Me and Topps Down By the Schoolyard

The schoolyard - a place where you observe the fads currently gripping the youths of America.  These days, you can finds dozens of children fanatically twirling fidget spinners on the tips of their fingers while they discuss the latest "dank" memes.  When I was a kid, you couldn't walk through the area without risking your knee getting blown out by an errant yo-yo toss, while Pokemon cards and Pogs were the currency of the student body.  In years previous, I'm sure an observant teacher would learn all they ever wanted to know about Cabbage Patch Dolls, Shrinky Dinks, bell-bottom jeans, the Twist, and hula hoops.  In short, school is the perfect window through which to see youth culture in action.

When it comes to trading card collecting, much has been made of the youth factor when it comes to the state of the modern hobby.  By that, I mean, is the original target demographic of bubblegum cards still involved with the hobby?  Are the kids still collecting?  Has the shift towards serial numbers, autographs, rising prices, and high-end hysteria left the kids on the outside, longingly looking in, like a Dickens novel?

Ever since I started my job as the IT specialist/graphic designer/photographer/etc. (I wear a lot of hats) at the local K-8 school district, I've been heavily immersed in the culture of the younglings.  In the last year and a half, in addition to learning waaaaaayyy more about slime than I care to know, I've been making note of any time I see trading cards pop up as an informal survey of children's interest in the hobby.

In the junior high wing, I've come across a couple of forgotten trading cards, left behind for the janitorial staff to deal with.  From this, I can tell that there is at least someone in this building who takes an interest in Panini's soccer offerings and perhaps has been building an international football collection of his own... without poor Diego Alves of Valencia CF.  Meanwhile, I've also determined that one of these destructive teens has some sort of grudge Cristian Guzman or the Washington Nationals.  Must be an Orioles fan or something.

Furthermore, I also came across a full deck of rubber-banded Pokemon in one of the teacher's offices, but I forgot to take a snapshot.  C'mon kids - you have to be more careful with your school contraband - I'm sure building that deck was quite the undertaking.

In that time, these sightings are the only traces of trading card collecting that I've come across... when it comes to students, anyway.  If I'm really stretching it, I also found this taped to the door of one of the intermediate grade classrooms:

That is an ink jet print out of an 8x10 photograph, styled something like a baseball card; in fact, it has some clear inspiration from 1972 Topps.  If I recall correctly, this stylized photograph was affixed to the door as part of a larger display about Black History Month -  Jackie Robinson is always bound to make an appearance in such class projects, as he should.

However, like I said, that about does it... for students.  On a few occasions, I've noticed some of the adult staff members have used trading cards to decorate their professional spaces.  For instance:

One of our sixth grade teachers is a huuuuuuuuuuge Bears and White Sox fan and has decorated her classroom appropriately.  In addition to her posters and pennants, as you can see above, she made use of some 2013 Topps football cards as accent pieces.  Does she actually collect football cards or did she purchase these specifically for decoration, I guess I'll never know for sure since I've never asked and I now work in a different building.  Nevertheless, this sight warmed my heart.

Moving on....

This over-sized oddball was given away on Carlton Fisk day at the South Side ballpark back on August 7 2005.  Eventually, it made it's way from New Comiskey/U.S. Cellular/G-Rate Field to the back room of the main office in one of our schools.  Like the Jackie Robinson...card-like thing... this piece measures approximately 8x10; but, unlike Jackie, this Nike-sponsored SGA is printed on card stock and features a full statistical write-up and player bio on the back (which I neglected to document).  While it's much bigger than your traditional Topps piece, I'm inclined to call this a baseball card.

Lastly, there is one further example of baseball cards making there way into our schools:

Two copies of this "stay-in-school," tech-inclined Jim Abbot card (from 1992 Upper Deck) rest on the desk of one of the faculty.  There are two copies so that both sides can be visible to whoever passes by at any time.  Can you guess who might want to display a baseball card which prominently displays a full computer set-up... terribly outdated though it may be?

If you said the IT guy, then you'd be right; taking it one step further, if you paid close attention to the introduction of this post, then you'd know that's me!  Darn right my desk is going to be decorated with a nod to my job from my favorite hobby.

