Apparently I'm a Jose Quintana Super Collector Now

I've seen the Cubs play in Nationals Park just about every year the Nationals have been around. The past few years I've taken in the whole series since they only come around once. Last year, the Cubs came to Baltimore as well for the first time in 6 years. It's a little further away, but Camden Yards is worth the trip. Who knew one game in Baltimore would lead to a new super-collection?

Jose Quintana had just been acquired from the White Sox and made his Cubs debut on July 16th, 2017. The next day Topps Now dropped a nice horizontal card to commemorate his 7 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts. Cool.

A few months later, 2017 Topps Update came out and Topps went with a different photo from the same game. The same photo was used with a Chrome release right after. Thanks goodness we didn't get a photoshopped White Sox card! You can read more about my time at the game and the umpteen different parallels I've picked up from these two sets in my Favorite Card(s) of the Year post.

Come January, we've got yet another photo from the same game out of 2018 Topps Series 1! Empty green seats in the background were a giveaway. I highlighted my parallel quest for this card here.

Heritage? You, too?! Well, not quite. While Quintana is sporting the road blue jersey, this photo is actually from the shutout he threw against the Brewers in late September. It's mentioned in a blurb on the back:

Oh, but what's that in the upper right corner? A mention of his 12 strikeouts in his Cubs debut on 7/16/2017? Fine, into the I Was There collection you go. But the SP variation will have to drop in price dramatically to be added. I've got my eye on a few of the parallels as well.

Topps changed the photos from a few cards from Series 1 when they released Opening Day. I noticed the Quintana change right away because I was expecting to have to pick up the base and any parallels if it matched the Series 1 card. I headed over to Getty Images and sure enough...

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 16: Jose Quintana #62 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 16, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

The new picture was also from the July 16 game against the Orioles. I'll go into the card a little more when I get to it on my other new blog about Opening Day (cheap plug, check it out here and follow because I still have team sets to give away).

This is starting to get a little ridiculous, right? I mean, he played in 14 games for the Cubs after the trade. Getty Images has to be running out of photos from this game, right? Let's check out what Topps did with Gypsy Queen.

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 16: Jose Quintana #62 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 16, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Well, how about that. I haven't looked into all of the different parallels that Gypsy Queen offers but I guess I should start. Because as the title says, apparently I'm a Jose Quintana super collector now...

I use that sarcasm jokingly, of course. While it is a little absurd, I also think it is kind of cool. The chase is fun! And with a guy like Jose Quintana, its not completely breaking the bank.

My collection for these cards and their parallels stands at 34 cards. Crazy!