where he had a subpar offensive season, then hit .320 in the first half and the Jays traded him again, back to the NL central to play for the Reds. In Cincinnati, Rolen was the veteran presence that would lead by example. He would return to the All-Star game for the 6th and 7th time as a Red, won his 8th Gold Glove, and helped take the Reds to the post season in 2010 and 2012.

Rolen's 8 Gold Gloves are 3rd most all-time for a third basemen, trailing only Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt. Rolen played every inning in the field as a third baseman in the big leagues, Over 17,000 innings and is 12th All-Time in Games Played at 3rd. It is ironic, then, that the biggest knock on his Hall of Fame case is the time he missed. Injuries ended his season in 1996, ended his post season prematurely in 2002, and cost him a large portion of his season in 2005. He was also limited in 2007 and in the following seasons due to injuries to his shoulder and hand. As a hitter, Rolen combined walks, hits, and power in a way that few major leaguers could match. While 2,077 hits, 517 doubles, 316 homers, and 899 walks doesn't seem all that impressive, only 23 players in the history of the game have had that level of success across all of those categories.

During his time in baseball, his batting average was 13 points higher than the league average, his OBP was 25 points higher than the league, and his slugging was 61 points higher than league average (don't forget that this is in the Steroid Era, when slugging was potentially artificially inflated, and expansion had diluted the league's pitching.). So the resulting picture is one of the best fielding and one of the best hitting 3rd Baseman of all time. On the 2020 ballot, his support doubled from the prior year, now over 35%. Hopefully that trend continues, and voters appreciate the player Rolen was.

Do you have any good Scott Rolen memories? I'd love to hear them!

1995 Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman John Mabry

Though he was an outfielder coming up to the big leagues, John Mabry was named the Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman for the 1995 season. This versatility would become a trademark of Mabry's career - playing all outfield positions, both corner infield positions, and even 2 MLB appearances on the pitching rubber. He would finish 4th in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Mabry hit over .300 for his rookie season, which would be a career high mark. The lanky lefty did not provide much on the bases, but apart from that he filled up the stat sheet with doubles and a very strong throwing arm.

Mabry was drafted by the Cardinals in the 6th Round in the 1991 draft, coming out of West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Wilmington, Delaware and attended Bohemia Manor High School in Chesapeake City, MD. Mabry's outfield arm was considered among the strongest in the Cardinals' system, and his swing was compared to David Justice early on by Joe Torre. Mabry jumped up the minor league ranks quickly, having already played 3 years of college ball. He flashed some power in 1993 and 1994, and earned a call up at the end of that season.

Mabry would play for many different MLB teams in his career, but the Cardinals were always home. He had three different stints in St. Louis, and his post-playing days have also been spent in the St. Louis area. His most prolific MLB season came in his sophomore season. In 1996, he was the Cardinals' primary first baseman, and led the team in base hits. He was 4th in the NL in fielding pct among first baseman, and played 13 errorless games in the outfield. He even hit for the cycle against the Rockies in May of that season. The arrival of Mark McGwire in 1998 allowed Mabry to return to his original position in the outfield. He would go on to become a super utility guy and pinch hitting specialist.

In addition to Saint Louis, Mabry played for Seattle, Philadelphia, San Diego, Oakland, the Cubs, and the Rockies. He would finish his career with the 4th most hits in MLB history for Delaware-born players. He still ranks 3rd all-time in Doubles from Delaware, behind Delino Deshields and Paul Goldschmidt. Mabry would join Mike Matheny's coaching staff in St. Louis, and was the team's hitting coach throughout Matheny's tenure.

Got any fun John Mabry stories?  I'd love to hear 'em!

Willians Astudillo - Road to the Show

Willians Astudillo was signed by the Phillies as a amateur free agent in 2008. He debuted for the Phillies in the Venezuelan summer league at the tender age of 17 in 2009, and would play for the VSL Phillies for the first 3 seasons of his minor league career. He played for the short season rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012.

The Bowman scouting report back in 2013 had all the hints of what was to come -- "Aggressive swinger who rarely whiffs" "Owns strong arm and quick release behind the plate." Astudillo would unfortunately be sidelined for the 2013 season with an injury.

