In the dynamic universe where obsessions with trading cards and sports memorabilia never seem to dim, a new star has arrived to shake things up. Imagine a collision between the world of Pokémon and Major League Baseball (MLB). An unexpected crossover that sets the world of card collecting ablaze. Yes, we are talking about the uber-hyped Evan Longoria card slated to be featured in the 2025 Topps Tier One Baseball set. What makes this card the talk of the town isn’t just Longoria’s autograph but the inclusion of something collectors have never conceived of—a game-used bat knob embedded with none other than the fiery Charizard from Pokémon.
For those who might not speak fluent “card fanatic,” Evan Longoria isn’t a newcomer to having his name scrawled across baseball cards. He’s got over a thousand variants honored with his signature. Yet, the particular card he teased recently is something else, a charismatic bridge connecting the realms of Pokémon and baseball.
It’s not just cardboard; it’s a cultural signifier that has instantly captured the imagination and wallets of collectors across both disciplines. The timing couldn’t be more propitious—Pokémon card mania is still burning bright, and baseball fans are zealously prepping for an exciting season. This card is a unifying moment for both communities—a perfect storm of collective obsession that our protagonist, Evan Longoria, just happened to be at the center of.
First to race down the money pit was Alan Narz, the owner and savvy businessman behind Big League Cards in Casselberry, Florida. One look at the card, and it was clear he was smitten beyond mere admiration. Narz threw down the gauntlet with a staggering $100,000 bounty to snatch up this rare beauty. “We are all about being the top destination for both sports and Pokémon,” Narz enthused. “A card that embodies both worlds perfectly? It belongs with us.”
This isn’t Narz’s first rodeo in the high-stakes world of card trading. With this stunning piece of craftsmanship, he rightfully speculates it could be the first-ever MLB card featuring any kind of officially recognized Pokémon character. Topps has previously explored Pokémon, albeit under different circumstances, but this fusion—intentional or not—marks an unprecedented chapter in the card collecting narrative.
The allure of a bat knob card is legendary in collector circles. Traditionally, these cards feature the sawn-off portion of a player’s bat embedded into a heavyweight relic card—a tantalizing piece of memorabilia ranging from players as historic as Babe Ruth to today’s most prominent stars. Now toss Charizard into the concoction? It’s an entirely new blaze of glory.
“When Topps works their magic on a card, it hits different,” Narz proclaimed. Indeed, this isn’t a sentiment shared solely by him.
Enter Doug Caskey, co-founder of card-breaking powerhouse Mojobreak, who stumbled upon a fascinating discovery: a Longoria game-used bat affixed with the same Charizard decal, selling for a meager $700 on eBay. Without delay, Caskey swooped in like a hawk, aware that the deal wasn’t just fantastic but potentially transformative for Mojobreak.
“We possess a significant Pokémon fan base and considering our roots in the Bay Area—Longoria’s former stomping grounds, this acquisition was practically screaming at us to make the move,” Caskey recalled.
The story gets even more affiliated with Caskey’s deep-seated connection to Longoria. When Mojobreak launched in 2010, card collectors lusted after Longoria’s elusive 2006 Bowman Chrome Superfractor—a card so sacred, it has yet to be publicly unveiled, still fanning the embers of legend to this day.
“The relentless quest for that Longoria Superfractor card turned into a defining journey for us,” Caskey shared, still somberly longing to make it part of Mojobreak’s treasure. As for the Charizard-encrusted bat knob card? He is undeniably hopeful about hunting it down when the Tier One collection drops.
“The chase—that’s where the real excitement lives,” he admitted with an impish grin. “This card—it defies explanation in its magnificence. Relentlessly pursuing that feeling among collectors is what encapsulates the hobby.”
Whether this astonishing card finds its haven on display in a Florida card shop or perhaps secures a niche inside a Bay Area showcase, make no mistake: it’s a monument to modern culture and an emblem of frenzy in collecting lore. Already a legendary piece in the making, those who covet both pieces of the aforementioned realms are left with another thing to dream about, another quest to make theirs, weaving an everlasting flame within the collectors’ communities.
