As Mystery Science Theater 3000's Joel Hodgson once boldly stated, one should "never trust a man with two first names." Apparently, David Ross has never seen that episode of the cult classic television program because one of his top relievers in 2020 was a man with multiple monikers generally considered as firsts.
Jason Adam is something of a minor league vagabond, or at least he was before he finally made his way to Chicago. As a post-hype reliever, who was never considered a blue chip prospect, with little in the way of Major League credentials. it's no surprise that the hurler doesn't have much of a cardboard footprint. In fact, unless you want to chase minor league, team-issue set singles, the only way to add a card of Adam to your collection is to dig through 2011 Leaf Metal or Valiant Draft, which are hardly mainstream products in their own right.
As you can see, I opted to chase the latter after Adam made his Cubs debut this past summer. It's a wonderfully shiny card and has a background akin to the old Topps Crusades insets of decades past - a purposeful aping, as I understand it. You'll also notice that I splurged on his certified auto rather than his base card. Every now and then I decide that I deserve something nice... plus the auto was the only reasonably priced Adam card I could find on Ebay at the time. I could have spent $12 with shipping for a basic minor league card or half as much on a certified autograph - he may be an obscure player, but that's not much of a dilemma.
At any rate, it's a beauty of a card. Plus, with the blank, blue jersey (because, you know, Leaf has no license), you can kind of cross your eyes, squint, and see a Cubs card in your hands. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this being the first modern Leaf revival card added to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
Ooooooo - shiny!
Anyway, we've talked a fair amount about his baseball card; perhaps we should learn a little bit more about the player depicted on it's reflective surface? Who is this man that, like Ricky Bobby, has two first names?
Adam has actually been around for a little while now, as he is now enduring his second decade of professional baseball. Drafted by the Royals in the fifth round of the 2010 draft as a strikeout pitcher with plus velocity and movement, the hurler seemed poised to be part of Kansas City's elite, World Series cinching bullpen. However, it wasn't mean to be, as he was instead traded away to bolster their offense in a straight up deal for Josh Willingham in August of 2014. Since then, Adam has been unable to find a consistent groove, bouncing from the Twins to the Padres to the Royals again to the Blue Jays and missing the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to a stress fracture in his pitching arm. One can hardly blame him for being unable to settle in, right?
Although it was during that second stint with the Royals organization that Adam was able to finally make his MLB debut, making 31 appearances out of their bullpen long after the team had ceased to be a contender. Still on the mend from his arm injury, he wasn't quite up to the task yet, posting an ERA well over six in those 32.1 innings pitched. There was a glimmer of hope though, as illustrated by his 37 strikeouts over that same period. A move to Toronto was apparently just what the doctor ordered, as after his contract was purchased by the Canadians, Adam started turning things around. In a late season trial, Adam got into 23 games out of the pen, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.91 ERA in 21.2 IP.
That revitalization caught the eyes of the Cubs, who were intrigued by his pitch movement - a characteristic they have often zeroed in one when scouting pitchers. Buoyed by a new, shortened arm action (a la Lucas Giolito, Shane Bieber and Trevor Bauer), Adam impressed in Summer Camp and eventually earned another call back to the Majors after Tyler Chatwood's season ended due to injury on August 16th. He quickly earned David Ross' trust as he was used heavily down the September stretch to the playoffs, allowing only two earned runs the entire month (both of which came in his final appearance). You might say that he put forth a "Valiant" effort.
Get it? Valiant... like the baseball card that I bought for his slot in the CATRC. Look - I'm actually a father now, so I am basically contractually obligated to throw in terrible dad jokes whenever I see the opportunity.
Regardless, Adam was nails during the high-pressure pennant race. With that performance, there's little doubt that he'll be leaned upon as a key contributor out of the pen once again in 2021; hopefully, Jason can pick up where he left off last September. Perhaps, after all those years of drifting from franchise to franchise, he has finally found his home? With that in mind, maybe he'll even finally get his first actual Major League baseball card out of Topps or Panini and, better yet, perhaps it will come in a Cubs uniform.
Dream big, right?
Regardless, welcome to Chicago, Jason Adam, and - more importantly - to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder!
Just before I disappeared from the blogosphere, I made a couple of purchases that might have - subconsciously - helped push me out of full-bore collecting and writing. You know that feeling? Where you mess up so frustratingly that you just have to step back and stay from whatever situation you're involved with for a period of time? Well, that's at least partially what happened with these card-related transactions. Now, there's a litany of other contributing factors that played a much larger role in my absence; but, these mess ups were non-zero de-motivators.
Now, you might be asking yourself, what monumental screw ups could this guy have made that were so heinous that he had to temporarily put one of his favorite hobbies on the backburner. Well, I ignored one of life's most important guidelines - "if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is." To make things even worse, I did it twice in a row, meaning I snookered myself and then, knowing what I'd done, willingly dove right back into a shallow pool. What a dunce, right?
Anyway, on with the show. Here's a couple of things that I bought that weren't at all what I was expecting. First up:
What's this? A stretched and pixelated picture of an old school pitcher that was clearly downloaded from the internet, blown up well-beyond the limits of the original file, and spat out on a ink-jet printer on some cheap photo paper?
Bingo! You nailed it!
When I saw this image attached to a listing on Ebay, for some reason, I assumed that it was just a poorly scanned image of a vintage postcard. You know, like one of those Brace and Burke photo postcards that I've often showcased on Wrigley Roster Jenga, several of which populate my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection because they are the best, most budget friendly source for cards ballplayers from the WWII era and earlier. The seller wasn't being deceptive - I just made an assumption about what I saw based on absolutely zero evidence. Well, you know what they say when you assume - you make an ASS out of U and Me. Going back and looking at the listing, the vendor never made this claim, so I had no right or reason to make this leap and, yet, I jumped right in with both feet and no life preserver.
