Counting Off the Best Cards of 2017

Where has the time gone?

It seems like just a couple of weeks ago that P-Town Tom, of Waiting 'til Next Year fame, was first challenging bloggers to write about their favorite card of 2016.  Now, suddenly it seems, it's been a full calendar year and the time has come to do the same for 2017.  The Peoria-area Cubs fanatic recently kicked off the second edition of this blog challenge/contest and the rules remain the same as last year's go-round:

1. Must be one card produced in 2017.
2. It does not have to be baseball related and may even be from a non-sport set.
3. It should be a card you have in your collection.
4. Make a quick blog post about your favorite card.
5. Reply in the comments section of this post with a link to your blog post before January 8th, 2018.

For reference, here's a link to the original post.

When I saw this post go live, I instantly knew that I would be participating, once again.  After all, I love a good writing prompt and the incentive of a prize is never a bad thing (though it definitely is secondary).  Additionally, I figured that I would do as I did in 2016 and, instead of just writing about one card, I would build a full, top ten countdown and work my way to my favorite card of  '16.  It was a fun exercise the first time around!

The only problem is that, in my humble opinion, 2016 was a much better year for cardboard than 2017.  Whereas, last year, I almost instantaneously knew which card was my ultimate favorite, this year, I could scarcely come up with contenders for the crown.  Perhaps it's because I just didn't buy much in the way of current product this year, or that the Flagship design was unattractive, or the new lines (like Fire and the re-booted Gallery) didn't pull me in... at any rate, it wasn't nearly as easy of a process this time around.

That said, after a thorough review of my card stocks and my own blog posts, I was able to come up with what I think is a pretty good list.  So, without any further adieu, please join me for the Wrigley Roster Jenga Countdown of the Best Baseball Cards of 2017!

#10

I know this is an odd card to choose for this project; in fact, many people might not even consider this "loot" card from Bunt to be a legit baseball card.  I don't know what it is about this Kris Bryant piece that draws me in - maybe it's the product logo which appeals to be graphic design roots, maybe it's the fact that Kris is layered on top of a bed of other baseball cards, maybe it's just the fact that I like weird stuff.  Whatever the reason actually is, I just like it!

#9

From one extreme to another - we lead off the countdown with a filler card and the very next item included is a coveted chase card, or "hit" if you will.    Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

This sort of manu-relic typically isn't my scene; however, the preponderance of blue in the design, offset with a crisp gold makes this Rizz pleasant on the eye.  Plus, any card which pays tribute to the great Jackie Robinson is a-ok in my book.  Putting it over the edge is the fact that it came as a generous gift from Collecting Cutch as a thank you for participating in one of his contests.  A hit for participation!  All of these factors combined make this 2017 Anthony Rizzo Jackie Robinson Day Commemorative Patch(from Topps Series One) one my favs of the year.

#8

Mike Montgomery was acquired just before the trading deadline of 2016 and all he's done is become an incomparable swingman that's sprung the Cubs out of more than one jam in the bullpen and the starting rotation.  Furthermore, he just so happened to close out the first World Series win for the North Siders in 108 years, last October with his very first career save.

Even with all of that notoriety, it took until Heritage High-Numbers for MiMo to finally debut on Cubs cardboard - talk about overdue!

#7

On that note, here's another card which makes the countdown solely on the fact that it's the player's first Cubs card.  Brian Duensing leapfrogs Montgomery because it was a pasteboard appearance which was wholly expected!

Mr. Duensing quietly became one of the most rusted components of Joe Maddon's bullpen and a cream of the crop LOOGY, as well.  That said, lefty specialists almost never get love from Topps and friends... why would they when there are so many hot rookies to exploit?  Therefore, I had resigned myself to the fact that Duensing would forever be a Twin in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder... that is, until I read the checklist for Update.  I honestly couldn't believe my eyes that Brian appeared on the document instead of another Aaron Judge reach.  It may very well have been the biggest cardboard surprise of 2017, for me anyway.

#6

This one makes the list more so because of what the card represents than the card itself.  On it's own, the Honus Bonus set is fairly bland and filled with non-complimentary colors and washed-out, black and white photography.  I do like the 20th Century Fox, movie theater-esque design; but, overall, these cards leave a lot to be desired.  So, after a rave review like that, how does this card make it all the way to number six on this countdown?

Well, as I said, the short-lived Honus Bonus brand represented a challenge to the era of license exclusivity.  I was thrilled to see a start-up come in, guns a-blazing and try to edge their way into the market.  In the end, their "fantasy sports meets trading cards" idea didn't last, but they still tried.  That (and the fact that I like this image of Willson) is why an HBP oddball appears on this countdown.

