I have nothing more than anecdotal evidence, but it sure seems like injuries are up across the league this year and Chicago is no exception. So far, we've had such keys cogs as Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist hit the disabled list with back problems, Eddie Butler hurt his hammy, and Kris Bryant get drilled in the head with a pitch. The latest casualty is Yu Darvish, who is suffering from the parainfluenza virus and Javy Baez might soon join him on the DL with a lower body injury. As such, there has been a few more roster moves than there normally is at this point in the Cubs' season and, thus, business is booming here at Wrigley Roster Jenga. Unfortunately, so far, none of these injury replacements have much of a cardboard presence and I do not have cards prepared for entry into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
I know... first world problems, am I right?
First, we had journeyman, Efren Navarro, sub at first base, then late-blooming prospect, David Bote, took up temporary space in the infield. After that, Luke Farrell came up to sop up the innings that Butler was missing before giving up back-to-back, walk-off dingers to the Cardinals. It should come as no surprise then that Luke was immediately demoted back to Iowa in favor of a fresh arm, in the form of Cory Mazzoni:
Mazzoni was claimed off of waivers from the Padres in November and then again from the Dodgers in late March, so clearly the Cubs see some potential in the former prospect. For his part, Cory debuted with a solid, scoreless frame (with a K) in the ninth inning of yesterday's win over the Marlins. Of course, that was also against a Marlins team being blown out 14-2 and probably just wanting to get back to their hotel. That said, his control (just one walk in AAA) would be welcome in the Major League pen.
The latest Cubs hurler to join the all-time Cubs roster also becomes the third addition to my custom "Topps Now Call-Up" supplementary series. As I mentioned with Farrell, Bote, and Navarro, this minor league reinforcement simply doesn't have much of a cardboard footprint. Plus, after seeing this wonderful photo with his battery mate on Getty, I had to whip something up.
So far as Major League cards go, the only checklist on which Mazzoni appears is the 2015 Topps Update set and he's forced to share the spotlight with Chris Rearick on that one. Beyond that, dating back to his days as a prospect in the Mets chain, our hero makes appearances in three different 2011 products: Donruss Elite Extra Edition, Playoff Contenders and Playoff Prime Cuts. Then, of course, there are his MiLB team-issued singles. I suppose that a fair amount of options; however, since I rarely bust prospect-laden products, I do not have a Mazzoni ready to go for my CATRC binder.
If anyone has an extra one of these puppies lying around, I'm more than willing to talk trade!
While I never root for injuries, I must admit, roster moves do get me excited because I love the possibility of adding new names and cards to my collection. I must also cop to the fact that I get a tad bit irrationally disappointed when I do not have a card in queue for said new player. On the bright side, if Adbert Alzolay, Anthony Bass, Duane Underwood, etc. get the call at some point this season, at least I'm prepared for their addition.
At any rate, welcome to the Windy City, Cory Mazzoni! Maybe he'll do something cool and earn a real Topps Now card during his MLB trial.
Whew doggie - this was one heckuva busy weekend, filled with familial engagements, communions, graduations, and day-drinking. As far as what concerns Wrigley Roster Jenga and it's "brand", there were two major events that took place during the two-day span: the Cubs suffered a humiliating three-game sweep at the hands of the hated St. Louis Cardinals and my community held it's long-running, annual resale day. The former was an offensively and defensively challenged embarrassment that more closely resembled the "Lovable Losers" era of the North Side franchise, while the latter was the day that my hometown waives the usual fee associated with setting up a garage sale and everyone is welcome to hawk their wares in their yards or garage. One of these two events was much more exciting to me than the other - can you guess which?
In the past, I've portrayed Midlothian Annual Re-Sale Day (MARS Day, for short) as my own personal Christmas. Ever since I was a 90's kid, prowling for deals on lightly used Beanie Babies, Hot Wheels, and Pokemon collectibles, this "holiday" has been circled in red on my calendar. These days, what I target has changed, but the level of anticipation remains the same. That's because, over the last few years, I've stumbled across some nifty things - including a Keith Magnuson autograph, a complete Bowman reprint set, and a full-size Red Bull cooler, among other treasures. You really never know what you're going to find on MARS!
