He Played for the Cubs? - An All-Time Team

This is a post that I've had in my mind for a couple years now. Using just the cards in my Cubs collection, I wanted to put together an all-time Cubs team, consisting of players that made most of their impact on other teams. Accompanying each member of the roster is an image of their Cubs card in my collection. I used WAR (Wins Above Replacement) as a quick metric to try to measure the player's relative impact on the Cubs compared to their whole career. In some cases, I favored a player with lower WAR in my starting lineup. Enjoy the 25-man roster and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Happy New Year!

The Batting Order:

*Hall of Fame

1. Lou Brock - RF*

2010 Topps Update - Cards Your Mom Threw Out

Career: 19 seasons / 45.3 WAR

Cubs: 4 seasons / 3.6 WAR

2. Richie Ashburn - CF*

Career: 15 seasons / 58.1 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 4.1 WAR

3. Fred McGriff - 1B*

Career: 19 seasons / 52.6 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 3.3 WAR

4. Ralph Kiner - LF*

1977-84 Galasso Glossy Greats

Career: 10 seasons / 48.1 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 4.6 WAR

5. Nomar Garciaparra - SS

Career: 14 seasons / 44.3 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 1.5 WAR

6. Tony Lazzeri - 2B*

Career: 14 seasons / 47.6 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / 0.7 WAR

7. Gary Gaetti - 3B

Career: 20 seasons / 42.1 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 0.8 WAR

8. Roger Bresnahan - C*

Career: 17 seasons / 42.0 WAR

Cubs: 4 seasons / 3.8 WAR

9. Robin Roberts - P*

Career: 19 seasons / 86.1 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / -0.7 WAR

Goose Gossage - Closer*

Career: 22 seasons / 41.1 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / -0.2 WAR

Bench:

Kenny Lofton - OF

Career: 17 seasons / 68.4 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / 1.8 WAR

Jim Edmonds - OF

Career: 17 seasons / 60.4 WAR

Cubs: 1 season 1.1 WAR

Luis Gonzalez - OF

Career: 19 seasons / 51.6 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 4.7 WAR

Jason Kendall - C

Career: 15 seasons / 41.7 WAR 

Cubs: 1 season / -0.3 WAR

D.J. LeMahieu - SS

Career: 12 seasons / 30.3 WAR (still active)

Cubs: 1 season / -0.2 WAR

Davey Johnson - 3B

Career: 13 seasons / 27.4 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / 0.5 WAR

Chris Speier - Utility

Career: 19 seasons / 30.6 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 0.9 WAR

Other Starting Pitchers:

Cole Hamels - #2 Starter

Career: 15 seasons / 59.0 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 5.0 WAR

Burleigh Grimes* - #3 Starter

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #37

Career: 19 seasons / 52.8 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / -0.6 WAR

Curt Simmons - #4 Starter

Career: 20 seasons / 43.3 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / -1.1 WAR

Dan Haren - #5 Starter

Career: 13 seasons / 35.1 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / 0.2 WAR

Other Relief Pitchers:

Hoyt Wilhelm*

Career: 21 seasons / 46.8 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / -0.2 WAR

Tom Gordon

Career: 21 seasons / 35.0 WAR

Cubs: 2 seasons / 0.8 WAR

Bobby Shantz

1964 Topps Style Custom
(Shantz never had a Cubs card issued.)

Career: 16 seasons / 34.7 WAR

Cubs: 1 season / -0.1 WAR

Craig Kimbrel

Career: 13 seasons / 21.8 WAR (still active)

Cubs: 3 seasons / 1.8 WAR

Others considered:

Rick Aguilera, Jeff Blauser, George Bell, Rod Beck, Joe Carter, Nick Castellanos, Tommy Davis, Cliff Floyd, Jimmie Foxx* (I don't have a Cubs card of Foxx, or else he would have made the team), Monte Irvin*, Eric Karros, Harvey Kuenn, Phil Nevin, Carlos Pena, Joc Pederson, Benito Santiago, Bobby Thomson, Willie Wilson

The Frankenset Recap (Page 38: Cards 335-343)

Welcome to another installment of a series covering my completed Frankenset. I thought it would be fun to share the set page by page on this blog, and also provide some random commentary with each page. More information on the Frankenset as well as links to the pages that have been revealed can be found here.

Today we'll look at page 38 of the set, which includes cards #335 to 343. 

1994 Topps #335, Kevin Mitchell

Kevin Mitchell signing autos, likely at Riverfront Stadium. Mitchell actually played parts of three seasons in Cincinnati, clubbing 30 homeruns in just 95 games in 1994. 

