Wrapping Up Chachi Set Odds & Ends

2014 Chachi Transactions #17

2014 Chachi Transactions #19

2014 Chachi Transactions #20

2014 Chachi Transactions #22

I have a number of special Chachi insert cards that have been sitting in my draft folder for a few months as I've had no real good reason to post them.  I figured with the entire staff and management team of The Phillies Room away on spring break this week, this would be a good opportunity to feature all these cards together and wrap up a few loose ends.

First up is a quartet of players who joined the ranks of ex-Phillies this past offseason.  Zach Miner and Mauricio Robles were short-timers with the Phillies last season with Miner appearing in 16 games (three as a starter) and going 0-2 with a 4.40 ERA and Robles making it into just three games and pitching 4 2/3 innings.

Miner signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason, and unbeknownst to me Robles signed with the White Sox organization in November.  Had I known about the Robles signing, he would have been featured sooner in the Chachi Transaction insert set, but as it is he's most likely the last card in the set.

Joe Savery was the club's #1 pick back in 2007 and he first appeared with the Phillies in 2011.  In parts of three seasons, Savery went 3-2 in 41 games with a 4.15 ERA.  I first posted about Savery and his long and winding journey to the Majors in this post after he had made his Phillies debut.

Sadly, Phillies Room favorite Kevin Frandsen is now a member of the rival Nationals.  Presumably the odd man out this past spring, Frandsen landed himself a guaranteed contract with the Nationals, where he'll undoubtedly and repeatedly punish the Phillies throughout this season.

2014 Chachi Preview #3

2014 Chachi Almost #1

2014 Chachi #49

2014 Chachi Almost #3

Finally, here are four cards only a die-hard Phillies and virtual Phillies baseball card aficionado would enjoy.  (All seven or so of us.)  John McDonald probably doesn't need to have another virtual Phillies card, but I loved this photo of him in a throw-back uniform so I went ahead and gave him a card.  Michael Stutes was one of the team's best relievers in 2011, but injuries have hampered his career and he's currently out of baseball following his release a few weeks ago.

Kevin Munson was the team's offseason Rule V draft pick, and he made it part-way through the spring before being sent back to the Diamondbacks.  And veteran infielder Ronny Cedeno was attempting to latch on as bench player with the club, but (thankfully) the Phillies decided to stick with their younger guys and Cedeno was released.  He's since come back to the organization and is playing with the IronPigs.

UPDATE, 6/7/14 - In an unprecedented event, Cedeno will actually have a card in this year's regular Chachi base set.  Following Cedeno's departure at the end of spring training, he was quickly brought back into the fold by the organization and he had his contract selected from the IronPigs in early June.  I will update the official checklist to show this once "Almost" card as an actual "Chachi" card.

The first reader to comment on this lapse in The Phillies Room continuum will receive a coveted The Phillies Room No-Prize.

2013 Topps Heritage #332 John McDonald

Dodgers 5, Phillies 0
Game 122 - Saturday Night, August 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 53-69, 4th Place, 21 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies continued their descent into the depths of the N.L. East with a 5-0 loss to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.

What It Means:  It means that interim manager Ryne Sandberg is now 0-2, and the Phils have yet to score a run on his watch.

What Went Wrong:  Kershaw dominated an anemic Phillies offense, limiting the team to three hits in his eight innings of work.  Sadly, the Phils had just as many errors in this game as hits.  Kyle Kendrick put in a decent outing, allowing just two runs (one earned) in his six innings of work.

Featured Cards:  John McDonald wasn't supposed to play in this game, but starting third baseman Michael Young left after the second with sore ankle and McDonald found himself manning the hot corner.  McDonald never even had a chance against Kershaw and his 0 for 3 on the night dropped his (National League) average to .093.

2013 Topps Heritage #186

McDonald was traded by the Diamondbacks to the Pirates at the end of Spring Training for a player to be named later (PTBL) or cash.  In mid-June, the Pirates sent him to the Indians for another PTBL or cash.  A few weeks later, the Phillies got in on the action, acquiring McDonald from Cleveland . . . for a PTBL or cash.  The 38-year-old journeyman infielder went 2 for 31 (.065) with the Pirates, 0 for 7 with the Indians and he's now 3 for 16 with the Phils.

Casper Wells started in center in this game.  Not to be outdone by McDonald, Wells has been with five different organizations in 2013.  He started the season in the Mariners organization where he had hit .228 and .216 with Seattle in 2012 and 2011 respectively.  The Blue Jays claimed Wells off waivers on April 10th.  Twelve days later, the Blue Jays sold him to the A's, who then sold him to the White Sox a week later.  Finally, a little over a week ago, the Phillies picked him up off waivers from the White Sox.  In total, Wells has been with five different organizations this year and he's hitting .150 (12 for 80) overall.

Now I'm no genius, but how can the Phillies expect to even compete when these are two of our options off the bench at this point?  And are McDonald and Wells really in the team's plans for 2014?  Of course, Wells doubled off Kershaw in the eighth, so I probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

Field Report:  I took my six-year-old Doug to this game, and despite the shoddy product on the field, we enjoyed ourselves.  Doug posed next to a "Thank You Charlie" sign in front of the Steve Carlton statue beyond the outfield gate.  Popcorn, cherry water ice and a little Lego Phanatic figurine made it a successful game in Doug's eyes.  If only Sandberg had it so easy.

I should stop keeping track of this, but the Phils are now 3-8 in games I've attended this year.

Doug and Lefty

The view from Section 315

No card for Wells

2013 Chachi #47 John McDonald

#4

John Joseph McDonald

Infielder

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 5'9"  Weight: 180

Born: September 24, 1974, New London, CT

Drafted: Selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 12th round of the June 1996 draft

Teams: Cleveland Indians 1999-2004, Toronto Blue Jays 2005, Detroit Tigers 2005, Toronto Blue Jays 2006-2011, Arizona Diamondbacks 2011-2012, Pittsburgh Pirates 2013, Cleveland Indians 2013, Phillies 2013

Acquired: Acquired from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later or cash, June 27, 2013

Contract Status: Signed through the 2013 season