The Ultimate Lineup Using only Andrew McCutchen cards

After looking at some of the reactions to my recent Dynasty post, I thought it might be fun to do a similar "make a team" style post.  This time however, my team can only consist of players from cards I own that also feature Andrew McCutchen.

Let's start with my bench players:

Tris Speaker and Mike Trout

Reggie Jackson

Miggy Cabrera

Now that I have your attention by claiming 2 of the best centerfielder of all time and one of the best modern day right handed hitters are on my bench, it's time to round out with the best of the rest I have to put on the bench

Javy Baez

Nolan Arenado

Now for the lineup

Rickey Henderson (LF)

Honus Wagner (SS)

Roberto Clemente (RF)

Willie Mays (CF)

Mike Schmidt (3B)

Willie Stargell (1B)

Ken Griffey Jr. (DH)

Jackie Robinson (2B)

Buster Posey (C)

Clayton Kershaw (SP)

Relief Pitchers/Rotation Starters

Jason Grilli

David Price

Andrew Miller

Gerrit Cole

A.J. Burnett

Cole Hamels

So there's my team featuring players to appear on a card with Cutch. I would love to see if any of you can pick a single player in your collection and field a better team using cards of only players pictured on cards with one of your favorite players. If you do a bat around style post, please leave a comment below and share your team. 

The Last Catcher to Win MVP is Retiring

It's being rumored that Buster Posey will be retiring today.  I have some really amazing cards featuring Cutch with Buster Posey. 

This 2015 Immaculate Collection card features 9 (YES 9!!!!) patches of some the game's best (at that time) players at each position.

Pitcher- Clayton Kershaw

Catcher - Buster Posey

1B - Jose Abreu

2B - Robinson Cano

3B - Miguel Cabrera (he moved to 3rd so Prince Fielder could play 1st for the Tigers)

SS - Troy Tulowitzki

Outfielders - Giancarlo Stanton, Andrew McCutchen, Mike Trout

The card is limited to only 10 copies and is serially numbered on the back.

Troy Tulowitzki is the only player on this side to not win an MVP award.  The last shortstop to win MVP was Jimmy Rollins in 2007.  

Ribinson Cano is the only player on this side to not win an MVP.  The last Second Baseman to win the MVP was Jose Altuve in 2017.

Buster Posey had a tremendous 12 year career and looked to completely reignite his career after taking 2020 off for COVID concerns.  He finished his career with many accomplishments.

The biggest knocks on Posey will be only 1,500 career hits and only 729 RBI.  

Joe Mauer retired after the 2018 season and Yadier Molina is retiring after next season.  All three could be candidates for the Hall of Fame as they were perennial All Stars year after year.  The Hall of Fame ballot could get loaded with deserving guys in the next few years especially if the steroid guys stay on the ballot (Rodriguez, Ortiz, Manny)

Cutch and Posey were teammates in 2018 so I do have some relic cards featuring both Cutch and Posey.  

Among them are a few low numbered cards including the above 1/1 from Topps Tribute featuring a Majestic logo for Cutch and part of the Giants lettering for Buster.

By far though, this is my favorite Buster Posey card.  It's a triple patch relic of Brandon Crawford (featuring a bold Giants logo sleeve patch)

Buster Posey (featuring the R in San Francisco from a road grey jersey)

Andrew McCutchen (featuring a G from a white Giants home jersey)

Do you have any favorite Buster Posey cards in your collection?

Do you think he makes the Hall of Fame? 

Would You Rather?

While I don't collect Wade Boggs cards to a supercollector status, I have been fascinated by some of the Wade Boggs Supercollectors because they share a similar mindset for how I go about CollectingCutch.  I discussed the other Wade Boggs collectors on a post last year during Shark Week.

One of the "Boggs trust" members, John aka WadeBoggsFan (his birthday was yesterday btw) on YouTube published a video where he took 2 pitchers and 2 hitters and without revealing their names asked based solely on the stats which pitcher or hitter would you rather have to build a franchise around.

I thought it would be fun to do a similar thing here looking at a random player from the early 2000s, Andrew McCutchen, and Wade Boggs.  

So here are some stats through age 25 season (keeping simple stats and slash lines)

Player A

328 hits

10 HR

4 SB

.356/.426/.469

151 Runs/118 RBI

0 ASG

Player B

753 Hits

111 HR

117 SB

.272/.353/.592

479 Runs/349 RBI

3 ASG, 2 GG

Player C

629 Hits

82 HR

98 SB

.290/.365/.483

362 Runs/295 RBI

2 ASG, 1 GG

By those stats most people who look at Player B would say he is clearly on a Hall of Fame path.  As a matter of fact according to his Baseball Reference page his closest similarity scores for ages 22-26 are Duke Snider, Mookie Betts, and Barry Bonds.  Player A has a lot of ground to catch up and Player C is just slightly behind Player B in regards to simple counting stats.

