The Great Rookie (and Cup) Debate

Topps rookie cup/trophy cards have been around for a long time.

Over the course of that time, Topps has made a few errors.  In recent years we have seen players have a rookie cup logo in addition to a rookie card logo on the same card because Topps has chosen to release the player's rookie card after the player's actual rookie season.  We saw it happen in 2020 with Yordan Alvarez, 2021 with Alec Bohm (although the year 2020 was a strange year for distribution, player debuts, shortened seasons, etc due to the worldwide pandemic), and 2022 with Wander Franco. 

As much as people get upset (myself included) for Topps not releasing a rookie card during a player's rookie season we have seen this happen many times in the past including HOF guys like Willie Mccovey and Eddie Murray.  Their Rookie Cup cards aknowleding the tremendous performance as a rookie got placed on their cards for their true 2nd year in the big leagues, but they are considered rookies because they didn't get a rookie card when they were actually rookies.

Many of us believe that in the earlier 2010s Topps seemed better at applying the correct RC logos on players and those good enough to make the Rookie Cup award get their 2nd year card to adorn the Rookie Cup. I'm going to prove that theory wrong too.

With the Pirates deep in nearly two decades of losing seasons, Andrew McCutchen's debut in 2009 gave the fans hope of better things to come.  Cutch won the Baseball America Rookie of Year, finished in 3rd for Baseball Writers NL ROY, and was announced as a Topps Rookie Cup winner for his debut season in 2009.

Cutch got a RC logo on his 2009 Topps Update card during his rookie season. 

Cutch's performance as a rookie lead to Topps producing cards of Cutch in 2010 with the Rookie Cup/Trophy logo for Topps Flagship and Heritage releases.

Good things were definitely on the horizon for Pirates fans as it saw the team promote their top 3 positional prospects (Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, and Neil Walker) in 2010. 

Both Neil and Jose received a RC in 2010 due to their early season debuts.

Pedro Alvarez was called up later in the season and didn't appear in 2010 products except Pro Debut (a prospect filled minor league set).  He did not receive a RC in 2011 like what we have seen recently with other top prospects like Wander Franco, Yordan Alvarez, Alec Bohm. However as you can see below Topps didn't put a RC logo on Pedro's 2011 Topps release.

The 2010 Topps Rookie Team can be found here.  As you can see from that list, Pirates 2B Neil Walker was named a Rookie Cup winner.

This meant that Walker would have his Topps Flagship and Topps Heritage cards feature the rookie cup.

One name missing from that list is Jose Tabata, who was good enough to receive one rookie of the year vote in 2010 for his performance.

He slashed .299/.346/.400 with 19 stolen bases in 26 attempts.  After the 2010 season, he was believed to be atop the Pirates lineup for the future for his above average speed and hitting approach. He also provided outstanding defense in left field. 

Tabata had a good rookie season in 2010, but in comparison to Jason Heyward, Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton, and Austin Jackson it just wasn't good enough to receive the cup/trophy honor for his 2011 Topps flagship cards.

However, Topps Heritage did produce a 2011 Topps Heritage card featuring the All Star Rookie trophy for Tabata.

The back mentions Tabata having the second most stolen bases on the Pirates.  Andrew McCutchen lead the club with 33 SB that season. 

This means that Topps produced 4 outfield rookie cup cards for Topps Heritage.

But oddly enough, Giancarlo Stanton was rejected the All Star Rookie Trophy for all parallels while Tabata maintained the logo.

A more recent mistake by Topps was including Ke'Bryan Hayes in the 2021 All Rookie Cup product highlighting players who have earned the distinction of Topps Rookie Teams for the past 70 years.

The problem with that is Alec Bohm was announced as the 3B for the 2020 All Rookie Topps Team, not Ke'Bryan. Again due to the odd year that 2020 was, I am willing to forgive RC mistakes on 2020 products and having them all have to be included in 2021 products, but there's no excuse for putting someone on the checklist for a set called Topps Rookie Cup for a guy that didn't get nominated by Topps as a Rookie Cup winner for the 2020 season. 