Thankfully though, this transaction wasn't a total loss. While I did think I that was getting a Brace/Burke postcard out of the deal, the photograph wasn't the main focus of the Ebay listing - I'd zeroed in on the wrong part of the advertised package. In fact, in all honesty, the Kodak print was just used as a throw-in to spice up the package for the true center of attention:
Any purchase that comes with the autograph of a bonafide Major League Baseball player can't be a total wash, right? Especially when the total purchase price is less than a measly five bucks, correct? It's kinda hard to stay upset when looking at that silver lining.
At any rate, the photograph depicts and the autographed index card comes from former Cubs hurler, Ed Hanyzewski. Of course, with his sterling penmanship, you probably didn't need me to spell that out for you - worlds apart from today's certified autos of today. Beyond practicing his cursive, Eddie pitched on the North Side of Chicago from 1942-46, taking the mound in 58 games (about half of which were starts) while posting an ERA 3.30 and a record of 11-12. Overall, the highpoint of his career was definitely the 1943 campaign, when he appeared in 33 games (16 as a starter) and won eight of 15 decisions. This year, he contributed a 2.56 ERA in 130 frames to go along with three complete games. That's one helluva swingman!
Unfortunately for Ed, he hurt his arm along the way in '43 and was never really the same afterwards. Such a sad and common tale in the time before Tommy John.
Overall, getting an autograph from such a vintage player is always a victory, so I really shouldn't be too sad about this acquisition. However, I am left with a minor quandary - should this count towards my CATRC binder? After all, it's an index CARD, right? Even though it's not a traditional baseball card, it would hardly be the first off-the-wall addition to said binder. The only thing that gives me pause is the lack of an image to go along with his John Hancock. Perhaps I should create my own cut-auto card to jazz it up, though that's a risky proposition with the signature of a guy who's been dead for thirty years now.
What do you think I should do about this dilemma? How would you handle this sort of situation? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below; I would love to hear what you have to say! As of now, I have this index card included in the tome, displayed in a postcard page along with the bum photo print. I mean, I lay down my hard earned money for that picture after all, I might as well put it to good use, for the time being.
So, that's the story on frustrating purchase number one of two. The Hanyzewski index card is definitely the less annoying of the two; although, to be upfront, both transactions do involve an autograph. "What a complainer," you must be thinking. How could getting two autographs of Cubs players for your favorite collection be such an annoying thing? Well, please allow me to make my case.
This is an item, like with Ed, that I was under the falsely assumed presumption was an antique Brace or Rowe postcard that came with a proper autograph. Unlike with Ed, this item came with the signature on the item itself, rather than on a separate index card. All seems well here - a vintage postcard feature a non-mangled image and autograph of a rare, forgotten Cubs player that I still needed to fill an empty slot in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection. This should be an absolutely perfect and celebrated acquisition, eh?
Sadly, all is not as it seems - there's a couple of black marks that go against this buy that are not readily obvious from the picture above nor from the original listing. First of all, once again, rather than being an actual Brace or Rowe postcard, this is an image that someone printed on their own. This time, it's not even on photo paper; rather, it's been printed on thin, though slightly matted, traditional paper. While this is a negative, it's not a deal breaker on it's own. While slightly disappointing, were these the only defects, I would still be perfectly happy in nestling this bit of ephemera into my CATRC binder. After all, this is another case where I made an unjustified assumption about the item in question and it's still an autograph on a piece which properly features the actual player in question.
Or is it?
Here's the thing. Roy "Pop" Joiner, besides being another athlete with excellent penmanship, had a couple of brief trials with the Cubbies in 1934 and 35, as well as a cameo with the Giants five years later. As someone who played so long ago, you would be correct to assume that he also passed away some time ago - December of 1989 (the same year I was born). If you're keeping score at home, we're now 31 years on. The photograph in question is printed on some pristinely white paper that is in immaculately good condition... are you thinking what I'm thinking?
I feel like there should be at least some signs of aging on three-decade old, basic paper Furthermore, there isn't a wrinkle or corner ding to be found on what is, once again, three-decade aged, regular ol' paper. Maybe I'm overly skeptical and am looking for problems, but this seems rather suspicious to me. What do you think about these red flags? Once again, I'd really and truly appreciate it if you weighed-in in the comment section below.
On the plus side, the Ebay seller has overwhelming positive feedback and the few down votes they have are completely unrelated to forged autographs. Plus, who would go to the trouble of faking the signature of such an obscure and uncollected athlete from a time before plastic had even been invented? That would be like counterfeiting pennies. Plus, I only spent six bucks on the piece, so even if it was a forgery, it's not like it really hurt my wallet all that much. With that in mind, for now, I've also included this imperfect acquisition in my CATRC binder, as it very well could be the real McCoy. However, if I come across a good deal on Joiner's 1940 Playball pasteboard, you darn well better believe that I'll be making a swap.
Have you seen this man?
Overall, I'm mostly just being a baby. Maybe I got scammed, maybe I didn't. Either way, in both cases, I made some stupid assumptions that I shouldn't have and, in neither case, did I spend much money. I'd say these are premium examples of low risk, high reward purchases. With that in mind, maybe they could pitch a few innings in the bullpen next year? However, with all of the other malaise surrounding baseball at the time of these transactions, the annoyance caused was just another nail hammered into my hibernation coffin.
Now I ask you, have you ever made such presumptive purchases or am I alone in making such delusional deals? Feel free to tell me what a dunce I am.
In the end, at least I was (maybe) able to check a couple of obscure names off of my want-list. In 2021, my News Years resolution is going to be doing a better job of looking on the bright side - there's already far too much negativity in the world right now.
While it might look, feel, smell, and taste like a true, blue (and pink) 1976 Topps single, it is nothing but a construct. This pasteboard is nothing but a digital image, a .jpeg file that is posing as an authentic, means of bubblegum conveyance. Wayne Tyrone, briefly a Cubs outfielder, does not appear on the checklist and, in fact, never shows up on a baseball card whatsoever. I created this impostor to fill a gap in hobby history that Topps so irresponsibly created 40+ years ago.