Let's move on to their stats through their  Age 33 seasons now using the same 3 players as before

Player A

1,965 Hits

78 HR

15 SB

.345/.430/.471

1,005 Runs/637 RBI

7 ASG

Player B

1,098 Hits

150 HR

143 SB

.265/.349/.457

660 Runs/518 RBI

3 ASG, 2 GG

Player C

1,719 Hits

243 HR

191 SB

.285/.376/.478

974 Runs/853 RBI

5 ASG, 1 GG, 1 MVP

As you can see above Player A has been racking up a ton of hits over the 8 seasons that followed the initial look through age 25 season.  Player B, originally lumped into "Future Hall of Famer" talks has completely fallen off and retired from baseball at age 32.  Player C is a model of consistency keeping up with a steady stream of hits, walks, homers, despite declining stolen bases over later seasons.

I found this to be a very fun excercise and think it can shed some light on why investing in sports cards can sometimes become a huge risk.  Player B was one of the hottest names in the sport in the mid 2000s, but injuries derailed his career and his autograph can now be had for about $5.  He finished his career in Tampa Bay and retired after his age 32 season.  

Player A got a late start to his career, but went on to join the 3,000 hit club as a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  He joined the Hall of Fame in 2005, the same year Player B had his first full season in the majors and the same year Player C got drafted.

The book is still open on Player C as he enters the 2021 season at age 34 and only has one year guaranteed on his contract.

While I haven't been buying many cards lately, I did manage to pick up this fold up poster from Lids that features Andrew McCutchen along with some of the bigger names in the sport at the time it was produced.  The names of players on this poster would make some interesting Would You Rather posts. With a lack of cards to buy, I am looking towards finding more things like this for the collection.  

Can you match up the 3 players in this exercise knowing two of them are Boggs and Cutch? 

Where's The Foil?

Today is just a filler post.

Not much to read.

Much like this 2013 Topps League Leaders Emerald card that is missing the foil on the front.

Don't forget my contest.

Interrupt With An Important Announcement

If you have been following my blog for at least a year, you know we are approaching one of my favorite months of the year, October.  Each October I like to bring awareness to breast cancer, one of the leading causes of death in all females.  

While browsing Twitter today, I came across a message from Brandon Crawford and his wife with support from Andrew McCutchen and his wife.

Here is a link to the Catch A Cure Twitter with support from Brandon Crawford, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Greg Maddux, Eric Hosmer, and many others.

Taken directly from Tiny Turnips page where you can buy merchandise to support children with cancer is this message

"100% of Profits from the sale of items in the “Catch A Cure” Collection will benefit The Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego.  The Peckham Center is home to a full range of specialized cancer treatments and hematology services, as well as psychosocial resources, life-after-cancer programs and pace-setting clinical research. As a not-for-profit hospital that ranks among the top pediatric hospitals in the country, Rady Children's relies on philanthropy to continue to provide world-class care to more than 250,000 children each year"

I know I ask for people to donate in October, but here is a chance to not only help benefit children fight cancer, but you can also get some neat swag too.

Personally, I'm going for one of those cool mugs and maybe a t-shirt with my name on the back.  I hope I can share the story about the organization to anyone that asks "What's Catch a Cure" mean?

MLB has recently began allowing players to wear a golden ribbon on their uniform in September.

Many of the 2019 Gypsy Queen autograph cards of Andrew McCutchen feature him wearing the gold ribbon to support Child Cancer Awareness.

I am still in need of the base autograph, but have the Bazooka Back, Fortune Tellers Mini, Rainbow Foil, and Black and White parallels.  

And here is a card that features 3 of the more famous players to support the Catch a Cure program.

It is my 2018 Triple Threads booklet card with some very large patches including a sleeve patch, the R in a San Francisco grey uniform and the G in a home Giants uniform.  

Digging through the Archives, how I wish they were made differently

In 2011 Topps issued a release called Lineage.  It featured active and retired players on a new design.

The set also showed the lineage of Topps by revisiting some of the more popular designs and creating insert sets around them.  The fans loved the idea and Topps never produced Lineage again.

Well not under the title of Lineage that is.

Beginning in 2012 Topps would go into their archives and create a set called Archives.  Each year Topps would utilize 3-4 different designs from their cardboard making history and feature players on a design (mostly from their non playing days).

I have at minimum every base card of Andrew McCutchen from the Archives release and today I am going to post a series of designs I wish that McCutchen was used for over the first 8 years of existance of the brand.

2012 Topps Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1954, 1971, 1980, 1984
Design chosen by Topps for McCutchen

1971

While I like the design of 1971 and it is nice to have Cutch wearing the black and gold in a design from the year the Buccos won a World Series, I knew Cutch would eventually get the 1971 cardboard treatment in 2020 Topps Heritage.

