Josh Vitters

Josh Vitters was the Cubs first round pick (3^rd overall) in the 2007 draft and was a Baseball America Top 100 Prospect for the next couple of years. He worked his way up the ranks and even cracked the Majors in an August call up in 2012 after making the Pacific coast League (AAA) All-Star team.

Unfortunately, he had at least three different stints on the disabled list in 2013 and only got into 28 games all season. It seems that this season, while Vitters has played parts or all of 18 games at third base, the Cubs are transitioning Vitters to the outfield where he has played 43 games in left field. With Kris Bryant slugging his way through the minors, that is probably a smart move for Vitters.

This card was signed in Spring Training this year.

2013 Topps Opening Day Josh Vitters

As I've been compiling my checklists of haves and needs, I've been also doing quick eBay searches to knock off some one-sies and two-sies when possible. That was the case when I decided I should probably knock off 2013 Topps Opening Day before the 2014 version hits the shelves.

Despite a poor 2012 late season call-up performance for Vitters, the card was double digits in price (with shipping) back when it was released. I'm glad I waited though because I was able to pick it up for just a few bucks.

The photo used was from the same play as the one used on his 2013 Topps Series 2 card, just earlier in the sequence. 



Photo by Brian Kersey (courtesy of Getty Images)



And as I previously mentioned when dissecting that card, I belive this is the Joaquin Arias groundout in the 7th inning of a 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on August 31, 2012.

And for anybody interested, I tacked on these other autographs from the same seller for a pittance. Both are up for grabs. Neither are big names but I have to imagine there is a Rays or Dodgers fan that would be willing to take either off my hands.

2013 Topps Series 2 Josh Vitters

Topps had high hopes for Josh Vitters going into 2013. He had an autograph card in Opening Day and was one of the three Cubs featured in the Spring Fever promotion which included a base card and another autograph. He also had Million Dollar Chase autograph, as well as a wrapper redemption autograph. Whew! I wouldn't even doubt that I'm even missing a few more.

I think I was putting this one off, waiting for Vitters to make his 2013 Cubs debut. That never happened, so here we are. Aside from that, the card itself is pretty good. Tight, well cropped shot. You got some eyeblack and an interesting, though not completely embarrassing tongue biting facial expression. 

Photo by Brian D. Kersey (courtesy of Getty Images)

The caption for the photo only states that Vitters is making a throw to first base on August 31, 2012 against the San Francisco Giants. Not much help narrowing down the play but at least I have the game. How many plays does a third baseman make in a game anyway?

In the top of the second, Vitters started a double play off the bat of Hunter Pence but threw to second, so not that play. Joaquin Arias led off the seventh inning with a groundout to Vitters. And in the bottom of the 8th, with runners on first and third with 1 out, Hunter Pence hit a weak ground ball to third base again and was out at first.

Based on the sequence of photos also available from that game, I'm going to say this is the Arias ground ball from the 7th inning. Another photo shows Vitters on the infield grass throwing the ball to first base, something more indicative of a weak ground ball. And you'll notice the Getty Image numbers is several hundred numbers higher leading me to believe it came later in the game.

Same photographer, different location.

The Cubs would win 6-4 for their 51st win of the season.

The back of the card shows a lot of minor league experience for Vitters. You can see why he got the call with the numbers he put up in Iowa in 2012, but unfortunately, it didn't quite translate to the Major League level. We'll see what 2014 brings the Cubs at third base. Maybe Vitters will get his 100th career at-bat.

It had to be hard for the guys at Topps to pick Career Chase stats for guys with a just a handful of games worth of experience. I don't think Tris Speaker has anything to worry about with his doubles record.

Where Are They Now? 2010 Pro Debut Part 7

This is part seven (of eight planned) of this running series where I take a look back at the future Cubs represented in the 2010 Pro Debut. You can view previous posts here:

Part One - Ryan Flaherty and Brett Jackson 

Part Two - DJ LeMahieu and Brooks Raley

Part Three - Chris Archer and Hak-Ju Lee

Part Four - Rebel Ridling and Trey McNutt

Part Five - Welington Castillo and Jay Jackson

Part Six - David Cales and Casey Coleman

The Cubs selected Josh Vitters with the third overall pick in the 2007 draft and he was a top 100 Baseball America Prosect from 2008-2010. He's been gradually making his way up the chain and made his Major League Debut last August in a late season call up.

He's had a rough year in 2013, working through some injuries and playing in only 28 games in Triple-A Iowa. He was shut down early and it was announced in late August/early September that he would not be part of September call ups despite being on the Cubs 40 man roster. Hopefully the extra rest has him ready for 2014.

James Leverton was drafted in the 8th round by the Cubs in the 2008 draft. He went a combined 10-14 in 2008-09 in low and high Single-A before turning it around in 2010. Between three teams, Leverton went 10-1 with a 2.75 ERA. So of course the Cubs released him for 2011.

He started that season with the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian-American Association (an independent league) before signing a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins. Yeah, they were still the Florida Marlins back then. He's been rising through the ranks since, spending most of this season out of the bullpen with their Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs.

The card above was signed during Spring Training prior to the 2012 season with a little help from someone who 'graphed the Marlins. 

Potpourri for $200, Alex

This'll be a hodge podge post of updates that don't really deserve they're own post, hence the Jeopardy title.