As part of my most recent exploration - Saturday morning - I salvaged a few intriguing items. Don't be alarmed, but the following item somehow made it into my purchase pile:
Bought this (on purpose) at the community wide garage sale event. I don't even know who I am anymore. pic.twitter.com/sKWFTbUucm
While the Cubs' five-game losing streak has been absolutely pitiful, I'm not about to switch allegiances. However, I do attend a fair amount of White Sox games on an annual basis, seeing as I love our nation's pastime, my wife cheers for the Palehose, Sox Park is a short train ride away, and tickets are much more affordable. Since I'm not a jerk and support my city, I always cheer on the home team (except when it's a Crosstown tilt), usually wearing a borrowed cap from my brother. For two bucks, now I can keep things in house with a "Winning Ugly" era hat of my own; you're not going to be able to beat that a Lids location, that's for sure!
Unfortunately, that was the only baseball-related purchase made during my hours of garage sale hunting and baseball cards were nearly completely absent from the bins and boxes. That's okay though - because, with the Cubs' play as of late, I'm not in much of a baseball mood right now anyway. On the other hand, while some cheap DVDs, video games, and a pinata (of all things) helped fill the void, there was still one cardboard-related discovery to be made that made the trek worth it:
Of course, the Blackhawks were extremely disappointing this season, as well; but, as we approach the Stanley Cup finals, I've since gotten over that let-down. Therefore, a new Blackhawks oddball for my burgeoning hockey collection was just the ticket.
This Chico Maki stamp hails from the 1974-75 NHL Action Stamps checklist, a 324-ct set which was issued in promotional strips at participating grocery stores throughout North America. While kids across the country originally obtained these 2.1" x 1.6" hockey "cards" from Loblaw’s, IGA, A&P, Acme, etc., I found mine in a driveway in the "Jolly Homes" neighborhood.
There was still one other way to acquire a sampling of these non-postage stamps and it came in the form of a book:
Issued by the league itself, these books contained a write-up on the previous year's Stanley Cup Champions (the Philadelphia Flyers), profiles for each team competing in the '74-75 season, and - perhaps, most importantly - a full sheet of Action Stamps:
These stamps were intended to be separated, wet, and pasted into corresponding pages for each club's roster. For example, my Chico was intended to be affixed to this page:
As you can see, the whole set-up is quite similar to the popular Topps and Panini sticker albums we see for the various professional sporting leagues today. Also, while I'd rather have had Stan Mikita than Maki, I'm not going to complain about such an interesting, vintage discovery at the bargain-basement price of two dollars. After all, I'd never even heard of these oddities before this weekend.
Chico may have been the only Blackhawk included as part of the one-page sampler; that said, he wasn't the only Chicago-connected player on the sheet:
The trade of Phil Esposito to Boston in 1967 ranks near Brock for Broglio in terms of the worst transactions in Chicago sports history. The center went on to cement a Hall of Fame legacy in Bean Town - but, never forget, the first two seasons of his star-studded career were spent in the Windy City.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Joey Johnston spent the last year of his professional hockey career in Chicago. After several years with the Golden Seals, the winger played in 32 games with the Hawks in '75-76, with only five points and zero goals on his ledger.
Unfortunately for me, all three of these men were previously represented (in Indian-head sweaters, no less) in my Blackhawks All-Time Roster Collection. Nevertheless, this was still an intriguing find and a welcome diversion from the baseball atrocities occurring concurrently.
All in all, not a terrible outing for MARS day - nothing out of this world, but I didn't get totally skunked. The Blazing Saddles DVD that I purchased will provide hours worth of entertainment and the stamp book was definitely worth the price of admission. Does anyone else have any 1974-75 NHL Action Stamps of their own, or perhaps further information on this oddball set? Maybe you see a stamp that you need in the sheet above? Does your community have their own version of MARS Day? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below!
You never know what you'll find on a MARS expedition.
