Game 137 - J.T., Edmundo Homer to Back Wheeler's Rebound Effort

Philadelphia Phillies	5
Los Angeles Angels	2

2026 Topps #363

Sunday Afternoon, August 30th

Angel Stadium - Anaheim, CA
77-60, 2nd Place, 5 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler figured some things out and the Phillies benefitted from a few timely home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa in this 5-2 win over the Angels.

What It Means:  The Phillies completed the sweep, and they've won 12 of their last 14 games.  They'll start a big series late tonight in Phoenix against the contending Diamondbacks.

What Happened:  Wheeler looked suspect in the first, but rebounded to pitch five shutout innings.  He allowed just a run on four hits (and three walks) while striking out six.  Alex McFarlane pitched a scoreless seventh inning, lowering his season ERA to 0.96.  Orion Kerkering worked out of Jose Alvarado's jam in the eighth, and allowed a run himself in the ninth, before recording his second save of the season.  Realmuto homered to center in the third, tying the game at 1-1, and Sosa broke the tie with a solo home run in the seventh.  Luis Arraez (sac fly) and Brandon Marsh (pinch-hit single) drove in two more runs in the eighth, and Bryce Harper doubled home Realmuto in the ninth for the game's final run.

Featured Card:  Realmuto hasn't given me a lot of opportunities to feature his cards this season, so it was nice to see him star in a win.  Here's his base card from Topps Series Two.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 70 - Realmuto, Stott Pace Phils Past Crew

Philadelphia Phillies	9
Milwaukee Brewers	8

2026 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club / Club 215

Saturday Night, June 13th

American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI
38-32, 2nd Place, 8 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies barely held on to win a wild game in Milwaukee, downing the Brewers by a score of 9-8.

What It Means:  Cristopher Sanchez takes the mound this afternoon as the Phillies look for another series win.

What Happened:  Brandon Marsh, Edmundo Sosa and J.T. Realmuto each had three hits in this game, with Realmuto driving in four runs.  Sosa hit a solo home run in the second to start the scoring.  Two more runs scored in the fourth on a Bryson Stott double and Realmuto's RBI single.  Stott added his second double of the night in the sixth, breaking a 3-3 tie and scoring the first of five runs in the inning.  Realmuto had the big blow, launching a three-run home run to give the Phillies a 7-3 lead.  Marsh singled home Bryce Harper for a much-needed insurance run in the eighth, giving the Phillies a 9-5 lead.

Aaron Nola struggled again.  He didn't get out of the fifth inning, allowing three runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs.  Jose Alvarado and Brad Keller faltered late in the game, giving up a combined five runs to the Brewers in lengthy seventh and eighth innings.  Jhoan Duran restored ordered, pitching a perfect ninth, and earning his 18th save.

Featured Card:  This is the first card I've featured for Realmuto so far this season, which is an indication of how his year has gone so far.  His 3 for 4 night raised his season average to .210.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Texas Rangers at Philadelphia Phillies: 2026 Home Opener - Play Ball!

2006 Topps #485

2006 Topps #33

Thursday, March 26th - 4:15
Saturday, March 28th - 4:05
Saturday, March 29th - 1:35

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
All fans receive a 2025 National League East Champions pennant on Thursday.  Fans 15 and over will receive a McDonald's Opening Night t-shirt on Saturday night and all fans will receive a 2026 schedule magnet on Sunday.

Texas Rangers 81-81
3rd Place in the A.L. West, 9 games behind the Mariners

Rangers Probables
Nathan Eovaldi (11-3, 1.73)
Jacob deGrom (12-8, 2.97)
MacKenzie Gore (5-15, 4.17)

Rangers Spring Leaders
Average:  Josh Smith - .340
Runs:  Cameron Cauley - 12
Home Runs:  Wyatt Langford - 5
RBIs:  Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith - 15
Stolen Bases:  Alejandro Osuna - 4

Wins:  Jack Leiter - 3
ERA:  Nathan Eovaldi - 3.26

Strikeouts:  Peyton Gray and Jack Leiter - 18
Saves:  Peyton Gray - 2

Philadelphia Phillies 96-66
2025 N.L. East Champions

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50)
Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01)
Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92)

Phillies Spring Leaders
Average:  Justin Crawford - .250
Runs:  Otto Kemp - 11
Home Runs:  Otto Kemp - 4
RBIs:  Otto Kemp - 15
Stolen Bases:  Justin Crawford and Johan Rojas - 3

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 3
ERA:  N/A

Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 19
Saves:  Four tied with - 1

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

The Phillies Room: January Notes

1984 Donruss #248

2025 Topps Update #US47

2025 Topps Holiday #H33

2024 Topps Now Road to Opening Day Bonus #ODB30

Stay on target . . . getting closer . . .

