Well, I Should Have Looked A Little Closer

When Series Two came out I picked up the Starlin Castro Manufactured Patch card.

I've been staying away from these, but since there was only one Cub, I bent my rule.

I also bent my rule with Series One, adding the Rizzo patch.

When I got the Castro patch, I looked at it, said, "Nice, a Wrigley 100 patch," and put the card in the binder.

A couple days ago I was paging through the binder.  I came to the two patches, which are side by side.  I then said, "I guess I should have looked a little closer."

While both cards have a Wrigley 100 theme, the patches are not the same.  I knew the Rizzo card had a Wrigley-themed patch and just assumed the two cards had the same patch.  Interesting that Topps made separate patches for each series instead of just reusing the Rizzo patch on the Castro card.

The Castro patch is the actual Wrigley 100 logo.

I'm not sure where the Rizzo design came from.  I wonder if the Wrigley design wasn't released when Topps had to start making the cards.  That could explain why Topps made their own.

Lesson learned--never assume.

My Finest Quest

This is actually a brand I should have snapped up a long time ago....

...Topps Finest.

It meets my usual criteria....multiple years worth of cards (its been issued every year since 1993), large set (early on it had 300-400 per set, though now its down to 100), and licensed (it is a Topps brand).  I'm not sure why I overlooked it, but I am now going after the Finest Cubs.

Using Teamset4u as a reference, I've come up with a Cub checklist of 144 cards.  I picked up several team sets from Ebay and then did a binge purchase at Sportlots for the rest.  My mailman will be happy when I've got all my packages because he's been a busy boy the past few days.

Once I get them all scanned and entered into my spreadsheet, I'll start showing them here.

Right now this is what my Finest folder looks like....empty.  Soon enough it will be full.

For now, here is the checklist that I've come up with.  There are a few cards in red--they are the ones that I haven't been able to pick up.....yet.

1993	3	Mark Grace
1993	79	Sammy Sosa
1993	105	Ryne Sandberg
1993	145	Jose Guzman
1993	182	Randy Myers
1993	188	Mike Morgan
1994	51	Steve Buechele
1994	77	Kevin Roberson
1994	86	Rick Wilkins
1994	93	Jose Guzman
1994	96	Mike Morgan
1994	162	Derrick May
1994	175	Jose Bautista
1994	210	Ryne Sandberg
1994	236	Sammy Sosa
1994	249	Rey Sanchez
1994	286	Willie Banks
1994	296	Steve Trachsel
1994	330	Karl Rhodes
1994	357	Randy Myers
1994	368	Shawon Dunston
1994	390	Mark Grace
1995	18	Steve Trachsel
1995	24	Kevin Foster
1995	38	Rick Wilkins
1995	65	Mark Grace
1995	66	Rey Sanchez
1995	140	Shawon Dunston
1995	162	Randy Myers
1995	197	Sammy Sosa
1995	242	Jamie Navarro
1995	256	Brian McRae
1995	314	Frank Castillo
1996	26	Brian McRae
1996	39	Ryne Sandberg
1996	171	Sammy Sosa
1996	189	Mark Grace
1996	212	Terry Adams
1996	234	Ryne Sandberg
1996	257	Sammy Sosa
1996	267	Mark Grace
1996	316	Brooks Kieschnick
1996	341	Mark Grace
1996	347	Sammy Sosa
1997	2	Ryne Sandberg
1997	20	Sammy Sosa
1997	26	Brian McRae
1997	132	Steve Trachsel
1997	141	Mark Grace
1997	168	Sammy Sosa
1997	188	Brant Brown
1997	218	Brooks Kieschnick
1997	262	Mark Grace
1997	274	Mel Rojas
1997	277	Sammy Sosa
1997	303	Ryne Sandberg
1997	307	Kevin Orie
1998	13	Jeremi Gonzalez
1998	33	Kevin Orie
1998	49	Steve Trachsel
1998	85	Sammy Sosa
1998	124	Terry Adams
1998	133	Scott Servais
1998	139	Lance Johnson
1998	160	Mark Grace
1998	238	Mark Clark
1998	264	Kevin Tapani
1998	272	Kerry Wood
1999	6	Mark Grace
1999	29	Kevin Tapani
1999	81	Kerry Wood
1999	93	Rod Beck
1999	109	Sammy Sosa
1999	124	Kerry Wood
1999	186	Mickey Morandini
1999	212	Henry Rodriguez
1999	250	Sammy Sosa
1999	261	Sammy Sosa
1999	264	Mark Grace
1999	285	Corey Patterson
2000	13	Mark Grace
2000	98	Corey Patterson
2000	115	Ben Christensen
2000	120	Julio Zuleta
2000	148	Kerry Wood
2000	200	Sammy Sosa
2000	247	Scott Downs
2000	286	Sammy Sosa
2001	65	Sammy Sosa
2001	112	Luis Montanez
2001	121	Steve Smyth
2002	11	Moises Alou
2002	58	Kerry Wood
2002	89	Sammy Sosa
2002	97	Juan Cruz
2002	101	Nic Jackson
2003	1	Sammy Sosa
2003	26	Kerry Wood
2003	34	Hee Seop Choi
2003	41	Mark Prior
2003	74	Moises Alou
2004	5	Corey Patterson
2004	70	Kerry Wood
2004	72	Greg Maddux
2005	11	Aramis Ramirez
2005	14	Greg Maddux
2005	56	Carlos Zambrano
2005	61	Jeromy Burnitz
2005	62	Corey Patterson
2005	84	Kerry Wood
2005	97	Nomar Garciaparra
2005	116	Mark Prior
2006	7	Mark Prior
2006	8	Kerry Wood
2006	20	Derrek Lee
2006	24	Juan Pierre
2006	54	Greg Maddux
2007	24	Derrek Lee
2007	28	Mark Prior
2007	48	Carlos Zambrano
2007	57	Aramis Ramirez
2007	120	Alfonso Soriano
2008	32	Carlos Zambrano
2008	55	Derrek Lee
2008	110	Alfonso Soriano
2008	114	Aramis Ramirez
2009	1	Kosuke Fukudome
2009	12	Alfonso Soriano
2009	38	Carlos Zambrano
2009	83	Ryan Dempster
2009	87	Aramis Ramirez
2009	98	Derrek Lee
2009	117	Rich Harden
2009	120	Geovany Soto
2010	8	Derrek Lee
2010	95	Ted Lilly
2010	98	Kosuke Fukudome
2011	33	Starlin Castro
2011	87	Andrew Cashner
2011	92	Darwin Barney
2012	82	Starlin Castro
2013	44	Kyuji Fujikawa
2013	72	Anthony Rizzo
2013	98	Starlin Castro

