1986 Unocal Cubs Set

 I recently stumbled onto an oddball Cubs set that I had not seen before.  That's what I love about this hobby... just when you think you've got them all, you find a set you've never heard of or seen before.

The set was sponsored by Unocal and features 19 players on 8½" x 11" paper.  There is a huge action shot and a smaller portrait insert.

How the set was distributed is a mystery to me.  

The backs give a small clue because the write-ups are taken word for word from the Cubs media guide.  In fact, the font is the same too.  That leads me to speculate the the Cubs organization was involved in the production of the set.

The 1986 media guide and schedule list all of the team give-aways during the season and there is no mention of a set of pictures from Unocal.  Were they given away at the Cubs Convention?  Sold at the ballpark?  Did you get them with a fill-up at your Chicagoland Union 76 dealer?

The set includes all of the prominent players from the 1986 team, like Sandberg, Sutcliffe, Durham, and Smith.  Some lesser knows include Jay Baller, Ray Fontenot, and George Frazier.  There are three hall of famers (Sandberg, Smith, and Eckersley) and half of the '70s Dodger infield (Cey and Lopes).