Until recently, that is.
Although, while not an MLB-approved bit of memorabilia, this trading card has come to exist in the same physical realm that we currently occupy. By that, I mean that I printed it out on cheap cardstock and printed with my workplace's HP Laserjet photo printer. Shhhhhh.... that's our little secret. Even better still, this Wayne Tyrone card can now be considered a true collectible, rather than a cheaply made ACEO wannabe. You might be asking yourself, "how can this be, Mr. Burbs?" You see, after this card was spat out onto the tray, I stuffed it in an envelope, mailed it to the far-off land of Texas, and waited patiently for it to boomerang back to me with a signature.
Yesterday, was the day that "Lassie" came home.
And, as you can see, I delivered my card was delivered back to me with love.
The whole TTM process is common here on the blogosphere, so I feel safe in assuming I needn't explain the procedure. Suffice it to say, if you are new to the process, one obtains the address at which a celebrity can be reached, sends an object that the sender wishes to have signed through the mail (along with a return envelope and paid postage), and then eagerly anticipates said celebrities return. Some famous folks charge for this privilege, others don't, and still others have more hoops inquiring minds must jump through before a signature will be provided. All in all, it's a fairly common hobby, especially among our lot.
This isn't my first rodeo either and I'm not just saying that because this return comes from Texas. While I'm not a chronic TTM chaser, I have sent a dozen or so over the years with varying degrees of success. Seeing as my collecting goal is to obtain at least one card of every man to have suited up for the Chicago Cubs and, like Wayne Tyrone, not every such athlete has had the privilege of appearing on a wallet-sized rectangle.
With this in mind, I've had to try any means necessary to plug these otherwise un-fillable gaps in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection. For more recent ballplayers, I've used the TTM process to create cards and obtain such players' John Hancock. For some reason, a "stamp of approval" makes the customs feel like true collectibles rather than some fantasy piece. Over the years, I've had luck with reaching and hearing back from several obscure Cubs, including Tony Balsamo, Footer Johnson, John Pyecha, Gene Krug and now, Mr. Tyrone.
Of course, for each of these four (now five) successes there's been dozens of failures. In fact, I was just discussing one of these missteps on Wrigley Roster Jenga last week, when I went ranting about how someone had pilfered one of my custom creations. Not only did my TTM request to Bob Raudman not make it back to me, but a dastardly devil had taken the .jpeg that I'd shared on this blog and used it to hawk cheap prints on Ebay.
In that same post, I indirectly alluded to yet another TTM failure. As a matter of fact, in another post just days earlier, I maligned the fact that this request went to a player that I was surprised had never appeared on so much as a regional or minor league oddball, considering his active career brushed up against a baseball card explosion. One that I had sent out long ago and never heard back from. One that I had given up hope on many moons ago, causing me to stop entertaining the dream of filling the player's slot in my CATRC tome.
That player? Why, it was Wayne Tyrone!
I waited patiently for this one to come back to me alright, so long that I don't even really remember when I sent it out. A quick scan of my blog archive seems to indicated that this custom hit the post office some time in late 2017. So, all in all, it's taken nearly three years for this bird to come home to roost!
Did Wayne see my belly-aching online and get tired of the whining. I suppose it's possible, I did include a link to my blog in my letter. Awkward...
Anyway, way back when, I was searching various databases for former Cubs who were still living and didn't feature much of a cardboard footprint. I found a listing for Tyrone on a website called ContactAnyCelebrity.com and figured it was worth a shot. Lo and behold, I sank that shot; however, the ball bounced around the rim for a few years. Better late than never though, right?
Perhaps we should take a moment to actually examine the career of the man that I so rudely bothered by mail.
Wayne Tyrone played professionally for nine years, from 1972-81, up and down the ladder from Quebec to Monterrey. Before signing his first contract, Tyrone also starred for the University of Texas Pan American, which got him drafted by the Cubs in the 20th round of the 1972 draft. Similarly, his older brother Jim also spent him amateur days at UTPA and was selected by the Northsiders just a year prior, though the elder brother went to Chicago in the fifth round.
All told, Wayne Tyrone manage to climb from the 20th round to the Majors in about four years, getting that call in the summer of 1976. Tyrone then spent the rest of the season on the Cubs bench, filling in both the outfield, third base, and first base. From July through September, Wayne batted .228/.262/.298 across 62 PA's in 30 games - obviously, not the strongest slash line. Accordingly, the Cubs let him go after the National League's centennial campaign, where he would then go from the North Side to north of the border, inking a minor league contract with Montreal. After a few more years in the Expos and then the Orioles chain, the now-journeyman wrapped up his pro career with a pair of seasons in the Mexican League, hanging up his spikes after the 1981 campaign.
In the end, Tyrone's 30 game cuppacoffee in 1976 ended up being the only Major League action on his ledger.
Wayne's older brother, Jim, was also Cub, spending three years with the team in the 70's
Interestingly, despite the fact that their time in the Cubs organization overlapped and both ultimately spent time on the Big League roster, neither player was on the 25-man at the same time. Jim was a Cub intermittently from 1972-75; however, the year that his kid brother made the club just so happened to be a year which he spent the entire schedule in AAA. While the brothers worked together in Wichita with the Aeros, Jim was left behind after Wayne made his debut. Also, both Tyrone brothers were out of the Cubs org by the middle of 1977.
Fun factoid, the Tyrone's are one of 11 sets of brothers who both suited up in Cubbie Blue pinstripes. You might remember the Patterson's, the Reuschel's, or even the Hairston brothers, but don't forget the Tyrone's!
Further fun fact - my custom card has also been sourced for Wayne Tyrone's Google search.
Since calling it quits as an active player, Wayne Tyrone has returned to his Texas roots. It appears as though he's spent a lot of time coaching youth baseball. It's always nice to see an old pro give back to the game - heck, lord knows MLB isn't actually vested in growing the sport, so it's critically important to see yesterday's stars do the heavy lifting.
