Cubs Numbers Frankenset #21 - 40

Here come the next twenty numbers.  This batch was probably the easiest, since most of these numbers have been worn pretty regularly.

Some notes:

• Like him or not, I felt I had to go with Sammy for #21
• #22, 23, 25, and 26 are all among my favorite players....easy choices there
• There were better players that wore #28, but I couldn't pass up Tarzan Joe Wallis
• Same with #29 and 'Lil Dougie
• I couldn't decide between Fergie and Maddux for #31 so I went the oddball route.
• #39 wasn't easy.  It hasn't been worn by many players for extended years.  Krukow wore it from '77-81, and that was nearly the longest run it has been worn.  Most of the guy in #39 had it for just a year or two, meaning cards with them in it aren't plentiful.  The Krukow card I used was the best I have.

My Frankenset: The Cubs Numbers

I've seen a few bloggers put together Frankensets.  The idea is to put together a set based on the card numbers, not the set brand.  You'd get your favorite card #1, #2, and so on.

I've been intrigued by the idea, but I don't want to be a copy-cat.  So I came up with a variation on the Frankenset.  Mine isn't based on card numbers; it is based on uniform numbers.

The plan is to find a card that shows a Cub player in each of the different uniform numbers.

The Cubs have made the project a little easier because for most of the past 45 years, they have had numbers on the front of their road uniform.  My preference is to get cards in the home pinstripes, but I have the road unis as a nice fall back.

There isn't much rhyme or reason for the cards I picked, other than they show the uniform number.  Some are my favorite players.  Some made the set just because there was a clear shot of the number.  Some I picked for no other reason than I just felt like it!

Right now the set is just a virtual set.  I've left the cards in their proper set folders and used their scans to make the set.  Some day I'll probably do a Sportlots blitz and get duplicates for a Frankenset binder.

The main source I used for the project is the website Cubsbythenumbers.  Kasey does a great job of keeping an extremely accurate list of who wore which number.  I just went number by number and searched through my scans for players, hoping to find a clear shot of the number.

I'm going to show the over the next three days, in groups of twenty.

Today I've got numbers 1 - 20.  The lower numbers weren't too easy because for the first 40 or so years the team used numbers, these were used mainly by managers and coaches.  Actually, it seems like the Cubs had unofficial rules for their numbers.  The single digits were managers, coaches, and catchers.  Infielders were in the teens, outfielders in the twenties, and pitchers had higher numbers.  Over time the rules were ignored as players started to personalize their numbers.

A couple notes:

• I had to pick a card that shows Jose Cardenal and his superfro
• the 11 isn't totally visible on Don Kessinger's card, but you do get a clear shot of 11 on his helmet, inside the C
• There was no way I would select any other player for #15 except Darwin Barney.  Unfortunately there aren't any of his cards that give a nice clear look at the number.  The one I picked is the closest I could come.

Monsieur Billy Williams...And Then Some

On Monday I mentioned that I bought all the O-Pee-Chee cards for Billy Williams that were listed on PSA's master list.  I also added the phrase, "and then some."

Here's why:

PSA included 15 OPC cards for Billy.  These included the base cards, team cards, and leader cards.  Yet, for reasons I don't understand, there are four more OPC Billy cards that are not on the list...

 

These are the 1968 card, the 1971 team card, the 1974 card, and the 1974 team card.

I don't collect graded cards, so I'm not up on all the rules and regulations that PSA uses to determine its master list.  

The Topps version of each of these four is on the list.  The Venezuelan version of the 1968 card is included.  But not these four and I am clueless as to the reason for their exclusion.

Anyone got any ideas??

All Star Cubs

Tonight the Cubs will earn home field advantage in the World Series.

Sure.

Because a) the NL will win the game and b) the Cubs will win the pennant.

Sure.

Anyway, the All Star game is tonight and Rizzo and Bryant will be representing the Cubs.  I hope they do well.

Over the years, Topps has on and off included All Star designated cards in the base and/or update set.  I went through my Cubs cards and created a tile with all of these.  The tile begins with a 1958 Ernie Banks and finishes with Anthony Rizzo from last year.  In between are another 40 All Star Cubs.

Monsieur Billy Williams

Bonjour!

The PSA master list for Billy Williams lists 15 O-Pee-Chee cards.  It took a while but I've finally got them all (and then some--more on that on Wednesday).

I won't be showing the fronts of the cards because they are identical to the Topps' version, with just one exception...

...the 1973 Meilieurs frappeurs en 1972 card.

Instead, I've got the back of the 15 cards.

 The only way to tell that these from 1965 and 1969 are OPC cards is the little...

..."Printed in Canada" tag.  Otherwise the backs are identical to the Topps version too.

Starting in 1970, the backs became bilingual. The addition of French makes it pretty easy to tell you've got an OPC card.

 

The 1971 card used a different design and color from what Topps put out, making the '71 OPCs super simple to detect.

 

The '72s and '73s were printed with the same colors used by Topps.

It was back to a different color on the back in 1974, as like in 1971 OPC used yellow instead of green.

So there you have the fifteen Billy Williams OPC cards.  With these, I now stand at 92/127. which is 72%.

Wednesday I'll explain the "and them some" OPC Billy cards.