A CarGo Short

Today's post is a quickie centered around Carlos Gonzalez's Cubs debut... a CarGo short, if you will.

via GIPHY

This .gif sure does get a lot of play on Wrigley Roster Jenga...

Anyway, the former All-Star was called up by the Chicago National League Ball Club yesterday morning and then immediately installed in the starting lineup for the afternoon make-up game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Sidenote - is that what they still call themselves? As an NL rooter, I rarely encounter the team of Trout, Ohtani, and Co., so I'm truly unaware.  Anyway, it was a quick turnaround for the Cubs front office, having only jut signed Gonzalez to a minor league deal the previous Wednesday.  I expected his stay in AAA to be brief, but I surely thought it would amount to more than two games in an Iowa Cubs uniform.

Expectations were cautiously optimistic upon Carlos' signing and, going into Monday's ballgame, were reaching crisis levels of anticipation.  After all, going 2-7, losing three consecutive series, falling out of first place, and suffering a long 0'fer with runners in scoring position had created a sense of alarm in the Windy City.  The stuttering offense needed a jolt and hopes were placed - perhaps unfairly - on the shoulders of the Cubs' latest call-up.

Thankfully, he did not disappoint.



The Cubs offense exploded for the first time in a long time and posted eight runs to back Jon Lester, who himself came back from a string of poor starts, to trounce the Halos by a score of 8 to 1.  CarGo contributed the assault by swatting a single in three trips to the plate, to go along with a walk.  While that made for a solid, if unspectacular debut in Cubbie Blue, that was not what the fans and press were talking about as they streamed out of Wrigley Field that afternoon:

This phenomenal catch came at a time when the tide was threatening to turn against our heroes.  With Lester having tired out to the point of loading the bases with only one out, this long drive looked prime to clear them and get the Angels right back into this previously lopsided contest.  Instead, Cargo donned a cape, grabbed one of his three Gold Gloves, and declared, "not today, Lucroy!" 

Sprinting towards a brick wall with reckless abandon and making a miraculous grab that no one in Wrigley Field thought he had a prayer of catching... it may very well have been one of the best Web Gems during this millennium at Wrigley Field.  What a way to introduce yourself to your new club, huh?

With that impactful debut, I felt inspired to strike while the iron was hot and whip up a card to commemorate Gonzo's grab:

I was mildly surprised to see that Carlos' grab went ignored by the Topps Now team.  With a star-player making his debut in one of the sports strongest markets, I surmised that the old bubblegum company would sense a quick moneymaker.  Instead, we Cubs fans will just have to settle for my take on another one of their "instant card" products, Total.  I may be biased, but I think it gets the job done admirably.

Throughout the season, I've been whipping up my own interpretations of Topps' rebooted, roster-comprehensive set due to the real thing's pricey nature.  Should CarGo eventually end up in the checklist, I bet you mine will look better thanks to this acrobatic catch, captured by Getty Images.

Speaking of cards (be they custom or the real McCoy), with Cargo's surprisingly rapid ascension to the Cubbies' Big League roster, a physical card needed to be inserted into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder. 

In my post detailing Carlos' initial signing last week, I opened up a poll asking which of my assortment of Gonzalez cards should have the honor of representing the defensive wizard in my CATRC - the most hallowed of my collections.  The most love went to his 2012 Topps Flagship All-Star single, despite being a write-in candidate; however, I still find that card to be fairly unattractive and I will instead be pivoting to the second leading vote-getter:  his 2016 Bunt card.

I appreciate the feedback, but I'm still going to make an audible every now and then.

Welcome to Chicago, CarGo - here's hoping that you can continue the production and defensive flare that you showed in your Cubs debut!