In 2014, Astudillo would get his first taste in a full season league, playing for the Single A Lakewood Blue Claws in the South Atlantic League. He was an All-Star at Catcher, hitting .333 with 30 doubles and just 20 strikeouts.

Promoted again for 2015, Astudillo made strides in High A Clearwater. He hit .314 with just 10 strikeouts in 418 plate appearances, winning the Florida State League batting title. He drove in 49 runs for the Threshers, and would be moving up again in 2016.

Now in the Braves organization, the 24 year old Astudillo has moved up to AA Mississippi. Once again, Willians was an All-Star thanks to his skills behind the plate and his high rate of contact.

Despite hitting below .300 for the first time in his minor league career since his age 17 season, Astudillo still brought great defense (leading the league in caught stealing pct.) and struck out just 11 times on the season in 89 games.

The Braves foolishly let Willians test the market, and he went West to Arizona and the AAA Reno Aces for 2017. The Pacific Coast League was the right environment for Willians to bounce back, and he hit .342 for the Aces, striking out 5 times in his 128 plate appearances. The Aces also gave Astudillo his first pitching appearance, earning the win in a scoreless 2 inning stint.

The Twins finally got their man in 2018, adding Astudillo to the AAA Rochester Red Wings roster. He wasted no time making another All-Star squad, and was poised to make his MLB debut for the Twins in the fall of 2018. For the Red Wings, Willians found his power stroke and hit a career high 12 homers.

The road to the big leagues was 10 years and 638 games long. Astudillo is making it hard for manager Rocco Baldelli to keep him out of the lineup on the big league club now - he's taken all the contact skills and defensive flexibility learned over his minor league (and Venezuelan Winter League) career and put them to use.

The 1956 Topps Philadelphia Phillies Team Set

One of the fun things about a completed set is deciding how you want to organize it. I have the 1956 Topps set in a binder, sorted by team, in the same order that the teams finished in the 1955 Standings. In 1955, the Philadelphia Phillies finished in 4th place in the National League with an 77-77 record.

1955 was a season of firsts in Philly - the first season without the Athletics, so the first season where the Phillies were the sole baseball tenant of Shibe Park / AKA Connie Mack Stadium. To make the stadium their own, the Phillies bought an electronic scoreboard from the Yankees. They would remain in Shibe Park until 1970 when Veterans Stadium opened. It was the first year for manager Mayo Smith, who would be the team's manager for the next three seasons. The Phillies also christened a new Spring Training home, 1955 was the first year in Clearwater, Florida. It was also the first season as a fan for Catalina Rolon, who moved from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia that year. In 2018, she was honored by the team on the field with a custom jersey #103 which represents her age. The new scoreboard pops up around 1:07 on this video slideshow of Shibe Park / Connie Mack Stadium.

Since the 1950 "Whiz Kids" season, the Phillies slid back to the middle of the pack in the National League, and once again in 1955 finished at exactly .500 with a 77-77 record. The following year, the team would fare even worse, dropping to a losing record and a 5th place finish. They would struggle despite a Hall of Fame outfielder and Hall of Fame pitcher and not progress to the postseason until 1976.

The Phillies' best hitter in 1955 was their perennial All-Star outfielder, Richie Ashburn. He would win the first of his two career batting titles in 1955, also leading the NL with a .449 OBP. Ashburn was primarily a contact hitter, with just 3 homers during the season, to go with 10 stolen bases.

Ashburn for his career hit just 29 home runs, though he did consistently hit over .300 and led the league in base hits 3 times. In his rookie season he was an All-Star and led the NL in stolen bases. He was also blessed with great patience at the plate, leading the league in walks four times. He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1995. The BBWAA never voted higher than 42% for his induction. This was likely due to his shorter career and almost non-existent power.

The team's best pitcher was the righty ace Robin Roberts. In 1955, Roberts led the NL in victories, complete games, Hits allowed, earned Runs allowed, innings pitched, and home runs allowed. While it seems harsh to include those stats, it is merely to show that Roberts was by far the team's best pitcher, and he would be left in longer than any other pitcher would.

