Fry Day, Friday

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

Rebecca Black

Rebecca Black made a song in 2011 and it went viral on YouTube among a few other social media platforms.

The song was called Friday, not to be confused with Fry Day

Friday featured Black riding around singing about her friends and what they were going to do that night.

It was dubbed by several music critics as the worse song of all time.

Today Black is all grown up and still involved with music, but she is not associated with thousands of memes like she was back in 2011.  That song did springboard a small part of a Katy Perry music video though.

Today Rebecca is all grown up and she is back on stage.

Black Friday Magenta Color Progression Proof

The back of the card (like all progression cards) is blank backed.

Where are the best fries found and what style of fries do you prefer?

Do you have any color progression cards in your collection?

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?

You want the Proof, you can't handle the proof....

I have been on an autograph quest lately.  I am still seeking out any parallels of Cutch autographs I don't have. 

For over half a decade this card had been on my radar, but I was never able to secure a copy.  That all changed a few months ago.

I was pretty happy I got this card as it brings me very close to 200 unique autographs of Cutch.

Another Day, Another Auto

 This is the Panini Gold Proof from 2012 Signature Series.

It is numbered to only 10 copies.

Happy Father's Day

Last year I wrote a story about why my dad is my hero and how he is the greatest role model to me.  I also showed off some Andrew McCutchen related Father's Day Cards too.  Go check out those cards as Cutch was a frequent athlete used for Panini's Father's Day release each year.

Last year after a brief hiatus of not being used for Panini's annual release, Cutch was back.  He represented the San Francisco baseball club and proudly wore his Cross armband as he so often does.

Proverbs 20:7
The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

I chose to use this verse to help get me back on track with Scripture Sundays.

Mouth Guaze and Signatures

I have been to the dentist more in the past six months than in the past six years.  I recently had to get a tooth extracted because after several failed attempts to save the tooth and prevent further infection, there was no other choice.

I never had a tooth yanked that didn't naturally fall out when I was younger.  Gotta admit, it wasn't a pleasant experience. I had to sign a waiver aknowledging that I was willfully having my tooth pulled and that any injury including death wasn't the fault of the doctor.  Obviously I am paraphrasing, but that is what it felt like.

After the extraction I was given a long list of dos and don'ts.  Among them was being given a stack of tiny gauze to tightly bite into.

I bring all this up because one of my recent Cutch pickups reminds me of that "fun filled" experience.

It has a tiny little swatch of white jersey similar to a mouth gauze and a bold on card signature.  It also has the amount I had to pay for my extraction, 35.

The back discusses how Cutch first Giants hit was like a pinball, the same way I was feeling as twist and turn it took to yank out the deeply infected root.

Cyber Monday

Last year Panini created a set of cards that were exclusively available for Cyber Monday.  The promotion didn't seem to fare to well as it seems like many base cards didnt surface.

Fortunately for me shortly after release someone listed a McCutchen for $2 with free shipping.

SOLD!!!

I doubt Cutch will appear in this year's release.

What are some Cyber Monday sales you are aware of?

One More Belated Father's Day

I forgot to wish my brother a Happy Father's Day yesterday too.  He had the chance to take batting practice before the Lakewood Blue Claws game (Phillies A ball), but showed up an hour late so he couldn't.

Way to fail, Lil Brudder!

Anyway here's a Father's Day card I neglected to show.

It's from my least favorite Father's Day design by Panini over the years, but hey...it's a 1/1

Ho Hum, another 1 of 1

Ho hum indeed

Black Friday Shopping?

I have no problem shopping on Black Friday nor do I feel any sympathy for those retail workers.  That might sound harsh, but I work in the Supermarket business and every year before Thanksgiving I am working close to 10 days straight of 10-14 hour days with an hour commute each way.  I deserve this, is what I tell myself each year.

Don't get the wrong impression though.

Here's how it usually goes down.  I shop at midnight until about 4am.  Fall asleep and go into a mini coma until it's time to return to work on Sunday.

One thing that I have been enjoying for the past several years is seeing if Andrew McCutchen is in Panini's Black Friday set release.

The 2012 is my favorite of the bunch

With the exception of 2014, Cutch has been in every release since 2012.

I still need a lot of the parallels that I hope to add over the next few months as prices for these are very low right now.

What's your status?

It's been awhile since I looked at my 2011 Elite Extra Edition cards. They are unlicensed and feature a variety of words and colors to differentiate the parallels.

My latest pickup is the Blue Status /100.

It will join these other 3 in my binder.

I already had the base, green status, and aspirations

The back of the card talks about Cutch being on the verge of breaking out into a superstar because of his speed/power combination.