2005 Topps Total Cubs

In 2004 the SS Topps Total started taking on water.

In 2005, it struck and iceberg and went down.

The set size was reduced by another 110 cards and now stood at 770.  The number of Cubs cards came in at an all-time Total low of 25.

So how can you call a set Total when you only have 770 cards?

Topps had a solution.

A really lame solution.

What can you do if the number of cards is reduced but the number of players you need to include in the set has remained the same?

Put two players on a card.

And these aren't just the rookies.  They are the regular guys, the vets, too.

The Cubs ended up with seven of these two for one cards.

There are eight players I'd consider vets, four prospects, and four first year guys.

The complete set included 190 of these cards....380 players got doubled up.

As far as the single player cards go, some good news...Topps ditched the shots from photo day with the plain background.

The bad news....they went with a bunch of batting cage shots instead.

Sorry, but that is a nasty looking background for a baseball card.

The 2005 Cubs were a team in transition.  Sammy was gone.  So was Moises Alou.  Prior and Wood's plastic arms were breaking.  The set includes the only Total card of Nomar as a Cub.

Like Total, the Cubs were sinking fast.

Two years later, the Cubs rose up and took the NL Central.

Total has yet to re-surface....probably never will.