Furthermore, in doing research for this post, I think I came across the reason why my card took so long to get signed, at least partially. Unfortunately, it looks like Mr. Tyrone was suffering from some serious health problems, as of the early portion of 2020. While trying to dig up some info on his post-playing career, I came across a Go Fund Me that had been set up to pay his medical bills. Thankfully, the crowd-sourcing was immensely successful and collected more than double it's stated goal. Hopefully, Wayne is doing better a few months later. I don't mean to get up on my soapbox, but isn't it disgusting that in this "first world nation" we have to turn to the kindness of strangers on the internet to raise money for medical care?
I hope your on the up-and-up, Mr. Tyrone!
Wayne (standing, right) with his 9U champion Dallas Tigers ballclub. Image courtesy of Dallas Tigers Baseball.
Has anyone else reading this had any experience with TTM requests? Am I the only one who whips up their own customs to fulfill such inquiries? If so, what's the longest that you've waited on a return envelope? Can anyone beat me nearly three-year holding period? Please feel free to share your stories in the comment section below; I'd love to hear from you!
Before I go, I should also remind all you readers that my Digital Dash contest is still open. A couple of bloggers have taken me up on my offer, but I'd love to see a few more. My wife and I are hosting a charity 5k run/1k walk to raise money for St. Coletta's of Illinois, a nonprofit that does a lot of critical work with adults who have special needs. It's only ten dollars to enter the run or walk and everyone who signs up will be entered into a drawing for a prize package which will include an authentic 1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premium. The race is open until Sunday, so all you have to is complete your distance by then and submit your time. I know there are some runners out there on the blogosphere - let this virtual event fill the Covid-shaped gap on your fitness calendar.
Finally, just in case you are reading this, Wayne Tyrone, thank you for generously answering my letter and signing my fantasy card without asking anything in return. I appreciate it more than you will ever know - I never thought I'd be able to fill this nagging gap in my collection. I hope you're doing better and feeling stronger every day!
In the meantime, I'm left to wonder, do I have any other TTM requests floating around in limbo? I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Today's post celebrates the long-awaited arrival of a card that been a cornerstone of my want-lists since I first started Wrigley Roster Jenga and, in all actuality, long before this blog was even a glimmer in my eye.
Oddball card manufacturer TCMA has long been known for their nostalgic, throwback card sets which were sold through hobby periodicals of the 1970's and 80's. Several cards from these various releases populate the pages of my treasured Cubs All-Time Roster Collection, as their comprehensive checklists shine the spotlight on subjects who have otherwise long been ignored. Accordingly, in 1981, the company released a set which paid tribute to the 1959 Chicago White Sox, better known as the "Go-Go White Sox," who represented the franchise's first pennant winner since the infamous Black Sox of 1919. It's a set that I've been chasing for quite a while now, but have had little luck in finding, outside of a few singles here and there.
I hear what you're saying, "Have you gone daffy? You're a Cubs fan!" I realize that this set is centered around that "other" Chicago baseball team and not the one that I am hopelessly devoted to. That being stated, there is a reason that I have been trailing these Sox cards for countless years and that reason's name is Jim McAnany:
Jim McAnany was the surprise starting right-fielder for the Go-Go's and would eventually go on to be one of the few men to suit up for both the White Sox and the Cubs during their Major League careers. Unfortunately for me and my roster-based collecting ways, Jim's time on the North Side of town was never properly commemorated on cardboard and his White Sox tenure was only barely acknowledged. Thus, this TCMA oddball was a focal point for my hobby-related searches and it proved to be a maddening target. Until today, I had never seen one of these in person and it's even autographed by the man himself!
Like I said, I've encountered a handful of singles from this set before; in fact, one of them already represents his teammate, Bob Shaw, in my CATRC binder. Despite that, I have never seen a complete set of TCMA's 1981 Go-Go White Sox hit Ebay or appear on card show tables. Thus, when the listing for this John Hancocked version came across my EBay feed, I pounced before even looking at the price. As a result, I definitely overpaid, but it was worth it to finally add one of the few post-1950 needs left for my CATRC. And, did I mention it's autographed?
The other 1981 TCMA Go-Go White Sox card in my possession
McAnany first burst onto the baseball scene in 1958, as the young fly-chaser from California batted an astounding .400 for the Colorado Spring Sky Sox of the A-level Western League. For this accomplishment, he was named the winner of Hillerich & Bradsby Co.’s Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for the highest batting average in all of the minor leagues. That September, he was rewarded further for his heroics with his first cuppacoffee in the Bigs, though he would go 0-13 in 5 contests. Apparently, he left all of the hits back in the mountains!
That speed-bump in his first trial did little to stall his Big League career. The very next May, the White Sox - finding themselves in the thick of a pennant race with an underachieving outfield - gave Jimbo another call and installed him almost immediately into the starting line-up. The 22-year never looked back, batting .276 with 27 RBI in 231 PA's, largely from the 8th turn in the batting order and easily outpaced his right-field competition (including future Cub, Johnny Callison). Come World Series time, McAnany started three of the six games for the Pale Hose; but, by then, the magic had worn off as Jim was unable to record a single hit six trips to the plate.
The backside of his TCMA card details his career up through the 1959 campaign
Despite the disappointing end, the future appeared bright for the Go-Go Sox and their blossoming young star, McAnany. Sadly, sunglasses were not needed for either party once the World Series afterglow had worn off. In 1960, the White Sox dropped back to third in the AL and would not earn another trip to the Fall Classic for another 46 years. Meanwhile, the breakout star of '59 would only don the white stockings just thrice more.
During that off-season, McAnany headed the call of Uncle Sam and enlisted with the Army Reserve. While on duty at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Jim injured his shoulder while working in the snow, and injury which would plague him for the rest of his baseball career. His nagging shoulder would keep him from getting in proper shape and his duties kept him from reporting to spring training on-time. As such, Jim was unable to get out from behind the 8-ball, being demoted after three hit-less April appearances and spending the rest of the year back in the bushes. Thus came an unceremonious end to his White Sox tenure. However, he would soon enough blow back into the Windy City, just to a different side of town.
