Welcome!

Hi, welcome to In Search of Pat the Bat!

I have been collecting Pat Burrell cards since he first came up with the Phillies in 2000 and now I have made the insane decision to collect each of his cards.  You can check the current count of my collection on the sidebar and you can help out with my collection by checking out my wantlists, organized by year, at the very top of the page.  I’m slowly getting the checklist for each year together.  If you have a card from any year not listed, please e-mail me and I can let you know if I need the card.  Thanks and enjoy!

Remember to enter the Push for 1,000 contest!

Patsearcher

Gint-A-Cuffs Pack 21-24: The Finale

Pack 21

3 Manny Parra

69 James Loney

160 Max Scherzer

71 Albert Pujols

38 Troy Glaus

119 Scott Lewis

NH35 Janos Damjanich +5

NP60 Stephen Drew

Pack Total: +5

Box Total: +275

Pack 22

148 Brad Lidge +1

127 JD Drew

260 Louis Braille

16 Josh Johnson

61 Burke Kenny +2

343 Doc Holliday SP +5
122 Dontrelle Willis black mini +3

NP59 Miguel Cabrera

Pack Total: +11

Box Total: +286

Pack 23

254 John Maine

1 Jay Bruce +2

47 JJ Hardy

40 Jeremy Hermida

96 Geronimo

29 Jonathan Pabelbon

323 Derek Jeter black mini (7 + 3 + 3 – 1)/2 = +6

NP56 Edinson Volquez

Pack Total: +8

Box Total: +294

Pack 24

222 Akinori Iwamura

245 Todd Helton

231 David Murphy

289 Milky Way -1

34 Ryan Dempster

313 Jeff Francis +5

298 Dan Haren A&G back mini +2

NP49 Max Scherzer

Pack Total: +6

Box Total: +300

Gint-A-Cuffs Packs 17-20

Pack 17

238 Vincent Van Gogh

253 Miguel Cabrera

81 Willie Williams +2

213 Stephanie Brown Trafton

334 Pat Burrell SP +8 (I would be upset, but one of my two copies was mauled in a freak scanner accident)

AGHS6 Josh Beckett +3

297 Kolan McConiughey mini

NP57 Victor Martinez

Pack Total: +13

Box Total: +243

Pack 18

9 Ryan Theriot

94 Paul Maholm

24 Steve Wiebe

284 Kenshin Kawakami

146 Rich Harden

115 Ryan Doumit code +2

267 Melvin Mora black mini +3

NP40 Hideki Matsui -1

Pack Total: +4

Box Total: +247

Pack 19

246 General Custer

90 Bobby Crosby -1

252 Lastings Milledge

285 George Kottaras

318 Delmon Young SP +5

AGHS3 Randy Johnson +3

79 Electron A&G back mini -1

NP39 Shin-Soo Choo

Pack Total: +6

Box Total: +253

Pack 20

180 Russell Martin

37 Andre Ethier

13 Travis Hafner

60 Matt Holliday

338 Jason Wong SP +5

AGHS5 Josh Hamilton +5

LMT11 Leviathan +7

NP51 Albert Pujols

Pack Total: +17

Box Total: +270

Gint-A-Cuffs Packs 13-16!

Pack 13

121 Ryan Church

113 Rafael Furcal

194 Brandon Morrow

33 Florence Nightingale

36 Joba Chamberlain -1

342 Sitting Bull +5

295 Brett Gardner -1

NP41 Raul Ibanez +2

Pack Total: +5

Box Total: +144

Pack 14

274 Josh Hamilton +2

129 Brian Giles

162 Shane Victorino +1

263 Brian Duensing

125 Randy Johnson

336 Ryan Ludwick SP +5
336 Ryan Ludwick SP mini +7

NP53 Vladimir Guerrero

Pack Total: +15

Box Total: +159

Pack 15

152 Phil Coke -1

201 Travis Snider

51 Ryan Perry

178 Adam Laroche +2

282 Eric Chavez

AGR-DAW David Wright SP batting gloves relic +12 x 5 = +60 (pending ruling)

HHB4 Idaho +5

NP54 Carlos Zambrano

Pack Total: +66

Box Total: +225

Pack 16

236 Edgar Renteria

230 Torii Hunter

58 Brad Hawpe

101 Andrew Bailey

136 Mickey Mantle -1

22 Mariano Rivera +1

208 Michael Young A&G back mini +2

NP58 Derek Jeter +3

Pack Total: +5

Box Total: +230

Gint-A-Cuffs Packs 9-12!

You know the deal by now.

