Preliminary 2013 Phillies Promotional Schedule Released

It's way too early to have all the details of the 2013 Phillies promotional schedule, but with six-game packs going on sale soon, the team has whet our appetites with a preliminary look.  The schedule, which was released earlier this week, is little more than a framework at this point, but there are still a few things that can be reported.

Old "favorites" returning next season are celebrations for Mother's Day, Father's Day and the Phanatic's birthday as well as SGAs for Kid's Opening Night, Wall of Fame Night and Back-to-School day.  Also, still to be revealed are photos of bobble promos (Carlos Ruiz and Cole Hamels), knit cap and the annual opening week t-shirt.  We'll get a good look at (most) giveaways in January as the Phillies gear up to single-game ticket sales.  Stay tuned...

The full 2013 Phillies promotional calendar

Phillies TTM: Week of 11/12/12

I have not previously sent to players playing in the Arizona Fall League, but have always been interested in following others who were reporting their successes.  This season I decided to send a few items to Phillies prospects who were participating in the league - Cody Asche and Tommy Joseph.  Both guys have great TTM records, and Joseph even tweeted out a message to followers that he signs TTM.  Asche was a quick return - a single-signed ball last month and I can finally put a check beside Joseph with the Reading program I received back this week.  If you looking to build up your Phillies memorabilia collection with a few autographs of younger players, try these guys during Spring Training!

Tommy Joseph signed Reading program

December Shows

As Clark Griswold famously said, "Tis' the season to be merry."  And for a Phillies collector, back-to-back weekends featuring card/memorabilia shows will make this season very merry. December is busy for everyone, but this year many of us will squeeze in some time during the first two weekends of the month to attend the Philly Show (12/7-12/9) and Poppel.com's annual show at Bucks County Tech HS (12/15).  They say the holidays are a time of giving, and the promotors for these two show have given us four days packed with Phillies player appearances.

With a variety of projects currently in flight, I am pretty excited about the lineups and will be at the signing table often during both of these shows. Billed as "A Celebration of Lefty's Magical Season", this year's show will feature Carlton (Sunday), but most news has been around the rare show appearances of 2008 Phillies, So Taguchi and Chase Utley on Saturday.  For the record, I'm still undecided on whether or not to add Taguchi to my '08 ball.

Other signers during the weekend who interest me are:

• 1993 NL Champs John Kruk and Terry Mulholland.  I need both of them for my 1993 Phillies poster
• Gene Garber.  Though he is solid TTM, I'll probably pony up $15 to have him sign my 1977 team ball.
• Dennis Eckersley.  With a renewed commitment to my HOF single-signed ball collection, this might be a nice, cost-effective addition.

Poppel.com is cycling through the 1980 Phillies again, which is good for guys like me who started new '80 World Series projects since the last time they were in town.  This show features Lonnie Smith (whom I have never met), Kevin Saucier, George Vukovich and Larry Bowa.  All are TTM guarantees - but, I've been reluctant to send out the oversized 1980 WS poster in the mail.  Glad to get all but Bowa this weekend.  Also appearing is 1993 Phillie, Mariano Duncan.  If you missed him last December, this is a great chance to fill-out your '93 team items.

Check out all the upcoming Phillies autograph appearances.

Phillies TTM: My Off-Season Plan

Well, it's that time of year again...November is here and we are looking at a good three months until pitchers and catchers arrive in Clearwater.  As I lamented last October I have interests that keep me busy during the baseball offseason, but will freely admit it's not my favorite time of the year.  To help time pass I ramp up my TTM activity.  Here are a few of the projects I'll be working on this Winter:

1965 Phillies Team Ball
I started this project last Fall and now have six autographs on it.  Because of the long wait from Jack Baldschun, progress stopped in March.  A few guys I hope to add this year are: Clay Dalrymple, Grant Jackson, John Herrnstein and Bobby Wine.

Jack Baldschun on 1965 Phillies Team Ball

1977 Phillies Team Ball

The 1977 Phillies will go down as one of the better team's in franchise history.  Unfortunately, they lost to the LA Dodgers in the NLCS.  I have been plugging away at this one here and there for the past year, too.  So far I've collected seven team members though TTM and added Warren Brusstar at a local signing.  A couple guys I'd like to add this Winter are: Ron Reed, Larry Bowa and Jay Johnstone.  

