McCutchen Mailday #103, 104, 105: Feeling Artsy

I was thinking about showing off my Jerome Bettis autograph because of his Hall of Fame induction yesterday. Bettis was one autograph i set out to acquire before the year started. I'm going to save all my Steelers cards for Football Sundays though.

Instead thanks to Cutch's 3 for 3 performance yesterday, you'll just see 3 new base cards in my pursuit to add 100 new Cutch cards which I've clearly already completed.

I've said it many times before, but I love art cards.

One of the guys I used to frequently talk to at comic book conentions, Brian Kong, was one of the lead artists for Topps Museum this year.

Panini doesn't have a license, but they produced a fun collectible set in Diamond Kings this year.

Archrival Autographs: Cutch & Bruce

There's only one team that I truly hate in baseball and that's the Milwaukee Brewers.  The reason for the hate is based mostly on the past 8 years when the Brew Crew made a mockery of the Pirates and when Carlos Gomez became a regular in their lineup.  Carlos Gomez is the single most player I hate in all sports.

There's other teams that I just don't like, but for some reason I appreciate the actual rivalry they bring.  Such is the case with the Reds.  I know that every time we are in a close game with them, it's going to be hard fought on both sides and players will give the extra bit to gain an edge.  Aroldis Chapman is a true weapon in their bullpen, but our pitchers aren't afraid to throw at their best players either.

Two players that are linked on both teams due to their positions taken in the 2005 draft are Andrew McCutchen (11th overall) and Jay Bruce (12th overall).  To me, they represent what each team offers.  Cutch is the underdog little guy that can do it all and (for many years) was under the radar.  Bruce is the powerhouse playing on a team with many years of success.

I've been after this dual autograph for nearly 3 years.  I had contacted people from multiple sports card blogs and forums that posted theirs and every person that had a copy of this card said "It's PC, not for sale".  With only 15 copies produced, I knew that it would be a tough card to one day track down, but with my tax refund I splurged the $75 to add it to my collection.

Now I can say "It's PC, not for sale!"

The Buccos take on the Reds tomorrow as they return home to PNC Park for a week before heading east to Philly next Monday.

McCutchen Monday: Hailing from 2014 Classics....

Hopefully Cutch can start to heat up.  His batting average being below .200 on April 26th is a very scary thing for Pirates fans.  Did his dreads he cut off give him magical powers and now they're gone?  Is he still battling through a knee injury and lower body pain?  Whatever the ailment for Cutch, I think he will start to heat up and have his average around .300 by the All-Star break.

The above card is an autograph of Cutch I purchased late last year (November/December?) and had stored away without ever scanning or spotlighting.  The card features a dirty relic from a jersey or even possibly pants based on texture.  I'm likely going to have 100 unique Andrew McCutchen autographs by year's end thanks to my Quest for 100 pickups I have gotten so far this year.

McCutchen Monday: Band of Brothers

This is a card I have had in my collection for a LONG TIME!!!!

With AJ on the mound and Cutch starting to get back on track, it seems like an appropriate time to show it off on McCutchen Mondays.

McCutchen Monday: Red Hot Rookie Refractor

Here's another predreadlock Andrew McCutchen as I am showing off some of my Cutch cards I have had in the collection, but never spotlighted on the PTR.

Maybe without all that hair weighing him down, he'll be able to swipe 30+ bags again.

I'm heading to Pittsburgh today for the home opener. My baseball vacation week is coming to an end soon as I return to work Thursday.

McCutchen Monday: Opening Day is here!!!!

It's the best time of the year...

Opening Day!!!

I took the day off so I can watch as much baseball as possible today.
LET'S GO BUCS!!!!

McCutchen Monday: Remembering PreDreads Cutch

Last week, Andrew McCutchen made sports headlines by trimming off his iconic dreadlock look.  When I first started collecting Cutch in 2009 he had just started to grow them out to a noticeable length.

The very last card that I added to my collection in 2014 was this Just Minors autograph of Cutch from 2008 numbered to 25 copies.  I don't remember exactly how much it cost me, but I remember that I got it for under $40 which is typically what a Cutch autograph goes for now days.

McCutchen Mailday #26: 2014 National Treasures Franchise

I grabbed this Andrew McCutchen because it accomplished several goals.  It was one more card to add to the Cutch PC in my Quest for 100 new Andrew McCutchen cards and it was another card I could add to my 2014 National Treasures Reverse Box Challenge.

