2018 Topps Big League Gold Pedro Martinez

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the last one.

Let's talk about this card of my all-time favorite player...

I'm generally not a fan of cards of players produced after their career ended. (Other than one the next year as a sort of recap.) It seems so unnecessary. It also changes the focus of card collecting from baseball fan to team or player fan. If I collect the 2018 Topps set to catalog the 2018 or 2017 season...this card has no place in it. Pedro wasn't on the Sox in 2018 and the stats on the back don't tell me anything about 2017. But, as a Pedro Martinez collector, I need to have this card. At least this one is pretty.

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If you are able this month, or any month, to support the Gold Together efforts, I highly recommend you consider a donation. You can follow the the link to the American Cancer Society here.

Support their efforts to be Gold Together!

2014 Topps Gold Jon Lester

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the next one.

Let's talk about this card...

Look at all that gold! This card is either a fond reminder or a bitter pill. Personally, the 2013 series is the one with the strongest pull to me. Probably because I was able to attend the clinching game six. I also do not hold a grudge with the Sox for Lester not signing long term. So all I do is look at this card and think, "wow, that was a great game on the way to a memorable series win". Isn't that all you can ask for from a card?

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If you are able this month, or any month, to support the Gold Together efforts, I highly recommend you consider a donation. You can follow the the link to the American Cancer Society here.

Support their efforts to be Gold Together!

Elizabeth Lynch Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Elizabeth Lynch is passionate about promoting agriculture, and the current Miss West Virginia. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Elizabeth Lynch visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss West Virginia crown?

To be honest with you, the day after I won, my family and I made cheeseburgers to celebrate. We wanted to spend some quality time over dinner and talk about how crazy the next 365 days would be! (And who doesn’t love a good burger?)

What did you learn about yourself during the Miss West Virginia competition that will help you at Miss America?

During the competition for Miss West Virginia, I spent some time reflecting on the past 5 years that I had been involved in the Miss America Organization. From a nervous 19-year-old with a small amount of self-confidence to a 24-year-old making big moves with my social impact initiative, I knew that I had grown tremendously. Throughout Miss West Virginia week, I put that feeling into everything I did. I realized that no matter what the outcome would be, I knew that I was proud of my accomplishments and my personal development. I just happened to be lucky enough to win the title this year. I plan to bring that same feeling with me to the Miss America stage. I am proud of the hard work I have done. I am proud to be West Virginian. And I am a proud woman in agriculture. 

 

What part of the Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I am nervous about talent! I am sharing a personal experience and how it is tied into a moment of personal growth. I love my talent and I am so excited to share it on a national level. However, it’s so different from what is typically on the Miss America stage that I am worried about how it will be received. But, at the end of the day, I must remember that I am thrilled with my original work and know that this message will make an impact on someone’s life. 

 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Growing Up, Growing Ag.”?

I have been involved in agriculture since I was 5 years old. At that age, I began riding horses and 4 years later I began raising swine through 4-H. I joined FFA in high school and fell in love with the future of agriculture. I knew I wanted to be one of the hard-working Americans responsible for feeding our world and I wanted to work towards ensuring that our agricultural industry is sustainable, affordable, and safe. I dedicated my education and career towards agriculture. Becoming a part of the Miss America Organization was no exception. The goals of my social impact initiative, “Growing Up, Growing Ag: Advocating for American Agriculture”, are to promote American farmers and farmer’s markets, bridge the gap between producers and consumers, educate on agricultural careers and practices, and remind those around me to always thank a farmer.

What can you tell me about “Farmer Friday”?

My Farmer Friday interviews started during the beginning of the pandemic and have been a part of my SII since then. We are told that our crowns are a microphone. However, I don’t want West Virginia to hear only my voice. I want to use my crown to amplify the voices of our agriculturists, ag organizations, and ag businesses. I use my Farmer Friday interviews as a way to allow these folks to tell their story and put a face to a name. Not only does this educate my viewers on the numerous agricultural career opportunities, but this also lets our consumers know exactly what is going on in the ag industry, provides them with numerous resources, and gives them ideas on how to support the industry itself.

 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would say Colette from Ratatouille! Not only is she a tough female character but she is also a phenomenal French chef who has worked hard to perfect her craft. I feel connected to her in that way. I have had to work extremely hard to get to the point I am today in the male-dominated agricultural field. So, seeing that strong, hard-working woman in a Disney movie was always huge for me! (Also, who wouldn’t want to know how to create top notch French meals and get the opportunity to try those dishes??)

 

You’re a West Virginia University graduate with a master’s degree in food and nutritional sciences. Where do you see that background taking you?

I actually decided to get this degree in particular because I wanted to ensure that I had a well-rounded animal science background before continuing to my PhD. Animal nutrition is a fundamental piece of the animal science puzzle that I wanted to refine. Now that I have that background, I will start my PhD in the fall of 2023. The goal is to eventually become a professor at a Land-Grant university with a teaching and research appointment. I would like to continue inspiring young adults to become involved in agriculture while doing research in sustainable agricultural practices. 

 

If you had an extra ticket to see a West Virginia Power baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my brothers, Brett and Joseph! They always know how to make a great time better, and we never fail to make each other laugh. I know taking them to a game would be an insane amount of fun!

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I’ve been to quite a few MLB games, and I have absolutely loved my experiences there. I would like to actually catch a foul ball at some point but I cannot catch/throw anything to save my life. This is why I am an equestrian athlete. Ha-ha!!

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I'd love to catch a ball at a game too! 

As always, I want to thank Elizabeth for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Elizabeth continues her time as Miss West Virginia, I encourage you to check out her title's Website, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be wonderful to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Elizabeth, and good luck!

2022 Topps Chrome Blaster!

 I was as surprised as anyone when I saw these on the shelf of Target yesterday. I was also as surprised as anyone when I saw the $35 price. What the heck is going on here. The fun little option for buying cards is becoming considerable less economic. I mean, there are only 32 cards in the box. How are these going to be worth $1+ per card?

I guess we'll have to see...

Maybe they're thinking if I get this guy it's worth the $1?

Apparently they really think that.

What about this guy? A Red Sox who's not a Red Sox anymore. Is that why I spent my $1? I will say the design works pretty well as a chrome silver shiney thing.

It's not a Red Sox player, but here's one of those sepia things I'm also supposed to be looking for. Is he worth $1?

How about this guy? Is he pointing to Altuve saying he's the goal? Or is he suggesting I scroll all the way back to the top? It's hard to tell.

Either way, this was not the world's best box. I know Chrome is a risk-reward type product...but it's not looking like it's worth the risk.

How did your box go?

2020 Topps Gold Ryan Weber

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the next one.

Let's talk about this card...

It's nice that Topps decided to include just enough border on this card to allow for the colored parallel. As much as I like a design that focuses on the picture, it's nice to have something anchoring it visually. This card does a nice job of that. It also does a great job of cropping in close enough to get Weber's intensity without going in so close that you lose the rest of the picture. Overall I'd say a nice job.

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If you are able this month, or any month, to support the Gold Together efforts, I highly recommend you consider a donation. You can follow the the link to the American Cancer Society here.

Support their efforts to be Gold Together!