Do you pay attention to the rookie cups and rookie card logos on flagship or Heritage releases?

Do you think there should be a clear deadline for Topps to release rookie cards of players so a Rookie Cup and Rookie Card logo don't appear on the same card?

Are you aware of any Rookie Cup logos being added or subtracted in error for Flagship or Heritage products?

 

My first Brewers cards

I was VERY VERY frustrated with Topps not including guys who made the Opening Day roster in their Series 2 flagship release.  I even considered not buying any new Topps products because it seemed like just a money grab to force people to buy their Topps Update release.

Topps did redeem themselves by including guys like Bobby Witt Jr, Spencer Torkleson, and Julio Rodriguez as short prints in the set.  This is a similar approach to what they did in 2019 with Vlad Jr (who debuted 3 weeks after this year's SP debuts).  They also produced a SP photo variant of Cutch in a Brewers uniform for Series 2.  

I haven't purchased that SP (or any flagship cards yet), but I did pick up this insert card (which you will likely see again in a future themed post).

I love this insert set.  It's so simple, but it's fun because it is something we haven't seen from Topps in a long time.

The insert set features fan favorites and superstars wearing sunglasses and is called Sweet Shades.  All the cards feature a closeup of the athlete wearing the sunglasses and feature rainbow holofoil on the front.  The font on the player's name is easy to read as it is all capital letters with the first name on top (something we don't always see from card manufacturers these days).  The sweet shades logo features a sun ray on the top corner of the last "s".

The back features an actual writeup discussing the front of the card.  Rather than Panini insert releases, it is nice to see Topps put in an effort to discuss the player and sunglasses.  

While not expensive, this insert set would be fun to put together especially since it features most of the popular stars in the game.  It is very possible that including Cutch in this insert set that Topps brought me back to wanting to collect current releases of my favorite player.  This insert set brought back memories of the early 90s insert set I enjoyed putting together in my early teens.  Sets like Donruss Long Ball Leaders or Fleer Shrap Shooters didn't break the bank, but had a fun design using holofoil.  Were it not for this insert, I was perfectly content not adding any new 2022 cards to the collection.

Prior to my frustration with Topps I was picking up 2022 releases hoping to get a few Brewers cards in the PC.

I preordered the Topps Now Road to Opening Day thinking that the Brewers could give me an off chance of some bonus cards throughout the year.  With a strong pitching staff and the best closer in baseball, I was sure they would be in 1st Place at the All Star Break.  A recent 8 game losing streak caused them to slide to 2 GB of 1st Place as of June 17th.  With a month remaining until the ASG I still have hopes of getting an NL Central division leader card (with hopefully some Cutch cameo) on it.  Cutch has struggled to use the long ball this year compared to years past.  Returning from his brief stint on the COVID 10 Day IL, Cutch struggled, but in recent week Cutch has returned to vintage form with a .833OPS, 2SB, 1HR, and a .433 OBP over the past 7 games.  

The back of the Topps Now Road to Opening Day cards looks similar to recent years spotlighting the same blurb for all members on the team along with something the player has done recently.  

In Cutch's case it notes his 27HR in 2021.

Here's hoping for more Cutch and Brewers success.

Have you bought any Topps Series 2?

Have You ever purchased the Topps Now Road to Opening Day team sets for your favorite teams? 

Some 2022 Cards of #22

Baseball will officially have a 2021 season and I have received 3 more cards for the Cutch PC this week. 

Nothing very expensive (all three cards cost $5 shipped), but they are welcomed additions to the growing collection. 

Into The Corn!!!

When I was younger my best friend's favorite baseball team was the Chicago White Sox.  The ChiSox were a team I liked a lot also due to the Big Hurt, Robin Ventura, and Jack McDowell.  

I chose to root for the other black uniformed baseball team and the rest is kind of history.  

The Pirates have stunk for nearly 3 decades.

The White Sox have basically stunk during that time also besides a few playoff appearances and of course their 2005 World Series.

The Field of Dreams Game just ended with an epic walkoff by Tim Anderson.

