It's Opening Day 2016!

And away we go!!!  Let's prove those Vegas oddsmakers to be geniuses!

The Cubs open the season on the road against the Angels,.  I like them starting out west, with the warm California weather.  What I don't like is the Pacific time zone, especially with a night game.  They'll be starting at 10:00 here in Michigan.  Luckily this week is spring break, so I can stay up late to watch the game.

To celebrate the Cubs opening day, I've got their all time opening day lineup. The lineup features a majority of the players from the '60's and later. That seems odd to me, considering the long history of the Cubs. In fact, of the entire lineup, I have seen all but three (Hartnett, Grimm and Pafko) of them play (and I'm not that old).

Here's what I did to pick the cards shown (when possible):  This is Arrieta's first Opening Day start, so I've got the card from the season of Fergie's first Opening Day start.  I could do the same with Grace, Sandberg, Dunston, Santo, Williams, and Sosa.  I've also got the opening day count for today's Cubs lineup.

Pitcher: Fergie Jenkins, 7 Opening Day starts. 
Jake Arrieta is making his first start today.

Catcher: Gabby Hartnett, 12 starts

Miguel Montero is making his first Opening Day start

  

First Base (since 1900): Charlie Grimm and Mark Grace, 12 starts
Anthony Rizzo makes his fourth opening day start.

Second Base: Ryne Sandberg, 13 starts 
Ben Zobrist makes his first opening day start.

Shortstop: Shawon Dunston, 11 starts
Addison Russell is making his first start

Third Base: Ron Santo, 13 starts
Kris Bryant makes his first opening day start

Left Field: Billy Williams, 10 starts
Kyle Schwarber is making his first opening day start.

Center Field (since 1900): Andy Pafko, 7 starts
Dexter Fowler makes his second opening day start

Right Field: Sammy Sosa, 12 starts
Jason Heyward is the starting right fielder for the first time

The 2016 Chicago Cubs

And away we go!  The 2016 season starts tomorrow!

The expectations are high.  Vegas has the Cubs as the favorite to win the World Series.

But you have to play the 162 games first.

The 25 man roster that opens the season has only four players that weren't with the team last year.  Three are big name free agents, Heyward, Zobrist, and Lackey.  The fourth, Adam Warren, came to the Cubs from the Yankees for Starlin Castro.

Despite the lack of major turnover, only 12 of the 25 have a card in series one or Opening Day.  So I fired up Photoshop and made 2016 base cards for the other 13.

Here thay are:

Infielders

  

 

 

Catchers

 

Outfielders

 

 

 

Starting Pitchers

 

 

The Bullpen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 14,141 Cubs cards from 108 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1955 Bowman #223 Hal Jeffcoat  The TV set! The card was really cutting edge in 1955 because there was very little, if any, color TV in 1955.

1980s: 1987 Topps Stickers #56 Lee Smith The 1987 season was Smith's last with the Cubs.  He registered 36 saves and had and ERA of 3.12, but his record was 4-10.  Trading him after the season was a huge blunder, in my humble opinion.

1990s: 1990 Star Gold #48 Ryne Sandberg  Ryno was at the peak of his career in 1990.  40 homers, 100 RBIs, an eighth straight gold glove, first second baseman in history to have consecutive 30+ home run seasons...he was the man!

2000s: 2006 Special Endorsements #GS Geovany Soto  This is the Soto card in my autograph collection.  He was still a minor leaguer in 2006, playing just 11 games with the Cubs in September

2010s: 2013 Team Issued #21 Dave Kingman This card was pictured on tickets to the Cubs 21st home game in 2013 on May14.  Kingman was selected because on the same date in 1978 he hit three homer and drove in eight against the Dodgers.  Tommy Lasorda was not happy after the game.  Click here for his very blue reaction to Dave Kingman's day. 

Starlin's Stickers

Only one Cub player has been in every edition of the revived Topps stickers sets, Starlin Castro.  His six year run will obviously come to an end in 2017 since he is now with the Yankees.

Here's a look at all six of Starlin's stickers...

I do like all of the red and blue that Topps uses on the Cubs stickers.

2016 Topps Stickers Cubs

Topps is using their tried and true formula for this year's stickers; nine players and a team logo per team.  Its the same thing they've done since re-introducing stickers in 2011.

These must have a fairly early print deadline because Starlin Castro is in the Cubs set and Jason Heyward is with the Cardinals.  It's interesting that some sets can be changed on the fly (Heritage has both Castro and Heyward with their correct team) while the stickers are stuck with out-of-place players.

The Cubs set includes all the players you think it should...Arrieta, Bryant, Lester, Rizzo, Russell, Schwarber, Soler...and Hammel??

 

 

 

 

The team logo cards are again twofers, with the Cubs and Sox sharing a sheet.  It's the fourth year in a row the two Chicago teams are on the same sticker.  All four times the Sox logo has been on top.  

That needs to be changed.