Monday, May 16, 2011

Random Phillies cards of the Week

1975 Topps #374 Eddie WattHere's a guy I should have saved for my Phorgotten Phillie Phile. The Phillies bought him from the Orioles in December 1973 for $70,000. They released him before the 1975 season. In 1974 he was 1-1 with 6 saves in 42 appearances. I have no recollection of him.

1989 Bowman #407 Ron JonesIf there was a future star in the Phillies minor league system in the late '80's, it was Ron Jones. A power-hitting outfielder with good defensive skills he made is debut in 1988. In 1991 he hit .272 with 13 home runs in 97 games. Unfortunately, several knee injuries ended a promising career early. In later years, Jones ran the Big League Batting Academy in Houston with another former Phillie, Charlie Hayes. I'm sad to say that Ron Jones passed away in 2006 at the young age of 41.

1993 Stadium Club #229 Ricky JordanRicky Jordan was the Phillies #1 draft pick in 1983. Ricky played 1st base and in 1989 looked to be the Phillies regular starter at first for years to come. However, the Phillies acquired John Kruk in 1989, and although Kurk mostly played outfield his first few years with the Phillies, by 1991 he was the started at first, mainly leaving Ricky as a pinch-hitter. Ricky was due to be a free agent after the 1994 season and probably would have gotten a good contract somewhere. Unfortunately for him, the 1994-1995 baseball strike effectively ended his career. He did eventually sign on with the Mariners in 1996 but that was his last year.

2004 Studio Game Day Souvenirs Number #65 Jim ThomeJim Thome was always one of my favorite players and I was pretty excited when the Phillies signed him for the 2003 season. Jim hit 89 combined home runs for the Phillies in 2003-2004. His playing time in 2005 (the last year of his 3-year, $26.5 million contract) was limited by injuries. With the rise of Ryan Howard, Thome's services were no longer required and he signed with the White Sox after the 2005 season. This is a nice game used jersey card with a stripe I picked up on eBay.

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