The Pirates Don't Suck (Yet)

Baseball season is underway. Somehow - by the grace of god - the Pirates aren't doing nearly as poorly as expected. With this afternoon's win over the Twins, the Pirates have raised their record to 10-11. Pre-season projections had the team winning 60 games - so some quick math tells me that 10 wins in 21 games projects to 77 wins in 162 game season.

We will actually win 77 games? No shot. The rebuild is full swing, and we'll be sellers at the trade deadline. After we ship out some of our consistent role players for prospects (I'm looking at you Adam Frazier), I imagine August and September will be rough.

Regardless, this has been a fun start to the season, and I am elated to have baseball back on my television. To celebrate, let's check out some of my recent Pirates pickups:

Bryan Reynolds - 2020 Topps Allen & Ginter Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

After a miserable 2020 campaign where he hit below the Mendoza line and looked like a shell of the player we saw in his rookie year, Bryan Reynolds is back to his old self. With this add, I'm now up to 38 unique Reynolds cards.  Not only was this a nice addition to my Reynolds PC, it's also another great add to my Pirates Gold Room. I know many collectors are experiencing "chrome fatigue" and aren't thrilled bout Ginter chrome. I didn't buy any boxes of it but I think this gold parallel is a beauty. 

Tyler Glasnow - 2017 Topps Chrome Rookie Debut Gold Refractor #/50

Speaking of gold parallels,  I was able to add this Tyler Glasnow card to my old PC for a reasonable price. As he continues to dominate, I'm not sure how many more of his cards I'll be able to snag. 

Nick Gonzales - 2020 Bowman Draft Paper

Nick Gonzales was the Pirates first round pick in last year's draft at #7 overall. He's a big time prospect, so collectors of all types are clinging to his cards. I was able to acquire this through a TCDB trade. This is my first Gonzales card and I hope it's the first of many. 

Phillip Evans - 2018 Topps Stadium Club Autograph

(L) Phillip Evans - 2018 Topps RC

(R) Phillips Evans - 2018 Topps Rainbow Foil RC

The Pirates have a handful of new faces in the everyday lineup, one of whom is Phillip Evans. Evans made a quick debut with the Mets in 2017 and 2018 but it only amounted to about 50 plate appearances. He spent all of 2019 in the minors before making his way back to the show with the Pirates last year. Across four seasons, he's still only played in 63 games, making him a widely unknown name. I was able to trade for all three of the cards above on TCDB. 

David Bednar - 2020 Topps Foilboard Rookie #/264

While this certainly isn't the flashiest of my recent pickups, it might be my favorite. Bednar, a Pittsburgh native, was part of the trade return for Joe Musgrove. Bednar isn't a big name but he's pitched very well for the Pirates and has earned himself a look in high leverage situations. He's a Pittsburgh native and has quickly become a fan favorite. The foilboard parallels were added exclusively to Wal-Mart complete sets, and they're one of the prettier parallel finishes that I've seen. 

Joe Musgrove - 2018 Bowman Chrome RC Refractor #/500

When Joe Musgrove was dealt to San Diego over the winter, I let go of several of my Musgrove cards, including most of my autographs. I had too many, and his cards were fetching a decent price right after the trade.... Fast forward to last week when he threw the Padres first ever no hitter. I had immediate seller's remorse. Nostalgia washed over me, and I hopped on eBay to see if I could find a cheap rookie. For $6, this is what I came up with. It's nice to have a shiny Big Joe rookie back in my collection. 

Thanks for stopping by.

The Bucs Stop Here: Top 10 Cards Acquired in 2020

Time for the yearly recap of my top cards of the year! It was a great year of card collecting for me, with lots of spare time to organize, sell, trade, and add to the PC.

I've been pretty lousy at posting on the blog lately, but I've been really active with collecting which is the bigger half the battle. I've been selling some higher-end stuff and building up funds to go for some larger PC items. If I'm not posting and I'm not actively collecting, that's when I get away from the hobby and that sucks. 

