Oddballs and the Internet

2016 appears to be the year of the great oddball return in baseball cards, or at least the first year in a gradual, renewed ramp up.  We've got baseball cards coming with New Era hats, over-sized SGA cards making the rounds throughout the league (although, both of those just clone the Topps Flagship design *grumble*) and loose foil packs floating around in Marketside, ready-made pizzas.  Oddballs seem to be trending in the right direction.

Now, I'm all sorts of in favor of this; I say, bring back the days of the early to mid-90's, when you could find cards with your cereal, soda pop, underwear, batteries... pretty much anything.  Of course, we'd more than likely need more than one company with a license to have that happen (and not be lazy with the designs).

The Marketside cards have definitely been a big hit; however, they're time in the spotlight seems to be waning and I still haven't come across either of the Cubs.  Of course, I don't go to Walmart and I'm kind of a pizza snob, so that kind of limits my exposure.  Thankfully, the rest of my family isn't quite so discerning with their tastes:

My ever-so-generous mother saved me this foil pack from the latest pizza box to be emptied in the family household.  I guess temporarily living here while my fiancee and I are saving up money for the wedding does have it's perks after all.

Also, I noticed that Walmart has absolutely slashed their prices on these pizza pies, since the promo only has a few week's left.  The large pizza was marked down to $3.88 - so, if you find this pizza tolerable, you might want to get in on that.

Anyway, would this be the pack that landed my my first Marketside Cub?  Let's take a looksie:

Ugh.  A bad baseball player and an even worse human being... we're definitely not off to the best start here.

Next:

A Yankee... man... I legitimately just mailed off a package to the Lost Collector yesterday afternoon.  Doesn't that just figure?  Oh well, at least it's a nice action shot.

Only one more card left, will this be the one?

Yay, it is!  This pixel-y, bathroom tile-ish, Tetris-like backdrop with the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year and MVP candidate front and center is all mine.  Now, all I need is Kyle Schwarber to complete my team set.  Hopefully I don't have to pay a hometown markup to finish it off.

Of course, there were also the coupons included in the back of the pack:

As of this writing, I've already used the one on the left for a value pack of Archives (which isn't a product listed as an option on the coupon - I'm such a rebel) and if I were a Royals collector, I would feel obligated to categorize the Bunt one on the right as a KC card.

After the glow of pulling one of my needed/wanted cards from a gift pack gradually wore off, I kept staring at that Bunt code card.  A three card pack only barely scratched that pack ripping itch and, though the concept of digital cards holds no appeal to me (I still buy all music on vinyl or CD, after all), free stuff is still free stuff.

So - I logged into my Bunt account for the first time in at least six months and typed in that code.  Though digital cards don't really hold my attention, I did create an account and give the app a shot, since I'll try (almost) anything once.

Let's see what "cards" were contained within my free "pack:"

No Cubs and none of their fancy-pantsy inserts; so, all I'm left with are digitized versions of the 2016 Flagship cards.  Blah.  Again, I'm glad that Topps is starting to broaden it's horizons, but is it really necessary to repeat the same, exact design through all of Flagship, Opening Day, Bunt, New Era, etc.?

Even with my indifference at best to Bunt, I am looking forward to the physical versions that will be hitting shelves later this year (with an original design, to boot).  First of all, it's a new product and that's always going to catch my eye.  Also, some of those fancy-pantsy inserts are actually pretty cool (I'm especially fond of those Program cards) and I sure wouldn't mind having a few physical copies in my collection.

Another pretty Kris Bryant, image courtesy of Topps.com

Most importantly, though, is the fact that I think this is the future of the trading card collecting.  The hobby is never going to go all digital because humans need something tangible to hold onto, especially those that collect.  The hobby is never going to stay exclusively physical though because computers are so completely interwoven into our lives and, no matter how curmudgeonly you may be, that's not going to change.

A healthy and happy medium, a product that blends the physical with the digital is the way of the future, in my humble opinion.  It'll be interesting to see how it does in it's maiden voyage.

Image courtesy of Beckett Media

Anyway, in conclusion, that's my 2 cents on digital trading cards and physical, oddball cards.  Both appear to be trending upward and the Marketside promotion is indicative of just that.

