Bryce Harper 2014 Bowman – Orange Border Parallel

Bryce Harper 2014 Bowman – Orange Border Parallel

I’ve already got the base and the state version of this card, so it was very, very nice to be able to add another one – especially one that is serial numbered to just 250 copies.

This is the Orange border parallel version of the card.  Mine is serial numbered as 199/250.

 

I’m digging the Orange border, but it does not really work well with the Washington Nationals color scheme.

But, I bet it looks great with a Marlins card.  I’m gonna have to see if I can seek any of them out…  Wish me luck.

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Chrome – Base

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Chrome – Base

My shipment of singles from the 2014 Topps Chrome baseball card set has finally come in and with it comes another card of Bryce Harper for my collection.

Have a look:

 

I really like the look that the Chrome product offers, and it appears that Topps has improved how these are produced as they cards no longer bow in the middle.

The colors on this card are amazingly sharp, and I really like how prominently the Washington Nationals logo in the lower-left corner stand out!

Maybe I’ll be able to grab a few parallel versions of this Harper card in the future.  If the opportunity presents itself, I will give it a shot!

Bryce Harper 2014 Donruss Series 2

Bryce Harper 2014 Donruss Series 2

I didn’t go after too many cards from the 2014 Donruss Series 2 set, but I wanted to grab a small handful of the guys that I actively go after.

Among that limited group, is Bryce Harper.

Harper had a card in the Series 1 release so I was not sure how the Series 2 checklist was going to look.  But, when I found his name included, I went after it.

Here is the card:

 

Not a bad pick-up for just $0.18.

Bryce Harper 2014 Panini Elite Series 2

Bryce Harper 2014 Panini Elite Series 2

The release of this set of cards must have escaped me as I had no idea this set was released.  It was a shopping venture on Sportlots.com that provided me with the news – and that means that the release was made of the set at least a few weeks prior to my purchase.

Anyway, I grabbed a small stack of cards from this 2014 Panini Elite Series 2 set.  All of the cards feature my modern PC guys.

And the first card I am ready to show off to you is of Nationals superstar, and 30-YOC favorite, Bryce Harper.

Check it out:

 

The style of the card is nice.  It has a very royal feel to it.  I like the ‘Elite’ logo and I really like how they used the same ‘E’ from ‘Elite’ in the background of the card, yet still allow for the player’s image to be the main feature.

You like?

I’ll show you some more of my buys from this issue over the next few weeks.  I think, like this card of Harper, that you will like them too.

Stay tuned.

 

Happy Birthday Bryce Harper!!

Happy Birthday Bryce Harper!!

Bryce Harper turns 22 years old today.

Coming off of a power-filled playoff series, Bryce Harper showed us against the Giants just how dangerous he can be with his bat.

And launching 450-ft home runs out of ballparks, is just one of his many talents.  Harper is a super-athlete that can disturb a team in many ways.  A clean line drive hitter with dynamite speed and an aggressive attitude, Harper can be the fuel for the Nationals offense for many years to come.

He is one of the most energetic and exciting young stars in the game and as his full arsenal of baseball skills continues to grow and take shape, I believe that #34 will be the kind of player that draws visiting team fans out to the ballpark.

I am hoping for a breakout season for Harper in 2015.  And I am also hoping that Matt Williams puts him in one spot in the batting order, like #2, and leaves him there so he can become more comfortable and confident with his role on the team.

Happy Birthday Bryce!

 

Bryce Harper 2014 Bowman Platinum

Bryce Harper 2014 Bowman Platinum

There is that left-handed power swing that I love to watch!  Bowman made an excellent pick of imagery for this card of Bryce Harper for their 2014 Bowman Platinum set.

Check it out:

He may have only connected for 13 home runs in just under 100 games played in 2014, but do not discount Harper’s ability to drive the ball into the stands.

Harper has an incredibly fast and compact swing.  And as a mighty lefty, he can put the ball into the center field stands in a matter of seconds.

In three seasons, Harper has 55 career home runs. And at age 21, he will surely crank up that number in the coming years.

Go Get ‘Em Bryce!!

 

 

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘Glove Stories’

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen ‘Glove Stories’

While he has not been the ‘poster boy’ for defense in 2014, Bryce Harper still had a fantastic season in the field, it was just interrupted by injuries.

Harper had a career low in errors in 2014 with just 4 over the span of the full season.  His fielding percentage of .976 is solid, and he is still learning about how to play all of the different fields around the National League.

I fully expect Harper to get even better.  I am just a little concerned with how the rotation of outfielders shakes out in Washington as it is going to be crowded if Ryan Zimmerman makes that transition a permanent one in 2015.

Still, Harper is a superb athlete.  And with his speed and arm strength, I think he could contend for a Gold Glove Award if he consistently plays in the same spot throughout the course of the year.

I love how he is depicted on this card from the 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball card set:

 

I hope he makes the cut in 2015 again!

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Breaking Out’

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Breaking Out’

Here is another neat card of Bryce Harper from this year’s Topps Opening Day baseball card set.

The card has a neat, comic-book appeal and it reminds me of some of the cards I have seen issued by Topps during the 1990’s.

The header of the card reads ‘Breaking Out’ and the added graphic elements work with the theme very well.

Have a look:

 

I would like to see what the full set looks like all at one time.  I bet it is pretty neat.  And I would also like to see the complete checklist – if any of the others that I collect are in the set, I am going to have to go after them.

Enjoy.

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Sticker

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Sticker

Both of my sons are collecting the 2014 Topps Sticker set.  This has been a long and tedious journey.  But, they are really enjoying themselves, and have even become good trade partners during the process.

In total, we have probably ripped through 70-80 packs.  I use them as rewards for lots of things – good behavior, good work at school, good test scores, and performance on the baseball field.

As we have gotten deeper and deeper into these set builds, more and more doubles have popped up.  Actually, triples.

So, the deal is this – if we get a sticker that both boys have already in their books, dad gets it.  I then sell of large lots on Ebay of the stickers with the goal of capturing more money for more packs.

But, every once in a while I find one I want to keep for myself.

Like this one of Nats superstar, and ’30-YOC’ favorite, Bryce Harper!

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Fired Up’

Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Opening Day ‘Fired Up’

There is no doubt that Bryce Harper has a fiery personality on the baseball field.  His desire to win and help his team excel is obvious with his outward displays of emotion both at the plate, on the base paths, and in the outfield.

This set tagged as ‘Fired Up’ from the 2014 Topps Opening Day set is a perfect fit for a guy like Harper.  Have a look at his card:

 

I’m eager to see what other players were chosen by Topps for this subset.  I can think of a few more guys I would add, and I want to see if I am close to what they chose…