Just Tell The Truth

Each year during the month of October, I show off only pink (and shades of pink like magenta, peach, etc) to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer, a leading cause of death for females in the United States.  

Due to my own financial situation this year I will not be able to make a donation for each (meaningful, non spam) comment left by those that follow the blog.  Once things settle down on the home front though I will be looking to make a donation in 2022 based on the comments left during this year's event.  Hopefully together we can help at least one woman get a much needed mammogram.  Early detection is key!!!

If you want to make your own private donation please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  There is a donate button on the main page and it only takes a minute of your time.  Every little bit helps.

I have focused primarily on cards that only feature Andrew McCutchen on the card, but in recent years have also featured cards with a cameo appearance (either being seen on the card or as a name cameo on the back of the card).  In 2019, I created Falco Files which discussed players that replaced (Shane Falco Replacements movie reference) on an active roster, number worn, or trade.  I will also be showing some Cutch's Crew cards that show pink cards of players that have played with Cutch on multiple teams. I will continue to utilize these styles of posts as we celebrate the 5th Collecting Cutch Save Second Base event (I am no longer counting my first run on the Pirates Treasure Room I did back in 2014).

I am always looking for new ways to incorporate new celebrities into the event so today I am presenting

Krista Allen

You may recognize her as one of the adult film lesbians in the Adam Sandler & Jack Nickolson comedy, Anger Management.

She certainly stands out in the film.

You may also recognize her from the horror movie, Feast


She may be best remembered for her role as the busty new tenant in the elevator of the Jim Carrey comedy, Liar Liar

This 2017 Josh Bell Topps Chrome pink refractor rookie card is a fantastic looking card.

Flip it over and you could have seen an Andrew McCutchen name cameo on the back.

It states that Bell is the only player to be named the Pirates minor league player of the year twice.

That is a lie according to The Baseball Cube
Zach Duke, Sean Burnett, and Andrew McCutchen were also winners of the award twice while in the minors.

However, according to an article via MLB.com it states the exact same thing Topps printed on it's card back.

What do you consider a lie?

What are some things you've found on the internet to not be true?

Cardboard Cameos: For Whom The Bell Tolls

Each year during the month of October, I show off only pink (and shades of pink like magenta, peach, etc) to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer, a leading cause of death for females in the United States.  

Due to my own financial situation this year I will not be able to make a donation for each (meaningful, non spam) comment left by those that follow the blog.  Once things settle down on the home front though I will be looking to make a donation in 2022 based on the comments left during this year's event.  Hopefully together we can help at least one woman get a much needed mammogram.  Early detection is key!!!

If you want to make your own private donation please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  There is a donate button on the main page and it only takes a minute of your time.  Every little bit helps.

I have focused primarily on cards that only feature Andrew McCutchen on the card, but in recent years have also featured cards with a cameo appearance (either being seen on the card or as a name cameo on the back of the card).  In 2019, I created Falco Files which discussed players that replaced (Shane Falco Replacements movie reference) on an active roster, number worn, or trade.  I will also be showing some Cutch's Crew cards that show pink cards of players that have played with Cutch on multiple teams. I will continue to utilize these styles of posts as we celebrate the 5th Collecting Cutch Save Second Base event (I am no longer counting my first run on the Pirates Treasure Room I did back in 2014).

I am always looking for new ways to incorporate new celebrities into the event so today I am presenting

Catherine Bell

I will admit it.  Back in the early stages of the internet I discovered the above image of Catherine Bell and it has been one of my favorite images to this day.

Bell has been acting on the silver screen since 1991

She has had brief roles on TV shows like Friends, Vanishing Son, and Hercules.

Her most famous role was playing Lt Sarah MacKenzie on the TV show JAG which she reprised the role in 2019 for three episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles.

Another of her recent roles is the lead role on the recently cancelled The Good Witch.

Bell will always be one of my first internet crushes and a frequent Yahoo search when I was younger.

Above is a look at Catherine Bell at age 31 vs 51.

Bell was born in 1968, one of my least favorite Topps designs ever.

The terrible burlap sack design did offer some pink fonts for many teams though including the Pirates, which was used again in 2017 Topps Heritage.

This 2017 Heritage card features a cameo of Cutch both on the front and back.

As you can see there is also a Josh Bell cameo.  

Lots of stars on the back of this checklist

Can you think of any other actors/actresses to appear in a TV show over a decade later to reprise the same role? 

Did you ever watch JAG?

Jingle Bell Rock

Merry Christmas Eve

The Pirates just traded their most recognizable player, Josh Bell, to the Washington Nationals.

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is for the Pittsburgh Pirates not to be used as a farm system for the rest of baseball.

