A Rule Following Gamble Paid Off

A gamble from a few months ago paid off.

I purchased this card for all of three bucks back in May.  Duane Underwood was in AAA at the time but I thought there might be a chance that he'd be called up to the Cubs some time during the season.  If that happened, this would be an autograph rule follower - a certified auto showing the player as a Cub during a season he played for the Cubs.

A couple weeks ago Underwood was recalled from Iowa.  But that was at the trade deadline and the Cubs acquired some veteran arms for the pen.  Underwood went back to Iowa a day later without making it into a game.  The card didn't meet the rule requirement since he didn't play for the Cubs.

Right now the Cubs bullpen is an injured mess and Underwood was called back.  In Tuesday's blowout loss to the A's he pitched two scoreless innings.  It was actually a pretty impressive two innings as he struck out all six batters he faced.

The two innings means that 2019 is a season Underwood played for the Cubs and I now have my 136th rule-following Cub.

Here's a look at all 136