1992 Topps #336, Greg Anthony

If 1992 was a shirt, this would be it. 

1999 Topps #337, John Burkett

The follow through on this swing really looks like an AL pitcher, doesn't it? 

 

1992 Bowman # 338, Hensley Meulens

Meulens never lived up to expectations as a highly-touted Yankees prospect. His autograph can be had for a few dollars on eBay. 

1993 Upper Deck #339, Duane Ward

Was it magic gum? Ward posted a 1.95 ERA in 79 relief appearances in 1992. 

1990 Fleer #340, Robin Yount

Modern analytics wouldn't approve of bunting with a guy like Yount, the 1989 NL MVP. 

 

1992 Upper Deck #341, Glenn Braggs

Something's about to go down here, and it might get ugly. 

2001 Bowman #342, Grady Sizemore

Sizemore began his career with the Expos organization before being traded in 2002 along with Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens. In exchange, Cleveland sent Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew (J.D.'s brother) to Montreal. The Indians definitely got the better end of the deal. 

1990 Upper Deck #343, Ellis Burks

Keep your eye on the ball, Ellis. 

Do you have a favorite from this page? There's not a definite standout for me, but I'd say Sizemore with the Expos would be my pick. I also enjoy the Greg Anthony shirt and Robin Yount bunting.

Thanks for reading!

A Legendary Hat and Legendary Goggles: The Frankenset Recap (Page 55: Cards 488-496)

Welcome to third installment of an 89-part series (wow, that sounds daunting) covering my completed Frankenset. I thought it would be fun to share the set page by page on this blog, and also provide some random commentary with each page. More information on the Frankenset as well as links to the pages that have been revealed can be found here.

I'll also occasionally share miscellaneous information about the set in its entirety. This week, I am featuring a fun fact about the "unique team" category. There are 77 cards in the 800 card set depicting a player with a "unique team." This is defined as a team you normally wouldn't associate that player with (think Willie Mays on the Mets or John Smoltz on the Cardinals). Here are the top teams featured in this category:

• Orioles - 7 (one of these is featured in this week's post, but the card only contributes a half point to this total, since it also fits another Frankenset category)
• Giants - 7 
• Athletics - 6 
• Padres - 5 
• Red Sox - 5 
• Angels - 5 
• Yankees - 5 

Today, we'll look at page 55 of the set, cards 488 to 496.

1993 Stadium Club #488, Scooter Tucker

The meaning of this nickname is not fully known, even by Scooter himself.

1992 Upper Deck #489, Paul Gibson

Probably Dubble Bubble, which means it lost its flavor after approximately 7 seconds.

1994 Pinnacle #490, Chris Sabo

Sabo's iconic goggles make an appearance with an added bonus of an unfamiliar uniform.

1982 Donruss #491, Billy Martin

It probably wasn't too hard to find an opportunity for this type of photo.

2013 Topps #492, Jose Molina

The middle Molina brother actually played 15 years in the majors, but is still lesser known than older brother Bengie and younger brother Yadier. 

1990 Score #493, Eric Show

If you only saw his face, I imagine you might think Eric was participating in an activity other than throwing a baseball.

2012 Topps #494, Darwin Barney

Airborne.

1984 Fleer #495, Jay Johnstone

Perhaps one of the most iconic cards of all time, from a quirkiness perspective. And Jay Johnstone was a quirky guy.

1987 Topps #496, Bruce Bochte

Bruce looks like a middle school science teacher from the early 90s. Does anyone wear glasses like that anymore?

What was your favorite card from the page? Mine would have to be the legendary Jay Johnstone. I've actually read a couple of his books, which are quick and entertaining reads. I'd say the Billy Martin would be my second choice and Chris Sabo would come in third. 

Thanks for reading!

An Unexpected PWE: Everyone's Dream

I recently received a PWE from Brendan, better known as Elliptical Man over at A View from the Third Floor. When I saw the envelope, I didn't think I had won a recent giveaway or anything, so I was intrigued. So, what was inside? It didn't take me long to see they were all candidates for my Frankenset, but if there was any doubt, Brendan included a little checklist guide to what he sent.

Eighteen cards in total made their way from beautiful San Diego to the less picturesque Fargo in a 70 cent envelope. Some were cards I already had in my Frankenset, but some were new to me, so I will need to see if they might find a home in the set. 

Dave Stewart the cameraman. Chuck Finley hugging a runner. The Gary Pettis is a great find. He missed the bunt! Hadn't noticed this one before. Some great glasses/sunglasses shots, too. Do you know the guy in the middle? Scroll down for the answer. And Steve Carlton with the White Sox? Just doesn't look right.

