We're not even two full weeks into the 2019 Major League Baseball season and the Cubs have already been forced to make their second roster alteration on the year. As we covered in yesterday's post, the North Siders' bullpen has been suspect at best and the starting rotation hasn't been much better. The lone bright spot on the pitching staff has been Opening Day starter, Jon Lester - he and his 2.57 ERA has been the exception that proves the rule. While the frameworks of a dynasty have crumbled around the Cubs' fan base in the early going, a "Big Jon" start still feels almost like an automatic win.
So, of course, Lester tweaked his hamstring while running the bases in the Wrigley Field opener and has landed on the injured list. Groovy. This is why we can't have nice things.
In all seriousness, it appears to be a minor issue, as an MRI didn't show anything alarming and Lester is only expected to miss one start... maybe two. Fingers crossed that Jon feels better soon because anything beyond that might mean an extended stay in the rotation for the historically wild Tyler Chatwood. That thought is enough to make any Cubs rooter shudder with dread.
With Chatty expected to step out of the pen and into the opening in the rotation during Jon's 10-day stint, that meant Theo and crew had a chance to call upon another reliever from AAA Iowa as part of the ongoing effort to extinguish that dumpster fire. Enter, Tim Collins:
Tim was inked to a minor league deal - and allotted a 40-man roster spot - just as spring camp was being packed up in Arizona. The lefty was looked upon as a depth piece with ample Major League experience who could step up on an as needed basis. I don't think anyone in the front office expected Tim's phone to ring quite so early in the season; but, nevertheless, here we are.
Mr. Collins first ascended to the Big Leagues in 2011, as a member of the Royals after bouncing around the farm systems of a few clubs. Though undersized (5'7"), the rare pure relief prospect was valued for his ability to miss bats and he ultimately he struck out 25% of the batters he faced while allowing a meager .220 average against during his four years as a key member of the Kansas City late innings relief corps. Then, the wheels fell off midway through the 2014 season when Tim heard the words that every pitcher dreads: Tommy John Surgery. Even worse, he would have to go under the knife for the procedure twice before he could again take to a professional mound.
After years of rehab, Collins clawed his way back to the Majors with the Nationals last season, where he appeared in 38 games, without earning a decision. While that may seem odd, the 22.2 innings count indicates that the Nats used today's subject as a pure LOOGY, a role in which he was merely okay in with Washington (.222/.314/.444 allowed against lefties). Now, he'll get another chance to redeem himself in Chicago. It would be fantastic for all parties involved if Collins were to rediscover his pre-injury form - everyone loves a comeback story and the Windy City bullpen could use an unexpected hero.
Collins (left) and Everett Teaford borrow a pair of Jonathon Broxton's pants in 2012
Like most relievers, Tim Collins doesn't have much of a cardboard footprint. The lefty has a few Bowmans and twice made an appearance in Topps Update (2011 & 13). Luckily for me, I was able to track down a cheap Collins card for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection on Ebay - the 2011 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks and Prospects single that you see at the top of this post. While I'm not in love with the overly dark design of this product, which is made all the more drab by the nighttime picture used by the old bubblegum company, I do enjoy that fact that it puts the pitcher's unique windup on full display. That characteristic and the free shipping were enough for me to click "buy it now."
Well, that and my overwhelming urge to plug the hole that instantly opened up in my binder upon Collins' call-up.
At any rate, welcome back to the Big Leagues, Mr. Collins. Also, welcome to Chicago and to my treasured CATRC binder. Here's hoping that "hocking a LOOGY" is enough to put out this pitching dumpster fire!
The Cubs pitching staff has opened the 2019 season in absolute shambles. On five separate occasions, the offense has has exploded to post at least ten runs on the scoreboard and the team is, astoundingly, just 2-3 in those games. This goes without saying, but a team should not be under .500 in such potent offensive conditions. The bullpen has imploded late on several occasions and Cubs starters simply aren't lasting long enough - thus, exposing what has been an obvious weakness.
The club's overall record is a disappointing 3-7, largely caused by a pen that has the second worst ERA and given up the most walks in all of baseball. I wish I could say that such a disaster was a surprise, but Cubs faithful worried about this very situation all winter. With closer Brandon Morrow out until May due to off-season surgery, things were already stretched a bit thin. Then, a spate of injuries befell many, if not most, of the Cubs' relief options in Spring Training, leading to a patchwork pen that has dug the team into an early hole.
