Field of Cards

Who Signs As Often As Wade Boggs?

2010-04-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

So I was putting some Wade Boggs cards in a binder when I noticed a very odd thing.

Wade seems to have an inordinate number of cards that show him signing things for fans.

I don't know if this is just a very odd coincidence.

Or if Wade signed constantly while at the park.

Or if Wade was an amazing PR type player who knew being photographed signing stuff would improve his image.

But whatever the reason, I have six cards of him that show him offering his autograph to fans.

So as of this moment, Wade is the record holder for 'Most Baseball Cards Showing The Player Signing Stuff'.

I double dog dare anyone to knock Wade off his perch.

Milton Bradley: The Death of a Signature

2010-04-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

In today's hobby a lot of us have commented on how illegible signatures have become. Many current players scribble so fast that the symbols they create seem to ignore the alphabet entirely.

In fact, there are numerous players out there, that if you were to cover the picture that often accompanies their autograph, most collectors would be hard pressed to identify the name.

Whose autograph is this, for example?

No, it's not Milton Bradley.

It is nobody and it is everybody, essentially. By that I mean it is completely abstract so even knowing who it is isn't very satisfying. If you are able to tell me who this is, it is almost certainly because you have seen his auto around before, not because you can actually read the roller coaster mess of ink.

I understand why this happens, to a degree. Everywhere players go they are hounded for autograph requests. You could perhaps justify the above autograph if you received it outside a hotel with a mob of fans surrounding a player.

However when a baseball card company pays a player to sign cards I feel he should slow down just a little bit and make the signature legible. He is paid to fulfill a contract and the expectation is he will at least try to offer something reasonable.

True, some players simply have wacky autographs that can't be helped. A distinctive look that is difficult to read is one thing, but when it is not even possible to decipher a single letter, things have gone too far.

The saddest thing is when you come across a player that once had a nice, clean, visually impressive signature, only to find that he abandoned it in favor of the speed and ease of a sloppy auto.

Milton Bradley had one of the most dramatic changes in signature style that I have ever seen.

Take a look at this 2000 autographed card I have of him:

It's a fine signature and this card is representative of how he was signing in 2000 and 2001 when he was new to the majors.

But by the time the 2002 cards were released, his signature had taken a startling turn for the worse. And by 2004 a once strong auto had morphed into this:

Although it isn't the worst signature I've seen, it is alarmingly different. The only letter I can really make out is the letter B (and maybe an L that mated with a T).

Side by side:

If they weren't both certified you'd have to believe one is a forgery.

It's a bit disheartening that the demands on players results in the extinction of their "real" signatures.

Sure, there are still players out there that take pride in creating a clean autograph, but I would argue that the percentage of players who do so has dwindled consistently with each passing decade.

Have any of you seen a modern day player's auto alter as dramatically as Milton Bradley's did in such a short span of time?

Have you passed on buying certain auto cards because the signature just looked too distant from the player's actual name?

As for the initial mystery auto I showed, here is the card:

Michael Bourn (Gold Glover and NL Stolen Base leader in 2009).

And yes I did buy this card for a dollar. Perhaps that means I am part of the problem as well.

Which Player Do You Have The Most Autographs Of?

2010-04-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

For me it's Paul Blair. I have eight cards of his cards with autographs on them (six different, two doubles).

It wasn't exactly planned. I collect all Orioles' autos and by chance, through the years, I've come across a lot of very affordable (and cool looking) Paul Blair autographed cards.

I know there are some really hardcore player collectors out there.

And I suspect my eight of Blair will not take home the trophy when others reveal their auto leader.

They don't have to be certified, just autos you are confident are real.

So tell me, which player do you have the most autographs of and how many?

Dumpster Diving in Seattle: The Search for Free Shelving

2010-04-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

I know you are thinking "Ewwwww, gross. Dumpster diving!"

Well sorta, but not really.

I'm not actually touching a dumpster or sifting through anything in a dumpster. I'm looking for small bookcases or shelving units set next to the dumpster.

It isn't as if I make a habit of this, I just occasionally take a circuitous route to my destination.

You won't see me in a back alley dumpster trying on a bright red Christmas sweater in July.

There is seemingly an inconsistency in me. I have money to buy baseball cards here and there, but don't have money to buy shelving?

The way I see it is buying baseball cards brings me pleasure. Buying shelving is like buying groceries; there's no enjoyment involved. Shelving, like food, is a necessity. But I won't starve to death if I don't find shelving immediately.

People move. They upgrade. They run out of room. And usually they know their shelf thingy is perfectly serviceable so they set it aside instead of heaving it in the dumpster.

There are certain rules I apply which makes finding the right piece very difficult.

First, the shelving unit must be pretty clean. I certainly clean it thoroughly anyway, but it has to look reasonable to begin with. If it's been outside for a week, forget it.

It also must have actual shelves. I am not interested in cobbling together some kind of makeshift system. And the shelves have to be wide enough to accommodate binders, yet the unit can't be so wide that it doesn't fit in my baseball card closet.

See this unit here is what I most commonly find. I think this had drawers at one point. If this had just one shelf in the middle it would have been perfect (perfect as defined in the universe of assessing garbage).

Another thing is that I don't have a car so the unit has to also be close to my home and fairly light. Fortunately I live in a highly populated area.

This one has a few shelves. The shape made me rule it out.

Oftentimes people feel the stuff they are throwing away is so desirable that they won't even put it out back by their dumpster. Instead they cart it to the sidewalk.

This piece is huge. I couldn't move it even if I wanted to. It's also too long and wide, and of course the drawers/shelves are missing.

After wandering aimlessly I happened upon this potential jackpot.

I wasn't first on the scene though.

Despite this gentleman's wizard look, as I approached it occurred to me he may just be moving. His outfit is not out of the range of how people appear in Seattle. I mean you saw that car. It's a strange city (and I fit right in).

Ah-ha! It IS free stuff.

I have never lived in a city that puts out more stuff marked free than Seattle. I think it's a decent gesture since it takes more effort than just throwing it in the dumpster.

Those are Pioneer speakers. Huge. That green shelf thing is almost a winner, but it's not quite right.

Notice the big white box isn't in this picture?

After we spoke for several minutes (he was cool), the Wizard carted off the whole box. It was full of clothes and cd's.

He did leave behind the small container. Um...that's a Soul Asylum cd. I didn't want any of that junk though. I wanted other junk.

My twenty minute search today didn't net me a new shelving piece.

However there are other options just up this ridiculously steep hill.

There's a store that sells shelving.

This one is $40.

This is just $18 and would be perfect if it is wide enough (I didn't check).

But I have had past success using my free stuff strategy. This one I actually found in front of my building last summer.

I don't remember where I found this shelving unit.

The bottom shelf is cracked and weak so...

I propped it up with baseball cards, of course.

So tell me, should I continue my bizarre search through the city when the mood strikes me, or should I just buy shelving at the store and be done with it?

I need three shelving units I think. I guess ultimately it's not about money so much as some twisted principle (and my hatred of assembling things).

There's no urgency yet since I have a lot of cards to put in binders still.

Would any of you out there consider doing what I did today?

I may be crazy but I'm harmless. I'm good crazy! Honest.

Bench, Berra, and Getting the Collection Organized

2010-04-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

With the baseball season upon us, I will be watching a lot of games. Organizing cards while watching baseball is one of my favorites things to do.

Thank God the season is long because I am heap plenty behind when it comes to putting cards in their proper binders (and even finding a place for some binders), so I may need all 162 games to complete this effort.

I've shown a shot of this before, but as you can see, things have gotten worse, not better.

Some cards have been waiting for me to put them away for two years.

It's sad how I manage to buy more cards without organizing the star cards I already purchased. I can't help it. It's a sickness. I'm ill. It's genetics and you can't fight genetics.

While some would scoff at what I call a star card (you can see there are some 1988 Donruss in that box on the left), I love all my kids, er cards, equally (not really).

So what do Bench and Berra have to do with getting my collection in proper order?

Nothing really.

But part of the reason I don't post often is the posts become too involved and take forever.

I am constantly impressed by fellow Bloggers who manage to put things together every day. Night Owl and Collective Troll are particularly amazing in that they not only post daily, but put up creative and lengthy efforts.

I don't have their talent or drive but I do love cards.

So instead of letting my blog die, I decided that as I slowly organize my collection, I'll just scan random cards that catch my eye for whatever reason.

Cards I love, mostly. But also cards that puzzle me or look odd.

All the cards today are just ones I think look amazing. They are my favorite modern cards of Bench and Berra (that I own).

There's not much to say about most of the cards I will come across, but it's just fun to look at cards anyway, right?

Well, I hope it's fun enough that you'll take a look from time to time.

Thanks!

2008 Topps Chrome Hobby Box Break

2010-03-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

2008 Topps Chrome Hobby Box
24 packs, 4 cards per pack
2 autographs per box

All Topps Chrome is good Chrome, but not all sets are created equal. Most feel 2008 Topps is a bit of a weak design.

Everyone and their dog has seen the set by now, so I'll keep this to inserts and hits.

Chrome Trading Card History still ring cool.

Seven total. Super shine.

These 50th Anniversary All-Rookie Team cards are beautiful. Combing shine with color, a giant trophy, and a nice pic, is a formula that can't fail in my book.

Topps wasn't able to kill my joy of pulling a Mantle card, but they sure have been trying. Now if people pull a Mantle Topps card they are just as likely to be annoyed as they are to be happy.

Okay, okay...the hits:

Chrome Heritage serial numbered to 1959.

Kendrick refractor s/n to 599.

A rookie card! Oh...Brian Bass (4.87 lifetime era). Copper refractor serial numbered to 599.

Finally. A copper refractor Griffey numbered to 599.

Ohlendorf auto. After a terrible 2008 with the Yanks (6.46 era), Ohlendorf was shipped to the Pirates where he had a respectable season in 2009 (11-10, 3.92 era).

