Falco Files: Somebody Saaaaave Me

Each year during the month of October, I show off only pink (and shades of pink like magenta, peach, etc) to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer, a leading cause of death for females in the United States.  

Due to my own financial situation this year I will not be able to make a donation for each (meaningful, non spam) comment left by those that follow the blog.  Once things settle down on the home front though I will be looking to make a donation in 2022 based on the comments left during this year's event.  Hopefully together we can help at least one woman get a much needed mammogram.  Early detection is key!!!

If you want to make your own private donation please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  There is a donate button on the main page and it only takes a minute of your time.  Every little bit helps.

I have focused primarily on cards that only feature Andrew McCutchen on the card, but in recent years have also featured cards with a cameo appearance (either being seen on the card or as a name cameo on the back of the card).  In 2019, I created Falco Files which discussed players that replaced (Shane Falco Replacements movie reference) on an active roster, number worn, or trade.  I will also be showing some Cutch's Crew cards that show pink cards of players that have played with Cutch on multiple teams. I will continue to utilize these styles of posts as we celebrate the 5th Collecting Cutch Save Second Base event (I am no longer counting my first run on the Pirates Treasure Room I did back in 2014).

I am always looking for new ways to incorporate new celebrities into the event so today I am presenting

Erica Durance

I recently discussed my early internet crushes of Catherine Bell and how I used to do Yahoo searches and fan page searches for her.  Well, Erica Durance can be added to the top of the list for "googling" after.

I was really into comic books from 1998 to 2007 and there was no better comic TV show than Smallville during that time.

Durance played a very key role on the show when she made her debut as Lois Lane, the reporter from Metropolis.

Durance graced many magazine covers and appeared at many conventions I attended during that time.

I even got the chance to meet her at a Wizard World convention,sadly I lost the program I had signed.

She is still connected to the Man of Steel franchise as she plays a role on CW's Supergirl.

She also starred in the Butterfly Effect 2 which takes the concept of The Butterfly Effect and shows how each event that takes place has a subsequent event happen because of it. 

In 2018, Cutch was traded for Bryan Reynolds, Kyle Crick, and international spending money. 

In 2021 Kyle Crick was released by the Pirates to acquire Dillon Peters.  The MLB trade rumors article is here. 

The transaction of Peters being acquired by the Pirates and releasing Kyle Crick continues a Butterfly Effect that started when Cutch was originally traded to San Francisco in 2018.

2018 Topps Chrome - [Base] - Pink Refractor #122 - Dillon Peters
Purchased for $0.40

Peters actually had a pretty good start to his Pirates career.  He started 6 games and went 1-2 with a 3.71ERA over nearly 27 innings.  He will likely be competing for a role in the back of the rotation next spring. 

This is a card I recently purchased off COMC that hasn't arrived yet because I hadn't  requested shipment.  I wanted to get this butterfly effect before another replacement butterfly effect happens and Dillon Peters leaves the Pirates for someone else, continuing the legacy of Kyle Crick (a middle reliever the Pirates received for their most beloved face of the franchise in nearly 3 decades).

If you're into Butterfly Effects in baseball I STRONGLY SUGGEST you watch Stark Raving Sports Butterfly Effects playlist here.  You can find videos about how Max Scherzer's near perfect game in 2015 was strongly influenced by a 2006 Mets car accident and how the Padres going "all in" for the 2015 season lead to a Dodgers 2020 World Series Championship. 

One of my favorite butterfly effects covered is how Torii Hunter robbing Barry Bonds at the All Star Game changed the history of baseball and lead to the Giants getting their 3rd Championship in 5 years. 

Have you watched any of the Butterfly Effect movies?

Were you aware of Stark Raving Sports youtube channel?

Did you watch Smallville when it was airing?

Cardboard Cameo: Why So Serious?

I am so sick and tired of wearing a mask in public.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I could go food shopping without a mask.  It feels even longer that I could go to a clothing store, shop at the mall, visit my local card/comic shop, or even get excited about gathering in a large group like a concert or sporting event.

I had plans for going to Disney, seeing a couple home openers, going to a MCR reunion concert, and so many other things this year before everything went into a complete world lockdown.

I am getting anxious and want to have some fun again.

Something that I used to do on a fairly regularly basis was go see a movie at the local theatre.

I was thinking about this the other day because of the Austin Barnes card I posted with the Cutch cameo.  The reason I thought about that card and the movies is because I became aware of that card existing while I was waiting for The Joker to start.  I was in the theatre with only maybe a handful of other people and was passing time reading other blogs.  Once learning of the card, I immediately hit eBay looking for the pink parallel so I could squeeze it in for last year's SAVESECONDBASE event.