Chris Bosio signing some autos. Why is 40-something Carlton Fisk bunting? Tim Raines bunting - makes more sense. Pitcher running the bases. Two legendary nicknames. Love a good bubble gum card. And then you have the Rollie Fingers mustache battling the Justin Turner beard (sorry it's sideways). 

I appreciate Brendan going through my list and finding some awesome cards to fit my Frankenset categories. He's a loyal reader of the blog, too, so I owe him a double thanks! 

The man in the middle on page one was the one and only Jay Buhner. If you got it wrong, you owe me one Ken Phelps card.

The Best of the Rest: Challenges of Building a Frankenset

When I first learned about the concept of a Frankenset, I was excited. I had been setting aside unique cards for quite some time, and now I had a way to meaningfully organize them. Hunting for cards to fit the holes in your set is a fun pursuit, too. It's like hunting for cards in a regular set, but there's an added dimension because you have to find a card to fit the slot first. 

That's the stage I'm at with my Frankenset. I'm still hoping to fill 792 slots, and not surprisingly, most of the cards I need are in the 700s. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely I suppose. I figure I can make some custom checklist cards to fill 6 or 7 slots eventually if I can't find anything that fits some of those higher numbers. Lately, I've been scouring Trading Card Database and looking at sets that go above 660 in the hopes of filling some of those numbers. I'm about 50 to 75 cards short right now, but honing in on a wish list to get me closer. I'll post that soon when I have it organized, so if you can help, I'd be glad to swing a trade or two.

But this post is going to take a different angle on my Frankenset. For every card with #738 you find, there might be 2 or 3 or 4 cards with #135 that you'd like to put in your set.

But you can only pick one. That leads to some tough decisions. And cards that are more than worthy of finding their way into the set are suddenly on the outside looking in. This post is dedicated to some of those cards. 

The following pairs are cards with the same number. The card on the right made it into the Frankenset, and the card on the left was relegated to the "Best of the Rest" section at the back of the binder. I picked some of my favorite second place finishers to display, so hope you enjoy them. 

#219: 1983 Topps Mike Armstrong vs. 1994 Collector's Choice Jose Offerman

The Mike Armstrong card is an all-timer. Serial killer look paired with serial killer glasses. But I like the Offerman card. Apparently, the runner tried to break up a double play not by sliding, but by running straight into Offerman while the second baseman decided to get uncomfortably close to the play for some reason. Plus, it's the Silver Signature version!

#157: 1992 Donruss Triple Play Greg Harris vs. 1983 Donruss Goose Gossage

The glove on the head makes me want to choose Harris. The glasses make me want to go with Gossage (though Harris's are fantastic, too). The tiebreaker here is star power. I'm going with the Hall of Famer.

#274: 1995 Score Darren Lewis vs. 1982 Fleer Jack Morris

Darren Lewis appears to be trying to break up a double play here. But picture him for a moment on a waterslide... Works, doesn't it? 

There's just too much to like with the Jack Morris card, though. The odd shadow or possibly UFO surrounding his hat. The chain link fence. And of course, the off-center photo cutting off Black Jack's entire right arm. 1982 Fleer delivers again.

#586: 1993 Donruss Joe Oliver vs. 1975 Topps Tim McCarverI might be willing to change my mind on this one. I really like Oliver biting the dust (Is he mid-air?), but McCarver just doesn't look right with the Red Sox. He only played 22 games with them. So, for now at least, I'm going with Joe Buck's old sidekick in the booth.

#36: 1992 Topps Scott Ruffcorn vs. 1985 Topps Fred Breining

Here we have what I can only assume is a senior picture vs. Fred Breining, who as I pointed out in a previous post, looks like Jerry Seinfeld when he wore those big glasses in an episode of Seinfeld. Going with Jer--- I mean Fred, on this one.

#4: 1992 Classic Best Scott Sharts vs. 1997 Score Rockies Team Edition Ellis Burks

The juvenile humor is so tempting here (I assume you know what a "shart" is), but I decided to be an adult and pick the fun Ellis Burks glove-on-head card.

#128: 1991 Pacific Senior League Baseball Razor Shines vs. 1969 Topps Tommie Aaron

An all-time great name vs. an all-time great "lesser known." I like the Aaron card better, so going with Tommie.

 

#387) 1992 Stadium Club Ruben Sierra vs. 2002 Upper Deck Al Leiter 

A top vs. bottom matchup this time. The Sierra is such a unique card, but I love the angle on the Al-Leiter card a lot. And bonus points because the ball is still in the frame, too. Going with Mr. Leiter here.

Well there you have it. Let me know your thoughts. Favorite card of the bunch? Want to make a case for one of the second place finishers? Put your comments below!