CHICAGO CUBS (1998)
Official National League (Coleman) Baseball, signed by 28 team members
Baseball signed: "Jim Riggleman" (sweet spot), "Kevin Orie", "Tony Fossas", "Mark Pisciotta", "Lance Johnson/1 DOG", "Mark Clark", "Pedro Valdez", "Kerry Wood", "Terrell Lowery #10", "Geremi Gonzalez", "Chris Haney", "Tyler Houston", "Matt Mieske", "Amaury Telemaco", "Scott Servais", "Sammy Sosa", "Rod Beck", "Bob Patterson", "Mark Grace", "Orlando Merced", "Kevin Tapani", "Manny Alexander", "Steve Trachsel", "Jose Hernandez/#18", "Gary Gaetti", and 3 unidentified signatures. In all 28 signatures. Rawlings Official National League Baseball, Leonard S. Coleman, President. The Chicago Cubs, playing under manager Jim Riggleman, won 90 games, the most they had won in a decade, and were the National League wild card. They were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division series. The team's star, a signer here, was SAMMY SOSA, who competed with the A's Mark McGuire all season long for the all-time single season home run crown, lost out in the final week, but hit more homers (66), easily topping the previous mark held by the Yankees' Roger Maris since 1961. Other stars among the signers include first baseman MARK GRACE, turning in a typically stellar season with his bat and glove, ace starter KEVIN TAPANI, who won 19 games, closer ROD BECK, with 51 saves, and KERRY WOOD, the National League's Rookie of the Year (who had served notice on the NL by striking out 20 Astros on May 6). Fine condition.