Now, if only I had an excuse or desire to run out to my local Lidz and purchase a $25 hat just so that I could sample the baseball cards that come with them.  I've been wearing the same Cubs hat for more than 10 years now and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  Hopefully, these kind of oddball pairings continue though and the next product they come with is actually something I would buy anyway.  Fingers crossed.

If so, we can always look back at the Marketside promotion and point to that as the kick off of the renaissance of retail oddballs.  That is, if I'm not entirely wrong and the whole collecting hobby is digitized in 10 years time  :)

Did You "Catch" the News?

The bad news - Jorge Soler aggravated his bum hamstring, which has bothered him on and off for a couple years now, while running the bases after lining a base hit in last night's win over the Phillies.  Seeing as hamstrings are notoriously finicky and a minor tweak can easily become a devastating injury (speaking as someone who has torn their's), it appears as though the Cubs will need an alternative to their alternative energy source, as #SolerPower will be (more than likely) restricted to the 15-day DL.

The good news - if Jorge get's DL'ed, Albert Almora is going to get his first taste of the Show.  Lost in the hype of Baez, Bryant, Schwarber and even Soler himself, Almora will be the latest top prospect to make their way up to the top of the ladder.

TheoJed's first, first round draft selection in 2012 has been relatively slow-developing.  On one hand, Albert's defense has been absolutely phenomenal and, honestly, has probably been Major League ready for over a year now.  His glove work in the outfield has drawn pretty much nothing but rave reviews from scouts and fans alike and who can blame them when he makes acrobatic catches such as this:

or this:

or THIS:

Seriously, the man is an artist and his glove is his paintbrush.  Just type in "Albert Almora catch" on YouTube... you could get lost for hours.

On the other hand, Albert has been pretty hit or miss with the bat.  Literally, he recently went a calendar month without taking a single walk and his aggressive approach doesn't necessarily blend in with this patient Cubs team.  Additionally, his power has failed to develop as hoped thus far (only 23 dingers in 5 MiLB seasons) and his average has hovered around .270 over the past couple campaigns.

All in all, due to his highlight-reel ready glove, it appears as though Almora's bottom floor is a defensive specialist, fourth outfielder.  However, if the bat comes around to even average production in the Majors (he's still only 22, after all), he can be a starting centerfielder for a long time to come.  With Dexter Fowler likely to depart once this season has concluded, it's important that the team get a peak at what he can do.

The outfield in Chicago has been an infirmary so far in 2016, with the season-ending knee injury to Kyle Schwarber, the hamstring aggravation for Matt Szczur and the lingering wrist problems for Jason Heyward.  The fact that the club is STILL performing historically well despite all of this is a testament to this team's depth and resiliency.  While that may be, I'd still like to see Soler healthy in the minimum 15 days; at some point, the straw is going to break the camel's back.

In the meantime, I'm guessing the Cubs will either play Albert as the starter in center, with Fowler pushed to left, or as the first outfielder off of the bench with Kris Bryant slotting into left and Javy Baez taking over the hot corner; I'm leaning towards the latter though. We shall see how Joe chooses to deploy the young man.

Here's hoping that he seizes the moment - good luck and welcome to the show, Albert!  Oh and welcome to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder, as well.

My Hit Parade

I don't get much luck when it comes to pulling hits in card products.  In all of my years in this hobby, I can probably count on one hand the amount of autographed or memorabilia-embedded gems that I have personally pulled.  Luck just hasn't been on my side, for whatever reason.

Likewise, luck was definitely not on my side Saturday morning, when I decided to head 20 minutes out to one of the neighboring villages for their community-wide garage sale day.  I live for these kind of events.

Unfortunately, the weather was not on my side and my hopes for baseball card bargains were dashed with lackluster conditions.  While it wasn't pouring, the steady drizzle and constant threat from above seemed to keep most people from setting up camp.  Drat.

Oh well, at least my failed adventures put me within shouting distance of a card shop that I don't often frequent.  I figured I'd sooth my disappointment with a couple of packs of Archives and move on with my weekend.

Also, some Pro Debut.  I mean, that stuff never pops up retail, so when in Rome...

