31 January 2024

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

31 December 2023

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



31 October 2023

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



30 September 2023

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.

31 August 2023

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


31 July 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.



30 June 2023

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.

31 May 2023

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.

30 April 2023

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


31 March 2023

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