From 1949 to 1960, Roberts would start at least 30 games and complete at least 225 innings. He tossed over 300 innings 6 times. He was  7 time All-Star, and won 20 or more games six times. He had 45 shutouts in his career. Roberts would finish with a 286 - 245 record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1976.

The "rookie" Manager of the Phillies was the affable Mayo Smith. While he had a good deal of success in the Yankees' minor league system, he was a relative unknown in major league ranks. His hiring was met with skepticism from the Philly press and from fans, who were hoping for a more well-known name. In the years before and directly after his tenure, the team would plummet to the cellar of the National League, but under his stewardship the team was closer to the middle of the pack, twice finishing with a .500 record.

I had to share the Mayo card for the hilarious cartoon on the back. Can you picture a Philly fan beaning an ump with a bottle, and then the coach runs out to sign them to a contract? Mayo Smith had a rough ride in Philly as the team wasn't very good, but he'd find more success in Detroit, including a World Championship in 1968.

The big power bat in the Phillies lineup was Del Ennis, who slugged 29 homers in 1955. There were 22 more homers from Stan Lopata, who played all over the field, but primarily at first base. The 1956 set included a lot of nicknames, but omitted the nickname of 3rd baseman Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones for some reason. Missed opportunity!

In addition to Roberts, reliever Bob Miller was highly effective. Miller pitched to a 2.41 ERA over 40 games, giving up just 6 homers over his 80 innings of work. Jack Meyer was the team's closer, saving 16 games and starting 5 in 50 total appearances. Lefty starter Curt Simmons was recovering from arm troubles in 1955, but would bounce back in 1956 with a 15 - 10 record. He'd go on to pitch until 1967 with 193 victories.

Rookie Glen Garbous, along with veterans Wally Westlake and Frank Baumholtz were added to the Phils for the 1956 season. Westlake would appear in just 5 games. Baumholtz, who nearly won the 1952 batting title, would provide some pinch hitting and rare defensive assistance in RF, with just 112 plate appearances in 76 games. Garbous came over during the '55 campaign, playing in 99 games, but would be used sparingly afterwards, getting into just 18 more games in the next 2 seasons. Missing from the 1956 set is the Phils' primary first baseman, Marv Blaylock.

The 1974 Topps Rookie All-Star Team - Larry Milbourne

Here they are - the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" by a vote of fellow MLB players following the 1974 season and featured in the 1975 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2018 Series Two, at least all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy. 

Topps decided to skip the Trophies on the 1974 Topps Set, but they made a triumphant return in 1975. I wanted to show my appreciation for this expression of good judgement, so for the 1974 Lineup, I will do a separate post for each player. This was a pretty good crop of players, so let's dive in! 

Larry Milbourne is to Major League Baseball as Margo Martindale is to television and film. He's the quintessential supporting character on the diamond, playing for 6 different Major League teams over 11 seasons.

Milbourne was named the 2nd baseman for the Topps Rookie All-Star team, despite only starting 29 times for the Astros at 2nd. He did appear in 112 games, but had just 148 plate appearances. This was a tough year for rookie 2nd baseman - I tried to find a more deserving candidate, but the closest I came was the Red Sox Short Stop/2nd Baseman Rick Burleson. Burleson had a very good rookie campaign, but only had 31 games at 2nd and 88 at SS. So, Milbourne's intangibles as a defensive replacement for veteran Tommy Helms (who was the 1966 NL R.O.Y. and a Topps Rookie All-Star in his own right) made the difference.

He worked almost exclusively as a utility infielder throughout his career. By the time he made the Astros' roster, he'd already been in 4 other organizations- showing flashes of speed (21 steals for the Giants' Single A squad), average (.301 for rookie league Orioles, .305 for the Giants), and solid defense throughout. He would be drafted in the annual minor league draft 3 straight seasons before Houston selected him in the Rule V draft, securing a major league roster spot for him.