January 5 - Donny Baseball Joins Phils:  It's fascinating to me when an iconic player known for his time with another organization is suddenly wearing the Phillies' red pinstripes.  After weeks of rumors, the Phillies made it official and named Don Mattingly their next bench coach.  Mike Calitri, who had been the bench coach for Rob Thomson since June 2022, has been moved into a new position as Major League field coordinator.

Mattingly had previously been the bench coach for the Blue Jays (2023-25).  He says he has no plans to manage again, and if that's the case, he'll retire with a 885-941 lifetime managerial record while leading the Yankees on an interim basis (2007), Dodgers (2010-15) and Marlins (2016-22).  Along with his recent stint with the Blue Jays, Mattingly coached with the Yankees (2004-07) and Dodgers (2008-10).  His son, Preston Mattingly, is the Phillies' current GM.

Mattingly spent 14 seasons with the Yankees (1982-95), winning a batting title in 1984 and MVP honors in 1985.  He was a nine-time Gold Glove winner, a three-time Silver Slugger winner and a six-time All-Star during a playing career that never saw the Yankees reach the postseason.

January 13 - Trade with Bucs Nets Shugart:  The Phillies acquired Chase Shugart (rhp), whose name will likely auto-correct to Sugar all season, from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league prospect Francisco Loreto (inf).  In 35 games last season, Shugart was 4-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 45 innings pitched.  Loreto, just 18 years old, played in 47 games for the FCL Phillies last summer, batting .237 with 10 doubles.

January 16 - Bichette to Mets / J.T. Returns:  Neither signing had been officially announced on this day, but it was widely reported that Bo Bichette was poised to sign a three-year deal with the rival Mets, while J.T. Realmuto (c) would return to the Phillies on a three-year contract.  The Bichette signing was a shock, as the Phillies had seemed destined to sign the infielder, and in fact had offered him a seven-year deal worth $200 million.  The Mets swooped in after losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes and offered Bichette three years at $126 million.  A few hours later, it was announced Realmuto was returning to the club on a three-year, $45 million deal.

January 20 - J.T. Officially Returns / Wilson Departs:  The Realmuto signing was made official and surprisingly, Weston Wilson (inf) was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot.  Two days later, Wilson was claimed off waivers by the Orioles.  In parts of three seasons with the Phillies, Wilson batted .242 in 100 games, with nine home runs and 29 RBIs.  He memorably hit a home run in his first at-bat on the same night Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter, back on August 9, 2023.  And on August 15, 2024, Wilson hit for the 10th cycle in Phillies history.

2025 Chachi #5 J.T. Realmuto

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  212
Opening Day 2025 Age:  34

Born:  March 18, 1991, Del City, OK
Acquired:  Traded by the Marlins to the Phillies for Will Stewart, Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez and international bonus slot money, February 7, 2019

Contract Status:  Signed through 2025
Major League Teams:  Miami Marlins 2014-18; Philadelphia Phillies 2019-2025

Postseason Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 2022-25

2025 Topps Now #326

As of this writing in late December, the Phillies have reportedly offered J.T. Realmuto a two-year deal, but the All-Star catcher is still shopping around for better offers.  If he departs via free agency, Realmuto's Phillies legacy will show two All-Star Game appearances, a pair of Gold Gloves and six seasons batting .265 while averaging 23 home runs and 84 RBIs per 162 games played.  He appeared in 134 games in 2025, batting .257 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs.  His 132 games behind the plate ranked first int he National League in 2025, as did his 30 runners caught stealing and his 1,216 putouts.  Realmuto would be tough to replace, and hopefully he's accepted the team's offer by the time this post publishes.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Pro Debut #164
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  2015-25
Favorite 2025 Card:  2025 Topps Now #326
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  158 as of 12/27/25, 15 added in 2025

TCDB Stats: 4,904 total as of 12/27/25, my 162 cards overall are ranked 9th, 1st is Philliesphan with 489

