Collector Has A Change of Heart; Is Giving MLB Debut Patch Card Back
Sometimes, the things you want to do don’t seem right when it’s time to do them.
An avid San Diego Padres fan wanted to get his hands on an MLB Debut Patch card so he could remove it and add it to his Trevor Hoffman Padres jersey.
A collector named David (@WinDavidWin on X), as he wants to be identified, is a Padres season ticket holder. For a few years he has put patches on the Hoffman jersey. Hoffman signed the jersey in the parking lot of Petco Park during the 2020 season when fans couldn’t attend games because of COVID-19 restrictions. To David, the jersey represents a living collectible chronicling his baseball travels.
“I have patches on my jersey that represent the stadiums I've been to,” David said. “I love my jersey. I thought this would be a very expensive but amazing patch to put on my jersey.”
David was looking to buy an affordable Debut Patch card he could find, which ended up being TJ Hopkins’ 2024 Topps Update MLB Debut Patch on eBay. David won an auction, winning the card for $1,125 on December 11.
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Hopkins appeared in 25 games during the 2023 Major League Baseball season with the Cincinnati Reds, during which he hit .171 with seven hits and one RBI. He did not play in the majors in 2024, appearing in 22 games with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves before a season-ending shoulder injury.
When David got the card in the mail, he had difficulty sticking to his original plan.
“I looked at the card and knew I couldn't do it,” David said. “This is a serious token of someone's accomplishment. I asked my best buddy, my cousin John if I should post this and tag TJ to be funny. He thought it was funny, so I did.”
So, David posted on X, tagging Hopkins with the following message:
“Hi @tj_hopkins ! I wanted one of these patches to put on my Padres jersey with other patches. But I thought about it and it’s your accomplishment. If you take my cousin, John, and me out and get us wasted the next time you’re in SD then I’ll give it to you. Week to decide!”
Hi @tj_hopkins ! I wanted one of these patches to put on my Padres jersey with other patches. But I thought about it and it’s your accomplishment. If you take my cousin, John, and me out and get us wasted the next time you’re in SD then I’ll give it to you. Week to decide! pic.twitter.com/nR9XdH5ezb
— David (@WinDavidWin) December 21, 2024
Within an hour, Hopkins replied, “Deal.” The exchange shows the power of social media and, to a certain extent, how much players want their Debut Patch cards. We reached out to Hopkins for comment but did not hear back.
And David would like to clarify one thing; he doesn’t really mean getting “wasted,” but hoping for a fun get-together.
A for sure badass https://t.co/pDVNIddj2L
— David (@WinDavidWin) December 21, 2024
There’s no detailed plan to exchange the card for now, only a gentleman’s agreement made on X. But Hopkins and David are in touch. The next time Hopkins is in San Diego, whether he’s on a Major League roster or not, there’s a night out on the town and his MLB Debut Patch card waiting for him.
“Regardless of whether or not he took us out and got us "wasted" (lol),” David wrote in a text exchange. “I would give it up anyway. I already have the intention of somehow giving it to TJ.”
