Cardboard Cameos: Fox in the Shadows

Tonight is going to be a fun game as a Pirates fan watching two former Pirates compete to get their team to the ALCS.

Enough about that though. Let's move towards today's subject...

Meghan Fox

I said last year that I would be using Meghan Fox this year as part of my SaveTheBoobies event.

Everyone knows of her good mechanical skills in Transformers

But she also appeared on Charlie Sheen's Two and a Half Men

While she may not have the biggest pair that I have shown, they are looking really good proportional to her body even in that terrible movie called Jennifer's Body

 That stomach tho...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brought her back into mainstream audiences when she played the role of news reporter April O'Neil

Who knew that reporting in New York City would lead to being chased by evil ninjas?

She reprised the role as the beautiful undercover reporter

In the sequel TMNT2: Out of the Shadows

Look in the blurry shadows of Gerrit Cole's 2013 Update Rookie Debut card and you can see a dirty legged centerfielder.

Any idea who that could be?

Yup, Andrew McCutchen can be seen in the background of Gerrit's rookie debut card.

2 former Pirates pitchers will face off tonight to determine who advances to the ALCS.  It's Gerrit Cole vs Tyler Glasnow.

I can't decide who I want to win...

Let's enjoy more of that Megan Fox

Now we're all winners

New Teammate Pairings

Andrew McCutchen has been the leadoff hitter since arriving in Philadelphia. Batting behind him is a two time All-Star and the 2016 National League hits leader, Jean Segura.  Segura has bounced around since making his MLB debut in 2012 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  He was a key part of the Zack Greinke trade where he went to Milwaukee and flourished as a table setter for a retooling Brewers lineup. 

He was then traded to the Diamondbacks for Aaron Hill and Chase Anderson prior to the 2016 season.  In Arizona he became a hit machine and lead the National League in hits that year.  

Following the 2016 season Segura and Mitch Haniger were traded for Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker.  

After two seasons and another All-Star appearance, Segura was again traded for a prospect package...this time to Philadelphia.

Above is my only card I have of Cutch with his new teammate, Jean Segura, listed.  It is a 1967 Punch out Box Topper found in 2016 Heritage.

 Today is the last day to post for my contest, so if you want to get a last minute entry in before tomorrow's  before sure to leave a comment here.

Brad's Blog Bombing

Brad is a Philadelphia fan and for that I feel bad for him.  Him and I have sent each other just because packages over the past several years without expecting anything in return.

What Brad sent me a few days before Christmas absolutely blew me away.

Let's cut to the chase.

This 1/1 Andrew McCutchen 2015 Magenta Mini SSP printing plate was wedged between a stack of 14 Buccos and 13 Buccos.

This framed mini is absolutely fantastic!!!!  It also brings my total to 179 one of ones!!!!

Let's look at what else this fine gent sent my way.

A trio of minis including a purple Josh Harrison /250 from 2016 Gypsy Queen.  The always respected Roberto Clemente is next to the exiled Jung Ho Kang.

Rotation Ace Gerrit Cole is joined by veteran Ivan Nova and the fresh faces Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow who both debuted in 2016.  Last year the Pirates staff for the most part (excluding Jameson's cancer battle) stayed healthy as they only used 7 different pitchers to start games.  I liked what Trevor Williams showed down the stretch.  If the Pirates are to improve their record this year they will need Cole Taillon and Nova to return to their highest potential and the development of Glasnow, Kuhl, and Williams will have to improve.

Who called for a Marte Partay?  These cards scanned crooked.  Hmmmm....crooked? Marte?  Probably just a coincidence...moving on....

JHay looks like he wants to party

Here's a few guys no longer invited to party in Pittsburgh.

Confined to wear a mask because of his majestic look is Ryan Doumit!!!!!!  I wish I had PCed him more.

Jung Ho, get your $#@& together!

Kevin Newman is an interesting prospect.  When he was drafted Keith Law exclaimed the Pirates got the best player in the draft and ranked him very highly.  After a few seasons in the minors he has shown very little offensively besides being a slap hitter.  He gets on base at a decent clip but has very little power at this point his career.  He may become a super utility infielder like Josh Harrison depending on how the development of Adam Frazier, Cole Tucker, and Kevin Kramer go.

Speaking of JHay, there he is again looking fresh on a 1983 inspired Archives card.

I'm looking at these two cards of Gregory Polanco and wow, he changed a lot in a year...oh wait Topps screwed up.  That's not Polanco on the Gypsy Queen....that's Aramis Ramirez.  Shame on you Topps!

Let's finish with some Hall of Famer.

Nothing is better than that.

Oh and this is Andrew McCutchen, I'm sure you've seen me talk about him on this blog before.

Thank you so much Brad!!!
I am going to work on getting something to you in return.

5 more Cole Cutch cards I forgot about

Yesterday when I was scanning in the Cole Cutch cards I forgot to crop 5 of them from my file.

Here are the rest of them.

Up first is this 2015 National Treasures All-star dual relic numbered 22/25.  I have been building up my 22/xx collection of Cutch cards more aggressively over the past year.

Next up a pair of 2016 Triple Threads.  Yesterday I showed the 1/1 Ruby.  Here are the base (/36) and silver (/27).  I am still looking for the Emerald (/18), Gold (/9), and Sapphire (/3).

The Harrison white swatch on the base actually has a bit of white stitching likely from a Jolly Roger sleeve patch.

And to finish things off are a pair of Museum Primary Pieces.

 The card above has a sleeve patch worn by the Pirates in 2014 for Gerrit Cole's swatch.  It is the tribute to Ralph Kiner after his passing earlier that season.  The Polanco piece appears to be from a throwback jersey.

There are a lot of cool things going on with this card besides just the aesthetic looking patches.  First up is Cole's camo jersey swatch.  The Polanco is a Jolly Roger sleeve patch worn on a black alternate jersey.  The Marte swatch is actually part of a nameplate (likely the "E").

Cole in a Stocking?

Gerrit Cole, who grew up a Yankees fan, is rumored to be heading to New York.

For the past few weeks there have been lots of rumors going around about the former #1 overall pick being traded to the Yankees.  It seems that the Pirates are still trying to get top prospect Gleyber Torres in exchange for two years of the hard throwing righty.

I'm torn about the potential trade.

The team is significantly different than the 97 win 2015 club as the following players are no longer with the Pirates: Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, AJ Burnett, Francisco Liriano, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon.

So far only the Melancon trade has yielded a positive impact to the future of the club as Felipe Rivero is a nasty arm out of the pen.

I don't have much confidence in the team "winning" a trade with the Yankees.

I would rather see Cole pitch every 5th day for the next two years even knowing that the Pirates have ZERO chance to extend him. I saw him make his MLB debut which I will never forget.

Here are some of my Cutch and Cole relic combo cards.

Gerrit has always been one of my favorites and I would hate to see him traded.

I remember meeting him in AAA and was able to get his attention when the Indianapolis Indians were playing the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA affiliate).  He signed maybe about a half dozen balls before the game.

When he turned to sign for me and I tossed the ball to him I asked if he could sign it on the sweet spot.  It never hurts to ask, right?

Cole laughed and said I don't think my agent would like that.

He tossed it back up to me.

I knew then that the Pirates had ZERO chance of signing him past his six years with the Bucs.

That's why I absolutely don't want to see him traded.  He is the Pirates best pitcher since the days of Doug Drabek.  He's consistent and has true top of rotation stuff.

I want Cole to stay with the Pirates for the next two years.

Don't give the Yankees another present this holiday season!