A few days before the release of Topps Series 2, I ordered a jumbo box from Blowout Cards, paying a pretty decent price, a price I was even happier with after it jumped up upon release. That order was made about 11 days ago and with the end of the school year upon me, my memory is even less impressive than normal.
As I arrived home today I stopped to grab the mail and was a bit surprised to find a bubble mailer and a heavy box. Bubble mailer was easily explained, I bought Angel cards off eBay. The box was a mystery, especially since the return address just ststed, Fulfillment Center. I knew it was a box of baseball cards, but why oh why?
Fantasies of free boxes sent from the baseball cards danced in my head. Perhaps Topps decided to replace one of my crappy Pirates redemptions for a full box of cards. Yeah, not so much. It was my box from blowout, but the surprise still made the moment an exciting one.
So while the rest of you suckers exercise your brains with puzzles and eat memory foods like broccoli and spinach, I'll just go on eating cheeseburgers and enjoying the simple happiness of a forgotten purchase.
Go Halos!
Showing posts with label 2009 Topps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 Topps. Show all posts
May 22, 2009
2009 T2: Judgment Day
Thanks to the wife's excellent shopping skills, I was able to rip through some packs of 2009 Topps Series 2 and yesterday I looked mainly at the Halos and Legends. Today, it's everything else. And I figured with Terminator 4 out this weekend, we'd give a little shout out to Arnie and T(opps Series)2. It can't be merely a coincidence that T2 came out in 1991, the year that last saw Topps put out a set that focused on photography so much.
We'll start with the non-base.
Easily the lowlight of the set for me. Not to get all xenophobic on you, but I really just don't want cards of players from the Japanese WBC team or Cuban WBC team or even the USA WBC team. I was over the WBC in February, I certainly don't need to be reminded of it now, especially since they haven't even sent me my WBC redemption from series 1. Isn't it enough that Topps put out a small set of these cards?
There's nothing I can add on to the Turkey Red discussion that hasn't already been bantered about on blogs far and wide. I like 'em, you like 'em, score one for Topps.
8 packs got me 2 gold cards. Schneider and Upton. The Upton being a pretty unique and odd photo, but one that I like.
I'm not sure how I feel about golds. When I open a pack and see the gold border I get a little excited and feel like I've pulled something semi-rare, but that's where the excitement ends. I tend to stick these cards in the back of the binder or send them off in trades. Ehh.
On to the base.
You gotta love cards that have the blur of the pitch coming right at you. The Aceves card gets a bonus for horizontal positioning, while the Street also comes in with a bonus due to the odd hand placement on the follow through.
Could there be a more boring shot of a picture than one where he's covering his face while chatting with the catcher? Well, yeah there probably are many more boring, but this is certainly up there. Perhaps just one of these cards would suffice. Although they are slightly on the boring side, they also convey a little bit of baseball strategy and gamesmanship, which is not lost on me.
Two rather odd cards featuring Jeter. In one he's awkwardly leaping over a Ranger with the base no where in sight. In the other he looks almost photoshopped into the card. Combine the blank stare with his size seeming disproportionate and you've got a winner here.
Next up are two combo cards that seemingly are using the wrong combo of players.
Wouldn't Chase Utley have been a slightly more appropriate choice on a card about Philadelphia bombers? I like Jimmy Rollins, but 11 home runs is not exactly the stuff of a bomber.
Chief Lefties would seem a title appropriate to left handed pitchers that play for the Indians, so Sowers and Laffey both fit the title, but I just get the feeling that maybe Cliff Lee should have been featured here. Sure his 2009 is not following his 2008 too accurately, but the guy did when the Cy Young in '08, maybe Topps could have thrown him a bone here. Even so, the card is entirely too reminiscent on the Ray Guns card from Series 1 featuring David Price and Scott Kazmir.
Normally I loathe getting manager cards in my packs, but this may be one of my favorites. While most manager cards feature a shot similar to the one of Mike Scioscia that I posted yesterday, this card actually has a managerial action shot! Nothing beats the 64 year old manager out hitting ground balls before the game.
Votto seems to be a bit more of an emerging slugger than a guy bunting for base hits, but hey we need some diversity in our collections. Votto collectors will come to appreciate this card after seeing 10 years of photos showing yet another line drive swing.
Juan Pierre does not stand a chance on this play at second, but you've still gotta appreciate the effort and the helmet flying off to reveal the hat underneath. It's like we're back in little league.
Spring training effort, the hallmark of the on the fence youngster.
Being a third baseman all through my baseball career, I'm always a fan of cards that show third basemen making the difficult plays that are only made from that spot on the diamond.
Ryan Howard is definitely a prodigious slugger, but is there any doubt that he missed this pitch by a good two feet?
The Nelson Cruz card is on its way to becoming one of the "iconic" cards of this set. I'm pretty sure when we look back at this set and reminisce like we do about the 1991 set, this card will be the equivalent of the Benito Santiago looking up for the foul ball or the Clemens leaning against the Monster. Unfortunately, this card still leaves me wondering what Nelson Cruz looks like.