Need Help With a Checklist

For the past couple years I've been slowly putting together a ten-card Cubs set from 1989 known as Windy City Superstars.  I believe it is one of the many unlicensed Broder sets produced during the late '80s and early '90s.

 

This is a look at both the front and back of the cards.  They are fairly plain looking on each side.
At this point I've got cards 1-5 and 7-10.  The problem is that I have never found a checklist, so I have no idea who got card #6.

Here are the ones I've got, in numerical order:

 

 

 

 

Both Walton and Grace have two cards, so its possible that #6 belongs to Dawson or Grace.  Shawon Dunston is missing, it could be him.  It could also be any of the name pitchers....Maddux, Bielecki, Sutcliffe, Mitch Williams.

Finding number #6 is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  Like I said earlier, I've never seen a checklist.  I don't even know if this is considered a set from 1989 or 1990.

Anyone out there have this set?  Got number 6?  Are there more than ten in the set?

Help!!

Cubs Schedules: Wrapping Things Up.

Today I'll wrap things up with the schedules.

First, a look at how the schedule has evolved over the years.

 

My first schedule was from 1961 and it was 5 1/4" x 3".  The schedule was just a one fold piece - four pages.  You had the cover, the schedule on the two inside pages, and a sponsor ad on the back.

In 1977 they were reduced in size to 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" but is became a tri-fold.  The six panels were the cover, sponsor ad, ticket information, and the schedule (on three panels).

An extra fold was added in 1984.  The extra panel had information on season tickets and the give-away dates.

Panel #5 arrived in 1989.  Order forms for tickets and Vineline magazine were added.

Because five weren't enough, 1994 saw the addition of a sixth panel. The extra space was used to additional give-away date information and an October calendar.

Finally, we get today's seven-panel layout in 2013.  It has everything on it but the kitchen sink.

Blogger puts the pictures in at a standard size, so we don't get an idea of the change in size.  I've made up a tile that will give you that perspective:

You can really get an idea of how much more print space is on the 2013 version compared to the 1961 schedule.

And to finish this off, a tile with all 54 schedules.  I hope you enjoyed this look at these as much as I have.  Only one thing I won't do...count the wins and losses over the 54 seasons.  That would be too depressing.  Let's just focus on the fun of the schedules and not dwell on the results!

