Keep it Like the Kaiser

Today's the All-Star Game, but I think every other blog has commemorated the event appropriately and I really do not have anything else to add to the conversation.  Well, that is except for a hardy "Go National League!" since the Cubs are actually in playoff contention and there's more than a snowball's chance in hell the home field advantage matters to them.

Obligatory "the All Star Game is an exhibition and shouldn't determine something as important as home field advantage in the World Series!" snide comment.  It really shouldn't though.

Today I'm going to show off a card that has eluded me for a while and I then, in turn, forgot about it entirely when it came to blogging:

Vintage Cubs and White Sox cards command a premium at my LCS's - for obvious reasons.  Thus, finding a simple '57 common like the unassuming Don Kaiser here would have cost me at least $6 for a card in this condition.  So not worth it.

My hesitation and cheapness paid off as I eventually came across this card for less than a buck and it now comfortably rests in my binders.  The seller resides in San Jose, CA - thus, no Chicago "homer" mark up!

Now, I have $5 that I can use towards finding some other new additions to the CATRC.

However, I made the fatal mistake of forgetting to scan/take pictures of the card before I filed it into it's proper page.  Therefore, I never put it up here on WRJ and it's been damn near a month.

I hope the Kaiser takes pity on my transgression.

After posting an eye-popping record of 49-1 with seven no-hitters in high school, Kaiser recieved a $50,000 bonus to sign with the Cubs in February of 1955. Due to the bonus baby rules of the time, Don had to remain on the big league roster because and was used sparingly in eleven relief appearances with no decisions in 1955.
Notably, on the way to make his MLB debut, the cabbie drove the country-boy rookie several miles out of the way in order to rack up extra charges on the bonus baby.  Everybody wanted a piece of his reported $50,000 bonus; however, to this day, Don claims he only got $15,000 out of the Wrigleys.

After the 1956 season, the stat line for which you can read on the back of the card above, it sure looked like the whiz kid was growing into his role and that the Cubs had a key rotation piece for many years to come.

Unfortunately, the '57 season did not go nearly as well - he posted a 2-6 record with a 5.00 ERA across 20 games (13 starts).  He was demoted to the bullpen by the summer and was used as a mop-up man.

In an attempt to recoup some value on their investment, they packaged the struggling Kaiser with Eddie Haas and the aging Bob Rush for more young talent in Milwaukee's Taylor Phillips and Sammy Taylor.

Phillips, like Kaiser, had had a rough 1957 season coming off an impressive rookie campaign and Sammy Taylor was a hot catching prospect who was immediately put on the active roster.

None of these pieces ever lived up to their full potential for their new franchises.  In fact, our subject Mr. Kaiser never ever ascended back to the Major Leagues for the Braves.  He toiled on the farm in mediocrity through the 1961 season before hanging up his spikes.

After calling it quits on his baseball career, Don returned to his native Oklahoma and took up a very different career. Instead of locking up hitters with his blazing fastball, he locked up jailbirds as a jailer for Pontoto County, eventually becoming a deputy sheriff.

Don retired in 1992, but continues to work part-time as a district court bailiff.

Don never got to wear a Braves uniform in official MLB action

Image courtesy of John on Flickr

Thus concludes the tale of Clyde Donald Kaiser, one of many young talents that the bonus baby rule derailed.  After all, throwing players from high school into the Major Leagues is generally not a very good idea.

Another name checked off of the CATRC list!

Derby Days

Derby Day is upon us baseball fans and, unlike the traditional usage of the term, it has nothing to do with horses.  Although, for the first time since one Slammin' Sammy Sosa patrolled right field in Wrigley, I actually have a horse to pull for in this race.  Two actually.

Both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant will be swinging for the fences in tonight's home run derby. Sure, it's a pointless exercise as part of a comically overdone spectacle that is All-Star Weekend - but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch.

The detractors have been vocal.  Blah blah blah, Bobby Abreu had his swing ruined that one year, blah blah blah.  I'd like to think that professional athletes aren't so hapless that they completely forget how to swing a bat properly from such an exhibition.  Maybe I'm wrong; but, that sounds like a lame excuse for simply not performing during the second half to me.

I, for one, will actually be interested in the home run derby for the first time in over a decade with the inclusion of "Riz" and Bryant.  Sure, massive long balls are fun to watch; however, they're even more fun to watch when they are coming off the bat of your favorite players.

