The Bryce Was Wrong, but Now It's Soto Good!

In case you haven't already heard, the Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros by winning 4 games in Houston.  The team showed an unbelievable amount of resistance and a strong clubhouse.

The Baby Shark team won their first World Series title AFTER their former face of franchise left the team.

I was rooting for the Astros to win, but know of a lot of people rooting for the Nationals because Bryce Harper has become such a strange baseball villain that fans wanted the team to win just to have a chuckle at seeing the team celebrate while Bryce's $300+ million dollar contract butt not even make the playoffs.

It's not Bryce's fault the Phillies didn't make the playoffs this year, but Bryce's 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017 Postseason numbers weren't that impressive.  In total he batted .211 with a 31%K rate in 76 at bats during those NLDS games.

As is customary on my blog immediately following my Save Second Base Event and Recap, I write a post about the World Series Champions and post any cards featuring that year's team with Cutch.  You can visit my previous posts here.


I don't have many cards of current Nationals with Cutch.  In fact I only have one.  Its a sexta autograph booklet with signatures of Cutch, Josh Bell, Javy Baez, Starlin Castro and the Nationals teammates: Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman.

The booklet is numbered to only 10 copies.

I do have a lot of Cutch pairings with the former Nationals Superstar, Bryce Harper.

 Numbered to 5

Numbered to 5

 Numbered to 36

 Numbered to 3

Numbered to 25

Joe Maddon, the Mad Scientist pt2

On Sunday Night, Joe Maddon had his Chicago Cubs team arrive in Houston wearing throwback basketball uniforms.  Since it's (Throwback) Thursday and the NBA Finals will kick off let's review what was worn.

We begin with Jon Lester sporting a Penny Hardaway pinstripe jersey and the old school Penny sneakers.

This may have been my personal favorite of the bunch considering that Penny was one of my three favorite basketball players growing up.  The others being Reggie Miller and Tim Hardaway.

I just showed off my Lester autograph last week when I questioned the impact prospects have on our hobby.

This wins best original concept award.  Cole Hamels as Jackie Moon sporting a Flint Tropics jersey made famous by Will Ferrell.  FANTASTIC CHOICE MR. HAMELS!

Here is another Just Minors dual signature card I have of Cutch, this time featuring Cole Hamels.

Also a printing plate featuring McCutchen and Hamels

Since it is Chicago, what kind of team would the Cubs be if they didn't support an All-Time Great and Chicago Bulls Legend, Michael Jordan?  Jason Heyward stepped up to the plate and he looks like he could actually ball.

Yet, another Just Minors dual auto card.

But wait, there's more...
Cutch, Heyward, another Maddon favorite, David Price

A dual History of Game card

And a printing plate from Just Minors

And a sexta jersey booklet

Want more basketball jerseys?  How about Albert Amora and Anthony Rizzo both sporting recently retired Dwayne Wade Miami Vice jerseys.

Plenty of Rizzo cards to go around which I've already shown off here.

And to wrap things up, the greatest act of all.  El Mago, the Magician Javy Baez, doing his checkups as the Doctor, Julius Erving.

And we finish with a sexta autograph booklet featuring autographs of Anthony Rendon, Javy Baez, Josh Bell, Ryan Zimmerman, Starlin Castro, and of course Cutch.

Who are you rooting for in the NBA Finals?

Harpooned A Sex Whale!

Ever since I let the last 2012 Bowman Platinum Hexagraph booklet escape my clutches, I have been asking Bob Walk The Plank if he would ever part with his.

Only 10 exist and while they don't feature any big time hobby names, the card does feature World Series Champion Javier Baez.  Javy is my girlfriend's favorite player because she likes the passion he plays with and the way he showboats.

The card features a top draft pick of the 2011 draft along with some of the top players (at the time) with the same team.  The Cubs Starlin Castro is teamed up with Baez.  The Nationals Ryan Zimmerman is teamed up with Anthony Rendon and the Pirates have Cutch and rookie Josh Bell.

Far too often with cards like these you get a couple guys that didn't even make the majors or only got a cup of coffee.  This card looks to have some fan favorites that will last in the memories of those franchises for years to come.

Ryan Zimmerman was the first Nationals draft pick EVER and is having a good start to the season.

Cutch could be a borderline Hall of Famer if his career continues the way it started.

Castro is a 3 time All-Star and a singles hitting machine.  He started his career early enough that collecting 2,500 career hits shouldn't be out of the question.

The book has just been opened on Baez, Bell, and Rendon so there is plenty of time left to see how those young men's careers turn out.

Looking back at the 2011 draft it would have been nice to get Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley paired on this card, but it seems like they were going for a National League look with only position players.

This card is a huge get for my collection.  The seller was very patient with me getting the funds together to send him payment past the 5 day period.

I was nervous that it would take a very long time for the card to arrive since it was coming from New Zealand.  In only six days I received this six player autograph booklet that has been a whale for a few years.

Fun fact: the New Zealand accent makes six sound like sex.  Thus I got my sex whale title.