I did a top ten post last year and had lot of fun with it. I probably handled more cards this year than ever before, so it was tough to narrow it down to ten, but here we go:

Number Ten

Carmelo Anthony/Ron Artest - 2005-06 Bowman Beginnings Relic

Acquried via: TCDB trade

This is definitely the goofiest card of the ten, but I really love it. I acquired this the other day via a fun TCDB trade. My trade partner sent me another 'Melo jersey card as well as Chris Paul Rookie. In return I sent a random assortment of Bowman baseball and football set needs, most of which were short printed. It was an awesome trade. I don't formally collect Carmelo cards, but he falls into the Syracuse Alum category and I have a small stash of his stuff. It's so random to see him on a card with Ron Artest, of all people. The Pacers pinstripe is the icing on the cake.

Number Nine

Bryan Reynolds - 2020 Topps Chrome Future Stars Insert Gold #/50

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

When I saw that Bryan Reynolds had a Future Stars insert, I was pretty excited. I can't remember the last time a Pirates player appeared in this set, let alone my favorite player. I was lucky to pull the base version out of a pack. If you're a regular reader, you know I had find a gold parallel. It took a while for one to show up on eBay, but when once it did I was all over it. Reynolds had a pitiful 2020 season, so his cards have become more affordable and this didn't cost much. 

Number Eight

Fernando Tatis Jr. - 2019 Topps RC

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

One of my better habits is holding onto some unopened boxes. I have a great stash of sealed boxes, and one of the gems is a pair of 2019 Topps Series 2 blasters. Their value is higher than ever, and I'm contemplating selling them. I'm still undecided, but I hate the idea of selling away a great a chance at Fernando Tatis Jr.'s true rookie. We're all hunting the next Mike Trout, and we may never see that. But, if anyone is going to close, it might be this guy. He's the real deal. To help alleviate the potential sting of selling the blasters, I made decided to buy a single. I think it was only about $30. Baseball cards are much cheaper in offseason, and his type has already died off as everyone is looking for NEXT hot rookie already.

Number Seven

Javier Baez - 2015 Bowman Chrome RC Auto #/500

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

It's not often that I hunt for an autograph for a Pirates-nemesis. The Pirates suck, so it makes the rivalry less bitter, if you ask me. I love Javy Baez's game and I wanted to add a sweet card of his to my collection. So, I did! 

Number Six

2019-20 NBA Hoops Ja Morant RC

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

I believe Morant to be the best player in the 2019-20 draft. I like Zion, and I'm rooting for him, but I think Ja is the guy. It's a crazy-loaded draft class and there are about a dozen other players that are already having great sophomore campaigns, so the best player may very well be someone NOT named Zion or Ja. Time will tell.

Back before the hobby got crazy, I opened a good amount of 2019-20 Prizm and Optic. I pulled Ja rookies from both... and of course sold them. The return seemed to be good to pass up for base cards. Well, a year later, their value has tripled. Woof.

I felt some sellers remorse and wanted a Ja rookie back in collection, but I'm wasn't willing to pay obscene prices for a base rookie. I settled for the consolation prize - NBA Hoops. Hoops is one of my favorite basketball releases, and it's become a good budget option in an insane card market. If Prizm is Ferrari and Optic is Mercedes, Hoops is Honda. Old reliable.

Number Five

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Chrome Update Gold Auto #/50 - Graded PSA 10

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

We're now over the halfway point and the cards are getting juicy. This card is about as close to perfection as you can get. It's my favorite player and it's an autograph. It's from my favorite set, and it's my favorite color parallel. To top it all off, it's a perfect 10/10. I overpaid for this, big time, but it will be a permanent centerpiece in my Reynolds collection.

Number Four

Derek Jeter - 1993 Topps Gold

Acquired via: Purchase from friend liquidating collecting

This card is a classic. A good friend of mine recently went through his childhood collection and sold off anything of value. He's not much a collector these days, and I helped him valuate some of his cards and liquidate his collection. I had wanted to add a Jeter rookie to my collection for a while and this was one of the cards he was selling. He gave me a fair deal. It's not Mint, but it's in good shape and it's one of the rare times I got buy a card off of a friend. A great memory for me.

Number Three

LeBron James/Kobe Bryant - 2003 Skybox Autographics

Acquired via: Twitter Purchase

This card is so awesome. It's technically a LeBron Rookie, and he's paired with the late great Kobe Bryant. This card features two of the three best players in the history of the game, IMO. My only gripe with the cards is the wholesomely unnecessary Skybox logo that gashes across the middle of the card.  Aside from that, it's flawless.