Following the 1976 season, Milbourne was dealt to Seattle for Roy Thomas. He would record the first walk off hit in Mariners' franchise history, an RBI double in the team's 2nd game ever. In 1978, he would get a much larger role, playing in 123 games for the Mariners. He responded with a respectable .278 average and a career high in runs batted in.

Milbourne was a Topps Traded darling in the early 80s, and this sequence doesn't even include his brief 29 game career in Minnesota. If you want to see proof, check out this post from a blogger that sought autographs from every Twins player. A custom card was made of Milbourne in a Twins uni.

The highlight of Milbourne's MLB career came in 1981 with the Yankees - he hit .462 in the ALCS and .327 for the playoffs overall.

His career coda came in the Senior League, playing for the short lived and poorly named St. Lucie Legends. The team lost 20 of its first 23 games, and finished dead least in the league, then went out of business in the off-season.

The 1974 Topps Rookie All-Star Team - Greg Gross

Here they are - the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" following the 1974 season and featured in the 1975 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2018 Series One, at least all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy. 

Topps decided to skip the Trophies on the 1974 Topps Set, but they made a triumphant return in 1975. I wanted to show my appreciation for this expression of good judgement, so for the 1974 Lineup, I will do a separate post for each player. This was a pretty good crop of players, so let's dive in! 

Outfield - Greg Gross

It was fitting that Greg Gross had his Major League Debut as a pinch hitter. A 4th Round Selection by the Astros in the 1970 MLB draft, Gross offered a very specific set of skills to the team. The lefty bat moved steadily through the Astros minor league system, making his first MLB appearance late in 1973.

Gross has a very solid rookie season, finishing 3rd in the NL in average. His 185 hits ranked 7th. He came in 2nd the NL Rookie of the Year Voting, just behind Bake McBride of the Cardinals. In addition to his ability to get base hits, he was also a very patient hitter. His .393 on base percentage was 5th best in the league and the best mark for a rookie since 1970. 

Gross was the Astros' primary Right Fielder as a Rookie and moved around the next few seasons from Right to Left. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 1977 season for Julio Gonzalez. In Chicago he was used as a bench player and reserve outfielder. In Chicago, Gross found his power stroke - he hit 6 of his 7 career homers as a Cub. He hit home runs in back to back games in a road trip to Atlanta in August of 1977, the second being his only career leadoff home run. 

Gross found a home in Philadelphia, coming to the City of Brotherly Love in 1979 in the same trade that sent fellow 1974 Topps Rookie All-Star Barry Foote in the opposite direction. In Philly he became the club's premier Lefty bench bat, and along with another 1974 Topps Rookie All-Star, Bake McBride, helped the Phillies win the 1980 World Series. Gross went 3-4 in his 4 NLCS appearances, scoring 2 runs and driving in another. 

Gross would remain a steady presence in Philadelphia off the bench as a pinch hitter and filling in as a corner outfielder and first baseman. He became the Phillies' all-time leader in pinch hits. 

Score provides the deep cut factoids, mentioning his first of two career pitching appearances. He probably should have quit while he was ahead, a scoreless 2/3rds of an inning including strikeouts of Casey Candaele and Herm Winningham. In his final season, he would return to the mound again, in the ninth inning of another blow out. This time, he was roughed up by the Pirates, surrendering 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. He was quoted in the Sporting News following his adventure on the mound, "The worst part is how close you are to the batter after you throw the ball [. . .] I throw batting practice, but you've got the screen. I was looking for a way to sneak the screen out there."

His final 60 games came as a member of the Houston Astros, hitting just .200 for the season. He was not able to secure a tryout in 1990 and sat out the season. He accepted a Spring Training invite with the Padres in 1991 and was the final cut prior to Opening Day. There were rumors that he would be picked up by the Red Sox, but he officially retired. 

Gross may not have been fleet of foot, or hit for power, but his ability to make contact and reach base via any means necessary made him an integral part of the 1980s Phillies. He struck out just 250 times in his 4,355 career plate appearances, and his career .371 OBP ranks just ahead of Kenny Lofton and Roberto Alomar on the all-time list.