Oddball Cards, Ahoy!

My family went on vacation to the Wisconsin Dells last week - it's an annual family tradition that dates back to when I was in middle school, as Midwesterners do.  Since I am the only sibling who has completely (maybe) grown up, moved out of the house, and gotten married, I have not gone the last few years and instead have taken up responsibility for dog sitting.  Seeing as how I hate waterparks, pools, and getting wet in general, this arrangement is a-okay with me.

During the family's trip to the waterpark capital of the world, my wife and I drive the few miles from our apartment to my parents' house a couple of times a day to let the puppies out, clean up any mess they've made, top off the food and water dishes, as well as do a little bit of laundry and raid the pantries.  Plus, I get to play with the doggos.  All in all, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.

A couple of days into their trip, while I was conducting one of those aforementioned raids for snacks through the pantry, a big, blue box of cereal caught my eye:

At first, I was taken aback by the fact that Chips Ahoy! now has their own branded cereal - no wonder we Americans are fat.  With the re-release of Oreo-O's, are we now in the middle of a no holds barred, cookie breakfast cereal bout?  Will we soon be seeing "Keebler Elf Krunch" or "Mrs. Fields Flakes" stacked on store shelves?  Yes, this is what really goes on in the wasteland that is my mind.

Once I got past that cookie conundrum, I noticed something else about the box of teeny tiny cookies - something you've probably already noticed by now.  According to the big and bold yellow ribbon on the top of the packaging, these "parts of a balanced breakfast" come with trading cards!

Now, I'm no soccer fan - I've been to exactly one game in my life and left in frustration as the contest would end in a scoreless tie - but, I will always go gaga over unexpected, oddball cards.  So, even though my parents weren't around and thus there was no "grown up to help to help you cut the cards out of the box," I grabbed a pair of scissors and set about freeing these footballers from their cardboard holding cell:

I wonder what my family will think when they reach in the pantry for their morning cereal and find this on their shelves?  Hey - they left me alone and unsupervised!

I knew that this promotion was going on this summer; but, seeing as how I am not much of a soccer fan and I have been trying to stay away from sugary breakfast cereals, I had not paid too much attention to these oddballs.  Plus, when Topps, Major League Soccer, and Post first joined forces last year to launch this promotion, I did my sampling of the product then - so, I guess you could say I got my fill.  However, the temptation was far to great when I found them simply staring at my face in my parent's pantry.

Without any further ado, let's take a closer look at the unexpected treasures themselves:

This panel is slanted very heavily towards forwards - is that where all the star power is in soccer?  I truly do not know.  All I know, is that as a Windy City native, I sure would have appreciated the inclusion of a Chicago Fire player.  Apparently, there are four different, four cards panels available on the backsides of Post products and not a single one of them features a single "Fireman."  Where's the love for Bastian Schweinsteiger?

Also, today I learned that LA has not one, but two professional soccer franchises.  I was not previously aware that the LA Football Club (for which Christian Ramirez stars) is an entirely different entity from the LA Galaxy.  I guess if any market can sustain two MLS franchises, it would be one such as the City of Angels.  Of the two clubs, I am much more familiar with the latter, thanks to David Beckham and this snippet from "I Love You, Man:"

You learn something new everyday, right?

My favorite card of the bunch is probably Bradley Wright-Phillips, mostly just because I am a big fan of Red Bull... the energy drinks, not the football club.  Speaking of which, it throws me off how much corporate sponsorship has intertwined itself with their sport, with companies slapping their names on the front of team uniform kits and, heck, even straight up naming a team after a product.  I don't know how I feel about that, but I guess MLS doesn't have the deep pockets that the NFL does and has to make money where they can.

I like simple design, with the white borders that are sorely missed from Topps Flagship products and the prominent use of team colors and logos.  Honestly, this is a layout that I wouldn't have mind seeing used for baseball's Flagship.  Although, the Topps logo in the upper right hand corner is unusually large... I guess they have to remind you who is being these cards since they are coming from a fair unusual source.

Oh, and I feel like I should show you how the backs of these cards look, as well:

Blank, cereal box cardboard.  Very low maintenance, as I imagine it would be disruptive to the manufacturing promise and damaging to the bottom line to produce cereal boxes with printing on both sides.

In the end, these soccer cards are fun, appealing to the eye and I'm left wondering why the old bubblegum company can't make something like this happen with their baseball division.  Granted, over the past few years, Topps has done a good job in expanding their horizons by partnering with other companies.  For instance, PKWY Socks, Utz Potato Chips, and New Era, among others, have gotten with Topps to release promotional sets in the recent past.  However, these products are always basically a reprint of the main Flagship cards with a different, branded stamp.  I mean, I appreciate them diversifying their portfolio, but this just appears lazy.

Where's the creativity and wonderment?  If Topps can get a little more imaginative with their soccer stuff, why can't they do something similar with their baseball products?  They did a really good job of creating a fun, original tie-in product with their Marketside Pizza cards from a few years back; however, since then, it's been just stamps and logos.  I tell ya, if Topps did this same promotion - heck, even with just this same design again - with panels of a baseball cards, instead of soccer, on the backs of Post Cereals, I would probably be eating Original Chips Ahoy! Breakfast Cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

In the meantime, my family just got home yesterday and have probably noticed that their pantry is much less filled than it was when they left.  I should probably start "kicking" around a good idea for an excuse!

