My Wife Got Petty

The travelling circus that is NASCAR has just rolled into the Windy City.

Those who have been following this blog for a while might know that while the Cubs are my number one sports love, I also have a passionate crush on motorsports.  For nearly two decades, my family and I have made annual pilgrimages to Indianapolis in order to take in the festivities surrounding the Indy 500.  Additionally, in the early aughts, I was even more fanatical about NASCAR Winston Cup racing than I was about Chicago baseball.  The era of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Jr. and crew had me hook, line and sinker - seriously, I would not leave my house for anything on Sunday, unless maaaaaaybe if it was on fire.  While my passion has waned over the years as the cars changed and the stars retired, I still keep a passive interest in the goings on of stock car racing.  In short, I love our nation's pastime; but, I also have room in my heart for fast cars.

While at a family dinner, the topic of Funko POP! Figures came up because my little sister collects them with the intensity that I do baseball cards.  It was mentioned that Funko's never-ending line of mini, vinyl figures was soon expanding to include some of the most popular names in NASCAR's history.  Now, I do not collect these little statuettes myself, but when little sister mentioned that Richard Petty - my all-time favorite racer in any discipline - would be one of the pilots included, my ears perked up.  The conversation was quickly steered in another direction, but my wife must have noticed my eyes briefly light up, as this showed up in my mailbox the other day:

Have I ever mentioned that I am married to the best person on the planet?  She noticed a quickly passing fancy and pounced - apparently, as soon as there was a break in the conversation, unbeknownst to me she whipped out her IPhone and pre-ordered Petty for me.  Therefore, if I haven't mentioned it before, well, I totally am! 

For those who may not be aware, Richard Petty is the undisputed King of NASCAR.  He has set dozens of records that will never be broken, including his dizzying 200 career wins in the (insert sponsor name here) Cup series.  Although he retired when I was just three years old after the 1992 season, he was my first favorite professional athlete, largely thanks to the fact that my first "Hot Wheels" car was 1:64 scale model of his '92 Pontiac Grand Prix.  In fact, while it's certainly seen it's share of wear and tear, I still have that beat up hunk of plastic today:

For a while there, I was so enamored with Petty, that I automatically considered every racecar a "Richard Petty," much like one would generically use Kleenex in reference to any disposable tissue.  I quickly began to expand my "Petty" collection, including a fair amount of actual Richard racers.  Before long, my collection of NASCAR die-casts took up an entire corner of my childhood bedroom. Among these treasures was what I consider to be the second-coolest hot rod (here's the machine which holds the title) to ever take to the banks of any race track, a 1:24 scale model of the King's 1970 Plymouth Superbird:

Over the years, I've handed down, donated, or sold off most of my die-cast collection, but these two cars have stood the test of time.  As I said, I kneel at the altar of King Richard.  While he was arguably the greatest driver in stock car history, has served as a moderately successful team owner, and has stuck around as a recognizable ambassador for the sport, his most influential role in my eyes was serving as my introduction to the high-octane world of auto racing.

My wonderful wife knew all of this, knew that I secretly wanted a Petty Pop and she didn't wait for me to realize it.  All told, she's simply the best.

Neither one of us actually collects these things though, so she turned to a third-party vendor to reserve a copy of the then-unreleased Petty figurine.  Fumble Pop might be a familiar name to those of you out there in the blogosphere who dabble in this sphere of collecting; but, to me, they're just a nifty sticker:

Fumble Pop also had pre-sales available for the rest of the drivers in the line, which include Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Bill and Chase Elliott.  However, Petty was the only one of interest.  Maybe if I were to dive headfirst into the world of Pops, I would be more intrigued; that said, I'm not looking to complete the checklist at this point.

Anyway, I'm not one of those types who looks at toys as investments - Sheldon Cooper and I do not see eye-to-eye with the concept of "mint in box."  With that, I did what might make the skin of any Funko Funatic immediately begin to crawl, I opened the figure and tossed out the box.  Sorry, ya'll:

Just as his competition learned, you can't keep the King contained!

I'd say that Funko did a remarkable job of recreating Petty's likeness without sacrificing the unifying look of their Pop figures.  They made sure to include his trademark cowboy hat, ubiquitous shades, and his dapper mustache - it's as though they shrunk Richard Petty himself down to size.  For reference, here's a photograph that I captured of Mr. Petty during a radio broadcast in Indianapolis in 2008:

Nailed it!