Sosa's entry in 2004 was an awfully long time ago and the Cubs have been mostly disappointing since then.  But, how is it that Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez were never amongst the competitors?  Did they decline invitations?  I can't remember.

Perhaps one of them can even go on to win the Home Run Derby and follow in the footsteps of Sosa (2000), Ryne Sandberg (1990) and Andre Dawson (1987) as Cubbies to come out on top.

A "who's who" of Chicago sluggers have won the Derby

Remember, this is all fun and games.  Just sit back and enjoy the show instead of getting all riled up about mechanics and form.  They're professionals - they know what they're doing.

At the same time, here's hoping that Chicago's version of the Bash Brothers do the Northsiders proud tonight and further prove that #WeAreGood in the national spotlight.

Where's the Beef, Yo?

I'm really late on covering this transaction because it took me an unusually long time to find this simple base card for the Cubs latest pitching acquisition.  Oopsie.

The Cubs shipped third-string catcher "Beef" Welington Castillo to Seattle more than a month ago in exchange for the live-armed reliever Yoervis Medina. Thus, the silly puns in the post title.

When the Cubs signed the "aged" David Ross to essentially be Jon Lester's personal catcher and traded for the pitch framing Rembrandt Miguel Montero to start behind the dish, the former starter was displaced from the roster.... or so we thought.

Everyone in the league knew the Cubs wanted to deal Beef, so it was rather difficult for Theo and Co. to strike a deal to their liking - leverage and all that. So, on the roster he stayed through spring and the first month+ of the season.

While some would say that the Cubs waited too long and should have made a package deal with Travis Wood or someone long ago, Medina has potential to be a shut down, late inning arm. That said, he's spent most of his time in Iowa refining his control.

As for Beef, Seattle must have been more interested in getting rid of Yo, seeing as he was flipped to Arizona just about a week later. That provided for some poetic closure, seeing as Arizona's catching dearth was caused by the Northsider's trade for Montero.

What a long and tangled web we weave.

No matter, I've finally closed the book on this transaction by finding a Yoervis Medina card to add to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

However, speaking of catchers and roster moves, the Cubbies sent OF Mike Baxter back to AAA this afternoon to clear space for the aforementioned David Ross on the active roster; Ross had been placed on the 7-day concussion list.

Since Miggy Montero jammed his finger in yesterday's contest against the South Siders, the Cubs opted to keep Taylor Teagarden instead of Baxter through the All Star break.

I've been waiting for a roster move involving Mike to feature his addition to the CATRC, since it's just a run of the mill 2013 base card and isn't exciting enough to merit attention otherwise. So, he's there now.

While he may or may not be back after this Cincy sabbatical, I like having him around just so that I can yell "It's Baxter!" every time he does something notable.

But, as of now, the poor guy has been punted from the roster.

I hope Mike handled the news better than the Anchorman himself, Ron Burgundy!

That does it for today's pun heavy post, I'll be here all week (and then some). Don't forget to tip your waitress.

Crossing Over - A Chicago Civil War

Well, yesterday kicked off the annual battle that takes over Chicago in the middle of each summer - Cubs vs. White Sox.  With all the controversy over flying the Confederate flag lately (don't fly it over government buildings), we now have another Civil War erupting here in the Midwest.

The series takes on some added importance this year seeing as the Cubs are actually in playoff contention,  The yearly match up had cooled somewhat over the past few years seeing as both teams had been relatively dreadful - but, now these games actually mean something.

Game 1 did not set a good tone for my Cubbies - I stewed in anger most of the way as they hit into 5 double plays and wasted a brilliant outing from Kyle "The Professor II" Hendricks in a 1-0 loss.  I most hate losing to the Cardinals. but secondarily to the White Sox.

In fact, it was a former Cub in Emilio Bonifacio that scored the winning run for the South Siders.

Why hath thou betrayed me, Emilio?!

At any rate, that got me thinking about just how many people have "crossed over" and played on both sides of Chicago.  According to Baseball Reference, the answer is a whopping 178!

Besides Emilio, that includes several people who were involved in this particular game - inlcuding Clayton Richard, Geovany Soto and....

"The Shark" - and not one of the ones currently terrorizing South Carolina either.

Thankfully for the Cubs, this "Captain of Attitude" will not be appearing in this series; he's turned his season around as of late.

Plus...

The only person in Chicago who can induce more groans than an overdose of deep dish pizza.