Can't find a picture of Jim as a Cub on the internet, so my crude Photoshopping will have to do.
In the winter of 1960, McAnany was still seen as having potential and was accordingly drafted by the new Los Angeles Angels as part of the expansion draft, though he would never take the field in LA. The outfield-needy Cubs traded away a promising rookie, Lou Johnson, to acquire Jim's talents as Opening Day 1961 loomed, signaling that the Angels weren't the only club which had hope in the still only 24-year old. Unfortunately, it wouldn't take long for things to go sideways once again for our hero.
Uncle Sam wasn't done with McAnany and he was called away to spend most of the ensuing year at Fort Lewis, Washington during the Berlin Crisis. In what was starting to become a pattern, Jim was able to come back for yet another late season cuppajoe, though his barking shoulder limited him to pinch-hitting duties, in which he went 3-for-11 with a double. His professional career would come to an abrupt end after seven more PA's the following spring, as his shoulder problems proved to be too much to manage on field and he officially called it quits.
Despite the brevity of his career, Jim McAnany was able to play in the World Series and experience the thrill of a pennant race,which more than most aspiring pro ballplayers could ever hope to achieve. He wasn't bitter about it either, attending as many reunions of Go-Go White Sox as he could, kept in touch with many of his former teammates, and was reportedly wearing a White Sox jersey the day that he died in 2015.
Even considering the flash in the pan nature of Jim's career, I still find it surprising how minuscule his cardboard footprint is. Despite making a name for himself as a prospect by hitting the hallowed .400 mark and ascending to a starting position on a World Series bound team, McAnany never appeared on Topps baseball card. You would think that he'd at least get a nod in the old bubblegum company's 1960 checklist as a hot rookie, right? In fact, excepting the ACEO art cards and customs which often populate my Ebay feed, Jim only ever appeared on two true baseball cards... one being the TCMA oddball which forms the basis of this post and, ironically, the other wasn't even his!
Having resigned myself to the fact that I might never track down McAnany's blue-bordered beauty, I had to open myself up to other options. I'm not quite sure, but I think it was the SABR Baseball Card Blog which first enlightened me to a secondary opportunity, in the form of 1960 Leaf. The upstarts challenged Topps authority that year with their doomed entry into the baseball card market and Jim McAnany was part of their initial offering. Of course, it wasn't as if they were astutely recognizing the potential their competitor was seemingly blind to; rather, Leaf simply stamped the wrong face onto Stover McIlwain's pasteboard:
Will the real Stover McIlwain please stand up? Please stand up? (he's on the right)
Stover was a teenage pitcher who appeared in just two MLB games, the last having come nearly two years before Leaf went to print. "Smokey's" inclusion is a real head-scratcher to me and it would have made much more sense to include McAnany - maybe someone at Leaf felt the same way? Anyway, as it stands, that is the full length of Jimbo's cardboard resume. Also, as much as I like the "K.I.S.S." design of 1960 Leaf, I'm much happier acquiring a card with both Jim's name AND picture on it.
Meanwhile, during my years of searching, I discovered that his progeny also played professional baseball, as cards of Jim McAnany, Jr. littered my saved searches on Ebay. The minor league catcher played in the mid-80's, in the early days of the baseball card bubble, and therefore appears in a few contemporary team-issued and Pro Cards sets from the decade.
Even more interesting, at least to me, is that Jim Jr.'s sister, Michele, also played in the pros, for three years, as the starting second baseman and lead-off hitter for the all-female Colorado Silver Bullets, a barnstorming team you might remember from the mid-90's. As such, Michele also outpaces her father in cardboard appearances, as there were three team-issued sets of cards issued for her Coors-sponsored club.
How cool is that? I just might have to get myself one of these, as well. If I ever get that collection of Cubs progeny off of the ground, a Michele McAnany Silver Bullets card would make a fine cornerstone.
Meanwhile, speaking of other potential targets, it's now time to shift my focus onto the next object of my affection - there
ain't no rest for the wicked... or the collector. Moving up to the
number one spot on my most wanted list is a low-grade copy of Norm
Gigon's 1967 Topps high number (shared with Ramon Hernandez)... another
obscure Cub from the 60's with only one "true" card to his name.
At any rate, while it took quite a while, I'm thrilled to finally have the patriarch of the McAnany baseball family represented in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection. It's about damn time. While the purchase was a definite overpay, I feel no regrets about finally tackling one of my collection's most annoying black holes. Plus, the blue pen signature was definitely an added bonus worthy premium pricing; after all, it's not like he's signing any more of them. All in all, I don't think I've ever been this gleeful to add a Chicago White Sox card to my collection.
Thank goodness for TCMA plugging the gaps in history that Topps left behind.
I have two characteristics which truly get on my wife's nerves... okay, well to be honest, it's probably far more than two. Let's start this over. I have two characteristics that are related to today's topic which truly get on my wife's nerves. What are they?
First, I am a scavenger and have been since that day in pre-school when the teacher taught us how to make pretty collages out of litter we found on the street. Since then, I've constantly found myself picking up junk I find on the ground, be it football cards or the rest of the bric-a-brac which lines my junk drawer. In fact, just the other day, my better half had to tell me to get out of the trash when she saw me eyeing a perfectly good printer in a nearby dumpster.
Second, my decorative style is more akin to TGI Friday's than it is to Ikea or a home goods magazine. Rather than there be a cohesive theme or color scheme to my decor, my walls and shelves are plastered with disconnected bits of memorabilia and art. Nirvana posters, pennants, photographs, 5k bib numbers, street signs old trophies, model cars, etc. are "strewn" about with little rhyme or reason. Heck, there are even cheese trays nailed up on one wall. In short, walk into your local Applebee's and you can see where I take my inspiration from.
