In a world where sports memorabilia and trading card games often co-exist like long-lost siblings, a unique creation has emerged to bring them together in rare harmony. Yes, it’s true, Evan Longoria has been signing baseball cards for years, with over a thousand nestled snugly in various collections. Yet, no card has sent as many shockwaves through the collecting community as the one he teased this week. It’s the headliner for the 2025 Topps Tier One Baseball series, and it’s throwing collectors into a tizzy.
Why all the fuss, you ask? Imagine a card that’s a brilliant mashup of America’s beloved pastime and one of Japan’s most lucrative exports: Pokémon. This particular card isn’t just slapping a photograph of Longoria into a nice piece of cardboard. No, it goes beyond that. It encapsulates a game-used bat knob embedded within the card’s core, and ablaze on the end of this wood chunk is none other than Charizard, the fiery iconic figure from Pokémon itself.
Naturally, as with any unexpected mergers, this crossover has ignited a frenzy, setting the entire collector’s world alight. What’s more, it arrives at a perfect confluence of trends—with the Pokémon card craze still sizzling like a fresh batch of cookies and baseball enthusiasts eagerly gearing up for a robust season. The card acts as a bridge between two fervently passionate collectors’ circles, echoing the universal truth: humans simply can’t resist an excellent hybrid.
Now, one of the first people to smell the potential of this card was Alan Narz, the mastermind behind Big League Cards down in Casselberry, Florida. His admiration for the card quickly turned into action when he threw down a whopping $100,000 to nab it for himself.
“We’re all about leading the fusion of sports and Pokémon,” Narz enthused. “And here comes a card that is essentially the perfect fusion of both realms? It’s a must-have.”
Narz, a card game aficionado with a portfolio as thick as a Tolstoy novel, recognizes the card’s significance. It might very well be the first time a licensed MLB card prominently features a Pokémon character. While Topps has dabbled in Pokémon shenanigans before, this particular collaboration—whether intentional or not—stands alone as a pioneer in its field.
Collectors are no strangers to the allure of bat knob cards, which typically feature the severed bottom of a baseball bat artfully encased within a thick collectible card. The illustrious likes of Babe Ruth have received this treatment in the past. But throw in the fiery majesty of a Charizard sticker? Now that’s a whole new level of collector’s catnip.
“When Topps gets their creative juices flowing on a card, the result is always magical,” Narz remarked.
Of course, Narz wasn’t the only one who felt the excitement. The card’s tantalizing appearance on social media alerted collectors like Doug Caskey, co-founder of the influential breaking company, Mojobreak. Spotting a Longoria game-used bat with that same Chariutilsard sticker for a modest $1,000 on eBay, Caskey swooped in like a hawk, snatching it up for $700. His triumphant post, showcasing the catch, raked in engagement like autumn leaves.
“We have a strong Pokémon following, and it made sense given our Bay Area roots where Longoria had his run,” Caskey noted.
Caskey’s intrigue with Longoria stretches back to the genesis of Mojobreak. In 2010, Longoria’s elusive 2006 Bowman Chrome Superfractor became the elusive prey all collectors dared to dream about. It’s never been publicly unearthed, fueling a legend that borders on the mythical.
“We were perpetually on the hunt for that Longoria Superfractor,” Caskey shared. “It became part of our narrative.”
Now with the legendary Charizard bat knob card, Caskey is eagerly biding his time for another thrilling chase once Tier One is fully released.
“It’s all about the pursuit,” he mused. “This card—it’s beyond extraordinary. Tracking it down? It’s the essence of collecting.”
Even though no one quite knows where this card will finally rest its weary head, one fact is uncontested—it’s far more than just mere cardboard. It is the avatar of a cultural phenomenon. Whether it finds sanctuary behind a store counter in the sunny lands of Florida or within a polished display case in the breezy Bay Area, one thing’s certain—its legendary status is already inked in the annals of collecting history.