The kindness of relative strangers never ceases to amaze me. One of the things that continuously regenerates my faith in this ever-crazier world of ours is the way we card bloggers constantly look out for each other. On the other hand, sometimes we "attack" each other too.
Currently on the prowl is Oriole rooter and noted Trekkie, GCA, from The Collective Mind. The clever moniker for his blog is derived from the Star Trek universe, specifically from the alien cybernetic creatures known as "the Borg." These alien lifeforms are a vast collection of drones, linked in a hive mind called "the Collective," and appropriate the technology and knowledge of each society it takes over. While the originals are antagonistic in nature, GCA's version of the Collective Mind is the exact opposite; when it absorbed my want-list, the offensive gave back instead of taking away.
Just look at what the Hive sent my direction:
First, a PSA to make sure that you bloggers do your best to keep your posted want-lists up-to-date. Both of these cards were long sought after needs for my vast Cubs All-Time Roster Collection; a "Cubgrade" for catcher, Vic Roznovsky, and the closest thing to an obtainable card for infielder and later coach, Vern Morgan. However, within the last few months, they finally made their way into my collection through an LCS purchase and a trade, respectively. Silly me - I updated my binder and personal checklists, but neglected to change my want-list tab on the blog. The Collective Mind had no way of knowing that these cards had been obtained - it can only absorb knowledge that I share, after all.
Although, there is a happy end to my error - I do believe that both of these represent conditional updates, so they weren't wasted inclusions by GCA.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Collective's assault was made up of needs that I still needed, including a second 1965 Topps single. Frank Baumann was yet another "Cubgrade" needed for the CATRC tome, although the only thing that makes this card a "Cubs" pasteboard is the pennant in the design. The hat-less hurler is depicted in the uniform of our crosstown rivals, with whom he spent the previous five years of his career. 1965 would be Frank's final season in the Bigs, making four appearances out of the bullpen and giving up three earned runs.
Frank's only North Side card might only be slightly "Cub-ified," but it still looks much better in my CATRC than the obvious White Sox card (right) that it replaces. Clearly, the Hive agrees, as well.
The second "Cubgrade" found in GCA's want-list absorption is also somewhat hard to spot at first. Jim Tyrone is definitely sporting a Cubs uniform on this 1976 SSPC oddball; that said, the image is far zoomed in and cropped, there's no way of knowing that unless you are already aware that was a member of the Cubs organization then and a few years prior. The lack of identifying information on the minimalist design only compounds this issue.
Despite these issues, the outfielder's only solo Cubs card is one that I've wanted for many years, as the only other option is shared by three other, non-Chicago players. Jim shouldn't have to share his space in my binder. Plus, dig those awesome sideburns!
With that, the Collective Mind's "assault " on my want-list came to an end... although, this was one take over that I wasn't fighting too hard against. My thanks go out to GCA's iteration of the Borg; I'll be sure to "return fire" as soon as possible! In the meantime, if The Collective Mind turns his attention to your cardboard desires, I recommend that you immediately submit.
What's this Lou Brock autograph doing here? You'll know in good time, young grasshopper.
A few turns of the calendar ago, during my first blogging year, I picked up a random pack of 2013 Archives from the discount bin of the local Target. It was totally an impulse purchase (that's why the card section is always by the check out, isn't it?) made just to satisfy a sudden pack-ripping urge and all I was hoping for was a Cub or two for my troubles. Little did I know, that scratched itch would lead to the greatest pull of my card collecting career, to date.
Nestled inside that clearanced Archives was a redemption card for a Heavy Metal Autographs insert... and not just any aging rock star either - it was the famously eccentric and reclusive, Axl Rose! Luckily, the notable diva eventually got around to signing these bad boys and I received mine in the mail just a few months later.
As a former radio station intern, disc jockey, station manager, program director and music nut, this random and rare pull blended two of my biggest interests in life - baseball cards and classic rock. Lord knows that Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, November Rain, Used to Love Her, etc. were often blasted loud and proud from my college dormitory. Furthermore, Sweet Child O'Mine was a key inclusion on my wife and I's wedding playlist and Slash is still one of my favorite concerts attended in my entire life. Needless to say, it was quite the thrill to nonchalantly end up with the John Hancock of the Guns N' Roses front-man.