In conclusion, what can we conclude about my observations over the course of the last year and a half?

 via GIPHY

Empirically - absolutely nothing.  While the returns appear to indicate that the kids really aren't collecting all that much anymore, this informal study takes absolutely no mitigating factors into account and comes solely through my eyes and experiences.  I guess the best you can say is that students K-8 don't often show their trading cards to me while in the halls of my school district.  Colloquially, I guess you could say that, in the schoolyard of today, it appears as though trading cards have taken a back seat to the fads of today.... which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Trading cards have been around for well over a century now and have had their ebbs and flows in popularity in that time.  While we may never see the massive spike in popularity that took over middle school playgrounds during the height of the junk wax era, I don't think trading cards are an endangered species.  Be it baseball, football, soccer, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, or what have you, humans are a collecting-inclined species (from childhood through adulthood) and as long as these things remain part of our collective consciousness, cards will make for an attractive avenue to "collect" them.  But, that's just my opinion.

Now, if chokers and flare jeans can keep making comebacks, so too can trading cards!

Cleveland Rocks!... My Photography, Not So Much

Here's a post that I've been trying to draft for several weeks now, but haven't been able to close the book; I guess now is as good of a time as any to finally put a period on it.  You see, the problem hasn't been with developing the concept - Kin Kinsley (I Feel Like a Collector Again and Bean's Ballcard Blog) took care of that by providing a surprise trade package.  The problem wasn't with a banging out copy either - the cards were sufficiently awesome and I had/have no lack of proper descriptors with which to convey that awesome fact.  No, the problem was with the photography... but we'll come back to that.


But first, the trade package from Kin:

Appropriate that his note should come on Big 12 stationary, seeing as how football season is now in full-swing.  That said, while his paper says gridiron, his cards say ice rink!  According to his notations, this unexpected envelope contains at least one new name for my Blackhawks All-Time Roster Collection and at least one card scantly numbered card... not bad for a gift!  That Kin is one generous fellow, isn't he?

Let's see what goodies he had in store, eh?

Oooooooooooooh shiny special issues from the 2004 National Sports Collectors Convention (aka The National).  During that edition of our hobby's largest gathering, In The Game promoted their Signature Series hockey product with these special giveaways, which were numbered to ten.  Seeing as I've only been to one national and that was this year's and I've never stopped in birthplace of rock n' roll, these were never even on my radar.  Super cool!

 The 2004 National in Cleveland.  Image courtesy of SportsAntiques.com

However, this is where the photography issue comes into play.  If you can't tell, there's a special stamp on the surface (near Michal Barinka's left knee, which indicates the origin of the limited promo.  With the reflective surface of the card already proving to be an issue (say hello to my disembodied hands and phone), silver foil is darn near impossible to read, on top of it.  Seeing as I don't have access to a scanner these days (would that even help though), I struggled with getting appropriate pictures using my IPhone camera for several days.  After trying all sorts of lighting and set-up combinations, this is the best I could do.  I hope you can properly bathe in the awesomeness that Kin forwarded my way!

As for Barinka, Mr. Kinsley was correct in that I already have him in my Hawks collection.  Additionally, he was also right in that his /10 promo is a significant upgrade - into the book it shall go!

Michal fights for the puck with his current club, Sparta Fraha.  Image courtesy of CTK/Alamy Stock Photo.

Michal Barinka was a defenceman drafted in the second-round of the 2003 NHL entry draft.  The Czech debuted in the following season, but he was not long for the league.  After only 34 games through 2005, Michal was swapped in a three-team deal which netted the Hawks Martin Havlat.  Honestly, this might be the most he ever did for the Blackhawks, as his +/- rating never rose above -5 during his tenure.

It should be noted, however, that though his NHL career was brief, Michal is still active in his native land and he currently skates for Sparta Praha.

Speaking of failed prospects, while I already had Barinka represented in my Blackhawks All-Time Roster binder, this next card featured the new guy that Kin hinted towards:

Mikhail Yakubov was a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2000 NHL entry draft; however, the centre was no Jonathan Toews.  The marquee prospect spent the next three seasons playing in Russia, the WHL, and the AHL, before eventually making his debut in the 2003-2004 campaign. The Blackhawks were in the midst of "dark times" and were the laughing stock on the NHL; as such, there were a lot of  hopes lumped on the young Russian.

Unfortunately, Mikhail was not the boon that was hoped for - over the course of 40 games in the next two seasons, the centre only managed to post 2 goals and 11 total points.  In fact, after a brief and fruitless cameo with the Panthers in 05-05, the book was closed entirely on Yakubov's NHL career.  That said, like Barinka, he went on to have a lengthy and successful career in his native land - his KHL career lasted through 15-16.

It's easy to forget with the franchise's great success in the last decade, but the current Blackhawks dynasty is built on the carcasses of failed prospects from "the dark times."

ESPN certainly didn't mince words with this 2004 article...

Though these names hail from one of the worst periods in Chicago sports history, I am extremely thankful to Kin.   A Blackhawk is a Blackhawk, no matter how successful and each player must be honored for their service to Chicago hockey in my Blackhawks All-Time Roster binder.  Plus, to be able to do so with such limited, previously unknown promo cards is an amazing bonus.  Mr. Kinsley, simply put, you rock!

Now, maybe I should go out and try to find myself a scanner, so that I can properly capture how awesome his cards are...

RIP, Stick - Yankee Architect, Cub Skipper

Sadly, word is trickling out that former Major League Baseball player/scout/manager/general manager Gene Michael has passed away at the age of 79, after suffering a heart attack.  Rumor has it that Gene had underwent a procedure on his heart earlier this year; however, that news has been kept private.

"Stick" (so nicknamed due to his slender frame) might be best remembered as the architect behind the Yankees 1990's dynasty.  Under his watch as the general manager, starting in 1990, the Yanks drafted/signed and developed Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettite, sowing the seeds of upcoming dominance.  Hmmm... sounds similar to the construction of another blossoming dynasty...

Additionally, seven of Michael's ten years as a middle infielder were spent with the New York ballclub and, after his retirement, Gene worked up and down the Yanks' chain almost entirely uninterrupted through the mod-2000's.  Needless to say, he was a true, blue Yankee, through and through.  However, you should note that I wrote that Mr. Michael worked with the Bronx Bombers ALMOST entirely uninterrupted.  That's because he took a two year "sabbatical" to grab the reigns of a club with a much different reputation for success - the Chicago Cubs.

Following the sacking of manager Jim Frey, midway through the 1986 season, the Tribune Company sought out the Yankee mastermind to skipper their fledgling club.  Following the surprise success of the Dallas Green-orchestrated rebuild in 1984, the team had nosedived since, largely due to injuries and the decline of several key veterans.

The club was decidedly mediocre under Michael's command, posting a 46-56 record under his tutelage during that partial '86 term and a 68-68 mark during his unfinished stint in the following season.  That's right - Gene never even got a full season to prove his worth as a manager in Chicago.  After the team failed to take a step forward under his watch, ownership again decided to make a change, replacing Gene with longtime Cubs coach, Don Zimmer.

Zim would again see the team through a brief, shooting star-like resurgence (The Boys of Zimmer of 1989), before once again plummeting back to earth.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

Though his brief "vacation" in the Windy City was not too successful, his time spent in the Big Apple speaks for itself.  That resume includes a postseason birth as manager in 1981, his scouting reports as a coach which Reggie Jackson credited with helping smack his legendary October homers, the previously mentioned success in drafting and development as a GM, and his unprecedented success in pulling the hidden ball trick off as a player (an astounding five times!), among many other accomplishments. 

Again, Gene Michael was as much a Yankee as Ron Santo was a Cub.  So, I guess if Gene Michael is to the Yankees as Ron Santo is to the Cubs, I suppose that makes Michael's brief foray to the North Side of Chicago similar to Santo's short trip to the South Side of Chicago.... At any rate, RIP Gene - the imprint you left on the game of baseball is significant.

While the rest of the world might remember Gene Michael as a Yankee (deservedly so), I'll always remember him as a short-term Cubbie, as well (thanks, in no small part, to the vast amounts of 1987 Topps cards which populate this planet).  The wood-grain bordered beauty which tops this post will forever keep his memory alive in the managers section of my CATRC border.

Updating My Fantasy

The Cubs have sustained a fairly large amount of roster turnover so far in 2017.  Once the recently recalled Taylor Davis makes his debut, they will have used a total of 46 players during the current campaign. As it stands, there's simply no way that Topps Flagship set is going to be able to cover everyone (not that they would anyway) - not even with assists from the factory team sets and Opening Day.  Seeing as I have a 2017 template already built and ready to use, I figured I'd take the liberty to help the ol' bubblegum company out.  I'm always happy to assist.

This is actually an addendum - my "update" series if you will (for part one, click here).  With the end of minor league season, the September call-ups made, and the playoff roster cut-off passed, I doubt we'll being seeing any more names added to the all-time roster this year.  Time to finish up the checklist.

With the following additions, everyone who has appeared in at least one contest this year, but did not show up on the S1, S2, Factory Team Set, or Opening Day checklists will have been accounted for.  Without any further adieu, here they are:

Last time through, I honestly forgot to include Mr. Anderson - I guess that's what happens when you only last 6starts and post an ERA over 8 in that time.  Nevertheless, a Cub is a Cub, no matter how ineffective; so, here's what will likely be the only Cubs card of Brett Anderson ever "produced."

Since his release in July, he's resurfaced with a pair of decent starts in Toronto.  I don't think he's missing Chicago too much:

It's crazy what happens when you aren't tinkered with and can just go out and pitch

— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson3737) September 4, 2017

Yea... he seems a tad bitter.  Sorry it didn't work out Brett; I guess you won't be bummed about your Cubs tenure being ignored by real baseball cards.

Next up:

Here we have a pair of Cubbie catchers, Rene Rivera and the aforementioned Taylor Davis.

Again, neither of these likely short-term Cubs are likely to appear on an authentic Topps single.  After all, Rene is an injury stopgap for the soon-to-be returning Willson Contreras (third-string catchers don't concern Topps) and Taylor Davis is honestly a non-prospect being rewarded for being a team player and good employee.

Topps may ignore such players, but not Wrigley Roster Jenga!

Here we have another injury-necessitated addition, Mike Freeman.  The journeyman was signed to be AAA depth at shortstop and when Addison Russell's rehab was set back three weeks, that depth was absolutely needed.  Without Addy's plantar fasciitis problems, Mr. Freeman is sitting at home right now.

In retrospect, with this photograph selection, this card would have been better suited as a horizontal piece.  As it stands, Mike looks like he's freaked by a spooky, disembodied foot materializing in front of him.  Oh well - hindsight is 20/20, I suppose.

To conclude, we have a pair of pitchers... okay... well, only one is the real McCoy.

Dillon Maples is a late blooming relief prospect, with a knockout breaking ball and a triple-digit fastball, who's looking to force his way into the 2018 bullpen.  Leonys Martin is a all-glove, no-hit extra outfielder who was acquired in a minor trade to serve as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner.  So, naturally, his first (and, so far, only) appearance came on the mound during a blowout loss.  You just never know what's going to happen when your ballclub is skippered by Joe Maddon.

With that, all of the 2017 Chicago Cubs are officially accounted for.  Yay!!!  Topps - if you want to go ahead and just pirate my work to pad out the Update set, I think I'd be okay with that.

Watch - as soon as I hit publish on this post, the Cubs are going to call up another minor league arm and throw everything off.  Here goes nothing....

Stared Down, Called Up

The Cubs have called up a viral video sensation.

No, don't worry - it won't be Lil Bub, Grumpy Cat, Rebecca Black, or the Double Rainbow guy suiting up for the North Side ballclub (although.... that might be kind of fun).  While the latest player to don blue pinstripes did earn his first bit of mainstream press due to his antics on camera, he is still a legitimate baseball player.  However, that man, Taylor Davis, is not one you would want to take on in a staring contest.

That YouTube clip of the creepin' Cubs catcher, has gotten a fair amount of play on the interwebs over the past few weeks, earning more than 500,000 views, several follow-up interviews, and attention from such outlets as Sports Illustrated, ESPN's Sports Center, and Deadspin.  Not since Kris Bryant suited up with the Iowa Cubs has the Triple A club seen so much national attention and it's all because of an ongoing staring contest with the camera.

In case you were wondering, the gag is based, in part, on the comedy stylings of Ben Stiller and his preening, male model character, Derek Zoolander.  So, I suppose we can call Taylor's look Cubbie Blue Steel.

