Categories: History

Five pitchers who enjoyed a cup of coffee – just one – with the Phillies

Anderson Garcia ranks among the few hurlers to enjoy one brief shining moment on the mound with the Phillies. (Joel Dinda)

There’s a very small group that has its small place in Phillies history, experiencing a “cup of coffee.”

Wondering where that phrase originated, Google came to the rescue: “A ‘cup of coffee’ is a North American sports idiom for a short time spent by a Minor League player at the Major League level.”

Well, some careers were SO short, their cup was more like an eye’s drop worth of coffee. Five Phillies pitchers never got out of one inning in their ONLY Major League appearance.

RH Tom Barry started the second game of the 1904 season, vs. Boston, and lost 6-0. The date was April 15. His pitching line: 2/3 IP, six hits, five runs, three earned runs, one walk, one strikeout, 40.50 ERA. The Phillies lost 99 more games that season.

RH Art Gardner relieved starter Whitey Glazner with two out in the first inning in Pittsburgh on Sept. 25, 1923. He faced two batters, allowed a hit and a walk and was replaced by Jim Bishop. At least his ERA was 0.00.

LH Marty Walker, like Barry, started and lost. It happened on Sept. 30, 1928, in Brooklyn, the last game of the season. He faced five batters, allowed two hits, three walks and four runs (two earned). He has the dubious distinction of being the losing pitcher in the 109th defeat (43 wins). Marty was a native of Philadelphia.

RH Anderson Garcia’s lone appearance came on July 7, 2007, in the seventh inning in Denver. He faced four batters: fly to deep center, single to left, fly to deep left, single to right, and was replaced by J.C. Romero, who allowed a run-scoring single. Thus, Garcia’s career ERA rests at 13.50 on 12 pitches.

RH Tyson Brummett was the last Phillies pitcher on the mound during the 2012 season. He relieved Jonathan Papelbon

in the bottom of the eighth with the Nationals winning, 5-1, at home in the final game on Oct. 3. He gave up consecutive singles and then struck out two. His big league career: four batters, 11 pitches and a 0.00 ERA. Attendance was 37,075. Of all the Phillies who had a cup of coffee, Brummett at least had the most fans on hand for his one game.

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LARRY SHENK IS AUTHOR/EDITOR OF THE PHILLIES.COM ALUMNI SECTION AND PROVIDES REGULAR MINOR LEAGUE REPORT PIECES FROM HIS PHILLIES INSIDER BLOG. PHILLIES INSIDER PIECES RE-PRINTED AT PHILLIES NATION BY PERMISSION OF LARRY SHENK. PHILLIES ALUMNI PIECES WITH BY HIS PERMISSION ALONG WITH APPROVAL FROM MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES.

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Larry Shenk

More than a half-century with the Philadelphia Phillies organization from 1964-2015 as Director of Public Relations. Winner of the 2007 Dallas Green Award for Special Achievement. Items for Phillies Nation are re-printed from Phillies.com with permission from the organization. Email directly to lshenk@phillies.com