Close but No Cigar (2014 Donruss)

The title is not a reflection on the product itself, but rather, my attempt to ID the original source photos like I did for Cubs cards last season and am doing for the entire 2014 Topps set on my other blog. I guess I should have said "spoiler alert" or something to that effect.

First up, we have Anthony Rizzo.

One of the stars of the team, Rizzo has over 1200 photos in Getty Images from 2013. Because he's wearing the home ponstripes, I can throw “Wrigley” into the search and we cut that number in half. But after sifting through those, no such luck.

I decided to try another trusty photo site, AP Images. They had just under 500 images of Rizzo from 2013 and an even more manageable 132 when I added “Wrigley” to the search.

Below are two photos from that group that have the same background fans as those on the card. So I’m pretty sure I nailed the game, and maybe even the same at bat. Because we all know over the course of a game, fans get up and move around.

We've got the fan in the floppy hat behind Rizzo that is obscured by the AP watermarks on the photos. The guy directly above him with the sunglasses. And the female fan in the red shirt right at Rizzo's eyeline among others.

As the title says, close, but no cigar. My guess is that the photo on the card was the third in a sequence of quick shots. Now that I had the game date, I went back to Getty and redid my search. However, all of the Rizzo photos from that day were taken from the third base side.

With less commentary on the process, I experienced similar results with Travis Wood.

Here’s a pretty close one. But unless they added some bushiness to Wood's beard while Photoshopping out the logos, this is not a match.

Here's the right amount of beard, but not the right pose.

While it’s a little hard to tell because the background is much blurrier than the Rizzo, I think this is probably a game day match based on this fan:

Hardly conclusive, but I think I'm right.

And finally we have Starlin Castro.

As best I can tell, this one is a match. Success!

Had I found the original source photos for all of them, they would have gotten their own posts. But now, this post has gotten long enough so I won't be breaking any of them down. Maybe I'll do the Castro another day since I did find a match.

Until I got to the Castro, I was starting to wonder if maybe Donruss paid for exclusivity and the original source photos were pulled from the site. Now I don't know what to think. I also wonder if Topps has the same "rights" to Getty images as they do MLB logos or if Donruss wanted to reduce the likelihood of using the same photo and went with another photo agency.

All of these AP photos (and I'm assuming the photos for the cards I did not find) were taken by the same guy, David Durochik, a Chicago based photographer. I’m sure like any other job it has its tough times, but aside from playing for the Cubs, being a game day photographer ranks right up there for me as a dream job. And to have some of your work end up on a baseball card? Awesome.

A Forgotten Mini Collection

I've seen a few other bloggers use Zistle as a means to catalog their collections and advertise their "haves" lists and I really like that idea. With an unknown checklist for niche collection cards, posting "haves" instead of "wants" is pretty brilliant. But the idea of inputting thousands of Cubs cards after spending so much time with them already seemed daunting. I signed up last year but never added any cards. But after seeing it recently on one of Jeff's 2x3 Heroes posts, I checked it out again and am going to start small, with my "Horizontal" collection, see how it goes and take it from there.

And in my excitement over starting my new Horizontal card collection, I forgot that right after I started this blog nearly two years ago, I sort of, kind of started a different mini collection. I only "remembered" after clearing a binder in anticipation of needing one for Horizontal cards.

One lonely, single sided page in this now empty binder contained non-Cubs cards that showed Wrigley Field's ivy covered walls in the background.

When I was growing up, I thought it would be cool to get some kind of clipping from Wrigley that I could use to start my own authentic Wrigley ivy vine at my house. What can I say, the original Karate Kid movie made me think gardening/grooming bonsai trees would be cool. Why not do it with ivy?

Now, as an adult homeowner, I know how destructive the plant can actually be and will stick with the cardboard variety. While I won't announce this with as much fanfare as I did the Horizontal cards the other day, count me in for any cards showing ivy from Wrigley. While all of these guys are opponents, I suppose if I had duplicates of Cubs players, I'd add them, too.

Below are the other eight that made up that binder page. Now I just have to go figure out Zistle for these and maintain!

10 More for 2013

Once of the perks of using a template is saving a lot of time. Being able to keep borders and logos the same lets me spit out the customs at a much quicker pace. It just so happens that when I went to make these next ten customs for my 2013 team set, I was able to save one more step on eight of them (although one of those required one more step so it balanced out).

The reason being, is high turnover among the Cubs roster this year. Again. On the previously mentioned eight cards, the jersey number had already been used by another player earlier in the season so I just had to switch out the name and photo for each of these cards. Here they are by number:

Starting off we have #8, Donnie Murphy. Although this will always be Andre Dawson's number to me, Murphy is actually the 3rd incumbent to #8 this year. Bench coach Jamie Quirk wore it last year and started with it this year before passing it on to former Cubs infielder, Alberto Gonzalez who started the season wearing #6. Confused yet? Well, Gonzalez was traded to the Yankees in May so when Murphy

made his Cubs debut earlier this month, he was given #8.

Many fans, Cubs or not, will probably associate #21 with Sammy Sosa. Starting my Cubs fandom in the 80's and not paying quite as close attention during the Sosa era, I more associate it with former pitcher Scott Sanderson. And more recently, Tyler Colvin. But I get the Sosa thing. Junior Lake on the other hand took over #21 from Scott Hairston who the Cubs had signed in the offseason as a free agent was traded to the Washington Nationals in early July.

Again, showing my age here, I think of Bill Buckner and/or Mike Harkey when I hear #22 for the Cubs. But after being named the Cubs minor league player of the year in 2012, Logan Watkins potentially has a long career ahead of him to make the number his own. He took over the number from former Cubs pitcher Matt Garza.