I don't mind getting this auto because it appears Ohlendorf might have a fairly long stay in the majors. As long as I get players that stick around I usually am okay with the auto. It's also his rookie card which is always more desirable.

Randy Wells auto. Another rookie card.

At first glance a lot of baseball fans probably don't remember much about Wells' 2009 season. He had a crisp 3.05 era in 165.1 innings (12-10 record) for the Cubs. The 26 year old finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

Wells kinda came out of nowhere (3.75 career era in seven seasons in the minors). He impressed Pinella quite a bit and the Cubs will be counting on him to repeat his 2009 performance.

I'm definitely content with this auto.

Overall this was probably a slightly below average box. The Griffey Jr copper refractor and Wells auto stand out above a sea of mediocre hits.

2002 Topps Gallery Hobby Box Break

2010-03-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

2002 Topps Gallery Hobby Box
24 packs, 6 cards per pack

I've always had an appreciation for painted sets. Based on the long successful run Diamond Kings/Dick Perez had, and the continued popularity of sets like modern day Turkey Red, it seems many feel the same way. Topps Gallery is a can't miss set for fans of baseball art.

The 200 card set is comprised of 150 veterans, 40 rookies, and 10 retired stars.

Click the pictures to see an enlarged image.

This card reminds me a lot of a less colorful Turkey Red portrait.

An interesting thing about the back of the cards is how much space they devoted to blurbs about the artists. It looks like there were about eight different artists involved in this set, although it's tough to differentiate who drew which portraits without flipping the cards over.

One of the pitfalls of painted sets is there's usually a handful of portraits that share little resemblance with the actual real life player. This set has very few clunkers. Almost all are impressively done.

46 of the 144 cards pulled are stars (32%).

I don't see a lot of 2002 Topps Gallery floating around in player lots, so opening a box is a fun way to fill in gaps in your player collections.

The rookie cards are distinguished by a red bar running across the bottom.

Joe Mauer's rookie is easily the most valuable in the 200 card base set. It regularly sells for around $5.00 on Ebay (without shipping included).

Mauer is the only rookie card of note.

If you are hoping for a lot of inserts in a box, 2002 Topps Gallery isn't for you. I received three inserts total (which I'll show soon). However, the Retired Stars cards feel like inserts.

I ended up with five. The others include Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Robin Yount, and Ryan Sandberg. Unfortunately my three favorite of the ten (Robinson, Killebrew, and Puckett) didn't come my way.

Now for the inserts:

The Topps Gallery Heritage insert set has 25 cards. All of them depict portraits of player's original rookie cards and are seeded 1:12 packs.

This concept should be revived instead of the current trend of simply remaking nearly identical cards from past years (like Topps 2010 Cards Your Mom Threw Out). An entire set of portraits of past cards would really spark my interest.

I was quite pleased to land this card. Who doesn't love a card of Reggie?

Some of the best gems in this insert set include Kaline, Brooks Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Yaz, Musial, Schmidt, and Seaver.

There's also modern rookies such as Gwynn, Arod, Griffey Jr., and even Bret Boone and Shawn Green.

The worst choice for the set would have to be Tsuyoshi Shinjo (statistically speaking).

Ah! There was a long stretch when Maddux was my favorite pitcher. I have massive respect for his career.

Maddux had a seven year run that, when compared to league era, was one of the best stretches in the history of baseball (1992-1998): 127-53, 2.15 era. It is hard to come up with any pitcher who trumps Maddux's amazing peak. Pedro Martinez is the only modern pitcher I found who had a similar statistical stretch.

The overall odds of getting an Auto or Relic are stated as 1:44 packs.

So, there's the lowdown on the break. It was about what I expected. I received a nice assortment of stars and three inserts. I wouldn't buy another box of 2002 Topps Gallery but I'm glad I bought one. If you aren't building the set, it's a one box and done type product.

What do you guys and gals think of the set? Good, bad, or middle of the road?

Thanks for reading!

Trade with Thoughts and Sox!

2010-03-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Adam over at Thoughts and Sox contacted me about a possible trade. He has a highly organized need list so it made things easy on my end.

In return for some Red Sox cards he sent me a 300 card box packed full of mostly Orioles. It was a great mix including numerous cards from sets I never had the chance to collect.

There's too many to show but I pulled a nice sampling of some of my favorites:

Gotta start with the 2009 Topps Tribute cards. This is such a high-end, classy product. I'll probably never bust one of these boxes so it's really nice to be able to add these to my player collections. I've never even held a 2009 Topps Tribute card before today.

Another card I've never even seen. Nice insert!

Argh! Bipped! It's Steady Eddie though.

As Adam noted, this was a Bipping sent before a ceasefire was called. It's the first time I have been Bipped so I'm glad one hit me before it officially ended.

Although, I guess wanting to get Bipped may be part of what caused Bipping to Jump the Shark in the first place. I mean when Socialites of the 50's started hiring "genuine Beatniks" to attend their parties...well, the days of the Beatniks were numbered.

Perfect card.

The eternally loved All-Time Fan Favorites set.

More classic photos. I especially love the background of the Brooks Robinson shot.

Wide range of cards here.

I also received a good amount of Tejada cards.

My Markakis collection received the biggest boost.

I'm looking for Nick to rebound this season. Last year was okay but not his best. With all the offense he will have around him in 2010 it will be nearly impossible for him to avoid 110 runs batted in.

Markakis and Felix Hernandez serial numbered to 525. Cool!

There were also a ton of other star cards from Adam. A successful and happy trade. Good times! Thanks, Adam!

1999 Skybox Metal Universe Hobby Box Break (Metal is a Monster!)

2010-03-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

1999 Fleer Skybox Metal Universe Hobby Box
24 packs, 8 cards per pack

This set is flat out bad ass. There, I said it. I feel better already.

From pack one, card one, I was a fan.

Beckett describes the cards in this set as 'Brushed metal backgrounds in 100 percent etched silver foil and an embossed nameplate with the look of forged steel.'

That sounds like the description of a stolen firearm a fugitive might be carrying. That's not a card, that's an A.P.B..

Griffey front, Griffey back. Industrial.

None of these shots were taken with a flash, I just finally managed to get a lamp closer to the cards. These cards shine like mad in general, but at an angle or in direct light, they explode. All you Shinesters out there would be hypnotized.

The set has 300 cards. Cards 1-232 are like the ones I've posted so far. Cards 233-300 are subsets.

The MLPD subset has 25 cards. Most of the ones I pulled look gold but some have more of a silver background tint. What does MLPD stand for? Gotta be Major League Police Department, right?

Silvery.

Notice anything similar about the players in these pictures?

They literally all look angry. The All-Angry-All-Star Team.

It's almost as if the photographer insulted each player right before clicking. "Hey Johnson! Dork Bird! Ya you!" Click. Sweet.

Look there, two of them even have their arms crossed. Tall glass of obstinate, anyone?

This is hands down the angriest subset I have ever seen. No way anything tops it. "How can we intimidate the kids?" "How about we take their heroes and make them look full of hate?" "Perfect." Click. Click. Click. Just another Metal moment of perfection.

The Caught on the Fly 15 card subset is pure silver mirror. It's nearly impossible to photograph these without getting the camera reflection.

See? There's the camera and my finger in the lower left.

Also, never touch the front of these cards even lightly or you will leave your fingerprints behind. There they will stay until 3978 A.D. when a fair haired orangutan named Dr. Zaius will find your precious trunk of baseball cards under a heap of rubble and sadly say "Oh great, another perfectly good cardboard mirror ruined by stupid fingerprint smudges. These things never come off."

There's the camera again, BUT in this close up you can really see Fly. How cool is Fly? Fly is of course, bad ass cool. Just as he should be. It's the first fly I would gladly accept advice from.

On the back of Chipper Jones' card Fly calls Chipper, 'Chipster'. He says 'Hey-yo' to Ben Grieve. He notes the Cubs are 'Fuzzy Cubbies' on the back of Sosa's card. He tells the Angels they look 'divine' with Erstad leading off. And perhaps best of all, he calls Barry Bonds 'B-squared', apparently referencing the 400/400 club Bonds had recently joined (400 lifetime HR/SB).

On one card Fly even claims he has spies working for him that are constantly feeding him all this information. Now that I think about it, I have seen flies at ballparks.

The Building Blocks subset consists of 25 cards. I truly think this is one of the best card designs I have ever seen.

Sir Beltre.

The overall look is so unique and creative, but what takes it to the top for me is that the team logo colors are non-traditional.

The backs are hysterical.

Back to back 'Yo' cards!

This Drew back gets the crown. What the heck is going on with this card? Iron on the inside? Pilot in a snow storm? Zeus? I love it. Pure Metal.

The only bad thing about this subset is most of the players didn't make it to stardom.

Actually many of them didn't even stick around in the majors (here's Jeremy Giambi - he did okay, Cliff Politte, Carlton Loewer, Ryan Minor).

No matter. They are all more than worthy of my binders. I just wish an entire set was made exactly like these cards. It's sad it will never happen, unless....Wonder Twin Powers Activate! Form of...a card set! Meh. Nothing. Darn it.

There's only a few of these Building Blocks cards on Ebay. You'd think there would be a few hundred.

Seeing one in person is like seeing Zeus pilot through a snow storm with iron in his backpack. What the?

Now for the inserts...

According to my research, in the entire history of baseball cards, these are the only ones that use the word Neophytes on the card front (seriously). This is also the same set that uses the word 'phat' several times on card backs.

The Neophytes inserts drop 1:6 packs on average. Yeah, I said drop. Problem? That's how we roll in a Metal Universe post. I'm trying to fit in.

Here's the back. That's right, they went there. Pop tune lyrics from the 80's: 'Oh, Ricky. You're so fine...you're so fine you blow our minds!' Plus there's a big picture and three IDENTICAL small pictures. My God, Metal. Fearless.

Uh, er....ahem. Here's a Boyz With The Wood insert. Yeah. Yup. These fall 1:18 packs. So...anywho. Alrighty. Okay then. What's next? Ah...the final insert.

