Pirates Prospect Completed the Bowman 1st Rainbow of his own Cards
Jase Bowen, a collector turned professional baseball player, has accomplished a feat many have taken a swing at but never finished; completing their 1st Bowman “rainbow”.
Bowen was drafted out of high school in 2019 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting his professional baseball journey. For many athletes, their start of their professional career comes with many new responsibilities, and requires a shift in focus. The collecting gene was never lost in that time for Bowen, though it started to take a new shape, “I took a little hiatus from when I got drafted, til COVID. And then COVID, I really started to pick it up again. Started collecting my teammates, having them sign their cards. I want to give it all to my son or daughter someday, and start their collection.”
Bowen’s collecting roots go back to his childhood, where he remembers blaster boxes getting his craze started. “My brother’s father-in-law was one of my dad’s friends, and he knew I loved baseball, so he used to bring over a blaster box (or two) a week. That was 2007, which was Dustin Pedroia's Rookie Year. I remember loving Dustin Pedroia, and my brother loved Evan Longoria, so we would always trade each other. I remember opening those boxes with my brother and his father-in-law now, It was just so much fun, and that’s what introduced me.”
To the collector, after a player gets drafted, a much awaited 1st Bowman card becomes a staple to their collection, marking the player’s first card in their professional uniform. Those cards stand the test of time, and as collectors excitement is often palpable, for the athletes it’s also oftentimes a special experience. “I was always on my agent, “I don’t want a Nike deal, I don't want any deals. I want a Topps deal.” So when my agent called me and told me he ended up getting me one, it was surreal. That really took my collecting to the next level.” Bowen’s first Bowman came in 2023 Bowman Baseball, marking a journey’s beginning.
“I knew what a rainbow was, and I had no intention of doing it. I just wanted to get as many of my autos as I could. I posted a picture when it came out of my super, my red; a lot of the rainbow. I remember people saying, “You should go for the rainbow.” I said, “You know what, I love collecting, I’m already going to collect myself, I misewell try and complete it.” So basically it came from other collectors commenting on my Twitter post. So I kinda went after it.”
Dream come true!! My 1st Bowman. Can't wait to open up some packs!🔥 pic.twitter.com/r7jSbkGbdo
— Jase Bowen (@Jase_bowen32) February 21, 2023
“I didn’t think I was going to get it done so quickly. I thought it was going to take years and years. Every card I got pretty much came from a different person. Whether that was on ebay, Facebook marketplace, Instagram, or Twitter (X). It came from all over the place. I’d have people come to my game with an auto I didn’t have, and ask, “Would you trade a pair of batting gloves for this?” “Yeah absolutely, I don’t have this. That would be great.” So we would do things that way as well. It’s been a long journey, everyone has been so good with either trading me, or wanting to be nice and giving them to me, or giving a good deal when buying them.”
Trading cards with a professional athlete is something many collectors have on their bucket-list. The hobby that was once viewed as niche and nerdy by some, has now found a new life with the athletes themselves getting involved in the hobby. This presents a unique opportunity for both the collector and the athlete. Trades can take many different forms, and Bowen found that when putting together his first bowman rainbow. “I just traded for my 1/1 printing plate. It was on ebay, and I couldn’t figure out who it was. So I was put in contact with them, and I traded him a pair of batting gloves and I took one of the certified autos I have of myself, a base one, and I wrote a little message to him, like “hey thanks so much for the trade, and then I wrote something that was personal to him, as a thank you.” That was the last piece, it was huge.”
“My super auto was from a good dude that has supported me throughout the whole time, waiting for my (MLB) debut to gift it to me. He knew I was really close with the rainbow, and it was the big last piece, so he decided to do it early. So that was definitely a huge help, and I’m super appreciative to him for doing that. He said he didn’t want anything in return, but I sent him some stuff just as a thank you, because I couldn’t not take anything for it.”
“That meant a lot to me, because that’s my holy grail. That’s a card that I really wanted when I signed it. I remember shaking when I signed it, feeling nervous, I didn’t want to mess it up.”
Bowen has completed his first bowman chrome autograph rainbow and the non-auto rainbow, is five away from the paper rainbow, and two away in the sapphire rainbow. Noting that he has “never seen” his 1/1 Padparadscha found in sapphire.
Throughout the time talking about his growing collection, though noting his collection has “room to grow”, Bowen talked a lot about the hobby community. “The hobby is definitely burning in me. The cool part of the hobby is that one person, whether they are an athlete or not, can spark the love for the hobby by one simple gesture. Whether that’s a gift, a “hey you’re doing great”, or here’s an autograph. Now they are hooked. That’s how the game continues to progress.”
The perspective of leaving a lasting impact stems from earlier interactions that imprinted on Bowen as a young baseball fan himself. Obtaining autographs at his local minor league team (Toledo Mud Hens) growing up, there are certain stories that have molded Bowen to valuing each interaction. “One of the coolest guys I met, who signed everything, was Blake Snell. He was great, he was young at the time. But he would say, “Anybody need anything? Anybody need anything else?” I took what those players did for me, and I was like, if I’m ever in that opportunity, or in that role, I will do that exact same thing. I know how much it meant to me when guys signed, and how it felt when I got rejected. So that’s something I take pride in. I make sure that if somebody asks me, I sign at least one thing. Even if I’m in a huge rush, at least one.”
Bowen wanted to conclude the article with a message of gratitude. “Thank you to everyone I’ve done a deal with, or given me something. For all the friendships I’ve made along the way, I can’t wait to put more names to faces in the future, and meet people at card shows or at games. If you are ever at a game, don’t be afraid to hesitate and reach out. Say hey, what you collect, etc. I think that’d be cool.”
