Funny Impressions

Cutch does a really good Cleveland Brown impression.
If you need proof, click here.

Cutch got a day off yesterday so I am going to sort of take one today.

Here is a card signed by Mike Henry, the voice actor of Cleveland Brown.

That is all....

Jung Ho is good to go

What a busy weekend.
Avengers came out.
The NFL Draft happened.
The Pirates are getting back Jung Ho Kang!!!

Yup, Jung Ho is coming back to the Bucs.  He has been cleared for a work Visa.  No ETA has been stated for his return to the team.

Here are my only cards featuring Cutch and Jung Ho.

Summer Reading List

With the warmer weather hopefully hitting this week, my girlfriend and I are already planning what days we will be going to the beach to relax and enjoy each other's company soaking in the sun and catching up on some books.

She tends to read crime novels and murder mysteries while I read sports biographies.  One of the books I got as a Christmas present is The Team that Changed Baseball: the story of the 1971 Pirates that fielded the very first all minority team.  I am really looking forwarded to reading it as it has been on my radar for some time.

Over the years both Topps and Panini have used cut up throwback uniforms of Cutch in their products.

A few months ago I managed to grab an awesome swatch of the uniform from Flawless.  It's the Emerald version numbered to only 3 copies.

This card is an absolute beaut.

The back discusses how Cutch's career compared to former Pirates superstar Barry Bonds.

Of course the irony is Cutch is now with the Giants who is the same team Bonds left the Pirates for.

Get Back In The Cage

Cutch has always been a slow starter to the season.  His best months are usually June, July, and August.

Don't hit the panic button yet Giants fans.  Cutch was hitting a measly .226 on April 26th, 2013.  He went on to win the NL MVP, his 2nd Silver Slugger award, and lead the Pirates to their first winning season in 20 years.

Cutch will start raking at the plate again soon.

He is too dedicated to his craft not to be.

I won this batting practice photo variant from 2018 Topps shortly after release.  It cost me about $10.  Now they can be found for around $4.  I guess I should have waited a few months, but after struggling for 3 years to track down a 2014 Opening Day photo variant I am always nervous about letting them get away for a fair price.  $10 for a one in 3 box variant seems fair.

I must be slipping in my old age...

(NO SPOILERS IN COMMENTS PLEASE!!!!)

Avengers is coming out today and to celebrate one of the most anticipated movies in comic book fandom, I have one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies to start things off as we all speculate what may happen in the movie.

To quote Brodie from Mallrats, "I must be slipping at my old age.  How the hell does something like this get by me."

Topps announced that they made an error with the back of their Series 1 Topps Bunt limited series cards.

Topps made an error AND admitted to it?
Whaaaaaaaat?
How did something like this get by me?

The cards are numbered on the front to only 25 copies.

But the backs states 100 copies.

I purchased the card with the code already scratched out.  I didn't check to see if it has already been redeemed.  This Bunt Titans card was randomly inserted in 2016 Series 1 packs.  It is the first and only copy I have seen of it's kimd.

Screw The Rules, I Have Money

Something I am kind of ashamed to admit is that I still watch the anime Yu-Gi-Oh fairly often.  Back in 2004ish I participated in locals with my deck.  I won a bunch of matches, but never took my poker skill set, deck building ideas, and knowledge of eBay deals to take my king of games mentality even more.

My friends and I even cosplayed as the original cast and I built authentic decks for each of us based on the characters.

Over the years there have been many fan dubs which are both silly and stupid.

One of my favorites is by a guy who calls himself lilkuriboh and he made a viral meme with Seto Kaiba saying "Screw the rules, I have money"

This fit the character perfectly as he was always getting the latest cards to try and stop his arch enemy, Yugi Mutou.

When I saw this 2018 Heritage coin card pop up for sale, I immediately thought of this saying.

That right there is a genuine 1969 nickel.

Baseball cards and coins?
Screw The Rules, I Have Money


Now to get back on the topic of YuGiOh, I am so confused by all the new rules and haven't actually played since around 2007 when the X-Sabers were first being released.  Now that ArcV is on Netflix I am watching it and have to say I am enjoying it quite a bit.  The characters are very interesting and I am curious where the arc (pun unintended) will lead.  If I had to rank the series it would be this order: 5Ds, Original, ArcV, GX, zexal.

Idiot With a Stick: Carlos Gomez

Certain players have a way of showing a lot of emotion while they are playing.  Others have moments of showmanship that elevate them to new heights.