Mark McGwire Diamond Soul insert. These are seeded just 1:72 packs so this is a nice pull if you don't mind McGwire. Looks wild.

There it is: The madness, brilliance, meanness, beauty, goofiness, too-coolness, and all around genius of 1999 Metal Universe.

What do you guys and gals think? Did any of you collect these in 1999? Do you like this set? I'd be interested to know the general thoughts out there.

Thanks for reading!

2010 Topps Heritage Hobby Box Break

2010-03-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

2010 Topps Heritage Hobby Box
24 packs, 8 cards per pack
1 Real One Autograph or Relic Card per box

I am in agreement with most collectors that find the 1961 design rather boring and plain. But there are also so many different colorful cards in this set that 2010 Heritage quickly won me over.

I decided to show a wide range of cards so those who are on the fence as to whether or not to buy a box can really get a full feeling of what to expect.

For player and team collectors, there are many cards of players in their new uniforms (airbrushed I assume - looks great though).

Most of the pictures showing multiple cards display larger images if you click them.

A lot of the 1961 design looks fantastic.

The manager cards certainly work.

As do the team cards. Although I admit I never know what to do with my team cards from any set and as a result they all end up in my commons boxes no matter how cool they look.

You can't do much with a checklist but these bring back some '09 memories at least.

Very colorful. I really like the look of these two cards.

The good old rookie star. And of course the RC logo telling us it is in fact officially a rookie card.

I pulled three more of these but ten is enough to show (more than enough).

Rookie Star and RC logo, meet Giant All-Star Rookie Trophy. I always loved the giant trophy.

Three great players for sure. It's amazing that Gordon Beckham is slotted to play second base this year. If his bat explodes like I'm convinced it will, he could catapult himself into one of the three best second baseman in baseball in no time flat.

There's a ton of history in this picture. An important card. Four classy players who have been through it all. I'm not sure we will see four teammates so successful for so long ever again (yes I know Pettitte left the Yanks for awhile).

Royals Bashers and Boston Speed Party? Stretching things a bit here aren't we?

Pedroia had 20 steals and was caught eight times. His stolen base percentage means he actually hurt his team more than he helped it when he decided to try for a stolen base.

As for DeJesus and Gordon, they combined for 62 extra base hits in 2009. Their teammate Billy Butler had 72 extra base hits on his own. I guess that's the curse of a team with one good hitter. Butler can't be on every card.

Nicely done.

OMG! Ham the Chimp! Finally!

It's hard to find a pitcher good enough to put side by side with Whitey, but King Felix IS that good. I'm predicting he wins the 2010 Cy Young.

As with the Then and Now card, I received just one New Age Performers. They are both really nice designs. I wish the seed rate was a little higher. They each fall 1:15 hobby packs.

I never tire of Ruth cards. As far as I'm concerned Ruth was so far above the rest of players in the history of Major League baseball that he seems almost mythical. If I could pick any three players to watch live in their prime it would be Ruth, Josh Gibson, and Cobb.

A bit of history.

I really like these cards. Too bad they are all short prints.

Another super looking card that is always a short print! It frustrates me that two of my favorite designs in the set are harder to come by.

At least I got a decent amount of them. Card numbers 426-500 are all short prints.

You can also tell short prints because their backs are lighter in color (Hart card). This makes things easy.

My final two SP's.

You also get either this Advertising Panel or a Topps Stamp Album. From the sound of it I'm glad I got the panel. It is 3.5 x 7.5 inches.

The stated odds of getting a one card buy-back pack are 1:2 hobby boxes.

Now for the hits...

Chrome inserts serial numbered to 1961. I'm happy with this mix of players, especially Markakis.

Here's a chrome serial numbered to 561. A decent player but not the best pull.

Ah, no Real One auto.

The good news is I'm an Orioles' fan and Millwood is on the Orioles now. Also the orange and black right side of the card looks Orioles-ish. A coincidence I'm guessing. The bad news is Millwood is an average pitcher nearing the end of his career.

So, my two biggest hits were a little disappointing, but this set certainly is not. The basic design is plain but all the other cards you can pull (and there are many) are colorful and alive.

Overall I think the set is wonderful. What do you guys think? Is 2010 Heritage a set you enjoy collecting or are you skipping this year's edition?

1999 Black Diamond Hobby Box Break

2010-03-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hobby Box
30 packs, 6 cards per pack

This set has just 120 base cards, so with 180 in a box I ended up pulling a lot of doubles.

Each top card in my packs had a tiny nick on the bottom border. I'm not sure if that is typical with this product or just bad luck.

I had a real tough time capturing the in person look of these cards. My scanner made them look hideous so I tried with my camera.

Out of the 180 cards in the box, 82 are star cards. When you add in the inserts it ended up being 52% stars. Pretty good ratio.

The Diamond Debut subset consists of 30 rookies. None however are official rookie cards and most are players who did not go on to have memorable careers.

Diamond Debut cards are seeded one in four packs. I ended up with nine DD cards (two were serial numbered). This also explains why there were so many doubles from the rest of the set.

Parque, Greisinger, Arrojo, and Matt Anderson. Ouch. The only other decent players in this subset (besides Jenkins, Drew, and Wood) are Glaus, Washburn, Chavez, and Aramis Ramirez.

This Ruth card has a classic look to it, although it feels completely out of place in a set that contains only rookies and players from 1999.

Now for the inserts...

While the main inserts looks nice enough, I find the effort uninspired and lazy. The red cards like this Giambi are called Black Diamond Double and are serial numbered to 3,000.

But the pictures used are exactly the same as the base set.

You can pull this insert for any of the 120 cards in the set.

The Black Diamond Triple inserts look just like the base as well but are yellow.

These are serial numbered to 1500.

You can also pull a green version of this insert serial numbered to just 150. Unfortunately I wasn't so lucky.

Here's a Travis Lee Diamond Debut Double insert. The Diamond Debut inserts have a slightly lower print run. The red one here is serial numbered to 2,500 (instead of 3,000).

A Jim Parque Diamond Debut Triple serial numbered to 1,000 (instead of 1,500). The green version for Diamond Debut inserts have a print run of 100 (instead of 150).

This Mystery Numbers insert set is pretty cool. The pictures are different than the base pictures, and the print runs vary from 100 to 3,000. This Biggio is serial numbered to 3,000. It is the most common.

The print runs start at 100 (Ruth) and ascend by 100 through the set (ending with Biggio at 3,000 printed). This is a nice concept. Griffey has just a 200 card print run; Wood 300, McGwire 400, Arod 500 etc. This Sosa is serial numbered to 1,600.

Interestingly there's also a Mystery Numbers Emerald version of this set. The print runs are amazingly low. Just 1-30. So there is just one Emerald Ruth card somewhere out there, two Emerald Griffeys...on up to Biggio at 30 printed.

There's a handful of the Emerald versions on Ebay. The general cost is $100-300 bucks. Wow. You'd have to be a hardcore player collector to shell out that much.

My final insert is a Kerry Wood Diamond Dominance card numbered to 1,500. This insert set contains 30 cards (all serial numbered to 1500). Some of the best players include Ruth, Arod, Ripken, Maddux, Clemens, Griffey and many more stars.

There are also Emerald versions of Diamond Dominance. Those are all serial numbered to just 1.

In the final analysis, the base set looks great in person. That was the main reason I wanted a box of Black Diamond. Nonetheless I am a bit disappointed with this box overall. A set this small can't afford to have so many inserts that use the same pictures as the base. It gets boring really fast.

Of the last four box breaks I've posted this one was the least enjoyable.

1999 Topps Finest Series 2 Hobby Box Break

2010-03-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

1999 Topps Finest Series 2 Hobby Box

24 packs, 6 cards per pack

When this set came out the packs cost a steep $5 each. Nowadays you can get them for about $1.25 a pack if you shop around.

The backs of the base may lack a lot of season by season stats, but they do have plenty of other cool information.

Series 2 has 150 cards and it's stuffed with base stars and subset stars, not to mention the inserts that seem to pop up every few packs.

Out of the 144 total cards from my box, 60 are stars (counting inserts, subsets). So you are looking at about 42% of the cards being something good. Careful player selection goes a long way in a product holding up through the years. Finest picked 'em right.

You can see here the difference between a scanner shot (top Henderson) and a digital camera picture (lower Henderson). These cards have a nice shine to them in person.

I have to admit I am glad the trend of the plastic protectors is over. Most people don't want to peel the plastic off because it's a hassle. Also there may be a perception it lowers the value of the card. I peeled one off a common and of course they do look much better without the protector writing interfering with the photos.

But the photography in this set is very bland anyway, so it doesn't matter much. What makes this set so great is the weighty card stock (27 pt), the shine, the subsets, and the extremely well-done inserts.

There are also some notable rookie cards. Technically the Beltran and Lee shown here aren't rookie cards, but Series 2 does have true rookie cards of C.C Sabathia and Alfonso Soriano.

The 15 card Sterling subset is almost all big names.

I pulled these five but some of the other big players in this subset include Jeter, Arod, and Griffey Jr.. The worst player is Greg Vaughn (who was pretty darn good for several years).

The Gamers subset is smaller (11 cards) yet I ended up with more of these. I like this subset quite a bit because of the shiny silver baseball diamond in the background.

I pulled eight Gamers, one of which is a refractor (I'll show that with the inserts).

I also pulled a Grace, Mo Vaughn (2), and Ivan Rodriguez.

This Home Run Kings card is not really part of a subset or an insert. It is however one of the coolest front and back combos in the set. It's also the last card of the set.

Now for the inserts.

The Hank Aaron Award Contenders insert set has nine cards. You can pull either the standard version like this Griffey, or the refractor version. The interesting thing is odds stated on the pack wrapper list all 18 possible pulls (9 non-refractors, 9 refractors), and they often differ drastically.

The odds of pulling this Griffey (non-refractors, #HA8) are 1:81 packs. Those aren't the odds of pulling any Hank Aaron Award Contenders insert, those are the specific odds for pulling the Griffey non-refractor Hank Aaron insert. It's a somewhat confusing seeding concept.

