10 moments in Cubs bobblehead history
10 moments in Cubs bobblehead history By Burt Constable
The Chicago Cubs have given away 61 promotional bobbleheads since beginning the practice in 2001. Here are 10 of the favorites and not-so-favorites:
• Sammy Sosa was the first Cubs bobblehead in 2001.
• Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, didn't get his bobblehead until 2009.
• Pitcher Edwin Jackson went 8-18 in 2013 and still got a bobblehead, as did second-baseman Darwin Barney with his .208 batting average and reliever Kyuji Fujikawa with his 5.25 ERA.
• The bobblehead featuring Anthony Rizzo clutching the 2016 World Series trophy is one of the most popular, although Kris Bryant's similar bobblehead also is very popular.
• Kyle Farnsworth (2002), Ryan Theriot (2010), Tyler Colvin (2011), Geovany Soto (2011), Jorge Soler (2016), David DeJesus (2012) and Michael Barrett (2007) were all gone before their bobbleheads could gather dust.
• Ron Santo never got a Wrigley Field giveaway bobblehead, but he's featured on some produced by Chevy, Dr Pepper and other companies.
• Willson Contreras smacked two homers (including a grand slam) and drove in seven runs on his bobblehead day at Wrigley Field in 2018.
• Legendary Cubs announcer Jack Brickhouse got his bobblehead in 2014, but Harry Caray bobbleheads were available only from retailers.
• Hall-of-Famers with bobbleheads include Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux, Joe Tinker, Yankee Babe Ruth (for his "called shot"at the Friendly Confines in the 1932 World Series), Gale Sayers and Red Grange, who played football at Wrigley Field.
• Rizzo has three individual bobbleheads and shares another with Bryant, who has two individual bobbleheads to tie him with Banks, Sosa, Sandberg, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Starlin Castro, Carlos Zambrano and manager Joe Maddon.
Source: Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum