[Terry D]

Jim Kern, a good reliever for the Indians in the Seventies, came to Texas in 1979 and for that one season he was a great reliever, the best in the AL with Gossage having an injury year. The next year Kern got hurt himself, the first in a series of injuries which would destroy his career. In 1983 the dumb White Sox under genius La Russa made Kern throw when he shouldn't have, and that more or less finished his arm. The Phils signed Kern as a free agent and he spent a few weeks with them in June and July of 84, filling in for an absent Tug McGraw and getting his release when Tug came off the DL. Kern got a few innings with the Brewers and the Tribe before finally retiring in '86. "The Emu" has had a very successful and happy career since hanging 'em up, but images of him with the Phillies remain scarce and I have never seen one of him with the '86 Indians at all. Here, courtesy of newspapers.com, is the best photo of him with the Phillies that I have seen so far. Maybe a good color shot will surface someday, but until then this will do.