The odds of getting the Arod non-refractor HA insert are 1:93 packs. So there are more Griffey versions of this card than Arod.

Adding to this confusion is that Beckett lists different odds for these cards, putting the chance of a Griffey at 1:27 packs and the Arod at 1:31 packs (for Hobby Boxes).

Other players in this very sharp insert set include Juan Gonzalez, Vlad Guerrero, Nomar, Albert Belle, Frank Thomas, Sosa and...

Big Mac. This one is the refractor version. Both the pack wrapper and Beckett list the chances of pulling this card at 1:216 hobby packs. This was the rarest card I pulled. You can see how the digital camera reflects light off it much more than the non-refractor Griffey. This McGwire came in my first pack.

The base refractor cards fall 1:12 packs.

Mo Vaughn refractor. So I did get the two base refractors as expected.

Here's a sweet Guererro/Jones refractor/non-refractor from the Complements insert set. Half and half. You can get a non-refractor/refractor version and a refractor/refractor version as well. Finest cracks me up with how complicated they made their sets. Hobby Box odds for pulling any Complements insert are 1:56 packs.

This seven card insert set also includes a Nomar/Jeter combo, Piazza/I. Rodriguez, Gwynn/Boggs, Woods/Clemens, Juan Gonzalez/Sosa, and McGwire/Frank Thomas.

Ripken Milestones Hits insert s/n to 3,000.

The Milestones insert set is broken into four categories: Milestones Hits, Milestones Home Runs, Milestones Runs Batted In, and Milestones Doubles. Each category has ten cards.

The Milestones Hits insert is the most common (and as a result has the highest production run). Seed rates for Hobby Boxes are 1:29 packs (for any Milestones Hit insert).

Bonds Milestones Runs Batted In insert s/n to 1400.

The Runs Batted In inserts fall 1:61 packs. This card was in the same pack that the McGwire Hank Aaron refractor was part of. That was a pretty amazing pack.

Biggio Milestones Doubles insert s/n to 500.

The Milestones Doubles inserts fall 1:171 hobby packs.

I must say I am completely baffled as to how I ended up with this many hard to pull inserts. It was particularly surprising to get the McGwire, Guererro/Jones, and Biggio all in the same box.

Was this an extra lucky box? I can't say. The insert distribution is complicated. I've also never opened this product before today so I have no prior experience.

Even if a few of the inserts disappeared, I'd still be more than content with this experience.

This box must have sold for 80-100 bucks when it was first released. Ten plus years later, even though the cost is now only $30, the cards still feel high end.

I definitely recommend picking one of these up if you are looking to bust some late 90's stuff at a decent price.

2003 Topps Chrome Series 2 Hobby Box Break

2010-03-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

2003 Topps Chrome Series 2 Hobby Box

24 packs, 4 cards per pack

1 refractors relic per box
8 refractors parallels (all sequentially numbered)
1 uncirculated x-fractors parallel box loader

In the past several years I have been conditioned to view blue bordered Topps Chrome as insert refractors, which makes opening this box feel somewhat special. I know the blue borders are just the 2003 base design, but in my mind every card screams insert. And I've always loved the look of blue chrome refractors, so this set is particularly attractive to me.

The Mauer/Morneau and Utley/Floyd cards came in the same pack.

As many of you know who purchased these back in 2003, these cards look amazing in person. Scans do not do them justice. It's such a nice set that I am very tempted to put the commons in my books too.

Which brings me to the downside to this box, if there is one. There are a lot of commons in the 220 card series. Of the 96 cards I received, just 14 are star cards. Another 10 or so are semi-stars. That leaves a whopping 64 commons.

But I'm not complaining, just noting it is not an easy task to get a star.

You should get six gold refractors inserts serially numbered to #449.

I received my six as expected. The way they arrived caught me off-guard. They came in three packs with two gold cards in each pack. That seemed a bit odd to me.

The first time it happened I thought the gold cards got stuck together during packaging and that I had snared a freebie. But when it happened again and again I realized this was just how they did it way back in 2003. Silly primitive society.

That raised the hit or miss stakes for those buying by the pack back then.

I like the gold refractors, but as far as looks go, the blue base wins easily.

The black bordered refractors are serial numbered to #199.

The trees and grass behind Mr. Hermansen makes this card a win. Chad had Major League at-bats in six seasons with four different clubs. His lifetime .195 ba with a .584 ops (492 ab) tells us he had enough potential that clubs kept hoping he'd find his way.

He was the Pirates' #1 pick in the amateur draft in 1995. His best minor league season came at just age 21 (1999) in AAA (.270 ba, 32 hr, .850 ops).

I guess I beat the odds a bit. The packs say black refractors drop 1 in 17 packs.

Hey look, Doug Mientkiewicz. I ended up with the gold refractor and black refractor. Awhile back I also pulled a multi-colored patch of him. He's becoming one of those guys I seem to accumulate without trying. I think I also have his auto from the great 1999 SP Signature set.

Well, at least he will have a nice little insert page in a binder. Sometimes the pages of random non-star players end up being the ones I like the most.

Out of the eight serial numbered refractors only Rafael Palmeiro is a star. That matches the overall star percentage pretty spot on.

My relic is a red back Pedro jersey. I absolutely love these game used cards. Heck, I like red backs without the chrome or jersey add-ons, but throw those on the card too and I go bonkers. This is how game used cards should look!

For my uncirculated box loader card I pulled...

A Jose Reyes! Not technically his rookie card but a sweet player to score.

Serial numbered to just 57.

When you consider you always get eight (correction: 14, see update notes) serial numbered cards, a relic card, and an uncirculated box loader, these 2003 Chrome Topps boxes pack a bunch of fun. You can pick up a box for around $35 so the low star rate can be forgiven.

UPDATE!!!

A few days after posting this box break I was wandering around Ebay and came across blue chrome serial numbered 2003 refractors. I did even recall they exist.

I marched over to my stack of 2003 Chrome from this break, flipped each one over, and sure enough there were six blue refractors serial numbered to 699.

The official descriptions on several websites mentions eight serial numbered cards total (not counting the uncirculated x-fractor), not 14, so I wasn't even looking for them.

This makes the 2003 Topps Chrome an even more impressive box to bust. It also makes me wonder if it is the norm or an aberration.

Here is the description of what to expect straight from the product description notes along with my comments:

Parallel Cards - 8 per box.
Chrome Refractors 4 per box. (I guess these would be the blue - I pulled six)
Gold Border Refractors 2 per box (I pulled six of these as well)
Black border refractors1 per box (I pulled two)
Uncirculated X-Fractors 1 per box (I pulled one)

1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated Hobby Box Break

2010-03-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated Hobby Box

24 packs, 6 cards per pack

Yes that is Kerry Wood, Kerry Wood, Kerry Wood, Kerry Wood, and Kerry Wood pictured above. Coming off his brilliant 1998 Rookie of the Year season (13-6, 3.40 era, 166.2 innings, 233 strike outs), Wood seemed like the perfect choice to be the face of Fleer's SI marketing strategy. His 9 inning, 1 hit, no walk, 20 K shutout in just his fifth major league start was perhaps one of the five most dominating starts of all-time.

This product was released in mid-March 1999 ($1.99 per pack). Several weeks later, in Spring Training, it was decided that Kerry Wood would undergo 'Tommy John' surgery. He missed all of 1999.

I can imagine a few people at Fleer threw a fit or two over that bad luck. Well there were warning signs. After all, he did have a sore elbow that cost him the last month of the '98 season (although he pitched one game in the playoffs).

It's funny how just looking at the packaging can put us right back in the feeling of 1998-99. My God I love baseball.

Let's dig in!

The 180 card base set has some spectacular photos. The dirt specks in this shot are crystal clear.

Most of the best pictures happen to be horizontal, but the set has plenty of the more traditional vertical style pics too.

A strike out to end the inning (in a clutch situation)? I am having a tough time recalling a card that captures a player looking this disappointed and frustrated. I mean, despite the 114 wins the Yanks racked up in '98, personally, this was literally the start of the end of what was once a very successful career.

Knoblauch went from being the Twins' slick fielding second baseman with an amazing bat (.333 one year, .341 another), to a guy who couldn't throw the ball to first base without causing fans to feel terrorized.

He once let loose a throw that sailed into the stands and hit Keith Olbermann's mom in the face (seriously). Chuck never overcame his sudden inability to consistently throw a baseball accurately. He is now and forever in the 'Oh My God Why Can't I Throw Where I Want To Anymore Club?' (along with Steve Sax, Mackey Sasser, and Steve Blass).

Chuck's knack for hitting soon disappeared as well. He had just one more good offensive season (1999).

Four years after these photos were taken Chuck was out of baseball for good (at just age 33).

I'm just glad he's smiling on the back of this card because the front captured a pretty amazing snapshot of the days and years to come.

Who is that Tiger sliding into Jeter? He is way curious about the other end of the play.

Grif coming off back to back 56 home run seasons.

Caminiti completely OWNED this play. Wow.

Another perfect moment.

Argh! Cooties, cooties! Get away! Get away!

Green had a really nice career. He seems completely forgotten by almost everyone. In a roundabout way, Shawn Green's career was offensively similar to Ted Kluszewski. Has anyone ever made that odd comparison? I don't know.

Both had a dominant 4-5 year stretch. Both hit more than half of their career home runs in that brief but powerful window.

Kluszewski hit 171 hr from 1953-1956. Although he played 15 seasons, those four seasons account for 61% of his career home runs. He averaged a .315 ba with 43 hr and 116 rbi during that time frame.

Shawn Green had a five year stretch (1998-2002) in which he hit 192 home runs. That was approximately 59% of his career totals. He averaged .288 with 38 hr and 112 rbi through those years. And get this, he played 15 seasons as well.

But there's more! They both have exactly an .850 career OPS. They also both hit 40 or more home runs three times, and 35 home runs once. They both have career highs of 49 home runs. Neither of them hit 30 or more home runs in any other season.