This surprise gift made me want to marry my better half all over again - she truly knows me better than I know myself.  Although, as much as I love this little guy, I think it's safe to say that I won't be diving headfirst into the never-ending pool of Pops.  First of all, there's simply too much out there for me to truly be able to focus - I mean, name any intellectual property and there is probably already a line of Pops dedicated towards it.  Secondly, Pop figures themselves don't really move the needle for me on their own - I don't really desire to have a whole shelf full of these sorta creepy, black-eyed dolls.   Thirdly, my collecting focus remains steadfastly on my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection and lord knows that I don't any more side-collections diverting funds from my ultimate goal of obtaining one card of everyone to don a Cubs uniform. 

Of course, all of that being acknowledged, I wouldn't say no to the "Bryzzo" figures that I discovered in the process of drafting this post.  King Richard could use a buddy or two, I suppose...

Do you collect Pop figures?  Are you a certified Funko Funatic?  If so, please tell me about your collection and how you pursue your Pops.  Meanwhile, are these figures a fad in the mold of Beanie Babies?  Or, do they have the potential to be a collectible item for years to come, much like our beloved baseball cards?  Please feel free to share your thoughts on the subject in the comment section below.

In the meantime, after writing this up, I suddenly feel the need to wrap my wife up in another bear hug.  Richard Petty might be the King, but my wife will always be my queen!

Vaseball

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.

The Cure For What Ales Ya

Yuck.

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.

And now, after all of those exquisite Cubs care package goodies, believe it or not, we still have not taken a gander at the "pièce de résistance."  Rather, I should say the pieces, as in plural:

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.

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Back On The Record

First post of the month!

Where has they time gone?  I've been away from the keyboard for almost a full, calendar month and I have certainly missed a lot in the meantime.  After all, while I was gone, the entirety of Spring Training came and went, rosters were set, and the first few games of the 2019 season of Major League Baseball were played.  Thankfully, during my absence, no new Cubs players were added to the active roster; otherwise, I would have missed those Cubs All-Time Roster Collection changes, as well.  That's not even to mention the slate of new card products that have found their way to store shelves during my leave of absence (Opening Day, Donruss, Gypsy Queen, etc.).  In short, I've missed a lot.

The reasons for my disappearance are many and I won't go too deep into the weeds on that topic here. Suffice it to say that some general apathy and some major changes in my personal life have kept me from wanting to write about such relatively trivial things as baseball cards.  However, the moodiness has passed and emo Tony Burbs is back in the shadows.  It's time to fire up the desktop and bang out a quick post about... vinyl records???

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That's right, I collect much more than baseball cards.  For my entire life, I have been a fervent collector - it's just that the targets of my affection have constantly changed.  Rocks and bottle caps gave way to Pokemon cards and Beanie Babies.  Die-cast NASCAR models sucked up much of my teenage budget while I spent most of my early adulthood tracking down cool band t-shirts.  Needless to say, my shelves and walls have been lined with countless different types of kick knacks over the years.

While my passions constantly morph and evolve across the years, there have been a few steady and consistent collecting targets that have stuck in my craw.  One in baseball/trading cards, which is made evident by the nearly 800 posts that compile this blog - with some lulls here and there, I've been stashing Cubs cards since the mid-90's.  Another passion that has sucked up my time and hard-earned money, for more than a decade now, is vinyl.  I'm not talking about bizarre BDSM stuff or Funko Pop Figures... I'm alluding to the world of LP's, 45's, turntables, and styluses.

My vinyl collection, as of this week - those baskets are jam-packed with 45's.

Since I purchased my first record player from a local garage sale, circa 2008, and repaired it with rubber bands, super glue, and dogged stubborness, I've been trying to build up my music catalog the old fashioned way.  My musical tastes have always skewed older, which is what got my foot in the door initially, but a deep need to collect has since led me to pursue this avenue.  It is much more fun to track down gatefold albums than collecting viruses on torrent sites, cheap CD's, or Spotify playlists.  In fact, I've even alluded to this side project on my blog in the past.

Now, I know what you're saying - this is a blog about baseball and it's associated trading cards (and sometimes football, hockey, or track and field cards)... why are you bringing this up on Wrigley Roster Jenga?  What does this have to do with America's pastime?

I'm glad that you asked.

