Ernie Banks, Not Mike Fontenot!

My nephew Matt snapped the photo below at a signing appearance by Mike Fontenot. What's wrong here? Well, for one thing, Fontenot wears #17. He also wore #29 during his first stint with the Cubs in 2005.
Why would someone get a Fontenot jersey with a wrong number? I know, people make mistakes. Still, when going thorough the trouble of getting a personalized jersey (even one like this tshirt jersey), you should be thorough enough to get it right!
I am not sure if Fontenot saw the jersey at the signing. I wonder what his reaction would have been? I know what Matt and my reactions were...laughter.
Oh, by the way, #14 is retired. It was worn by a pretty good player named Ernie Banks!

Mike Cobb?...Mike Fontenot?

When the Chicago Cubs traded Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston, they also got Mike Fontenot. Would the throw-in of Fontenot harken back to a trade 20 years earlier which included a player named Sandberg?
Fontenot appeared in 7 games in 2005 and none in 2006. In 2007, Fontenot started to really show his abilities. In fact, he earned the nickname 'Mike Cobb' (a nod to Ty Cobb) for his impressive ability to get a hit.
Cobb, I mean Fontenot is listed at 5'8", but I think that is a stretch by an inch or 2. Little Fontenot (as Manager Lou Piniella sometimes calls him) has had a good amount of success in a part-time role over the last 2 years and he has become a fan favorite.
Unfortunately, Fontenot is off to a bit of a rough start this year. Perhaps that comparison to Sandberg might have been a bit of a stretch.
My nephew Big Money and I met Fontenot at Triple Threat Sports in Mokena (IL). We resisted the urge to ask him to sign the ball as 'Mike Cobb'.

Mike Fontenot, Matt Parker and me in Mokena, IL-Summer 2008.