That said, it's important to note that the backstop is more than just a gag - through 99 games in Des Moines, he batted .292 with 59 RBI and 25 doubles.  Furthermore, his clubhouse presence has been recognized numerous times by players who have passed through Iowa on their way to the Show.  As Rob Zastrynzy, tweeted out a few days back, "every team needs a Taylor Davis."  Thus, with the conclusion of the regular season portion of the minor league baseball, Mr. Davis was rewarded for his hard work and presence with his first call-up to the Major Leagues, as was announced yesterday afternoon.

It's always nice to see a guy make his MLB debut, especially when it's someone who might otherwise be labeled as an "organizational guy."  You see, Davis was drafted in 2008 (by the Marlins) and has been kicking around the Cubs system since 2011, filling in wherever his services were needed, a la Crash Davis.  These are the unsung heroes of professional baseball and it's a pleasure to see one of them awarded for their services.  Now, he gets to experience the thrill of a bonafide pennant race.

Unfortunately, since he never was considered a top prospect or even that notable of a minor league player, "the King of Stares" does not have much of a cardboard presence, which makes adding him to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder quite difficult.  He has never appeared in a "mainstream" minors set like Bowman, Pro Debut, or Heritage, leaving me with no other options beside team-issued, stadium sets.  This is not an ideal situation, since they aren't exactly common and prices for these souvenir singles are often over-inflated on the second hand market.

Thus, I don't have a Davis queued up and ready to go into the binder - all of these pictures were scans borrowed from EBay. seller, GoSportsCards.  *sad trombone*

So, if anyone happens to have a broken up team set and they don't care if the Taylor Davis goes missing....  Otherwise, I'm sure I'll eventually cave and plop down the dinero.

It's not as if he'll be showing up in the Update set, as the September call-up is definitely far too late.  Also, while his story is a fun one, I'd say that the odds are stacked against him sticking around long enough for any sort of mainstream card.  With Alex Avila, Rene Rivera, and Victor Caratini all ahead of him on the depth chart at catcher, a quickly-recovering Willson Contreras nearing a return, and Kyle Schwarber available to don the tools of ignorance in a pinch, it's kind of a surprise that the backstop got the call, at all.

At any rate, welcome to Chicago, Derek Zoo... I mean... Taylor Davis.  Here's hoping that the viral video star can use his newfound, fifteen minutes of fame to become a legitimate baseball star and rise above the ranks of the Bed Intruder guy, the "cash me ousside" girl, and Charlie the Unicorn.

I guess we'll "see" how this develops.

Hello, September

It's been a minute since my last post - this time of year is absolutely chaotic for me and the blog has been put on the back-burner as a result.  After all, I work in IT for the local school district and, as you know, back-to-school season is in full-swing.  Consequently, I've been working my behind off in an attempt to get our building's technology up and running and again, as well as putting out the inevitable "fires" that crop up after a summer's worth of inactivity.  I just haven't had my mind on baseball cards - it's been far too preoccupied.

However, last night, my attention was seized by our nation's pastime.  As the second-half, surging Cubs laid a beat-down on the Bravos for their fourth straight win, the front office was working at full tilt in the lead up to the August 31st deadline.  For those who may not be familiar, this is the cut-off point for playoff roster eligibility; so, if your team has a glaring hole, this is the last chance to plug it with anyone outside of the organization.

Furthermore, the rosters also expand the very next morning (aka today), meaning anybody on the 40-man can be called-up as reinforcement for the stretch drive without necessitating a corresponding roster move.  Again, the front office was hard at work, determining who should be summoned from Iowa to bolster their crew for the pennant race.  Seeing as the flagship of my baseball card collection is based around roster movement, I too was paying attention to these landmarks with great intrigue.

And wow - what a day it was!  In the end, the Cubs ended up making a trade; however, it wasn't for the big, sexy name that it seemed everyone in Chicago was dreaming on - Justin Verlander.  The longtime Tigers ace (with a no-trade clause) reportedly had the Windy City as his first choice and wielded his clause in order to facilitate a deal to Chi-Town.  Unfortunately, the farm system is a bare cupboard after the July trading season and Theo simply lacked the prospect currency needed to entice the Mo-Town franchise.  As such, Justin eventually relented and settled for a plane ticket to Houston.