As the years rolled by, this card remained a pillar of my otherwise Cub-centric collection; I didn't think there was anyway that Axl would ever hope the Nightrain out of my collection. Then, just last week, Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown came at me with a trade offer that brought me to my shun-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-knees, knees!
Apparently, this is a card that Gavin has secretly admired from afar, biding his time and building his trade coffers. It took three and a half years, but all he needed was just a little patience - the trade offer that came through was one that I simply could not live and let die!
The keystone of this enticing package was the EXTRA, un-circulated Hank Aaron autograph that Gavin had happened into:
Setting aside the fact that he just happened to have an extra Hammerin' Hank laying around, Gavin has long been working on the acquiring the full 2004 Topps Retired checklist; thus, it would make sense that he should have some doubles from the product. While I'm not a Braves collector, there's no way I'm turning down the opportunity to own the signature of the game's greatest slugger... one of the top five or so greatest to ever don a uniform!
However, there was more to the package of enticement than just that shiny, jet-black, inscription.
Might as well toss in another un-circulated, Hall of Fame signature into the mix, this one of the Cubs variety, as first seen at the top of this post. Lou Brock may have earned his fame in St. Louis, but he started out in the Windy City, as this 2005 Topps Retired hit will attest. Unlike this trade with Gavin, that was a damn stupid, infamous transaction.
To be honest, I didn't realize that this upper echelon base thief even had a cert auto in Cubbie Blue - what a pleasant surprise! I must admit, I'm tempted to bust this bad boy out of it's seal so that I can include Lou's ink in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection... but, I think I'll hold off and keep it encapsulated... for now.
From the Hall of Fame to the Hall of Very Good, we have yet ANOTHER notarized piece of cardboard, courtesy of Dave Kingman. The prodigious slugger appeared in Panini's Notable Nicknames, part of their National Treasures brand, as a member of the "Chicago Baseball Club" and included his moniker of "Kong" in his ink. That fact, combined with the gloriously hideous, powder blue, pajama top uniforms makes up for the fact that this bad boy (numbered /99) is unlicensed.
I tell you what though, when I first held this in my hand, I was surprised to see how thick these cards are... Kingman might even be able to blast a ball onto Kenmore with one of these in place of bat!
Instead of being slipped into my CATRC to represent "Kong," this piece will be displayed prominently on my computer desk... it's way too hefty for a traditional, nine-pocket page.
Gavin also tossed in a football signature as a surprise, something that my Bears All-Time Roster Collection is sorely lacking. David Ball never played in a regular season game for the Monsters of the Midway, but that doesn't mean I will love this 2007 Donruss Classics hit any less.
That did it for the autographed quotient, but this "one in a million" trade package still had plenty of more "fun and games" to play:
Gavin knew that Mark Grace was one of, if not, my favorite player from my childhood days. Thus, he also knew that this double relic from 2005 Donruss Diamond Kings would pique my interest. While I have a Gracie autograph, I do not have any relics of the hit leader of the 90's in my possession. Numbered out of 25, this green and blue beauty with a jersey swatch and bat chip will also accompany "Kong" on my computer desk, for all to see!
Then, Gavin shifted his focus from mega mojo hits that would certainly catch my fancy to targeting specific inclusions on my want-list. His "appetite for destruction" knocked out two names for my CATRC, including one that I'd been chasing for many moons:
Minor league singles are a pain in the butt to find and oftentimes egregiously over-priced on the secondhand market. Thanks to that fact, this pair of short-term Cubbies have successfully dodged me for a while, but Gavin finally tracked them down for me!
Taylor Davis has an MLB card now (2018 Topps Heritage), but when this viral-video sensation got a September call-up last year, only MiLB team-issued cards existed for him. However, since that Heritage single is shared with two other Cubs rookies, I think I still prefer this 2016 Iowa Cubs issue. Gavin won this stare down!
Meanwhile, Mike Sember snuck into just 12 Major League games in 1977 and 78, posting a .375 OBP while playing all around the infield. Unfortunately, the nearby Hammond, IN native never got an extended look in the Bigs and was released to the Blue Jays, where he played out his days as an active player in their farm system in '79.
