Scorecard Extra and Gameday, 2001 - 2018

 Today I've got the Scorecard Extra programs that the Cubs debuted in 2001.  It was a monthly mini-program that has the official scorecard stapled inside.  It's follow-up, Gameday, lasted through the 2018 season.

I know that Scorecard Extra started in 2001.  It was sold until 2010, 2011, or 2012.  I can't pin down the date because I've never seen one from 2011 and 2012.  I have copies of its replacement, called Gameday, starting with 2013.  But I not seen anything called Gameday for 2011 or 2012 either.  I won't get an answer until I see something show up on Ebay from 2011 and 2012.

The Scorecard Extras were typically 16 pages long with the scorecard in the middle.  The Gameday versions were much bigger, with an average of 50 pages.  It's almost like they went back to a regular gameday program.

I decided that I wasn't going to go after all six from each season.  Instead, I have just one per season.  As stated above, I'm missing just the two from 2011 and 2012. 

Cubs Official Souvenir Program Volumes 20 - 28

 The Cubs switched things up again with their program in 2001.  Cubs Quarterly was gone, replaced by Cubs Official Souvenir Program.  The biggest difference is that just two editions of the program were now being made each season instead of four.

With just two editions, some of the material in the program could become out-of-date.  To get the fans current information, a new publication called "Scorecard Extra" was introduced.  It was a 10-12 page program with the traditional scorecard attached inside.  I'll have more on Scorecard Extra tomorrow.

These programs were pretty easy to find since there were just two per season.  I was able to get all 18 of them through the end of their run in 2009.  When the Cubs made the post-season in 2008 and 2009 they put out a special NLDS edition and I've got both of those too.

I'm not sure what the Cubs were considering new era in 2001.  They had the same manager, ownership, and front office.

The 2002 covers feature the artwork of Steve Musgrave.  There are actually two covers for each edition, with there rest of the content inside the same.  Sammy Sosa had the other #1 cover while Jon Leiber shares #2.  I'll add those other two some day if I can get them for a reasonable price.

The artwork of Steve Musgrave returned in 2003. Though the bottoms reference a specific edition, there is no other cover for #1 or #2.  It's just Dusty and Prior.  The NLDS version was made by the Cubs while MLB makes the NLCS edition.

Arms on #1 and bats on #2 in 2004.

Ryno graces the cover of the Cubs program for his tenth and final time.

The name was tweaked to "Yearbook-Style" program.  They tried to make the covers look like a school yearbook.

This was the second season with yearbook-style covers.  It seems very bare without any players.  They loaded up with players on the NLDS version.

The two-year yearbook style was out and players returned to the cover in 2008.

These two are the last of the souvenir programs. At first glance it almost looks like the same cover.  I'm sure that would have hurt sales.  People who bought the first one might skip buying the second if they couldn't tell it apart from the first.

Cubs Quarterly Volumes 10 - 19

 The Cubs introduced a new name and look to their program again in 1991.  This time the name and look stuck for a while, ten seasons.

The new name was "Cubs Quarterly" and that was a big improvement over the previously used "Cubs Magazine Scorecard."  The new look didn't come cheap, however, as the price of the program went up 50¢ to $3.00.

As the name implies, the season was split into quarters, sort of.  A six month season doesn't divide evenly into quarters.  So the editions were typically April - May, June - July, July - August, and September.

Posters were included in each of the 1991 editions.  The scorecard inside was a generic one.  If you wanted a real scorecard, the traditional four-page version was still being sold.

I'm missing the April-May edition.  I've shown pictures of the first two 1992 covers in a previous post as these were the programs that had a sheet of cards from Ballstreet Journal.

I've got all four of the 1993 programs.  How many of you remember that Willie Wilson spent some time with the Cubs?

These are the only versions from 1994. The strike wiped out the fourth edition.

Baseball returned to normal in 1995 and there were four issues of Cubs Quarterly.  I'm missing the second one.

This is my worst year of Cubs Quarterly, as I'm missing the second and fourth editions.

I am back to full strength in 1997, with all four copies in hand.

