Cards That Never Were #24

1967 Topps - Robin Roberts

As news of the death of Robin Roberts started to reach everyone yesterday, I looked over his career stats, like most people did, and discovered that he never had a Cubs card. I made it a top priority to make one.

The task turned into a monumental one, when the only picture I could find of Robin in a Cubs uniform was about the size of a postage stamp. I tried to make it work, but it just did not look good.

I figured that some entrepreneur would use eBay to cash in on his death and I would eventually run across a usable Cubs picture. Sure enough, when I checked late into the evening, there was an autographed picture of Robin in a Cubs uniform, with an autograph in blue straight across the chest.

I try to refrain using eBay for pictures, but sometimes I have absolutely no choice. I had made the 1967 Topps Cubs card template earlier in the day, so all I had to do was drop the picture in and I'd have a completed card.

Easier said than done. First I had to get rid of the autograph, only to put another one on instead. There were three problems with the original autograph. It was in a spot where it might be obscured by the Cubs name. The autograph was a bit too small in relation to the picture size for the card. Most troublesome... the autograph was originally blue.

So I painstakingly removed the autograph, only to put another one on in its place. It sounds like a lot of work for nothing, but it really does make the finished product look much more authentic.

Rest in peace, Robin. I only wish that I was able to do this one before you passed. At least we now have a Cubs card to commemorate every stop in your Major League journey.