With that all of that in mind, the Cubs shuffled their deck a couple of days ago, demoting the struggling Carl Edwards, Jr. to AAA to work on his delivery and moving Mike Montgomery (who had been battling illness late in camp) to the Injured List. Of course, this opened up two spots on the active roster for fresh relief arms... who could hopefully stop some of the bleeding. One of the men called up was former top Dodger/Red Sox prospect, Allen Webster, who earned a brief September call-up last season and dazzled in Mesa. Webster is already represented in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder; however, the guy who flew from Des Moines to Chicago along with him is not.
Within adversity comes opportunity... in this case, an opportunity for a Cubs debut:
Kyle Ryan has been in the Chicago system since January of 2018 and has plied his trade for the Iowa Cubs. Theo and Co. were impressed enough with his performance in the Pacific Coast League last season, bouncing between the bullpen and starting rotation (2.86 ERA in 66 IP with 61K's), to ink Ryan to a Major League deal and dedicate a 40-man roster spot to the lefty this past winter. Now, he'll be tossed into the fire to take Montgomery's role as a dual LOOGY/long reliever. Hopefully, he's up to the challenge.
Now, as you can tell by the 2015 Donruss Diamond Kings card above, Kyle Ryan was not drafted by the Cubs. In fact, when he first appeared in Cubbie Blue on Saturday, he wasn't even making his Major League debut. The newest Cub had actually seen significant time in the Show with the Detroit Tigers from 2014-17 appearing in 88 games across that span. It was bouts of wildness that cost him his job with the the Motown club (11.1 BB/9 in 2017). If those issues bubble back up in the Windy City, they could quickly end the revival of his Big League career. The current pen has enough issues, as it is.
As for the card itself, luckily for me, my local card shop just so happened to have Ryan's unlicensed rookie stuffed in a bin full of miscellaneous Tiger singles. Although the current iteration of Diamond Kings is, unfortunately, sans Major League logos, I do quite enjoy the elegant, painting-like design of the product - each card even has the texture of art canvas. If only Panini could only avoid airbrushing... Oh well, I'm still pleased to add this pasteboard to my precious CATRC binder. Bonus points for the story of Ryan's first career on the backside, which just so happened to come against his now Crosstown rivals.
Meanwhile, back on the mound, the 27-year old has made it into two games on the young season, so far, and he immediately fit right in by giving up a free pass and two earned runs in 2/3 of an inning in his debut. That said, he bounced right back in an encouraging way the next day. twirling 1.1 frames of scoreless and walk-less baseball. More of that please - if Kyle keeps pitching that way, it's going to be hard to send him back to the Hawkeye State!
Best of all, as of this writing, the hemorrhaging seems to have come to a merciful end, as the Cubs relief corps has posted 12 scoreless innings in a row. This may seem like a modest achievement, but with the way things were going early on, Cubs pitchers had to feel a little like Charlie Brown out there on the bump:
Of course, at the same time, Jon Lester tweaked his hamstring in the Cubs' home opener and is expected to go on the Injured List himself, which could have ramifications in both the rotation and the pen. Therefore, we may not be done with the bullpen shuffling this April. Furthermore, if the starters can't get their act together and the bullpen can't stay in this groove, this could be a long season in Wrigleyville.
Hopefully this doesn't degrade into a situation like the old days at Wrigley Field, with a merry-go-round of faceless relievers cycling on and off the mound and giving up runs like candy at a parade. Remember Kameron Loe as a Cub? How about Manny Corpas? Or Hisanori Takahashi? Probably not and there's a pretty good reason for that. Luckily, the Cubs offense looks to be stronger than ever, unlike those clubs from the dark days of the Cubs rebuild; so, I'm not overly concerned... yet.
At any rate, that's enough doom and gloom for one post. Welcome to Chicago and to my CATRC binder, Kyle Ryan. Here's hoping that the buck stops with you and Allen Webster!