Last week, a close friend of mine dug an old suitcase out of her storage unit and found that it contained a wild and messy array of forgotten records.  The musty old container had been given to her years and years ago by an old associate and hadn't been touched since.  Since my social circle is much more aware of my vinyl collecting habits than my baseball card ones, she generously offered to let me sift through and take whatever I wanted before she passed them on to Goodwill.  When I got that text message, I nearly lept up and ran through the front door without even stopping to put on my Converse.  Isn't that sort of message any collector's wet dream?

As expected much of the mish-mash was shattered due to extremely poor storage (suitcases aren't exactly tailored for the needs of a musical library) and warped from being non-temperature controlled environment for a prolonged period of time - I wish that I had thought to take a picture of the mess.  Furthermore, most of the albums were put into this case haphazardly, leading to the rug being pulled out from under me with several sleeves of major albums turning up empty.  Not every rock that comes out of a mine can be diamond and, thankfully, this prospector was eventually able to turn up more than just pyrite:

While there was no "butcher cover" of Yesterday and Today hiding out in the pile, there were several quality discs to be uncovered.  Some of my favorite classic rocks acts and a pair of top notch movie soundtracks was an exceptional haul, especially considering how they had been stored.  Sure, that J. Geils Band cover "stinks;" however all of these artifacts were in surprisingly good shape and (I have since confirmed) play without nary an issue.  Not bad for a free excavation!

Again, I can hear you all out there screaming at your smart phones - "what does any of this have to do with baseball?!"

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Alright, alright - I'm getting there, I promise.  Patience is a virtue.

Anyway, those six LP's weren't the only albums I walked away with that day.  In fact, they weren't even the stars of the show, in my eyes.  Rather, it was a set of three folk albums that really caught my attention:

Steve Goodman was a Chicago-based folk musician who, while big in the Windy City, never really got his due in the national spotlight.  He's one of those types who was "your favorite artist's favorite artist."  Mr. Goodman penned some hits for the likes of Arlo Guthrie (City of New Orleans) and David Allen Coe (You Never Even Called Me By My Name) and released on album on the Asylum label (the one in middle, here) but just never really broke through to the mainstream himself as a performer.  Thus, to see these relatively obscure releases show up in such an unexpected place was enough to make me do a little happy dance... once I was safely in my own home for no one else to see.

In Chicago, Steve Goodman is a legend and there are two very good reasons for that... besides his apparent and prodigious talent.  One of which is the ubiquitous victory anthem that is played after every single Cubs win at Wrigley Field, "Go Cubs Go."  This earworm was penned by Mr. Goodman when WGN came a-calling for a peppy number to open up their broadcasts with in the mid-80's.  Of course, since then, it's become inseparable from the franchise.  But, that song is not to be found on any of these three recordings.

The second reason for Steve Goodman's enduring presence can be found on his Affordable Art album, which is the album furthest left in the image above.

Affordable Art was released on Steve Goodman's very own record label, Red Pajamas, in March of 1983.  In fact, it was the only the second album to be pressed with that label and it would continue to serve as Steve's personal home for new releases for the rest of his career (and after his passing).  After splitting with Asylum in 1980, Steve decided he was done with the national recording scene, moved his base back to Chicago, and started Red Pajamas so that he could play the game his own way.  This was likely related to his health, but we'll get to that.

This live recording is a fair representation of Steve's club shows at the time, with serious, heart-felt folk compositions (i.e. "Old Smoothies," a tale about the deep love of his grandparents) mixed with a fair amount of Dr. Demento-approved goofiness (i.e. "Vegematic," about a guy who falls asleep in front of his TV and dreams of ordering a bevy of infomercial product).  There's even a duet with his old friend and fellow Illinois native, John Prine, with the latter's "Souvenirs."  Affordable Art truly encapsulates what it must have been like to catch Goodman on stage at the Earl of Old Town on a Saturday night - lively, humorous, emotional, and certainly an experience to remember.

As you should be able to deduce from my praise-filled review, when you spin this disc at 33 1/3 RPM, your ears will be blessed with plenty of high quality tune-age.  That being acknowledged, there's one track found on side two that still stands head and shoulders above the rest.  In fact, it's that second big reason why Mr. Goodman's voice is still omnipresent in the Windy City today:

The third track on the B-side of this album was yet another tune about Steve's favorite baseball club, appropriately set up by a rousing take on the story of Katie Casey.  This one might not be as well-known as his "rah-rah" anthem, but it leaves a much deeper emotional impact.