Yikes. When I first thought of this I only recalled they had similar brief career peaks. Now that I looked into it I'm downright frightened by this whole thing. Creepy.

This must be the press conference introducing Randy Johnson as the next D-Backs' ace. He would go on to win four straight Cy Young awards starting the very next season (sans the necktie).

Randy Johnson has always reminded me of the surly side of Neil Young.

By the way, the base cards are super glossy in person. They look almost wet. Nice stock too. A much higher quality than I expected.

Few recall that Craig Biggio fiddled with what he termed the 'Squat and Trot' stance in the early part of the 1998 season. He theorized the squat would make the strike zone so miniscule that he was bound to draw record breaking walk totals.

When asked how he came up with the idea, Biggio admitted he was attempting to mimic two greats he had long admired:

After starting the 1998 season 0 for 32 (albeit with 10 walks), Biggio abandoned the experiment and resumed a more traditional upright stance.

I kid, I kid. You know what it is, I'm just downright giddy about Spring Training being here. It makes me so dang happy knowing the season starts in less than a month.

Okay. I'll stop the excessive yapping and finish this up.

These three men who have since come to represent the villianous faces of the Steroid Era, also happen to have three of the coolest photos in the set. The McGwire card is especially striking (and historic).

Here's the front and back of card number one in the set. This is part of the nine card Postseason Preview subset.

The other Postseason Previews I pulled don't follow the Sports Illustrated cover theme, unfortunately. I also got a David Cone and David Wells from this subset.

These trio cards are a fairly creative design. I think I ended up with a little more than one per pack on average. There's 30 in this subset (that's 16.6% of the whole set). Most of these cards are not rookie cards, technically.

Aramis Ramirez in a Pirates uni and Lowell in a Yanks uniform. I like these cards but the set is a bit overloaded with them.

At the time, 1998 was an absolutely amazing season to follow. So much happened (McGwire's 70 home runs, Yanks 114 wins etc). The Season Highlights subset points out some of the things we have since forgotten. Enjoyable backs as well.

This is a 21 card subset. My box yielded 16 (a few doubles - Eck for example).

That brings us to our final subset. The Award Winners cards. There's 11 of these in the set. Another nice job with the design and layout in my opinion. I ended up with seven of the cards from this subset.

Okay. Phew. I'm exhausted. Now for the inserts.

I had a longshot chance at pulling a J.D. Drew auto (numbered to 250), or Diamond Dominators (1:90 packs, pitchers, 1:180 packs, hitters). That didn't pan out. A little more surprising though is that I didn't pull a Fabulous Forties insert (1:20 packs).

Instead I got an extra Ones To Watch (1:12 packs).

Check out that trippy look. I love how they created multiple ghost like shots of the player behind the main image.

The 15 card insert set is pretty light on stars. Halladay, Helton, Glaus, and Chavez are the four best. The J.D. Drew auto comes on a Ones To Watch card (should you be so lucky).

The Headliners insert rate is one in four packs (the most common insert in the set). Interestingly, the base are glossy, the Ones To Watch are shiny, but the Headliners are neither. Well, the word Headliners is silver shiny but that's it. No matter, the inserts look really sharp to me.

That's that.

Although you are unlikely to pull something that makes you pass out, the set is very well done. You can see how much thought was put into the base, subsets, and inserts. They definitely cared about this product from top to bottom.

The base photos are fantastic, and though some may dislike the color bar design because they don't run on the card edges like a traditional border, I think it was a risky concept that was implemented well.

Depending on whether the player is in front of the bars or behind them really alters the look. Certain cards look like framed pictures or TV screens, while others have a 3D feel.

A unique effort. A unique set.

Coming Soon: 8 Box Breaks!

2010-03-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

My first trip to the local card store netted me eight boxes, most of which I've never had the opportunity to open in the past. I doubt I'll have the chance to get back to the card store for over a year so I wanted to make the trip worthwhile.

I plan on opening (and posting) one a day. If there's a particular box you want me to open first please leave a comment!

I'm really excited to open these because I have very little cards (or none) from these sets. Four of the boxes come from 1999. I think that year had some amazing products. I had stopped collecting in 1992 or so and missed out on this stuff.

Here's the list:

2002 Topps Gallery

2003 Topps Chrome Series Two

2008 Topps Chrome (this is the only box I have opened before - and just one)

1999 Skybox Metal Universe

1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated

1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond

1999 Topps Finest

2010 Topps Heritage

Which should I open first? Thanks!

Contest Loot from First Day Issue

2010-02-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's been almost two weeks since I posted but I just received my winnings from Bud's contest over at First Day Issue and I wanted to say thanks!

I got a nice tall stack of 2010 Topps which included a lot of stars (two Mantles even) and a nice mix of inserts. It felt like I was opening a bunch of packs (without having to deal with the wrappers) which made my Saturday morning very pleasant.

Bud also included these two cards:

Not only is this my first 2010 Topps red back but it's also a mini. I was not even aware they made a mini version of this card. The greatest reliever in the history of baseball is very welcome here.

A game used Jim Palmer jersey from the fantastic All-Time Fan Favorites set! What a wonderful card. Bud knows I'm an Orioles' fan and Palmer is the king when it comes to Orioles pitching greats.

Thanks a ton for your generous prizes, Bud!

12 More from the Million Card Giveaway

2010-02-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Better luck this time around but nothing much. I like the old card (Hal Smith) and the Bonds card (I don't have it), but not enough to pay $3.50 to get them.

I want more lottery tickets. I mean, I want more Topps packs.

12 Unlocked Cards from the Million Card Giveaway!

2010-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

For the first twelve hours of February 15th the Topps site to unlock my cards was not working at all for me (and all others that posted in that time frame). Then for the next five hours it would not allow me to complete registration. But I'm in now and all is well.

I have 24 total to unlock. I unlocked 12 and will save the rest for later tonight. My virtual collection shall rule all virtual collections! Muahahahahaha!

What a brilliant idea by Topps. A marketing campaign that costs them almost nothing.

There is a sliver of a chance you will pull a valuable card. That's all it takes for us to keep redeeming. Nobody in their right mind would pay to have these cards sent to them. It seems 99.9% of the cards will never be called upon. Basically we redeem a picture. It's still fun, I admit.

Every card here is for virtual trade. Gimme Orioles cards of a similar year and we have a deal! I plan on building an Orioles empire of cards and then I will attack other virtual collections. Like in that game RISK. So far I don't see a combat option though. Weird.

Topps is no Keith Richards (and that's a bad thing)

2010-02-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

Although Keith Richards loved to pour a Jack Daniels at ten in the morning while muttering "It's five o'clock somewhere," Topps has decided that it's February 15th nowhere.

The Million Card Giveaway has already become the butt of "I told ya so" jokes. Note the ashtray. Insert failure there.

2010 Topps Series One Hobby Box Breaks (4 boxes)

2010-02-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

My brother and his family gave me a check for my birthday and Christmas with the caveat that the money must be spent on something fun. Twist my arm why don't ya!? So I bought four 2010 Topps hobby boxes.

I'll just show some of my favorite cards, inserts, and the hits.

I have to lead with this card for two reasons. First, Bumgarner has pitched two seasons in the minors and accumulated some of the best stats in the history of minor league baseball (1.65 era, 27-5, 273 innings pitched). And he was just a teenager. I hope the Giants have him in the rotation all season. I'm very curious to see what becomes of Bumgarner. Having Lincecum around will no doubt help him learn even faster.

The second reason I chose this as the first 2010 card to appear on my blog is that this picture of Bumgarner could fit into almost any era. It could be 1958, 1968, or 1978. Also, he looks closer to age 35 than age 19 in this shot. Add to all this a very suspicious looking microphone and we have card perfection.

What a great photo! Little Ichiro winning a game with a home run, presumably.

Fielder hit a walk-off home run against the Giants. He jumped on home plate and pretended to "explode". The force of the "bomb" knocked his teammates down. This has the feel of football showboating (a bad thing). It is also a reason purists could point at Fielder and say they dislike him. The Giants certainly were not happy with the Brewers' behavior.

My feeling is although I generally hate showboating, I found this to be so alarming, original, and shocking, that I laughed like mad. As they said on MLB Network that night, it was a clever and hysterical thing....once. Two times or more and this funny moment becomes a terrible trend. They never did it again. They knew. And from it we have one of the best cards ever.

This was the day Henderson eclipsed Ty Cobb in career stolen bases. When he passed Brock, Rickey proclaimed himself the greatest player of all time (or that's how everyone took it). Nolan Ryan threw a no hitter that day, stealing much of Rickey's thunder. Rickey gave us a thousand goofy quotes.

Like others, I really enjoy the Tales of the Game inserts. They picked out some unusual moments. You get about six a box.

Wow. I had no idea. Pretty amazing.

Boggs ate chicken before every game.

The Legendary Lineage insert set design doesn't really do much for me. It manages to be both plain and busy at the same time.

Although the lineage info on the back of the Robinson/Guerrero card is lame (apparently both hit home runs and that scares pitchers), for the most part the ties prove interesting. For example, on the Cobb/Granderson card, the back notes Granderson's 23 triples in 2007 were the most since Cobb's 24 in 1917.

Nine per box.

The Franchise History cards really capture the romance of stadiums.

Doesn't Honus Wagner look five feet wide here?

Hmmm...I guess I didn't scan a single of the Peak Performance cards. The mix ranges from today's stars like Sizemore and Utley, to legends of the past (even Dizzy Dean). You get nine PP per box.

The backs of these have some pretty cool information too. I think Topps really put a lot of care and heart into what they wrote about this year. I am impressed. Also, the back of the Mize card uses the word penultimate, which is one of my favorite words. Win.

Turkey Reds never leave me. Never. I pulled nine per box.

When I was a kid (35) you used to be able to buy entire boxes of Turkey Reds. Every card in the pack was a Turkey Red! The Salad Days (2007).