#5  (Tie)

Speaking of oddballs, this was a tie that I just could not break.  Both of these Mother's Cookies-like singles hail from Carl Aldana's new sets revolving around the old Pacific Coast League.

As I've detailed on this blog a few times now, Aldana was an oddball maestro in the 70's and has recently returned to the fold with this current project.  When I discovered that short-term Cub Jim Adair's first ever baseball card came of this product, I had to pounce.  Checking off such a rare need for my CATRC was definite a defining highlight for the year; but, then, Mr. Aldana himself stepped in.  He graciously made contact with me and gifted me with the Steve Bilko too, out of the goodness of his heart.  All things considered, there was no way that I could exclude either one of these bad boys; therefore, they share spot number five.

 #4

In October, one my wife and I's closest friends tied the knot with her wonderful husband in North Carolina.  The ceremony was lovely and the experience was one that I'll never forget... if for no other reason than it offered me the excuse to cross the nearby border and visit the home ballpark of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans ( I kid of course, the wedding was amazing).

On our way to catch a flight back home, my wife and I stopped by the South Carolina-based, Single A Cubs affiliate and were blown away by their hospitality.  The minor league season had concluded, by this point, but the staff on duty allowed... nay, encouraged me to tour all of the facilities.  I felt like a kid in a candy shop!  As a souvenir, I decided to pick up a team set from the gift shop, which featured the above Dillon Maples, who's meteoric rise through the farm system to the Majors was a joy to watch this summer.

Again, this card might be here more so for what it represents rather than it's own assets; but, it makes it, nonetheless.

#3

While Brian Duensing made the Update checklist, big-ticket acquisition, Alex Avila, did not.  I'll never understand Topps' process.

Luckily, Alex played a pivotal role in one of the wackiest wins of the 2017 season, thus earning him a spot in the instant Topps NOW checklist.  You can read a detailed write-up about the insane game here, but the short version of the story is that the Cubs came back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth with two dropped third strikes, a stolen base, and an Avila RBI single.  As soon as I picked my jaw up off of the living room floor, I knew I needed to add this card to my collection.

The circumstances behind this amazing win, the exuberant celebration on the front, and the fact that it is perhaps his one and only Cubs card makes seeds this Now single near the top.

#2

A White Sox card?  Near the top of a Cubs fan's countdown of the best cards of 2017?  Say what?

This stadium giveaway was acquired at Guaranteed Rate Field early in the summer, as part of a White Sox win over the Indians.  It was an absolutely picturesque day at the ballpark, which made for an excellent family day with my wife, father, and brother.  Upon arrival, we were each handed one of these baseball card-sized coupons which featured one of the Sox mascots, borrowing the likeness of White Sox legends on Milwaukee sausage costumes.  Weird, right?

How could a sausagey oddball (which doubles as a coupon for ice cream) of one of the few men to play for both the Cubs and the White Sox not make this list?!

With that, we've reached the moment of truth - what was the very best card of 2017????  Drum roll, please:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

via GIPHY

Okay, okay... I must admit that I was, in fact, stalling.  I had to take a moment to make sure that I had this order right; but, I think I finally have this nailed down.  Without any further delay, please allow me to unveil to my favorite card of the 2017 season:

#1

This card came out in the first issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids this year, definitely ensuring that my year got off on the right foot.  Luckily, I just so happen to work for a school and was able to secure a discarded copy of the periodical.  SI for Kids cards have long been a part of the hobby and have personally been some of my favorite oddballs since the days of Mark Grace.  That fact alone would probably have secured on spot on this list for this card - seeing as those perforated panels cover all teams and individuals in all sports, Cubs don't show up all that often.  But, that photo!

The image used for the front of the card appears to be after hitting a key double in the postseason; however, it isn't the 10th inning double that won the Cubs their first World Series in over a century. This image was snapped after Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler hit back-to-back homers in eighth inning of Game One of the NLCS to bust a tie.  Following that, Zobrist continued the rally with a bases-empty double and after what had just happened moments before, I think we can all understand why Zobs is so fired up on the photograph in question. I know that I was too!

To sum this all up, we have an oddball card from a continuing set that's fascinated me since childhood, one that uses a phenomenal photograph from a seminal moment in the Cubs' historic run to the World Series in 2016.  It simply pulls out all of the stops.

So, there you have it - the definitive list of the best cards of 2017, topped by the SI for Kids Ben Zobrist single.  It was a little tougher to draft this year, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 

That noted, I have to ask, how does your list differ from my bullet points?  What's your favorite card of the year so far?  Is your favorite card even a baseball card?  Perhaps you think the football, basketball, or non-sport offerings were better?  Draft up your own post and enter it into P-town Tom's awesome contest!  What have you got to lose, eh?

I look forward to reading your takes!