Love,

Brian

Fighting To Get More Cameos

Well it's Halloween which means my 4th Annual (again) Save Second Base Event is over.  Thank you all for participating.  It was a lot of fun and there were a lot of people that helped spread the awareness this year.  Thank you all for taking part in this event.  We reached the $400 donation mark based on comments on this blog and the amount of comments on your blogs referencing the Breast Cancer Awareness fairly easily.  THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO ACTIVE!

If you could please visit The National Breast Cancer Organization.  EVEN if you can't make a monetary donation, please educate yourself of this terrible disease.

Since it is Halloween, I want to look at someone who dresses up a lot

A few years ago, this beautiful WWE Diva used a stage wardrobe similar to Freddy Kreuger.

She had the red and black sweater, a "claw" hand, and was a nightmare to those she faced in the ring.

If you didn't know already I am talking about

Alexa Bliss

You probably recognize her for being a WWE Women's Champion.

She has had lots of stage personalities over the years

But the Harley Quinn inspired hair is my favorite.

She has been the subject of a Bowling For Soup video which you can view here or click the video below to see the lyrics.

Alexa Bliss was born August 9.  

The back of this 2020 Donruss Josh Bell has an Andrew McCutchen name cameo that references a date in August.  Call it a TRICK that the date doesn't exactly much, but I consider it a TREAT that I got Alexa Bliss included this month.  

That's the best I could come up with. Sorry, I failed this challenge.

I have a few of these parallels in my collection.

I will finish with some gifs of my favorite female wrestler.

Who are your favorite wrestlers? 

What is on your Halloween agenda today?

Not hitting their weight, name cameos

I am a Pirates fan and Andrew McCutchen is the best player I have ever seen play for the Pirates in my time of getting back into this hobby in 2009.  

Besides Cutch there have been a few other position players that Pirates fans have gotten excited about that were believed to be building blocks for the next Pirates contender after Cutch left.

Of the top 3 names to be listed as top prospects (Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, and Bryan Reynolds) none are hitting their weight this season.

That's a phrase used when a player is slumping, but this year the season stats don't lie.

I thought I would show off some cards with an Andrew McCutchen name cameo on the back and discuss their current batting averages/weight.

(*Batting averages are for 2020 season as of end of games on September 6, 2020)

Gregory Polanco

Card: 2018 Topps

Cameo Trivia: Polanco had three 4 for 4 performances in a season joining only Jeff King and Andrew McCutchen to do so simce 1988.

Listed weight on card: 230

Listed weight on MLB.com: 235

Current Batting Average* .150

Gregory joined the Pirates in 2014 and hit the ground running becoming the franchise's record setter for most consecutive games to collect a hit in their Pirates debut. Polanco's presence and the Bucs becoming a resurgent team for the playoffs made him a trendy player to collect in the hobby.  He even appeared as the cover athlete for 2014 Bowman.  Polanco joined Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in the outfield and many top writers would list the Pirates and Marlins (Stanton, Yelich, Ozuna) as having the best outfields in baseball.  Polanco never met the huge expectations placed on him as being a top 10 prospect in baseball for 2 years prior to his debut and has yet to even become an All-Star for a single season.  He is currently signed with the Pirates through the 2023 season if his two option years are picked up on the team friendly $35 million extension he signed in 2016.  He likely won't see the full extension through with the Pirates as his injury history and current struggles will leave the current front office (who have no emotional ties to Polanco) to keep him around. 

Josh Bell

Card: 2020 Donruss yellow parallel

Card Trivia: Bell joined Andrew McCutchen as the only Pirates to have three homers in a game at PNC Park, seperated by almost a decade between the feats.

Listed weight on card: 235

Listed weight on MLB.com: 250

Current Batting Average* .197

Josh Bell was the most prized high school draft pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, but his letter of intention and signing bonus demands scared many teams away.  The Pirates who had drafted Gerrit Cole with the 1st Overall Pick, used their 2nd Round pick and took a risk to draft Bell (that same year they drafted Tyler Glasnow and Trea Turner, talk about a great draft).  After having some injuries in the minors and switching positions from outfield to first base (due to the previously mentioned outfield group of Polanco, Marte, Cutch), Josh Bell made his debut in 2016 and hit a pinch hit Grand Slam in his second at bat.  This resulted in one of the best Cutch Cameo cards of all time.  (Look at his unphased face to the right of Josh).

Josh spent most of the 2016 in the minors and had his rookie status in tact heading into 2017.  He became the regular First Baseman in 2017 and set a NL record for HRs by a switch hitting rookie (beating Chipper Jones record).  He took a step back in 2018, but absolutely mashed his way into the national audiences in the first half of 2019.  He was a contestant for the 2019 HR Derby and a first time All-Star last year.  He is under team control, pending an extension, through 2022.

