Card of the Day: Nate Fassnacht 2019 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #7

Card of the Day: Ted Williams 1990 Best Williamsport Bills #22

Williamsport Crosscutters vs. Mahoning Valley Scrappers – Ed Ott Bobblehead Night

On the evening of Friday, June 17th I attended a Williamsport Crosscutters game. The Crosscutters took on the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and won 9-5. Historic Bowman Field is the same place they play the MLB Little League Classic. The Orioles and Red Sox are scheduled to play here in August.

No longer associated with the Phillies, the Crosscutters are a founding member of the MLB Draft League which was formed in 2021. The MLB Draft League is a summer collegiate baseball league that is for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to the MLB draft. Only six teams make up the league – Williamsport Crosscutters, State College Spikes, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Frederick Keys, Trenton Thunder, and the West Virginia Black Bears.

Former Pirates and Angels catcher Ed Ott was the guest of honor. He lives close by in Montgomery, PA. One of his career highlights was when he tripled on a misplayed ball in the outfield before scoring the winning run on a throwing error. In 1979 he won the World Series with the Pirates beating the Orioles. Card #594 in the 1976 Topps set is where you will find his rookie card.

Former Pirates and Angels catcher Ed Ott talking on the field before the game.

The first 1,000 fans attending the game received an Ed Ott bobblehead.

Card of the Day: 2018 Choice – Williamsport Crosscutters Boomer Mascot #35

Card of the Day: Rafael Marchan 2018 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #17

Pin Highlight: 2017 Williamsport Sun-Gazette LLWS Gorilla Pin

Baseball season might be over.  The weather is getting colder.  Christmas music has begun to play.  But in my mind though its still the summer.  And that means the Little League World Series.  With that comes pins.  Lots and lots of pins!!!

The Williamsport Sun-Gazette was founded in 1801, and issued their first pin in 2004.  Since then, they have regularly sold pins while the Little League World Series takes place.  Every year its exciting to see what new designs they come up with.

Ten new pins were released this past August.  Each one is limited to only (125) pins.  In terms of pins, that isn’t many.  That’s probably why I haven’t seen any 2017 Sun-Gazette pins show up on the secondary market yet.  The Sun-Gazette never sells them online.  You have to purchase them in person.  Low quantity combined with in person only availability holds them back from surfacing.

Most of their pins are baseball themed.  Some aren’t.  The craziest pin they made for 2017 has nothing on it pertaining to baseball.  It measures 3″ and has a gorilla on top of the Sun-Gazette building.  They sold t-shirts with this image on them.  It reminds me a lot of King Kong or that arcade game Rampage.

Card of the Day: Dave Bresnahan 1987 ProCards Williamsport Bills #14

Card of the Day: Chris Howard 1990 Williamsport Bills Best #11

“Pin-Up” of the Week: 2015 Williamsport Sun-Gazette Pin Collector Badge

In honor of Captain America: Civil War coming out, I think this pin is appropriate.  The Williamsport Sun-Gazette made this pin for the 2015 Little League World Series.  Each year they come out with a whole slew of pins you can buy.  The Sun-Gazette booth that was setup at Little League last year wasn’t selling this particular pin though.  I think you could only get this one at their downtown location.  As you can easily tell, the pin is designed to look a lot like Captain America’s shield.  I own a bunch of Sun-Gazette pins, but not this one.  The only time I’ve seen one on eBay was in a lot.  By the time I saw it the auction had ended.  Despite not being seen much, I doubt its very rare.  The lot that had this pin in it sold for a couple dollars.

I find it cool when superheroes and sports stuff are combined.  Its becoming more popular.  This weekend the San Francisco Giants are giving away Captain America bobbleheads.  Instead of being the classic red, white, and blue, the color scheme is white, orange, and black.  I really hope this trend continues.

“Pin-Up” of the Week: 1994 Williamsport Sun Gazette Little League World Series Champions Pin

Starting in 2004, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette began to issue Little League pins.  Between 2004 and 2015 they have made about (54) or (55) different pins in all.  A few years ago they began to issue handy guides to their pins.  They usually issue a new guide around the time of the Little League World Series.  Inside each guide you’ll find highly detailed descriptions about every pin they’ve made.  At around (50) pages long, its an excellent resource.

We live in an age where nothing isn’t faked or made up.  Little League pins aren’t immune to any of that.  Take a look at this pin for instance.  It looks like a simple little Williamsport Sun-Gazette pin celebrating Venezuela winning the 1994 Little League World Series.  The problem is that the Williamsport Sun-Gazette never made this pin.  Its a knockoff made to look like they did.  I’m not 100% sure when it was made.  A good guess would be 1994, which would make it ten years older than any authentic Sun-Gazette pin.