I would have much rather gotten the 1954 design of Cutch.  No Pirates were represented using the 1954 design so it would have been an extra bonus to get Cutch in a 1954 design just for that reason.

Here is his Team USA teammate Adam Jones on the 1954 design.


2013 Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1972, 1982, 1985, 1990
Design chosen for McCutchen

1985

I am ok with this selection, but if I was given a choice of another design, I would lean towards 1990.  I don't see 1990 Topps as being a popular set by fans and can't imagine Topps using the design again until 2039 Topps Heritage. 

2014 Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1973, 1980, 1986, 1989 (the last year they use 4 designs)
Design chosen for McCutchen

1986

This is my favorite of all the Archives cards produced.  A strange thing about this card is that I think it may be an unannounced short print.  Try finding one on eBay or COMC right now.  You're likely to find less than a handful between all the after market places.  Try looking for any parallels including those sold on eBay, COMC, or WORTHPOINT and I promise you won't find any.  

Despite the perceived short print of this card, I approve this selection.



2015 Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1957, 1976, 1983
Design chosen for McCutchen

1983

I am so sick and tired of seeing modern players on 1983 designs.  Any of the other years would have been fine with me.  The 1983 design was also used for Josh Harrison and Bill Mazeroski.  The 1976 design was used for Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte, and Roberto Clemente.  

Given the choice I guess I would want Cutch in that 1957 design since Willie Stargell was the only Pirates player to get the 57 treatment.

2016 Archives
Designs used by Topps 1953, 1979, 1991
Design chosen for McCutchen

1991

Were it not for the Desert Shield foil variants I would have been begging for a 1953 Topps design.  It seems likely that Topps will continue to avoid putting Cutch in a Topps Living Set card even though JP Crawford and Bryce Harper already both have two entrants in the set.  I like the 91 set.  I have many fond memories opening these packs and trying to build the set with my dad.

No need for a change especially since I have this 1953 style card from 2019 Topps Transcendent.

2017 Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1960, 1982, 1992
Design chosen for McCutchen

1992

For many of the same reasons (foil parallel reminiscent of the ones available during initial release) I liked the 2016 Topps Archives selection of 1991 Topps, I am supporting the 2017 selection of 1992 Topps as the design for Cutch.  The design was also used for Roberto Clemente, Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte, and Gerrit Cole.

Cutch got a rookie card in 2009 Heritage High Number similar to the 1960 Topps rookie style made famous by the Yaz rookie.  Both Tyler Glasnow (rookie) and Honus Wagner represented the Pirates with the 1960 design.  I guess 1982 could have been a possibility since the double hockey stick style border was only used for Willie Stargell.

It seems Pops kept getting the short stick (no pun intended for this design) when being placed as a representative for the Pirates in Topps Archives.

2018 Archives
Designs used by Topps: 1959, 1977, 1981
Design chosen for McCutchen

1959

This is a selection that I approve, but given the choice of switching it up I would prefer 1981 Topps.  1959 is a great design and this is the only time Cutch got a solo card in the 1959 design.  However, he also got the 1959 treatment in the card "Bashers of the Bay" with Buster Posey. (Both pictured above)

So if that card was still produced, I would have liked to see a 1981 design for Cutch especially if it was given a pink border like what his team mate Buster Posey got.

2019 Archives
Designs used by Topps 1958, 1975, 1993
Design chosen for McCutchen

1958

This is actually a perfect selection among the designs offered.  As I have stated above McCutchen debuted in 2009 so his first Topps throwback design was 1960 Topps which appeared in 2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers.  He missed out on all the 1950s set via the traditional Heritage route.  The yellow background and red name letters make this card pop much in the same way Rip Repulski did in 1958.

The only other option for me would be 1993, but again that is only because I would want that gold foil found on Topps Gold style cards for that era.  The 1993 design isn't my favorite of the early 90s Topps designs.  Cutch did receive the 1975 design in 2011 Lineage.

2020 Archives

Designs used by Topps 1955, 1974, 2002

Design chosen for McCutchen

Nothing.

Cutch didn't receive a card in 2020 Topps.

This is an absolute shame that the streak of appearing in every Archives release comes to an end.  

Given the choices of 1955, 1974, and 2002 I would probably opt for 1955 Topps because it is an iconic set for Pirates fans (Roberto Clemente rookie!!!).

Getting a Cutch on a 1955 Topps design in his prime in a similar pose to the Clemente card would have been a perfect card.

Unfortunately Cutch is now with the Phillies and his 1955 style card may have resembled what this Steve Carlton looked like in Topps Archives.

My second choice would be 2002 Topps.  I wasn't collecting in 2002 and the set is so ugly I want a Cutch card to be represented in my collection with that ugly design.  

Former Pirates outfielder, Starling Marte, made it look kind of cool.

Have you ever looked at Topps Archives design samples and wished that a player got a different year treatment?