In the bustling, fervent space of collectibles, seldom does an item appear that bridges two separate universes with such ingenuity and flair. This unique intersection recently happened when MLB’s Evan Longoria became the epicenter of a fantastic crossover, blending America’s pastime with an international pop culture phenomenon—a Pokémon-infused memorabilia piece that has collectors in both realms scrambling for a piece of history.
Imagine the scene: an ordinary day in the world of baseball card enthusiasts is suddenly electrified by the unveiling of an entity that felt only possible in the dreams of collectors. The card in question, planned for release in the 2025 Topps Tier One Baseball set, features something quite extraordinary—a game-used bat knob, boasting the iconic visage of Charizard, emblazoned across the end of the swath of timber. This isn’t just any bat knob—it’s the fusion of sports and fandom with Pokémon’s fiery and beloved dragon-like creature.
As word of this peculiar yet mesmerizing concoction spread, the collecting communities reacted with the fervor you’d expect from two of the most passionate fandoms colliding. News spread faster than an electrifying Pokémon attack, igniting social media feeds and stimulating conversations among both baseball and trading card game (TCG) devotees. The eve of a fresh baseball season intermingled perfectly with a still-booming Pokémon card craze.
One person who wasn’t content to merely observe this spectacle was Alan Narz, an influential figure in the card trading world, known for his establishment Big League Cards based out of Casselberry, Florida. Rather than solely admire this innovative card, Narz went a step further than most would dare to imagine—he set the market ablaze with a whopping $100,000 offer as a bounty to obtain this crossover treasure.
Narz’s motivation stems from his vision of becoming the premier locale for both sports and Pokémon card collectors. “We’re all about being the top spot for sports and Pokémon,” he asserts. His belief that this might be the inaugural licensed MLB card to flaunt a Pokémon has collectors abuzz with speculation. Topps, well-versed in the art of dabbling with Pokémon via official collaborative products, never engineered something of this particular nature before—the surprising yet seamless crossing of boundaries.
Bat knob cards, already a favorite among aficionados due to their exclusivity—cut sections of a bat embedded in a thick relic card—ooze a certain collector’s appeal. When legends like Babe Ruth and today’s heroes get their turn with this treatment, they draw eyes. But toss in a Charizard graphic to the mix? That’s a recipe for a different kind of storm altogether.
“When Topps works their magic on a card, it hits different,” Narz diplomatically shares, reiterating just how distinct this convergence feels.
However, Narz wasn’t the solitary soul to spot the gathering tempest of fervor. Not long after this collectible gem surfaced on social platforms, eagle-eyed collectors noticed an Evan Longoria game-used bat, complete with the Charizard sticker on its knob, being offered for a fraction of the eventual bounty price on eBay. Enter Doug Caskey, co-founder of Mojobreak, a break heavyweight in the industry.
Caskey, ever keen on a riveting find, managed to secure the treasure for just $700—a veritable bargain relative to the fervent hype—and the purchase quickly garnered significant attention. “Backed by a substantial Pokémon following, and given Longoria’s historical ties to the Bay Area, snapping it up felt like an inevitability,” Caskey explains, justifying the acquisition with a perfect nod to geographical allegiance and community interests.
Deeply entrenched in Longoria’s narrative, Caskey reminisces on their journey, an epic chase for his elusive 2006 Bowman Chrome Superfractor card—a pursuit that still stirs the hearts of collectors. “We were always chasing that Longoria Superfractor,” he divulges, “And it still hasn’t shown up. It became a thing with us.” For Caskey, the Charizard-imbued bat knob card bears a similar thrill—a chance to relive that indefatigable chase.
“The thrill of the chase,” he says with a palpable passion in his voice. “This card—it’s something else. Hunting that down? That’s what the hobby is all about.”
While the final destination of the card remains a mystery—with possible futures including a cozy spot behind a shop counter in Florida or encased in an elegant display out in the Bay—one truth prevails: this isn’t merely about the physical card. It’s emblematic of a cultural moment, a magnificent blending of worlds that transcends mere cardboard to become a legend in its own right, cherished by those who live for both the hunt and the find.