You get about six History of the Game cards per box. Who is that giant guy on the top left? This is two pictures combined, I assume. The Ruth shot is sublime. The catcher and the giant man aren't needed.

The Athletics had first pick in the first MLB Draft in 1965. "Hmmmm, we'll take...let's see...Johnny Benc---wait. No, no. We'll take Rick Monday."

The Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert set is super. I like reproductions of old cards. The only problem I have is I hate the name of the insert. It works fine for this Yaz and other old card remakes, but the set also includes newer cards such as Longoria from 2009 Topps. Topps is either saying "Our cards are so worthless moms throw these out a year after their kids buy them," or they are saying moms are really dumb.

The original backs like this Yaz come about one per box. The standard back cards come nine per box.

These are the other three original backs I pulled. Ripken and Murray! Pretty lucky for an Orioles' fan.

Some of my favorites of the standard backs.

What a card! The gold works perfectly with the Giants' colors (these are serially numbered to 2010).

The Giants sure have a handful of exciting players. All very young too.

Six gold cards per box. Click images for a larger look.

Black serially numbered to 59. Utley!

Not bad.

Better.

Better still.

Ah ha! The big hit. S/N to 99. A sweet card for sure.

I am a bit disappointed that four boxes yielded no autos, but that is my only complaint.

I think 2010 Topps is one of their best sets in years. I love the base design and there's some excellent photography along with interesting inserts (and lots of them). The packs are a lot of fun to open considering the cost ($45-50). I'm also kind of excited to redeem my 24 'Million Dollar Card Giveaway' cards. It adds another layer of intrigue.

Mr. Topps Company, I approve. Brother and family, thanks!

Trade with First Day Issue

2010-02-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Bud of First Day Issue: Baseball Cards and the Neverending Pursuit of Everything Ken Griffey Jr. and Viva La Vidro sent me some cool cards recently.

Here's a handful of them:

Brooks! Check out that old school Orioles logo.

Fantastic card. A blue chrome refractor. A tough pull of a superstar.

Hernandez s/n to 199. Blue refractors are some of my favorite cards. I only have a few.

Hanleys, Cabrera, and more Orioles. Win, win, win.

Jake Arrieta. I have hardly any Arrieta cards. He is another Baby Bird that is going to take the baseball world by storm!

Thanks for the cards, Bud! Your package has been sealed and ready to go for several days. I will mail it soon. I see Collective Troll just sent you 37 Griffeys so I hope I haven't duplicated his stuff much.

Poll: Will Johnny Damon make the Hall of Fame?

2010-02-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Peter Gammons said it was his belief that Johnny Damon plans on playing until he reaches 3,000 hits. He already has 2,425 and will be just age 36 throughout the 2010 season.

Gammons said Damon feels 3,000 hits will make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, and history agrees. Except for Rose, all of the 27 players with 3,000 or more hits are in the Hall of Fame. Not only that, all of the players that reached 3,000 hits after 1962 have been inducted on the first ballot.

When all is said and done Damon will probably end up with about a .284 lifetime ba, 3,000 hits, 260 home runs, and 400 stolen bases. Certainly a very impressive resume. He has been a valuable piece to every team he has played on. He will also be remembered for some playoff heroics.

Is Damon similar to Vada Pinson and Al Oliver, or is he several notches above them?

The downside to Damon is he has made the All-Star team just twice in his career. He has never been a top tier player in the league (his highest finish in MVP voting is 13th). He hasn't won a gold glove and has been a below average fielder for some time now. His lifetime OPS stands at just .794 (low for an outfielder) and is likely to drop by the time he collects his 3,000th hit.

As for the playoff heroics, the reality is his stats in the playoffs (.279 ba, 9 hr, 244 ab, .783 OPS) are nearly identical to how he hit throughout his career.

So the poll question is (top right), if Damon eventually reaches the magical 3,000 hit mark, do you think he will make the Hall of Fame?

Ebay Loot for Under $20 (Part 2 - Includes a Ted Williams!)

2010-02-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

Cost: $4.18

Details: 1959 Fleer Ted Willams #50.

The 80 card 1959 Ted Williams Fleer set is wonderful for people collecting on a budget. They are undervalued gems. I have slowly been collecting this set through the years (I have only six so far). I don't actively seek them out, but when I see one in good shape that's priced to sell, I grab it.

I put them in a binder and every time I flip through that book and come to the Williams page I get all sentimental about baseball and card collecting. Imagine it's 1959 and you're a New England kid who loves Ted Williams. Suddenly Fleer enters the baseball card game by releasing a set dedicated solely to Ted. It must have made some kids flip with joy.

Never mind the fact that Fleer decided on a Ted Williams set because Topps had most players locked up with exclusive contracts. Kids don't care about that adult stuff! (That's why kids are so cool.)

The back of this card explains Ted's spring injury in 1954: 'In the opening minutes of spring training, Ted fell while chasing a sinking line drive and broke his shoulder. This was Ted's second serious injury, and truly could have marked the end to a great baseball career!'

Ted was limited to 117 games in '54. He hit .345 with 29 hr. He managed to get on base just 51% of the time (136 walks).

Cost: $1.18

Details: 2002 Donruss Classics Legends (S/N to 1500).

Clean looking cards. The bland backgrounds make the pictures standout, but that isn't necessarily me trumpeting bland backgrounds.

Cost: $1.25

Details: 1993 Topps Finest All-Stars.

Cost: $1.25

Details: 1999 Fleer Mystique Rookies (S/N to 2999)

I have played a baseball computer simulation league with my dad for years. We have settled on using the same 'High Heat 2003' game over and over because it is the most realistic sim we have found. We have created an in-depth point system, trade rules, penalties, bonus picks, free agent restrictions, etc. It's a whole alternate baseball universe for us.

I mention it because most of these no-name cards are players found in that sim. So when I look at the names of some of these fringe players, I associate them with having fun with my dad. For that, and because they are serial numbered rookies, in the binders they go! Even you Carlos Febles, even you.

Cost: $1.00

Details: 2000 Upper Deck Cooperstown Calling Insert (#CC7).

Canseco? Cooperstown Calling? Wrong number. After all is said and done I sheepishly admit I am a Canseco fan. He was just so fun and funny to watch for all those years.

This card is actually quite shiny in person. I'm not sure why I bought it though. It isn't a great price for just this one card. I may have been sipping wine.

Cost: $1.10

Details: 1977 Topps.

Cost: $1.00

Details: 1999 Spx SP (S/N to 1999).

A nice Beltre. Yup, wine.

Cost: $1.05

Details: 2003 SP Legendary Cuts (S/N to 1299).

Cost: Free

Nobody gives better freebies than this seller. He even takes the time to cater the free stuff based on where the buyer lives (hence four Griffey cards).

The breakdown for $20:

18 serial numbered cards

12 refractors

6 inserts

1977 Winfield

1959 Ted Williams

13 other cards (mostly Finest base)

8 free star cards

Yes a lot of the refractors and serial numbered cards weren't stars, but I still feel like I got a ton for just under 20 bucks (here's part 1 if you missed it).

Every card came in a penny sleeve and is in beautiful shape. Add free cards to free shipping and nice prices, and you can see why this seller is number one in my all-time Ebay book.

Ebay Loot for Under $20 (Part 1)

2010-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

Total Cost of Cards: $19.69 (Free shipping)
Total Number of Cards: 59
Date Purchased: 01/26/10
Date Received: 01/30/10

Every once in awhile my favorite Ebay seller puts up a bunch of lots priced at around a buck each. Even better, they are usually either serial numbered or shiny and from around the years 1994-2002. Those are almost exactly the years I had stopped collecting, so the seller kinda feels like a pal who fills in the basic gaps in my collection.

Cost: $1.00

Details: 1998 Topps Finest Refractors.

I know very little about most of the sets from this era (which is part of the fun).

This set has four different versions of the same cards: Finest, Finest No-Protectors, Finest Refractors, and Finest No-Protectors Refractors.

Honestly all the variations look identical to me on Ebay except for the protector thingy. I read they look different in person though.

My cards do have a very small letter R on the back (next to the card number) which, from what I could learn, indicates they are indeed refractors. That's good because otherwise I'd just have to assume they're refractors.

Cost: $1.00

Details: 1998 Topps Finest Refractors.

This lot isn't nearly as good player wise. Am I collecting commons? NO! I'm collecting less common commons!

Chan Ho Park wins the prize for being the only active player out of the twelve total '98 Finest cards.

I'd like to open a box of this stuff just to get an up close look at the variations. It's about $30-40 bucks now. Looks like you get about 3-4 of these refractors (with protectors) per box.

(Digital Camera Pic)

(Scanner Pic - Click pics to enlarge)

Cost: $1.00

Details: 1999 Topps Gold Label Class 2.

There's Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Class 2 was inserted one in every two HTA packs. Hmmm, that seems pretty common. Nice looking cards though. They look great even on the scanner. Thick too. In person they don't shine much unless you turn them at a very particular angle (which I do, over and over).

Cost: $1.10

Details: 2002 Topps Super Teams Retrofractors. These cards are serial numbered based on the year the team won the featured World Series (Furillo: 1955, Mueller: 1954, Law: 1960).

The serial numbered version of these seem a nice thing for team collectors to chase. You basically get the World Series roster. Cool idea.

Ten teams are represented in the 146 card set: Giants, Dodgers, Braves, Pirates, Yankees, Cardinals, Mets, A's, Orioles, and Mets. That's right. The Mets are in this set twice. Once for the 1969 World Series and once for 1986.

Cost: $1.18

Details: 2000 Topps Finest

The giant shiny baseball that looks like a planet sucked me in.

Cost: $1.20

Details: 1999 Fleer Mystique (SN to 2999)

I'm finally starting to appreciate Torri Hunter's career. Nine straight gold gloves and 20 or more home runs eight times is pretty dang impressive.

Cost: $1.20

Details: 1996 SPx

The left card is the gold version. I don't see it priced so nice very often. The gold version cards from this set were inserted one in every seven hobby packs. There's only 60 cards in the set though.