Sember during his blink and you missed it Cubs tenure.
This 1979 TCMA single from that latter stint was the only time the infielder was immortalized on cardboard, making it a major need for my all-encompassing CATRC binder. I've been chasing it since before I even began Wrigley Roster Jenga and I let out an audible gasp when Gavin dangled this pain in my butt in front of me.
Then, as if all of that wasn't enough, Gavin tossed in another pair of fun surprises to really seal the deal:
To wrap everything up, Gavin included a pair of Slammin' Sammy Sosas as a punctuation mark. The 2004 Donruss Power Alley insert is numbered out of /2500 and the Power Deck CD-ROM immediately jumps to the top of my favorite oddballs of all-time list. That said, it is entirely useless to me, as my home computer doesn't have a working disc drive - womp, womp. Is there anything more late-90's that turning a baseball card into a mini CD? Now, if I could just track down copies of Sammy's 1998 and 1999 "talking" Star Cards, issued by ProTalk and Fanatics...
No "lies" - it's obvious that Gavin wanted this Axl Rose autograph with the burning passion of a thousand suns and who was I to stand in the way of his acquiring a signature he so desperately desired? With the compensation being more than fair, I quickly agreed to this mega-trade and I have no regrets about doing so. The Axl Rose is a phenomenal card, but Gavin wanted it more and it fit in better with his collection anyway. I am just as thrilled to have the bounty that Axl's new owner sent my way!
Thank you for the trade, Gavin - I hope you enjoy that card a lot more than I enjoyed Chinese Democracy!
Working in the IT department of a school district has it's perks - the hours are consistent, I get to be a track coach, I can have summers off if I choose to, the kids think I'm some sort of technological wizard/superhero, etc. I honestly love the environment that I work in and I'm quite happy with my employment situation.
Furthermore, another unexpected benefit to working with kids is that sometimes we bring in pretty cool guest speakers and special visitors from the sports world - y'know, because that's what the kids are into. For instance, both X-Games star, Matt Wilhelm, and, Bears mascot, Staley the Bear, have been brought over to take part in anti-bullying assemblies. Additionally, in the past, local hero Dwyane Wade came back to his old stomping grounds to say hello. As a giant man child, I must admit, I'm not disappointed to be tasked with taking the photographs of these particular events.
Last week, another local icon from the sporting world made their way to our school district. Unfortunately for me, this particular visit was scheduled for a different building and I was not able to take in the festivities... womp, womp.
The green, dinosaur-like creature known as Southpaw (or simply White Sox Mascot, according to Topps), reared his furry head. The longtime mascot of the South Siders ventured down I-294 to visit one of our elementary schools as reward for a group of notably hardworking students. While I may be a blue-blooded Cubs fan, I hold no ill-will towards our neighboring ball club and it's hard not to smile when seeing the faces of school children light up at the sight of such a creature. Also, there's another reason why this appearance caught my attention. If you notice in the above photograph, captured by a different member of our IT department, the mascot is holding something in his hand (paw?):
That something was packs of baseball cards!
Thankfully, while I do not work at that particular building, I have a few connections that do... one of which happens to be my secretarial mother. She knows that I still fervently collect baseball cards and is always looking out for her first born son; thus, when she was gifted with a handful of cello packs from the visiting Southpaw, she pocketed them for me. Ain't she great?
These packs contain a small sampling of cards from Topps Series One, although I know all we care about is Bowman and Ohtani right now. I also found it rather amusing that we have the current face of the Cubs franchise, Anthony Rizzo, as the face card in one of these plastic pouches. I wouldn't have been surprised if the White Sox mascot tossed that particular pack in the trash, given his allegiances!
Each packet contains four cards from Topps' Flagship product and one of the above advertisement cards. In case you weren't already aware, there's something called Topps Now which serves as some sort of in-season, living set which documents what's going on in baseball as it happens. This idea sounds like it has some potential, I wonder how it will do... Additionally, it looks as though we already have a date announced for the now annual National Baseball Card Day - mark your calendars, folks!
