Team WBC pickup

In addition to binge watching a bunch of TV shows over the past few weeks I also rewatched a lot of the Team USA games for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. 

Christian Yelich made himself known to the nation by batting in the two hole and being a main catalyst for the offense.  Adam Jones and Eric Hosmer were absolute studs for Team USA and Marcus Stroman pitched a masterpiece in the final game vs Puerto Rico. 

Cutch batted in the six spot for all the games he played and had a miniscule .559 OPS, but he did hit a few clutch hits including the go ahead RBI in the semifinals vs Japan. 

I had a lot of WBC cards already, but when I saw this card available for a very reasonable price,

well I just had to do a little dance

 and celebrate adding it to the collection.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Trade Deadline: What We Know So Far...

At 4pm today, MLB will have it's official trade deadline.  Unlike prior years where teams had until August 30th to add talent to their playoff push with a waiver deadline, this is the last chance for teams to modify their rosters from other teams.

With so many National League teams looking to make a push for a Wild Card spot there is likely to be some more names traded today.

The trades started a few days ago when the Mets stunned everyone by trading for Marcus Stroman, one of the most coveted pitchers on the market this deadline.

(Josh Harrison can be seen on this card to the right of Stroman. No idea where Cutch was in the celebration.)


Last night while watching the Pirates v Reds game I learned of Yasiel Puig being traded toto the Indians as part of a 3 team trade that involved the Padres getting top prospect Taylor Trammel and the Reds getting Trevor Bauer.

Oddly enough, Puig stayed in the game once traded. Moments after Amir Garrett gave up a 3 run homer to the Pirates, Garrett stormed off the mound heading towards the Pirates dugout.

 Puig naturally had to get involved and will no doubt have to serve a suspension for being involved.

Who could be on the move today?
There's lots of rumors of Felipe Vazquez going to the Dodgers.  If the Pirates don't get Alex Verdugo OR Gavin Lux plus a few other prospects I see no reason to make that trade.

By the way, if you missed yesterday's post about all my Cutch Yankees cards please go check it out.

Did You Survive The Purge?

For those that aren't familar with the Purge movies, last night to this morning at 7am was the time slot that the Purge movies allow all crime.  I hope this country never does something like that as it completely contradicts my beliefs.

I would like to see our great country fall in love with baseball more.  It is clear that Football is the number one sport.  All the games are meaningful and have implications on the playoff picture.

Baseball is a long season and the games dont seem as meaningful.

That is why I absolutely love the World Baseball Classic every four years.  Meaningful games with a sense of pride for each team.

Andrew McCutchen participated in the 2017 WBC tournament.  He was second on the team with RBI batting predominantly out of the six hole for the tournament.

Juan Rosales has contributed a bunch of 1/1 sketch cards to this blog over the past few years.  The sketch of Cutch taking batting practice in his Team USA gear is one of my favorites, especially with the red and blue background.

Two years ago Team USA defeated Team Puerto Rico 8-0 to capture the Gold Medal.  It marked the first time that Team USA won the tournament.

A Sense of Pride

Cutch has been appearing in so many high end sets lately and I feel like Topps is producing cards of the former MVP just to get money specifically from me.

I know there are other Giants and McCutchen collectors out there, but there has been more Topps certified autographs of Cutch in the past year than the previous four years combined by both Topps and Panini.

With that being said, I couldn't pass up a card like this.

On card autograph numbered to only 5 copies with a sweet patch?

YES PLEASE!!!

But wait, there's more.

You see that numbering?
AP-AM4

There are at least 4 different variants to track down.  I have gathered 2 more (AM1 and AM3) to pair up with this.  I am seeking a copy of AM2.

Of the ones that discuss dynastic moments, this one is my favorite.

I loved the 2017 World Baseball Classic.  I think tournaments like that could really help make baseball a national pastime and must see sport again.

The reason why football has become so popular is because every game matters.  Entire seasons rest on a single game.

Can the same be said for a random cold day game in Chicago being played in April if you're the New York Mets?  No, probably not.  Even if you're a White Sox fan and you don't get the chance to see the Mets come play "your team" does it make an impact?  Nope.  Probably not, unfortunately.

That is why I love the WBC Tournament so much. Every game is important.  Players aren't playing for $300 million dollar contracts either.  They were playing for the love of the game and for the love of their country.

Missing 7 of 9: A Contest Response

Daniel is holding a contest for his 9th year blogging.  If you aren't already reading It's Like Having My own Card Shop you surely are missing out.  It is a fantastic read and he has so many different kinds of collections.

Originally I thought I could use my Triple Threads cards to show off cards numbered to 9 and highlight my favorite card from each  specific numbering.

The problem?

Well....you will see later.

1/9

Let's get this thing started, shall we?  Here we have a standard jumbo patch numbered 1/9.  No big deal, right?  The patch is from the 22 on the front of Cutch's jersey.

