I picked up some of the cards for the player collections, but after thinking it over, I broke down and bought the entire 82 card set. Over the next several days, I have posts relating to the set.
First, its pretty cool that Topps and the Cubs are doing this. They have a history of cards like this going back to 2001. Is Topps doing this with any other teams?
Second, here are a couple cards that are very interesting...
...Ron Santo. Since his death and posthumous election into the Hall of Fame, Santo has not shown up in a single Topps card. We Cubs collectors have found that very odd. We speculated on various reasons for his exclusion. But here he is in this set.
As I said earlier, there are 82 cards in the set, one for each game of the season (and a picture of the card is on the tickets to that day's game).
Sharpies out there might be thinking I have a typo....there are only 81 home games in a season. But no, 82 is the correct number, and the reason for it is hinted at with card #82,
Guess who started and won that game for the Cubs....Steve Trachsel.
Guess which game card #82 represents...the Wild Card came. The Cubs brass thinks the Cubs have a shot at the post season and included a card for the Wild Card game. Wow, talk about optimists (or talk about delusional!).
I've made up a tile with all 82 cards. They are in numerical order, starting with Ernie Banks for game #1 and ending with Trachsel's #82.
NICE!
ReplyDeleteWill you be trying to pick up the game day issues too?
Wish I could go on Friday, but there's that darn school thing! I've got a friend picking up a set for me...should have it by the middle of next week.
DeleteWow. That's pretty cool. I wonder if Topps teamed up with any other clubs. If so, I hope they make an A's or Padres Archives set.
ReplyDeleteI agree - this is awesome. No such luck for Phillies fans, and I'm bummed there's no Bob Dernier card in this Cubs set.
ReplyDeleteI gave up my season tickets for this year so I didn't get the STH set but I've got tix for the four games. After a quick look at the whole set, I think my favorite is the 1965-style Darwin Barney card. My favorite current Cub in my first (and favorite) Topps card.
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome.
ReplyDeleteNever understand the Mark Grace love...would have liked to seen Sarge Matthews and Bill Madlock. Bowa???
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like Grace you at least have to like the company he keeps:
ReplyDeleteMost Hits By Decade
1890's: Ed Delahanty: 1862
1900's: Honus Wagner: 1847
1910's: Ty Cobb: 1948
1920's: Rogers Hornsby: 2085
1930's: Paul Waner: 1959
1940's: Lou Bodreau: 1578
1950's: Richie Ashburn: 1875
1960's: Roberto Clemente: 1877
1970's: Pete Rose: 2045
1980's: Robin Yount: 1731
1990's: Mark Grace: 1754
2000's: Ichiro Suzuki: 1996
Meh. Just never liked him. Too many times not advancing the runner in key situations, short pop-ups to left field with men on third and one out. Leon Durham was better in 1984, Fred McGriff was better in his short time as a Cub.
DeleteIn my opinion of course, which is worth nil.
Cool concept and I like the cards. A little surprised, however, at the amount of duplication in player selection and base-card designs. Could they not have mixed things up a bit more? A minor complaint for what is otherwise an awesome product. Wish the Mets did something like this. It's the least they can do for gouging their fans at the box office and showing them consistently awful lineups each year!
ReplyDeleteMan, color me green with ivy... I mean envy. I wish I had the coin for the entire set! Congrats on the awesome purchase!
ReplyDeleteI kind of left collecting baseball after I stopped watching baseball in 2008 and focused more on hockey, BUT this set may bring me back to collecting Current CUBS only cards that are made in the present like team sets or cool inserts. If a can find this set for cheap I will get it or I will wait till the season ends and see if anybody is selling a full set from the years promotions.
ReplyDeleteCome on, how was card #1 not Tuffy Rhodes?
ReplyDeleteNice pick-up, Paul. I have the Dawsons and Jenkins on my radar!!
ReplyDeletePlenty of cards in the 1962-72 styles, but not one card from 1967?
ReplyDelete