When these were released the packs went for $3.49 each. You only get one card per pack too. I guess people were chasing the chance of a Griffey or Piazza auto (1 in 2000 packs).

These days you can buy a box for around $35 on Ebay.

Well, I am only about halfway done but this post is long enough so I'll put up part two later. One thing about this seller is I always feel like I get a lot for my money. He even gives out cool free cards, which I'll show next post.

A Trade with 'A Cardboard Problem'!

2010-01-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

I sent Sooz (A Cardboard Problem) some Yankees cards/jerseys she needed and she sent me back some Orioles cards and cool jerseys I needed (want is need).

Warren Spahn game used! Look at that gray jersey. Is that wool? Looks warm. This is my first Spahn jersey. You don't see many different Spahn jersey cards around. Hard to get and I love it.

Ah, Hanley. One of my favorite current players. A pinstripe and numbered to 50. Very cool looking card.

It is nice that Hanley is able to produce in the heart of the order. I was worried he was going to be like Soriano who whined and failed whenever he didn't lead off.

In 2009, Hanley finished second in the MVP voting and won his first batting title. He is going to have a difficult time winning an MVP award until Pujols hits age 35 or so.

The 2005 trade that sent Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez from the Red Sox to the Marlins in exchange for Beckett, Lowell, and Mota is one of the biggest trades of the decade, in retrospect.

I have always liked these Bazooka game used cards. I have a Canseco and Teixeira of these too, I think.

Miggy is back on the Orioles! I am happy. Incidentally, Miggy spells his nickname Miggi. Here's a pic of his batting gloves (no I don't own them):

But the vast majority of Orioles' fans spell it Miggy. Some have even complained spelling it Miggi looks too feminine. So we have the strange case of fans spelling a nickname differently than the player spells it. I wonder if that has ever happened before. There is even a three page debate on this over at the Orioles Hangout.

Sooz also sent along a nice batch of Markakis cards I needed. My Markakis collection is embarrassingly light. These certainly help.

Adam Jones is another favorite player I have woefully underrepresented in my collection. That Topps 206 card is in fact the first 206 card I've ever seen in person. I gotta get out more, or sit by my mailbox.

Thanks, Sooz. A wonderful trade!

Trade with Carl Crawford Cards (My First Trade)

2010-01-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I received some super jersey cards from CCC (Carl Crawford Cards) a few days ago. I sent over some Carl Crawfords he needed and he sent me some Orioles cards.

I got quite a bit compared to what I gave, so part of the deal is CCC is also due some CTBNL (Crawfords To Be Named Later).

This is my first quad jersey card and it's a beauty! Old guard Mora and new era Markakis. Two Orioles plus another player I have collected for years (Cabrera).

Now that Cabrera is pursuing ongoing treatment for his drinking problem, it will be a big story watching a sober (hopefully) Cabrera in 2010. This guy has been one of the best hitters in baseball. What can he do with a clear head? In an era that was all about performance enhancing drugs, we have Cabrera drinking and eating like a madman. I'll be cheering even louder for Cabrera in 2010.

I've wanted this card from the first day I saw it online. Markakis is Mr. Cool in this pic.

Markakis had a disappointing 2009. He still managed a .293 ba, with 18 hr, 45 doubles and 101 rbi. The major dip came from getting less walks (2008: 99 bb, 2009: 56 bb). He will be back. He's a fantastic player.

I really like the old-school feel of the picture in the background.

Gotta love Roberts. Any team would be lucky to have him at second base (56 doubles, 16 hr, 30 sb). I sometimes feel sorry for Roberts. He has been a loyal Bird. He has waited and waited for things to turn around. We are now on the cusp of flipping the switch. I just hope the good days start while Roberts is still a strong player. He deserves it.

I have very few Reimold cards and no jerseys until now.

Reimold will be exciting to watch in 2010. A full season. MLB Network was doing over/under predictions for 2010. They predicted both Reimold and Weiters would hit over 20 home runs. I think that's a safe bet (especially Reimold). Throw in Markakis and Adam Jones and we are looking at four 20 home run players. Adrian Gonzalez would have been a perfect bat in the middle of that power.

CCC included this wonderful quad swatch even though it wasn't part of the deal!

So it was a banner day for my Orioles collection. Thank you CCC for making my first trade so enjoyable. The hunt for CTBNL has already begun!

1995 Pacific Prism Box Break (A Strange Ebay Experience)

2010-01-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

1995 Pacific Prism Series 1 Box
36 packs, 1 card per pack
Cost: $17.00 (includes shipping, purchased through Ebay)

I only have a few Prism cards from 1995. I have no idea how I came to own them. Player lots probably. Every time I see one of them in my binders I wish I had more. Inevitably I search Ebay only to be reminded the singles sell for 1-8 dollars. I have been hesitant to purchase any at those prices.

So when I finally saw a reasonably priced box of Prism on Ebay ($17.00), I thought "Ah ha! I'll go right to the source!"

But this story has twists and turns.

After I paid I patiently stared at my front door, waiting. One week. Two weeks. I decided I better politely contact the seller to make sure the box had shipped. My email was ignored.

After three weeks passed I was pretty frustrated. I wrote the seller again and explained I was going to file a claim and leave negative feedback.

The seller immediately replied this time around. He said there had been an accident in the family. Due to the stress he had forgotten to ship the boxes. I accepted his reason. I even offered to just take a refund and forget the transaction happened. Oddly, he declined, saying instead he would ship my box plus a free one for my troubles.

I waited another week. The seller lives on the same coast as I do so it isn't a haul.

Finally, after more than a month in total had passed, I wrote again saying I couldn't continue to deal with this forever. I asked for a refund, this time more forcefully. I gave a deadline, stating I would be leaving negative feedback.

The seller apologized and said he did mail the boxes. I quietly doubted it.

He asked me to give him one more chance. Now he was offering not one, not two, but three free boxes along with the one I had purchased.

A big part of me felt I was being strung along. He assured me he would send them quickly and that they'd be at my home within 2-3 days. I reluctantly agreed, assuming I was being a fool for trusting him again.

Much to my surprise, the boxes arrived soon thereafter. Tada! My trust and patience paid off (for once). Four boxes for the price of one. Sure, I had to wait over a month, but my cost was reduced from $17 a box to $4.25. It was a bizarre interaction that ended happily, I think (more on that later).

144 total cards. Holy colorful! As much as I like these cards, one card per pack is downright silly. Not quite as silly as a grown man lining up 144 cards on a living room floor, but silly nonetheless.

The set has 144 cards as well. I got numerous doubles though, so I didn't come all that close to completing it.

I love the way these cards reflect light. I get hypnotized.

Frankly, after opening all these packs I find I have more questions than answers. The set puzzles me. It came out during a time frame that I had stopped collecting, so I have no memories of it at all. Looking into its history, I found hardly any information. I couldn't even track down one review or article.

For example, the box reads 'Series 1' but there is no 'Series 2' as far as I can tell. Plus, my cards range from 1-144, pretty much. Beckett does not indicate a Series 1 or 2. I have never seen a second series box on Ebay.

I wonder if Pacific had intended to release a second series but for whatever reason it never came to pass. Or was 'Series 2' football?

What happened? Was the product too expensive? Was it unpopular? Did the one card per pack concept anger collectors? It's a mystery to me.

I'll ponder while we look at more cards.

Rickey looks like he is just about to do one of his famous snatch catches that drove so many crazy (scanner shot).

Each pack also has a team logo card. Presumably this was included to help protect the Prism card. It's too bad the background of each is the same generic stadium.

Cal is one of the most valuable cards in the set. There are no notable rookies.

The backs look almost like a second front.

Ah, Trammell and Whitaker. By 1990 or so these guys were pretty much known as the best SS/2nd Base combo ever (offense/defense). It was taken as common knowledge that they were Hall of Fame locks. How time forgets.

Back to the set: Pacific produced 2999 cases of this product. At 20 boxes per case that comes to just 720 cards in an entire case. So if my math is correct, there should be about 14,995 of each card out there. That assumes these were sold only in box form (not as complete sets).

Yet there are very few of these cards on Ebay. Only about 30-40 at a time.

As far as boxes go, there's usually just one or two sellers offering them.

I've never seen a full set for sale.

So where is this product being hidden?

We know stuff considered junk is all over Ebay. If these cards aren't being collected shouldn't there be a lot of them for sale at cheap prices? If they are being collected, shouldn't the giant-Ebay-monster have hundreds of singles up for sale in the $1-8 range?

I hope the answer is that collectors appreciate these cards and have them safely tucked away in their homes.

I like the looks of them so much that I am even going to put the semi-stars (not shown) in my star books. That's right!

15 years after their release, are these cards loved or forgotten?

How do you feel about them?

Oh and there's one more thing that has me confused.

Was I supposed to get Gold Prism cards in these boxes too or were they included in a different Pacific product (Pacific Crown boxes maybe)?

Beckett doesn't specifically mention these are to be included in my packs. It simply states they will appear in 1:12 packs on average; doesn't say which boxes they come from.

But they are the only other Prism cards listed besides the ones from my boxes (for 1995).

I didn't get any of these gold cards. Were my boxes searched? If so, that would add another strange layer to the peculiar Ebay experience involving a curious set.

One thing we do know, I am not the Sherlock Holmes of collecting, but I do likes me some cards!

2007 Upper Deck SP Rookie Edition Hobby Box Break

2010-01-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

2007 Upper Deck SP Rookie Edition Hobby Box
14 packs per box, 8 cards per pack
2 Autos per box on average
Cost: $19.95 (Blowout Cards)

There are a handful of $20 boxes that feel well worth the cost. I've busted a few of the 2007 SP Rookie Edition boxes over the past year or so and it definitely falls into this category.

The set has 284 cards. 100 of which are regular base like these.

A very clean, straightforward look that works quite well.

I received 54 of these type of cards. 34 are stars. 15 are semi-stars. Five are commons.

So you get four of the regular cards per pack.

