Floating Cubs Heads!

Or would it be 'Floating Cub Heads'? Or 'The floating heads of Cubs'? Dunno.

But I do know that the 1971 Cubs team card is unique and a lot of fun.

The Cubbies did this for several years between 1971 and the early 1980s. Many have asked why but I'm not sure what it was with the Cubs and their aversion to the standard team photos. Maybe they just liked the look. They certainly were not the first to do this.

And strangely the Cubs had a standard team pic in the '75 set but the White Sox went 'floating head'. This has been discussed on several blogs in the past but with the addition of the '71 card, it's the first time for me to explore it up close.

That Cubs card was part of a COMC stack of about 40 1971s that included a couple of hall of Fame members on really nice cards.

1969 Don Sutton

Another from my late '60s pile of 'cards that I wish I'd taken better care of'. This is my favorite Don Sutton card, the one I see when I here his name. I saw a lot of him in the time he was here with the Astros in the early 80's. Seems like it was a longer stretch than under two seasons but that's how minds play tricks on ya.

Anyway he finished the '82 season with Milwaukee and pitched in the last game of the season at Memorial Stadium against the Orioles. My Birds had taken three straight from the Brewers to catch the in the standings as the season was ending. It was a crazy weekend.

Matched up against Jim Palmer Sutton broke all of out hearts with a dominating 10-2 win in what at the time was Earl Weaver's 'good-bye' to Baltimore. Video of the games aftermath is in this post.

Sutton retired after a brief return to the Dodgers in 1988 with a record of 324-256. Hard to believe a guy could win that many games games and only win 20 once.