I seem to recall that there's somebody on the blogosphere who collects these adverts and contest cards... if that person happens to be reading this, these may be of interest to you.
Anyway, on to the main attraction, the free cards:
The pitcher formerly known as Felipe Rivero (now Vazquez) leads off the first pack, followed by the anti-Ricky Bobby in Jackson Stephens (a man with two last names). For good measure, I also found a fantastic action shot of Keon Broxton - just as the Cubbies were completing an exhilarating four-game sweep over his Brew Crew - and Dodger hurler, Alex Wood.
Nothing too exciting, but Keon is definitely a highlight with his circus catch. On to pack two:
This packet also featured a Pirate on top in Gregory Polanco, followed by the second-best third baseman in the National League in Nolan Arenado, who lead the circuit in doubles in 2017. Like the first package, we also get a phenomenal action shot of a divisional rival, this time in the form of Jedd Gyorko, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the view from second base. Bonus points for the Cubbie cameos - I think that's Rene Rivera behind the dish, who will likely never have a proper Cubs card. Rounding out pack two is another Cubs connection in former Chicago draft pick, Ricky Nolasco - perfect for my "Coulda Been a Cub" binder.
Again, nothing super special, but I did get a nice action shot out of the rip. Finally, here's pack number three:
Of course, I saved the best for last with the Anthony Rizzo pack - I am a Cubs homer, after all. And, stop me if you've heard this before, but the next two cards in the cello wrapper were a League Leader subset and an above-average action shot. The Carlos Gonzalez could have been a true horizontal hero were we able to see this fly ball that he tracked headlong. "Wrapping" up this South Paw experience was Royals hurler, Danny Duffy.
Overall, the rip was rather "meh." However, free cards are free cards and it sure was fun to rip through these gifts. Also, I can't help but chuckle at the fact that these promo packs were given away by the White Sox mascot and the only Chicago card to be found in the bunch was that of a Cub. I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes, eh?
In the end, while I am a die-hard Cubs fan, I was a bit disappointed that South Paw didn't visit my students; but, the cardboard handout provided from the green guy, by way of my mother, sure did assuage the FOMO. That being said, if Clark the Cub and his invisible pantaloons ever visit the district, he darn well better be making his way to my school... for the kiddies' sake of course...
In case you haven't been following Wrigley Roster Jenga since the early days, please allow me to explain what I am rambling on about. A little more than a month into my blogging career, I explored the topic of a relatively obscure Major Leaguer, who had briefly suited up with the Cubs in 1981, by the name of Gene Krug. Early that spring, the prospect saw action in seven contests, exclusively as a pinch-hitter, getting two hits and walk in six trips to the plate. Despite that .500 OBP, Krug was soon demoted back to the minors, permanently icing his proverbial cuppacoffee. It's a tale as old as the game itself.
What I found odd about this whole situation was the lack of information about this player and, more in step with this blog, the lack of a cardboard footprint. You see, by 1981, baseball cards were becoming a big business. There were three companies producing Major League Baseball trading cards, while TCMA and friends were spitting sets out for minor league clubs up and down the ladder. In short, there were plenty of cards being pumped into the market
Despite this foreshadowing of the junk wax era to come, Mr. Krug never appeared on a baseball card during his five-year professional career. Not a single one. Not a regional issue, not an obscure oddball, not a competitor trying to get a leg up on Topps... nothing whatsoever. Heck, even his Baseball Reference profile features this image:
As a collector who has set out to try and acquire one card of every, single man to suit up for a franchise who's history dates back to the Reconstruction Era, this situation is a common occurrence in my pursuit. However, I would expect this of a guy who had played in the silent movie era or during the World War II resource shortage, or during the time where Topps was literally the only game in town... not a guy who took the field in the 1980's. Granted his Major League career was tragically short, but he is the only former Cub to lack ANY such representation since the decade of Reagan, the Brat Pack, and hair metal began. What gives?