These personality traits are polar opposite of my lovely wife and, god bless her soul, she has chosen to try and contain them rather than kill them. Rather than forbid me from decorating any of our living spaces, she cordoned off my stuff to our mutual office space. Instead of completely stopping me from lining my pockets with random junk, she has assisted me find better and classier ways to store and display my "treasures." All in all, it makes for a happy and healthy compromise.
Out of this co-habitual harmony, Vaseball was born:
Throughout my years on this planet as a rabid fanatic of our nation's great pastime, I've slowly accumulated a girth of baseballs with which I had no idea what to do nor did I have any intention of getting rid of them. Now, I'm not talking about my Hank Aaron signed sphere or my Thomas Ian Nicholas inked floater - those special balls are displayed in a proper location of their own. Over time, this hoard of leather and cork has been building up on the shelves of my closet and spilling out onto shelves and desks throughout the household. In all honesty, it was getting a touch out of hand.
Then, my wife stepped in and up. Thanks to this lovely vase that she purchased for me as a birthday gift, I now have a cozy (and contained) home for my misfits AND a way to properly display them in an almost Home Goods-like manner. She's managed to turn part of my junk collection into a conversational display piece!
In case you were curious, here are some of the hardballs that are no longer in danger of being disposed of or stored away in the shadows:
First, some "game balls" from my Little League days that I re-discovered in a tote tucked away in my parents' storage shed. They're silly; however, after all these years, it would feel wrong to simply toss out these little bits of my childhood. Plus, I have to be able to prove that I had some good days on the diamond, rare though they might have been!
Next, we have a ball autographed by a few independent league players that I uncovered at one of my local thrift stores. Sometimes I come across my junk in the gutter and other times I happen upon it while secondhand shopping. I dedicated an in-depth post to this trinket a few months back, so I won't go into great detail here. But, I was torn with this piece - no offense to these guys, but it didn't feel worthy of being displayed with the rest of my "John Hancocked" orbs. Plus, I didn't obtain the autos myself, which makes them a little less special, in my eyes.
That being said, I didn't think I could jettison a ball signed by bonafide pros with which I actually had some minor connections to (details in that post), so this bit of memorabilia occupied a sort of purgatory in my collection.
No longer!
Furthermore, I've been sitting on a small "fortune" of foul balls from the local minor league stadium, occupied by the Windy City Thunderbolts of the indy Frontier League. Having been to many contests at the park throughout the past two decades, I've managed to grab a few of these ovoids at sparsely attended games. I don't care how old you are, there's a special thrill in nabbing a foul ball at the ol' ballpark... as long as you aren't depriving a child, after all.
Granted, individually, there is nothing unique or special about these souvenirs and the thrill has long since passed. Again, this is what put them in danger of being on the chopping block. Thankfully, this vase brought with it a desperately welcomed stay of execution!
This is certainly the most... let's say, weathered... ball in my possession. A couple of years ago, our friends got married near the border of the Carolinas and we made our way down south for the festivities. Let me just tout my wife again here - on our way back to the airport in Myrtle Beach, she suggested we stop by the home field of the Cubs-affiliated Pelicans ballclub. Although it was the off-season, the facility just so happened to be open for tours and I stumbled (almost literally) across this battered orphan near the batting cages. It may be hard to tell, but this is an authentic Carolina League baseball. Knowing my scavenger tendencies, you best believe I scooped it up and stashed it in my hip pocket!
As you can plainly see, this is far from being a display worthy piece on it's own. On the other hand, it holds a vast amount of sentimental value - a reminder of a beautiful wedding, a fantastic vacation, an unexpected side adventure, and a sign of how much my wife loves and cares about me. Courtesy of another gift from her, I now know exactly what to do with it!
Finally, we'll close with another ball that I found abandoned nearby a baseball field. I happened upon this Midwest Collegiate League spheroid in the parking lot of Oil City Stadium, the home of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen. This college-level summer league team played right across the street from my former workplace and, as such, I have an affinity for the franchise. While departing what was supposed to be a combination card show and doubleheader at the facility, I nearly tripped over this long foul ball on my way back to my car.
Again, I'm a scavenger. There was no way this puppy wasn't coming home with me. It was the unexpected highlight of the afternoon!
With that, we've reached the bottom of the vase. There are a few filler balls that I have gathered from local parks, t-ball fields, and forest preserves, but nothing notable enough to showcase on Wrigley Roster Jenga... just balls left behind by kids when the streetlights came on. But, thanks to the way I'm wired, I couldn't leave them stranded. In the words of the great poet and wise philosopher, Popeye the Sailor Man:
And thank god my wife loves me for what I yam... errr.... am. Although, she is also a fan of yams.
Is anyone else out there on the blogosphere a borderline hoarder like me? Am I the only one in our community who can't help but pick up a shiny object or trinket when happened upon in the gutter or thrift shop? Does anyone else find themselves looking at the walls of their local steakhouse and thinking, "gosh, this looks like my apartment." Has anyone else discovered a clever means of storing their goodies like my wife's creation of vaseball? Please feel free to discuss in the comment section below!
In the meantime, I might have to look into purchasing another one of those vases. As you can see from the picture which leads off this post, I've already stuffed it to the gills and I don't plan on changing my ways anytime soon.
Yesterday, just before the start of the Cubs' marquee series with the juggernaut Houston Astros, word began to trickle throughout social media that former All-Star first baseman, Bill Buckner, had suddenly passed away at the age of 69. Apparently, the 22-year Major League veteran had been undergoing a previously unannounced battle with Lewy Body Dementia, a debilitating disease which attacks both the mind and the body at the same time. It would have been nice for the Cubbies to go out and win one for one of their all-time great first-sackers; however, that was not meant to be.