It's fitting that the shadow from his cap in the card on the left makes it look like he's got a black eye, seeing as his time on the Cubs has pretty much been a black eye on his career.

 But, the familial ties extended beyond the field of play and into the broadcast booth as well:

Sooooo much 70's packed into two Steve Stone cards - that's the best white man 'fro ever depicted on cardboard and those collared White Sox jerseys are gloriously awful.

Anywho, the colormen of the White Sox TV and radio broadcast crews both played for each Chicago franchise  Bonus points for Stoney, who has manned the mic for both teams as well.

Additionally, some of the biggest names in Chicago sports have made appearances for each squad, including the guy who went the other way when the clubs swapped Stone:

Hmmm...those pictures TOTALLY don't look the same - I'm definitely fooled by the airbrush and tight crop.

It's often forgotten that this HOFer ended his career with the White Sox - for good reason, he was definitely finished after that lone season.  Also coming to Wrigley in that deal were Steve Swisher, Ken Frailing and Jim Kremmel - however, I don't have the appropriate cards to display here.

Yes, that is his in-person autograph on the left and it's my favorite signed card in my collection.  It was a gift from my health teacher in freshman year of high school.  Her friend was a hair stylist in the Mesa area who did a little (emphasis on a little) work for Ronnie and my teacher was able to acquire this for me after I noted that he was my hero.

That act of kindness left an impression on that teenage wallflower.

Slammin' Sammy definitely left his impression on the city.

With all the steroid push back and his crappy attitude towards the end of his tenure, it's been forgotten that the trade that brought him from the South Side to the North Side was probably the greatest in cubs history.

Say what you will about his personality and ethics; but, the stats don't lie.  All they had to give up for 545 homers over 13 years was:

An excellent permed mullet/afro mix and a year's worth of DH-limited, .217 production from this faded star and....

... the Boys in Blue even got a bonus middle reliever in the deal.  Not that Patterson did anything even remotely notable on either side of town. but I felt he should be included since I have a card for both of his stints in Chi-Town.

Speaking of which, here are the rest of the guys in my collection for which I have both a Cubs and White Sox card for, with minimal commentary to keep things moving along.  I try to pick them up when I find them; that said, you'll see that I am missing some significant names:

The collars make another appearance.  I only wish I had a card that showed off the ill-fated short shorts as well.

The last trade the two teams made was Neal Cotts for David Aardsma in 2006.  Not quite as significant as the Sosa or Santo deals.

The young Cub prospect got to be a part of the "Winning Ugly" White Sox upon being dealt.

This flash-in-the-pan gave American baseball one last brief shot across town before retreating back to Japan.

Something, something, back up catcher, something....

Greg provided the first throwback card in my collection with that fine nod to the White Sox of the early 20th century.

A playoff Cub will always hold a special place in my heart, seeing as though they are rare.  Lance was a part of the '98 Wild Card winners.

The Law had some of the best eye-wear in the league, this side of Kent Tekulve.  He's also one the extreme few men to see time in the post season with both teams - '85 White Sox and '89 Cubs.

One of the heroes of the 2003 Cubs playoff squad and a local boy at that.  The NW Indiana native has a ball field named after him in East Chicago that I drive past almost daily on my way to work.

Another recyclable middle reliever

Just an extra outfielder on both sides of town; at least I have an opp to show off this excellent team issued oddball on the left.  Sponsored by Red Lobster, the Cubbies gave these away in 1982.

Jaime Navarro is really only significant to me because he spells his name the same way as my sister.  you don't see "Jaime" spelled that way too often.

We close out the scan fest with Luis Salazar who was teammates with Vance Law on both the '85 Sox and '89 Cubs.  They must be good luck charms.

As for the aforementioned missing big names, not included are Goose Gossage, Glen Beckert, Phil Cavaretta, Johnny Evers, etc.  Unfortunately, I lack cards of these guys in black & silver.  In the case of the latter two, I'm not sure any exist.

Some more recent names left out include Juan Pierre, Will Ohman, David Aardsma & Scott Downs.

To wrap things up, my curiosity has been satisfied.  Fingers crossed that the rest of this bitter clash of Windy City tenants goes smoother than game one did.

Also, if that OTHER team wants to jettison Chris Sale in their inevitable fire sale come the trading deadline, I sure wouldn't mind adding his name to this list.

Hey, I can dream can't I?