Complete Chachi Checklist

2019 Chachi New Additions #7
2019 Chachi #5
2019 Chachi #52 - All-Star
2019 Chachi #70 - Gold Glove
2019 Chachi Friendly Encounters #10
2020 Chachi #4
2021 Chachi #4 
2021 Chachi #49 - Weird Game HL 
2021 Chachi #57 - All-Star 
2021 Chachi Fan Favorites #4 
2022 Chachi #2

2022 Chachi #83 - World Series Game 1

2022 Chachi #87 - World Series Game 5

2022 Chachi #88 - World Series Game 6

2022 Chachi #89 - Gold Glove

2023 Chachi #3

2023 Chachi #44 - Hits for Cycle HL

2024 Chachi #4

2025 Chachi #5

2025 Chachi #60 - NLDS Game 1

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

2025 Chachi #4 Kyle Schwarber 

/ 

2025 Chachi #6 Max Kepler

NLDS Game 1 - Offense, Bullpen Stumble in Loss to Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers	5
Philadelphia Phillies	3

Saturday Night, October 4th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Dodgers lead series, 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  The top of the Phillies line-up was 1 for 11 with six strikeouts, while David Robertson and Matt Strahm couldn't contain the Dodgers in the seventh inning in this gut-wrenching 5-3 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1.

What It Means:  Emphasis on gut-wrenching.

What Happened:  Game 1 starter Christopher Sanchez was locked in until the sixth inning, allowing one hit, a walk and a hit batter through the first five.  In the bottom of the second, the fans got their only real chance to go wild when Alec Bohm drew a lead-off walk, Brandon Marsh singled to center and J.T. Realmuto tripled to the center field wall on a ball Teoscar Hernandez seemed uninterested in cutting off.  Harrison Bader next just missed a home run, settling for a sacrifice fly to score Realmuto. That 3-0 score held until the top of the sixth.  With two outs, Freddie Freeman walked, Tommy Edman singled, and Kiké Hernandez brought them both home with a double to left.

That chased Sanchez (prematurely?) from the game, and Robertson entered.  Robertson got out of that inning but was immediately in trouble in the top of the seventh.  He allowed a lead-off single to Andy Pages and then hit Will Smith to put two runners on.  Matt Strahm replaced Robertson, struck out Shohei Ohtani looking and got Mookie Betts to pop up to third.  Hernandez launched the first pitch he saw from Strahm into the right-center field stands and that was essentially the ballgame.

Ohtani got the win, allowing the three runs on three hits and striking out nine.  Trea Turner (0 for 3), Kyle Schwarber (0 for 4) and Bryce Harper (1 for 4) came up small in the loss, with a combined six strikeouts.

Featured Card:  I hate making these cards when the Phillies lose.

Field Report:  Doug and I watched/agonized over this game from our preferred Section 315.  I reminded him before the game we were lucky to be attending postseason games for the fourth year in a row, to which he responded, like a true Phillies fan, "But we haven't won anything yet."  We did a full, pregame lap of the ballpark, buying a few NLDS souvenirs and choosing Uncle Charlie's Steaks as our playoff dinner.  

As usual, the pregame ceremony was fantastic, the crowd was raucous and the energy levels were high.  Similar to a year ago in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Mets, the crowd fell flat when the Phillies went inning after inning without scoring any more runs.  If all is right with the world, our next game will be NLCS Game 1 against either the Cubs or Brewers.

Transaction:  Garrett Stubbs (c) and Lou Trivino (rhp) were omitted from the postseason roster with the Phillies opting to go with Otto Kemp (inf) and Tim Mayza (lhp).

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

2025 Chachi #59 Trea Turner HL / 2025 Chachi #61 NLDS Game 2

Game 96 - First Half Ends with Win

Philadelphia Phillies	2
San Diego Padres	1

2025 Topps #625

Sunday Afternoon, July 13th

Petco Park - San Diego, CA
55-41, 1st Place, 1/2 game ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Snubbed All-Star Cristopher Sanchez turned in an All-Star performance and J.T. Realmuto cracked a go-ahead double in the eighth inning, to give the Phillies this 2-1 win.

What It Means:  That's a wrap on the first half, and after the All-Star break, the Phillies return home on Friday for a weekend series against the Angels.  The Phillies hold a half game lead over the Mets for first place in the division.

