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.