Don't Care How, I Want Robel Now

As sort of a epilogue to yesterday's summation of the Cubs' deadline moves, it's time that I show off a newly acquired card featuring a guy who got sent packing to make space for the new blood.  I might be a bit biased due to my love of the Chicago National League Ballclub, but I truly believe that the story behind this rookie middle infielder is one of the best highlights of baseball's 2019 season.  In a year filled with controversy, brawling, old school temper tantrums, juiced, Titleist-like balls, and "home run or strike out" offenses, this guy's comeback has served as a beacon of light and harbinger of hope for our favorite sport.  Even though the story has temporarily been bookmarked, his tale remains immensely inspirational and is a reminder that baseball is, first and foremost, fun at heart.

Okay, enough with the flowery language and hyperbole, let's get to the point.  If you haven't yet guessed, I - of course - am getting all verbose about the one and only, Robel Garcia:

via GIPHY

Here's a quick summary, in case you haven't yet heard about his long and winding road to Wrigley Field.  Robel washed out of the Cleveland Indians system back in 2013, having never risen above A-ball in four minor league seasons.  Unable to find work in the affiliated ranks, or even the independent circuits for that matter, Robel took his talents elsewhere.  Elsewhere ended up being Italy, of all places, where he starred and slugged in Europe's premier baseball league and on the Italian national roster.  Back stateside with the Italians for an exhibition last fall, Robel's powerful bat caught the eye of Cubs scouts and earned a second chance.  Starting out in AA, the second baseman simply could not be contained, as he forced himself up to AAA and then to the Majors in just a matter of months.  

Honestly, it all sounds far too rich to be true - somewhere in Hollywood, right now, there had better be a guy banging out a screenplay based on Robel's journey.  It's that wild.

Anyway, upon his storybook call-up to the Show, I was disappointed to find out that Robel did not have much of a cardboard footprint.  After all, as a modest prospect who never found his footing stateside, it wasn't much of a surprise to discover that overpriced, minor league team sets were my only option to add Garcia to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  Being the cheapskate that I am, I decided to bide my time... maybe he would stick around long enough to sneak into Update, maybe he would do something Topps Now worthy and get a true, blue Cubs card printed up in his honor.

Well, being a talented rookie in a major market, the moment he did something even kind of notable, you know that Topps was going to jam him into their ever-growing Now checklist:

On the fourth of July, Robel belted his first Major League home run in only his second contest.  Notable, sure - but, Now worthy?  Debatable, at best.  Interestingly enough (and arguably even more notable) the card makes no mention of the fact that Garcia came up only a double short of the cycle in his second appearance, but very first start.  Of course, flaws aside, I wasn't about to complain about the opportunity to add a sweet Garcia to my CATRC binder - just look at that star spangled arm sleeve!

I did have to wait though.  Although I did purchase the card almost immediately after orders went live, I went through the secondhand market and found a seller hawking a copy for $4.75, which is much more palatable than the ten bucks that they sell for through the old bubblegum company.  Like I said, I'm a cheapskate!  The only downside was that I had to wait for the cards to be printed and shipped by Topps, then wait some more for the middleman to receive my Robel, then wait even more for them to ship it out for the second leg of it's journey.  Yadda, yadda, yadda, it was nearly August by the time I found this treasure in my mailbox.  However, the "Italian Stallion" was definitely worth the wait.

The holographic back offers up a second picture of Robel, celebrating his maiden mash with his teammates in the dugout of Guaranteed Rate Field.  Yep, that's another interesting factoid surrounding this moment, that not only was it the rook's first homer, in his first start, and nearly part of a cycle, it came at the site of the Cubs' crosstown rivals.  Honestly, I love this photograph, but this space should have been used for a detailed write-up about the event, like most Topps Now singles include.

C'est la vie, at least Robel and his feel-good story has finally been inducted into my CATRC.

Sadly, the glass slipper cracked a bit - a little less than a month after Garcia's bombastic debut - as the Cubs retooled their roster during the trading deadline.  While he'd started out strong, Robel had been mired in a slump throughout the second half of July as the rest of the league gathered information on a guy who, at this time last year, was in la Repubblica Italiana.  Needing a spot on the 25-man roster for Nick Castellanos' big bat, Robel was optioned back to the minors, where he'll likely bide his time in Iowa until rosters expand come September.  I'm sure he took his demotion in stride, as a quick trip to the Pacific Coast League is much easier to arrange than uprooting one's life to move to Italy!

Our hero during his time with Italian national team - image courtesy of the Associated Press and the Athletic.

While we're on the topic of Now cards, which have been around for four years now, what are your opinions on the product?  Are they gimmicky cash grabs or cool ways to capture specific moments in baseball's immense history?  Did you think they were novel and fun at first but have since overstayed their welcome in the market?  I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comment section below.  Personally, I'm glad they exist solely because they provide an avenue for a guy like Robel or a flash in the pan hero to appear on a Cubs card when they otherwise likely would not.

Anyway, here's hoping there's still more chapters to be written in Robel's riveting and slightly unbelievable comeback story.  In a year as weird as 2019 has been, his journey to Italy and back has helped keep my burning love of the game alive!

Dead Blog Period

Being in the throes of summer break, I've been largely unplugged from the blogosphere for the past few months.  Sure, there have been a few posts here and there, but no more than a handful in each 30-day period.  With the benefit of having two and a half months off in the middle of the year - thanks to my IT position at our local school district - you darn well better believe I'm spending as much time as possible enjoying the wonderfully warm weather.  Blogging has taken a back seat to barbecues, fireworks shows, vintage baseball games, and tubing down the DuPage River, among other outdoor activities.

Plus, the Cubs have been exceptionally frustrating over the past two months, playing just .500 ball during that time period due to their largely absent offense and shaky bullpen.  Thus, I haven't been paying as much attention to the club as I usually, ravenously do.  After all, they haven't been bringing us Chicagoans much joy this summer and Marie Kondo says to cut that out.

