14th Curly Blogiversary!

Today marks the 14th Blogiversary of "Curly W Cards". Some readers might be a little confused because just last week I celebrated the 20th Blogiversary a my main blog Kirk's Knook. Back 14 years ago I was ambitious by adding a third blog to my plate. I already had my regular blog and my regular trading cards blog, but noticed at the time there was an absence of blogs focused on Washington Nationals (and Senators) cards so Curly W Cards was born. I missed last year's blogiversary and only made one post about a glitch or possible hijacking of the blog. I forget what the dang thing was doing other than the fact I didn't have access to the blog (and it was just that blog with the problem at the time). 

In the meantime I don't know what the fate of this blog is or will be for this year.

Test post

 Hmm it seems that this blog has been hijacked. I am writing a test post to see it that makes a difference.

UPDATE: (Monday 10 Feb 2025) Hmm seems to be OK and viewable now.

Happy Blogiverary To Curly W Cards

 

HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!

Today marks the 11th Blogiversary for "Curly W Cards". I think I might have missed posting last year for the 10th Blogiversary. OH Well. Ten years is 10 years.

As is my tradition I am timing this post to be published at the same time of day that my very first post on this blog was.

Nats From 2015 Group Box Break Plus Bonus Strive Cards

This is an ancient post that has been sitting in my draft queue for several years. I was holding off on it because I wanted to post scans of the cards. Well in recent months I have been trying to declutter my apartment and trying to get my card collection in a better more organized state. That means that most of sections of cards from mail days have been moved around and are in some kind of pre-sort mode (or actually added to their respective places in the collection) and are not available to be scanned at publishing time. Plus I really need to declutter my draft queue. So there will be no card scans of this post. 

If this post were on my regular card blog it would be part of my upcoming Maildazed From The Pazt series. 

Monday 14 September 2015
I got a package of cards from 5TooSweet’s (Abel) TCC Baseball Group Box Break. [NOTE: Sadly Able passed away a few years back, I forget the cause may have been cancer] Anyway I bought my standard homie team Nationals and bought a bonus discount team Twins. It was mostly just my Nationals I might have asked not to send Twins base and they didn't get any hits. I’ll only mention a team if it is not a Nat card.

2015 Topps Baseball Chrome:
8 Denard Span
23 Stephen Strasburg
59 Kevin Kiermaier Rays (random)
81 Bryce Harper
98 Max Scherzer - minor refractor
99 Doug Fister
FUTURE STARS FSC-07 Michael Taylor

2015 Topps Stadium Club Baseball:
42 Jordan Zimmermann
137 Rondell White Expos
142 Anthony Rendon
202 Stephen Strasburg
222 Tanner Roark
251 Jayson Werth
296 Max Scherzer
CONTACT SHEET CS-22 Bryce Harper
LUMINOUS TRIUMVIRATE Die-Cut T-6A Bryce Harper

2015 Topps Allen & Ginter:
28 Jayson Werth
101 Stephen Strasburg
106 Yunel Escobar
235 Michael Taylor RC
266 Drew Storen
303 Denard Span
MINI: A World Beneath Our Feet Bug-8 Death’s Head Hawkmoth
STARTING POINTS: SP-97 Bryce Harper

BONUS CARDS:
Cards for my struggling goal “Strive For ‘65”* set build: 7 Cards
1965 Topps Baseball:
26 Bobby Knoop Angels
32 Herman Franks MGR Giants
48 Claude Raymond Houston Colt 45’s
53 Dick McAuliffe Tigers
72 Tony Gonzalez Phillies
96 Sonny Siebert Indians
97 Pedro Gonzalez Yankees

* I haven't mentioned these 1965 cards on my regular blog yet. Eventually I guess they will be when I have completed the album page they are stored in. I'm behind in doing that as well. I have an upcoming post on my regular card blog about being unorganized.

Nationals mentioned in this post:
Yunel Escobar
Doug Fister
Bryce Harper
Anthony Rendon
Tanner Roark
Max Scherzer
Denard Span
Stephen Strasburg
Drew Storen
Michael Taylor
Jayson Werth
Jordan Zimmermann

Another A&G With A Mini Me: Big Mini Unit Edition

 

Here is another mini parallel "mini me" post from the same group team box break that the last post on The Strass came from. With no fanfare here are the cards of The Big Unit and His Mini Unit (OK that doesn't sound quite right). First is the base card and then the A&G backed mini.

2023 Topps Allen & Ginter 26 Randy Johnson Montreal Expos

2023 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini A&G Back 26 Randy Johnson Montreal Expos

A&G Strasburg And Mini Stras

 If I had pushed myself last month I could have had a post but due to preparing for an apartment inspection had me in a panic mode. I had these cards scanned but hadn't prepared a post to introduce them.