There is just something about the way that Carlos Gomez plays the game that I absolutely hate.  I know it started when he was playing on those Brewers teams that would routinely destroy the Pirates.  I didn't hate Corey Hart or Prince Fielder though so that can't be the only reason.  I previously wrote about this fool back in December, but after his recent actions I needed to do it again.

I think a large part of it is just the "confidence" he plays with.  The way we swings so hard that he corkscrews himself into the ground, the way he overthrows a cutoff player thinking he can gun a guy down trying to advance a base, how he flips the bat on doubles, etc etc etc.  I just hate the amounty of cockiness he exhudes while not being one of the game's elite players.

This video below is probably my favorite footage of Carlos Gomez.  Losing 8 to 1 can be frustrating so why not skip with your bat while everyone looks at you.

Such a fool....

A few years later he thought he was Bo Jackson with the Houston Astros.

He's not, by the way.

A few nights ago he hit a walkoff HomeRun, his first in his 12 year career to give the Rays their 8th victory of the year and avoid their 14th loss of the year.  Yes you read that right,  it was game 21 of a 162 game season and even with the victory they are still 5 games under .500.  Did I mention that the homer raised his average to .160?  Well....yeah....it did.

If you enjoyed this segment, I may return to do more like this as I highlight IDIOTS WITH A STICK.  It will be a change of pace from the Players I Should Hate, But Can't.

Thankfully, I only have one card of Cutch with Carlos Gomez.

A 7inch Golden Tribute

Maybe I should have chosen a different title.  That one sounds like a bad porn movie.

I don't have any of the 2018 Topps Tribute standard size cards yet, but do have the 5x7 online exclusive.   And it's not just any 5x7, its the gold parallel numbered to only 10 copies.

I really like the design of this year's Tribute design, but prices are still very high at this point.

This 5x7 will keep me satisfied until prices drop a bit.

Players I Should Hate But Can't: The Reds Mountie

Joey Votto has blossomed into one of the game's best hitters not just of this decade, but in history.

He plays for one of the Pirates oldest rivals, the Cincinnati Reds.

He has slashed a line of .320/.447/.494 good for an OPS of .951 against Pittsburgh pitching over his career.

By all accounts I should hate him.

But like other players I should hate, but can't he is just too entertaining to root against.

He could be impersonating a Canadian Mountie on Intentional Talk or having some fun with fans by denying them foul balls, smashing paper airplanes, or getting salty by fans preventing him from making outs at home games.

He has turned into a villain at road games.

While not being a jerk as a road villain, he is helping bring children happiness.

Unfortunately the young fan has passed away, but Joey has kept in touch with the family.

On the field in the batter's box is where most of us recognizes Joey's true talent as a ballplayer. A recent article writes about the injustice caused by Joey Votto never winning a Silver Slugger award.  It really is eye opening to how good Votto is, but receives no appreciation.

Below are a pair of cards I have shown on this blog before.

I wish there were more patches besides Votto in the Blue /25 version.

My only other cardboard featuring both Cutch and Votto is this triple mini blank back from the Topps Vault.

The card is an uncut version of the black border minis Max Poser (#270), Andrew McCutchen (#124) and Joey Votto (#70).  In case you're unaware of Poser, he is a legend with domino stacking.  Check him out on youtube.

Like all other blank back cards, the Topps Vault card comes with a certificate of authenticity.

To wrap things up, I will leave you with this Intentional Talk gem.

If the Avengers can't stop Thanos in the upcoming Infinity War, maybe Votto can hop on Nibbles and solve some problems.

Case hit results in the fastest click ever

I get eBay notifications for new Cutch cards every day.  I also have urges to check for new auctions a few times a day.

When I saw the acetate 2014 Stadium Club Illuminator pop up for $4 delivered Buy It Now, I couldn't click fast enough.  The Illuminator parallel is 1 per case and many have sold for $20+ when they become available. 

Despite being only 1 per case, the secondary market is extremely cheap compared to a 1 per case Throwback jersey Heritage card.  While the Heritage 1 per case cards can bring in a value of over $200+, Stadium Club parallels havent really taken off to those extremes yet.  I attribute this to many more master set builders of Heritage compared to Stadium Club.

The card looks similar to the others, but unlike the Luminous version (1 per box), the Illuminator is a see through acetate design.

The backs are radically different not just because of the card stock used, but in the actual look of the backs too.

I still need the Luminiscent parallel which falls 1 in 4 boxes.

Chris Brings the Fire & The Most Interesting Man On Earth

Chris from the blog, The Collector saw my post about needing a few cards and hooked me up in a big way.

