2014 Topps S1 – Packs 7 and 8

Posted by cardboard hogs on February 27, 2014

Yeah, it’s been a while. I haven’t posted since the 10th. I was on such a roll too! Life.

I’m going to stick with the 2014 Topps Jumbo duo pack breakdown because I like order and crossing things of off lists. It’s a problem, but it’s my problem. I pray to whatever you choose to believe in that you have already seen these cards, so that none of them should be eye openers. My hope though is that i can knock it out of the park with my witty narrative…or not. You will be the judge of that.

I’m going to go ahead and start with the box autograph ‘hit’. Not because i’m super excited about it, but because if you are reading this, you probably pulled this auto as well. From what i’ve seen on the other blogs, this card is a popular pull from this years Topps. Way to diversify your packs Mr. Topps company. Andrew Lamb-oh everyone.

I did get a couple of Harper’s in one pack. My first look through the pack and i completely missed the Power Player logo on the lower right of the card. It’s a Harper parallel and an insert. Nice. Here’s hoping the Bryce kid tears it up this season and avoids walls.

Another nice little pull from these two packs was a Casey Janssen black border card. See! It has a black border!

Next up is a Derek Jeter All Rookie Cup team. It’s not the athletic supporter type of cup, which is probably best for us all considering how many gift baskets this guy has handed out. He is stellar in his accomplishments on and off the field. A legend.

Maddux Mini. Why is the border yellow? WHY!

A gimmicky base card from Topps that you have seen on every blog from everyone that has opened a Topps pack this year. I can’t wait to put this one in a 9 pocket sleeve in a binder and forget all about it. He’s catching a football. Maybe I should get out my Nolan Ryan slinging the pigskin card out and put them side by side.

I pulled two buy back cards and this one is a very Brave Ralph Garr, no relation to Terry Garr I imagine. Maybe thirds cousins?

Sean Doolittle closing it out with a very red and pubic-y beard and 90’s Oakley glasses and a t-shirt that has words on it. Great photo selection Topps. Great selection.

Two more packs to go with a nice thick card that will make some of you smile, and then it’s back to some good ole vintage Redskins…or maybe a few card show pickups from a future show.

Oh hey, i’ve gotten around to posting a few very random cards on ebay. Please take a look if you are interested in bidding on them. The cards that don’t sell will be available for trade, or will end up back on ebay.

2014 Topps S1 – Packs 5 and 6

Posted by cardboard hogs on February 10, 2014

I’m now 6 packs deep and haven’t pulled a big hit…but I’m going to show you what i’ve got anyways. Because I know you all love to see some scans of base cards and stuff.

Donny Baseball was one of my favorite players growing up, not Rickey Henderson favorite, but way ahead of whomever was third at the time…maybe Nolan Ryan or George Brett? Mattingly was always an elusive pull or me. I never got his card in the packs I bought during the 1985 and 1986 seasons. I got a whole bunch of 1987 Topps though…damn that set was so overproduced. I think I had about 4 complete sets that year due to everyone in my family buying me boxes from Sam’s. Mattingly seemed destined for the Hall of Fame and put up phenomenal numbers especially with a healthy Rickey Henderson hitting in front of him. Seeing this young skinny photo of Donny baseball brings back some great memories of being a young collector. I appreciate Topps pulling old stock photos of baseballs legends and the players that were really good. It keeps the older kids connected and provides a great lesson for the kids that are starting to collect.

Topps has also provided the kids with a look at their previous card designs, which is also a very good thing in my mind. Although, i’m not sure if copying the late 80’s and early 90’s is the way to go. Best to make up for it by making these babies die cut.

Here are some Power Player cards that have powerful players on them. Yadi would like to salute you and Giancarlo is getting a Marlin cortisone shot to the knee…sorry…I couldn’t think of anything else to add to these cards. It’s a parallel that could have been more parallel-y in my mind. I guess changing the border color has been done a million times. Maybe if they edited out the backgrounds…I don’t know, crap. I actually didn’t notice these were Power Player cards at first pass. My oversight was corrected when I realized that these ‘base’ cards should not have been in the middle of the pack. I’m sleuthy!

Love the Mo cards. Love the bottom one the most though. Such a great baseball moment.

The next two cards are last because they deserve to be last.

Although the back of Melky’s card doesn’t suggest anything about PED as Night Owl had suggested it should. I find it telling that Topps decided to quote A-Rod with the very insightful “He’s a big, big, big-time player.” That’s three bigs. I would have gone with he’s a big, bigger, biggest time player but that wouldn’t make much sense either. Don’t do drugs kids, especially if they are to be inserted with needles.

Lastly. This guy. The finger pointer. Topps was smart enough to not drop any photos of him with eye black. I’m finding it difficult to justify writing what I feel about his homophobic eye black last year. He seemed to play it off as ignorance and something that wasn’t a big deal.

But, I’m an adult and I know words can be filled with hate and bad intentions. My dilemma though, is that I’m a die hard Redskins fan. Another term that has been deemed as hateful or oppressive. It’s an unfair position for me to be ok with one derogatory term but not with another. It doesn’t really matter if one is worse, if the words offend someone than it’s an offensive term…besides, what’s with finger pointing at the cameraman? Who does that?