Goodman often firmly planted his tongue in his cheek while writing songs and "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" is no exception.  Penned in 1982, this acoustic number tells the tale of a Northside fan, on his death bed, relaying to his friends and family his miserable fanhood and the plans for his ideal, "doubleheader" funeral.  It's enough to make any long-suffering Cubs fan giggle and nod their head in  slightly-pained agreement.  If you haven't heard it before, I highly suggest you stop reading right now and give it a listen.  Don't worry - I'll wait for you.  Just click on the embedded video file below:

I think you'll agree, not only is it a good Cubs song, it's just a plain good song about baseball, sports, and the loyalty we sports fans have to our chosen clubs.  It becomes even more poignant when you learn that Steve Goodman was actually dying when he wrote the number - he'd long been suffering from leukemia and knew he was fighting a losing battle.  The disease would tragically take his life just a couple of years later, in 1984, and Affordable Art would be the last album released before his death.  On top of that, his passing occurred just days before his beloved "Lovable Losers" would clinch their first playoff berth in 39 years.  Life is just plain cruel sometimes.

Anyway, coming from a long line of Cubs fans, this poignant tune has long been an important one to my family.  In fact, I've wrote about it on this blog before, when I re-discovered the cassette tape my beloved, late uncle used to make a bootleg copy of the song decades ago.

Of course, to come across such a significant and treasured song/album in such a random place ranks among the greatest finds in the history of my vinyl collection, even higher than that time I found an original edition of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the dollar bin of a thrift shop!  Seeing as most of Goodman's albums were released on his regional label, these "oddballs" don't turn up all too often.  Furthermore, being in the Chicagoland market, the album that contains "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" has only been seen by my eyes with premium pricing.  I cannot believe that I was able to get it (and two further albums of Steve's work that I can't wait to get acquainted with) for free and out of a friend's random music trunk, of all places.

All in all, this was certainly one of the best experiences in my decade of collecting vinyl.  I'd love to share more stories about this passion of mine, but the vast majority of them have no tidy tie-in with the normal subject matter of Wrigley Roster Jenga.  Perhaps I should strongly consider starting a second blog that focusing on my music collection.  I don't know... I've already been neglecting this one for nearly a month... maybe.  What do you think?

Also, I just have to ask, are there any other card collectors out there reading this who also collect records?  If not, are there any other non-sports related passions upon which you build a collection around?  I'm curious to know - please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Anyway, WRJ is back in business and hopefully the motivation sticks around.  I've already got a full slate of topics that I want to discuss, including an absolutely incredible and unexpected gift from P-Town Tom and the entrance of my lovely wife into the blogosphere.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's hoping the old "doormats of the National League" can bounce back after last night's deflating loss in Texas.  Go Cubs Go!

Cheetahs Never Prosper

One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is to go thrift shopping.  As a cheapskate who loves a sense of adventure, second hand shopping is the perfect intersection of these two characteristics.  You never know what you are going to find - in the past, I've been lucky enough to find an original pressing of Sgt. Pepper on vinyl, baseballs autographed by legit Major Leaguers, Taiwanese baseball cards, etc., all for chump change.  As such, I rarely miss an opportunity to stop in a Goodwill, Savers, Unique, or any other thrift shop location when the opportunity presents itself.

In the past, I've had a surprising amount of success finding minor league uniforms and ephemera on such shelves.  In fact, I've happened to come across and purchase several game-used jerseys of local teams, past and present, including the Gary SouthShore RailCats, the Schaumburg Flyers, and - most notably to me - the Cook County Cheetahs.

The Cheetahs were a previous incarnation of the nearby Windy City Thunderbolts, the closest thing I have to a hometown baseball team.  They play ball right next door to where I currently work and less than three miles from where I grew up.  The club had already transformed into their current T-Bolt moniker by the time I started truly paying attention, but as a history buff, I've long been fascinated by the previous era.

That's why I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered this item in my most recent trip to Goodwill:

A Cook County Cheetahs hat!  I'm fairly certain that it's game-used too because:

1. It was covered with a thick layer of light brown-colored dirt and dust that looked suspiciously like that used on the infield of a baseball diamond.
2. The Cheetahs were an independent team that was constantly on the move and, likely didn't have the capability to market much in the way of souvenirs. 
3. It's a fitted hat (in my size, which is a phenomenal coincidence) and even if they did have souvenirs to sell, I highly doubt they had it in the budget to push a multitude of different sized caps.   I imagine they'd be of the adjustable snapback or Velcro variety.
4. Heck, a quick glimpse of their 2003 website (their last year of existence) doesn't even indicate the existence of a team store. 

