Getting Wise

So... ummmmmmm.... yeaaaaaa.... baseball cards???

I must admit, I'm pretty well shocked and horrified by the world around us right now.  I guess while I always felt that yesterday's actual, bonafide, no two ways about it coup attempt was the logical conclusion for this presidency, it was no less painful and shocking to watch as it played out live.  Dear god, hopefully those in Washington finally got a taste of the hatred and misinformation they've been letting stew for the past four years and actually do something to make this a conclusion.  Invoking the 25th would be a wise move, as who knows how much more damage this bruised demagogue will try to cause before January 20th.  The man is an egomaniacal and the cult that he's built is bound and ready to act out his every self-serving plan.

Sorry for getting political here on Wrigley Roster Jenga... except, no I am not.  What's going on around us is not something that we can simply ignore or "stick to sports."  This affects every single one of us, whether we want to admit it or not.  Yesterday's coup was one of the darkest moments in this country's history and we cannot simply pretend it didn't happen and move on like nothing's different, like we seem to do with every impeachable offense perpetrated by the deluded reality show host in charge.  How our country handles this moment could very well define our generation and the future of democracy in the United States.

This rant has gone on a little longer than expected; but, I simply had to speak my piece.  With that out of the way I guess I can now throw in some baseball card content, even though such trivialities seem even more insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  However, perhaps some normalcy will do me and my mental health some good.  With that in mind, let's get to the post that I originally had in mind for today.

Hey, two posts in a row where my backlog of posts accidentally becomes semi-relevant again.  I guess it's true what they say, "even a broken clock is right twice a day!"

Yesterday morning, the Cubs announced that they had re-signed corner infielder/outfielder, Patrick Wisdom, to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.  Wisdom, a former first round pick and top prospect in the Cardinals organization, had bounced a little bit since making his debut in the Majors in 2018 - he went from St. Louis to Texas to Seattle, unable to secure a regular role or an extended audition on the game's largest stage.  Finally, midway through the shortened 2020 season, Wisdom landed a deal in Chicago and was sent to their alternate training site in South Bend, IN.

Apparently, something clicked for Wisdom in the land of Notre Dame, as scouting reports from the alt site raved about his performance at the plate:

This earned him a late cuppacoffee; in the season's final regular season series, against the crosstown White Sox, the Cubs "got wise" and called him up to spell Rizzo and Bryant at the corners, as the Cubs' playoff spot was already secure.  He only ended up making two plate appearance - going hitless - before eventually being allowed to walk as a free agent after the World Series.  

Wisdom takes a healthy cut against the White Sox. Image courtesy of Getty Images

I know I've been trying to go in chronological order in playing roster move catch up here on Wrigley Roster Jenga; however, this seemed like a good opportunity to jump the line and make it seem like I'm, at least, accidentally on top of things!

Personally, I thought that was that for Wisdom's Cubs career and that he would be another in a long line of random, cameo Cubs who no one remembers but the most blue-blooded diehards.  Of course, with Patrick coming back into the fold for 2021, he might have something to say about that.  Clearly, he turned some heads in the organization last year and, with the way payroll is being shed around here, he might just be starting at third base after Kris Bryant is traded to Los Angeles for an almost full cart of Dodger Dogs.

But, for real, it seems that the 29-year old has a good shot at making the 2021 Cubs as a bench bat or at least sticking around for a while as minor league depth.  Or, he could be unceremoniously cut in the first round of spring eliminations... who the hell knows?  No matter what though, he officially entered his name onto the Cubs All-Time Roster last year, so I needed a card for my corresponding collection.

Luckily, I found a good deal on this single from CATRC favorite product, Topps Total, on Ebay; more specifically, this card hails from the 2019 revival of the set.  I mean, he has plenty of other cardboard options from more mainstream sets in both his Rangers and Cardinals duds, but I just liked the look of this one.  The strong, picturesque swing, the blue and red color pallet, my general love for Total - this card has a lot going for it.  That being said, I sure wouldn't mind it if he ended up on a card with the "correct" shade of blue on his jersey at some point.

I wouldn't bet on that happening; but, then again, unlike the Cubs, I don't posses much in the way of "Wisdom."  Yeah, I'm an actual dad now, so I have shoehorn some dad jokes in there every now and then.  It's a contractual obligation that's part of the birth certificate - read the fine print!

Anyway, welcome to the CATRC, Patrick Wisdom, and welcome back to the Chicago Cubs organization.  For your sake, I hope your breakout at South Bend was the real deal and you finally earn your full shot at Major League stardom.  I just selfishly hope that it comes as part of a legitimate emergence and not the result of a continued tear down on the North Side of Chicago.  

We shall see.