2/9

I had a few options for number two, but ultimately decided on this 2017 WBC Team USA triple relic.  I loved the WBC tournament so much and think I might try to see a game in person in 2021.

3/9

If there is one thing you should notice from all these cards I am going to be posting is that Cutch is a jovial fella and enjoys playing the game of baseball.  2015 Triple Threads was the last year Topps ran the patches in a straight horizontal line.  That means that the 2015 ASG would be represented on 2016 Triple Threads different as you can see above.  While the design isn't terrible I much rather see the patches line up.

4/9

The patches on this ASG workout jersey aren't the greatest as there is only one super unique patch (the star) in window 3.  I love the photo though as it is directly from Cutch's Home Run Derby appearance.  Cutch lost to eventual champion Prince Fielder in the first round.

5/9

This card is both awesome and bittersweet at the same time.  Following the 2013 season it looked like the Pirates were going to be set for success for a long time.  They had a perenial MVP in Andrew McCutchen, a budding star and constant Gold Glove caliber player in Starling Marte, and a top 10 prospect in Gregory Polanco.  #RunPMC never developed into the outfield the way Pirates fans had hoped and the Marlins, Red Sox, and Yankees outfields overcame them as the best outfields in baseball the past few seasons.  With Austin Meadows breaking out at the MLB level it looks like we will never see Cutch come back to the Steel City as a permanent fixture patrolling the outfield.

Another good 5/9 I have is a triple relic of Joey Bats, Cespedes, and Cutch.  The relics are meh and the saying is PURE GLOVE?  Huh?

6/9

I went all in on acquiring Cutch Triple Threads cards in 2015 for his 2014 ASG appearance.  The design for this year is my least favorite as it doesn't reflect much of the city the game was played in very well.

7/9
I don't have a 7 of 9

So I will just show this Unity relics from PNC Park that Matt from BobWalkThePlank traded me as our most epic trade we completed last year.  All three cards are numbered to 9.  It was part of 5 cards Matt sent me in exchange for these cards I sent him which you can see here, here, here, here, along with about half a dozen of "super rare" buyback Bob Walks I sent him to set the stage for the trade.

8/9

Boring jersey swatch, but at least it matches the subject's jersey color.  Oh and did you notice Cutch is wearing a Jackie Robinson jersey for the card? Can't go wrong with that.  The card also represents Cutch being selected to Topps All-Rookie team for the 2009 season.

9/9

The design for the 2014 Triple Threads celebrating the 2013 ASG is the best of all the ASG patch cards Cutch has appeared on.  The NY skyline in the background complete with a backwards capped dreaded Cutch and 3 unique patch windows make this card have more flav and swag than all the others.

So while i am missing a 7 of 9, how about if I show off another card numbered to 9 just to close thimgs out.

The above 2014 Triple Threads is numbered 8/9 and features patches of Cutch, Pedro Alvarez, and Gerrit Cole.  I miss these guys all being on the same team. 

So I tried to show off 9 cards numbered to 9, but failed.
Guess it is back to the drawing board tomorrow.

Remember The Past, Honor The Living

Remember The Past,
Honor The Living!

Today many Americans will welcome in the summer with parties and bbqs, but it's important to remember what this holiday truly means.

Alejandro Villanueva did a segment for Sportscenter that summarized it perfectly.  Click here for the article and video.

TEAM USA RELICS!

It's Memorial Day weekend and to celebrate I will be showing off some cards that represent the holiday in my eyes.

Up first is a blue parallel from 2017 Triple Threads numbered 3/3 (eBay 1/1)

I have previously shown off some of the other parallels on this blog, but the blue (sapphire) parallel really brings home the Americana feel to the cardboard.

Gold numbered 2/9

Emerald numbered 4/18


I still need the ruby 1/1 along with the /27 and /36 parallels for this particular rainbow.

Going Green : USA USA USA

Trying to find actresses with deep Irish roots is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Anne Hathaway, a former NJ native, is of Irish ancestry as both her parents are Irish.

This beautiful American woman may not look Irish, but I don't mind looking at her.

Decked in all green, makes me forget this post is more about USA than Ireland.

Happy Monday everyone!

WBC Memories

I enjoyed the heck out of last year's World Baseball Classic.

It was awesome to see some of my favorite current players (Cutch, Arenado, Bregman, Adam Jones) all compete on the same team.

It was also awesome to snag all these Triple Threads relics from Probstein around Christmas.

I'm thinking that Cutch is going to have a monster season this year with San Francisco, batting atop that lineup and playing in stadiums he has had success in before (AT&T, Petco, Coors).

In the deciding game of the WBC tournament at Dodgers Stadium, Cutch went 2 for 4 with 2 ribbys.

Did something happen yesterday?

Yesterday news broke that the Yankees had acquired Giancarlo Stanton from Derek Jeter's Miami Marlins.