As you may have seen with my dogged determination to learn more about the mysterious Tom Walsh, I have a certain fascination with the unknown. In a desperate plea, I took to the blogosphere, shouting out into the void, "where have you gone, Gene Krug?" My long-shot hope was that I would either be able to find someone to politely correct and inform me that Krug did in fact appear on a card, or that they could forward me some information so that I might get his John Hancock on a signature card via TTM. After all, while not as appealing, the latter option would still be better than nothing.
But, seeing the blog was still in it's infancy, the post didn't generate many clicks and nothing came of it. Later that fall, I discovered that the Rookies App was a thing and, utilizing the only baseball image to appear when searching "Gene Krug" on Google, I whipped up a custom card of our hero on one of the application's pre-made templates. Unfortunately, that image was black and white and showed Krug in his AAA Wichita Aeros threads instead of blue pinstripes.
Again, though not ideal, it was better than nothing. And here is where the story or ended... or at least I thought it did.
Fast forward to last week, that long-forgotten post finally did what I hoped it would. I received an out of the blue message from a young man who had the answer to my four-year old question! The answer is, like America in the mid-19th century, Gene Krug headed west - Colorado, to be specific.
As it turns out, the person who contacted me, Brandon, is a high school baseball player in the Rocky Mountain State and his JV coach just so happens to be - you guessed it - Gene Krug! I guess Brandon just happened to come across my ramblings while Googling his coach's name and took it upon himself to enlighten me. Better still, he offered to put me in touch with his skipper and even ask him to sign a card for me. It's a damn good thing that the guy who eventually found my post happened to be so generous!
However, there was one problem - I never purchased those signature cards and I only had one copy of that Rookies App custom. Luckily, in the years since my initial foray into blogging, I've gained access to quality photo-editing and design software and my studies in college included graphic design. Thus, I took it upon myself to whip up a card that never was, but should have been.
What you see here is Gene Krug via 1981 Topps, the year that he made the Show. First, I re-created the fairly basic design and borrowed the cartoon hat and baseball logo from a high-res scan of an original. Then, I set about the much more difficult task of colorizing that original Aeros photograph and converting those duds to the proper uniform... I mean, nothing against Wichita (Jack White seems pretty excited by going there), but a Major League card deserves Major League threads. I ended up choosing the gloriously odd "pajama" uniforms because they just scream early 80's and I came across a usable sample. After several hours, I ended up with the above custom and I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. It at least looks just as passable as any of your average airbrushing jobs of that time period!
Of course, with such an important task at hand, I did not half-ass this work; if a Major Leaguer is going to see my work, he's going to see my best work. I made sure to whip up a proper back for the cards I would be sending Mr. Krug, as well:
However, when it came time to print this out, I had to ditch the faux-cardboard background. While it fits the aesthetic, it's going to make printing and trimming an absolute nightmare. Ideally, I would use a paper of similar coloring and tone, but my budget is quite limited. Still, I'd day it apes the original quite effectively!
This truly was a joy to put together - how do you think it turned out? Please feel free to make your opinion known in the comment section below.
As of this morning, my hot off the "presses" custom cards are in the mail, on their way to the land of the Stanley Hotel and legal weed, along with a letter introducing myself and explaining my project. Fingers crossed that they cross the Rocky Mountains quickly and safely on their way to to my new pen pal. Also, here's hoping that Mr. Krug gets a kick out of them and is willing to scribble his name on one of them for me and my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
If this exchange proves to be successful, this will be the fourth successful TTM in my history of collecting. In the past, I'd never felt motivated to do the leg work required for TTM's; however, as my CATRC journey gets to the nitty gritty, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fill that gap. Krug is not the first person whom I took up the mantle of creating their "rookie" baseball card. Although, the others all played in the majors many years before Krug, but I digress.
These cameo Cubs from decades previous also lacked any presence on collectible cardboard, but were noted for their willingness to sign through the mail. So, like with Gene, I took up the mantle and filled the vacuum with my creations* and sent them off. The way I look at it, a custom card is one thing, but a custom card with a genuine signature adds some authenticity to the item. Will Gene Krug be the next successful chapter in this slowly burgeoning project? Only time will tell, but I feel quite confident with having Brandon on my side.
