Monday, September 19, 2011

T206 Cubs: The Last Two

I'm down to the last two players, but there are five different cards!





Shortstop Joe Tinker had four cards in the set, the most of any Cubs player. We've got the bat on shoulder, bat off shoulder, hands on knees, and portrait cards. My favorite...the hands on knees.

Tinker was with the Cubs from 1902-1912. Known more for his glove, he led the league in assists twice and was in the top three a total of seven times. His career batting average was only .266, which has to be among the lowest of all the Hall of Famers. He was elected into Cooperstown in 1946 by the Old Timers Committee, going in the Evers and Chance. When the writers voted, Tinker got very little HOF support. He never cracked 20% among the writers.



I guess its fitting the the final player begins with a Z, Heinie Zimmerman. The card spells his name with a double n at the end, which is incorrect. His big season was 1912, when he led the NL in homers (with 14--this was still the dead ball era) and in batting, with a .372 average. He missed the triple crown by finishing third in RBIs, a mere three behind the leader.

Zimmerman was later traded to the Giants, and while in New York, he allegedly began throwing games for gamblers. That led to his eventual ban from baseball in 1921.

And with that, I'm finished with the T206 Cubs. There were 36 different cards of 20 different players. Somewhere down the line, I'd like to pick up a few of the real deals. And if I win the lottery, then I'll be grabbing all 32.
But for now, its just the reprints

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