1977 Phillies Team Ball

1993 World Series Program Cover

Started in August 2011, I have collected up to 14 signatures.  Until this past summer, all had been TTM, but I did pay to have Kevin Stocker and Kim Batiste (who do not do TTM) sign it.  The '93 Phillies are pretty good signers, and I am still missing some key members.  My TTM hit list includes Wes Chamberlin and Pete Incaviglia.

Non-Phillie Targets

I also think I may add a few HOF single-signed balls this year.  I have had a lot of success in the past with Hall of Famers, and there are quite a few who are currently signing - including Al Kaline who has returned my money and ball (unsigned) three separate times.  I would really like to add him, Ferguson Jenkins, Reggie Jackson and Wade Boggs.

Auction Watch: Louisville Slugger Live Auction - 11/10

Today bidders in Louisville, KY will be bidding on more than 400 pieces of memorabilia offered by Hunt Auctions.  As usual, the folks at Hunt Auctions have included several Phillies-themed lots including ten from the seemingly endless, "Harry Kalas Collection."  Online pre-auction bidding ended yesterday afternoon, but here are a few things worth watching:

Jimmy Rollins' 2012 St. Patrick's Day Jersey

Jimmy Rollins 2012 St. Patrick's Day Jersey

Pre-auction estimate: $500-750

Current bid: $500

Comments:  The jersey has proper tagging and is signed by J-Roll.  This lot should be noted by Phillies fans because these jersey's typically come available through silent auctions at the stadium.  Seeing what they can bring on the secondary market might help with the sticker shock at those events.

Game-used items from 9/9/97

Rico Brogna GU Bat and game ball from 9/9/97

Pre-auction estimate: $300-500

Current bid: $177

Comments: There are a lot of interesting items that have come from the Kalas collection.  I'll wait for the final bids to be in, but this is perhaps one of the more unappreciated gems.  Game ball, ball and signed photos from the game played the day after Richie Ashburn died.  The ball is inscribed, "This one's for Whitey" and is described by Kalas' family as "one of his most cherished pieces."  

Game-used ball from Curt Simmons' first game

Curt Simmons 1st Win Ball

Pre-auction estimate: $250-500

Current bid: $109

Comments: Overshadowed by it's more attractive brothers, this first win ball is probably the most significant of the group.  This auction contains several "victory" balls from Whiz Kids pitcher Curt Simmons' collection.  As we have seen with other pitchers from the 1950s, Simmons was presented with the artistic balls after each win.  This one is fairly plain, dating from September 28, 1947, it is inscribed by Simmons, "My 1st Win."

Phillies TTM: Week of 10/29/12

Stan Lopata 1950s-era Phillies Project

Not a ton to report, but got the 1950s-era project back from Stan Lopata on Thursday last week.  The return brings the total autographs up to five so far, all members of the 1950 NL Champions.  The last one to reach out to will be Paul Stuffel who got limited time in September of that season.

Over the years I have had a few successes with Mr. Lopata.  Each time I am reminded of the one time I met him at an area appearance years ago.  He was very skeptical about my claim to have being a big fan of the Whiz Kids - despite being born 30 years after the magical season. I was in the middle of telling him how my dad used to buy me cards of the players he watched, and that his 1959 Topps card was one of the first I ever got.  He cut me off and said, "I bet.  You know how many times I heard that stuff today?"  OK, so he was a little grumpy but it was definitely a memorable interaction.

Phillies Oddballs: 1960 Topps Tattoos

Richie Ashburn - Autographed Ball 1960 Topps Tattoo

1960 was year of great change for the Phillies.  Ten years removed from the Whiz Kids run to the World Series, the team began to make adjustments with the hopes of another postseason push.  In January of that year Richie Ashburn was traded to the Cubs, Curt Simmons was released in May and future stars of 1964, Johnny Callison, Tony Gonzalez and Clay Dalrymple made their debuts. The 1960 Topps Tattoo set features more past than future during this turbulent time in team history.

According to Keymancollectibles.com, the set contains 96 tattoos - 55 players, 16 team logos, 15 action drawings and 10 autographed balls.  I have occasionally seen these tattoos online and at the Philly Show and had noticed the slight tear that seems to mark each wrapper.  In researching for this post I ran across a potential explanation for this phenomenon.  It appears the mark is the result of the Topps production process as shown in the examples shown in this Topps Archive blog post. 

