#1 and #2

The number one spot in the Topps set is a coveted position.  Yesterday I wrote about the Cubs, for the first time ever, landing a player in the first slot.

But with the 2017 set, the Cubs have done something that has never been done before..

...there are Cubs in the first two spots.  Never before in the history of Topps have players from the same team been in the first two slots.

Although...

...maybe this should have an asterisks since Jason Hammel is no longer with the Cubs.

Actually, for most of of the first 50 or so years of Topps, you'd never find players from the same team with consecutive numbers. Topps did a pretty good job of spreading out the players from the same team.  That doesn't seem to matter much any more and you'll find several instances in a set now with consecutive players from the same team.

But 1 and 2 have always been on different teams until 2017.  The Cubs continue to smash the record book.

#1

This was only a 65 year wait, barely half of the 108 year wait for the World Series.

Since the first Topps set came out in 1952, 19 different teams were represented with card #1 in the set.

The Cubs were not among those 19...until now.

Kris Bryant has card #1 and the Cubs have finally ended another drought!

Twenty of the thirty teams have had a #1 card.  The ten still without are:
Marlins, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Rays, Royals, Twins, Indians, A's, Mariners, and Astros.

And which team has had the #1 card the most?  It shouldn't surprise you.

There are two teams tied for the most #1 cards, with five apiece, the Yankees (62, 05, 06, 09, 15) and the Red Sox (54, 57, 58, 92, 03).

Here's how the others have fared:
Four Times - Giants (55, 66, 95, 97) and Brewers (93, 10, 11, 12)
Three Times - Dodgers (52, 53, 94), Orioles (67, 71, 01), and Angels (07, 14, 16)
Two Times - Pirates (61, 72), Mets (70, 90), Padres (96, 98), and Rangers (91, 03)
Once - White Sox (60), Braves (74), Reds (86), Blue Jays (99), Cardinals (00), Phillies (04), Tigers (05), Nationals (13), and Cubs (17)

There were also many years when a team wasn't necessarily the focus:
AL President - 1956
Commissioner - 1959
League Leaders - 63, 64, 65, 68, 69, 77, 79, 81
All Time Home Run Leaders - 1973
HIghlights - 75, 80, 82, 84
Record Breakers - 76. 78, 83, 85, 87, 88, 89

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 14,693 Cubs cards from 120 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1973 Topps #482 Rick Reuschel This is BIg Daddy's rookie card. The 1973 season saw him post a record of 14-15 with and ERA of 3.00.  That's a pretty decent ERA for a guy with 15 losses.

1980s: 1989 Fleer #439 Rick Sutcliffe He was no longer the ace of the staff, but his 16-10 record in 1989 was a big boost as the Cubs took the NL East title.

1990s: 1991 Fleer #429 Domingo Ramos This is a card that didn't need to be made.  Ramos became a free agent after the 1990 season and the Cubs didn't try to re-sign him.  In fact, no team signed him and Ramos never played in the major leagues again.

2000s: 2008 Topps #609 Ted Lilly  The lefty had the best year of his career in 2008, with a record of 17-9.  His 17 wins and 184 strikeouts are career highs.

2010s: 2011 Topps Limited Edition Factory Set #356 Alfonso Soriano This card comes from the set that Topps gave out as a prize in their Diamond Anniversary contest.  I didn't win the prize; I just bought the Cubs cards. 

2017 Series One Cubs Inserts - The Last Two and a Look at All of Them

I've got two more insert cards, one Cub from each of the final two sets.

Kris Bryant was the Cub featured in the Jackie Robinson Day set.  There are 30 cards, one for each of the 30 teams.

This is an odd one on two levels.  First, a Bowman card in the flagship set?  And second,a then and now that goes all the way back..... to 2013?  Then isn't that far removed from now.

And that wraps up a look at all 34 of the series one Cubs inserts.

2017 Series One Cubs Inserts - Award Winners

Topps came up with three different Award Winner sets.  There is Gold Glove, found only in packs sold at Target, Silver Slugger, Walmart only, and MLB Awards, retail only.  The Cubs landed two players in each set, a total of six Cubs out of 50 cards

 

Heyward and Rizzo won Gold Gloves in 2016.  Odd thing with these cards...the set is called Gold Gloves, and the cards are numbers with GG-.  But on the front it say "Fielding Award" and the write-ups on the back do not use the words "Gold" or "Glove."  I wonder if there is an issue with Rawlings that doesn't allow Topps to use the actual words "Gold Gloves".  Is there a fee Topp must pay Rawlings to use the words?

 

Kris Bryant is featured twice in the MLB Awards set, once for winning the Hank Aaron Award and once for his NL MVP selection,

 

Arrieta and Rizzo won the Silver Slugger award as the best hitter at their position.  MLB must own the rights to this name as the front of the card says "Silver Slugger Award" and not "Hitting Award."

2017 Series One Cubs Inserts - 5 Tool

Here's the next insert set for review, 5 Tools.

This is another new name for 2017.  A five tool player hits for average, has power, speed, a strong arm, and a good glove. Topps came up with 50 players for this set and four of them are Cubs.  Again, that is way above the average of 1-2 for each team.

 

 

 

These cards look like what an insert is supposed to look like, all flashy and such.

And are these Cubs true 5 Tool players?

No.

My take:
Arrieta...a pitcher, while the term applies to position players
Bryant...4 tools...average, power, speed, and arm but not glove
Rizzo...3 tools...power, arm, and glove, but not average or speed
Russell...4 tools...power, speed, glove, and arm but not average

2017 Series One Cubs Inserts - First Pitch

This is the third year for the First Pitch set.  The Cubs have been represent nicely, with five cards in 2015 and two more last year.

But it's over the top in 2017, as seven of the 23 are Cubs cards.  One third of the set should not be from one team...but they are.

And who knew that Joan Jett was left handed?  She plays the guitar as a righty.  The back of her cards states that she is an Orioles fan.  So why bother to include her?

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of these celebs are all Cub fans or have a more tangible connection to the team.