This beautiful game worn jersey features some staining and is numbered to only 99 copies and was won with a winning bid of $22.22.  That's an eBay 1/1 kind of bidding right there as 22 is Cutch's jersey number.

There's been a lot of heat on Panini lately with their relic authenticity verification, but quite honestly I buy cardboard because I like it.  The above logoless card is beautifully designed and despite the lack of P on Cutch's helmet or jersey, the company used an image that doesn't need a logo.  The color choice for the Franchise tag on top fits in perfectly with the Alternate Black jersey the Pirates wear in recent years.

And to prove the authenticity of the jersey, we have a statement on the back that this is a game used relic.

If you haven't checked out my Reverse Box Challenge for 2014 National Treasures, click here.

Just another McCutchen Monday

Here's a card that I purchased a long time ago, but never showed off.  Hailing from 2013 Panini Select is this Staticians insert commemorating Cutch on his 194 hit season in 2012.

I grabbed this for around $2 at a local mall card show last year.

McCutchen Monday: An Ebay 1/1

I never seek out "ebay 1/1s".  These are the first or last cards in a print run or the player's jersey number.  However, when an opportunity presents itself to snag a jersey numbered card of my favorite player for a reasonable price I will jump at it.  I managed to grab this Green parallel of Cutch back during COMC's Black Friday sale.  I'm about 3 months behind schedule with my posting of that lot.  Rest easy though followers, you will see some of them this month as part of the "Go Green Initiative" for St. Patrick's Day.

2014 Topps Finest was a great product.  I felt it was the best the company has put out in recent years.  It featured a fun amount of parallels, some great inserts, and of course those 1994 throwback inserts.

McCutchen Monday: Going Green 2013 style

I never showed these two parallels off when I got them in 2013.  Today seems appropriate.
Enjoy

Andrew McCutchen had a breakout season in 2012 and looked to be on the way towards an MVP season before he fell apart in September and ultimately lead to the Pirates finishing below .500 for the 20th season in a row.  He finished the year batting .327 just behind that year's MVP winner, Buster Posey.

Cutch was playing in his 3rd Midsummer Classic in 2013 and was the only player to steal a base in the 2013 All-Star Game.  Prior to the All-Star Game, Cutch had 10 homeruns and 20 steals batting .302 in the first half of the 2013 Pirates magical season.

Also in my collection is a 2013 Bowman Chrome Green Retail Exclusive which you can see below...

I think I probably spent no more than $3 for all three cards above.

McCutchen Monday: Going Green, well...emerald to be specific

Last year I showed off a bunch of cards when I was doing a 2 for 1 reverse box challenge of 2014 Triple Threads.  I successfully put together 2 boxes of Triple Threads of only Pirates for the price of 1 box.  I even got some low numbered parallels which I was super excited about.  There were 3 cards that I have been waiting to show off from that reverse box challenge, but due to my plans for an All Green month of March I have had them on the backburner.

Wait no longer as this Andrew McCutchen joins the Roberto Clemente from yesterday to finish off my parallels in the reverse box challenge.

I got a (spring) Fever and the only cure is....

BUY MORE MCCUTCHENS!!!!
I plan to add many more over the coming months as I approach my Quest for 100 new Cutch cards to the collection.

This 2014 Spring Fever ran me $1 last year, but I've been waiting several months to show it off because quite simply I needed to get in the spring mindset.

Welcome Back Baseball!!!! I've missed you...

McCutchen Monday: Getting Tek'd out again

Earlier in the month I showed off a very rare Andrew McCutchen 2014 Topps Tek Tektonics card that I purchased in 2015.  Also this year, I showed off 3 Gregory Polanco Topps Tek cards I purchased.  Here's the card that I fell in love with at the end of last year that started my Topps Tek short lived craze.

I don't know what it was about this card, but when I first saw it on ebay at the end of December I knew it had to be mine.  I received it on New Year's Eve and have been patiently waiting to add it to the blog until I thought the time was right.  Since I don't want to show off any of the major purchases yet of the other Cutch cards I've had in my possession before 2014 ended, I thought this was an appropriate time.  WOW!!! That was terrible English.  Oh well...enjoy the card.

