1990 Donruss Best of the NL: Phillies Team Set

Last Friday, I restarted my coverage of the 1990 Donruss Best of the National League set.  I'm going through it team-by-team, and have the 8th of 12 installments today, which is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dickie Thon.

Dennis Cook.

Dad and I went to see these Phillies play all the time.  We had Sunday season tickets, for about four years, I think, probably 1989 through 1992.  The Sunday season tickets were for all the Sunday home games, which I think was 13 games per season.  We had seats on the 200-level, and we moved a couple of times but for the last couple of seasons these were low down, near the dugout on the 1st base side.  This was at Veterans Stadium.  Citizens Bank Park has been open since 2004, and like Camden Yards in Baltimore which has been open since 1993, I still think of it as the "new stadium."

Tickets back then, even for good seats in the 200 level, were about $10.  So the season tickets were about $260 for the pair.

Ricky Jordan.

Darren Daulton.

Anyway, like I said, we saw these guys play all the time.  Dickie Thon is famous for being beaned in 1984.  His career never really recovered, but with the Phillies he had a chance to play everyday again.  Ricky Jordan was a hot rookie starting in 1988, who hit a homer in his first at-bat.  Darren Daulton was a charismatic figure in the Phillies teams of the time including the 1993 pennant-winning team.  He looks thin here since he bulked up afterwards; he didn't exactly admit to using steroids specifically, but he said he took a lot of substances.  May he rest in peace.

Tommy Herr.

John Kruk.

Tommy Herr was featured with the Cardinals several times in the Fleer World Series set, showing the 1987 series, that I showed a few days ago.  He was with the Phils for 1989 and 1990.  John Kruk was one of the power hitters on the Phils of those days, coming in second in RBI on the team in 1990, and coming in 4th on the team in RBI for the 1993 penannt winner.

Roger McDowell.

Pat Combs.

A couple of these guys I don't really remember; that would be Dennis Cook above, and Pat Combs here.  Cook pitched as both a starter and reliever and went 8-3 in 1990.  Combs may actually have been their ace, with a 10-10 record.  They weren't that good a team in 1990.  Roger McDowell, late of the 1986 Mets, was their relief ace, with 22 saves.  McDowell was replaced for 1991 as closer by Mitch Williams, who will never live down the 1993 World Series in Philly.

Von Hayes.

Lenny Dykstra.

Of all the players here, Von Hayes had the longest tenure with the Phillies at the time.  He really was from the mid-80s teams, whereas the rest of these are the early-90s Phillies, in my way of thinking about them.  Hayes was hit by a pitch in 1991, breaking his arm, and his offensive production never recovered.  His last season was 1992, with the Angels.  Hayes was the RBI leader on these 1990 Phillies.  And then there's Lenny Dykstra.  I don't really want to say much about Dykstra; it's a shame what has become of him.  He sure played hard back then, though.

Charlie Hayes.

Ken Howell.

Charlie Hayes was another rookie prospect for the Phils around then; he had some success but didn't stay with the team for long.  Ken Howell was a pickup for the Phils from the Dodgers, and was one of their top pitchers for a couple of years, going 12-12 in 1989 and 8-7 in 1990.  That was the end of his career.  Howell died just recently, in November; may he rest in peace.

Thanks for reading.  The remaining teams from the set are the Reds, Expos, Giants, and Mets.  I'll show one of those next Friday.