These cards that I got in a team lot O Nationals from a group box break, the last group box break I participated in. It will be quite a while before I join anymore group box breaks. It is nice to get a base card and the "mini me" variant.

2023 Topps Allan & Ginter - 185 Stephen Strasburg

2023 Topps Allan & Ginter - Mini - 185 Stephen Strasburg

C.J. Abrams Topps Heritage

 This post I am showing C.J. Abrams' 2022 Topps Heritage card, and the chrome parallel that is serial numbered to #/999. It is also his "Rookie Card", technically his first flagship Topps card should be his RC but the rules for rookie cards have changed in the last few years and are totally confusing.

So here we go the 2022 Topps Heritage design is based on the 1973 design:

2022 Topps Heritage Baseball 501 CJ Abrams Washington Nationals

2022 Topps Heritage Chrome Baseball 501 CJ Abrams Washington Nationals #162/999

Young Walk-Off Now

 From an Ebay seller located in nearby Potamac Maryland with a name that is the same as someone who works for my company in my office (except I don't know the middle name or initial of the guy at work). I didn't know the seller was so close until the Ebay Standard Envelope (a PWE in this case not a true Ebay SE) arrived with the return address. I don't think it is the guy from my office, the seller has an avatar with his picture (and some of his family) and it is not the same guy unless he was the photographer. The people in the avatar picture are lighter-weight and smaller than the guy in my office. The seller seems to mostly sell off his Nationals dupes. Any way the card I had to wait a little since it was a Tops Now card, but not too long.

The card 2023 Topps Now 826 Jacob Young Washington Nationals "Cracks 1st Career Walk-Off of his MLB Career".

2023 Topps Now 826 Jacob Young Washington Nationals

Wow my post from last month has 239 views a record for the first month of a post here.

Elijah Green Red Base and Blue?

 

From the latest Group Box Break among the cards I got this round was a trio of Elijah Green cards from 2023 Panini Donruss. This youngster was The Nats First Round Pick, 5th Overall pick as an outfielder in the MLB 2022 June Amateur Draft from IMG Academy in Florida. 

I got the base card #37, The Holo Red (#d/2023), and Holo Blue Parallels. Guess I should maybe try to build a "Green" Rainbow set.

The CARDS:

The backs of the cards are all the same as they are parallels.

2023 Panini Donruss Baseball #37 Elijah Green Washington Nationals back

2023 Panini Donruss Baseball #37 Elijah Green Washington Nationals base

2023 Panini Donruss Baseball #37 Elijah Green Washington Nationals Holo Blue

2023 Panini Donruss Baseball #37 Elijah Green Washington Nationals Holo Red #d/2023

Joy Of A Complete Team Set Now with Series Two. And Bonus Cards

 OK so a few months back I posted The Nats cards from Series 1 of the 2023 Topps Baseball set. It is now time for the rest of the team from Series 2.

389 Victor Robles

437 Lane Thomas

443 Luke Voit

447 Israel Pineda RC

470 Joey Meneses RC

498 Stone Garrett RC

629 MacKenzie Gore Future Stars

As per normal these days these cards came from a recent group box break that I get my current Nats cards from. Actually the series two cards were actually a bonus break unto itself. Additionally here are two insert cards from the regular break (at least I think they came from series one in the regular break).

The Nats still have an Ace up their sleeve (or do they?)

2023 Topps Baseball All Aces insert - AA-21 Stephen Strasburg

Going International:

2023 Topps Baseball World Baseball Classic - WBC-52 Joey Meneses Mexico 

I don't normally go for the World Baseball Classic stuff but this year the Mexico team uniform looks nice on this card.

Alex Call Walk Off Now

 All right boys and girls it is time again to reach into the semi-recent Topps Now cards to show off one from this season from a few weeks back. This month's post is about a game from 04 May 2023 at home vs The Chicago Cubs. Bottom the ninth game is tied 3-3 Lead off batter Alex Call on the first pitch hits his first career walk-off homer. Home Team Good Guys Nats win 4-3 and take the series 3-1.

Alex Call 1st Career Walk-Off Homer

The card:

2023 Topps Now Baseball - 234 Alex Call Washington Nationals

Topps has been disappointing me with these Topps Now cards that just have a picture on the back and give no details about the game or event celebrated on the card. I still like them but jeez give us more info Topps, it is Topps NOW not Topps Whenever. The card makes no mention of who the Nats were playing. Alex and the other players in the home whites tell it was a home game and the walk off indicates they were either tied or behind at the start of the bottom of the ninth. I had to double check to see which batter and pitch it was, turns out he was the lead-off and it was on the first pitch. Makes it that much more exciting for us fans.

