#TBT: Topps Unique

It has been a few months since I showed off Cutch wearing some Throwback Uniforms from his Pirates days.  

I am going to show off a pretty unique (pun intended) and short lived release by Topps.

Today I am looking at the gold parallel from 2009 Topps Unique

Cutch is wearing a uniform reminiscent of the Honus Wagner days celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the World Series winners

As you can see the back of the card discusses when the unique throwback uniform was worn and what the occassions was for the throwback uniform.  

Cutch made his MLB debut just a week and half earlier and was starting to make people aware that he may be a Rookie of the Year despite such a late start to the year.  The Pirates hosted the Detroit Tigers on June 14, 2009 to honor the 100 Year World Series that saw the Honus Wagner Pirates defeat the The Cobb lead Detroit Tigers.  

I wish the back of the card also mentioned Cutch's stats for the game.  He went 2 for 3 with two walks, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored in the 6-3 Pirates victory.

On The Verge of Greatness

Rickey Henderson

Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs

Honus Wagner

Willie Mays

Tris Speaker

Roberto Clemente (who's birthday would have been yesterday)

and Brian Stryker (picture below is from 10 years ago) when my journey began

Yup, I am on the verge of chasing a great milestone just like the above individuals.

With my recent mail day I am only 3 cards away from 3,000 unique cards of Andrew McCutchen.  It has been a wild and crazy decade long journey to get to this point, but with 5 incoming cards between eBay and Twitter I know I should hit the mark in the coming week.

What is card 2,997?

It is one of the shiniest cards in my collection.

2015 Prizm Diamond Marshals die cut

Flash Prizm /100

I have been after this card for 5 years and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped all over it.

I am excited to see where the collection goes in the future, but thank everyone who has helped contribute to it over the years.

Star Wars Day: A New Hope

Today is Star Wars Day, May the Forth (be with you).  I am not a HUGE Star Wars fan, but will be watching the all day marathon on TBS today.

I will display everything I remember about the 1st Star Wars released in 1977 using Andrew McCutchen baseball cards.  The first Star Wars released was called A New Hope

This is my Saphire Hope parallel from 2013 Topps.  It is New to my collection, thus "A New Hope"

The first Hope parallels were inserted in the now famous 2011 Topps Update Series.  The Hope parallels were numbered to 60 copies.

Mine is 40/60.

I'm glad I grabbed this one forever long ago as trying to get the Hope parallels now are almost impossible to find thanks to the rookies of Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, and Paul Goldschmidt.

 Darth Vader learns that the rebels have gotten plans to destroy his Death Star.

Luke Skywalker, who we later find out is Vader's son and Princess Leia's brother, is seen on Tattooine, a desolate planet with lots of sand.

I have 10 total parallels of Cutch looking like he is swinging a bat on Tatoine including
 black and white, Members Only
Red Foil, Rainbow Foil
Sepia, Photographer's Proof

Chrome Mint Good, Chrome Refractor
Chrome Superfractor (1/1), Chrome

Luke meets a legendary Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Pirates have had a lot of legendary players over the years, but it all started with Honus Wagner.

Kenobi teaches Skywalker how to yield a lightsaber, the weapon of choice for all Jedi.

This 5x7 Topps Fire Gold card (/10) is one of my favorite designed cards ever to feature Cutch.

Luke becomes a Jedi and begins to wear the same wardrobe as his mentor.

In 2010 Topps Unique and Heritage Rookie Performers, Cutch is wearing a 1909 uniform made famous by Honus Wagner.

Other things happen and at the end, Skywalker gets in an X-wing Figher to perfectly shoot down the Death Star's only vulnerable spot, by using the Force.

I remember Skywalker getting a medal at the end of one of the movies, so if this ribbon looking card doesn't match up with how New Hope ended, let's just use a lot of imagination and pretend it's an aerial silhoutte view of an X-Wing fighter.

Miles From McCutchen

Mark of the many blogs Miles From Miller, The Yount Collector, The Rollie Fingers Collector, etc sent me a care package containingsome  awesome Pirates cards.

Up first the two newest Cutch cards to be added to my collection.  I still need a bunch of the parallels for this release so if anyone has them please hit me up.

Hall of Famers are always welcomed.  The Clemente I had, but the others are all new.

Next up are some current Bucs.  Because I only get the flagship Topps release each year I have been missing out on many of the other releases of Buccos.

Some former Bucs.  Jack Wilson was a defensive wizard that NEVER got the credit he deserved.

And some failed Bucs prospects

To finish off we have some color parallels.  I have never seen the unnumbered orange parallel that Neil Walker is on.  Anyone know about them?

An oddball is added

Herodecks offers fun caricature designed playing cards of your favorite athletes, celebrities, etc.

I was given Steelers and Penguins ones for Christmas a few years back, but my true sports love is the Pirates and baseball.  Thanks to some eBay bucks I still had, I decided to finally grab the Pirates one.

The cover features 3 very memorable outfielders of the Bucs.

Inside, the playing card suits are broken down by the eras they played.

Cutch and the millenium Pirates (2000-current) are spades.

Some of the other eras you can figure out by looking at a few of the cards below.

Sorry Matt, no one can draw Bob Walk.  His majestic look is no match for card games.

The Poison brothers and the Pittsburgh Poison Takers can be seen below.

If you are into oddball cards, look at these hero decks to add to your collection.