Few days earlier = few bucks less for me?

Topps has been producing MLB team sets since the early 2000s.  These team sets often times will have the city abbreviation in addition to a number assigned to the player.  

I find it odd that Andrew McCutchen (PHI-3) was included in the 2022 Phillies team set.  In November 2021, the Phillies turned down Cutch's team option for the 2022 season allowing Cutch to enter free agency.  On the same day, Odubel Herrera and Ronald Torreyes were also taken off the Phillies 40 man roster. 

Oddly enough the Mets team set features Max Scherzer and Starling Marte who signed just before the lockout on December 1st.

I picked up this single of Cutch from the Phillies team set for under $2 delivered, which is expensive but still reasonable.  Sometimes I just get an itch for new cardboard and have to scratch it.

Because Cutch is a veteran player, it has his complete stats on the back of the card.

There were some other players included on the Phillies Topps team set that didn't make much sense.  Ian Kennedy (PHI-10) and Ronald Torreyes (PHI-15) were also included in the Phillies packaged team sets available at the ballpark and regional releases.  Both were free agents following the 2021 season.  Kennedy signed with the Diamondbacks.  He is pitching well for the Diamondbacks so far this season appearing in 24 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 3.65 ERA in relief.  Torreyes resigned with the Phillies on a minor league contract.  He has since been released by the organization.

Below is a screenshot from a team set available online showcasing the checklist for both the Phillies and Mets.

I have to believe that if Topps didn't include Cutch in the Phillies team set along with all the other members of Phillies that were (initially) denied roster spots in 2022 (Cutch, Herrera, Torreyes, Kennedy) I wouldn't have a Cutch team set card in my collection this year.  It is very odd though that Topps included the December 1st signings of Scherzer and Marte for the Mets in addition to the November buyouts and DFAs of the Phillies members mentioned already.

Do you collect these team sets of your favorite teams? 

If so do you open the set or leave it sealed?

I have a few of the Pirates team sets that are still sealed because Cutch was the cover of the team set.

Why do you think that guys who were not on the 40 man roster in November were included for the Phillies team set, but guys who signed on December 1st were included on the Mets team set?

I Love You 3,000

I have finally hit my milestone of 3,000 unique Andrew McCutchen cards.

It has been a wild 10+ year collecting journey.

To steal a line from the greatest superhero movie of All-Time

It is almost perfect that my 3,000th card is represented by this

You may be thinking, I've seen that card half a dozen times on the blog before. That's not new.

Ever hear the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover?"

That's what is going on with this card.

This card is the 2010 Topps Pirates Team Set card sold only at PNC Park and surrounding areas.

The Pirates lost 105 games in 2010.  To say they were terrible would be an understatement.

That being said I went to Pittsburgh on 3 seperate occassions that year to cheer on the Buccos, but I not once bought the team set because of a few reasons.

1)I had just started considering myself a collector again in 2009

2)I didn't know that those blister team sets had different numbering or sometimes different photos (I was such a noob)

3)The Pirates were terrible that year

4)My "local born" pitcher (Charlie Morton) wasn't listed in the set

5)The Pirates were terrible 

So I didn't consider buying it.

Fast forward half a decade and it's on my list of cards I need for my "growing PC of Andrew McCutchen".  

It was never a huge want or need, but it was always on the radar if one ever became available.  

I couldn't find any sealed sets.

I couldn't find any singles.

This card never appeared for sale on COMC.  

A quick search on worthpoint and I see no sales of this single being sold.  

It may just be a simple basic card found in a $7 blister team set sold at PNC Park during the worse year in franchise history to many people (this year's team is giving them a run for the worse winning percentage ever though), but this card completes another milestone in my collecting journey.

Thank you all for reading this blog and following me on Twitter.  This has been a very fun journey over the past decade when I proudly said I had 5 cards numbered 1/1 and am now approaching 300 1/1s and can proudly say that I own

3,000 unique cards of Andrew McCutchen

Thank You!!!!!

No Fun Friday!

For the second year in a row, Andrew McCutchen got the no text back from Topps.  Cutch will likely be appearing in Series 2 Topps as he was omitted from Series 1.

The Topps team sets gave us a sneak preview of what to expect for the former NL MVP.

He is wearing a throwback uniform on the front of the card.

The back however has no distinguishing facts about his previous accomplishments or even what he was able to do in a brief time in a Phillies uniform in 2019.

It could have mentioned his leadoff homer on Opening Day which only 2 other Phillies have done in their extended history.

It could have mentioned how he was leading the league in walks and second in runs scored at time of his injury.

It could have mentioned how he is one of only 3 players in history (along with Barry Bonds and Mike Schmidt) to walk 3 times, score 4 runs, homer, and drive in a pair of runs.  This statistic is mind blowing that only 3 people have done it and that is some REALLY GOOD company to be grouped with.

It could have mentioned his charity work he has done over the years.

It could have mentioned the team chemistry he tries to create no matter where he plays.

It could have mentioned something, anything.

But instead it just mentions his stats and his 1.5 WAR last year in only 59 games and his nearly 50 career WAR in his 11 year career thus far.

How do you feel about just stats on the back of a baseball card? Would you prefer some interesting fact or do you just want the stats? 

It's Here!!!

Opening Day is finally here. At the three o'clock hour, Cutch will be the first batter the new look Philadelphia Phillies send to the plate to kick off their 2019 season.

Cutch didn't make the Series One release, but his card appears in the 2019 Phillies Team set.