1992 Topps #984 Phil Stephenson

 Todays missing Topps card is #984 Phil Stephenson. 

Phil got his first taste of the Majors in 1989 with the Chicago Cubs. He was part of a rare September trade that year, when he and others were dealt to the San Diego Padres along with a guy I wrote about a dozen or so cards ago, Calvin Schiraldi, in exchange for Luis Salazar and Marvelle Wynne. He finished the ‘89 season with the Pads, and played with them in 1990, 1991, and 1992, his final season in the Majors. He trolled the minors for a few seasons, and also was a replacement player during 1995 Spring Training for the Chicago Cubs. 

Phil played college baseball at Wichita State, and his coach was his older brother Gene Stephenson. His brother (and coach) was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Phil had a 47 game hitting streak in 1981, the record before Robin Ventura topped it. After his career, Phil spent a few seasons coaching, and according to his Wikipedia page, he now hosts an AM radio show for KGSO, a sports radio station in Wichita. 

Phil’s first Topps card came in the 1990 Topps set. He appeared in the 1991 and 1993 Topps sets as well as his rookie issue. He is missing 2 cards from the 1989 Topps Traded set (Cubs and Padres), and a 1995 Topps card for his time as a replacement to complete his career Topps run. I haven’t covered any of his cards except for the 1992 Topps custom. 

Thanks for checking out my latest post. 

-Jeremy