Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Obak Tristar Hobby Box Break (Just the Hits)












Obak Tristar Hobby Box
20 packs, 6 cards per pack
9 hits per box:  2 Autos, 2 parallel cards, 1 mini parallel card, 3 short print cards, 1 special 4-card T-212 Mini Uncut Strip (my 4-card strip had Ted Williams on it)
Cost:  $38.95  (Blowout Cards)

I'll just show the main hits since so many have already reviewed this product.


s/n: #22/25

Steve Dalkowski was said to have been the fastest pitcher ever.  Some estimate he threw about 110 miles per hour!

In 1960 he had one of the most bizarre seasons in minor league history.  In 170 innings he struck out 262 batters while also walking 262.

His entire career was similar.  He once pitched a game in which he struck out 24 hitters, walked 18, and lost 8-4.  Not surprisingly, Dalkowski never made it to the majors.

Dalkowski did face Ted Williams in spring training one year.  Williams said Dalkowski was the "fastest ever," and "I never want to face him again." 



s/n:  #43/50, mini

Lars Anderson.



s/n: #10/25

This is my first Ted Williams serial numbered card.  What a beaut.



s/n:  #2/5

Wow.  Kittle hit 50 home runs in AAA in 1982.

Then in 1983, as a rookie in the majors, he smacked 35 bombs with 100 rbi, made the all-star team, won the Rookie of the Year, and played in the American League playoffs.

He would never again hit that many hr, drive in that many runs, make an all-star team, or play in the playoffs.  That must have been a let down for Kittle.


s/n:  #003/200, auto

Jordan Danks is the brother of White Sox pitcher John Danks.  I don't know if Jordan was one of these "favor" draft picks that sometimes happen (Jeremy Beckham/Tim Beckham).  I hope not.


s/n:  #32/50

I remember expecting Gregg Jefferies to be a superstar.  Even though he was still just a teenager, Jefferies was the Minor League Player of the Year in both 1986 (.353 ba) and 1987 (.367 ba).

He looked like he was going to be an infielder with a Tony Gwynn type bat.  Why he ended up just a solid player is still a bit of a mystery to me (.289 ba, .765 ops lifetime).

This box was tons of fun.

The information on the back of the cards makes me wish someone would write a book about the most interesting minor league seasons/careers in history.  They really made me interested but there's not enough information online to satisfy me.  Perhaps someone knows of such a book and can recommend it to me.

7 comments:

  1. Dude I dig those cards! I'll email on the trade we're working on later. You're perspective on the Kittle is spot on. That must have been rough.

    Did you score any Charleston Riverdogs, Montgomery Biscuits, or Durham Bulls?

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  2. I'm with you on Gregg Jefferies. I still get a twinge of excitement when I see one of his cards. Almost as if his best years are yet to come and he's still a future can't miss star.

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  3. CCC,

    Ok, cool.

    It looks like the only one I got of those three teams is a Johnny Vander Meer mini. Pretty cool since he threw back to back no hitters. I'll send you that one in our trade.

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  4. Ha ha, Motherscratcher. I have a Gregg Jefferies page in a binder and I feel the same way.

    I was actually really excited to get his auto. I nearly bought it several times on Ebay.

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  5. I just opened a box of Obak myself since the prices are amazing right now. This box was a lot of fun. I got a Teddy Ballgame numbered to 50. I got a matching set of Jack Norworth mini and base card numbered to 25. The only downside was that over half of my minis were damaged right out of the packs. I'm currently awaiting a reply from TriStar on how they are going to handle the replacements.

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  6. Interesting, hadn't seen many of the Obak hits before.

    Mr. Kittle seems to have Ferengi ears.

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