Showing posts with label Miner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miner. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

2013 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #15 Zach Miner

Marlins 4, Phillies 3 (10 Innings)
Game 152 - Wednesday Night, September 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 71-81, 3rd Place, 19 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Marlins prevailed in ten innings, 4-3, after the Phillies couldn't capitalize on late innings scoring opportunities.

What It Means:  The Phillies weren't able to complete the sweep against the Marlins.  After a day off today, the Mets come to town for the final home series of the season.

What Went Wrong:  The Phils had runners in scoring position in the 8th, 9th and 10th innings, but couldn't get any of them home.  It was a bullpen game for the club, as Zach Miner made the spot start in place of an apparently injured Kyle Kendrick.  Miner threw three scoreless innings in the game.

Chase Utley had a two-run single to give him 68 RBIs for the season.  14 of those RBIs have come in his last seven games.

Featured Card:  Whenever I get around to publishing my 2013 Phillies Missing Links post, there's going to be a whole lot of 2013 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update cards featured.  Miner may or may not be back with the club in 2014, and the only options for 2013 baseball cards featuring the veteran right-hander are his cards in the IronPigs team sets.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

2013 Chachi #55 Zach Miner


#45
Zachary Charles Miner
Relief Pitcher

Bats: Right  Throws: Right  Height: 6'4"  Weight: 225
Born: March 12, 1982, St. Louis, MO
Home: Jupiter, FL
Drafted: Selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 4th round of the June 2000 draft
Teams: Detroit Tigers 2006-2009, Phillies 2013
Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Detroit Tigers organization, December 1, 2012
Contract Status: Signed through the 2013 season

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

1993 SP #172 Mariano Duncan

Braves 5, Phillies 4 (12 Innings) 
Game 110 - Saturday Night, August 3rd in Philadelphia 
Record - 50-60, Tied for 3rd Place, 15 1/2 games behind the Braves 

Another Massive, Post-Vacation, Why Do I Even Bother Catch-Up, Part 7 of 8

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies had a chance to win this one, but eight walks from the pitchers eventually doomed them in an extra-inning, 5-4 loss.

What It Means:  It's not going well.

What Went Wrong:  John Lannan was chased in the fifth, and four Phillies relievers combined to hold the Braves scoreless until Jake Diekman walked the bases loaded in the 12th.  Justin De Fratus couldn't get out of the jam, and the Braves scored the eventual winning run.  On a positive note, Zach Miner made his Phillies debut and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Featured Card/Field Report:  I was there to witness all 12 painful innings.  I was lucky enough to pick up a cool 1993 Phillies print and I waited in line to have Mariano Duncan sign it.  Now to track down the other guys on the print . . .


We returned from the shore on Saturday morning and I drove to Philly to meet two of my good friends and former college roommates at the ballpark.  Sadly, both John and Tommy are life-long Braves fans, so this game was much more enjoyable to them then it was to me.  This game dropped my personal record this year to 2-6.  (Click photos below to enlarge.)

Schilling on the Wall
Miner's At-Bat
Me with Two Braves Fans