Since the main attraction for me was Topps latest release, I saved those packs for last and ripped into the Minor League product first:

Oh hey, look at that, a couple of Cubs prospects, both from the AA level Tennessee Smokies.  I was kind of hoping for a Willson Contreras, but these two will do.  

Black was the return from the Alfonso Soriano trade of a couple years ago and it currently on his third go-round through the Southern League.  That said, he still has a chance of cracking the Cubs bullpen at some point.  Meanwhile, McKinney came over with Addison Russell from Oakland and is one in a very crowded outfield prospect picture.

LOVE these inserts!

Promo night uniforms are all the rage in minor league baseball lately and fans have been eating them up.  It's about time we saw a card set devoted solely to these gimmicky, cheesey and awesome bush league stunts.  My only complaint about these is that I have no idea who this Dodger prospect donning a Hawaiian shirt is - neither the front or back gives any clue.

However, I quickly forgot about that inconvenience upon seeing the next card:

Oh sweet an autograph!

Oh wow - I actually know who this guy is!!

Hot damn - look at that serial number - it's a Christmas card!!!

Well, that was quite unexpected and it certainly brightened my mood quite a bit.  Even if the Archives packs were total duds, I think I'd have been pretty happy with my overall results.  They certainly started out inauspiciously enough:

My only Cub from either pack was this 1991 version of slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo (who was two when the original product first hit the shelves, in case you were wondering).  Not too exciting, but definitely better than being shut out.

However, I wonder why Topps completely changed the team-name banner at the bottom right?:

As you can see, the color went from red to blue and they forced the city name in there as well (the font is also slightly different, but that's always difficult to replicate perfectly).  Very odd.  Then, of course, they also updated the anniversary banner in the upper left, which I thought was a nice, subtle added touch.

Otherwise, Topps pretty much cloned this bad boy.

Now, like I said, that was it as far as Cubs content goes.  However, that doesn't mean there wasn't anymore interesting stuff contained within these packs:

Say what?!  Another autograph?  

This one of a former first round draft pick, 1974 AL MVP, 2 time All-Star who played 16 years in the Big Leagues?  Jeff doesn't get a lot of love in modern day product either; this is why we love Fan Favorites isn't it?  Not too bad for a purchase that was meant to be a consolation prize. 

To sum it all up, I pulled two autographs in just four random, conciliatory packs, along with three new Cubs cards for my collection.  That's probably a lot better than I would have done at the garage sales anyway.

Meanwhile, though they were thrilling to pull, I'm not exactly wed to the Judge or the Burroughs (or the Ogden Raptors Hawaiian shirt insert either).  So, if they caught your fancy, please let me know.

In the meantime, maybe I should go buy a scratch off or something - I've clearly inherited some good luck somehow and I have to milk this streak for all that it's worth.

The Hostess with the Mostest

I'm a pretty scatterbrained guy.  I'm constantly having make notes on little post-it notes so that I don't miss appointments at work, I can never remember everything at the grocery store and I once used my phone as a light source to help me find my phone...  Most people would likely think I was high all the time if they didn't know me.

As such, when I received an e-mail from Gavin at Baseball Card Breakdown the other day, letting me know that he was putting his end of our latest trade into the mail, I had to take his word for it.  I honestly do not remember sending anything his way; but, unless there's another rogue Tony Burbs running wild on the internets, randomly mailing baseball cards to people...

As per usual. Gavin's end of the trade was "grade A."  I was delighted to find an example of one of his latest custom projects:

Here we have "Sparkles" on the design of the beloved Hostess design from the decade of disco.  Appropriate that this is making it's way into my hands as Archives makes it way onto our shelves - same concept after all.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but I'm fairly certain that this is the first Hostess design to make it's way into my collection... I don't think I have any originals.  Please don't revoke my card-collecting license!

Here's the back, with Kris' Major League stat-line from his 2015 ROY campaign:

This turned out wonderfully and it's probably my new favorite Bryant card.  Also, how cool would it be to have a product in the mold of Archives but, instead of using old Topps templates, employed vintage, oddball designs?