First up is the Most Interesting Man On Earth, Phil Kessel.

Next up, the greatest hockey player on Earth, Sidney Crosby, complete with a terrible scan.  Say what you want about Sid, but he is the best player of this generation.  The fact that he elevates his game against the Flyers makes it even better.

Finally, the cards that Chris hooked me up with from my needs list.  A pair of Andrew McCutchen 2017 cards that prior to this blind trade had eluded my collection.

Hopefully the Penguins can close out the series against the Flyers tonight.

The Amethyst parallel from Triple Threads and Green parallel from Fire.

Thanks for the Fire & Ice Chris.

Daniel Delivers Cutch22

Daniel from the blog, Its Like Having My Own Card Shop, hooked me up with a great new addition to my Cutch 22 collection.

With the addition of this card, I was also able to add another piece of Daniel's perfect penmanship to my collection.

Young athletes should take note of this dude's handwriting.

Fantastic Sir!!!  Thanks for contributing to the collection.

Do The Humpty Hump...

It's Andrew McCutchen's job to make sure nothing falls.

It's my job to make sure all the Cutches fall into my collection.

All the king's men couldn't put Humpty back together again, but I was able to put together all these parallels from 2018 Donruss Diamond Kings subset so far.

(Season stat, Artist Proof, Press Proof)
(Base, Career Stat)
I have the blue Father's Day ribbon/49 along with the Gameday Stat /8 and blank back all coming my way.

I still need the retail holos, teal border /199, Gold Press Proof /99,  and Mother's Day /25.

If anyone can locate the Pink Mother's Day Ribbon /25 and it leads to me buying or trading for the card I will offer a reward!!!  I saw the jersey numbered 22/25 sell recently for under $7, but have not seen any others since and only 1 before.  I will need the pink for my annual Save The Boobies event I do in October.

Cardboard Cameos #8: We Are Family!

The Pirates had a winning culture for 3 years.

The team felt like a family.

Many of my favorite players from those years are all gone.

Only Josh Harrison and Starling Marte remain.

I wish the team was more like this image, but I am learning to root for the new guys on the team.

Guys like Colin Moran and Corey Dickerson have been impressive thus far.

I have to remember that long time Pirates were moved prior to the team winning their last championship back in 1979 too.  No one wanted to see the team give up Frank Tavares or Al Oliver, but Tim Foli and Bert Blyleven were crucial to the team in 1979.


Speaking of 1979, the above vintage Topps card is numbered 79/99.

That's a fine looking rack (pack)

Many of us grew up in a time when the term rack pack was used to describe a cellophane package, often three of them connected, containing baseball cards.  The top and bottom of the packages were clear so you could have a small glimpse into what the contents inside were.  While I was at the CSA show in Virginia a few weeks back I saw a guy selling packs of these and it got me to thinking when they went away and went to the blaster box packaging.

For old school player collectors these rack packs are sought after and they have a bunch of them in their collection despite already having the card inside.

For myself, I had a 1987 rack pack with the Barry Bonds card on top, but traded it away to BobWalkThePlank last year as part of our blockbuster trade.

Since Cutch is a player who didn't make his debut until 2009 it's hard to collect rack packs containing him.  However, I found a little niche that the market has left.

Retail exclusive packs inside blasters!

It's not a very pronounced rack pack (only a few cards) and has a stupid security tag on back so I have no idea who else is in the pack, but for now this sealed pack temporarily solves my problem of seeking Cutch cardboard still sealed.

Do any of you still have sealed rack packs?  Who can be seen in the package and why have you kept it sealed?

Jackie Robinson Day: Standing United

Today is an important day not just for baseball, but for remembering the history of our entire nation.  We all know that every April 15th, MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson day.  It helps to unite all players, coaching staff, umpires, etc and remember what Jackie did to help unite this country when he wore the famous #42 seventy one years ago.

Last year I showed a bunch of cards that were released by National Treasures in the special Jackie Robinson insert set.

This year, I thought I would show off a pair of Unity Relics from Topps Triple Threads that have Cutch wearing the 42 uniform.

The Topps Unity Relics are a pain in the ass to complete the three different versions.  They're even harder if you're trying to complete the different color parallels.

The two different Golds that I have celebrate different awards that Cutch won.
He was a member of the 2009 Topps All Rookie Team

He would also win the 2010 Heart and Hustle Award.

The missing gold /9 doesn't feature Cutch in a Jackie Robinson #42 jersey.  I currently only have the /36 version which you can see below.