The first few days of the 2019 Major League Baseball season have been rather dreadful for us Cubs faithful. After handily winning the opening game on the road in Texas, the Chicagoans blew two winnable games due to a horrible performance from the bullpen and then proceeded to get slaughtered (8-0 with six errors) in Atlanta during the Braves home opener. I know it's only the first week of the baseball calendar and everything seems worse in small samples... but, yikes. So far, this year's club looks a lot more like the "Lovable Losers" of old than the Theo-cratic Cubs dynasty.
Hopefully, the wrinkles get ironed out soon; otherwise, the Brewers and the Cardinals are going to ensure that this be a long season on the North Side. As we speak, I'm sure PECOTA is readying their "I told you so" articles.
On the plus side, should shit hit the fan, I now have the perfect beverage with which to wash down my sorrows.
That's right, it's a Cubs-themed, craft beer - what better product tie-in is there for a team who plays in a facility associated with day-drinking?
This wonderful concoction was brought into this world by a small brewery in Texas, Nine-Brand Brewing Company. How they arrived at canning a Cubs beer in the middle of Astros and Rangers territory, I'll never know. Heck - Ron Santo himself was from the Seattle area, so there's no tie-in there either. Anyway, this is a mystery that will go on for a while, as there is no information about the brew on Nine-Brand's website and I'm not travelling all the way to Allen, TX for the answer. Perhaps ownership originally hails from the Prairie State?
Anyway, I haven't cracked into this just yet, as I am saving it for a special occasion. Ron Santo is my all-time favorite player after all - I simply cannot waste his namesake beer. However, Roger Adamson (of Certified Cicerone) describes this Kolsch style brew as, "pouring brilliantly golden in color, this... ale features a fruity nose, with hints of honeydew melon and buttered biscuits. Soft and creamy across the palate, an initial touch of honeyed sweetness gives way to a refreshingly crisp and tangy finish."
That's much more elegant than I could have ever hoped to put it anyway. Had I attempted to review this drink, it would have sounded more like, "beer taste good." At any rate, I'm excited to crack into this can, as Mr. Adamson makes it seem positively delicious.
Should anyone else like to get their hands on the Hall of Fame third baseman's namesake suds, it's available at a handful of Binny's Beverage Depots scattered throughout the Chicagoland area. However, it was not at one of these adult candy stores where I discovered that Ronnie had himself a beer. Rather, it was a generous friend who enlightened me by mailing this can to my doorstep, which - when I finally empty this elixir - will look great on my knick-knack shelf, right next to my can of Kris Bryant edition Red Bull.
P-Town Tom, of Waiting Til Next Year fame, absolutely blew me away a couple of weeks ago with what amounted to an absolutely stuffed Cubs Care Package. Not only did my fellow Cubbie-backer mail me Santo beer, he managed to fit all of this excellent ephemera into one cardboard box:
Yup, he even included some special Javy Baez sunflower seeds to pair with my Cubbie Blue beverage. If I chew these seeds, will I be able to work magic on the diamond like "El Mago?"
Besides the branded groceries, Tom also managed to insulate his mobile pantry with a bunch of baseball cards, as you can see above. Let me just say, as awesome and eye-catching as the Santo beer and the Baez seeds were, the cards ended up stealing the show, in the end. Just take a look at some of the primo cardboard that Tom included:
As one of the premier Ryne Sandberg PC'ers on the internet, Tom must certainly have his fair share of doubles. Luckily for me, he decided to pass the savings down to me. Fun fact, apparently a grouping of rhinoceros is actually called a crash... so, look at this crazy crash of "Rynos!"
I think my favorite of this bunch might have to be the oh-so-90's 1990 Classic oddball. Something about that design just makes me feel like a kid again; of course, so to does a quality stash of baseball cards featuring one of my two favorite childhood Cubs players.
Boy oh boy, does Ryno look strange in a Phillie uniform. However, as bizarre as this sight is, there are so few cards that show the powerful infielder in his first organization's colors, so anytime I can add a new one to my collection is a joyous occasion. After all, the Phils are my wife's hometown and favorite team, so players who have donned both jerseys are extra special in this household.