Imagine seeing Jake Arrieta's intimidating glare on a 3D Kelloggs card, or Anthony Rizzo's majestic swing on a TCMA layout, or Javy Baez's infectious smile emanating from the borders of an MSA disc... I'd snap that up in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Gavin also included some pretty nifty cards that he, himself, did not create:

A couple of Bowman cards of guys who were supposed to lead the Cubs' rotation for years to come. Gonzalez did hang around as a fringe MLB moundsman for several years.  Meanwhile, in the heat of the 1998 Wild Card chase, GM Ed Lynch decided we desperately needed a mediocre middle reliever; so, Jon Garland became a key cog in the White Sox machine for the next ten years, while Matt Karchner hung around in the back of the pen for a couple of years, usually with an ERA over 5.  

Definitely a big oopsy of a trade.

Gavin, does this "Noel" qualify as a Christmas card?  Hahahahahahaha... I'm funny, dammit.

The first Noel, the angels did say, was a total bust of a prospect, drafted in the first round of the 1996 draft and never made the Bigs.  Cubs fans, let's just take this moment to appreciate what we have in Theo, Jed and crew.

Nevertheless, this makes a welcome addition to my binder of failed Cubs prospects... yes, I really have that because I'm a glutton for punishment.

Speaking of punishment, football!

Gavin was kind enough to try and help me out with my all-time Bears collection.  Unfortunately, neither of these QB's ever played a down with the team.  Although,  Enderle was rostered as a backup signal-caller during the 2011 season, so he technically qualifies for the binder.  However, Trevor from Bump and Run just beat Gavin to the punch. 

Still, I love me some shiny, chrome cards; thus, these are still more than welcome in my domain.

Speaking of shiny, Topps Gold Label!

I feel weird calling a baseball card beautiful, but these things truly are, what with their glossy, almost rainbow-like chrome finish and sweeping, color-coded design.  What's not to love?  These Gold Label cards truly feel like a hit when holding them in hand, at least to me anyway.  

Speaking of hits, an autograph!

I've been make a (sort of) concentrated effort to add more Cubs autos to my CATRC lately, seeing as it's getting tougher and tougher to add new names to those pages.  Autographs make that collection feel even more like a historical tome or artifact to me.

Brett Jackson might have been another first-round bust, but he sure does have some exceptional penmanship!  This GQ John Hancock is going to look fabulous as Brett's representation in my CATRC binder.

Thank you Gavin, both for yet another phenomenal trade package and for being a much better record-keeper than I.  I can only hope you enjoyed my half of this trade at least half as much as I did yours.

Now, maybe I should go ahead and check my calendar.  Scatter-brained me is probably supposed to be doing something more important than blogging right now.... hmmmmm..... laundry perhaps?

To the post-its!

She Turned Me Into a Newt!

"...I got better..."  I'm always looking for an opportunity to slip a Monty Python reference onto the blog.  Luckily, my latest purchase has provided me with a timely window to do so:

What you see here is a 1976 TCMA oddball, part of a larger set which honored the 1938 National League pennant winning Chicago Cubs.  Of course, you know how that season ultimately ended up for the world's most lovable losers, but let's not talk about that loss to the Tigers.  Oh and yes, that is, in fact, an authentic John Hancock scribbled along the bottom there.

A little more than a week ago, a seller on Ebay put up a rather large lot of JSA certified, signed TCMA Cubs for individual auction with basement level starting bids and free shipping.  Ummm, hell yes!  I put in small bids on pretty much all of them, hoping I could steal one with a cheap price tag, and this is the (only) one I came out on top with.  Nifty.

I mean, these vintage, off-brand pieces don't turn up to often, let alone with the signature of someone who died fifteen years ago.  I had to jump on this chance.

Newell Kimball was a need for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection, so I was uber-pleased to end up with this oddity.  As a short-term Cub from the late-30's, he doesn't have much of a cardboard presence and I don't know too much about him either.  Let's flip this baby over and do us some learnin':

Oh - that's right - these TCMA cards are exceptionally bare-boned.  The oddball Gods released several sets honoring specific teams (like the '38 Cubs or the '41 Dodgers or '60 Pirates, etc.) and they all featured basic, type-written stats, isolated to the player's performance in that particular season.

As you can see above, the company really did their homework, seeing as Newt only played in one game for the varsity squad that year.  Good on TCMA for being inclusive.

So, until I lucked into this card, all I knew about "Newt" was that he was a Cub on my want list.  In order to learn more about the newest addition to my CATRC, it looks like I'm going to have to turn to the internet.

