2013 Topps – Packs 9 and 10

Posted by cardboard hogs on February 19, 2013

DONE!

I have finished opening 10 jumbo packs and am quite proud of myself. The last two packs turned out to be pretty action packed as well as thick card packed. There was a post over at Basketball Card Blog about the girth-iness of the Topps Cy Young card. I was hoping I would pull one of my own and when i got to the 10th pack i noticed what looked like 10 cards glued together. This reminded me of the time when i opened up an old shoebox of cards from the 90’s that had stuck together to form an un-bendable stack of good ole’ junk wax. My heart broke as i ended up tossing most of these cards as they were damaged, that will teach you to put your 90’s glossy cards in some polypropylene sleeves for that long lasting protection.

On to the cardboard.

First card of note is The Big Hurt. I absolutely LOVED this guy in the 90’s. I remember going to my local flea market and buying 9 of his Score and Topps Rookie cards thinking i was investing in something really great. Like most kids around this time, I was planning my investment strategies when these cards hit the $1,000 mark. They sell for a few dollars now. Frank Thomas was an unbelievable hitter. Great command of the strike zone. Herculean power and a fierce competitor. One of my cousins from Phoenix City, Alabama tells me he went to school with Frank Thomas…i guess it’s believable since Thomas went to school in Columbus, Georgia just across the state line. That anecdote had no other purpose than to be a topper, sorry. These Chasing History cards are OK, not great, not terrible…just OK. Topps has really gone out of their way to put retired players on cards the last 8+ years. I think it’s a great theme to carry on, but maybe pump the brakes a little on this one.

Next up is Reggie Jackson and his super Abs. This card is from his Athletics days. Just look at those glasses and sweet ass afro busting out the bottom of his ear flapless helmet. I couldn’t imagine players using ear flapless helmets these days…someone would be killed by an erratic fastball and claim some unwritten rule in doing so. Still love these The Great cards, this one goes along with the Mo i pulled earlier.

This is my second Bryce Harper card from the box. I got the base card #1 and this one. These Chasing the Dream cards are kind of nice. I would really like them if the name was easier to read on the left side…maybe that’s just due to my old, tired eyes. Harper is going to be a great player and I really love the way he plays the game. I want my son to go all out like he does. Unfortunately, his temper gets in his way at times, Bryce Harper that is. I think it’s going to get the best of him as he gets older and becomes a veteran and more comfortable pushing back. Hope he doesn’t let it come to that though. Topps absolutely loves this kid and it’s almost as if Mike Trout doesn’t matter that much…kind of crazy that the stat guys love Trout so much but his love is overshadowed fairly significantly by Harper, at least from what i’ve seen.

Ok. Here is my thick ass card. It’s Alex Rodriguez. Look at it. That pompous smirk and his magnetic wrist band to increase blood flow to his wrists or from his wrists, i have no idea how those things work or if they work…snob.

If you knew me, you would know that I do not like A-Rod at all. I think he is the worst of the selfish/narcissist modern athlete. I really wish he didn’t play for the Yankees. Anyone else but the Yankees. I understand that a lot of athletes have personal issues and many are far worse than A-Rod, but something about him just kills me. He is a false image of a great baseball player and overwhelmed with his own image that he diligently created. I wonder if he just took less money and stayed in Seattle if i would feel this way?

Ironically, my last two packs contained these two minis. Maybe it wasn’t irony but rather the cardboard gods (my apologies to the card atheists…) balancing things in a very confusing world.

One great humanitarian for the game that would drop everything to help people in need. The other a self serving and self absorbed popcorn fed, orange spray tanning sucka! Now, don’t get me wrong, A-Rod is/was a great talent. Even with the PED rumors, i think he is one of the all time great players…it’s his attitude and entitlement that tugs at my short hairs.

So that’s it. 10 packs and +/- 500 cards later. Hope you enjoyed seeing what i pulled.

2013 Topps – Packs 5 and 6

Posted by cardboard hogs on February 18, 2013

On to the next round of packs. I actually opened one at 11:58 and another at 12:03 over night, so i guess this counts as a pack a day…back on track, for now.

The first two cards are Yankees. I hadn’t posted any Yanks yet, so i thought i would get a start today and post two. These are actually the two most notable Yankees in the box so far, so that’s the main reason i hadn’t posted others. Anyways. I LOVE the Mariano Rivera card. Great shot and on a nice thick piece of card stock. It’s just slightly off center, but i guess these things happen when you are making hundreds of them. The border around the card looks like something you would pull in a higher end card pack, but i guess it is a jumbo pack? Overall, a very nice elegant design. The Reggie Jackson card on the other hand is a little weird. I love the design of these Calling Cards and have already pulled a couple good players, but the whole “Abs of Steel” thing is kind of off putting for me. Didn’t know he was that in to his abs but i guess doing 1200 sit ups a day will lead to an obsession. If i had the time to do something 1200 times a day, not sure it would be sit ups…just saying.

The next card is L.J. Hoes, only because of his name though. Hoes. It sounds like he has some talent as he won the Brooks Robinson Award for being the top player in the Orioles organization. My favorite part of his card is this line “It was a dream come true for Hoes…” That’s pretty fantastic. All the Hoes out there should be proud, and so should the G’z. (Snoop Dogg reference)

Next up, is the man that is ‘Next Up’, Jurickson Profar. I coached a little league team for 4 years when i first moved to Portland and I remember being excited to watch the Little League World Series and remember watching Profar play. I always wonder how many of those kids go on to play major league anything. Some 12 year olds peak at 12 and their glory days get behind them quickly. Profar as any MLB scout will tell you is the real deal and should be an everyday starter very soon if not on opening day. I guess technically he has Elvis Andrus blocking him at SS, but they may be moving him to second, or third…not really sure. Any Rangers fans out there that can help with this one?

Justin Upton is a phenomenal talent and I have always loved watching him play. I’ve gone back and forth on collecting his cards and keeping them for my PC. Ultimately deciding not to once he was traded to the Braves. I was really hoping the Yankees would make a move for him, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I think he is going to have a great year with his brother. Maybe the Braves can get that elusive second World Series title…it’s a long shot, but they have a really talented outfield.

These next two cards came in the jumbo pack just like this, in the same order. I thought it was pretty cool. Kind of like a two page flip book.

Lastly, the second hit of the box is an autograph of Wily Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers. No idea who this guy is. As a quick side note, i stopped playing fantasy baseball about 2 years ago and have enjoyed all of the free time, but man, i have no idea who a lot of these guys are anymore. I used to do so much research on prospects and rookies. I would be able to tell you everything about this kid 3 years ago…but now I’m doing a card blog. I think i need to step up my research so i don’t keep saying “i have no idea who this guy is…” Very unprofessional. Back to the card. I love that it’s one of the ‘Chasing the Dream’ cards and a rookie, just wish the auto looked cleaner. No big deal though, hope he pans out. I seem to have gotten a Brewer heavy box.