Robin Roberts 1960 Topps Tattoo

Phillies included in the set are:
Richie Ashburn
Gene Freese
Robin Roberts
Richie Ashburn autographed ball
Phillies team logo

Full set checklist (via Keyman Collectibles)

Gene Freese 1960 Topps Tattoo

Auction Watch: Reviewing My Ebay Watch List

It has been a while since I shared some of the Phillies items I am currently watching on EBay.  While I am a frequent buyer, I am a habitual watcher - keeping track of a variety of lots to either investigate further, or see determine market value.  A lot of the stuff I track are things that I either have never seen, or rarely see.  Here are few of those lots I am currently keeping an eye on...

1986 Meadow Gold, Mike Schmidt Ice Cream Wrapper

Mike Schmidt - 1986 Meadow Gold Ice Cream Wrapper (via ebay)

As a Mike Schmidt collector, I have many things that could be considered non-mainstream.  In 1986 Mike Schmidt won the National League MVP and evidently appeared on an ice cream bar from Meadow Gold.  I have never seen it, but it's available to buy now for $12.98 (plus shipping).


1992 Turn Back the Clock Lapel Pin

1992 Phillies lapel pin (via ebay)

I always think it is interesting to find items that pertain to the Phillies, but were sponsored by opposing teams.  Many of these things - like road playoff programs, or maybe something created for Opening Day - were never available directly in our market and tend to be at least a little more rare than things given out at a stadium in Philadelphia.  Here is one of those pieces...I'm not a pin collector, but this stuck out to me.  I remember watching this game on TV - the Phillies wearing the gray uniforms with "Phils" in block lettering across their chests.  Like the Schmidt ice cream wrapper, this is the first time I came across this particular pin.  Buy it now for $10 (plus shipping).


1977 World Series Phantom Parking Pass

1977 World Series phantom parking pass

I can't emphasize how much I enjoy finding phantom memorabilia.  1964 is probably the most famous example, with the tickets and press pins that are frequently available on the secondary market - but, believe it or not, there is a lot of great stuff out there for the other Phillies near-misses, too.  1977 seems to have the most - I have seen World Series press pins, tickets and now parking passes.  This is an iffy buy at $20 - but, great look into the hopes the Phillies had pinned on the 1977 postseason.

Collectible of the Week: Scott Rolen Salvino Bammer Bears

Scott Rolen Bammer Bears - 1999 Phillies

My mom mentioned she read a recent entry where I took issue with Mike Schmidt's criticism of current Major Leaguer's penmanship.  Two things came to mind when I heard this news: 1.  Now that Mom is a dedicated reader, I'll need to watch the language, and 2.  I have to feature one of her favorite Phillies collectibles.  So, with that in mind, this week's collectible is for Mom.

It was the summer of 1999, the Phillies were headed toward another sub-.500 season, Beanie Babies were the latest rage, and most of us still liked Scott Rolen.  These three phenomenons met each other on May 29th at Veterans Stadium where the Phillies gave away 17,000 red, Scott Rolen Salvino Bammer Bears.  Some of you may remember this date was significant because Rolen played (after the 1998 PR hit when he sat on his t-shirt promotion day).

Salvino partnered with several professional sports teams on player-themed bears in 1999, and in Philly, the popularity of both Rolen and bean-bag bears made this one of the highlights on that season's promotional schedule.  Online sales in the secondary market were very strong and supported two additional Rolen Bammer Bear variations - red, white and blue Vet Stadium exclusive and a rainbow variation handed out by the Reading Phillies (July 11th).

I went to the game on May 29th and collected my red Bammer Bear.  And encouraged by the strong eBay market, my mom authorized the purchase of five red, white and blue versions later that summer.  We sold three of them online for a modest profit, and the final two were gifted to me and my brother. Today, you can still find all three variations online from between $5-$15...just make sure the ear tag is still present!

Note:  The 2000 Phillies promotional schedule featured a Mike Lieberthal Bammer Bear.

Reading Phillies SGA Rainbow Rolen Bammer Bear

Phillies TTM: Week of 10/15/12

1978 Phillies Team Ball - Randy Lerch
This week yielded a quick return from former pitcher, Randy Lerch. As a member of the 5-man starting rotation, I had to get him on this ball.

2003 Phillies Program
I started this mini-project on Alumni weekend back in August. I was looking through old programs to pick one that could be signed by Wall of Fame inductee, Mike Lieberthal. There were several choices, but liked the thought of hunting down both Lieby and Tood Pratt.

