Behind the scenes of Big Papi and Big Hurts' wild west Topps Chrome reunion (EXCLUSIVE)

MLB legends David 'Big Papi' Ortiz and Frank 'Big Hurts' Thomas reunited for the return of Topps' buyback program.

David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Frank "Big Hurt" Thomas star in a wild wild west-themed commercial for Topps' new chrome collection / Topps / YouTube

Last week, Topps announced the return of its buyback program with a cinematic new campaign. 

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Fox News playoff baseball commentator David Ortiz before the game between the Mets and the Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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In a new video spot for television, legendary MLB hitter David “Big Papi” Ortiz strikes “chrome” as he’s on a quest for treasure in the wild wild west. These treasures come in the form of chrome Topps cards featuring Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

Papi later takes his findings to Big Hurts Trading Post, a western hobby shop owned by fellow legendary MLB hitter and first baseman Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas, who is equally excited over Papi’s findings, and rewards him with some store credit in the form of shillings.

Back in July, Sports Illustrated was granted the opportunity to visit the set of the commercial at a studio in Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, where Papi and Hurt’s epic reunion took place.

Often recognized as peers of their time in the MLB, Papi and Hurt have great rapport, known for their brotherly dynamic — especially as they often trolled each other during their stint on Fox Sports as MLB analysts.

“Frank's like a brother to me,” Papi says, “and we’ve got so much together. It's always great seeing him. Working together is a piece of cake.”

As part of the Topps MVP buyback program, fans and card collectors can take cards from the Topps Chrome collection featuring MLB MVPs to participating hobby shops in exchange for store credit to purchase more cards.

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“The MVP buyback program has been around for a few years,” says Andrew Goodman, VP of Creative of Fanatics Collectibles. “It's a wonderful program that incentivizes collectors to get into hobby shops by getting the MVP out of a box of Topps Chrome. It really motivates folks to show up in the hobby shop, which is an important part of our local community and our collector community.”

In recent years, Hurt has noticed that excitement over trading cards has grown, likening the surge in popularity over them to that of the ‘90s.

“Even my kids, they love having the cards and trading around with their friends,” Hurt says.

Papi is in agreement with Hurt, adding that nostalgia Topps cards bring never gets old.

“As a player, people sometimes had no idea how excited we get when we see those baseball cards,” Papi says.

When making the commercial, Goodman says choosing these MLB GOATs was a no-brainer, given their on-screen chemistry and their vibrant energy. “Frank was kind of an easy pick,” Goodman says, “We wanted someone with a big personality saying, ‘woo-wee’ when we turn on the camera. So Ortiz felt like a big, warm smile that you want to see when we start the spot.”

Aug 31, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Former Chicago White Sox player Frank Thomas smiles before the team’s game against the New York Mets. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As for Papi and Hurt, reuniting for this campaign was a very easy yes.

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“We like to clown together. We've worked together on TV for years, and we have good energy together, “ says Hurt. “And we always make things successful.”

Nov 2, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA;David Ortiz and Frank Thomas on the FOX Sports set before game six of the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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