CJ Abrams NOW

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 and 974 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals - Base Cards

 Last season when the Mid Season Trade Deadline Came and Juan Soto and Josh Bell WENT to the San Diego Padres for 6 players, I was devastated that the team had traded away two of their best all-around players who could make the big hits. Since I don't follow any teams other than The Nats I had little to no knowledge of the players that had been traded to us. Most of them at the time were in the Padres' Farm System.

Well one of those players has emerged as quite a player CJ Abrams. CJ has quickly become a fave Nat of mine.  The cards I got from Ebay and they are from 2022 Topps Now Baseball. These 5 cards  are technically just "two" cards since 3 are parallel variants. Normally I haven't  been able to find parallel Topps Now cards so I grabbed them since they were affordable. I did see a Red parallel (1/1) of one of them but it was way more than I wanted to pay.

Going by card numbers first up we have card 845 celebrating C.J.'s First Career Four Hit Game on 05 September. I have the "base" card, the Blue parallel #/49, and the Purple parallel #/25.

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals: Base, Blue #/49, Purple #/25

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 Back - All variants have the same back

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals Base

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals Purple #12/25

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 845 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals Blue #14/49

Next we have card #974 that celebrates C.J.'s First Walk Off Hit on 28 September. I have the Base and the Purple parallel #/25. I like this card better of the two.

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 974 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals: Base, Purple #/25.

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 974 Back C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 974 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals Base

2022 Topps Now Baseball - 974 C.J. Abrams Washington Nationals Purple #15/25.

2021 Topps Allen & Ginter Box Loader

 In one of my recent group box breaks (done in March) I got this sweet 2021 Topps Allen & Ginter Box Loader (I say Box Topper).

2021 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball BLC-7 Juan Soto Washington Nationals

Joy Of A Complete Topps Team Base Set

 In a recent group break or actually two I got the base cards for the 2023 Topps Baseball Washington Nationals team set. One of the breaks was a half case or maybe full case break so I have some doubles. I also got a couple of parallels but D'Oh I didn't scan those. Well another post I guess. Anyway here is the base line up. This year it doesn't look like the Nats have any variant cards.

80 Tanner Rainey

130 Kiebert Ruiz

149 Josiah Gray

193 Luis Garcia

243 Evan Lee

244 Cesar Hernandez

257 Yadiel Hernandez

258 Erick Fedde

320 Cade Cavalli

35 CJ Abrams

316 Nationals Team Card

Back of card 316 Team Card

A Sharp Chrome Autograph

 Yes once again I am doing a quick and dirty post. I really should plan things more or work on some of my stuck in draft mode for 20 years posts. OK not really I haven't been blogging for 20 years (yet, it is about 3 years away on my regular blog and this one I have only been blogging for 11 years), but I do have several draft posts that have been stuck for a few years.

This is a card I got about a year or two It's a 2021 Topps Chrome so I couldn't have gotten it earlier than that. At first I thought I might have posted about it before, but it looks like I haven't.

2021 Topps Baseball Chrome RA-SSH Sterling Sharp Washington Nationals RC

on card Blue Sharpie

Some Parallels and Some Autographs

 I have a couple of parallels to show off and a couple of autograph cards to show. Three players in this order: Will Harris, Josiah Gray and Riley Adams. Seven cards in all.

First up RHP Will Harris from 2021 Topps Baseball Update Series card US138 base and gold parallel.

 2021 Topps Baseball Update Series - US138 Will Harris

 2021 Topps Baseball Update Series Gold parallel US138 Will Harris

Next we have RHP Josiah Gray from 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball base RC card 164 and RC autograph card GQA-JG on card blue sharpie autograph.

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball 164 Josiah Gray RC

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball Autograph - GQA-JG Josiah Gray RC

Finally we have Catcher Riley Adams first his 2022 Panini Donruss Baseball Signature Series Autograph card SS-RA on sticker in blue sharpie and then 2022 Panini Capstone Baseball RC card 16 base and Red Parallel. These two cards don't scan too well with their glossy reflective fronts. I got a rainbow effect when I scanned them in normal orientation and in sideways orientation, I used whichever of the two scans appeared slightly better and less reflective rainbow.

2022 Panini Donruss Baseball Signature Series Autograph - SS-RA Riley Adams

2022 Panini Capstone Baseball - 16 Riley Adams

2022 Panini Capstone Baseball Red parallel - 16 Riley Adams