As it turned out, Pratt was an easy one early in the night, but I could never get Lieberthal to stop and sign. Thankfully he is a great TTMer and signed it for me.

Voting for the 2013 Phillies Chachi set on The Phillies Room

The Phillies Room is a blog covering all things related to Phillies baseball cards.  If you follow my Twitter account you have no doubt read a few entries from them over the past year or so.  One of my favorite features on the blog is the great series of "chachi" sets.  Named for the author's dog, these are "what-if", custom creations that put today's Phillies in the card designs of yesteryear (think a Phillie-centric Topps Archives set).  It's a really cool way to connect today's team to those of the past, and I look forward to seeing which card is created next.

Some of you may have picked this up from The Phillies Collector Facebook page last week, but I wanted to give a plug here for anyone interested in participating.  The Phillies Room is giving readers an opportunity to help select the design for the 2013 Phillies Chachi set.  Readers may vote for one of the following Topps card designs: 1971,1973, 1985 or 1988.  For me the choice was fairly easy.  As I wrote in my last "Phillies Oddball" entry, the 1988 Topps cards hold a specific feeling for me.  As one of the first sets I collected card by card, there are a lot of good memories of going to the local card shop with my dad - buying wax packs and digging through commons boxes.  Despite being filled with names like Jeltz, Carman and Ruffin, I have always considered this team set my favorite.

Visit The Phillies Room blog to vote for your choice.
Browse previous season Chachi sets on The Phillies Room

Phillies Oddballs: 1988 Topps Duo-Tang Folders

New for the 1988 season, Topps, in partnership with Sports Shots Portfolios produced cardboard folders depicting 130 of the top Major Leaguers.  Measuring 9 1/2x 11 3/4", the folders were made from thin cardboard and featured the front and back of that season's Topps card set.  According to the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards the folders retailed for $1 each, but I think mine came from the Rite-Aid bargain bin for much less. I had both the Mike Schmidt and Juan Samuel folders and used them daily at school.  And, even though they were only made of cardboard, the folders held up pretty well.

While the Phillies were not good in 1988, this was the peak of my card collecting life and as a result I have always had warm feelings for Topps' main and subset products (Rookies, Glossy, Traded, etc.) from this year.  I can clearly remember opening wax packs the winter before the season - finding cards from the All-Star subset and hoping to get an Al Leiter error card. The card packs had gum in them and cards were... still sold in wax wrappers (geez, I'm feeling old).  If I close my eyes and think, I can easily conjure up memories of a particular smell and feel of the 1988 set...

Checklist:

• Steve Bedrosian
• Von Hayes
• Lance Parrish
• Juan Samuel
• Mike Schmidt

Check out some of the 1988 Topps Phillies cards that should have been made, but never were at The Phillies Room:

1988 Phillies Missing Links

1988 Phillies Missing Links pt. 2

Auction Watch: October Huggins and Scott

The Huggins and Scott, Fall Internet Auction is accepting bids through Thursday, October 11th on a number of good pieces of Phillies memorabilia.  Here are a few highlights:

Lot# 497 - Andy Seminick, 1967 Road Jersey

Andy Seminick - 1967 Phillies Jersey (via hugginsandscott.com)

Current Bid: $750

# of bids: 1

Comments: Obviously most of us know Andy Seminick as a member of the 1950 Whiz Kids.  He was one of the veterans who guided the young team to the pennant.  In that time before agents and guaranteed contracts, lore has it that he played the 1950 World Series on a broken ankle. 

This lot is from his time as a coach with the Phillies (1967-1969).  Generally, I am not a big fan of collecting coaches "used" gear - and even though the jersey in this lot is not from Seminick's playing days it is still a great item because of the rareness and popularity of Seminick from the 40s-50s.  The lot has been viewed 413 times to date and something tells me there will be several more bids pushing this jersey well over $1k.

Lot# 509 - Various Modern Phillies Game-Used Bats

Modern Phillies GU Bat Lot (via hugginsandscott.com)

Current Bid: $350

# of bids: 3

Comments: So, from the gloomy period of Phillies baseball that was the late 1960s we are flashing ahead to the "Golden Era" with lot 509.  This lot features six bats used in game action from recent Phillies from 2007-2010.  Included are gamers from Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco and Dominic Brown - all but the Brown bat are signed.