What Happened:  Sanchez improved to 8-2, allowing a run on six hits over 7 1/3 innings, while striking out six.  His ERA fell to 2.50, and he's one of the best pitchers in the National League right now.  Nick Pivetta kept the Phillies off balance through most of the game, allowing just a first inning unearned run.  In the eighth, with the score tied 1-1, Bryce Harper doubled and then Realmuto doubled him home for the eventual winning run.  Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm weren't clean in their relief outings.  Strahm worked out of trouble in the ninth to record his sixth save.

Featured Card:  Sanchez had another impressive outing, but it was Realmuto's clutch double that ultimately won the game.  Here's his card from the recently released Topps Series Two.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 76 - Phils Retake 1st Place with Big Win Over Mets

New York Mets	2
Philadelphia Phillies	10

2025 Topps Now #326

Friday Night, June 20th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
46-30, 1st Place, 1 game ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A six-run seventh inning powered the Phillies to a huge 10-2 win over the division rival Mets in this series opener.

What It Means:  The Phillies are in sole possession of first place for the first time since May 30th.  They'll try to widen their lead with a few more wins this weekend.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler battled through five innings before handing things over to the bullpen.  With the Phillies holding a slim 2-0 lead, Taijuan Walker allowed back-to-back home runs to Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil in the top of the sixth, tying the score.  In the bottom of the seventh, Brandon Marsh doubled and Trea Turner doubled him home to retake the lead.  Big hits followed - RBI singles from Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, and then a two-run double from Bryson Stott, scoring Castellanos and Realmuto within seconds of each other.  Castellanos piled on two more runs with a two-run home run in the eighth.

Featured Card:  I was going to go with a Tanner Banks card, as the reliever came up huge, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings after Walker had given up the pair of home runs.  But this Topps Now card is likely going to be one of my favorite cards of the year.

Field Report:  We were there!  Primarily motivated by the need to pick up some more 2025 photo cards, but also interested in attending a big game on a nice Friday night, Jenna and I impulsively bought standing room only tickets for the game.  I had reached out to the Phillies asking if there was any chance they had some extra photo cards for a long-time collector and partial season ticket holder, and to my surprise they accommodated my request.  New cards in hand, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Pass and Stow before settling in at the Kona Wave bar to enjoy the atmosphere and the win.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 66 - Phils Use Small Ball, Solid Effort from Wheeler in Win

Chicago Cubs	3
Philadelphia Phillies	4

11 Innings

2025 Topps Now #277

Monday Night, June 9th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
38-28, 2nd Place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Otto Kemp had three hits, including a key ninth inning bunt hit, and Zack Wheeler struck out seven as the Phillies walked off with a 4-3 win over the Cubs in 11 innings.

What It Means:  The five-game losing streak ended, but unfortunately this new winning streak would be short-lived.

What Happened:  Wheeler got a no decision, but he kept his team in the game with six strong innings, allowing a first inning solo home run to Kyle Tucker and two other hits.  The Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a Weston Wilson RBI single, scoring Kemp.  Matt Strahm entered the game in the eighth and promptly allowed a solo home run to Ian Happ to tie the score at 2-2.  The Cubs briefly took the lead in the top of the 11th, but in the bottom of the inning, J.T. Realmuto singled home ghost runner Nick Castellanos to tie the score at 3-3.  Bryson Stott and Kemp both bunted for hits, loading the bases, and Brandon Marsh singled home Realmuto with the winning run.  Along with Stott's and Kemp's bunt base hits, Johan Rojas contributed two sacrifices.

Featured Card:  Kemp and Wheeler both received Topps Now cards for this game.  Kemp for his three-hit performance and Wheeler for becoming the fastest Phillies pitcher in franchise history to strike out 1,000 batters.  I'll go with the Kemp card here.

2025 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Field Report:  We were there, and it was great to pay tribute and celebrate the patients, caregivers and families affected by ALS.  The Phillies have partnered with ALS United Mid-Atlantic for over 40 years at this point, and with the help of the family-owned Asplundh company, $800,004 was raised to help with ALS research and care services.  Grab bags were once again sold before the game, and my family and I came away with a nice haul.  Highlights from our bags were signed balls from Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, along with a signed hat from J.T. Realmuto.