Buckner's career was one of just a handful to span from the 1960's through the 1990's and thus made an impact on multiple generations of baseball fans. To some, including our vaunted Night Owl, Buck will forever be the slow-footed, corner outfielder on some powerhouse Dodger teams, making a World Series appearance in 1974 and a futile attempt to climb the fence and catch Hank Aaron's 715th homer. To other people, he'll be the poor, unfortunate soul who had a momentary lapse in concentration, which lead to perhaps the most famous misplay in the game's history, as a Red Sox. To still others, he'll be remembered for his legendary plate discipline - the guy NEVER struck out three times in a single game. How unfathomable is that, especially looking back today? But, regardless, due to his ability and longevity, Bill left a mark on our favorite pastime's legacy that will never be forgotten.
To me, while I wasn't to enter into this realm of existence until half a decade after his being traded away, Mr. Buckner will always be a Cub. After all, during his eight years in the Windy City, the man won himself the 1980 National League batting title (.324), made his only All-Star appearance (1981), hit an even .300 in blue pinstripes, and made a cameo appearance on the franchise's first playoff-bound club, as Steve Goodman once penned, "since we dropped the bomb on Japan." Billy Buck was so tied to the team that during the press conference to announce his trade to Boston, the usually stoic ballplayer shed a few tears while speaking into the microphone. As part of a franchise with a strong lineage of first baseman, from Cap Anson to Anthony Rizzo, Buckner was one of the all-time standouts at the position.
As part of this tribute, I originally planned to include a countdown of my favorite Bucky cards. Unfortunately, except for those appearing in this post, I was unable to find any of them... which is quite odd because I know I have ton of his singles, owing to the fact that he was a semi-star who played throughout the "junk wax era." That being said, at least the exception happens to be an exceptional car:
This 2012 Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph admirably serves as Bill's representation in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection. The clean and powerful follow through on what was likely a well-swatted double, the blue ink signature, the powder blue, "pajama" uniform kit, Buck's glorious mustache and the personal favorite 1982 Topps design are all factors that add up to an A+ grade in my eyes. This is certainly a special card that I will now treasure all the more.
This piece of cardboard gold was a generous gift from Matthew, of the now sadly dormant Bob Walk The Plank blog, that blew me out of the water when I first found it in my mailbox in the summer of 2016 and continues to do so as we enter into the summer of 2019. Thank you once again, Matthew, for what will now serve as a wonderful connection to the excellent Chicago Cubs first baseman.
Rest in peace, Bill Buckner. Thank you for bringing joy to baseball fans for so many decades and for always being a classy professional, even when the waters were unjustly rough.
The first few days of the 2019 Major League Baseball season have been rather dreadful for us Cubs faithful. After handily winning the opening game on the road in Texas, the Chicagoans blew two winnable games due to a horrible performance from the bullpen and then proceeded to get slaughtered (8-0 with six errors) in Atlanta during the Braves home opener. I know it's only the first week of the baseball calendar and everything seems worse in small samples... but, yikes. So far, this year's club looks a lot more like the "Lovable Losers" of old than the Theo-cratic Cubs dynasty.
Hopefully, the wrinkles get ironed out soon; otherwise, the Brewers and the Cardinals are going to ensure that this be a long season on the North Side. As we speak, I'm sure PECOTA is readying their "I told you so" articles.
On the plus side, should shit hit the fan, I now have the perfect beverage with which to wash down my sorrows.
That's right, it's a Cubs-themed, craft beer - what better product tie-in is there for a team who plays in a facility associated with day-drinking?
This wonderful concoction was brought into this world by a small brewery in Texas, Nine-Brand Brewing Company. How they arrived at canning a Cubs beer in the middle of Astros and Rangers territory, I'll never know. Heck - Ron Santo himself was from the Seattle area, so there's no tie-in there either. Anyway, this is a mystery that will go on for a while, as there is no information about the brew on Nine-Brand's website and I'm not travelling all the way to Allen, TX for the answer. Perhaps ownership originally hails from the Prairie State?
Anyway, I haven't cracked into this just yet, as I am saving it for a special occasion. Ron Santo is my all-time favorite player after all - I simply cannot waste his namesake beer. However, Roger Adamson (of Certified Cicerone) describes this Kolsch style brew as, "pouring brilliantly golden in color, this... ale features a fruity nose, with hints of honeydew melon and buttered biscuits. Soft and creamy across the palate, an initial touch of honeyed sweetness gives way to a refreshingly crisp and tangy finish."
That's much more elegant than I could have ever hoped to put it anyway. Had I attempted to review this drink, it would have sounded more like, "beer taste good." At any rate, I'm excited to crack into this can, as Mr. Adamson makes it seem positively delicious.
Should anyone else like to get their hands on the Hall of Fame third baseman's namesake suds, it's available at a handful of Binny's Beverage Depots scattered throughout the Chicagoland area. However, it was not at one of these adult candy stores where I discovered that Ronnie had himself a beer. Rather, it was a generous friend who enlightened me by mailing this can to my doorstep, which - when I finally empty this elixir - will look great on my knick-knack shelf, right next to my can of Kris Bryant edition Red Bull.
P-Town Tom, of Waiting Til Next Year fame, absolutely blew me away a couple of weeks ago with what amounted to an absolutely stuffed Cubs Care Package. Not only did my fellow Cubbie-backer mail me Santo beer, he managed to fit all of this excellent ephemera into one cardboard box:
Yup, he even included some special Javy Baez sunflower seeds to pair with my Cubbie Blue beverage. If I chew these seeds, will I be able to work magic on the diamond like "El Mago?"
Besides the branded groceries, Tom also managed to insulate his mobile pantry with a bunch of baseball cards, as you can see above. Let me just say, as awesome and eye-catching as the Santo beer and the Baez seeds were, the cards ended up stealing the show, in the end. Just take a look at some of the primo cardboard that Tom included:
As one of the premier Ryne Sandberg PC'ers on the internet, Tom must certainly have his fair share of doubles. Luckily for me, he decided to pass the savings down to me. Fun fact, apparently a grouping of rhinoceros is actually called a crash... so, look at this crazy crash of "Rynos!"