Number Two

Andrew McCutchen - 2005 Bowman's Best RC Gold #/50

Acquired via: Trade with Collecting Cutch

Huge, huge shoutout to Collecting Cutch for sending this my way. This card is. So. Badass.  It is the centerpiece of my Cutch collection, and no better way to acquire it than from the King of Cutch himself.

Number One

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Chrome Update Superfractor #1/1 - BGS Graded 9.5

Acquired via: eBay Purchase

Making it's blog debut, my favorite card. Yes. I did it. I acquired the card I never thought I would, Bryan Reynold's Topps Chrome Rookie Superfractor. I have been chasing the rainbow of this card, but from the jump I automatically assumed that I would never see the Super. It sold on eBay very shortly after the product it shelves. I set up an eBay saved search and I was floored when it surfaced for a .99 cent auction. There was no way I was losing. Admittedly, I paid a lot for this card. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I knew if I missed it I'd never see it again. 

As for the grade, it's a nice bonus. I don't understand why anyone feels the need to grade a superfactor. In my mind, grading cards is a way of separating a card from it's identical peers, if you will. But a superfractor has no peers. It's a one of a kind. Why grade it? 

Regardless, I'm extremely pleased that it came back as a Gem Mint 9.5. Even better, it has 9.5's across the board on the subgrades. I think anything less would have been a disappointment. It's also nice to have it secured and encased.

Getting this card is a big deal to me. In the past, if you asked me to pick a favorite card in my collection, it would have been tough for me to answer. Now, I can confidently and proudly answer that question.

That's all for the year 2020. Thanks so much for stopping by, and here's a great year of collecting in 2021!

Mailday Roundup: A Superfractor, Some Bucs and a Trout

Welcome to this week's mailday roundup!

I usually try to start these posts a little slower and work my way up to the big guys. This week is a little different. Let's start off with a bang.

Chris Archer - 2019 Topps Chrome Sapphire Superfractor #1/1

You are looking at my first-ever Superfractor. It only took me seven years of collecting but I have finally added one to my collection. I've wanted one for a long time and this was the first one that really made sense to purchase. Although I'll probably never open a box of Tops Chrome Sapphire, it's the cousin of Topps Chrome - my favorite set. 

When Archer was traded to the Pirates at the deadline in 2018 it was a really, really big deal. The Pirates had a reputation for protecting prospects and not trading for proven vets. The trade was received very positively by Pirates fans. From our end, we were giving up a bust of a pitcher (Tyler Glasnow) a Single-A Prospect (Shane Baz) and potential MLB starter (Austin Meadows). Two years later, 95% of Pirates fans will tell you they hated the trade back then. They're lying.

I was able to get this at a really reasonable price. Due to extreme underperformance, the value of Archer's cards have absolutely plummeted. I watch his cards pretty closely. Last night an auction for his first Bowman Chrome autograph went for $6.00 and change. For a guy that's made the All-Star twice in the last five years, that's brutal. I haven't lost hope just yet - He's still only 31, he was playing through injury last season and I don't think the now-ousted coaching staff was doing him any favors. 

I hope the best for Archer... but I have my doubts too. Either way, he's a good man who's easy to root for and I'm ecstatic to add this card to my collection.

(L) Josh Bell - 2017 Topps Chrome RC Gold #/50

(R) Josh Bell - 2017 Topps RC Gold #/2017

The Chrome Josh Bell on the left has been on my target list for a very long time. Due to JB's great season last year, it's way over-valued. One finally popped up on eBay at .99 cent auction. I watched it throughout and swooped in at the last minute with a winning bid. I ended up paying about 1/3 of what most BIN sales are asking but what I paid is probably about what it's actually worth. Nothing like a .99 cent auction to prove the true value of a card!

The card on the right came my way via a TCDB PWE swap. The same over-value effect was in play, and I had to send my trade partner a nice Manny Machado rookie as well as a Hunter Pence rookie, both of which I pulled from packs many years ago. I was sad to see them go but they went to a great home and I was able to add another JB rookie to the PC. A gold serial numbered rookie, nonetheless.

(Clockwise)

Tyler Glasnow - 2017 Topps Silver Pack

Tyler Glasnow - 2017 Topps Chrome Refractor 

Cole Tucker - 2019 Topps Update

Josj Bell - 2017 Bowman Chrome

Some more goodies from TCDB trades. The Glasnow silver pack card is super shiny and it looks stunning with the Sunday alternate 1979 throwback jersey.