However, as yesterday's trade deadline came and went, baseball once again regained my attention.  The flurry of transactions that occurred in the final hour made fans across the country sit up and take notice as players were suddenly bouncing around the league like ping pong balls.  Puig became an Indian, Greinke became an Astro, Stroman became a Met, etc. - it was almost impossible to keep up!  My beloved Cubbies were no exception either (although they did make us sit and sweat for a little bit) making several moves in the lead up to this year's final deadline.

I must admit, with the trades that they made over the past few days, I think the Cubs have successfully pulled me back in... and not just because school starts back up in a couple of weeks.  I think that Theo and Co. did an excellent job of retooling their flawed roster on the fly and within the confines of an (artificially) strained budget.  Let's review:

While one can easily make the case that the Cubs actually started their deadline dealing with the Craig Kimbrel signing back in June, I already banged out a whole post about that transaction.  Thus, let's start with the first bit of player movement made in the immediate lead up to baseball's line in the sand.

On an afternoon where I was busy chasing a steam locomotive around the the Chicago suburbs, the Cubs went out and picked a lefty off of the scrap heap.  Derek Holland had been designated for assignment by the Giants a few days previous and Theo saw an opportunity to grab a LOOGY out of the bargain bin.  Having flamed out as a starter due to his complete inability to put away righties (.291/.382/.640 in 2019), the southpaw is still absolutely lethal against same-handed opponents (.188/.278/.200).   Courtesy of his previous DFA, the Cubs were able to secure Derek's services for relative peanuts, costing just modest "cash considerations."

Provided he never sees another righty again, this shrewd move could pay dividends as part of restructuring a leaky bullpen.  Hopefully the Cubs can rehab Holland's career, much like the Union Pacific did that Big Boy!

Speaking of retooling the bullpen, on the day before the final deadline, the Cubbies pulled the trigger on another reliever trade, swapping AA hurler, Thomas Hatch, to the Blue Jays in exchange for David Phelps.  Mr. Phelps is a former Yankee prospect who has had success as a late inning reliever since transitioning to the bullpen with the Marlins in 2016.  In his previous 159 2/3 innings at the MLB level, David has posted an impressive 2.82 ERA with 10.9 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9.  Unfortunately, the dreaded Tommy John Surgery has stunted his career somewhat, as he missed all of 2018 after going under the knife.

Phelps signed with the Jays on a "make good," incentive-laden pact this past offseason and he pitched well enough for the rebuilding club to swap him for a modest prospect in Hatch (the Cubs' third-rounder in 2016).  Although, Thomas has struggled in his second trip through the AA level; so, unsurprisingly, Phelps' set-up man credentials loom far more important to the success of the Major League club.

On the other hand, what was surprising to me was just how many Phelps' cards I had in my trade stacks.  Honestly, non-closing bullpen arms rarely get any cardboard love... how did I end up with so many pasteboards of a random reliever?  I guess that's the benefit of being a former Yankee blue-chipper.

And now we've reached Deadline Day.  In the morning hours, the Cubs once again plunged into the scrapheap and came up with a salvageable piece.  Like Holland, Tony Kemp had also been recently designated for assignment by his former club and thus came with little expense.  In exchange for the diminutive (5'6") utility man, the Cubs traded third-string catcher, Martin Maldonado, back to Houston.  Maldonado had only been acquired a few weeks prior, in a knee-jerk trade to replace the briefly injured Willson Contreras and the rid the roster of the dissatisfied, dead-weight of Mike Montgomery, but the elite pitch-framer's services were an unnecessary luxury once Contreras came back healthy.

Meanwhile, Tony Kemp plugs a gap in the middle infield - with the sluggish performance of Addison Russell having been (thankfully) demoted to Iowa - and brings with him a disciplined bat, something the strikeout-prone Cubs offense could use:

Kemp has a...

85.2 contact%
89.3 contact% in zone
6.7 swinging-strike%

The 2019 Cubs have a...

73.3 contact% (15th NL)
83 contact% in zone (14th)
12.4 swinging-strike% (15th)

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 31, 2019

All in all, not a bad way to reshuffle the bench.  Although, the Cubs offensive woes seemed to indicate that a bigger bat was needed to jump-start the lately listless lineup.  Right up to the 4 o'clock deadline that afternoon, it seemed as though that need would go unfulfilled.  That is, until just a few minutes after the bell:

According to a sourced report that I've since lost, the Cubs and Tigers supposedly completed their long-rumoured Nick Castellanos swap just forty seconds before the hard Deadline.  Talk about going all the way to the wire!

I must admit, my opinion on the team's deadline dealings went from slightly unsatisfactory to joyful upon the reports of Nick's acquisition.  While the bench pieces and bullpen arms were nice, the need for a big bat was far to great to ignore and Nick seemed like the perfect fit.  The outfielder can take over right field at Wrigley, shifting Jason Heyward to center and Albert Almora back to the bench where he belongs.  Castellanos' .273/.328/.462 slash should provide a boost to the offense, especially when facing southpaw hurlers, when it inflates to .347/.415/.611.  for some reason, soft-tossing lefties have absolutely stymied the Cubs in 2019, so Nick checks a couple of big boxes for the team!

In the end, Nick's rental (he's set to become a free agent) ended up costing the Cubs a pair of pitching prospects in Paul Richan and Alex Lange, but that's the cost of doing business. Honestly, I was more concerned about adding a Castellanos card to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection because apparently I just don't pull Tiger cards.  This Opening Day card from 2016 was somehow my only Castellanos single, despite his being one of the most notable pieces of the Motor City lineup in this decade.