I like this lot because it offers the opportunity to pick up a number of bats from notable players from this era.  The fact that Ruiz, Victorino and Werth used their bats during the NL Pennant season is a plus, too.  Your favorite player may not be represented here, but ending up with the winning bid gives you either a great start to a game-used collection, or some really nice additions to an existing one.

Check out the other lots up for bid this month: Huggins and Scott Auctions

Look at past "Auction Watch" posts from The Phillies Collector

Autograph Ordering Info for Former-Phillie, Frank Thomas

Frank Thomas - 1964 Bulletin Insert (Color)

A couple weeks ago I updated you on my TTM success from "The Original" Frank Thomas.  As you may know/remember, Mr. Thomas played on two notorious teams the 1962 Mets and 1964 Phillies - and signs a lot of autographs related to each one.  In his return letter to me, he mentioned that he has decided to use his fame to benefit Courageous Kidz which provides programs for children with Cancer and that all TTM fees are donated to them.  He also mentioned that he sells his own pictures which can be signed and inscribed - which would also benefit the charity.  A few people asked about his prices, so I wrote back and asked him to provide me with the details, and here I am passing them onto you:

There are four pictures that purchased in either 8x10" or 3x5", black/white or color format.  The teams represented here are the NY Mets, Milwaukee Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Phillies.  He also offers a 8x10 (black and white only) picture of him with other notable Pirates from the 1950s and two commemorative photos one depicting each of his issued Topps baseball cards and another marking the milestone of 4-consecutive HRs (by a team).  In his letter back he noted that this (7/8/61) was the first time in history the feat had been accomplished.

Color 3x5" or your own photo/card: $5.00
Color 8x10": $12.00
B/W 8x10": $7.00
Your own Ball: $10.00

PDF of order form

Since most of you will be interested in the Phillies photo, I thought I would post a picture here to give you an idea of what he sends:

Frank Thomas autographed photo

Mr. Thomas' webpage

Frank Thomas' Lifetime Statistics from Baseball Reference

Phillies TTM: Week of 9/24/12

Two new successes to report this week...

Jake Diekman

Jake Diekman signed card

Seems like it is not very often that I am able to report a current Phillie success - but, happy to say I have one this week.  Led by veterans such as Juan Pierre and Kevin Frandsen, this season's edition of the Phillies have been active TTM signers.  I attended Diekman's MLB debut back in May and sent him the two tickets we used.  It was nice to get this card back in exchange.

Jim Bunning

HOFer Jim Bunning is no stranger to Phillies TTMers.  Over the years Mr. Bunning has signed several items for me.  For this round I pulled out the 1971 Phillies team ball.  I have not worked on this ball in over a year but Bunning is a key one to acquire.  Terry Harmon started the trend of signing with his uniform number.  Since then, each guy has included their number - which is a cool touch.

1971 Phillies Team Ball Jim Bunning

I have been posting some one-off TTM successes in the Phillies Collectors Forum under "TTM Successes".  Make sure to check it out for updates.  Looking forward to see some of the things you guys are getting back, too.

Check out previous Phillies TTM posts

Current Autograph Projects

I am always trolling flea markets, garage sales and online marketplaces looking for unique, one-of-a-kind Phillies items for my collection.  In addition to buying memorabilia, I am an avid autograph collector - doing both in-person and TTM.  I will use this section to provide updates on the progress being made to some of my current autograph projects.

2009 Phillies Team Ball
Background: My collection is primarily based on team-themed items.  One of the first team balls I set out to collect (way back) was for the 1980 World Championship team.  Since then I have continued the idea of ensuring I have a ball for each of the following Phillies teams that made a World Series appearance (I can guarantee I will never have one for either the 1915 or 1950 teams).  It is currently one of two 2009 team items I am working on (also have the Dick Perez WS Lithograph).

Goal: To acquire the signatures of as many 2009 NL Champions as possible.  Key signatures are: Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Charlie Manuel, Cole Hamels and Jimmy Rollins.

Progress: To date I have 13 members of the team on the ball, with most being acquired at the annual ALS autograph party held by Phillies Charities.  Signatures on the ball are: Charlie Manuel (IP personal appearance at a car dealership 6/11), Rich Dubee (ALS '11), Jimmy Rollins (ALS '10), Carlos Ruiz (ALS '10), Raul Ibanez (ALS '10), Ben Francisco (ALS '10), Matt Stairs (IP 5/11), Cliff Lee (ALS '11), Joe Blanton (ALS '11), Scott Eyre (IP during '11 Alumni Weekend), Chase Utley (ALS '10), Eric Bruntlett (IP 2/11), Brad Lidge (IP '11).