Bryan Reynolds

Card: 2020 Finest The Man insert

Card Trivia: Reynolds was acquired in the Andrew McCutchen 2018 trade that sent Cutch to San Francisco

Listed weight on card: 205

Listed weight on MLB.com: 205

Current Batting Average* .192

Bryan Reynolds is the most recent position player that fans became excited for.  After trading away the face of the franchise, Andrew McCutchen, fans were hoping to see Reynolds became the next great Pirates outfielder.  He had a very impressive rookie campaign, finishing in the top 10 for batting average and 2nd among NL rookies in hits in 2019.  He possesses a ceiling of a 5 tool skill set, but will not be a major stolen base threat.  His arm strength in the outfield is probably better than Cutch in his prime, but his range is lower. He likely won't hit 30HR in a season, but looks to be a candidate for many 20+ HR in a season. With 5 more years of control, I think he will be the longest tenured player of the three discussed today.

Ring the Bell, it's feeding time

Saturday mornings for me when I was younger were all about the cartoons.  

Even on Shark Week, I can represent a cartoon inspired Cutch Cameo card.

2019 Donruss had half a dozen emoji parallels on their borders.  Among them were fire, 100%, #1, and Baby Shark.  

Baby Shark was a viral video that caught the world by storm in 2019 and Donruss capitalized on it in 2020.

The back of this Josh Bell baby shark parallel has an Andrew McCutchen name cameo.

This concludes my Shark Week event.  I try to do this event every even year so I will see you again in 2022, unless there's more excitement for it in the future.  

Lost Cards from the Lost Collector

 A few weeks ago I received a 4 card PWE from AJ at The Lost Collector.  The same day I received that package I sent him a package containing an Andrew McCutchen autograph Tier 1 Yankees card because he commented "I hope to get one someday" or something like that.  Well I had a double so I sent it his way.  

Then in the middle of spring cleaning, I lost the location of those 4 cards before I could scan them in.  While preparing to send some packages to go out next week, I found them.

AJ hit my two main basketball player PCs with a Paul George and Reggie Miller.  He also included an orange Chris Archer 2019 Tek numbered to only 25 copies.  Sad news came out yesterday that Chris Archer is shut down for the 2020 season (if there is a season).  That 2018 trade that sent Glasnow, Meadows, and Baz to the Rays looks worse and worse every month.  AJ also included a 2017 Chronicles base card of Cutch.

Today I got ANOTHER PWE from AJ with even more Reggie Miller cards.  Sweet!!!!!  Of these 7 cards, 6 are brand new to the collection.  Only the All-Star card in bottom left was already in my collection.  I love the fact that he included both the cardboard and actual sticker of the '96 UD Stickums.

AJ hit up some more PC additions with a base card of Josh Bell 2020 Donruss (I am trying to put together the rainbow for the Cutch name cameo on the back).  The highlight though is that bright yellow retail exclusive 2020 Donruss of former Pirate and NJ born Charlie Morton.  Before being traded to the Phillies, I had every non-1/1 Charlie Morton card made.  I really need to up my Morton game for releases in 2019 and 2020.

AJ thank you so much for such an awesome pair of envelopes.

Stay safe everyone and Keep Collecting.

Cardboard Cameo: Steel City, Black n Yellow

The Steelers schedule was released last night and it looks like they will be playing a whole bunch of mediocrity.  It might be a fun swan song for Big Ben to lead the black and yellow back to a deep playoff run.

I know Ben wants to play another 3-5 years, but I would be shocked if it lasts that long.

It's time for the black and yellow to thrive again!!!

Steel City!!!

"When you play Pittsburgh, you play the whole city"

I've shown off a few of these 2020 Donruss cards of Josh Bell in the past because of the name cameo of Andrew McCutchen.  I will continue to pick them up when they're cheap enough like this Value Box exclusive I got for under $2.

Cardboard Cameos: Eyes on Bell 2020 Donruss

I am always looking for new cards that feature Cutch as a cameo while also keeping flagship sets of Topps and Donruss for all Pirates players.

Shortly after 2020 Donruss came out I noticed that there was a Cutch cameo on the back of Josh Bell's card.

I will be looking for all emoji parallels of JB's card.

So I will be keeping my eyes open for more wacky parallels like this.

The back of the card discusses how Andrew McCutchen was the first player to hit 3 homeruns at PNC Park.  Cutch did it as a rookie in 2009.

Josh Bell became the first Pirate to do it since Cutch.

I also have the 🔥 and baby shark emoji cards.
I need the 100, 1, presidential, all stat line, and all press proof parallels.