• Phillies Game Thoughts
• Cards
  • Josh Gibson
  • Former Phillies
  • PED Suspension
  • DL Hall Orange Crackle Foilboard

First loss brings back playoff dread

Aaron Nola gives up 5 runs, but the story for me was the fact that the offense was deathly quiet. Once again we see zero run support against a left handed pitcher, Mitchell Parker. A 2nd year pitcher with 4 pitches baffled the Phillies offense, and the sweep eluded the Phillies. It’s not so much the outcome, but the feeling that the game had, the impending ineptness of the offense that feels familiar. The complete lack of any hope, the utter inevitability of the loss is an inescapable gravity that grips you at your core, while the experts and broadcasts tell you there is nothing to worry about. “Relax it’s not even April” they say, but yet we’ve seen this before in dire times and the feeling is exactly the same.

2024 Topps Update Pack – Josh Gibson!!

JOSH GIBSON!!!

This was an incredible surprise, and why I like to go into packs without knowing the full checklist and all the details. One of my aspirations is to collect Negro League cards, and this card reminded me of that goal. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit baffled by the picture choice on this card. Josh Gibson quite arguably the greatest hitter of all time, and yet he’s sliding in this picture. Even the card states the “All-Time Batting AVG Leader”, but yet he’s sliding. Additionally, as mentioned in this incredible post by Night Owl Cards, is that there is ZERO mention of the Negro Leagues, the teams he’s played for and it’s a random checklist.

The reason for the card inclusion is that in 2024 MLB integrated the stats from the Negro Leagues into the full MLB dataset. There is no mention of that besides the line “recognized” on the back, so you have to do some digging to get the full story. They really phoned it in on this one, but it is nice to see Josh Gibson’s card come through, and reminded me of the Negro Leagues project that I want to start collecting.

Former Phillies

Zero Phillies cards in this pack, but Cole Irvin played for the Phillies in 2019 and 2020. Baseball-Reference states Cole was originally drafted by the Phillies in 2016 in the 5th Round of the June Amateur Draft.

In 2019 appeared in 16 games, switching between the Phillies and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs throughout 2019. In 2020, he played 3 games for the Phillies, while spending most of his time at the Phillies Alternate Training site or the IronPigs. Phillies traded him for cash to the Oakland A’s on January 30th 2021.

2024 saw Cole in Baltimore, and in 2025 he’s elected free agency after being optioned to the St. Paul Saints by the Minnesota Twins. The Morning Call did a cool writeup in 2024 of where players are that played for the IronPigs. Cole is the headline image on the top of the page.

PED Suspension

The day after I pulled this card, Jurickson Profar gets busted for PEDs. Now playing for the Braves, he’s suspended 80 days AND he is ineligible for the post-season. I heard this story driving home from the Flyers game, from Jody Mac on WIP. The Braves are off to a disastrous 0-4 start.

DL Hall – Orange Crackle Foilboard Serial #244/299

Finally, DL Hall “Orange Crackle Foilboard” serial numbered 244/299. DL Hall was the 21st pick in the first round of the 2017 Amateur Draft. Most recently he was part of a trade that sent Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for the 2024 season, and included the 34th pick in the 2024 amateur draft.