Friday, July 21, 2017

Bonus Cubs

This happened more than I thought it would.

In the '60s and 70's Topps had a couple different types of multi-player rookie cards.


Some were team exclusive, like this one with all Cubs.


Others were by league...


...or position.

What I've found on several of the non-team exclusive cards are bonus Cubs.  Several of these cards feature players not shown as Cubs but at some other time would wear the blue.














6 comments:

  1. Bill McNulty was Cubs property for a brief, strange time, too: http://unknowntransaction.blogspot.com/search/label/Bill%20McNulty

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  2. On that '76 rookie outfielders card, you've also got future Cubs bench coach, Jamie Quirk. Looks like Jerry Turner is the odd man out here.

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  3. Jamie Quirk is currently the manager of the Royals' single-A team in Wilmington, DE. Saw him at a game a few weeks ago.

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  4. That Norm Gigon was even on a "Rookie Stars" card is laughable. He spent 6 or 8 seasons in the Phillies farm system, then played a few games for the Cubs in early 1967, just ennoug for Topps to put him in this final-series card. (Meanwhile, Topps ignored Cubs prospects Bill Stoneman and Chuck Hartenstein in their 1967 set.)

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  5. Topps made those league-specific (or in some cases just calling them "Major League Rookie Stars") in their final series from 1964-70, most likely as a catch-all to feature any rookies that had a good start to the current season. Since they were unlikely to find 2 players from the same team, Topps grouped them by league, if possible.

    By 1973, the Rookie Stars cards switched from team-based to position-based.

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