Man was that awesome!!!

The first homerun hit in an MLB game in the state of Iowa was by Jose Abreu.

I will be rooting for the White Sox for the American League.  What a fun group of guys they have there.

I don't have many White Sox cards in my collection that feature Cutch, but I do have a 2020 Topps Sticker with Cutch on the front and the walk off hero, Tim Anderson on the back.

It's always fun to show off the images of a card via a mirror to show the fronts and back.

I also have a card with a bunch of patches including one of Jose Abreu.  It also has a nice patch of the other 9th inning (could have been) hero, Giancarlo Stanton.

I have a feeling I will be showing off the above card again in the near future when Miggy hits career HR #500.

Did you watch the Field of Dreams game?

Happy Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day

Here are some Mother's Day parallels from Donruss and Topps

Only 145 more days until October 1st

My favorite 20 in 2020

They say hindsight is 20/20 and all I can say is I am so glad 2020 is in the rearview.

I thought it would be fun to look back at my favorite 20 cards released of Cutch in 2020.  

Now let me first state that it's a little disappointing that Cutch wasn't included in sets like Topps Chrome (and the Ben Baller variant), Allen & Ginter (Allen & Ginter X and Allen & Ginter Chrome were exclusions also), Gypsy Queen, and Topps Archives, along with every Bowman product.

These were all upsetting exclusions for different reasons.  

Topps Chrome is king of licensed Chrome parallels.

Allen & Ginter is my favorite release each year and I really wanted to see a Chrome version.

Gypsy Queen has been stale the past few years, but including Nick Williams over Cutch as part of the Phillies team set is a headscratcher for sure.

Topps Archives is a fun retro designed inspire set and all the designs this year would have allowed me to add a bew Cutch on a vintage design....if only he was included.

So here are my favorite cards released in packs that I personally own in my collection from the year 2020.  

It should be noted that a lot of these cards have not appeared on the blog yet so you are seeing them for the first time today.

Call it biased, but Andrew McCutchen still looks best in a Pirates hat.  From the moment he made his MLB debut in 2009 he became my favorite athlete.  With the COVID shortened season, Topps had to modify their Update release since there weren't many Rookies to release in the set and there was obviously no All Star Game.  Topps promoted the Update Series by featuring recent fan favorites in their All Star Game uniforms of years past.  There was also an autograph/patch release similar to the All-Star Stitches we have seen in the past.  I have the /25 version, but that card just features a basic jersey swatch.  This /10 version has a nice chunky patch.

Did I mention I like Andrew McCutchen cards in a Pittsburgh uniform?  Well I do.  I also like autographs. And 1 of 1s.  And laundry tags.  This card covers a lot of my favorite things from a Cutch card.  Only thing missing is dreadlocks and an on card signature.

Chunky patches and autographs are pretty awesome.  They're less awesome in a Phillies jersey, but I can't complain about adding another Andrew McCutchen autograph to the PC.  

This card is cool.  The laundry tag patch says so.  The patch is colossal and it features yet another autograph.  Serially numbered to only 3 copies is fantastic!

I have a weird fascination for Topps Gold Label.  I lovethe different classes with the different images used for each class.  Often times in traditional cards of Cutch he is in a posed batting stance, not even an action shot.  I really like fielding cards of Cutch.  Gold Label Gold parallels are all numbered 1/1.  I try to get at least one of these each year. The Bret "The Hitman" Hart glasses he's wearing are a nice added touch of his on field swag.

Speaking of swag?  This card made a lot of top 10 lists for best sports card in 2020.  Do I need to talk about this anymore?

Cutch received another SSP in Series 2 featuring him tipping his cap to his wife after a Home Run, but the 2020 Update SP features him at his Phillies press conference.  There was a clear version available numbered to only 10 copies.  I took a picture instead of a scan so you can hopefully see the legs of the bobblehead behind it.  