Thanks, Internet Wayback Machine!  That is a very early aughts lookin' website.  Was it hosted by Geocities??

All of these factors considered, I would find it exceptionally surprising to know that the Cheetahs were hawking such wears during this time.  In fact, I know for certain that the physical team store at their park wasn't even built until after the club was re-branded into the Windy City Thunderbolts.  Thus, I feel pretty safe in saying that this Cook County Cheetahs cap is most likely a game-used piece.

It will pair quite nicely with the game-used jersey I found at a local Savers location a few years previous:

Now, if they weren't selling hats, there's absolutely no way that the Cheetahs were selling replica jersey tops.  This certainly saw game action.

Ever since I gleefully came across this red uniform, I've been hoping to come across a hat to match.  I've already got a couple of GU T-Bolt jerseys and hats (again, I have ridiculously good luck with finding minor league stuff), so it brings me great joy to now have a complete Cheetah kit.  Well, except for the pants, I guess.

The hat, like the screen grab of their website, dates from 2003, as indicated by the Frontier League's nifty 10-year anniversary patch stitched onto the right hand side.  The independent league has been the steadiest such circuit over it's now 26-year history and is, in fact, the oldest indy still operating today.  My, my... how time flies...

The Cheetahs/Thunderbolts haven't been around for that entire time.  In fact, when this hat was still resting on the head of a hungry, young ballplayer, they hadn't even been around for most of it.  Perhaps I should take this opportunity to dive into the history of my hometown ballclub.

The franchise was originally formed as the Will County Claws in 1995, called Romeoville, IL home, and entered into doomed North Central League during it's maiden season.  The league was never very financially stable and folded before it could complete the 1996 season, a fate that is all too common when it comes to indy leagues.  In a move straight out of the David Bowie playbook, the former Claws changed their name, look, and pivoted to the Heartland League as the Will County Cheetahs.
 

 The Will County Cheetahs, logo courtesy of Logo Server.

Even after that, change was still in the air.  After one season of play in their new league, the club abandoned Romeoville for the greener pastures of Crestwood - a suburb on the south side of Chicago and next door to my hometown.  There were no literal pastures, but there was the lure of a brand new, publicly-funded stadium of their very own.  Crestwood's mayor had played bush league ball himself in the 1950's and wanted to bring in a team to revitalize his sleepy suburb.  For an independent team that had been borrowing Lewis University's collegiate baseball field, this offer was simply impossible to refuse.

Of course, this 20-mile relocation shuttled them from Will County to Cook County, necessitating another name change.  Thus, the iteration of the team that wore this cap was officially born into existence.


Crestwood and it's powers that be assured that the winter of 1997-98 would be more than enough time to finish construction on the state-of-the-art, partially double-decked Hawkinson Ford Field and the Cheetahs would be able to start their second season in the Heartland League within it's confines.  Of course, those that live in Illinois know that construction projects in this area almost never go as planned - especially when accounting for unpredictable Midwestern winter weather.  Delays not only kept them from opening at their new facility, it keep them from playing a single game at all there in 1998.

Time for yet another quick pivot.

My hometown of Midlothian (like I said, just down the road), just so happened to have a baseball diamond in it's northeast corner.  Howie Minas Field had been the longtime home of the semi-pro Midlothian White Sox (a topic for another day).  They had been around since the corn was plowed under to create the park in the 1950's and even won the National Baseball Congress title in 1992.  Unfortunately, the club soon folded thereafter and Howie Minas Field was relegated to the occasional Little League and high school ball duty.

Howie Minas Field, 2004. Image courtesy of Charlie's Big Baseball Parks.

A deal was hammered out to allow the Cheetahs to play the entirety of the 1998 season in this temporary home and temporary bleachers and stands were built to bring the facility up to professional caliber. Despite the fact that the season began with seeming disaster, the Cook County Cheetahs went on to have the best season they ever would under the Cheetah moniker, posting 37–29 record and winning the Heartland League pennant. With the ballpark nearly complete at this point, things were looking great in Cheetah land!

Then the Heartland League folded.

I tell ya, the Cook County Cheetahs simply could not catch a break.  This could have been a total disaster, with a publicly-funded stadium nearing completion, potentially without a tenant to take over.  Luckily, the largely Midwest-based Frontier League was looking to edge into the Chicagoland market and offered the defending champs a spot as an expansion franchise in time for the 1999 campaign.