I think my favorite of this bunch might have to be the oh-so-90's 1990 Classic oddball. Something about that design just makes me feel like a kid again; of course, so to does a quality stash of baseball cards featuring one of my two favorite childhood Cubs players.
Boy oh boy, does Ryno look strange in a Phillie uniform. However, as bizarre as this sight is, there are so few cards that show the powerful infielder in his first organization's colors, so anytime I can add a new one to my collection is a joyous occasion. After all, the Phils are my wife's hometown and favorite team, so players who have donned both jerseys are extra special in this household.
Then there's this oddball that I had never seen nor heard of before I found it in Tom's mailing. Apparently this was some sort of mini Strat-O-Matic-like baseball simulation score card found in packs of 1993 Donruss Triple Play. This is certainly one of the most unique Sandbergs in my most little collection - I'm sure that Tom has all sorts of fascinating oddities like this in his sprawling Sandberg PC!
Speaking of player collections, everyone's favorite P-Town resident does more than just collect the Hall of Fame Cubs second baseman. In fact, one might argue he is even better known for his all-encompassing collection of another notable name in Chicago baseball history:
I don't know about you, but it's gotten to the point that I think of Tom every time that I come across a "Kid K" card. While this hurler might not have ultimately ended up in the Hall of Fame with Sandberg like we Windy City faithful initially thought he would, he sure did have himself a nice career. After all, a 20 strikeout game and membership to the rosters of four different Cubs playoff rosters (when such appearances were rare treats) will create quite a bit of fan loyalty around here.
With that in mind, I - like any Cubs rooter - am quite please anytime I can add a new-to-me Woody card to my collection. Of which, all six of these P-Town Tom doubles were as such. I'm especially happy to add that pre-rookie Bowman to my stacks... man, we all thought that card was going to pay for our retirement when we were kids!
However, my favorite Kerry Wood card included in Tom's expansive gift was this mirror-like, reflective 1999 Topps New Breed insert that was originally found in packs of that year's Flagship release. This gloriously garish piece of foil board is unusually flashy for Topps and almost looks more like a slightly more toned down piece of Pacific's work. Perhaps this was inspired by the old bubblegum company's then crazy competitor?
Gosh... I miss when there was true competition on the trading card market. Curse you exclusive licensing deals!!
*Ahem* Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post content:
Tom also included a cache of partial team sets from recent products haven't so much as touched - not because I haven't wanted to dabble, but because I'm kinda cheap and lazy. I'm glad he did so too because those Stadium Club singles are - as per usual - quite elegant and gorgeous. I mean, how can you not look at that Ian Happ pasteboard and fall in love with his impassioned walk-off celebration. The same goes for Jon Lester's surprisingly powerful batting stroke. SC is just a wonderful collation of cards, year after year.
Also of note, that triple rookie from last year's Heritage release features Cubs third or fourth string catcher, Taylor Davis, on his first official MLB card. He has since appeared in last year's edition of Topps Update; that said, I still don't have that single either, for the same reasons I didn't already have these bad boys. Thus, this will serve as a nice Cubgrade to the minor league card that had previously represented the signal-caller in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
There were also another pair of delightfully shiny pieces of cardboard which feature members of the current Cubs core. What can I say? I am a simple man who is not ashamed of how much he enjoys shiny objects.
Perhaps I am the only one on the blogosphere who, after all of that, would be most excited about a pair of autographs from forgotten flashes in the pan like these two fellows, but I am not ashamed of that potential fact. Is there anyone else out there on the blogosphere who would rather pull these than an Acuña or Betts Hancock? If so, please weigh in below, in the comment section.
As a dedicated student of Cubs history and a collector of cards base around the franchise's all-time roster, these sorts of acquisitions are my absolute favorite. The ultimate type of card that can be added to my CATRC binder is a Cubs autographs and - again, because I'm a cheap ass and shy as all hell - I rarely get the chance to do so. Therefore, this certified auto of proto-Ohtani slugger/pitcher, Brooks Kieschnick, and IP-auto of strictly moundsman, Jim Bullinger, actually compelled me to get up and brag to my wife how awesome Tom is! Both will easily supplant whatever cards were previously repping them in my most treasured tome.
Furthermore, the oft-forgotten innings eater that was Jim Bullinger is a sentimental favorite of mine and has been for many years. First of all, Jimmy was on the very first Cubs card that can recall acquiring, a 1996 Fleer Ultra single that I was lucky enough to pull out of a vending machine at the local ice cream shop. When I went to gloat and show off my newfound treasure to my hobby-funding and pained Cubs fan grandfather, the only words the normally jovial man could muster were "I hate Jim Bullinger" in a deadpan tone. No doubt, Jim had just recently blown a game for the franchise with which he lived and died. To this day, whenever I hear the name "Jim Bullinger" all I can think about is my grandfather, who loved both me and the Cubs to death.
The card in question is still in my possession... somewhere. In the meantime, here's a Trading Card Database stand-in.
With that, we've finally reached the bottom of P-Town Tom's surprise Cubs care package, which couldn't have come at a better time. With the way the Chicago baseball season has started, I've needed all of the care I can possibly get. New baseball cards, Cubbie autographs, Javy sunflower seeds, and even Cubs suds... hot damn, what fun that box was to dig through - thanks buddy! I'll be sure to try and repay the favor, I'm just not sure how I am going to be able to match this unbridled kindness. However, I do have a few ideas...
At any rate, seeing as I'll actually be able to watch today's WGN telecast of the Cubs vs. Braves match-up in Atlanta, perhaps tonight is the night I will finally crack open that can of Ron Santo 10 Ale. After all, seeing as I don't have cable, rely exclusively on an antenna box for my live television needs, and my MLB.tv acount is basically useless because MLB STILL has ridiculously arcane blackout rules (let's fix this before pace of play, Mr. Manfred), such an occasion is a rare treat worth commemorating. Plus, if the Cubs don't get their act together, I'll need a little alcohol to make watching tolerable.