The Phillies again produced a whole set of photo cards to be included in the grab bags as an identifier for the autographed item.  I learned from the team last year their contract with Fanatics precludes them from selling these sets at the ballpark, which is a real shame.  High quality cards are produced for the sole purpose of identifying autographs and then they're either left languishing on a shelf in a closet at the ballpark or thrown away.  As I've done the last few years, I'm trying to build a complete set checklist over at the TCDB.

Transaction:  Wheeler (rhp) was activated from the paternity list and Daniel Robert (rhp) was optioned back to Lehigh Valley.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 49 - Phils Continue to Rock Rockies

Philadelphia Phillies	9
Colorado Rockies	5

2025 Topps Heritage #143

Wednesday Night, May 21st

Coors Field - Denver, CO
31-18, 1st Place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  J.T. Realmuto took his turn beating up Rockies' pitching and Taijuan Walker had another solid effort in this 9-5 win.

What It Means:  A win on Thursday afternoon would give the Phillies a four-game sweep of the Rockies, still searching for their ninth win of the season.

What Happened:  Once again the Phillies jumped on the scoreboard early, with Trea Turner opening the game with a single, moving to second when Bryce Harper singled, stealing third base and scoring on a throwing error by catcher Hunter Goodman.  Harper would score next on a Nick Castellanos sacrifice fly, making it 2-0, Phillies.  Turner and Harper connected for back-to-back home runs to lead off the third, and Realmuto's two-run double later in the inning gave the Phillies a 6-2 lead.  Realmuto added to the barrage with a two-run home run in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Here's Realmuto's card from the 1976-inspired and recently released Topps Heritage set.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 7 - Luzardo, Realmuto Hand Dodgers First Loss of '25

Los Angeles Dodgers	2
Philadelphia Phillies	3

2024 Topps Archives #84

Game 7

Friday Night, April 4th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
6-1, 1st Place, 2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Jesus Luzardo made it look easy against a potent Dodgers' line-up and J.T. Realmuto gunned down two would-be base stealers in this 3-2 victory.

What It Means:  The Dodgers entered the series with an 8-0 mark, and the Phillies handed them their first loss of the season while wearing their City Connect uniforms in the first home Friday game of the year.

What Happened:  Luzardo improved to 2-0 with seven shutout innings, allowing just a pair of hits, two walks and striking out eight.  Jordan Romano made it interesting in the ninth, allowing a pair of walks and a two-run home run to Tommy Edman, before Realmuto ended the game with a strike down to second to catch Chris Taylor, the potential tying run, stealing.  An inning before, Realmuto ended the frame by throwing out Shoehei Ohtani trying to swipe second.

In the first, Trea Turner doubled, stole third base, and came home to score when pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt.  The Phillies scored two more runs in the seventh after Max Kepler walked, Nick Castellanos doubled, Bryson Stott singled Kepler home and Castellanos scored on a ground-out to second by Brandon Marsh.

Featured Card:  It's going to be a bit longer before I have any Luzardo Phillies cards, so here's a recent card for All-Star catcher Realmuto.  The 2024 Topps Archives set is a 2024 set in name only, as it wasn't released until early January.

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

2025 Topps - The First Phillie!

I didn't hesitate earlier this year when the e-mail from Topps arrived in my inbox alerting me that boxes of 2025 Topps Series One were on sale from their website.  I've missed out in the past, having to go to the secondary market (eBay) and paying an upcharge when the need to open new baseball cards inevitably overpowered me in prior Februarys.  I didn't go crazy, adding just a hobby box and a blaster to my cart, and then waiting patiently for the February 12th release date.

The box was waiting for me when I arrived home on Wednesday, but sports practices required us to wait until Thursday to open the first packs of 2025 Topps as a family.  The first Phillie, this Alec Bohm card, came quickly within the first pack I opened.

Topps has been on a roll over the past several years, and with the exception of the misfire with 2020's design, the 2025 Topps design adds to four solid set designs in the past five years.  Updating my top ten gallery below, the 2025 set takes the place of the 2015 set in the #2 spot, with 2015 leaving the list after 10 years (!).  I've used this summary in the past to describe the new Topps flagship design, but this is what a baseball card in the year 2025 should look like - crisp, great photo, modern graphics, some non-intrusive glittery effects and a little bit of silver foil with the Topps logo.  I really like that we get the team's logo and name going up the side of a card, and the curved lines along the left border are a nice modern update to the 1982 Topps design.