Then there's this oddball that I had never seen nor heard of before I found it in Tom's mailing. Apparently this was some sort of mini Strat-O-Matic-like baseball simulation score card found in packs of 1993 Donruss Triple Play. This is certainly one of the most unique Sandbergs in my most little collection - I'm sure that Tom has all sorts of fascinating oddities like this in his sprawling Sandberg PC!
Speaking of player collections, everyone's favorite P-Town resident does more than just collect the Hall of Fame Cubs second baseman. In fact, one might argue he is even better known for his all-encompassing collection of another notable name in Chicago baseball history:
I don't know about you, but it's gotten to the point that I think of Tom every time that I come across a "Kid K" card. While this hurler might not have ultimately ended up in the Hall of Fame with Sandberg like we Windy City faithful initially thought he would, he sure did have himself a nice career. After all, a 20 strikeout game and membership to the rosters of four different Cubs playoff rosters (when such appearances were rare treats) will create quite a bit of fan loyalty around here.
With that in mind, I - like any Cubs rooter - am quite please anytime I can add a new-to-me Woody card to my collection. Of which, all six of these P-Town Tom doubles were as such. I'm especially happy to add that pre-rookie Bowman to my stacks... man, we all thought that card was going to pay for our retirement when we were kids!
However, my favorite Kerry Wood card included in Tom's expansive gift was this mirror-like, reflective 1999 Topps New Breed insert that was originally found in packs of that year's Flagship release. This gloriously garish piece of foil board is unusually flashy for Topps and almost looks more like a slightly more toned down piece of Pacific's work. Perhaps this was inspired by the old bubblegum company's then crazy competitor?
Gosh... I miss when there was true competition on the trading card market. Curse you exclusive licensing deals!!
*Ahem* Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post content:
Tom also included a cache of partial team sets from recent products haven't so much as touched - not because I haven't wanted to dabble, but because I'm kinda cheap and lazy. I'm glad he did so too because those Stadium Club singles are - as per usual - quite elegant and gorgeous. I mean, how can you not look at that Ian Happ pasteboard and fall in love with his impassioned walk-off celebration. The same goes for Jon Lester's surprisingly powerful batting stroke. SC is just a wonderful collation of cards, year after year.
Also of note, that triple rookie from last year's Heritage release features Cubs third or fourth string catcher, Taylor Davis, on his first official MLB card. He has since appeared in last year's edition of Topps Update; that said, I still don't have that single either, for the same reasons I didn't already have these bad boys. Thus, this will serve as a nice Cubgrade to the minor league card that had previously represented the signal-caller in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
There were also another pair of delightfully shiny pieces of cardboard which feature members of the current Cubs core. What can I say? I am a simple man who is not ashamed of how much he enjoys shiny objects.
Perhaps I am the only one on the blogosphere who, after all of that, would be most excited about a pair of autographs from forgotten flashes in the pan like these two fellows, but I am not ashamed of that potential fact. Is there anyone else out there on the blogosphere who would rather pull these than an Acuña or Betts Hancock? If so, please weigh in below, in the comment section.
As a dedicated student of Cubs history and a collector of cards base around the franchise's all-time roster, these sorts of acquisitions are my absolute favorite. The ultimate type of card that can be added to my CATRC binder is a Cubs autographs and - again, because I'm a cheap ass and shy as all hell - I rarely get the chance to do so. Therefore, this certified auto of proto-Ohtani slugger/pitcher, Brooks Kieschnick, and IP-auto of strictly moundsman, Jim Bullinger, actually compelled me to get up and brag to my wife how awesome Tom is! Both will easily supplant whatever cards were previously repping them in my most treasured tome.
Furthermore, the oft-forgotten innings eater that was Jim Bullinger is a sentimental favorite of mine and has been for many years. First of all, Jimmy was on the very first Cubs card that can recall acquiring, a 1996 Fleer Ultra single that I was lucky enough to pull out of a vending machine at the local ice cream shop. When I went to gloat and show off my newfound treasure to my hobby-funding and pained Cubs fan grandfather, the only words the normally jovial man could muster were "I hate Jim Bullinger" in a deadpan tone. No doubt, Jim had just recently blown a game for the franchise with which he lived and died. To this day, whenever I hear the name "Jim Bullinger" all I can think about is my grandfather, who loved both me and the Cubs to death.