Uh oh - they're onto me

Newt was a prospect signed out of the Santa Monica High School in California.  Being that he was from the area, it was almost inevitable that he would have a natural affinity towards the Pacific Coast League and the Wrigley-owned LA Angels.  Kimball won 20 games at the C level in 1934, his first year in pro ball, earning a late-season call up to his beloved Angels.

After a couple of seasons yo-yo'ing up and down the Cubs chain, Newt finally got the call up to the Show in 1937, despite struggling through most of the minor league season with an ERA over seven.  His action was limited to two relief appearances where he gave up 6 ERs - it wasn't pretty.

After again bombing out during a trial in 1938 and posting a 9-18 record in AA the next season, the Cubs gave up and traded him to the Dodgers, along with Gus Mancuso for veteran backstop Al Todd. For the Dodgers, Newt hung on in the back of the bullpen for the next several seasons, with a brief layover in St. Louis in 1940, never seeing much more than mop-up duty or spot starts.  Nevertheless, he still was seen on screens all across the country.

You see, Kimball was one of the featured Dodger players who made an appearance in the comedic Hollywood motion picture Whistling in Brooklyn, starring Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford, in 1943.  Skelton, as a radio crime show host known as "the Fox," finds himself on the trail of a real-life serial killer while becoming a suspect himself.

At one point during his time on the lamb, Skelton disguises himself as a bearded pitcher and ends up facing Newt's Brooklyn Dodgers.  Future Cubs manager and Munsters/Mr. Ed guest star Leo Durocher makes a credited, speaking appearance in his film debut while Newt is relegated to the background.  However, how many people can say that they were in a Hollywood motion picture?  He even has a page on IMDB.com and everything.

Unfortunately, his MLB career fizzled out soon after his career in the movies biz did.  After being purchased from the Dodgers by the Phillies in May of 1943, Newt continued to be hittable, with a 1-6 record and a 4.12 ERA in 89 innings, earning himself a ticket back to the PCL, this time with the Hollywood Stars; from the Hollywood screen to the Hollywood diamond.  By 1947, he was done as a player and spent the next few seasons managing in the Braves system before quitting baseball for good in 1951.

God bless TCMA and other vintage oddballers such as Larry Fritsch and Renata Galasso.  Without their collector's and niche issues, obscure subjects such as Newt Kimball would never have had a baseball card with their likeness on it and my CATRC would be that much more impossible to finish.  Not to mention, I'm sure Kimball had a smile on his face when someone remembered his brief and long-ago baseball career and presented him with a card - we all dream of having our faces on our own baseball card, after all.  Simple though the card may be.

Newt in his days as a Cubs moundsman.

Image courtesy of baseball-birthdays.net

I'm thrilled to be able to add Newt Kimball to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder, with extra happy points for the autograph.  It definitely would have been nice to walk away with a few more of them; however, Newt's auction seemed to go unnoticed among the rest and I really shouldn't get greedy anyway.

If I gt greedy and unappreciative, some witch might turn me into a newt:

An Owl that Crows?

Last night, I had the pleasure of watching the Cubs edge out the Dodgers 2-1 during a beautiful, early summer-type evening/night at Wrigley Field.  Jon Lester allowed a homer to Kike Hernandez (and you thought Dallas Kuechel was a dangerous name) on the second pitch of the game, but only allowed another four hits on his way to twirling a complete game gem and Kris Bryant smacked a two-run shot into the centerfield shrubbery in the third.

All and all, between the unicorn perfect weather and the subsequent 2-1 series lead, I couldn't have asked for a better night. 

How appropriate then was it that the excellent evening was kicked off with a trade package from the blogosphere's preeminent Dodger collector, the one and only Night Owl?  I'm sure he didn't find last night's contest nearly as enjoyable though.

That's okay - his Dodgers managed to snap Jake Arrieta's team winning streak at 23 in game two of the series, forever tying him with the Braves' Kris Medlen for the longest in MLB history.  Medlen might be a somewhat pedestrian name, but the others near the top include Spahn, Clemens and Grove.

This swell, canvas-y mini from this year's edition of Diamond Kings represents my first look at anything from that product; I have to say, DK is probably the best product Panini has in it's holster.