We were particularly impressed with how Topps found a new way to display the player's position.  The diamond in the bottom right indicates where the player would stand on the field, and it's one of those things I can't believe we've not seen on a baseball card before.  The backs are nice and clean too, as has been the case in recent years, and kudos to Topps for once again making the card number easy to find and easy to read.  My only very minor complaint is that some of the teams have player's last names in black (not white) making those harder to read.  I would have preferred Topps go with all white for every last name for each team.

Revisiting my top ten ranking below, I might move 2022 and 2019 ahead of 2023.  I still don't like the bottom three, but 2021 may eventually take over the worst design spot in my mind.

Best - 2024 Topps #194

#2 - 2025 Topps #7

#3 - 2023 Topps #278

#4 - 2022 Topps #249

#5 - 2019 Topps #303

#6 - 2016 Topps #15

#7 - 2018 Topps #26

#8 - 2021 Topps #79

#9 - 2017 Topps #247

Worst - 2020 Topps #221

Past First Phillies

2010 Topps #300 Chase Utley

2011 Topps #242 Brad Lidge

2012 Topps #98 Domonic Brown

2013 Topps #6 Ryan Howard
2014 Topps #90 Ethan Martin
2015 Topps #309 Maikel Franco
2016 Topps #15 Ryan Howard
2017 Topps #247 Hector Neris
2018 Topps #26 Cesar Hernandez
2019 Topps #303 Ranger Suarez
2020 Topps #190 Aaron Nola

2021 Topps #79 Roman Quinn

2022 Topps #249 Zack Wheeler

2023 Topps #278 Aaron Nola

2024 Topps #194 J.T. Realmuto

2025 Topps #7 Alec Bohm

2024 Christmas Baseball Card Additions from Santa (and His Helpers)

We interrupt the daily 2024 Chachi card postings to bring a brief report on the annual Christmas baseball card additions to The Phillies Room.  It was another solid year in our household in the gift-giving department.

On Christmas morning, Santa delivered the previously seen 2024 Topps factory set and the Diamond Stars Jimmie Foxx card.  Also added to the mix was a 2024 Topps Holiday Mega Box, which was a lot of fun to open, and the very first card in the Diamond Stars set, Lefty Grove.  Truth be told, Grove was delivered to our house on December 1st, but I decided it was a big enough card that it should be under the tree with the Foxx card.  I had somewhat surprisingly won the Grove card in an eBay auction I had no intention of actually winning.  With the addition of Foxx and Grove, I'm down to needing just six more Diamond Stars cards for my version of a master set.  Progress on that set will likely slow until Christmas 2025.

We traditionally spend the day after Christmas at my Mom's house with my sister's family.  As is now tradition, there was a box of individually wrapped baseball cards waiting to be opened and cherished.  My Mom is going somewhat in order through my 1955 Bowman want list, since I'm not yet officially collecting the set.  She veered off the path of adding cards in order, opting to also track down the Whitey Ford and Roy Campanella cards, two names she recognized from my list and players she thought should enter my set build sooner rather than later.

I hope Santa (or his helpers) brought you plenty of new baseball cards this year too.  Happy New Year!

Game 129 - Realmuto Provides Fireworks in Big Win

2024 Topps Trading Card Day
Philadelphia Phillies #PHI-5

Phillies 11, Royals 2
Game 129 - Saturday Night, August 24th in Kansas City
Record - 75-54, 1st Place, 5 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  J.T. Realmuto drove in seven runs and hit two, three-run home runs in this 11-2 therapeutic thrashing of the Royals.

What It Means:  This was a much-needed laugher of a win.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez picked up the win in his return from the injured list, allowing a run on four hits and striking out six over five innings.  The Phillies banged out 18 hits, led by Bryson Stott, who was 4 for 4 with a double, Trea Turner, who was 3 for 5, and Realmuto, 3 for 5 with seven RBIs, and his 9th and 10th home runs of the season.  Seven of the team's 18 hits were doubles.  Every starter in the line-up had a hit, except the struggling Alec Bohm, who was 0 for 5.

Featured Card:  Realmuto was the star, and his seven RBIs tied Carlos Ruiz for the most RBIs in a single game by a catcher in franchise history.

Transaction:  Suarez (lhp) was activated from the injured list and Tyler Gilbert (lhp) was optioned to the IronPigs.