McCutchen Monday: A time to remember....

I recently just did a reverse box challenge for 2014 Topps Triple Threads and in my search of looking for some nice parallels, hits, and base cards I came across these two cards from 2013 Topps Triple Threads.  I grabbed the two cards of Cutch for $2.60 delivered.  Maybe I should do a reverse box of 2013 Triple Threads too?

My McCutchen PC page is for the most part up to date now.

McCutchen Monday: 2014 Allen & Ginter Box Topper

For those that don't know, I'm an Andrew McCutchen card collector.  I've been adding his cards to my collection since his debut in 2009.  I currently sit around 500 unique Andrew McCutchen cards in my collection.  For a listing of my current collection click this link.

The latest oversized card to appear in my collection is the 2014 Allen & Ginter Box Topper.  It ran me $10.  For comparison, I included the box topper next to the base and base mini which you can see below.

Look at the size of that thing!!!!

Yeah, that's what she said....

McCutchen Monday: A Pair of Prizms

Towards the end of last year I purchased a large lot of Andrew McCutchen cards.  Included in the lot were 2 Panini Prizms from 2013 that I needed for my collection.  I got the base and the Prizm parallel.

Of all the Panini logoless cards, Prizm is the one I dislike the most.  The inserts are cool, but the base cards just stand out like a sore thumb without their logos.

I have been finally updating my Andrew McCutchen cards I own to the Cutch PC tab on the page.  Click here to see all the Andrew McCutchen cards I own and have added to the database.  There's a small stack of Cutch cards that I never showed off in 2014 that will be shown off in future McCutchen Mondays.  Meanwhile I am attempting to add 100 *NEW* Cutch cards to the PC in 2015 which you can monitor my progress in The Quest For 100.

McCutchen Monday: Lego my DayGlow

In Celebration of National Lego Day this week, I am showing off a card that made me think of Lego's and waffles.  Back in 2013 Topps decided that they didn't have enough parallels flooding the market so they created a parallel set called "DayGlow" for their 2013 Topps Archives.

Personally I didn't seek any of these parallels out because quite frankly I thought they looked hideous.  Fast forward almost a year and for the small fee of 2 quarters I grabbed this "DayGlo" variant of the Pirates centerfielder.

Happy Monday everyone...I'm going to eat some waffles. DayGlo my Eggo

McCutchen Mailday #2: 2013 Black Friday Lava Flow

In my quest for 100 NEW unique Andrew McCutchen cards to add to my collection, I came across this Black Friday LavaFlow dating back to 2013.

There's one thing I HATE ABOUT COLLECTING ANDREW McCUTCHEN!!!!
IT'S WHEN PEOPLE SPELL HIS NAME WRONG (more on this later in the post)

I like cards that feature players in civilian clothes or posed shots.  Donruss Studio used to be one of my favorite sets when I was younger.  This card of Cutch features him looking like a rockstar sporting (most likely) some designer clothes and holding a baseball bat.  The lavaflow is one of my least favorite parallels that Panini puts out each year.  I hate how they scan and in person they don't look very good either.

It's almost ironic that the 2nd McCutchen I added this year is also numbered 2 in the set.

Many of us have complained about the quality control at Topps and how they often use the same player photos or put replacement level players in the same set with two different numbers.  Nothing irritates me more than when a company spells a player's name wrong though.  Almost 3 years ago I showed off a trade post I had with Drew where Upper Deck put Pat Maholm instead of Paul Maholm.  The same post also featured a Jose Tabata card with a Ronny Cedeno image.  I can overlook those because the players involved were not star caliber players.

BUT THIS IS ANDREW McCUTCHEN!!!!
2013 NL MVP
4 x ALL-STAR
2012 GOLD GLOVE WINNER
3 x SILVER SLUGGER

HOW DO YOU MISSPELL HIS NAME!!!?????

IT'S NOT MCCUTCHEON!!!!!!

McCutchen Monday: a double pair of Gypsys

My Andrew McCutchen Collection has been taking off in recent months thanks to 2 major lot purchases at COMC and sportlots which when combined shipping ran me an average of around 50cents a card.

Up first are the base and blue parallel (361/499) of 2014 Gypsy Queen

Next up is a pair of minis (the regular and photo variant)

My goal for the end of January is to get a fully updated list of all Andrew McCutchen cards I own.