I recently found the mini version pink parallel from BrentandBecca and will show that off for this year's event, but will always associate that cameo card with the movie, The Joker.

As an origin story of the clown prince of crime, it was spectacular.  I loved the movie, but think it is kind of cool that I can always associate that card to the movie.

There are a few other baseball cards that I can remember exactly where I was when I won it or pulled the card.

When I see those cards I instantly have memories of events that went along with the card.

Let's put a smile on that face.

This 2019 Kyle Crick card could use a smile on his face.  Why, so serious?

There is an Andrew McCutchen name cameo on the back.


Do you ever think about a specific baseball card ties into something you did?

Trade Deadline Decisions

After losing 8 straight and having a 2-15 record since the All-Star break, the Pirates should be clear sellers at this year's deadline. 

During the 2017 off-season the Pirates had a very difficult decision to make coming off a second sub .500 season and knowing the contracts and rights of star players Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole would be expiring soon.

The Pirates made a very difficult decision of a small market team by trading away their ace pitcher, Gerrit Cole who was a former number 1 pick of the organization.  A few days later they said goodbye to the face of the franchise, Andrew McCutchen.

General manager, Neal Huntington, noted that he was acquiring long term assets for these former Pirates stars and noted that the players sent off brought Pittsburgh back into the postseason and he was hoping and believed that the players they brought in would help push the Pirates back into the postseason again after two underwhelming seasons (2016 and 2017).

The two players brought back for one year of Andrew McCutchen's service have already given the Pirates 3 Wins Above Replacement.  Reliever Kyle Crick appeared to be a late inning stopper last year when he posted a miniscule 2.39 ERA over 64 games while also posting a 9.7K/9 rate.  This year hasn't been as kind to Crick as he has   seen his WHIP (walks hit per inning pitched) climb to a ridiculous 1.55WHIP.

The player that has really shined for this year's Pirates team that isn't named Josh Bell or Felipe Vazquez is Bryan Reynolds.  Prior to the season he wasn't being labeled as an elite prospect on any top 100 lists, but in his time since being called up he is one of the NL's top 10 hitters in batting average. If not for some of the other NL rookies having incredible seasons, Reynolds may get some more consideration for NL Rookie of Year. 

The Pirates also got an additional four prospects from the Astros when they sent away Gerrit Cole.  Cole has obviously blossomed into the pitcher the Pirates hoped for in Houston under the tutelage under Justin Verlander.  In two seasons with the Astros he has been an American League All-Star and is a likely candidate for the 2019 AL Cy Young award this year as he has already topped 200 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched.

Joe Musgrove (1.5), Colin Moran (0.7), Jason Martin (-0.4), and Michael Feliz (0.2) have combined for 2 Wins Above Replacement compared to Cole's 3.4 WAR. Obviously the strength of this argument notes that the Pirates have the above 4 players for 4 more year's minimum compared to Cole who becomes a Free Agent after this year.


Here are some of my cards of the players mentioned in this post.

Bryan Reynolds

 If you aren't familar with the I Am Second movement, visit www.iamsecond.com.  It is a social media movement for people who want to put Jesus Christ first.

This is Bryan Reynolds ONLY card produced for 2019 thus far.  With so many releases, it is actually nice to see a player get so few cards produced.  This will likely change when 2019 Topps Update arrives.

This is the turkey parallel from 2017 Bowman Holiday mega boxes. 

It is numbered to only 35 copies and features a freaking 🦃 🦃 🦃 turkey 🦃 🦃 🦃 in foil on the front of the card.  It was my first Reynolds card.

I like Reynolds a lot and think that it is because of him that the Pirates felt they could move Austin Meadows at last year's trade deadline.  Reynolds has blossomed into a fan favorite as the switch hitting outfielder has been atop the Pirates lineup since his debut.

Kyle Crick

I have a magenta card of Crick but am saving it for my SaveSecondBase event.

Joe Musgrove

This is my only nonbase card of Musgrove.  It is an ugly sticker auto of Big Joe.  Does anyone see how that signature says Joe Musgrove because I clearly am missing something.

Colin Moran

Another bad signature, but I can at least make out the initials as being proper (CM). Colin had on card autographs for 2019 Gypsy Queen and 2019 Topps Series 1 1984 insert.

Jason Martin and Michael Feliz

I don't have any cards of Martin or Feliz, but Jason Martin is pictured congratulating Josh Bell on this Throwback Thursday 91 Stadium Club Topps Online exclusive card.