Night Owl continues to crow with these 2015 offerings, seeing as how Clayton Richard was a big part of the reason that the Dodgers broke up Jake the Snake's rendezvous with history.  While the game was still knotted up at 0 when Jake the Snake left in the eighth, Mr. Richard, the lefty-specialist, came in and promptly allowed three straight hits and 2 runs to lefty batters.

Meanwhile, David Ross didn't actually have anything to do with that contest, but it seemed appropriate to pair him with his fellow '15 Topps single.  Any card of the resurgent Grampa Rossy is more than welcome in my collection.

Night Owl was done poking after that though.  Here are a couple of former Cubs who were playing elsewhere, far away from the Cubs/Dodgers series.

This Archives card of Starlin from a couple of years ago reminds me that this year's version just hit the shelves, but I'm still not caught up.  Castro started off scalding hot for the Yankees after the off-season swap for Adam Warren, but has since cooled off.  On the other hand, the improbably comeback of Rich Hill just keeps building momentum in Oakland.  It's fitting then that he shows up here on a shiny 2008 Chrome card, since, if he keeps his current pace up, he feels like a cinch to win a shiny Comeback Player of the Year trophy.

Ah - this particular "tale of the game" is about MVP winners from last place teams.  That A-Rod guy did it for the Rangers in 2003; however, the star of this card is obviously Andre "The Hawk" Dawson.  Awesome Dawson signed a blank contract to play on the natural grass of Wrigley and proceeded to go ballistic on the National League, putting up 49 and 137 RBI for the lowly Cubs.  

I'd say that performance earns a commemorative card, wouldn't you?

Staying in the 80's, but moving to period-authentic cardboard, we have a couple of Fleer singles from the era of Thriller and new wave.

At a garage sale several years ago, I bought a box of cards that contained not one, but two full sets of '87 Fleer - as such, I have more of that set than I could ever actually want.  However, that Jody Davis is just a tiny bit different; as you can see by the shine on the bottom right of the picture, that's actually the glossy version of "the catcher without fear."

Steve Henderson and his pajamas clearly approve.

The eighties was also the era of exclusive box sets, be it at specific retail establishments (like this 1987 Fleer Limited Edition set found only at McCrory's, which was apparently a real place) or from the Topps factory (like this 1989 Topps Major League Debut, which mimics the design which would be used on the next season's version of Flagship).  

I think we can all agree that a set based around rookie debuts in the Majors would be a nice concept to revisit.  Additionally, I wouldn't mind a revival of the retail-only oddballs either (perhaps the Marketplace promo will open that floodgate?).

Almost everything seen so far was new to me and all were definitely welcome additions to my trading card hoard, but nothing was terribly unexpected.  However, it was here that the bubble-mailer made a drastic left turn:

Is that a racing card?  From Night Owl?  The man who once told me that the card gods were trying to spare me from spending my hard-earned money on NASCAR cards?

As it turns out, Buddy Ingersoll was a drag racer on the NHRA circuit; so, unfortunately, he doesn't fit into my all-time NASCAR driver collection.  But, let it be known, I truly do appreciate the thought and the gesture and I'll gladly add it to my miscellaneous racers collection.  I'm just curious as to how a motorsports card ended up in Night Owl's extensive collection.

Ingersoll in action - image courtesy of vistacruiser67 of ClassRacer.com

With that, we've reached the end of Night Owl's generous bubble mailer.  There was plenty of good to be found and a big thank you goes out to you!

We'll also be reaching the end of this Dodgers/Cubs series this afternoon, with LA looking to salvage a split.  Obviously, I'm hoping for the Cubbies to take home another series win.  Hopefully, the Trolley Dodgers don't give Night Owl another reason to crow; although, if his "crowing" continues to be Arrieta minis, I think I can live with that.

Major Leaguer and International Track Star

For those who have been following my blog for a little while, you might be aware that I am an avid runner.  I competed in cross country and track all throughout high school and college and have continued that athletic endeavor into my post-schooling life.  I have competed in road races throughout the state and even jumped into the Chicago Marathon a few years ago.

As such, pretty much every day is "running day" to me; however, according to the social medias, today is #GlobalRunningDay.  So, now even though I have tickets to the game tonight against the Dodgers, I will be extra motivated to squeeze a run in between work and catching the train downtown.