The card in question is still in my possession... somewhere. In the meantime, here's a Trading Card Database stand-in.
With that, we've finally reached the bottom of P-Town Tom's surprise Cubs care package, which couldn't have come at a better time. With the way the Chicago baseball season has started, I've needed all of the care I can possibly get. New baseball cards, Cubbie autographs, Javy sunflower seeds, and even Cubs suds... hot damn, what fun that box was to dig through - thanks buddy! I'll be sure to try and repay the favor, I'm just not sure how I am going to be able to match this unbridled kindness. However, I do have a few ideas...
At any rate, seeing as I'll actually be able to watch today's WGN telecast of the Cubs vs. Braves match-up in Atlanta, perhaps tonight is the night I will finally crack open that can of Ron Santo 10 Ale. After all, seeing as I don't have cable, rely exclusively on an antenna box for my live television needs, and my MLB.tv acount is basically useless because MLB STILL has ridiculously arcane blackout rules (let's fix this before pace of play, Mr. Manfred), such an occasion is a rare treat worth commemorating. Plus, if the Cubs don't get their act together, I'll need a little alcohol to make watching tolerable.
Where has they time gone? I've been away from the keyboard for almost a full, calendar month and I have certainly missed a lot in the meantime. After all, while I was gone, the entirety of Spring Training came and went, rosters were set, and the first few games of the 2019 season of Major League Baseball were played. Thankfully, during my absence, no new Cubs players were added to the active roster; otherwise, I would have missed those Cubs All-Time Roster Collection changes, as well. That's not even to mention the slate of new card products that have found their way to store shelves during my leave of absence (Opening Day, Donruss, Gypsy Queen, etc.). In short, I've missed a lot.
The reasons for my disappearance are many and I won't go too deep into the weeds on that topic here. Suffice it to say that some general apathy and some major changes in my personal life have kept me from wanting to write about such relatively trivial things as baseball cards. However, the moodiness has passed and emo Tony Burbs is back in the shadows. It's time to fire up the desktop and bang out a quick post about... vinyl records???
That's right, I collect much more than baseball cards. For my entire life, I have been a fervent collector - it's just that the targets of my affection have constantly changed. Rocks and bottle caps gave way to Pokemon cards and Beanie Babies. Die-cast NASCAR models sucked up much of my teenage budget while I spent most of my early adulthood tracking down cool band t-shirts. Needless to say, my shelves and walls have been lined with countless different types of kick knacks over the years.
While my passions constantly morph and evolve across the years, there have been a few steady and consistent collecting targets that have stuck in my craw. One in baseball/trading cards, which is made evident by the nearly 800 posts that compile this blog - with some lulls here and there, I've been stashing Cubs cards since the mid-90's. Another passion that has sucked up my time and hard-earned money, for more than a decade now, is vinyl. I'm not talking about bizarre BDSM stuff or Funko Pop Figures... I'm alluding to the world of LP's, 45's, turntables, and styluses.
My vinyl collection, as of this week - those baskets are jam-packed with 45's.
Since I purchased my first record player from a local garage sale, circa 2008, and repaired it with rubber bands, super glue, and dogged stubborness, I've been trying to build up my music catalog the old fashioned way. My musical tastes have always skewed older, which is what got my foot in the door initially, but a deep need to collect has since led me to pursue this avenue. It is much more fun to track down gatefold albums than collecting viruses on torrent sites, cheap CD's, or Spotify playlists. In fact, I've even alluded to this side project on my blog in the past.
Now, I know what you're saying - this is a blog about baseball and it's associated trading cards (and sometimes football, hockey, or track and field cards)... why are you bringing this up on Wrigley Roster Jenga? What does this have to do with America's pastime?
I'm glad that you asked.
Last week, a close friend of mine dug an old suitcase out of her storage unit and found that it contained a wild and messy array of forgotten records. The musty old container had been given to her years and years ago by an old associate and hadn't been touched since. Since my social circle is much more aware of my vinyl collecting habits than my baseball card ones, she generously offered to let me sift through and take whatever I wanted before she passed them on to Goodwill. When I got that text message, I nearly lept up and ran through the front door without even stopping to put on my Converse. Isn't that sort of message any collector's wet dream?