To conclude, shortly after news of the Castellanos trade dropped, the Cubs' last major move was leaked.  The struggling Carl Edwards, Jr. was shipped to San Diego in exchange for lefty reliever, Brad Wieck.  On one hand, it's a damn shame to see the live-armed Edwards shipped off, another piece of the 2016 World Series core.  On the other, Edwards was in dire need of a change of scenery, as 2019 and most of 2018 was a disaster for the "Stringbean Slinger."  In short, I'm sad to see him go but I understand why the move was necessary.

Grabbing yet another arm for the bullpen was probably a good idea, considering the inherent volatile nature of relief corps.  Brad Wieck was optioned to AAA Iowa upon the completion of the trade, though the front office has indicated the he'll likely be up with the Big League club in September.  Unfortunately, he's never appeared in a mainstream baseball card product and only has team-issued, minor league singles to his name.  At least I have a month before I officially need to add Brad to the CATRC!

With that, you can see that Wrigley Roster Jenga missed out on a lot of action of the past week or so.  Four new names will be added to my CATRC binder and one further player will likely be added in a few weeks time.  Now, with that missed coverage out of the way, I can move on to the off-the-wall cardboard acquisitions I've made in the last few days.  Let's just say that they've come from some unusual sources and I cannot wait to share.

Are you happy with your favorite team's trade deadline moves (or lack thereof)?  Personally, I give my beloved Cubbies a solid B+ and they've successfully roped me back in on the back's of Castellanos, Kemp, Phelps, and Holland.  Please sound off in the comment section below!

Old Edition

 via GIPHY

Did you know that Johnny Gill played baseball?

The former member of 80's/90's R&B mainstays, New Edition, and accomplished singer, songwriter, and actor also suited up for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, and - most importantly - the Chicago Cubs.  He looks incredibly good for his age too, as his stint in the Major Leagues took place many decades ago, from 1927 through 1936.  Who knew that the vocalist traded in his baseball bat for a microphone and apparently discovered the fountain of youth along the way?  More like Old Edition, am I right?

*Muffled sounds coming from the Wrigley Roster Jenga research intern* What's that? *more muted voices coming from off-screen*  That's not the same Johnny Gill?  Hmmm... well, I suppose that makes sense.  I was having an awfully hard time trying to figure out why Wikipedia made no mention of Johnny's exploits on the diamond.  It's all starting to come together.


In all seriousness, Johnny Gill is an obscure baseball player from the golden years who may or may not have had a lovely singing voice, but definitely has not maid much of a footprint on the internet.  In the process of drafting this post, my Google searches turned up almost nothing but biographical information, discographies, and new articles about the New Edition performer of the same name.  There's no relation or any sort of connection between the two; so, this name sharing is not particularly helpful when it comes to learning about newest addition to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection:

Can you find the typo?

This super-vintage antique hails from the 1936 S and S Game baseball card set, one of the most readily available collations from that pre-war time period.  As the name implies, these pasteboards were used to play a card game based on America's pastime that simulated actual gameplay.  Along with the slips of cardboard, there were several pegs and a board that would keep track player movements based on the card drawn.  For example, the card in my possession is marked "sacrifice bunt," moving the runner - or, rather, peg - along while also making an out.

Seeing as these cards were seen more as game tokens than collectibles, little attention was paid to the bare bones design, with the game information printed on either side of a black and white picture that is simply slapped on the cream background.  You also get the briefest of the subject's vitals underneath the photo, which really only serves to make an already small snapshot smaller.  Furthermore, while the fronts are not particularly flashy, the backsides are completely plain and feature green or cream fills.  Finally, these game pieces are just slightly off from the standard trading card size, measuring in at 2.25 x 3.5 inches, and make use of rounded corners and thin cardstock to simulate an actual deck of playing cards. 

All in all, this set is just another in a long line of baseball card games - think of it as an ancestor to MLB Showdown.  They sure aren't exciting slips of cardboard, but they aren't meant to be either; they're simply a means to an end.

S&S' The National Game, as packaged.  Image courtesy Robert Edward Auctions.

The checklist is packed with Hall of Famers from the time, i.e. Jimmie Foxx, Carl Hubbell, the Waner brothers, etc. - and these are often the most affordable "playing day" singles available for these legends.  The reason for this relative ease is that a dealer found a large stash of near mint, complete 52-card decks in the 1960's; so many, in fact, that the guy was able to sell these old oddballs for more than a decade after his discovery.  However, I paid no mind to this information while trying to track down my desired S&S game card, as it was the forgotten outfielder - who definitely did not appear on the Billboard charts - that I was after.

Image courtesy of the Conlon Collection.

From what I can find, Johnny Gill served as a journeyman, extra outfielder throughout the late 20's and mid 30's.  Originally debuting with Cleveland in 1927, he never appeared in more than 71 games in one campaign, with his high-water mark coming in his swan song season (1936).  Most significantly, at least to this blue-blooded Cubs fanatic, Gill was a member of the 1935 pennant winners from the North Side of Chicago.  That said, his tenure was only a mere three games, though he did smack a double and drive in a run during that cuppacoffee; thus he did contribute to that World Series appearance, ever so slightly.

As far as relevant trivia about Mr. Gill, all I can find is that he was nicknamed "Patcheye," for reasons that are currently unclear.  Additionally, while playing for the Minneapolis Millers in 1935 lead the American Association with 43 home runs and 154 RBI, all while batting a potent .361. Meanwhile, his career slash line in the Majors (.245/.306/.398) wasn't nearly as impressive.  I guess he was your prototypical, quad-A type of player.