In honor of Global Running Day, let's profile a former Cubs player who might also be partaking in the festivities:

Fernando Ramsey played all of one month in the Major Leagues, his time being spent with the Cubs in 1992.  The September call-up from Panama wasn't particularly noteworthy, posting a weak .120 batting average over the course of 25 at-bats.

That said, while patrolling the outfield, Fernando had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and his speed (he stole 43 bases in the minors in '90) kept many a ball from breaching the gap.  In fact, it was his fleet feet that brought him his first taste of athletic notoriety; however, as the back of this 1993 Upper Deck card informs us, this notoriety did not come on the baseball diamond.

Okay - so that's pretty tough to see.  Let's zoom in:

Also, not entirely accurate, but we'll get to that.

You see, prior to being drafted in the 33rd round of 1987 MLB Amateur Draft, Ramsey was a track & field star in his native Panama.  The pinnacle of his running/sprinting career came in the 1984 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (not the Olympics, as UD reported), held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This prestigious track meet was first held in 1974 and features competing countries from Central America and the Caribbean Islands.  In fact, this meet has helped launch the careers of many international track stars, including one by the name of Usain Bolt.

In that 1984 running, Ramsey took home the bronze medal for the 100 meters with a time of 10.65 seconds.  In fact, Fernando was only .01 second away from the silver in a photo finish with Bermuda's William Trott, who would go on to compete in the Olympics that summer.  

The end of the 4x100m relay event from the 2013 edition, image courtesy of IAAF

Unfortunately, my research has uncovered no images from Fernando's track career.

Personally, I've always been more of a long-distance runner than a sprinter, focusing on the mile in high school and the 5k in college.  However, I did serve as a 200m competitor on a emergency basis.

Shortly after that Championship meet, Ramsey took his talents to North America at New Mexico State University where the multi-faceted athlete starred on the Aggies baseball team, as well as their track and field squad.

**EDIT**  It seems to be a common misconception that Fernando sprinted in Olympic competition.  In addition to the note on the back of that Upper Deck card, I stumbled across this team-issued card from the Peoria Chiefs:

I don't actually have this one; image courtesy of the Trading Card Database

Ty Griffin most certainly was on the Team USA baseball team during the 1988 edition; however, I can find absolutely no record of Ramsey having competed in the world's oldest athletic competition.  Upon seeing this card, I immediately began to doubt my conclusion.  But, in going over the records with a fine-toothed comb again, the only men I can find who competed for Panama on the track in 1984 were Alfonso Pitters (100m) and Florencio Aguilar (200m).

Additionally, Fernando Ramsey does not have an entry on sports-reference.com, the Olympic-version of Baseball Reference.

So, while the Peoria Chiefs and Upper Deck might be correct in reporting that Fernando Ramsey did have an international track career, it seems as though it did not take him to the Olympics.  That said, if I'm missing something, please tell me how stupid I am!

Florencio Aguilar is the runner on the right, image courtesy of La Prensa

Back on the diamond, it seems somewhat appropriate that Fernando's Big League career was over in a flash, seemingly quicker than an Olympic sprint.  Post-1992, Fernando continued to play in the minors with the Cubs, Reds, Mets and White Sox organizations, as well as the Mexican League, before calling it a career in 1997.  As of today, Fernando appears to be a successful real estate agent with Century 21 - no doubt he's flipping houses with great speed!

And so, that's the story of the man who was lucky enough to play for the Chicago Cubs AND become an international track star.  Not a bad "run" of success, I'd say.

Anyway, there's not a lot of overlap between the worlds of track & field and professional baseball; thus, #GlobalRunningDay felt like the perfect time to let Fernando Ramsey take the spotlight on my humble, little Cubs baseball card blog.

Meanwhile, I am raring to get out and celebrate the day accordingly... that is, as soon as I've survived the work day.  I'll be motivated to make it a quick-ish run too - as I mentioned, I have tickets to tonight's contest between the Cubs and the Dodgers at 7:05 - I'm thinking a five mile run at 6:30 mile pace.  Rain, rain, stay away!

A very happy Global Running Day goes out to Fernando Ramsey and the blogosphere!