2018 Series Two Cubs Inserts Checklist

Series Two cards are now showing up in stores and with breakers.  I've got my order placed with Brentandbecca and have to wait while he coalates the cases.

I ordered a master team set, so that means I'll get the insert cards along with the base set.

They include:

1983 All Stars
33 - Kris Bryant
34 - Anthony Rizzo
35 - Addison Russell
49 - Ryne Sandberg

1983 Rookies
8 - Jen-Ho Tseng
22 - Dillon Maples

Future Stars
23 - Ian Happ
33 - Addison Russell
35 - Javier Baez
37 - Kyle Schwarber

Home Run Challenge
AR - Anthony Rizzo
KB - Kris Bryant
WC - Willson Contreras

Instant Impact
18 - Billy Williams

Longball Legends
4 - Willson Contreras
20 - Kris Bryant
26 -  Anthony Rizzo
33 - Kyle Schwarber

Salute
49 - Anthony Rizzo
50 - Addison Russell
55 - Dillon Maples
75 - Ernie Banks
90 - Javier Baez
91 - Addison Russell

All of these should be coming from Brent, but those aren't all the inserts.  There's one set that is retail only and I'll have to chase them down the old-fashioned way.

Legends in the Making
5 - Kyle Schwarber
6 - Addison Russell
7 - Javier Baez

In total, that makes 26 inserts, almost doubt the number of base Cubs.

Cub #36

On Monday the Cubs brought up reliever Anthony Bass from Iowa.  Later that night he got in the game, pitching a scoreless 11th inning, 

That appearance makes him the 36th different player to play in a game for the 2018 Cubs.

Consistent Ginter

Yesterday I looked at the Cubs Debut decline.  Today I've got a much more consistent set, Allen and Ginter.

The Topps version of Ginter saw its start in 2006. The set had 300 base cards and 50 short-prints.  Topps has used the same numbers each following year, which is extremely consistent, especially for Topps.

The number of Cubs has been relatively similar, too.

Here's what its been over the years:
9, 10, 7, 11, 9, 11, 10, 11, 10, 13, 14, 15

The increase in Cubs the past few years coincides with the team's increase in wins.  Otherwise, Cubs in Ginter has been in the 9-11 range almost every other year.

I'm curious what the number will be in 2018.  My guess - 12

We'll find out when the checklist comes out in about a month from now.

Debut Decline

On Thursday I showed all of the 2018 Cubs Pro Debut cards, all two of them.  This marks quite a decline in Cubs since the brand made its debut in 2010.  There were 440 cards in that first set and 16 of them were Cubs, 3.6% of the set.

Over the years, here's how the Cubs broke down in the set:
2010 - 440 cards - 16 Cubs - 3.6%
2011 - 330 cards - 14 Cubs - 4.2%
2012 - 220 cards - 6 Cubs - 2.7%
2013 - 220 cards - 10 Cubs - 4.5%
2014 - 220 cards - 10 Cubs - 4.5%
2015 - 200 cards - 9 Cubs - 4.5%
2016 - 200 cards - 11 Cubs - 5.5%
2017 - 200 cards - 5 Cubs - 2.5%
2018 - 200 cards - 2 Cubs - 1%

Here's a visual representation of the Debut decline...

That, as they  say on Seifeld, is some serious shrinkage.

Five Random Cubs Cards

I've got 15,817 Cubs cards from 133 different brands listed on a spreadsheet. A random number generator picked five cards, one each from the past several decades.

1900s - 1970s: 1960 Topps #162 Sammy Taylor  Taylor had an interesting start to his baseball career.  He played one season in the minors after high school, then spent the next season out of baseball.  He then served in the Navy for four years.  He then returned to organized baseball and after two years in the minors, he was the Cubs catcher

1980s: 1987 Team Issued Manny Trillo  Manny's second go-around with the Cubs saw him in a utility role.  He played all four infield positions in 1987 including more at first base than any of the other three.  I always think of him as a second baseman, so it was odd to see him make so many appearances at first.

1990s: 1993 Conlon #932 Grover Alexander  And what was different about their fastballs?  According to Conlon, Alexander has much more control, walking far fewer than Ryan.

2000s: 2002 Flair #67 Sammy Sosa Sammy was still blasting home runs in 2002, leading the National League with 49.  He ended the season with 499 career homers.

2010s: 2016 Topps Now #191 Javier Baez  After ending 14 innings tied with the Reds 2-2, the Cubs exploded for five runs in the 15th inning.  Bryant singled in the go-ahead run and the Baez put the game out of reach with a grand slam.

2018 Pro Debut Cubs Inserts

The Cubs tallied just two cards in the base set.  Ditto for the inserts.  And the two inserts featured the same player...

...and even the same photo.  The relic in the Fragments of the Farm card is a rally towel.I'm thinking that since the towel was given away free, Topps could have used the money they saved to buy a different picture of Adbert.

2018 Pro Debut Cubs

Yikes!

There are 200 cards in the set.  Divide that among 30 teams and everyone should get six or seven.

But the Cubs have traded or called up most of their top prospects.

The total number of Cubs farmhands in the 2018 Pro Debut set?

Two!

Like I said, yikes!