 

 

1993 Phillies Team Ball
Background: Being a 15 year-old fan during the great 1993 season, this team is and will always be my favorite.  I have been collecting this ball for years, and have a lot of great memories from meeting guys like Darren Daulton, Mickey Morandini and Mariano Duncan - and some strange ones, too (Curt Schilling and Lenny Dykstra).

Goal: To acquire the signatures of as many 1993 NL Champion Phillies as possible.  Key signatures: Jim Fregosi, Lenny Dykstra, Curt Schilling, Darren Daulton, John Kruk.

Progress: So far I have 19 autographs on this ball, including all but one (Fregosi) of my designated "key signatures".  All of these have been received during some kind of in-person interaction - ALS, public signings or Alumni Weekend.  Players I have so far are: Milt Thompson, Mickey Morandini, Darren Daulton, Mariano Duncan, Todd Pratt, Kim Batiste, Tommy Greene, Wes Chamberlain, Ben Rivera, David West, Roger Mason, Mitch Williams, John Kruk, Pete Incaviglia, Ricky Jordan, Jim Eisenreich, Kevin Stocker, Curt Schilling and Lenny Dykstra.

1965 Phillies Team Ball
Background: One of my main offseason TTM projects for the winter of 2011-12.  I chose to collect this team because I have always enjoyed the teams and players of the 1960s and haven't had a lot of previous interaction with the guys from the 1965 team.  It didn't hurt that many of the living team members sign for free TTM.

Goal: To have as many of the living team members as possible sign the ball.  Key signatures: Jim Bunning, Clay Dalrymple, Bobby Wine.

Progress: To date I have collected six signatures on the ball.  Art Mahaffey, Tony Taylor, Johnny Briggs (all IP) and Ray Herbert (12/11 TTM), Gary Wagner (12/11 TTM), Jack Baldschun (9/12 TTM).

1960 Sports Illustrated

Background: I have several Phillie, SI covers signed by the cover subject (Art Mahaffey, Jim Bunning, Greg Luzinski, Carlos Ruiz).  Bought this magazine on eBay for $10

Goal: To have as many of the living 1960 Phillies sign the cover of my March 7-13 edition of Sports Illustrated as possible.  

Progress: To date I have had the following players sign the cover -
Al Dark (TTM - Home), Bobby Gene Smith (TTM - Home), Ruben Amaro, Sr. (IP - July '11),  Bobby Malkmus (TTM- Home), Ted Lepcio (TTM - Home), Bobby Del Greco (TTM - Home), Tony Taylor (IP - September '11), Joe Morgan (TTM - Home), Tony Gonzalez (TTM - Home), Gene Conley (TTM - Home), Clay Dalrymple (TTM - Home), Dallas Green (TTM - Home), Taylor Phillips (TTM - Home), Bobby Wine (IP - August '12)

1960 Sports Illustrated Cover - Phillies (5/13/12)

1971 Phillies Team Ball


Background: One of my primary collectibles are team balls from various seasons.  I have always collected multi-signed balls - starting as a kid in the '80s down at the fence during batting practice before games at Veterans Stadium.  Occasionally I will buy a reasonably priced team signed ball, but prefer to start with a blank and fill it out myself.  Bought OMLB in fall '10.

Goal: To have living members of the 1971 Phillies sign the ball.  Key signatures are: Frank Luchessi, Larry Bowa, Jim Bunning and Rick Wise

Progress:  I have primarily relied on filling out this ball with personal, through the mail requests to team members.  To date the following have signed:
Frank Luchessi, MGR (TTM - Home), Denny Doyle (TTM - Home), Mike Ryan (TTM - Home), Ron Stone (TTM - Home), Terry Harmon (IP - 12/10), Ken Reynolds (TTM - Home), Billy De Mars (TTM - Home), Darrell Brandon (TTM - Home), Larry Bowa (TTM - Home), Woodie Fryman (TTM - Home), Jim Bunning (TTM - Home 10/12)

1980 Phillies Team Photo
Background:  I bought this picture at a flea market years ago.  It is made of a lighter grade paper, and seems to have been pulled from a magazine or program (sometime after the 1980 World Series).  I have a couple 1980 team-themed items.  After completing the team ball, I kept seeing members of the World Champs at events and signing through the mail and thought I'd start sending this picture around.  This is a good example of collecting to collect!