It would have been amazing to have one of my all-time favorite non-Cubs and one of the best hurlers of my generation move to the Second City, but he was a luxury (there are already six capable starters here) that they simply couldn't afford.  It's going to be supremely bizarre seeing him suit up in Astros colors.

But enough about what didn't happen; let's talk about what actually did occur:

Like I said, GM Jed Hoyer did pull the trigger on one trade, sending the ubiquitous "player to be named later" or "cash considerations" to Seattle, in exchange for embattled outfielder, Leonys Martin.  Once considered a building block for the future, Martin had been worth almost 10 WAR for the Rangers and Mariners as a regular in center since 2013.  Unfortunately, this year, his bat absolutely cratered, as his batting average settled well-under the Mendoza line, leading to his being DFA'ed twice by the Mariners throughout the course of 2017.

That said, Leonys still brings an above-average glove and plus-speed to the table, making him a perfect addition to the expanded roster as a defensive replacement and pinch-running specialist.  Like I said, it's not a "sexy" deal, but it's a logical and helpful one.

However, most people expected the Cubs to add a shortstop to the mix during yesterday's madness, not an outfielder.  Addison Russell, already out for most of August with a foot injury, experienced a setback in his rehab and his status for the rest of the year is in doubt.  Javy Baez has been terrific in his stead; but, there simply isn't anyone else on the roster who could slot in at shortstop besides "El Mago."  In the end, the Cubbies did end up patching up that hole; that said, they decided to promote from within in this situation.

Mike Freeman, once considered one of the top prospects in the Diamondbacks organization, had been signed early in August, after being cut loose by the Dodgers.  Since making his debut last season,he has seen only limited action in the Bigs.  In that time, he's bounced from Arizona to Seattle to Los Angeles (to now) Chicago as emergency infield depth.  Here's hoping that Mike finally seizes the opportunity to shine... but also that nothing bad happens to Javier!

Freeman has yet to appear on a Major League card, with his only mainstream appearances coming in Pro Debut and Minor League Heritage.  Seeing as I rarely ever see these products, let alone buy them, I was fairly certain that, unlike the Cubs, I was going to have to add my Freeman from "outside the org."  Imagine my surprise when I discovered the above Bay Bears single sitting in my Diamondback tradeables.

I have bought exactly one pack of 2013 MiLB Heritage in my life and said pack has since provided my first and only cards of both future Cubs Freeman and Eddie Butler for the CATRC - talk about kismet!

Along with the new backup shortstop, coming up from the minors were reliever Justin Grimm and catcher Victor Caratini - all having already spent time in Chicago.  However, Freeman still wasn't the only September call-up destined to make his Cubs debut; enter walking human interest story, Dillon Maples.

A former big-time rotation prospect, Maples was handed a hefty 2.5 million signing bonus, back in 2011, to keep him away from a football scholarship in North Carolina.  Unfortunately, things never really took off for the power arm, as injuries and immense control problems kept him stuck in the low minors.  By the summer of '16, Maples nearly walked away from the game, before a pep talk from his father inspired him to play until "they ripped the jersey off of him."  From there, he perfected a cutter and has since risen like a phoenix on a freight train, plowing all the way up from single A to the Majors in a calendar year.  He’s struck out 100 batters in 63.1 innings.in 2017, with a 2.27 ERA and a slider that's been described by scouts as being among the best in baseball... not just the minors... all of baseball.

Maples with the AAA Iowa Cubs, image courtesy of Dylan Heuer/Iowa Cubs

All in all, everything appears to have suddenly clicked for the former Jim Hendry-era "bust."  Hopefully the storybook magic continues at the game's highest level; this strikeout artist would slot into next year's bullpen quite nicely.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I hardly ever seen Pro Debut, let alone purchase it.  However, luckily, Gavin (of Baseball Card Breakdown fame) forwarded me this Kane County Cougars single a little while back; it will slot nicely into my CATRC binder as Maples' representation.  Thanks, Gavin!

For now, Martin, Freeman, and Maples are the only completely new additions to be added to the expanded, September rosters.  That being acknowledged, there's a chance that a few more names may join them.  After all, the Iowa Cubs still have a week left to play in their season and the Big League Cubs can't steal their ENTIRE roster.  Chances are, once the AAA campaign ends, a few more relievers will likely jump into the MLB bullpen to provide a bit of respite for the stretch drive.