One, two, skip a few, all the way down to #49. It didn't take long for the Cubs to reissue this number after trading Carlos Marmol to the Dodgers, but as someone who can be a little superstitious when it comes to sports, if I were Jake Arrieta, I might have put up a little more fight to get a different number. Just saying.

Kameron Loe was actually the first player to wear #50 this year but his tenure was so short, it took a while to find a usable photo for the card. After Loe, super short timer (1 game so far) Alex Burnett "borrowed" the number before it went back to its 2012 and current owner, pitcher Blake Parker.

The #54 has seen its fair share of usage this year as well. Carrying it over from last year was former reliever Shawn Camp who was released in early July. The Cubs selected Thomas Neal off waivers in early August. He injured his throwing arm in his second game with the team and is currently on the 60 day DL. Meanwhile...

...Darnell McDonald, who the Cubs signed as a free agent in the offseason was called up from Triple-A Iowa and made his Cubs debut and is the current #54. That concludes the easiest portion of the additions.

Bridging the gap is the Cubs lone All-Star, Travis Wood. I didn't have to change his jersey number, but I did change the Cubs logo into the official 2013 All-Star Game logo. I was going to stick it in the upper left hand corner and keep the Cubs logo as is, but it looked a little cluttered. I'm not a huge fan of this photo but since Wood did not get into the actual game (as the Cubs only representative), it is the best I could find. He was presented with the jersey before a game after his selection had been made official.

Finally, we have two players who are making their own unique mark on the 2013 Cubs by being the first to wear their particular jersey numbers this season.

Cole Gillespie takes over #2 from last year's owner, Ian Stewart. You may recall earlier this season the hullabaloo Stewart created by claiming the Cubs were leaving him to rot in Triple-A. So the Cubs released him and he is currently...rotting away in Triple-A for the Dodgers now? More on him later next week though. As for Gillespie, the Cubs picked him up off waivers from the San Fransisco Giants back in mid-July.



Wrapping up this last update before the September roster call ups is pitcher Eduardo Sanchez, currently in the minors. History has not been kind to this number, as the last few owners have spent just one season with the team. But then again, that just gives him a chance to make it his own. The Cubs selected Sanchez off of waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals, where he also wore #52.

As I said, this will be the last update on this set before the rosters expand next week. This brings the set up to 50 cards, with 49 different players and 1 All-Star card. The Cubs have, to date, used 50 players so the only player I am missing is Brooks Raley who has only pitched in one game so far this season. I anticipate a September call up for him so hopefully I'll find a picture to use. The only ones I've seen so far are from last year and Spring Training.

I have not done any of the coaches this year, like I did last year and am currently undecided as to whether I will make them or not.

Hope you enjoyed that Cubs jersey history lesson/rousing game of musical jerseys!

The Starting Rotation

Perspective is a funny thing. Never would I have thought having a 13-14 record for a calendar month would be a good thing. Alright, maybe not good, but an ok thing. In that 27-game, overall losing record stretch, the Cubs managed to outscore their opponents 129-99. That's right. One game below .500 but with a +30 run differential. It's a step in the right direction.

A lot of the credit goes to the Cubs starting pitchers, but not how you might think. The rotation was only 8-10 for the month but they also managed to drive in a National League-record breaking 19 runs themselves at the plate.

Recently returing to the rotation after a DL stint, Matt Garza hit a two run double in his season debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, the Cubs squandered the lead, losing 5-4, in a no-decision for Garza. I haven't had a chance to make a card for Garza yet but it's coming.

Edwin Jackson contributed two RBIs with a double to get the ball rolling in an 8-2 blowout against the Washington Nationals (a game that I attended).

Jeff Samardzija broke a 1-1 tie against the Colorado Rockies with a two-run home run, the second of his career. The Cubs held on for a 6-3 victory.

Add up Garza, Jackson and Samardzija's RBI total for May and you'll come up with six, equal to what Scott Feldman drove in himself. Spread out over 4 games, Feldman's four hits included two doubles and a home run.

That brings us to Travis Wood, whose grand slam against the White Sox brought his May (and season) total up to seven RBIs. Additionally, he had a two-run homer earlier in the month.

With that kind of run production, it comes as no surprise that Wood and Feldman are the only Cubs with a winning record. Although, the way Garza has been pitching, he could be joining them soon. Yes, I know he's 1-0, but let's get him a few more starts and we can talk again.

Let's keep it going into June!

2013 Topps Travis Wood Factory Team Set

 Most of Travis Wood's cards from last year were photoshopped from Reds uniforms after the Cubs picked him up in an offseason trade. With a year under his belt with his new team, Topps was able to find a photo of Woods in a Cub uniform.

I think they did a pretty solid job with this card. The photo was cropped well, filling out most of the card all the way around. Bold Cubs logo on his chest showing. The dirt and grass provide a nice contrast to the home pinstripe uniform.

Photo by Brian D Kersey (courtesy of Getty Images)

The caption of the photo states that it was taken during a Cubs 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros on July 1, 2012. This is one of the last photos of Wood with his long hair as it was cut considerably shorter later that month. Unfortunately, Wood may be a descendant of Samson because while this victory evened his record at 3-3, he would finish the season at 6-13, losing 10 of his last 12 decisions.

Although the party in the back is gone, he has shifted to a much fuller beard this year and is 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA. At this point, he is the only Cub starter with a winning record. There could be something to this hair thing...

The back of the card is pretty standard. Although it appears he has a ton of minor league experience, it looks like he also moved up levels pretty consistently, thus the extra lines. That's always a good sign.

The Career Chase record is Cy Young's all-time wins record of 511. With three seasons under his belt, Wood has a long way to go. In fact, I read an article the other day about how even the 300 win milestone may be a thing of the past.