At this point in the team's history, it seems as though the Cheetahs were constantly cheating certain doom.  Of course, you can only cheat the devil so many times before it catches up with you.

 via GIPHY

Despite finally settling into a semblance of stability, over the next five seasons, the Cheetahs never once finished above the .500 mark and did not once make the Frontier League playoffs.  Accordingly, attendance struggled, as it's tough enough getting people to come out and watch independent baseball, let alone BAD independent baseball.  Hell, they only produced one All-Star during that stretch.  One.  They consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance and bottomed out in 2003, placing 8th in attendance (60,481) in the 12-team league.  That's pretty abysmal for a team meant to edge into the Chicagoland market.

As such, the mayor essentially forced an ownership change (again, they're playing in an expensive stadium that was built on the backs' of the taxpayers, his butt was on the line) and death was knocking at the doorstep.

With new owners came an expansive re-brand; after all, Crestwood was trying to disassociate themselves from years of lackluster baseball.  Thus, the Windy City Thunderbolts were born out of a name the team contest (what even is a "thunderbolt?") and the Cheetahs were officially no more.  While the 'Bolts do claim their feline ancestor's history as their own, it certainly felt like a different team, with such widespread changes.

 Former 'Bolt manager, Haines, and hurler, Nance, have since spent time in the Cubs chain.

Back to the product on the field, the new ownership group apparently knew what they were doing, as the Thunderbolts would soon go on to win two consecutive Frontier League flags in 2007 and 2008, to go along with five playoff appearances.  Although, as I bang out this post, the 'Bolts haven't been to the postseason since 2011.  That seems ominously Cheetah-like.

Meanwhile, the club still plays in that same park, on the corner of Kenton Ave. and Midlothian Tpk.  Very little about the facility has changed, other than a switch to turf in 2015.  The main difference is in the name, which has gone through a few corporate sponsorship since the Cheetahs fizzled out.  Beginning this year, the place will be known as Ozinga Stadium through at least 2023, which really just flows right off the tongue...  Ozinga, in case you were curious is a building materials company based in upper Midwest.

As for the Cheetah's previous home, Howie Minas Field lost it's extra seating and reverted back to Park District duty after it's one glorious season of hosting professional baseball.  It's the only field on which I've played that has also hosted pro ball, as I got to play a few in Pony League games there back in my junior high days.  Although, HMF was eventually able to find another regular tenant and, since 2017, it has served as home to the Crestwood Panthers, of the Midwest Collegiate League, a summer, wooden bat circuit.  Funny, Midlothian is again hosting Crestwood baseball...

A Crestwood Panther pitcher warms up at Howie Minas Field during a game I attended in 2018.

As far as notable Cheetah alumni, Chris Oxspring was the only player to don the black, red and yellow and then eventually make it all the way up to the Majors, The Australia native made his first stateside pro appearance with the Cheetahs in 2000 before eventually making five appearances out the San Diego Padres bullpen in 2005.  He'd also have the honor of throwing the first official pitch in Australian Baseball League history (2010) and the even won a silver medal with his home country's nine in the 2004 Olympics.  His number has since been retired by the Windy City franchise.

Beyond Chris... ummmm... there was a guy named Paul Molitor who played for the team briefly in 2003.  He had nothing to do with the Brewers' Hall of Famer, but that was interesting enough to make me look him up.  They were also managed by former Cub Big Leaguers, Brian Dayett and Chico Walker, at various points.  So, there's that.

And so, there you have it - the history of the Cook County Cheetahs.  Their's is a story of constantly treading water in the choppy waters that are life outside of organized baseball.  However, they are a cherished part of the local identity and provided the base upon which the much more successful Thunderbolts were built.

The Cheetahs/Thunderbolts franchise will be celebrating their 20th year of Frontier League play throughout the upcoming season.  While I haven't seen anything yet, I'm desperately hoping that they will be doing a special promotion night where the club dons uniforms that throwback to the Cheetah days.  After all, throwback jerseys have become "bread and butter" staples of both major and minor league baseball and make for effective lures to attract nostalgic fans and their families.  In fact, the Bolts have done several special uniform promos in years past, although I don't remember any retro-themed events.

Should they choose to revisit the days of the Cheetah, you know that I'll be there.  Plus, courtesy of this thrift store find, I'll be completely ready to dress the part myself!

(Even that bat is a game-used piece from the Cheetahs/Bolts!)