As you can see, for a roster hound like me, the first week of September is an exciting time.  Not even the barely controlled chaos of the first weeks of school can keep my attention from that!  Weclome to the CATRC binder, Leonys Martin, Mike Freeman, and Dillon Maples!

Mets For Sale

To say the 2017 season has been a disappointment for the New York Metropolitans might just be the understatement of the year.  A competitor in last year's exciting NL Wild Card  playoff round, the Mets currently sit in fourth place in the NL East, with a record of 54-69, lagging 20.5 games behind the surging Washington Nationals.  For a team that was widely expected to compete for the divisonal crown, I think it's safe to say that 2017 has not gone the way they drew it up in the Big Apple.

As such, the Mets have been big sellers throughout the summer trade season, with several veterans moving onto greener pastures.  At the non-waiver deadline, closer Addison Reed found himself, as the Dropkick Murphy's might say, "shipping up to Boston." Then, a flurry of August waiver-wire transactions were made, with Neil Walker going to Milwaukee, Jay Bruce moving to Cleveland and Curtis Granderson winning the baseball lottery by joining the juggernaut Dodgers.  In short, once trade season kicked in, baseball players were migrating out of "the city that never sleeps," en masse.

Of course, after all that was detailed above, there was yet one further transaction fulfilled by the Mets; this one was a straight up dump, as they received nothing in return, not even the mysterious PTBNL or Cash Considerations.  Longtime catcher, Rene Rivera, was claimed on waivers by a first-place club and was allowed to walk without any compensation.  This club had suddenly found itself in dire need of catching depth, after their starter went down with a hamstring injury, expecting to miss about a month of game action.  That starter was Willson Contreras and that first-place, claiming club was the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubbies had been connected to the Mets and Rivera since mid-July, before the non-waiver trading deadline.  After all, once Miggy Montero talked himself out of the city, it was a well-known fact that Theo and crew were on the hunt for a veteran to back up the emerging star that is Contreras.  All in all, the Cubs ultimately went in a different direction, opting to bring in Alex Avila from the Tigers as the deadline clock wound down to zero.  Unfortunately, just a few weeks later, Willson pulled a hammy, pushing Avila into the starter's position and top-prospect Victor Caratini into the backup role.

Luckily, I just so happened to have Rene's 2016 Topps Update single in my trade stacks, ready to be moved into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder. 

In order to make room for the 14-year veteran on the 40-man roster, Aaron Brooks was designated for assignment:

No... not that Aaron Brooks...

Dammit, wrong again....

YES - that's the Aaron Brooks was DFA'ed to make room on the roster for the claim of Rene Rivera.  Jeeze, the Wrigley Roster Jenga interns are really off their game this morning.

Brooks is a righty starter, who was acquired to be rotation depth from the A's, in exchange for Chris Coghlan, during spring training last season.  Unfortunately, injuries limited his time on the mound and his effectiveness when on it, missing most of 2016 and then posting an ERA over six in 24 AAA starts.  However, there's a good chance that Brooks will go unclaimed, be outrighted to the minors, and stay in Iowa; so, there's still hope for Aaron, yet.

 As for the 25-man roster spot, as expected, Victor Caratini was sent back to Iowa, so that he can continue to see regular playing time and refine his backstop skills.  While his bat is about as ready as can be for the Show, the converted infielder is still a work in progress in the defense department.

Rather than risk stunting Vic's development or thrust the "work in progress" into the middle of a tightly contested playoff race, Epstein and Co. scoured the waiver-wire for a competent, veteran presence and found Rene Rivera.

For what it's worth, Rivera used to watch the Cubs play with his grandfather when he was growing up in Puerto Rico. He said his grandfather loved broadcasters Harry Caray and Steve Stone and "It's an honor for me to be here (with) a team he loved so much and now I play for."  Here's hoping that Rene's pitch-framing skills and veteran leadership come in handy for the stretch run; he's not a complete slouch with the bat either - he hit .230 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 54 games with New York.

Thanks go out to the Mets for holding a veteran garage sale this summer, allowing several contenders to plug holes on their final rosters.  Also, welcome to Chicago and to my CATRC, Rene!