Bryan Reynolds - 2020 Topps Rainbow Foil

(L) Giancarlo Stanton - 2017 Topps Gold Label Class 2 Blue #/99

(R) Stephen Strasburg Gold Label Class 1 Blue #/150

The three card above came my way via Alex and Chavez Ravining. The Gold Label blue parallels were part of a recent contest in which I was fortunate enough to finish in the prize pool. Alex was also kind enough to throw in the Reynolds rainbow foil card as well as few other Pirates. I'm still chasing down his rookie cards, and now his second year cards are showing up in every set. It will feel overwhelming, but it's more to chase! The rookie cup cards are always cool.

Mike Torut - 2013 Topps Chrome Update

We finish up with a random yet rare non-Pirate. I'm not a Trout collector, but of course I'd love to own some cards of the greatest player of this generation and undoubtedly one of the best ever. I don't own any of his rookie cards, and I've more or less written that off as a possibility. 

His third-year cards are in my all-time favorite set, 2013 Topps Chrome. I'm not entirely sure how the Topps All-Star Rookie Gold Cup works, but it shows up on his 2013 Topps Chrome card making it more valuable. I'm more or less obsessed with the set. So much so that I built a set of the blue parallels #/199 over the course of six years. Through that project, as well as opening several 2013 Topps Chrome hobby boxes, I own several Trout third-year cards. The card above appeared in Update and I didn't own a copy. I grabbed the card above for just $9. It's a great addition to a tiny Trout collection.

Thanks for stopping by.

June Mailday Roundup

It only took me a month, but I was able to get through the 7 Day Trading Card challenge. I had a lot of fun working through challenge and it reconnected me with some cards in my collection that I hadn't seen in a long time. I'll take a second to pat myself on the back, because I'm proud of myself for staying consistent and getting the posts up. Posting consistently has been tough for me since starting the blog, but I've been going strong with 5+ posts per month for almost a year.

Anyhow, we're back to the regularly scheduled programming which consists of lots of Pirates cards and a slight obsession hoarding Bryan Reynolds cards. 

(Top) Austin Meadows - 2018 Topps Chrome Update 

(Bottom) Austin Meadows - 2018 Topps Update

Despite the fact that Topps Update has only 100 cards in the base set, Austin Meadows managed to get himself two cards in the 2018 set. I guess it's a strong possibility when you get traded at the deadline. Both cards above came my via trade on TCDB.

I'm really excited to add the Rookie Debut card to my collection because I was at PNC Park   for Meadow's debut on 5/18/18. It was a pleasant Friday night with an early-summer feel. It was a nice debut for Meadows as he went 2-4. His first ever hit was a single to right field in his second AB, and then he quickly stole second, bring the crowd to a standing applause.

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Update Gold Parallel #/2019

I've chased every parallel of the card above in the chrome version, but this is my first pick up of a "paper" version parallel. It runs about $10-$12 on eBay, which is a small ripoff but I really wanted it for my PC.

Bryan Reynolds - 2016 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/10 PSA 10

I already own a copy of this card. This surfaced on eBay recently for about the same price as a raw copy so I decided to grab it. Nothing wrong with a PSA 10!

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Chrome Update Gold Auto #/50 PSA 10

I significantly overpaid for this card, but what the heck. There's only 50 copies of it and many of them probably still live in packs. Not only that - how many of them will show up as PSA 10's? I'll never know, but I didn't want to risk this slipping by. It's a welcome addition to the Pirates Gold Room and my rapidly-growing Bryan Reynolds PC. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Another EPIC Mailday from Collecting Cutch

If you've ever traded with Brian at Collecting Cutch you've probably been a on the receiving end of some the greatest generosity in the hobby. I hit Brian up a few weeks ago because I had an extra Cutch relic that I wanted to send his way. It was a nice card - nothing too crazy - a dual relic from Topps Tribute #/50, but obviously a better fit in his collection than in mine. In return, he asked if I'd prefer to work out specific cards or if I'd rather be surprised. The last time Brian surprised me, he sent me the single most generous trade package that I've ever received. It was loaded with autographs, memorabilia, and 1/1 cards. It was a quick decision and I opted for another surprise, and once again, I'm absolutely blown away...

This is exactly what the box looked like when I opened it up - sitting on top was a slabbed Cutch GOLD REFRACTOR! 