Pack 9

135 Jeff Suppan

167 Jim Thome

137 Mark Teixiera -1

35 Geovany Soto +2

30 Ryan Howard +1

345 Carlos Delgado +5

261 John Danks mini

NP61 Mark Teahen

It looks like Soto just let one slip and blamed it on somebody else.

Pack Total: +7

Box Total: +121

Pack 10

187 Brett Myers +1

227 Nelson Cruz

172 Jarrod Saltalamacchia

226 Ricky Romero

239 Chris Carpenter

64 Jordan Zimmerman

HHB18 The Piltdown Man +5

NP42 Edgar Renteria

Pack Total: +6

Box Total: +127

Pack 11

131 Rickie Weeks

286 Matt Kemp

143 Robbie Maddison

25 Evan Longoria +2

168 Adrian Gonzalez +2

54 Carlos Guillen

179 Trevor Hoffman black mini +3

NP50 Jair Jurrjens

Pack Total: +7

Box Total: +134

Pack 12

275 Vladimir Guerrero

45 Derrek Lee

279 Jon Lester

93 David DeJesus

41 Victor Martinez

138 Garrett Atkins code parallel +2

185 Dustin Pedroia mini +3

NP52 Daisuke Matsuzaka

Pack Total: +5

Box Total: +139

Gint-A-Cuffs Packs 5-8

Let’s keep it rolling.  Look for the rest of the break as soon as I can scan all of the cards.

Pack 5

175 Alfonso Soriano

283 Mike Aviles

65 Dexter Fowler

258 Felix Hernandez

218 Bobby Parnell

324 Wladimir Balentien +5 SP

153 CC Sabathia mini -1

NP47 Ryan Howard +2 Ryan should be worth more, especially in late August/early September when he hits all of his home runs.

Pack Total: +6

Box Total: +85

Pack 6

5 Luke Hochevar

233 John Lackey

109 Samuel Morse

155 Yadier Molina

272 Brad Nelson

74 Matt Tuiasosopo

NH12 Alexander Nevsky Russia +5

NP48 Jorge Cantu

Pack Total: +5

Box Total: +90

Pack 7

207 Jack Cust

185 Dustin Pedroia +2

102 Edinson Volquez

171 Brett Anderson

211 Kevin Millwood

325 Dioner Navarro SP +5

313 Jeff Francis SP mini +7

NP43 Jose Lopez

Pack Total: +14

Box Total: +104

Pack 8

174 John Lannan

268 Andy Pettitte -1

116 Charles Darwin

176 Ramiro Pena -1

AGR-DW Dontrelle Willis relic +8

107 Bryan Berg mini

NP62 Ryan Braun +4

Pack Total: +10

Box Total: +114

Gint-A-Cuffs!! (Finally) Packs 1-4

I know that my handful of readers have gotten used to my regularly irregular posting schedule.  For disappointing you these last few weeks, I apologize.  I have been pretty much underground with no Internet access.  However, that time spent underground has provided me with the funds to compete in that most noble of all cardosphere challenges – Gint-A-Cuffs!  Since I’m running out of time to submit my entry, I’m going to make a blizzard of posts over the next few hours to get all of my points scanned and accounted for.  Here’s hoping I can top the magnificent Bearded One’s total of 347 points.

Box Topper

CB No. 8 Signing of North Atlantic Treaty Organization +8

Pack Total: +8

Box Total: +8

Pack 1

169 Kazuo Matsui

75 David Wright +2

149 Chipper Jones +2

80 Joe Martinez

347 Yovani Gallardo SP +5

AGHS7 Manny Ramirez +3

203 Scott Kazmir mini

NP63 Carlos Beltran

Pack Total: +12

Box Total +20 (Off to a rip roaring start!)

Pack 2

221 Brandon Webb

193 Khalil Greene

48 Steve Young’s Great-Great-Great Grandfather

225 David Price

AGH-RJB Ryan Braun Jersey +8 x 5 = +40

285 George Kottaras mini

NP46 Carlos Ruiz +2  Go Chooch!

Pack Total: +42

Box Total: +62

Pack 3

267 Melvin Mora

97 Art Pennington +2

89 Elvis Andrus

82 Justin Verlander

311 Gavin Floyd SP +5

AGHS4 Carlos Zambrano +3

101 Andrew Bailey A&G back mini +2

NP45 Evan Longoria +4

Pack Total: +16

Box Total: +78 (Sitting pretty so far)

Pack 4

99 Chris Duncan

2 Zack Greinke

241 Trevor Cahill

228 Will Simpson/Archie Bunker

128 Red Moore +2

294 Tim Hudson

293 Ian Snell mini – good for the collection, useless for Gint-a-Cuffs

NP44 Yuniesky Betancourt

Pack Total: +2 (And now it starts to go down the tubes)

Box Total: +80

Brain….ASPLODE!