So then, why did S and S decide to include the role player on his way out of the circuit in their star-studded, 52-card playset?  After all, the 1936 Cubs didn't win anything, but they sure did have some recognizable names, like HOF'ers Gabby Hartnett and Billy Herman and All Star Stan Hack.  S and S would know that too, as they were actually based in the Windy City.  Although, I guess you wouldn't want to insult those guys by putting their pictures on a "sac bunt" card, would you?

 Surely these legends are worth more than a sacrifice bunt.

At any rate, I'm glad that S and S went in the direction they did, as this card is by far the easiest specimen of Johnny's to obtain.  After all, I don't think I've ever seen a 1933 Worch Cigar or 1945 Centennial Flour baseball card in my entire life.  Meanwhile, I only had to drop a few bucks on this eighty-year old artifact (in surprisingly good condition) that was available only a few clicks of the mouse away on Ebay. Thank goodness that, back in the day, some vendor found all those decks in a warehouse or whatever.







So there ya have it, Johnny Gill, the baseball player - by way of an S and S "The National Game" playing card.  Not Johnny Gill, the twice Grammy Award nominated singer and the sixth member of New Edition.  They are not, in fact, the same person.  Although, with Gill, pitchers Phil Collins and Rick James, outfielder Davy Jones, and infielder Ron Dunn, it sure seems like the Cubs All-Time Roster Collection could form itself quite the prolific super group.  There's a blog post concept in there somewhere...

Anyway, does anyone else on the blogosphere have an S and S card in their collection?  What do you think of these super vintage oddballs?  Did you find that they are more readily available than a lot of their fellow pre-war counterparts, especially when it comes to the Hall of Famers included?  Does your franchise have a player that amusingly shares their name with a prolific singer or celebrity from another arena?  Are you a big fan of Johnny Gill and the rest of New Edition?  Please feel free to weigh in down in the comment section below.

In the meantime, I've got to log out and officially add Mr. Gill to my CATRC binder... and flesh out that blog idea about a harmonizing vocal group!

via GIPHY

Monty Moves On, Maldy Moves In

This is the most important moment in Chicago Cubs history.  Bar none.  If you have even paid semi-attention to baseball over the past five years, I shouldn't have to tell you what is happening in the .gif above.  I also should not have to explain to you why this play is so very significant.

The man who tossed the single most significant pitch in the franchise's timeline was Mike Montgomery.  Acquired in a trade with Seattle just prior to the annual trade deadline of 2016 (in exchange for 2019 All-Star, Daniel Vogelbach), the former blue chip prospect was a change of scenery candidate who was brought in to provide depth in the bullpen and the starting rotation.  Of course, after Aroldis Chapman ran out of gas and Carl Edwards, Jr. lost the strike zone, it was left up to this reclamation swingman to close out the Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, with 108 years of futility weighing heavily on his left shoulder.  Just like Theo Epstein and crew scripted, I'm sure.

Thankfully, MiMo came through in the clutch and permanently intertwined his name with Chicago sports history.  For the next few seasons, he continued to provide a steady presence in either the pen or the starting rotation, depending on the needs of the club.  However, Mike always wanted to be a dedicated starter and did not make this desire a secret.  Without a open slot, his time in the Windy City seemed limited and, as of last night, it came to an official close.

Sent back to his original MLB organization - the Kansas City Royals - he'll finally have a true chance to make it as a starter.  Of course, while he wanted to start, Mike was always willing to fill whatever role was needed.  Thus, it's appropriate that in this case, he's filling the role of trade bait for a needed back-up catcher. 

Willson Contreras injured the arch of his foot in the first game back after the All-Star game.  It was initially expected that Willy would only require a few days of rest off of the bench, an MRI was eventually undergone and a IL stint was deemed necessary in order to properly heal the problem limb.  Losing the 2019 All-Star starter for any length of time longer than the minimum 10-days would be a disaster-caliber loss, especially in the midst of the dogfight that is the NL Central.  While Martin Maldonado is not anywhere near Contreras' caliber in terms of offensive production,

Martin Maldonado is a nine-year veteran who has plied his trade with the Brewers, Angels, Astros, and Royals.  He has only appeared in more than 100 games twice during his MLB tenure, largely due to his career .220/.289/.352 slash line.  However, he his often cited as having elite pitch-framing skills - attracting the attention of the Cubs FO this past offseason - and provides a steady, veteran presence in the middle tight pennant race.  With Victor Caratini having a breakout season with the bat, Martin need not be anything more than he's been in order to strengthen the roster.

The #Cubs today acquired catcher Martín Maldonado from the Kansas City Royals for LHP Mike Montgomery. pic.twitter.com/XAbrN1gHw3

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 16, 2019

Although, despite the optics and timing, this move might not just be a knee-jerk reaction to an injury... at least, not completely.

Theo Epstein went on the record as saying that while the trade was ultimately consummated as a direct result of losing Willson, the two teams had been discussing the framework of a deal for a some time, before Willy was even achy.  This seems to indicate that the trade was originally meant to be more than a straight one-for-one trade, perhaps filling some other gaps on the Cubs roster (i.e. second base and/or a LOOGY).  The timeline was accelerated because of the Contreras injury, perhaps the two clubs will continue negotiations and a guy like Whit Merrifield or Jake Diekman is a Cub before the end of the summer.  This iron might still be warm.

For what it's worth, the FO have indicated that Willy's IL stint is precautionary and that he shouldn't be out longer than the minimum stay... a sentiment echoed by the backstop himself.  On the flip-side, we've heard that company line before...