Goal: To get as many of the living players/coaches to sign as possible.

Progress:  I have primarily targeted players/coaches TTM - and since many of them sign for free, should be able to get a lot of the guys at a low cost.  So far I have received signatures from: Kevin Saucier, Randy Lerch, Lonnie Smith, Mike Ryan, Billy De Mars, George Vukovich, Dallas Green, Lee Elia, Larry Bowa, Del Unser, Bobby Wine, Ramon Aviles, Lerrin Lagrow, Dan Larson and Larry Christenson, Ron Reed (all TTM) and Dickie Noles (at CBP during '11 alumni weekend), Garry Maddox and Greg Luzinski (at CBP during '12 alumni weekend).

1980 Phillies Team Picture (5/13/12)

1964 Phillies Team Photo
Background:  It's funny that I have two team photos going right now.  Prior to this I had never really gotten into collecting them - and generally prefer collecting team signed baseballs.  Over the past two years I have really been on a 1964 Phillies kick - starting a team ball and getting signatures on 12 of the 24 Bulletin photos from that fateful September - and when I saw this item, I could not resist.

I saw it on eBay as $35 OBO (Tip: If OBO is offered - make an offer!  More times than not you are able to get the item for less than the Buy Now price).  I recognized it as the the centerfold of the 1989 Old Timer's Day give-away commemorating the team's 25th Anniversary.  The picture - which measures 11"x17" - seemed in pretty good shape, had a frame and already contained the signatures of 7 players: Tony Gonzalez, Clay Dalyrmple, Dallas Green, Bobby Wine, John Briggs, Ruben Amaro and the deceased Cal McLish.  Knowing the players on the team are generally a good TTM signing group I thought it might be a good "keep busy" project. I offered $20 - and it was accepted.

Goal: As with most of these projects - see how many of the living team members I can have sign.

Progress:  This picture has been in the mail a lot over the past 7 or 8 months!  After starting with a lead of 7 signatures, I am now up to 21 total.  The additions I have made are: Gus Triandos, Ray Culp, John Herrnstein, Danny Cater, Art Mahaffey, Dennis Bennett, Bob Oldis, Rick Wise, Roy Sievers, Jim Bunning - all TTM - and Tony Taylor (September '11), Dick Allen (October '11), Jack Baldschun, Cookie Rojas (November '11) at in-person signings.

1964 Phillies Team Picture (5/13/12)

2008 Phillies Team Ball

Background:  Over the past few years I have seen a lot of great items related to this team getting signed at shows or Phillies events by fellow collectors.  As a collector of team signed baseball's my collection has to include one from the 2008 World Champions!  I bought an OMLB World Series baseball during the winter of 2009 with the intentions of turning it into a team signed ball.  I started with Pedro Feliz and have been adding to it ever since.

Goal: To collect as many signatures of the 2008 Phillies as possible.

Progress:  Primarily because of the annual ALS Autograph Party at CBP I have been able to get 14 of the guys to sign the ball for me - though I have acquired a few at shows here and there.  I have been lucky enough to get a couple of the key guys like Chase Utley, Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard at ALS. So far I have: Charlie Manuel, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Rich Dubee, Joe Blanton, Scott Eyre (great get during Alumni Weekend at CBP this year), Pedro Feliz, JC Romero, Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell and Kyle Kendrick - in addition to the guys I mentioned earlier.

Mike Schmidt, Meet the Kettle

Mike Schmidt at an autograph signing

A few weeks ago, I met former Phillies catcher Bob Boone at a Bucks County sports card show.  I was at the show to have him sign the 1976 team ball that I have been working on over the past few years.  Sure, Boonie signs through the mail, but part of the fun in collecting signatures for this project is talking to the guys and asking them about one of the greatest teams in Phillies history.   

Boone is known for having a very clear and recognizable signature.  It is very consistent no matter what  media-type he is asked to sign, free or paid.  That day he took the ball, and as many of his former teammates have done before him, he rolled it on his fingertips to see who else had signed.  After taking it in, he looked up at me and said, "Isn't it great?  All of us write our names so people can read them!".  Flash forward a month and another member of the 1976 NL Eastern Division Champions is lamenting the dying art of signing legibly. 