I have no words for this travesty. My only hope is that the Eagles have a Bark at the Park day this year.

I don’t own a Michael Vick card, so this was lifted from this story.

Scott Mathieson: On The Comeback Trail

In June 2006, the Phillies called up one of their top pitching prospects, a flamethrowing 22 year-old righthander named Scott Mathieson, to make a few spot starts for an ailing rotation.  He made three starts and one relief appearance, compiling an 0-2 record and a 5.48 ERA before being sent back down to the minors.  He was recalled in August and made four more starts, even recording his first major league win.  Then on September 2, he started the second game of a doubleheader.  On his sixth pitch of the evening, he felt a pop in his right elbow, an injury which required Tommy John surgery.

2005 Bowman Chrome Draft #126 Scott Mathieson

After recovering from his Tommy John surgery, Mathieson was able to pitch in 7 minor league games during the 2007 season.  Then he heard another pop.  Doctors misdiagnosed Mathieson’s second injury and recommended nerve surgery.  In early 2008, after attempting to rehab from the nerve surgery, he underwent his second Tommy John surgery.  After another long and arduous recovery, Mathieson stepped back on the field for the Gulf Coast League Phillies on June 25, 2009.  Since then, Mathieson has progressed to single A Clearwater and then to double A Reading. Over the three levels, Mathieson has compiled a 2-0 record, a 0.45 ERA, and 21 strike outs over 20 relief innings.  He has also been lighting up the radar gun at 98 miles per hour.  With all his recent success, Mathieson has lined himself up for a chance to help an injured Phillies bullpen when September callups are made.  Here’s hoping that this young man, who has endured so much in pursuit of his dream, continues his return to form.  For more information on Mathieson, check out these recent articles.

Fun With ’80s Oddballs

A few days ago a set of 47 1985 Phillies Tastykake cards arrived at my house, trapped in the same shrink wrap that has housed them for the last 24 years.  I believe these sets were a stadium giveaway at some point during the season. Tastykake and the Phillies teamed up for a set each year from 1982 through 1990.  Nowadays, they only team up to unleash commercials with the very catchy “Nothing goes better with Phillies baseball than Tastykake” song featuring the Phanatic and a giant butterscotch krimpet dancing around Citizens Bank Park.

When I set the cards free, I found a treasure trove of extreme close-ups.  I wonder what these guys were thinking about when these shots were taken?

1985 Phillies Tastykake #16 John Denny

John Denny still looks pretty happy about his 1983 NL Cy Young Award.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #21 Jerry Koosman

Jerry Koosman must have been joking around with Mike Schmidt about who has the more expensive rookie card.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #38 Garry Maddox

Garry Maddox is probably thinking about barbeque cook-offs.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #30 Steve Jeltz

Steve Jeltz hopes his Jheri curl looks good.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #8 Manager and Coaches

The manager and coaches thought this picture had a chance to look somewhat natural.  Nope.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #11 Infielders

Schmidt obviously wanted to show off his guns.  Look at those forearms!

1985 Phillies Tastykake #42 Future Phillies: Schu/James

This is the only one of the six future Phillies cards to feature two players who would eventually stick in the majors.  Of the other 10 players featured, I only recognize the names Mike Maddux and Rich Surhoff, both of whom are part of the Phillies’ long history of picking the wrong brother.

1985 Phillies Tastykake #10 Catchers

1985 Phillies Tastykake #24 Darren Daulton

These two cards are the real reason that I bought this set.  These two cards fill two early holes in my Daulton collection.  Now I only need his 1985 Portland Beavers minor league card to complete the cards from his pre-major league days.  These two cards bring me up to 189 Darren Daulton cards.

I really like this set, enough that I am thinking about purchasing another set to send out for TTMs.  The cards are huge and I think they would look great with a nice black sharpie.  One of my problems with TTM is that sometimes the card is too small for a good signature.  These definitely do not have that problem.  Check out Mike Schmidt next to Burrell’s 2009 OPC card:

The TTM project probably won’t happen for awhile, so now I just need a way to store these giant things.

C’Mon Topps!

Really?  Topps is back to its lazy picture selection.  Check out this auction for the Pat Burrell Topps Chrome Gold Refractor.  Does that picture look familiar at all?  How about now:

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter #334 SP

Burrell has been on the Rays for about 2/3 of the season by now, I would think Topps could have sent a photographer out to a Rays game to snap another picture.  Instead, Topps copped out and decided to use the exact same picture in two consecutive releases.  Absolutely absurd.  I was really looking forward to this release and now I might not buy any at all.  For shame Topps, for shame!