But, as it stands, Mike Montgomery is once again a Royal and Martin Maldonado is now a Cub.  Delightfully, I just so happened to have a pair of Martins in my Angels trade stacks, ready to be considered for inclusion in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

Oddly enough, both Maldonado pasteboards hail from the same checklist - 2017 Topps Heritage.  Well, the one that shows Martin mid-swing is part of the High Numbers addendum - technically, a different product - but, they are essentially the same thing.  It's strange for a career-long backup catcher to get any love from the old bubblegum company, let alone this much adoration.  Heck, it's eyebrow-raising for anyone to show up in the same product twice in one go.  I wonder what happened in the process of reviewing the checklists that allowed for multiple Maldonados?

At any rate, I'm grateful to have not just one Marty, but two to choose from for my CATRC.  Though both are posed shots, the clear blue skies and "action" shot on the right definitely catch my fancy.  Thus, the High Numbered card # 662 will be holding down Maldonado's spot in my favorite binder, at least until/if the backstop appears on a slip of true Cubbie cardboard.

Coincidentally, Mike Montgomery's rep for my CATRC also hails from '17 Heritage.  I guess I have a thing for burlap.

While Montgomery was not effective in 2019 (5.67 ERA in 27 IP with two, separate IL stints) and was not particularly happy with his situation in Chi-Town, it's still sad to see the left-hander move on.  As 2016 gets smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror, more and more of the World Series roster are leaving town - Jake Arrieta is a Phillie, Hector Rondon is an Astro,  Jorge Soler is also a  Royal, David Ross is in the front office and John Lackey and Miguel Montero are retired.  That being stated, there's some added sting in seeing the guy who successfully executed the most important pitch in team history empty his Wrigley Field locker.  Time marches on and waits for no man.

In closing, I just want to say good luck in Kansas City, Mike Montgomery - here's hoping that you seize this long-deserved opportunity in the Barbeque Capital of the World.  Additionally, welcome to Chicago, Martin Maldonado - fingers crossed that he becomes the best back up receiver in the National League... emphasis on backup. 

Considering the state of the 2019 Cubs roster, I have a feeling that Martin won't be the only ballplayer we welcome to the Second City this July.

The New Italian Stallion

Last week, my parents took a well deserved vacation to Philadelphia, a trip my wife and I also took this past fall.  They had a lovely time exploring some of the most historic sites in our country - just in time for Independence Day - and scarfing down cheesesteaks.  Every time my mother sent me a picture, I got more and more jealous.

Of course, one of the destinations every tourist must visit when they travel to the City of Brotherly Love is the steps of the Philly Museum of Art.  However, it's not the frescoes and sculptures that lure visitors in - that staircase is the centerpiece in one of the most famous scenes in the history of recorded media.  Rocky Balboa - as played by Sylvester Stallone - concluded a jog across city by sprinting up those marble steps, triumphantly raising his arms to the sky, on the morning of his boxing match with Apollo Creed in 1976's Rocky.  My mother made sure to show me the video of her recreating this bit of "reel" history and I found myself wishing I was right back there myself.

As a runner, you better believe that this site was one of my favorite parts of our own trip last October.

Thankfully; I don't have to be envious of my parents anymore because, as of today, the Cubs are introducing baseball's own "Italian Stallion."  In an effort to shake up what has lately been a frighteningly listless club, Theo Epstein announced, this afternoon, that the North Siders are calling Robel Garcia up from AAA Iowa to make his Big League debut.

But, wait a second... you might be wondering why I would be referring to a player born and raised in the Dominican Republic with a nickname that is evocative of "Bel Paese."  Well, here's the deal, Robel is no ordinary prospect; he did not take the "normal" route in his long and winding climb to the Major Leagues.

Robel takes a powerful cut for Fortitudo Bologna of the Italian Baseball League - photo courtesy of Baseball.it

You see, Robel was originally signed, as a 17-year old, by the Cleveland Indians in 2010.  Unfortunately, after four uneven seasons with the organization, where he only rose as high a A ball, Garcia was released after spring training in 2014 and no MLB organizations came calling.  With few options at his disposal, the outfielder was forced to expand his horizons... REALLLLLLLY expand his horizons.  In an effort to extend his professional career, Robel took his talents to the Italian Baseball League.  Yup - he had to go all the way to Italy in order to continue on with America's pastime.

Did you even know that Italy has a baseball league?  Sure, you often here about a player turning to a foreign organization in an attempt to revitalize their career, but that's usually in Japan or Mexico, with independent teams in Canada, or through the winter leagues in Australia, Venezuela and Robel's native land of the Dominican.  Italy and, honestly, Europe as a whole, aren't exactly thought of as hotbeds for baseball activity.

As it turns out, the Italian Baseball League is considered the premier diamond organization on the European continent and has existed, in some form or another, since 1948.  While far off the beaten path, Robel Garcia was still able to grow his game in a fertile, competitive environment.

From there, Robel scorched opposing pitchers across the Repubblica Italiana.  While reliable stats are tough to come across (why Baseball Reference doesn't catalog them, I don't know), I did find that Garica posted the second-best (.571) slugging percentage and a third-best (.357) batting average in the league's championship series for Fortitudo Bologna last season, which culminated in a title for his club.

His play was impressive enough that he was elevated to the Italian national team, as well, which played an exhibition game as part of Arizona instructional league play that fall.  The middle infielder surprised a Cubs scout in attendance with his athletic ability and the franchise decided to take a flier on him welcoming him back to affiliated baseball.

Admittedly, his chances of sticking around were slim, at best.  I'm sure the team saw him as potential minor league depth, not as a potential blue chip prospect.  In fact, it was largely due to injuries that he made the bench for the Cubs' AA affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies, coming out of spring camp this past March.  With the window open ever so slightly, Robel proceeded to bust through like the Kool-Aid man.