Andrew McCutchen - 2011 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor #/50 PSA 8

If you're a reader of the blog, you've seen that I've been targeting black and gold refractors. Nothing better than opening this box to see a Gold Cutch form the King of Cutch himself! 

I can't make this stuff up - there were over 50 cards, many of which were memorabilia and autographs. It's too much to show all at once, so I'll show a few of my favorite cards from this lot.

Andrew McCutchen - 2014 Topps, Camo Parallel #/99

More Cutch! I actually really like the camo parallels and I couldn't tell you why - maybe because we're used to seeing camo jerseys in baseball now and MLB does an excellent job with military appreciation.

Trevor Williams - 2018 Topps Gallery Autograph

The art work of Tops Gallery is undeniably beautiful. This is such an easy-on-the eyes card - and somehow, the sticker autograph really works here. A welcome addition to my small collection of Trevor Williams autos.

(Left) Quinn Priester - 2018 Leaf Perfect Game Green Shimmer Autograph #1/1

(Center) Adam Frazier - 2017 Panini Chronicles Prizm Red Autograph #/25

(Right) Oliver Perez - 2005 Upper Deck Origins Old Judge Autograph

Three firsts here. This the first 1/1 autograph that I'm adding to my collection - and it's no small name. Quinn Priester was the Pirates first pick in the 2019 draft and projects to be a big part of the rotation in the future. 

The Adam Frazier autograph is also a first for me. For whatever reason, Adam Frazier has only signed autographs in non-licensed products, which I typically don't purchase. But my goodness, for a non-licensed card, this is as good as it gets. That red ink pairs beautifully with the red ice background. 

Oliver Perez was one of my favorite Pirates in the mid 2000's, which was a very very dark time for the franchise. Outside of Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Brian Giles, and Jason Bay, we didn't have a whole lot to cheer for. Ollie made his debut in 2002 with the Padres, but he really broke out in 2005 when he went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 K's for the Bucs. He was one of the best lefties in the league that year, and would have had a shot at 20 wins if he was on any other team but Pittsburgh. 

Oh, and this dude is still pitching in the major leagues. He moved to a reliever role around 2012 and has a made a living there ever since. Aside from Albert Pujols, I can't think of any player that is more tenured than Oliver Perez. This is my first autograph of his and I'm excited to add to this to my collection. 

Pedro Alvarez - 2015 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

Andrew McCutchen - 2009 Bowman Sterling Rookie Gold Refractor #/50

Saving the best for the last. Even if shiny gold cards aren't your thing, you can't tell me that this isn't a gorgeous card. Seeing Cutch here in the old pinstripes is a reminder that he really was the central part of the Pirates turning the ship around (pun intended) and becoming a competitor. He joined the big league club in 2009 and had to compete every day for three years before even dreaming about the playoffs. The card embodies his rookie year: his dreadlocks starting to grow in, the dirt on the pants, and following through on a big swing demonstrating his signature bat speed. This card is a competitor for the top card in my Cutch collection, and is an early contender to be in the top 5 coolest cards I've acquired this year.

Thanks again, Brian! I'm grateful to have friend like you in the hobby. 

Weekly Additions to the Pirates Gold Room

The quest for gold bordered Pirates cards continues. This week features another pair of 2019 rookies who will play a large role in the success of the team moving forward.

Bryan Reynolds - 2016 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Update Gold Refractor Autograph #/50

With regards to the card on top, I'm bending the rules a bit for the Pirates Gold Room. The idea of collecting gold parallels was to "match" the gold border with the gold colors the you'll find on all Pirates jerseys. Reynolds was still with the Giants for his coveted 1st Bowman card - and orange sure as heck doesn't match with gold. Thankfully his almost-all-black jersey is pretty close to the Pirates colors. I'll let it slide.

I've learned something about myself as a collector: I don't mind collecting cards that picture my favorite player on their former teams. Ideally all of my Pirates cards would have the guys in Pittsburgh jerseys, but if they came via trade, I'm perfectly fine with them donning another team's threads. Even the Yankees... *eye roll*

How about you - will you collect your favorite players wearing their former team's colors? Or do you want your PC cards to only display your teams' logo?

Both of the cards above came to my attention through one of my eBay saved searches, which is about as broad as they get: "Bryan Reynolds Gold." I'm a huge fan of the saved search option on eBay.