Like I said, the cards are in the mail and the gears are turning. Be sure to stay tuned to Wrigley Roster Jenga for updates; I'm sure that you readers are sitting on the edge of your seat.
The Cubs have been dinged up quite a bit this year - we're not reaching disaster levels, but let's just say that the trainer's room has been quite busy in the season's early going. So far, Anthony Rizzo's back, has already landed him on the disabled list once, further hampering an already inconsistent club and necessitating the call-up of journeyman, Efren Navarro. Furthermore, over the weekend, a couple of additional injuries resulted in another pair of roster moves - Ben Zobrist's back has been barking and apparently Eddie Butler's hamstring has been tight. Going into a series in Colorado with a short pitching staff or bench is never a good idea, so both were immediately transferred to the DL, although all signs point to minor issues.
Although I have a large stockpile of cards featuring Cubs prospects and recent minor league signings - set aside and ready to move into the CATRC - the roster moves of 2018 have thwarted my best efforts at being prepared. As with the Navarro move, both names called up to the Major League Cubs this weekend are entirely unrepresented in my collection - womp, womp.
However, as shown off in my post about Navarro, I recently created a fully customizable Topps Now template, which I fully intend to use to create "cards" of these players in order to temporarily fill these newly opened gaps.
Utilityman, David Bote, went from organizational filler (18th rd, 2012 draft) to bonafide Major League prospect in the span of two years. When Zobrist went on the disabled list, the only infielder on the 40-man available was Bote, who came up and promptly doubled in his maiden MLB plate appearance. If that wasn't storybook enough for you, the young man just so happens to hail from the Rocky Mountain state and much of his family was in attendance for his bang-up debut. Unfortunately, that was about the only highlight in what was the Cubs' only loss in that series, but those good vibes were hard to shake.
Not only is Bote completely absent from my collection, outside of minor league team issues, he is entirely unrepresented in the baseball card world. As I alluded to, much of his professional career has been spent as an org guy - it wasn't until a breakout 2016 and a outstanding Fall League last year that Bote caught the attention of prospectors. Coincidentally, his mainstream cardboard debut will occur in the upcoming Bowman checklist - how timely!
Now, Bote wasn't the only player to make his Cubs debut over the weekend; in fact, he wasn't even the first to be called-up. That honor goes to the son of former Red Sox manager, John Farrell:
Luke Farrell rode the waiver-wire roller coaster over the winter before eventually clearing and being assigned to the AAA Iowa Cubs to start 2018. Seen as intriguing starting pitching depth by Theo and crew, Luke's presence was needed far earlier than anticipated when the heavily-used Eddie Butler's hammy started barking. Going into a series at Coor's Field without a long reliever would be a fool's errand, so the Cubs called upon their farm club's freshest starter, who just so happened to be Farrell.
The pitcher also made his debut in the same tilt as Bote, twirling a perfect inning with two strikeouts in the loss. Despite his excellent showing, Getty Images apparently turned off their cameras by the time Farrell made his way onto the field; so, I was forced to pilfer an image from Spring Training for this custom Now single.
Unlike Bote, Farrell had some hype after his drafting and came with a marketable and familiar family tree. As such, the moundsman has snuck into a couple of mainstream products - 2013 Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks and 2013 Panini Elite Extra Edition (auto). They're not particularly attractive cards, but they'll get the job done for now.
So, if anyone has one of these super-duper shiny Farrell cards sitting in their trade stacks, I'd love to take them off of your hands! Furthermore, if anyone pulls a Bote when they bust their Bowman orders on Wednesday, again, I'd be happy to swap. In the interim, I am glad that I have these Now customs on hand. I suppose I will continue to pump these out as other players make their North Side debuts throughout 2018 - there's bound to be more, after all.
![2015 Topps Update Series - [Base] #US194 - Chris Rearick, Cory Mazzoni - Courtesy of COMC.com](https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/2015/Topps-Update-Series---Base/US194/Chris-Rearick-Cory-Mazzoni.jpg?id=7c3dfe8f-c7a9-4982-afba-12076a00bb22&size=original)