Since playing his way into the starting lineup, Garica has become a sensation.  In 72 games split between AA and AAA, Robel has mashed 21 homers while posting a .285/.364/.594 slash line from the second base position.  All the while, second base has been a black hole for the Cubs all season, as Daniel Descalso and the piece of human excrement known as Addison Russell have been unable to hit the broadside of a barn.  With Robel continuing to force the issue, it was only a matter of time before he got his chance.

 These guys simply ain't cutting it... and one is a terrible person, on top of that.

While the story behind this "Italian Stallion's" unlikely rise to baseball's highest stage is a heartwarming one, a silver lining to what has been a relatively disappointing season at Wrigley Field, it is not one without potential pitfalls.  As impressive as Garcia's power display has been, his swing is still fraught with holes, as exemplified by his 34.2% strikeout rate in Des Moines.  However, at age 26 on a club with a desperate need at the keystone, it's time to sink or swim for this MLB longshot.

For the record, he did strike out in his maiden at-bat during last night's gut-wrenching loss.  Make of that what you will.

Owing to his supremely under the radar status, even during his days with Cleveland,  I definitely do not have baseball cards queued up and ready to be "called up" into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  In fact, despite his pro career having lasted nearly a decade at this point, I can only find three baseball cards to have ever been printed with his likeness.  I guess it should come as no surprise the IBL isn't really on Topps' collective mind.

Spoiler alert - all three pasteboards date from his time previously spent stateside and are of the minor league team set variety.  Thus, they aren't exactly the kind of items that pop up in my Chicagoland area card shops.  If any Cleveland super collectors happen to have one of these lying around, I'd love to talk trade!  I am especially fond of that Scrappers single that apes the 1987 edition of Topps.  In the meantime, maybe he'll do something Topps Now worthy and earn himself a true Cubs card - that'd be ideal.

At any rate, I'm thrilled that Robel is getting the chance to prove himself in the limelight after taking such a winding road to get to this point.  Plus, lord knows we Cubs fans could use the uplifting an heartwarming story after the crap the franchise has put us through in the last year or so.  Blown division lead, blink and you miss it playoff exit, pretending not to have any money available to tune up an obviously flawed roster, racist e-mails, inappropriate hand gestures being made by fans towards broadcasters, ownership cozying up to the Trump admin, continually employing an abuser who isn't even good at baseball, uneven and uninspired play... ugh, it's been hard to support this team lately.  Thank goodness for the cookie that is Robel Garcia!

Maybe I need to take a break from Cubs baseball... take a vacation and get out of town or something...  revisit Philadelphia.  Then, I can celebrate the arrival of the new "Italian Stallion" in the shadow of the old one, with a cheesesteak in hand, of course.

At any rate, welcome to Chicago, Robel.  Here's hoping that your power translates to the Big Leagues!

Mysteries of the Three Sisters, Pt. II

Anyone who knows me quickly becomes aware of the fact that I enjoy secondhand shopping.

Ever since I was little and counted down the days to my community's annual village-wide garage sale day, I've been obsessed with tracking down trinkets and treasures at any thrift shop, estate sale, yard sale, and antique shop that I happen upon.  It's gotten to the point that I immediately Google what such retail establishments are nearest by when I am travelling, just because I'm curious as to what people in other communities and locales are willing to part with and that I may become the beneficiary.  What can I say?  The alluring adventure and the mystery of not knowing what I might find at a swap meet or flea market is absolutely intoxicating.

Of course, when I am bored and have some spare time, I have some local haunts that I stake out fairly regularly.  Besides the nearby Goodwill, Savers, and St. Vincent's, one of my favorite such locations is Three Sisters Antiques in suburban Blue Island, Illinois.  The working class neighborhood dates back to the mid-19th century and has a rich cultural heritage, which has stocked the shelves of this 20+ year old antique boutique quite well.  The two-floor building is always stuffed to the gills with fascinating knick-knacks from throughout the last two centuries for me to gawk at.

The last time I was there, I posted here on Wrigley Roster Jenga about a mystery that stemmed from a one such scrap of ephemera:

This here is a photograph of a 1940's journeyman pitcher by the name of Nick Strincevich.  Born in closeby Gary, IN and continually a resident of Northwest Indiana, he was a local hero who plied his trade in the Major Leagues from 1940-48 with the Braves, Pirates, and Phillies.  However, none of this information was made apparent by the card-sized picture in question.

At the time, I was completely unaware of who this man was; however, I couldn't help but grab this 2.5" x 3.5" portrait off of a shelf when I came across it.  The mystery Bucco caused my mind to wander and I needed answers.  Unable to find the identity myself, I took to crowd sourcing on Twitter to solve the riddle and, thankfully, was not disappointed.  The Snorting Bull, blogger and baseball sleuth extraordinaire, quickly directed me to Nick's Baseball Reference entry, which uses the very same headshot in his profile.

That's the basic outline of my last experience at Three Sisters.  If you would like a more detailed account, I encourage you to read the original post, especially because it ties into what I'm about to discuss today.  Without any further ado, let's dive into Mysteries of the Three Sisters, Pt. II.

One of my favorite things to look at in these antique malls are collections of antique photographs.  While it is depressing that so many family pictures have been discarded like last week's newspaper, I am fascinated by looking at the profiles and glamour shots of people, and getting glimpses into their lives, who have long since passed on.  I'll never tire of pouring over the facial details and expressions of Victorian and Great Depression men and women and silently pondering to myself, "I wonder what was going on in their lives and the flash went off... I wonder what they were like."  Maybe it's slightly twisted or morbid, but I like to think that it keeps these people from completely fading into the ages.