The listing was for three cards total - it included both of the Reynolds cards above - but it had two copies of the 2016 BDPP Chrome! It was a Buy It Now, and the price seemed a little low to me. The price would have been fair if it were for just these two cards, so the extra copy of the 2016 BDPP seemed like a real bonus. I jumped on it just hours after it was listed. It might have flown a little under-the-radar since the cards were in a "lot." I've read that eBay sellers that are looking to maximize profit should avoid selling in lots since high-value cards in the group can get watered down by the rest of the cards. I'm thinking I may have been on the right of the the deal!

  

Cole Tucker - 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

Gold refractor, or mustard yellow refractor? 

It seems that some time between 2014 and 2016, Topps changed their definition of gold. The two Reynolds cards seem to shine and pop a little brighter than gold refractors back in 2014. Not complaining, this card is still a beauty and looks better in-hand than on the scanner.

I wrote a bit about Cole Tucker in my previous post when Gavin hooked me up with my first Tucker auto - he's a first round draft pick and should be the Pirates shortstop of the future. It's kind of crazy to think that this card is already six years old, and Tucker is only 23 years old and made his MLB debut last year. When this card was printed, Tucker had just turned 18 and just graduated high school. I can't imagine being printed on baseball cards a few months after I graduated high school. On the other hand, it's also hard to fathom grown men paying lots of money for those cards, and yet here we are!

Thanks for reading.

More from the Pirates Gold Room

A few weeks ago I wrote about an informal project I’m working on to collect as many Pirates gold parallels as possible. The post generated more comments than usual, so I’m going to give it an encore with a few more Pirates gold parallels that are currently living in my collection.

(L) 2016 Topps Chrome Joe Musgrove Gold Refractor #/50

(R) 2016 Topps Chrome Joe Musgrove Gold Refractor Autograph #/50

2017 Topps Chrome… I could take it or leave it when it comes to the design. 2017 was certainly not my favorite design year – but it delivered some key rookies for the Pirates with Josh Bell, Tyler Glasnow, and Joe Musgrove – although he made his debut with the Astros. 

2016 Bowman Chrome Joe Musgrove Gold Refractor #/50

Musgrove has been very inconsistent as a major leaguer but hasn’t come close to hitting his ceiling. Three years of average play is plenty to drive the value of your cards down. I was able to grab all three of these rookies for just about the price of a blaster.

2018 Topps Chrome Trevor Williams Gold Refractor Autograph #/50

Trevor Williams is your typical fan favorite. Family family, likable, and funny on Twitter.  He was fantastic in 2018, and really struggled with an injury-plagued 2019. Pirates fans are praying he can return to form this year and anchor the rotation. I believe I grabbed this for less than $10.

2013 Topps Chrome Update Pedro Alvarez Gold Refractor #/250

I have way, way too many Pedro Alvarez cards. “El Toro” as he was known to many Pirates fans was a true flash in the pan. The hype was real from the beginning. The Vanderbilt product was drafted #2 overall in 2008, and for a time was ranked higher in the Pirates farm system than Andrew McCutchen.

Pedro’s biggest year was in 2013 when led the NL in home runs with 36. He made his first (and only) All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby. With that kind of success comes a lot of cards! Topps printed the hell out of Pedro in 2013, and I have just about all of them. In fact, I could probably dedicate a whole post to him. Interestingly enough, he never signed for any Topps products. The only Alvarez autographs you’ll find are from non-licensed products – so I have very few.

Out of all the Alvarez cards I own, this is my favorite. This card is living proof of why borders are so awesome. Unlike the two Musgrove cards, you KNOW this puppy is a gold parallel right off the bat. It absolutely screams GOLD and I love that. Add on the Home Run Derby logo and a sweet action photo and you’ve got a really pretty card.

The scanner didn’t doesn’t do the card justice, it has a really great refractor shine to it:

My favorite part of the card is that Pedro isn’t wearing a hat or a helmet – a look that’s become somewhat of a Homerun Derby-specific appearance. I guess we have Bryce Harper and his glorious hair for that. Think about it though. Aren’t baseball players wearing caps or helmets in 95% of baseball card photos? The only consistent exceptions are short prints/variations, which are basically just a type of baseball card that features non-action photography. Ya know, players smiling on the bench and whatnot.