1998 was an interesting year.  The Cubs grabbed on to the two biggest stories of the season, Kerry Wood and Sammy Sosa.  The fifth quarter is for the NLDS.

The Cubs were pushing Sammy Sosa hard in 1999, putting him on the cover of three of the four programs.

The 2000 magazines were the last for Cubs Quarterly.  I'm missing the fourth edition.  If I had to guess I'd say Sammy was on the cover.  I can't imagine that he'd be left out completely.

Five Random Cubs Cards

  I've got 19,140 Cubs cards from 284 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1973 Jewel Foods Ron Santo The Jewel sets are among my all-time favorite, with the large and colorful pictures.

1980s: 1984 Topps Traded #77 Gary Matthews  Getting Matthews and Dernier from the Phillies at the end of spring training was quite a deal for the 1984 Cubs.  Sarge quickly became one of the leaders of the '84 Cubs and a fan favorite.

1990s: 1990 Star Nova #142 Ryne Sandberg  The card looks just as dark in hand as it does in the scan.  Yuk!

2000s: 2002 Topps Total Award Winner #21 Sammy Sosa An interesting coincidence that the card number matches Sammy's uniform number.  The card notes his Silver Slugger Award in 2001

2010s: 2019 Opening Day #20 Jon Lester  An Opening Day card for the Cubs Opening Day starter in 2019.  Lester went six innings and got the win as the Cubs hammered the Rangers 12-4.

Cubs Magazine Scorecard Volumes 8 - 9

 The Cubs debuted a new look and name to their gameday program in 1989.  Not much thinking went in to the naming, however.  "Chicago Cubs Magazine Scorecard" isn't exactly the most creative name out there.  Functional, yes, but creative, not really.

 They did continue the numbering from the previous branding.  That means that we are up to Volume 8.  The price went up for the first time since 1985, too.  It now will cost you an extra quarter.

This version lasted just two seasons, which is the shortest of all the different versions.

All of the 1989 covers have photographs.  Original artwork is gone.  There were five issues because of the special NLCS version.  Also note how they jacked up the price for the NLCS, going from $2.25 in the regular season, to $5 for the postseason.

I'm missing the first program from 1990.  The cover for number 2 has a nice assortment of All-Star game items, as the Cubs hosted the 1990 All-Star game.  I did get the All-Star program, though it was produced by MLB, not the Cubs.

Official Souvenir Program Magazine Volumes 1 - 7

 As I mentioned yesterday, when Dallas Green took over as general manager for the 1982 season, the team began publishing a real game day program in addition to the traditional scorecard.  It was called "Official Souvenir Program Magazine."  Dallas was in for the long haul as the first program was listed as Volume 1 No. 1.

 And look who was on the cover, the GM himself.  An oddity is that while this is listed as Number 1, it appears to be the only edition put out during the season.  I have yet to see any program for 1982 other than this first edition.  Maybe the team was jumping in conservatively, seeing if they would sell.

 They must have been successful because for the next several years there were four editions of the program per season.  Each had a different cover and was numbered from one to four.  This rendition of the magazine lasted through the 1988 season.  My count is a total of 27 different editions... 1 in 1982, four each in 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987.  In 1984 there were five editions because of the special one put out for the NLCS.  The final year for these, 1988, has five regular editions.  I'm missing three of the 27, 1984 #3 and 1985 #1 and #2.

 Below are the covers of the 24 that I own.  The collages are for each of the years.

All of the 1983 covers feature original artwork and it's all pretty good looking!

No original art in 1984, they were replaced by Jim Frey and several collages.  I'm missing number 3. This was the first time for a fifth edition, for the NLCS.

1985 is the worst year for me as I am missing the first and second editions.  Attendance was really up in 1985, so I wonder why the two I'm missing are so hard to find.

The covers in 1986 have a little bit of everything including a black and white version for Hack Wilson.

Two of my favorites are from 1987.  The Billy Williams cover rates as the Cubs celebrated his election to the Hall of Fame.  I really like the fourth cover, too.  

It's a take-off of the famous Norman Rockwell painting and in this one, the Cubs are all happy.

We get both artwork and photographs in 1988.  I wonder why the team decided to add a fifth edition in 1988?