Right Guy Wrong Number

This is a companion post to yesterday.  Here I've got cards of players wearing the wrong uniform number.  Both of these show players very early in their career.  The pictures are spring training shots, taken before they made the major league roster.

Cubs fans know Mark Grace as #17.  But his first Topps card shows a very young Mark Grace

wearing a scrub number, #53.  This is strictly a spring training number.  When he came to the majors in May, 1988, he wore #28 for his first three games.  The Cubs were on the road at the time and I'd guess they didn't have many numbers available.  When they returned home, Grace got #17, which he wore for the first time on May 6.  He would wear that number the rest of his career.

Here is Ronnie Cedeno wearing a scrub number, #68.  Most ballplayers prefer to not share a number with an offensive lineman.  

Cedeno wore #5 for most of his time with the Cubs.  Based on his performance, it would have been OK for him to continue to wear #68.  Luckily, his time with the Cubs was fairly brief and good 'ol E6 is currently the Mets' problem.