Furthermore, it's a pipe dream of mine to come across an honest to goodness cabinet card of a baseball player in these stacks and bins.  Sure, anyone who digs such a thing up from his or her crawlspace would probably try to hawk any such piece with a sports connection, but you simply never know.  Not to mention, I've stumbled upon plenty exemplary photographic portraitures of regular joes from the time period - maybe a ballplayer got lost in the stacks?

Anyway, a few days ago, while I was silently wandering through the aisles of the basement floor at Three Sisters, I happened upon a wicker basket absolutely overflowing with antique photographs of all shapes and sizes.  Lord knows there was no way I was moving onto the next booth without pouring over each and every print.

Here's a quick snapshot of the snapshots and you can even see one of those aged cabinet curiosities that I alluded to right up front.  All in all, I spent a good 45 minutes crouched on the floor, sifting through my newfound basket of goodies with all the eagle-eyed attention to detail of a miner forty-niner.  While most such photographic archaeological digs turn up nothing of true notability, it did not take long for this excavation to change the narrative:

"Hey - that's the same picture that I found elsewhere in the shop last time that I was here!"  What a strange coincidence.  That jived with my previous theory that someone had printed these baseball card-sized photos for an autograph appearance or a TTM attempt or other such endeavor.  However, after a few more minutes of flipping through Kodaks, I found something - or, rather, a pair of somethings - of much more interest than a duplicate of a previous treasure:

Hot damn - more trading card-sized prints!  At this point, my mind was spinning from the potent fumes of mystery that were emanating from these exposures. 

Of course, my first thought was, "who are these two hurlers?"  Heck, I couldn't even make it out of the store before I again took to Twitter to ask for assistance in identifying these ballplayers from an era so long ago.

Hey Twitter, can anyone help me identify these players? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! pic.twitter.com/ua07Z2YPE1

— Tony Burbs (@RosterJenga) June 28, 2019

Unfortunately, as of yet, no one has been able to definitively slap a name on these faces.  Admittedly, these "cards" are a much more difficult ask than the previous, due to their not being up close portraits - the details are somewhat hazy, especially in the instance of the shadowy-faced Pirates pitcher.  Not all hope is lost, as I have a theory, but I'll save that for the end of the post.  Before we get to that, I have a few more details to share.

First, considering the price point of these confusing artifacts was just a buck a pop and the vendor in question was having a 60% off sale, there was no way I was leaving these behind and potentially missing out on a good story.  Maybe these moundsmen were Cubs at other points in their careers and these prints could prove useful in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection endeavor?  Maybe pictures of them in these uniforms were not often seen, or maybe even just capturing these men on film was a rare treat?  The potential was certainly worth the pocket change.

On the other hand, it should be pointed out that while the pictures in question depict baseballists from the middle of the 20th century, there's little chance that these prints are even close to that old.  First of all, while the Kodak paper that they are printed on had yellowed slightly, the degradation does not seem consistent with such exposures of a similar age.  Maybe someone is more of an expert on photography can chime in here, but the watermark on the back which reads "This paper manufactured by Kodak" seems to indicate a much more modern origin.

Nevertheless, with as spotty as the coverage was for bubblegum baseball cards of the World War II time period, were these proven to show players who had also suited up on the North Side of Chicago, I would strongly consider them for inclusion in my CATRC.  If you have any ideas as to who these, as of yet, identified Braves and Pirates hurlers from the golden years of baseball, I encourage you to share your theories below.  Any assistance would be infinitely appreciated, as my searches have turned up no concrete information.

Although, as I stated earlier, this hasn't stopped me from coming up with a hypothesis.

I have a sneaking suspicion that our mystery friends are actually familiar faces... or, actually, one familiar face.  That is to say, I think that it's quite possible that all three pieces of my Three Sisters trio of trinkets depict Nick Strincevich.  Now, you might be wondering what has lead me to that conclusion, seeing as I can find no trace of these images online - please allow me to elaborate.

Firstly, I mentioned earlier that I thought the original piece may have been created as an autograph platform for the local hero.  It stands to reason that if one image was whipped up for such a task, perhaps the intrepid baseball enthusiast created a few more custom "cards" for which to be graced with Nick's John Hancock.  After all, don't many TTM seekers often send more than one pasteboard with their requests, for variety's sake?  To me, this seems parallel to that collecting method.

Secondly, I mentioned that Nick played for both the Braves and the Pirates (and Phillies, but that's not important right now) during his nearly decade-long stay in the Majors.  Correspondingly, the mystery moundsmen just so happen to be donning the laundry of those same two clubs.  Could that just be a coincidence?  Of course, but it's definitely a common feature worth noting for my theory.

Lastly, in the still on the left, you can get a glimpse of the uniform number being sported by this person, a number which ends in five.  As it turns out, the digits most commonly sported by Nick during his tenure with the Buccos just so happen to be 25.  While you cannot get a look at the jersey number adorned on the back of the Bravo pitcher, his face sure does look similar enough to Strincevich's portrait that it could be the same man.  Again, it would be foolish to say for certain without more identifying features, but the possibility that these people are all one and the same is there.

Anywho, that's all I got for this mystery right now.  Searches for these photos in online databases turn up nothing, though they do seem strikingly similar to those taken by the storied George Brace during the same time period.  If you have any information or thoughts that might prove helpful in solving this case, please, please, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.  I'll be able to sleep better tonight if I can put this question to bed.

In the end, though this currently unsolved mystery has proven somewhat frustrating, it is for this very same reason that I am absolutely enthralled with secondhand shopping.  Like I said, you just never know what you are going to find when venture into a thrift store, flea market, or antique shop and this trip to Blue Island's Three Sisters emphatically proved this point!  I'll definitely be going back there again someday soon.

You may very well see a Mysteries of the Three Sisters, Pt. III on Wrigley Roster Jenga.