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 115 - Big Sixth Inning Leads Phils Over Snakes

2024 Topps Heritage #159

Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 4
Game 115 - Late Thursday Night, August 8th in Phoenix
Record - 69-46, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies' offense stayed hot, banging out 14 hits and winning this series opener against the Diamondbacks, 6-4.

What It Means:  The Phillies have a three-game winning streak going, and the Mets have passed the Braves in the standings.

What Happened:  Trailing 1-0 heading to the sixth inning, the Phillies' bats finally woke up in the desert.  Nick Castellanos reached when he was plunked on an up and in pitch and Weston Wilson doubled him home to tie the score.  Trea Turner followed with a two-run single after Johan Rojas and Kyle Schwarber had walked to load the bases.  Bryce Harper added the inning's fourth run with a single to center, scoring Schwarber.  The Diamondbacks gained back a pair when Jake McCarthy hit a two-run home run off Orion Kerkering in the bottom of the sixth.  

J.T. Realmuto provided some breathing room with a solo home run in the seventh and Edmundo Sosa contributed an RBI-double in the ninth.  Carlos Estevez was a little wild in the ninth, but the new closer settled in and recorded his first save with the Phillies.

Featured Card:  Realmuto has had an off-year offensively, but his home run last night, only his eighth of the season, came at a great time.  Realmuto marked 10 years of big league service yesterday, a true milestone for one of the best catcher's in baseball.

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Game 50 - Phils Roll Over Rangers

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 11, Rangers 4
Game 50 - Wednesday Night, May 22nd in Philadelphia
Record - 36-14, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies showed no signs of letting up in this decisive 11-4 win over the Rangers.

What It Means:  As Matt Gelb posted on X, the Phillies are the 26th team since 1901 to begin with 36 wins in its first 50 games, and the first team to do that since the 2001 Mariners.  11 of the 25 teams to do it before the Phillies went on to win the World Series.  The Phillies have never had a better start to their season in franchise history.

What Happened:  The Rangers scored first off Taijuan Walker, but the Phillies scored way more often.  They put up three different innings scoring more than a pair of runs, including a big four-run sixth inning.  In the sixth, and already leading 6-3, J.T. Realmuto lined a two-run single to left and Alec Bohm followed that with his league-leading 20th double that dropped into center among four converging Rangers' fielders, scoring two more runs.  Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa had homered earlier in the game, with Bryce Harper hitting his 12th home run in the eighth inning.

Walker labored and exited in the fifth inning, but the bullpen, led by Matt Strahm's scoreless 1 1/3 innings, took care of the Rangers the rest of the way.

Featured Card:  Realmuto went 2 for 5 with three RBIs, including his sixth home run of the year in the third inning.  According to @BoopStats, Realmuto's blast was the 14,000th in Phillies' club history.  Here's his team-issued Phillies Kids Club card, and as of this writing, I'm three away from a team set.

Field Report:  Jenna and I had dinner at Pass and Stow and then settled into our seats in Section 315 for this game, two of the 39,595 in attendance on a gorgeous Wednesday night in May.

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Phillies at Marlins - May 10th to May 12th

1984 Topps Traded #130T

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary #T84-10

Friday 7:10, Saturday 4:10 and Sunday 1:40
loanDepot park - Miami, FL

At the Ballpark:  There are a bunch of theme tickets available for Friday's and Saturday's games.  On Sunday, the first 3,500 fans will receive a Marlins Mother's Day clutch purse.

Philadelphia Phillies 26-12
1st Place in the N.L. East, 2 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (6-0, 1.72)
Taijuan Walker (2-0, 6.39)
Zack Wheeler (4-3, 1.64)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .346
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 30
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber - 9
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 32
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 10

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 6
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 1.64
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 63
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 7

Miami Marlins 10-29
5th Place in the N.L. East, 16 1/2 games behind the Phillies

Marlins Probables
Trevor Rogers (0-5, 6.15)
TBD
Braxton Garrett (0-0, 0.00)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Luis Arraez - .299
Runs:  Luis Arraez and Bryan De La Cruz - 22
Home Runs:  Bryan De La Cruz - 8
RBIs:  Bryan De La Cruz - 21
Stolen Bases:  Jazz Chisolm - 8

Wins:  Three tied with - 2
ERA:  Ryan Weathers - 4.54

Strikeouts:  Ryan Weathers - 34
Saves:  Tanner Scott - 4

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