As expected much of the mish-mash was shattered due to extremely poor storage (suitcases aren't exactly tailored for the needs of a musical library) and warped from being non-temperature controlled environment for a prolonged period of time - I wish that I had thought to take a picture of the mess. Furthermore, most of the albums were put into this case haphazardly, leading to the rug being pulled out from under me with several sleeves of major albums turning up empty. Not every rock that comes out of a mine can be diamond and, thankfully, this prospector was eventually able to turn up more than just pyrite:
While there was no "butcher cover" of Yesterday and Today hiding out in the pile, there were several quality discs to be uncovered. Some of my favorite classic rocks acts and a pair of top notch movie soundtracks was an exceptional haul, especially considering how they had been stored. Sure, that J. Geils Band cover "stinks;" however all of these artifacts were in surprisingly good shape and (I have since confirmed) play without nary an issue. Not bad for a free excavation!
Again, I can hear you all out there screaming at your smart phones - "what does any of this have to do with baseball?!"
Alright, alright - I'm getting there, I promise. Patience is a virtue.
Anyway, those six LP's weren't the only albums I walked away with that day. In fact, they weren't even the stars of the show, in my eyes. Rather, it was a set of three folk albums that really caught my attention:
Steve Goodman was a Chicago-based folk musician who, while big in the Windy City, never really got his due in the national spotlight. He's one of those types who was "your favorite artist's favorite artist." Mr. Goodman penned some hits for the likes of Arlo Guthrie (City of New Orleans) and David Allen Coe (You Never Even Called Me By My Name) and released on album on the Asylum label (the one in middle, here) but just never really broke through to the mainstream himself as a performer. Thus, to see these relatively obscure releases show up in such an unexpected place was enough to make me do a little happy dance... once I was safely in my own home for no one else to see.
In Chicago, Steve Goodman is a legend and there are two very good reasons for that... besides his apparent and prodigious talent. One of which is the ubiquitous victory anthem that is played after every single Cubs win at Wrigley Field, "Go Cubs Go." This earworm was penned by Mr. Goodman when WGN came a-calling for a peppy number to open up their broadcasts with in the mid-80's. Of course, since then, it's become inseparable from the franchise. But, that song is not to be found on any of these three recordings.
The second reason for Steve Goodman's enduring presence can be found on his Affordable Art album, which is the album furthest left in the image above.
Affordable Art was released on Steve Goodman's very own record label, Red Pajamas, in March of 1983. In fact, it was the only the second album to be pressed with that label and it would continue to serve as Steve's personal home for new releases for the rest of his career (and after his passing). After splitting with Asylum in 1980, Steve decided he was done with the national recording scene, moved his base back to Chicago, and started Red Pajamas so that he could play the game his own way. This was likely related to his health, but we'll get to that.
This live recording is a fair representation of Steve's club shows at the time, with serious, heart-felt folk compositions (i.e. "Old Smoothies," a tale about the deep love of his grandparents) mixed with a fair amount of Dr. Demento-approved goofiness (i.e. "Vegematic," about a guy who falls asleep in front of his TV and dreams of ordering a bevy of infomercial product). There's even a duet with his old friend and fellow Illinois native, John Prine, with the latter's "Souvenirs." Affordable Art truly encapsulates what it must have been like to catch Goodman on stage at the Earl of Old Town on a Saturday night - lively, humorous, emotional, and certainly an experience to remember.
As you should be able to deduce from my praise-filled review, when you spin this disc at 33 1/3 RPM, your ears will be blessed with plenty of high quality tune-age. That being acknowledged, there's one track found on side two that still stands head and shoulders above the rest. In fact, it's that second big reason why Mr. Goodman's voice is still omnipresent in the Windy City today:
The third track on the B-side of this album was yet another tune about Steve's favorite baseball club, appropriately set up by a rousing take on the story of Katie Casey. This one might not be as well-known as his "rah-rah" anthem, but it leaves a much deeper emotional impact.