First up, this is a last call for the Blaster Fantasy League. We hit my goal of at least 10 players (9 right now plus one who promised to join tonight) but there's room for two more if there is interest. The draft is set for this Saturday night so get in while you still can. Blasters galore and a chance to win a signed Ripken book. If you're not in the league, this will probably be the last you hear of it until prize time.

Next, I have added a new tab above listing my Opening Day wants. While you're at it, take a look at my 2013 Topps wants too. I'll be hitting a card show the weekend after next but I'd rather work out some trades.

I have responded to everybody who made a claim on inserts yesterday. If somebody wants me to take a look at their base needs for OD, let me know. Ty, my intended recipient, will be buying a complete set separately and doesn't need them.  If you missed yesterday's post, I have marked what's claimed but there's still a bunch there.

And finally, for visual interest, I picked up an autographed version of the Josh Vitters Spring Fever card.

This was the most plentiful of the 3 Cubs available, numbered out of 451. I'm not sure of the significance of that number but the Anthony Rizzo is numbered to 68 while the Andre Dawson is numbered to 51. Those are still commanding some pretty ridiculous amounts so I'm content with this one for now.

PWE made of Gold?!?

We were at an all-day wrestling tournament on Saturday and another on Sunday so I was catching up on some blog reading Sunday evening. I was literally just reading JediJeff's Sunday post over at 2x3Heroes about some out of the blue cards in the mail when my wife brought me a PWE from Saturday's mail. I had already received all of my recent ebay/sportslot purchases so it was truly unexepected cards! And wouldn't you know it, it was from JediJeff! Strong in the force, he is with his Jedi mind tricks. And they were all gold cards to boot!

Topps Update came out last year when I was taking a small break from blogging. In the fall, I was in the process of starting big boy college after finishing up my associate degree at my local community college in the spring. I picked up a hobby box which yielded a complete set so I didn't think much of the tracking down the parallels.

JediJeff sent six (!) gold Cubs parallels from last year. He must have picked up a ton of Update to get that lucky with Cubs! One card was from Series One:

Starlin Castro (0599/2012)

One from Series Two:

Anthony Rizzo (1184/2012)

And four from the Update Series:



Brett Jackson (1502/2012)

James Russell (0900/2012)

Josh Vitters (1992/2012 & 0553/2012)

Thanks a ton Jeff! There will be some White Sox I've been saving up for you coming your way soon.

Spring Fever!

With Spring Training fully underway and games starting for all the clubs either yesterday or today, I thought I'd throw a friendly reminder out to those interested in joining my Fantasy Baseball League. The entry fee is reasonable and the prizes aren't too shabby, if I do say so myself. Click the tab up above for more details and sign up now!

With that out of the way, I thought I'd show off the latest additions to the collection. These Spring Fever cards are part of a 50 card set that was/is available in 5 card packs from your local card shop from 2/20-2/27 if you managed to pull this card from a pack:

I like to support local card shops when I can but my nearest participating one is about 45 minutes away. So I headed over to ebay to see what Cubs were featured instead. I managed to find one seller who had all 3 Cubs and therefore got a pretty good deal on them. They showed up in Friday's mail after having my best offer accepted on Tuesday so not too shabby.

I did manage to pull one of the redemption cards from my box a few weeks ago but thought it was just a pack filler and didn't pay much attention to it then. I may call the store and make the drive if they still have any of the packs available. I need to pick up some supplies anyway as I've been on a pretty big organizing kick this year. Don't want to lose any momentum!

In hand, the cards look somewhere in between what Collecting the Cubs showed off on Thursday and the scans I have below. The background is more blue like his photos, but they are refractory, hence the rainbow striping on my scans.

I like that each of the three players selected have their own story that ties into Spring Training. Josh Vitters is vying for a spot on the team at a pretty wide open third base. Anthony Rizzo had a great spring last year and after a little more Triple-A work was brought up mid-season and was one of the bigger highlights on an otherwise dismal season. And Andre Dawson joined the Cubs during Spring Training in 1987, the season he would go on to win the MVP award.

I'd like to pick up the signed versions as well but demand is high right now and the prices are on the overpriced side. Either it cools off and I'll grab them later or they dry up and I live without. I have autographs from all three of these guys already on other cards so it's not too big a deal if I don't.

Josh Vitters

Since my last custom 2012 Cubs team set update, there have been 4 new debuts. Alberto Cabrera, Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters and Brooks Raley. Unfortunately, also since my last set update, the Cubs are winless. Probably not so coincidentally, that was right around the trade deadline. Let's hope this post helps reverse the streak.

I've fallen a little behind in updating my custom set. I haven't burned out. I just haven't been able to find good, usable photos. Horizontal shots that give me just enough up top to "pop" out of the frame are harder to come by than you'd think. I have potential photos for Jackson and Raley (looking for better) but Cabrera remains elusive. You would think that 4 appearances (although only 2.2 innings) would yield at least one usable photo.

The photo I used for Josh Vitters comes from his MLB debut on 8/5/2012. His only at-bat in that game was a pinch-hit fly out but it still made for a decent photo. Fast forward past his 0-4 performance in his first start the next day and you'll get to his third game. He pinch-hit again, though this time for a double that drove in two runs. Always nice to knock out a couple of firsts at the same time.

Josh Vitters

Still too early to tell if Vitters will be the third baseman of the future for the Cubs. But that's what games in August and September are for, right?

Oh, pennant races and playoffs you say?

Pffffft. That's for contenders...

Here are links to the previous 46 cards:

Part 1    Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5