I completely understand what Jeter and company are trying to do by shedding the massive contract.  I think that Marlins fans that are upset by the deal should recognize that the organization can't be sustainable over the course of time unless they build a winning foundation beginning in the minors and it transcends to the major league level.

As great as Stanton can be perceived as being here's some fun facts about the quarter billion dollars the Marlins got rid of from their payroll over the next 10 years.
He has only appeared in 150 games TWICE in his career. (2011 and 2017)
His strikeout to walk rate is 2.34:1 over his 8 year career.
He has never played for a winning team since his 2010 debut.

Having 267 career homeruns by age 27 season and then joining the Yankees for 10 years should put him on the Hall of Fame path.

Stanton is a great player, but he's not great for a new ownership in Miami.  He needed to be traded for the Marlins ownership to move forward with their plan and vision.

What are your thoughts on the Stanton to Yankees move?

Happy for the player to finally join a winning culture?
Mad at the Marlins front office for trading the face of the franchise?

I will leave you with all my Cutch and Giancarlo pairings (many of which I showed off during the 2017 WBC).

First though I will show off the two cards that haven't been featured on here yet.

I made a post about Probstein last week and how some of their auctions get shilled and go for more than what they should because they are a consigner.

This card was won for what I consider a fair price.  It's a triple relic of three members of the World Baseball Classic 2017 Team USA gold medalist (Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen, and Giancarlo Stanton).  I have added quite a number of green Triple Threads cards this year so I am looking forward to showing them off next Saint Patrick's Day.

I don't know how many of you watched that tournament, but I had a blast rooting for Team USA.  Of course it helped that my favorite player was playing right field during the tournament.

Here's the rarer and "patchier" Gold version numbered to 9.

And here are the cards I have previously shown
This National Treasures quad booklet is awesome!  It features 3 of my favorite current big leaguers (Arenado, Rizzo, and Cutch)

 There's a few different parallels to chase for Immaculate.  I just have the standard bat relic for Stanton.  There is a patch version of both players available too which I believe is numbered to 10.

 The game's best pitcher (Kershaw) and the game's best hitter (Trout) are featured with the Stanton Cutch partnership.

 That bum who always sticks his tongue out, Yasiel Puig, joins Cutch and Bigfoot

 This card is just ridiculous.  It has 9 of the best players at each position from 2014 on it.  All patches or bat relics.  I only showed the back below, but the front also has Clayton Kershaw, Buster Posey, Jose Abreu, Robinson Cano, and Miguel Cabrera (he was playing 3B because of the Prince Fielder signing).

WBC relic

I love the design on these WBC Ginter cards.  So simple and patriotic.  I might try to put together all of Team USA.

The remaining 7 players I need are
Nolan Arenado
Paul Goldschmidt
Giancarlo Stanton
Buster Posey
Adam Jones
Alex Bregman
Eric Hosmer

Today seemed like a good day to show off the American flag.

Remember those that fought for our country to end terrorism and those that lost their lives in those fatal attacks.

The Jersey of a Champion

Andrew McCutchen may never win a Championship with the Pittsburgh Pirates (although I certainly hope he does), but he will forever be a member of the Gold Medal championship team of the 2017 WBC.

I had so much fun watching the WBC this year, not only because my favorite player was a participant but also because it is always so much fun seeing the different cultures compete.

This is my first WBC jersey relic of Cutch although I did show off a base relic that showed Cutch on the front and mentioned him on the back.

If anyone knows me and my Cutch collection I will be seeking out other cards to add to this unique part of Cutch's career.  The jersey swatches for this are all plain grey swatches.  Obviously I would love to add some nice patches or letter nameplates or something to the collection.

I will be attending the Pirates at Phillies game tonight wearing my Cutch WBC jersey. Look for me on TV.  4 of the past 5 games I've attended, I've been seen on TV.

Showing off some customs

Occassionally I will come across some custom cards for sale that strike my fancy.  I'm not a huge supporter of these kinds of cards, but if it features an old Topps design I liked or a unique moment I usually pull the trigger.

Recently I came across this custom

I picked up his "team set" of Team USA.

I loved this year's WBC and rooting for Team USA.  I have to hand it to Jim Leyland for winning the tournament and sticking with his core guys.  I felt like the team lacked the "Superstar" and "Hobby star" names, but as a team they did an incredible job.

When you think of the big names in the card collecting world, who on Team USA draws the most attention?
Buster Posey, probably.
All their other guys play on small market teams.  Miami, Kansas City, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Baltimore.  Most are low revenue teams.
Again kudos and Jim Leyland and the team.

I have also picked up a few other customs over the years.

This was a hand drawn sketch card that I thought looked really good so I had to pick it up.

These two were random impulse buys.

And to finish things off is this really sweet looking T206 Style Piedmont card.

The Mauer was a freebie the seller provided.
If anyone wants the Mauer let me know.