Goodman often firmly planted his tongue in his cheek while writing songs and "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" is no exception. Penned in 1982, this acoustic number tells the tale of a Northside fan, on his death bed, relaying to his friends and family his miserable fanhood and the plans for his ideal, "doubleheader" funeral. It's enough to make any long-suffering Cubs fan giggle and nod their head in slightly-pained agreement. If you haven't heard it before, I highly suggest you stop reading right now and give it a listen. Don't worry - I'll wait for you. Just click on the embedded video file below:
I think you'll agree, not only is it a good Cubs song, it's just a plain good song about baseball, sports, and the loyalty we sports fans have to our chosen clubs. It becomes even more poignant when you learn that Steve Goodman was actually dying when he wrote the number - he'd long been suffering from leukemia and knew he was fighting a losing battle. The disease would tragically take his life just a couple of years later, in 1984, and Affordable Art would be the last album released before his death. On top of that, his passing occurred just days before his beloved "Lovable Losers" would clinch their first playoff berth in 39 years. Life is just plain cruel sometimes.
Anyway, coming from a long line of Cubs fans, this poignant tune has long been an important one to my family. In fact, I've wrote about it on this blog before, when I re-discovered the cassette tape my beloved, late uncle used to make a bootleg copy of the song decades ago.
Of course, to come across such a significant and treasured song/album in such a random place ranks among the greatest finds in the history of my vinyl collection, even higher than that time I found an original edition of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the dollar bin of a thrift shop! Seeing as most of Goodman's albums were released on his regional label, these "oddballs" don't turn up all too often. Furthermore, being in the Chicagoland market, the album that contains "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" has only been seen by my eyes with premium pricing. I cannot believe that I was able to get it (and two further albums of Steve's work that I can't wait to get acquainted with) for free and out of a friend's random music trunk, of all places.
All in all, this was certainly one of the best experiences in my decade of collecting vinyl. I'd love to share more stories about this passion of mine, but the vast majority of them have no tidy tie-in with the normal subject matter of Wrigley Roster Jenga. Perhaps I should strongly consider starting a second blog that focusing on my music collection. I don't know... I've already been neglecting this one for nearly a month... maybe. What do you think?
Also, I just have to ask, are there any other card collectors out there reading this who also collect records? If not, are there any other non-sports related passions upon which you build a collection around? I'm curious to know - please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Anyway, WRJ is back in business and hopefully the motivation sticks around. I've already got a full slate of topics that I want to discuss, including an absolutely incredible and unexpected gift from P-Town Tom and the entrance of my lovely wife into the blogosphere. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here's hoping the old "doormats of the National League" can bounce back after last night's deflating loss in Texas. Go Cubs Go!
Normally, when a new baseball card product is scheduled to hit store shelves, I won't see it for a week or longer. The local Target and their assigned vendor are dreadfully slow when it comes to bringing out the new stuff. For example, the first time I saw the 2019 edition of Topps Flagship in the card aisle at this location was last night. I don't know why this is other than the fact that I'm probably the only pasteboard obsessed nut who pays any attention; thus the priority isn't there. At any rate, I've resigned myself to having to wait a couple of weeks before I get the chance to sample the latest and greatest product from Topps or Panini.
Last night, my wife and I made a quick pit stop at the red bullseye to pick up some essentials for our upcoming, weekend road trip to Kentucky to visit some family. Of course, I am quite easily distracted and soon pealed off to take a quick peek in the cardboard aisle. I was pleased to see that Series One had finally made it's way out onto the racks and thought about maybe grabbing my second pack of the product, as a treat. But, then I noticed something strange... the Heritage packs that I saw underneath of Flagship didn't look like last year's edition... could it possibly be?
Yes, it could. Despite the fact that they weren't supposed to officially drop until today, my notoriously slothy Target had actually put out 2019 Heritage a full day early. Huzzah!
Talk about a sudden turnaround - I didn't expect to see this rehash of 1970 Topps on Target shelves until at least March. There's simply no way that I could let this sudden timeliness go unrewarded, so I excitedly grabbed a pack and made my way back to road trip prepping. I would have loved to grab a rack pack or even a blaster because it was all out there, but, unfortunately, I cannot trade extra baseball cards for gasoline. At least, I don't think I can... I've never tried to do so.
Anyway, after filling up our cart with the proper car snacks and travel-sized toiletries, the wife and I made our way back to the homestead, where I gleefully tore into the wax wrapper that you see above. Sure - I could have been packing; however, that's not nearly as fun as ripping into surprise baseball cards, is it?