Got a favorite??

Cubs Schedules: The 2010s

Today I've got the most recent decade of Cubs schedules as I finish my look at 54 years worth of Cubs schedules.

The start of the decade of the '10s is also the start of new ownership for the Cubs.

Sadly, five season in, our greatest days are still on deck...in Iowa, Tennessee, Daytona, and Kane County.

Ron Santo passed away in December, 2010 and is remembered on the schedule cover.  

Boy it didn't take very long for his vision to get blurry.

They didn't put Sveum or any player on the cover....you didn't know if that player would stay with the team.  Instead, it's a uniform-looking design.  My quibble--the numbers aren't the same unique font that is on the Cubs uniforms.

Same embroidery-type design with the Wrigley 100 logo added.

The only design change to the layout happened in 2013, when a seventh panel was added to the schedule.

So there you have it...a look at all the schedules from 1961 through 2014.

I'll wrap things up tomorrow with a look at the evolution of the schedules and a tile with all 54 of them.

Cubs Schedules: The 2000s

As went enter a new century with the Cubs schedules, there isn't too much change with the template.  They are all six fold promotional pieces to sell tickets.

We start the decade with the only schedule that prominently features two players.  Look at Grace....he doesn't seem took excited to see Sammy at home plate.

The 2001 schedule has baseball cards!  This same picture is on the cover of the media guide, the last time the two matched up.  All of the cards were special Wrigley Field editions given away at different games during the season.  I've got a post about the cards here.

This picture is from the Cubs first game at Wrigley after 9/11...September 27, 2001.  Sammy hit a home run and held a flag as he rounded the bases.  You can read more about it and see the home run here.

In Dusty we Trusty... at least from most of one season.

The 2004 schedule marks the beginning of a pretty boring three year run of schedules.  No picture, no players, just a logo.

Year two of the boring run of pictures.

The final year of the boring run....what happened to Dusty??

We're back to players, this time the newly signed savior Alfonso Soriano.

Cubs win!!  The picture is from June 29, 2007. The Cubs spotted the Brewers a 5-0 lead in the first inning and then gradually chipped away at the lead. Aramis Ramirez hit the game winning walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and kicked off a wild celebration.

Another year, another celebration.  The Cubs are celebrating their division title, clinched at Wrigley Field on September 20, 2008.

The layout and format of the schedules was the same the entire decade.  The only noticeable change is the absence of Old Style as a sponsor.    The 1999 schedule was the last time that Old Style was on the back of a schedule.  But you Old Style lovers, don't fret....the beer began putting out their own independent version of the Cubs schedule in 2000 and did that throughout the decade.  I've got all but two of the Old Style schedules.  Once I have all ten I'll get up a post on them.

Tomorrow I'll have the most recent five Cubs schedules.

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 12,464 Cubs cards from 90 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1973 Topps #527 Dan McGinn  McGinn has a card in the '73 set, but his final MLB game was with the Cubs on October 3, 1972.  The Cubs had picked him up at the start of the '72 season to bolster the bullpen.  Instead, McGinn bombed in the bullpen, going 0-5 with an ERA north of 5.  He spent the 1973 season in AAA, playing for the Cubs and later Cardinal's farm team.

1980s:1988 Starting Lineup Talking Baseball Luis Quinones  These cards didn't come with Startling Lineup figures, they were with the Talking Baseball game (more on it here.)  Quinones was a journeyman infielder who spent the 1987 season with the Cubs.  His .218 average in 49 games good enough for Kenner to include him in their game.  It wasn't good enough for the Cubs to keep him on their roster.  He was traded to the Reds just before the start of the '88 season and spent most of the year in AAA.

1990s: 1991 Stadium Club #3 Shawon Dunston  The RNG picked this card from the inaugural issue of Stadium Club.  Dunston's 1991 season was a tale of two halves.  He got off to a very slow start (.232) before the All Star break, but took off after the break (.300).  He led all NL shortstops in putouts.

2000s: 2004 Timeless Teams #54 Jim Hickman  It was nice to include the 1969 Cubs among all the other pennant and World Series champs in the Timeless Teams set.  Hickman was the right fielder and hit 21 home run.  He didn't become a regular in the lineup until August and ended the season very strongly...14 homers and 31 RBIs in two months.  He was the only regular with anything left in the tank.  The others were worn ragged by September, a big factor in the team's collapse.

2010s: 2010 Topps Traded #184 Blake DeWitt  DeWitt came to the Cubs from the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot went west.  He hit .250 for the Cubs in 53 games.