The GQ Cubs Variations

I waited a couple weeks and the prices have dropped to a more reasonable level.  So I went ahead and picked up the five Cubs photo variations in this year's Gypsy Queen.

I thought five variations was a bit much. But I suppose Topps is making up for lost time.  Photo variations have been around in the base set since 2012 and the Cubs have had only one variation in the four years combined.  All the money I saved in those years I'm spending now.

 

 

 

 

Arrieta, Bryant, Rizzo, Russell, and Schwarber...the big names.

My only issue...some of the variations are minimal variations.  If you're going to change pictures, make it a big change.

 

They did that with Arrieta.

But look at the Bryant and Schwarber...

 

 

...too similar for me.

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 14,194 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: 1967 Topps #458 Lee Thomas  Thomas was a part-time outfielder for the 1967 Cubs. He played in just 77 games and hit .220, so he wasn't an important part of the team.  Its interesting that his autograph on the card is "Leroy" but he was known mostly as "Lee."

1980s: 1984 Team-Issued #10 Leon Durham The Cubs gave away these cards on August 8, 1984.  It was a good day as the Cubs finished a four-game sweep of the Mets, topping them 7-6.  They had moved into first place on August 1 and by the 8th their lead was 4½ games.  

1990s: 1994 Topps #602 Ryne Sandberg This is from a nice looking subset called Measures of Greatness.  Others in the set were Frank Thomas, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey, Kirby Puckett, Darren Daulton, and Paul Molitor.  All but Bonds and Daulton ended up in Cooperstown.

2000s: 2007 Donruss Elite #9 Darwin Barney This one comes from the Barney collection and shows Darwin with the Oregon State Beavers.

2010s: 2010 Allen and Ginter #KF Kosuke Fukudome Relic Ginter has usually had some interesting looking relic holders.  The 2010 set was no exception.

Milt Pappas

Former Cub (and Oriole, Red, and Brave) Milt Pappas passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76.

Milt came to the Cubs in 1970, having been purchased from the Braves.  His career was in the dumps and it was either make it or break it with the Cubs.

He made it, going 51-41 during his 3½ years in Chicago.  

The highlight of his time as a Cub was his near-perfect game against the Padres in 1972.  I have very clear memories of watching that game in our basement.  I was disappointed that he didn't get the perfect game, but not as much as Milt.  I think he went to his grave bitter about the walk to Larry Stahl.

In addition to the card above, I have ten others of Milt as a Cub.

  

Topps has four cards of his as a Cub.  He was included in the 1974 set although he was out of baseball in 1974, being released by the Cubs in spring training.  He was bitter about that too.  He had 99 wins in the NL to go along with his 110 AL wins.  He missed by one win of becoming one of just a hand full of pitchers with 100 wins in each league.  The Tribune article on his release is here.

This card is Milt as a Cub as a Brave.  It's from the 1971 Dell Today set. He's in the Cub book, but obviously is not in a Cubs uniform.  

  

These were in the Season Ticket holders and Giveaway sets from 2013.

This is from the 1973 Jewel set.

The last two are a bit more special.

This is also a 2002 Wrigley Field giveaway and it's been signed.

This Cubs convention card from 1998 was also signed.  I've got no idea if the signature is legit or not.  Milt was a regular at Cubs Conventions.  He settled in the Chicago suburbs after his career ended and was at Wrigley Field often too.  He really embraced his Cub-ness even though he was with the Orioles for the longest part of his career.

RIP, Milt.

Jake!!!

Wow!!!

We're running out of adjectives to describe the incredible roll that Jake Arrieta is on.

He didn't look too sharp early on last night. It took him over 60 pitches to get through the first four innings. He was able to right the ship and needed 60 more for the final five innings.

The Reds didn't have anything close to a hit.

With just nine starts in between, he has no hitter #2.

If the Cubs go deep into the post-season this year, it will be because of Jake Arrieta

One More Autograph, Anticipating

I've added another autograph to my certified autograph collection, even though it doesn't meet my rule....yet.

The rule...one certified autograph for any Cub player that had one issued during a year they played for the Cubs and the card shows the player as a Cub.

Here's what I picked up...

...a certified auto of Carl Edwards from this year's Gypsy Queen.

It doesn't meet my rule because Edwards hasn't played for the Cubs this year.  However, it is very likely that he will so I went ahead and bought the card.

The past couple years have been a hit on the wallet adding autos and relics of guys like Bryant, Schwarber, Soler, Russell, and Baez.

I got a break with Edwards.  Brent charged me a whole three bucks for the card.  So even if Edwards isn't called up this year, I would only be out $3.  

I'll take the chance.

Nothing Surprises Me Any More...Knuckleheads

After lambasting Topps for errors in the Wrigley Field insert set and Then and Now in Heritage, well, nothing surprises me any more.  Clearly, Topps has no interest in being accurate.

Typos I can live with, but there is absolutely no place for factual errors.  They come about because of incompetent writing and editing, and a general lack of caring to get it right.  And right now it seems that Topps is just that, incompetent and uncaring.

How else can you explain this, from Andre Dawson's Power Alley card in 2016 Gypsy Queen...

Yes, Cub fans, Topps has moved your team to the South Side.

This is not some obscure fact.  This is not a typo.  Its pretty basic baseball knowledge.

How  does someone that is hired to write information on baseball cards not know which side of town the two Chicago teams are on?

How does someone that is hired to edit information on baseball cards not know which side of town the two Chicago teams are on?

Will there ever be a stop to the incompetence??

Gypsy Queen Inserts

Yesterday the base set, today the inserts.

GQ is not an insert heavy brand.  This year there are just three insert sets, and between them a total of fifty cards.

Power Alley has 30 cards and...

...one Cub, Andre Dawson.

Walk-off Winners has ten card, including...

...Kris Bryant.  This is from July 27 when he hit a walk-off homer against the Rockies.  it's nice that he was included, but I wish Topps has used his walk-off on August 24.

That was the homer that included Pedro Strop running along side of him.  It was one of the best moments of the season.

The third insert set in 2016 GQ is Glove Stories.  The Cubs were shut out of this one.