Even better, this unexpected purchase yielded my first Cubs card on the young season:
And it's a wonderfully-composed photograph of Jose Quintana that gets the honor. The home pinstripes will always be the best of the Cubs' wardrobe and I will never sway from that opinion. And, maybe just because it's finally spring training after a long winter, but the obvious Cactus League facility in which Jose is posed, framed with a beautiful blue sky, truly warms my cockles. This card is the perfect reminder that baseball is back!
Of course, this year's version of Heritage pays tribute to the 1970 release of Topps Baseball - so, let's compare and see how the old bubblegum company did in recreating their previous work:
Please excuse the ratty condition of my Jimmie Hall card - it was the only '70 single I could dig up in a timely manner.
The first thing that jumps out at me is the difference in color between the team designations on the two. That said, this is a characteristic that changed from card to card and wasn't even consistent within team ranks. Yellow, red, black, and white are all used, seemingly without any rhyme or reason, throughout the checklist. So, can't knock them there. Plus, all of the fonts look right on the money (maybe the position listing is a touch bolder in 2019) - hell, in fact, the script for the name plate looks like a perfect match. Overall, I'd say that Topps did a phenomenal job in bringing 1970 back to life!
The backs are pretty much the same too, although I forgot to scan an original for comparison, except with the now necessary "legal-ese" found added at the bottom. Again, they seem pretty faithful to the original design.
Here's hoping that Jose can rediscover the form that allowed him to striek out 12 men in his Cubs debut, as spotlighted in the comic. Although, he's be a decent mid-rotation contributor since his July 2017 acquisition, the Cubbies paid a premium price to add the lefty to the fold and, no doubt, expected him to perform at a top-of-the-rotation level. If he can up his game in 2019, that would go a long way towards the Cubs making another World Series run and alleviating the pain that Cubs fans will feel whenever Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease debut across town.
Oh... and as for the other 8 cards that I found within the pack:
A Ray that I know little about and Ryan Braun... swing and a miss.
A pair of exceptionally similar looking cards of AL players. Seriously, they're almost posed exactly the same!
Padres hot-pack! Does that Lucchesi look Photoshopped to you or am I losing my mind? Speaking of Joey, he was the first pitcher of the 2016 draft to reach the Majors and has one of the most interesting windups in baseball:
We cap things off with a Postseason highlights subset single, honoring Jack Bradley, Jr.'s dramatic grandslam against the Astros in Game 2 of the ALCS, and a "Then & Now" insert which draws a comparison between Minnesota's Jim Perry and Tampa Bay's Blake Snell, the Cy Young winners in 1970 and 2018, respectively.
I love cards that showcase pitcher grips like Snell does on his half of the latter card. It screams, "you couldn't hit this pitch even if you knew what was coming!"
With that, we've reached the end of my first pack of 2019 Heritage, technically opened a day before they were even supposed to have been released. Any pack in which I pull a Cub is a definitive success, especially so when I wasn't even expecting to buy cards upon leaving my apartment. Although, before I wrap this up, I want to point out one more thing about the Q card that I pulled:
I don't know if that's purposeful, artificial aging or a printing defect found on the right portion of the white border which frames the player picture, but that line is definitely runny. I noticed this on one other card found within my pack; however, the rest of the cards had crisp, clean frames all the way around. I know how Topps loves their subtle variations, like fake gum stains and sparkles. Does anyone know if this is some sort of variation, parallel, or maybe even some how a subtle tribute to the original set? Or, is that wonkiness just a legitimate defect? Now that I've noticed, I cannot get my mind off of this oddity.
At any rate, I'm happy to have my first Cubs card of the year in just my second sampling of 2019 packs. That Q card will likely be swapped into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection as his representation in my marquee collection. Thus, I can safely declare this purchase to be a win. Additionally, I am optimistic that my local Target will now be a little more timely with future stocking. Perhaps that was their New Year's Resolution this year? Of course, I'll find out on March 6th, with the release of Panini's Donruss. We shall see.
In the meantime, I should probably get back to prepping for our upcoming weekend getaway. I wonder if the clerks at Speedway or Mobil would take my Profar or Braun for $20 worth of unleaded?