Mike Schmidt has never been shy about providing an opinion - which is why I was not surprised to see his op-ed piece for the Associated Press today.  In the editorial, Schmidt took today's athletes to task for handing out "scribbles" to fans as opposed the "neat" autograph he provides.  He went on to state that a legible signature "shows respect and looks as though I put some effort into the process of creating a collectible item."  In most cases, I would agree would his assessment.  When you pay full price, he does make a pretty nice looking autograph.  Heck, I even saw him sign two pieces at once at a Philly Show appearance last year (both, equally nice).
  
My contention with Schmidt in this case is with his derogatory use of the term "scribbles".  That is because a few years ago he victimized me with one of his famously bad, free autographs.  Trust me, I get the point that there are a lot of people who stop him daily and want him to sign something with the idea they have obtained something valuable.  But, his disregard for the 1984 team ball that I had painstakingly collected since the 1980s was shocking and disappointing.  Though I have come to accept the imperfect ball and see the situation as a storytelling opportunity, to me, at that moment, having the Schmidt scribble ruined the ball, and the experience of collecting those other 20 autographs.  

I don't have a problem with Schmidt trying to drive home a point to the next generation of Hall of Famers - or even for not signing free autographs.  But when he does talk about his autographing habits, I would like him to be honest and admit that he is just as bad as everyone else when he scribbles his mark.

Mike Schmidt's scribbled name

My Collecting Story: Aetna Firehall Card Show Recap (Newark, DE)

"The Take" from my trip to Newark, DE

Recently I have started working on filling holes in my 1970's Phillies card collection.  I have always known there are a lot of great oddball sets from the decade, but just have not dedicated time to collecting them.  Growing up I focused on Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and that year's current team cards.  My dad did a good job helping me to accumulate cards he remembered from the 50's and 60's and somehow the 70's were left out.

I went to the Aetna Fire Hall in Newark, DE a few years ago to see '64 Phillie, Art Mahaffey.  I remembered it being a good spot to pull up a chair and sort through boxes of commons and vintage cards.  After noticing a listing in Beckett Baseball for their September show (last Sunday), I decided to take a drive and try my luck.  What I found was a good mix of old and new - and best of all, some dealers who were willing to negotiate price!  I didn't necessarily load up on 1970's cards - but got a few good ones nonetheless...

What I got:

• 1987 Topps Traded Set and 1992 Upper Deck All-Star Fanfest Set for a total of $5!  These were two big sets from my youth.  I bought them just to enjoy looking through the cards.  Maybe the best $5 spent this year.
• O-Pee-Chee Phillies team sets from 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1986 for $8.  Might have overpaid a little, but the dealer did come down from $15 so I felt like I got a deal.  The '77 set ended up being the only 1970's cards I purchased.
• 50 Phillies commons from 80's, 90's and 00's.  For ten cents a card it is hard to pass up the chance to add a bunch to the collection.  Again, it is always fun to pull up to a box of commons and see what you find.   

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Phillies TTM: Week of 9/17/12

Last week was a great return to the world of TTM.  Because there were a couple signings over the past month, I have not been sending a lot out.  My last full "Phillies TTM" post was a month ago - and since then successes have been sparse.  With three new returns, I figured it was time for an update...

1965 Team Ball - Jack Baldschun

I started this ball last November as one of my "off season" projects.  Baldschun is a reliably streaky TTM signer.  He has a great success rate, but is prone to long wait times.  I sent the ball out on March 17th after seeing a few quick returns on Sports Collector's Net - yadda, yadda, yadda, six-months later it came back.  I can't wait to get it back into the mail over the next week or two...

1965 Phillies Team Ball Jack Baldschun

1977 Team Ball - Ted Sizemore

Another off-season project that I have not worked on lately.  I noticed 2B Ted Sizemore has been signing TTM recently and jumped on the opportunity.  He signed the side panel under Jim Lonborg and added a ROY inscription.  

1977 Phillies Team Ball Ted Sizemore

1950's Era Project

I have quietly collected the living Whiz Kids (all except Stan Lopata) on the Connie Mack Stadium 8x10 that serves as my '50s-era project.  This week I received the photo back from Jack Mayo, a back-up outfielder that season.  I plan on getting it out to Lopata this week and go from there...

1950s Phillies Project - Jack Mayo

I have been posting some one-off TTM successes in the Phillies Collectors Forum under "TTM Successes".  Make sure to check it out for updates.  Looking forward to see some of the things you guys are getting back, too.

Check out previous Phillies TTM posts