The remaining four cards in each pack will be rookie card variations based on the 1993, 1995 and 1996 designs (and a 2007 design to round it out).

With four total variations, every pack literally has the feel of multiple sets. Here's Gordon, Lind, and Braun.

Pie and Butler. Pie is still a work in progress. Billy Butler has arrived. His 51 doubles, 21 hr, and .301 batting average are just a sign of what will come very soon, I believe.

This pic was taken using a scanner. The cards look a bit blah.

But this pic was taken with a camera. Same style cards, different angle. It shows the true shine nicely. Reynolds and Pence.

These different rookie versions come from the same pool of players, so you can expect to get a couple Lincecums usually.

Which is about as good as collecting can get.

The set has four different Lincecum cards. Four different Adam Lind cards. Four different Ryan Braun cards. And on and on. Once in awhile you will get two different versions of the same player in the same pack.

Braun looking wide awake (how unusual).

Pence, Hughes, Butler, Gordon (scanner shot).

How long does Brandon Wood have to prove himself in the minors before he is given 550 at bats with the big club? Perhaps 2010 will be his chance.

Wood is a streaky hitter and needs to be put somewhere and left alone. He's an infielder who has averaged 29 home runs a season in the minors (over the last five years).

I wanted him on the Orioles but nothing came of the rumor.

Dice-K. This guy actually pitched while keeping his shoulder strain a secret from everyone because he didn't want to draw attention. His 5.76 era was no secret. Let's hope he rebounds.

A couple different Delmon Young cards.

Young was supposed to be a superstar. He hit 26 home runs in the minors at age 19 (AA-AAA).

His lifetime .290 ba in the majors is deceptive. The .738 ops tells the real story. Young can't get on base. He had just twelve walks in 416 plate appearances in 2009. The only thing that marginally saved his season was a wonderful final week with the Twins when it was most needed.

He will only be age 24 throughout the 2010 season, however he is falling into the 4th outfielder role, a far cry from the player many thought would hit .320 with 25 hr and 25 sb for years on end.

Ryan Sweeney auto. Oh well. Hey at least it's a guy who is young and playing regularly (.293 ba, 534 plate appearances, .755 ops for the A's). Good enough for me.

Adam Lind auto. Sweet.

This card has some damage to it on the top center. I was able to smooth it down pretty much, but it's definitely not mint. Bad luck there.

Overall I don't know that there are many better ways to spend 20 bucks. It will always be a win at this price as far as I'm concerned.

Wall of Addiction

2010-01-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

We have a saying in my family...

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing. We've lived and died by that phrase for generations.

Although a lot of the frames are worth about the same as the Orioles stuff in the frames, I can always slip in upgrades should they come my way.

In the meantime, I have a fun hallway that makes me happy every time I walk by.

And reminds me just how much I love my Orioles through thick and thin.

Longoria Auto Redeemed! (Should it be this curved?)

2010-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today was a joyous day. I received not one, but two redeemed auto cards from Topps! Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce.

Evan Longoria came from a December 15th box break: Topps Hobby Box (Longoria).

Jay Bruce came from a a December 23rd box break: Topps Hobby Box (Bruce).

Mighty fast turn around I'd say.

The 2008 Red Hot Rookies must be about the best looking cards in the history of the universe.

The card does seem dramatically curved. I've taken some shots at an angle to better illustrate:

So here are my questions to you folks out there in the card collecting world: Is this card curved to the point that I should be worried? Is this curve a common thing for these cards?

I don't have much experience with redemption cards and none with Red Hot Rooke cards. I'm very happy with it but don't want to make a mistake if this curve thing should be addressed.

The Jay Bruce card isn't curved much so I know not all of these cards come this way.

Any advice or feedback on this is much appreciated.

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Jumbo Box Break (Mountains of Inserts)

2010-01-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Jumbo Box

10 packs, 44 cards per pack

1 Auto and 2 relic cards per box

Each pack contains 44 Topps Updates & Highlights Baseball cards, + (1) Gold Parallel, + (1) Ring of Honor Insert, + (1) Legends of the Game Updates Insert, + (1) Turkey Red Insert, + (1) Propaganda Poster Insert, + 1 Ticket to Toppstown.com card.
Cost: $77.99 (Blowout Cards)

There are a lot of stars to show, and a lot of stars I won't bother showing, but there are also a handful of spectacular action shots that must be shown.

The pics showing multiple cards can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Ivan winning the war again.

The announcers in Seattle fell in love with Endy Chavez (he was soon injured).

Hey pal, you sliding...you gotta be able to touch second base or it's an automatic out on both ends.

Tony Gwynn Jr. hard at work. A lot of his cards no longer have Jr. tacked on, and now that he is on the Padres, every time I pull a Gwynn Jr., my initial thought is that I am getting a retro card of his dad. It's always a let down. No offense to Gwynn Jr., but he has yet to hit over .270. His dad had 19 straight seasons of .300 or better. Tough shoes to fill.

This card is perfect. We are in the dirt with everyone. Right at the ground. Two players down from diving. Edgar Renteria holding up his glove to show he held onto the ball. The umpire pointing at the bag or Edgar or something. And in the background, behind all this essence of baseball drama, we have cartoon cars painted on the outfield wall, their goofy cartoon smiling faces giggling at the action around them.

Those cars also giggle when the left fielder dives and dislocates his shoulder, or when two players collide at full speed. Those cars seem quite callous at times.

This set has so many visual twists that it's hard not to enjoy it. When in the world do we see Youkilis, Wright, Jeter, and Victorino all smiling and celebrating together? Even if you hate all these players, you can still love this card.

Pence and Braun. Braun is again looking rather sleepy. He has another card other bloggers have posted that shows him looking absolutely sleepy, as if someone roused him from deep slumber, took his blanky, and left him in a daze.

I wonder what Hunter is explaining. It looks important. "So, to reiterate, that tall pole down there, they tell me that's the foul pole. Anything to the left of that pole is fair."

King Felix, Adam Jones, Lincecum, Pence, Tejada, Greinke, Ichiro, Cain, Michael Young.

I received about 65 cards with the All-Star logo on them. Most depict the players in their traditional uniform as opposed to the All-Star jerseys.

Rookie cards galore. A lot of super rookies to boot. This Josh Reddick may not be an example of one of the better rookies, but it has to stand as one of the best looking rookie cards out there. The bat extended right into our living room, the confident look on Reddick's face, and the infinite black behind him. If this guy makes it big people will remember this card forever (or at least I will).

As an Orioles fan the Updates and Highlights set is a boon. Rookie cards of David Hernandez, Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen, and Nolan Reimold.

Netali Feliz, Tommy Hanson, Gordon Beckham, Chris Coghlan, Andrew McCutchen, Daniel Schlereth, Michael Saunders (heavily damaged), Derek Holland, Daniel Bard.

You also get a one card pack that contains a rookie chrome refractor. Powell will be 28 at the start of the 2010 season. An unfortunate pull.

The famous Toppstown collection (sarcasm).

Gold inserts serial numbered to 2009.

Hanley Ramirez, Cain, Holliday. Getting a Hanley serial numbered card never gets old.

More...

Ah, Turkey Red. I miss 'em. Ruth in Boston.

Scherzer, Rivera, Oswalt, Sabathia, V. Martinez, Crawford (uh-oh), Haren, A. Ramirez, Cueto.

Legends of the Game. These inserts along with the Propaganda Poster inserts are my two favorite in this set. Reggie on the A's is always welcome. We need more cards with Reggie in an Orioles uniform though.

Carlton and two Nolans. Right on!

Foxx, Ruth, Cy Young, Speaker, Molitor, Boggs. I've noticed there is a trend to show Ruth in a Red Sox uniform lately. A refreshing change.

Another nice insert, but several of these had some damage.

Garland, Miguel Cabrera (love da Cabrera), Reese, Cy Young, Hornsby, Foxx, Walter Johnson, Mathewson, Mize.

I can't get enough of these Propaganda Poster inserts. This was the first time I've seen them in person, I believe. Maybe I have one somewhere.

Lincecum, Albert, Howard. I wish there was a 400 card set of this design. I'd put the commons in binders. I swear by God I would.

Dunn, Miguel Cabrera, Longoria, Hamilton, Ichiro, Wright.

Short Print Nolan Ryan and Honus Wagner. I was hoping for the Roger Maris so many of us are smitten with. That makes two different cards of Nolan Ryan in a Mets uniform in this box. How often does that happen?

Peter Moylan auto. Moylan is a sharp middle reliever. In 183.2 lifetime innings his era is just 2.45. (Whistles). Nice.

Even more interesting, when I looked up Moylan's career on Baseball-Reference, I found a fellow baseball card blogger, Waxaholic, sponsors Peter Moylan's page on the site. Waxaholic writes: 'Congratulations to Peter for breaking the All Time Braves record for consecutive appearances without allowing a home run!'

How cool is it that Waxaholic sponsors a page there? And Peter Moylan of all players! It's super cool, that's how cool it is.

Ted Lilly black, s/n: #38/58.

All Star Jersey. Creative way to incorporate the jersey into the skyline.

George Sisler, Legends of the Game Team Letter Patch, s/n: #10/50.

Although this patch is manufactured, the card is pretty striking. I haven't seen many old school cards like this so I did audibly ooohhhhh.

There's another 40 or so star cards I didn't scan. Mostly just moments from the season and some cards of players on new teams. Also there's a lot more rookies I didn't scan.

At $77.99 this is not a cheap thrill. The hits weren't great (g/u, black Lily, auto). Quality control was a bit lacking as I received more damaged cards than I expected. However, just look at all the loot you do get: fantastic inserts heap plenty, interesting cards, nice photography, strong rookies.

I probably won't buy another Jumbo box unless it drops to $60 or so, but I am glad I got to open one.

It will be hard to trade some of these inserts since I may not be getting more for quite some time. These were my first 2009 Updates and Highlights packs so I didn't own any of these cards (or almost none of them).

This box made me think opening several blasters would be fun as well.

Good times!