2011 Summer Clearance Trade with Steve G.

Steve, of the White Sox Cards blog, was my first Internet trading partner. We've been swapping Phillies/Astros for White Sox cards for several years now. This lot from him is mostly cards from 2009-2011. Of the Phillies he sent, I needed 25 of them. He did send me a few 2011 Phillies cards I already have but they will go to a good home. I'll be sending some excess Phillies cards to my 26-year-old niece, Katie, in Philadelphia. She is not only winner of several Gold Medals for swimming in the Special Olympics, she is an enormous Phillies fan. He also sent me a mess of Astros cards but I haven't gotten to them yet.

2009 Topps Heritage #515 Antonio BastardoI think I had every Phillie from this set except for this card. Due to injuries, Bastardo is now the fifth closer for the Phillies this year. He's doing a great job. Not only didn't I have this card, I don't have any other Bastardo cards. And no wonder. According to Beckett.com, there are only 19 Bastardo cards and they are all from 2009.

2010 Topps Cards Your Mom Threw Out Original Back Cole HamelsThese reprints are hard to tell from the original until you find the tiny word "Reprint" on the back. As I'm preparing this post, the Phillies, behind Hamels, are beating the Marlins in Florida, 8-2.

2010 Topps Turkey Red #123 Roy HalladayThe only Phillie I have from this insert set.

2011 Topps Throwback #219 Carlos RuizThe only Phillies Throwback I have.

2011 Topps Diamond Stars #15 Cliff LeeOoh, shiny.

2011 Topps Attax Gold Foil #179 Roy HalladayI only bought one package of this junk so I'm going to have to rely on the kindness of fellow bloggers to get any more Phillies. Steve sent me several non-foil Phillies as well.

2011 Topps Heritage #111 Brad LidgeLidge was supposed to be the Phillies closer this year but he's been injured all year.

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen #139 Raul IbanezI didn't get too many Phillies in the blasters I bought so I was happy to see this, along with the Ryan Howard and Roy Oswalt cards.