Collecting Update

Last week I was gifted with a 1/1 Topps Blank Back card in the mail from a longtime Twitter friend and Bryce Harper collector.

Cutch got his 1,000 career RBI that same day.  He did it on a weak infield ground ball fielder's choice that he couldn't be doubled up on. 

Topps honored the event with a 24 hour Topps Now card available which I snagged from apizzo1482 as a preorder for only $5.20

What a career!

He got his 200th stolen base and 1,000 RBI this year.

As of the 1,000 career RBI he was then missing some milestones by just a few marks

56 hits shy of 2,000

9 doubles shy of 400

13 HR shy of 300

24 walks shy of 1,000

I know that many people have come to check out my blog on a daily basis each October, but as with my collecting of Cutch cards I am truly burned out from it.  I may do a few posts, but it won't be the same as years past and due to financial struggles still residing from my torn achilles earlier this year I will not be able to make a donation based on comments left.  I also won't be able to do any contests.

Sorry guys!

Thank you to those still reading the blog.

Don't be a poser! Set your milestones another night...aka Congrats Joey Votto...aka good luck tonight Miggy

I was really hoping that Miguel Cabrera would hit his 500th HR last night so I could show off some of my Andrew McCutchen and Joey Votto/Miguel Cabrera cards.

I have shown off my relic collection of Joey Votto when I discussed Players I shouldn't root for, but I do.  That post is 3 years old and I have added a very nice parallel to the card you see above to my collection.

Joey Votto hit his 2,000 career hit last night at the age of 37.  It is unlikely that he will get to 3,000 but he could be a favorite for MVP this year especially if the Reds make the playoffs.

I will save the Cutch/Miggy/Votto cards for another day, but here is an uncut sheet of Allen & Ginter minis from the Topps Vault that features Andrew McCutchen, Joey Votto, 

Max Poser set a record prior to 2010 for longest spiral of dominos to be toppled over (450 meters) and the most dominos stacked on a single domino (1,002).

With the 2,000 hits for Votto out of the way the dominos are set for more milestones of these 3 players to come to fruition tonight.

I predict Cutch will get to 1,800 career hits tonight and/or Miggy will get his 500th career homerun.

Let's see if I can predict the future again like I did back in 2017 when I declared Charlie Morton would be standing on the mound in Game 7 of the World Series for an Astros victory.

Another Phillies 1 of 1

I try to keep up with 1/1s equal to the number of Homeruns Cutch hit with a team.

Andrew McCutchen has had 10 homeruns with the Phillies.  I am pretty sure I am close to that number. 

Here is a 2019 Topps Museum Blank Back Topps Vault 1/1 that I bought last year.

Nothing fancy at all about it.  The front looks like the base card and the back is blank except the Topps Vault sticker.

Do you try to have any types of cards equal to a stat of that player? 

Trying to keep up...

I haven't updated my spreadsheet in almost 9 months.  During that time there has been so many high end releases to finish out 2018 along with a small sample of cards for 2019.  It is a goal of mine to eventually get caught up and I am hoping that maybe around July I will have a fully functioning checklist of all the cards in my collection.

Another item I have been trying to keep up with is Cutch 1/1s equal to homeruns he had with that team.

Here is how the homerun tracker breaks down
PreMLB debut 43
Pirates 203
Giants 15
Yankees 5
Phillies 10

He also hit a HR in the 2015 All-Star Game

Here is another one of my 1/1 cards of Cutch so far as a Phillie.

This is the 2019 Big League Baseball Blank Back Topps Vault 1/1

Players I Should Hate But Can't: The Reds Mountie

Joey Votto has blossomed into one of the game's best hitters not just of this decade, but in history.

He plays for one of the Pirates oldest rivals, the Cincinnati Reds.

He has slashed a line of .320/.447/.494 good for an OPS of .951 against Pittsburgh pitching over his career.

By all accounts I should hate him.

But like other players I should hate, but can't he is just too entertaining to root against.

He could be impersonating a Canadian Mountie on Intentional Talk or having some fun with fans by denying them foul balls, smashing paper airplanes, or getting salty by fans preventing him from making outs at home games.

He has turned into a villain at road games.

While not being a jerk as a road villain, he is helping bring children happiness.

Unfortunately the young fan has passed away, but Joey has kept in touch with the family.

On the field in the batter's box is where most of us recognizes Joey's true talent as a ballplayer. A recent article writes about the injustice caused by Joey Votto never winning a Silver Slugger award.  It really is eye opening to how good Votto is, but receives no appreciation.

Below are a pair of cards I have shown on this blog before.

I wish there were more patches besides Votto in the Blue /25 version.

My only other cardboard featuring both Cutch and Votto is this triple mini blank back from the Topps Vault.

The card is an uncut version of the black border minis Max Poser (#270), Andrew McCutchen (#124) and Joey Votto (#70).  In case you're unaware of Poser, he is a legend with domino stacking.  Check him out on youtube.

Like all other blank back cards, the Topps Vault card comes with a certificate of authenticity.

To wrap things up, I will leave you with this Intentional Talk gem.

If the Avengers can't stop Thanos in the upcoming Infinity War, maybe Votto can hop on Nibbles and solve some problems.

Smooooooooth Breakdowns

Cutch used to be so smooth and have so much swagger when he had his dreads.  He's still got a lot of swag, but he's not quite as smooth as he used to be.

Someone who is super smooth and hooks readers up with unexpected swag is Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown.

He didn't send an email or hint about this package I was about to receive.

I was floored though.

Inside were 2 customs he made of my main PC, Andrew McCutchen.  Smooooooth!

But that wasn't good enough to surprise me with.

He dropped a 1/1 Topps Mini Blank Back of eventual World Series Champion Charlie Morton on me.  Morton is getting very little cardboard love in Houston, but when he holds up the trophy for pitching all them scoreless innings, it won't matter.  He will be a Champion!!!

Gavin, thanks so much for hooking me up with these customs and the 1/1 Morton.  I only need 2 non 1/1 cards and you saved me the trouble of tracking down a 1/1 I needed.

You're the man!!!

Side note: I am predicting that Sports Illustrated predicted correctly and the Houston Astros will win the 2017 World Series.

On another note, Cutch hit a 2 run homer yesterday bringing his total to 199 career Home Runs.  Don't forget to join my contest for a chance to win a Bob Gibson autograph.  And don't forget that if you are a swag pimp you can win a Tim Raines autograph just by sharing the contest on your page.

A Pair of Vault Treasures

I just got home from a matinee on my day off.  I went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.  I wasn't expecting much from the movie and was rewarded with the film exceeding my expectations.  It helped bring all the previous films together while still having that campy adventure of Jack Sparrow as the focal point.  I'm sorry. Captain Jack Sparrow.

The film has a moment where Jack...Captain Jack Sparrow is breaking into a vault.

Oddly enough I came home to find my second package from the Topps Vault mailed to me in the past 30 days.

Behold my two latest 1/1s.

Straight from the vault.

I hope everyone has had a good week so far.  I sent a few packages out today with more to follow this weekend.