Collecting Update

Last week I was gifted with a 1/1 Topps Blank Back card in the mail from a longtime Twitter friend and Bryce Harper collector.

Cutch got his 1,000 career RBI that same day.  He did it on a weak infield ground ball fielder's choice that he couldn't be doubled up on. 

Topps honored the event with a 24 hour Topps Now card available which I snagged from apizzo1482 as a preorder for only $5.20

What a career!

He got his 200th stolen base and 1,000 RBI this year.

As of the 1,000 career RBI he was then missing some milestones by just a few marks

56 hits shy of 2,000

9 doubles shy of 400

13 HR shy of 300

24 walks shy of 1,000

I know that many people have come to check out my blog on a daily basis each October, but as with my collecting of Cutch cards I am truly burned out from it.  I may do a few posts, but it won't be the same as years past and due to financial struggles still residing from my torn achilles earlier this year I will not be able to make a donation based on comments left.  I also won't be able to do any contests.

Sorry guys!

Thank you to those still reading the blog.

1 MONTH SOBER!!!

For the first time since 2009 I went 30 days without purchasing an Andrew McCutchen baseball card.  I've gone stretches of 10-14 days before, but I have never gone a full month.  This may sound like a first world problem, but I actually did become addicted to adding cardboard of the former MVP. 

Last year was the least amount of card purchases I made of Cutch in over a decade of "CollectingCutch".

Then this year happened and my purchases are even less (partially because he hasn't been in many products this year so far). 

I used to search eBay 3-6 times a day while also looking at other after market card places like COMC, blowout, mercari, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc on a daily basis.  

Now I check out my Cutch searches maybe once or twice a week. 

Collecting cardboard can certainly be addicting and fun, but with Cutch's career coming to a twilight I'm just not as emotionally invested in it as I once was.  Having him join a division rival on a one year deal where the Brewers likely won't make the playoffs isn't helping.  

Here is the very last Andrew Mccutchen baseball card I received in the mail.  

It is the 2022 Select Scope parallel (unnumbered).

I made the purchase on the last day in July and received it about a week later.

Now I can say that it has also been over a month since I last received an Andrew McCutchen card in the mail. 

What is the longest stretch you've gone without adding a card to the PC?

Have you overcome any addictions and been proud after the first month?

Plunder The Lox

I was caught completely off guard when AJ of The Lost Collector hit me up with a message saying "I have something coming your way".

Being the supercollector that I am, it is rare for items regarding Cutch to escape me being aware of their existence ESPECIALLY when it comes to cardboard.  2020 saw me start to limit the number of new Cutch cards to the collection, but I am still adding hundreds of new cards each year.

Where it gets tricky regarding my Cutch collection is his appearance in print media and stadium giveaways (excluding bobbleheads of which I have over 20). 

Included in the many stadium giveaways there are a bunch of T-shirts that Cutch has left his mark on and this is where I could improve the collection the most.

Well, AJ hooked me up with one of the best Sportscenter commercials of all time.

Plunder The Lox.

I love this shirt and have already worn it twice!!!

Thanks for the awesome shirt AJ

Anyone know who the blonde is in the commercial? She could be a good candidate for my October event.

What were some of your favorite This is Sportscenter commercials?

I'll be back

Happy 75th Birthday to Arnold Schwarzenegger!

The most famous line from Arnold's career has to be "I'll be back" from the Terminator franchise. 

Terminator is one of those rare movies where the sequel may actually be better than the original, however the more recent sequels will never live up to the original Terminator or it's sequel T2:Judgement Day.

Topps has featured Cutch in his Pirates gear a lot in recent years despite being a current Phillie or Brewer.  This is odd for me because unlike other stars of the game that have been traded from their original teams (Goldschmidt, Arenado, Baez, Bryant, Lindor, Stanton, Yelich, Miguel Cabrera, Bryce Harper) those active players aren't getting featured in insert sets as Diamondbacks, Rockies, Cubs, Indians, and Marlins unless the insert set is discussing their debuts.  

The most recent example was including Cutch in the 2022 Series 2 1987 All Star set as a member of the Pirates. While he will likely always be remembered as a member of the Pirates (unless he hits a playoff series ending HR with the Brewers this year) he hasn't played for the Pirates since 2017.  Yes he made all 5 All Star Games as a Pirate, but then why is Javier Baez featured as an All Star with the Mets (his "current team" when the cards were produced?  Javy wasn't a member of the Mets when he made an All Star game.  

Paul Goldschmidt is featured as a Cardinal in the 2022 1987 All Star Game set because that is his current team, but he never made an All Star game as a member of the Cardinals (until this year which wasn't known at the time of production and distribution).  The same can be said for last year's NL MVP, Bryce Harper, who never made an All Star appearance since joining the Phillies until this season, which again wasn't known at time of production. 

It's just a very strange situation. 

But for whatever the reason is, I'm happy to see cards of Cutch in a Pirates uniform that I didn't have.

Good to see him back. Lol

Cutch has always gotten a warm welcome in Pittsburgh whenever he "has come back home"

What killed the dinosaurs?

Continuing my posts about Arnold Schwarzenegger we have a line from Batman & Robin where Arnold played the villain, Mr. Freeze.

What killed the dinosaurs?

The Ice Age

Above are my Bowman Platinum silver ice parallels of Cutch 2016-2019. 

What are some other great Arnold one liners you'd like to see?

It's Naht a Tooma

Continuing the theme of showing cards that relate to famous Arnold Schwarzenegger movie quotes comes a suggestion from AJ of The Lost Collector.  

The former California governor and star of many of the most iconic action movies of the 80s and 90s will be turning 75 this week.  

AJ's suggestion of "It's Not a Tumor" comes from the film Kindergarten Cop.

Here is a police card given out by Pittsburgh Police and Pirates Charities.

The back if the card reminds us all that every choice has a consequence.

I will be continuing this Arnie theme all week. I have a personal favorite tomorrow for it's pure ridiculousness.  I will also feature at least two more from your suggestions. 

 

Stick around

On July 30th, just a few days away, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be 75 years old.

My plan is to count down using some of Arnold's famous and corny punny lines from all his movies.  If there's a quote you'd like to see, leave it below and I will try to find a corresponding card or item in my Cutch collection to spotlight. 

Predator is in my mind, the ultimate man movie. It just screams I am rough and rugged and will battle to the death.  And not to be biased because it's one of my top 10 movies all time, but it's my favorite Arnold film so I'm using it to kick off this event. 

Today's quote to kick off Arnie week is 

Stick Around

My card of choice is the 2012 Topps Archives 1977 Cloth Sticker.

I also have 3 of the 1/1 printing plates for this card.

What other quotes would you like to see represented?