The Topps UK release was produced with plans to only distribute it in the United Kingdom, but many of them were sold to US buyers.  The set in general is kind of boring as it just features the Union Jack under the Topps logo.  Of course there were parallels to chase, because well...it's 2020 and it's Topps. My favorite parallel is the Big Ben parallel because it brings the concept of the UK together.

2020 Stadium Club had a really nice design this year.  The base card had an image of Cutch running home, but the 2020 Stadium Club Chrome release had an action shot of Cutch diving to catch a fly ball.  Cutch has been criticized for his defense in recent years, but if you watch the games you can tell he still goes maximum effort on all plays.  There were many parallels for this set as well as my favorite is the wave refractor.  

Giant patch ✔

Limited print run ✔

Topps Museum ✔

There's a lot to like about this card

Red and Phillies go so well together so getting a 1/1 from Topps Triple Threads has been on the want list since he signed with the Phillies.  

Bryce Harper is either the most overrated or underrated player in the game depending who you ask.  Personally I think he gets a bad rap because he openly speaks his mind and in his first decade of playing in the majors hasn't broken every offensive and defensive record in the history books.  The amount of hype he got as a 16 year old is something the aport had never seen.  He may not be Mike Trout, but he is still one heck of a ballplayer and likely a future Hall of Famer.  The Cutch patch on this /9 Gold Triple Threads card is a nice touch.

Seeing Cutch back in a Pirates uniform in a 2020 release made me so happy.  I've picked up a few of the parallels and AJ sent me the base, but I'm going with the vintage logo/card stock parallel as my choice because Cutch in 2013 All-Star Game was vintage Cutch.  He won the MVP award and helped the Pirates to their first post season in 20 years.  

Red border parallels on cards with Phillies make for excellent pieces of cardboard, but that is not the reason I chose this card.  The United States was going through some rough racial times during the summer and tensions were at peak levels.  Baseball came through to properly honor the Negro Leagues and support Black Lives Matter.  Andrew McCutchen was at the forefront of it on Opening Day and on the day the MLB honored Negro Leagues by wearing patches or vintage uniforms, Cutch hit a homer.  This Topps Now card recognizes it.

1971 Topps is a gorgeous set with very tough grades.  Getting a modern player on such a classic design is something Topps Heritage has been doing for nearly two decades.  Cutch was a SP in the set.

I wasn't around in the hobby when Sweet Spot was all the rage, but Panini captured the essence of the idea with Absolute Baseball. This Cutch ink looks like it will fade in the future, but for now I am going to enjoy it as it is just one of six copies.

How nice is that patch?  1985 Topps is an awesome design.  Adding a massive patch to the card makes it pop!

This scan is terrible and I promise I will get a better scan for October when I show it off again.  It's a pink hyper plaid parallel from 2020 1986 design autograph.  Best of all it's number 2/2.

Year in and out, Cutch always gets a matching uniform swatch to the photo used on his Topps Definitive card releases.  I doubt it's intentional as many other players don't get the same treatment, but a double red pinstripe jumbo jersey relic makes my list of favorite 20 Cutch cards added to the PC in 2020.

If Topps used spell check or proof readers, they would be a really good company that produces nice cards.  The design of this 2020 Triple Threads Sapphire /3 is perfect.  The triple bats for three of the Pirates All time greatest hitters is a nice touch.  It's only blemish?  Andrew's name has a "d" in it.

So in no particular order, those are my 20 favorite 2020 Cutch cards I picked up in 2020.  

What are some of your favorite pickups of the past year?

Card 3,001 is in hand

Yesterday I showed off a card that put me into pretty elite company.  I joined the 3,000 club.  I now own 3,000 unique cards of Andrew McCutchen.  I am starting to slow down a bit since he left the Buccos in 2018, but am still picking up plenty of Phillies, Yankees, Giants cards when they present themselves to me for a fair price or something so unique I have to have it.  

Card 3,001 came to me via a PWE for a cheap price off eBay.  It's the Meijer exclusive purple parallel of 2020 Topps Series 2.

Nothing too fancy, but it was a nice card to grab as I really like the purple parallels as they usually look bolder than many other parallels Topps Flagship uses.