Thus ends the look at 8 packs of T2. I was sold after series 1 and series 2 did little to disappoint. Sure the WBC cards are pointless to me and will likely never find their way out of the commons box, but the rest is right on. I love the Legends, both regular and SP, the Turkey Red was well done and of course the photography was a huge step up. Now I'll just have to wait for my Jumbo box to come so I can work on completing the set and of course pick up my autograph of whichever Pirates player they decided to sneak onto the checklist.
Go Halos!
We'll start with the non-base.
Easily the lowlight of the set for me. Not to get all xenophobic on you, but I really just don't want cards of players from the Japanese WBC team or Cuban WBC team or even the USA WBC team. I was over the WBC in February, I certainly don't need to be reminded of it now, especially since they haven't even sent me my WBC redemption from series 1. Isn't it enough that Topps put out a small set of these cards?
There's nothing I can add on to the Turkey Red discussion that hasn't already been bantered about on blogs far and wide. I like 'em, you like 'em, score one for Topps.
8 packs got me 2 gold cards. Schneider and Upton. The Upton being a pretty unique and odd photo, but one that I like.
I'm not sure how I feel about golds. When I open a pack and see the gold border I get a little excited and feel like I've pulled something semi-rare, but that's where the excitement ends. I tend to stick these cards in the back of the binder or send them off in trades. Ehh.
On to the base.
You gotta love cards that have the blur of the pitch coming right at you. The Aceves card gets a bonus for horizontal positioning, while the Street also comes in with a bonus due to the odd hand placement on the follow through.
Could there be a more boring shot of a picture than one where he's covering his face while chatting with the catcher? Well, yeah there probably are many more boring, but this is certainly up there. Perhaps just one of these cards would suffice. Although they are slightly on the boring side, they also convey a little bit of baseball strategy and gamesmanship, which is not lost on me.
Two rather odd cards featuring Jeter. In one he's awkwardly leaping over a Ranger with the base no where in sight. In the other he looks almost photoshopped into the card. Combine the blank stare with his size seeming disproportionate and you've got a winner here.
Next up are two combo cards that seemingly are using the wrong combo of players.
Wouldn't Chase Utley have been a slightly more appropriate choice on a card about Philadelphia bombers? I like Jimmy Rollins, but 11 home runs is not exactly the stuff of a bomber.
Chief Lefties would seem a title appropriate to left handed pitchers that play for the Indians, so Sowers and Laffey both fit the title, but I just get the feeling that maybe Cliff Lee should have been featured here. Sure his 2009 is not following his 2008 too accurately, but the guy did when the Cy Young in '08, maybe Topps could have thrown him a bone here. Even so, the card is entirely too reminiscent on the Ray Guns card from Series 1 featuring David Price and Scott Kazmir.
Normally I loathe getting manager cards in my packs, but this may be one of my favorites. While most manager cards feature a shot similar to the one of Mike Scioscia that I posted yesterday, this card actually has a managerial action shot! Nothing beats the 64 year old manager out hitting ground balls before the game.
Votto seems to be a bit more of an emerging slugger than a guy bunting for base hits, but hey we need some diversity in our collections. Votto collectors will come to appreciate this card after seeing 10 years of photos showing yet another line drive swing.
Juan Pierre does not stand a chance on this play at second, but you've still gotta appreciate the effort and the helmet flying off to reveal the hat underneath. It's like we're back in little league.
Spring training effort, the hallmark of the on the fence youngster.
Being a third baseman all through my baseball career, I'm always a fan of cards that show third basemen making the difficult plays that are only made from that spot on the diamond.
Ryan Howard is definitely a prodigious slugger, but is there any doubt that he missed this pitch by a good two feet?
The Nelson Cruz card is on its way to becoming one of the "iconic" cards of this set. I'm pretty sure when we look back at this set and reminisce like we do about the 1991 set, this card will be the equivalent of the Benito Santiago looking up for the foul ball or the Clemens leaning against the Monster. Unfortunately, this card still leaves me wondering what Nelson Cruz looks like.
Thus ends the look at 8 packs of T2. I was sold after series 1 and series 2 did little to disappoint. Sure the WBC cards are pointless to me and will likely never find their way out of the commons box, but the rest is right on. I love the Legends, both regular and SP, the Turkey Red was well done and of course the photography was a huge step up. Now I'll just have to wait for my Jumbo box to come so I can work on completing the set and of course pick up my autograph of whichever Pirates player they decided to sneak onto the checklist.
Go Halos!
May 21, 2009
2009 Topps Series 2: The Quest Begins
Thanks to the efforts of the wife tonight, I was able to rip into some series 2 packs and finally quench the desire for some new cards. Outside of series 1 Topps and UD, I haven't bought packs of any new cards this year. A combination of budget and just dislike for much of what's out there has led to a fairly dry year. Thankfully, the venture into blogging has provided a number of new Angels cards which have more than filled in the gaps.
The wife was able to snag 8 packs at Target, so I figured I'd show off the Halos and Legends cards today and hopefully the rest of the highlights tomorrow.
The HALOS!
Sure, it's just a ToppsTown card, but at least it's a TT card of Vlad wielding imposing wooden stick of doom.
For once all of the unnecessary signage and clutter in dugouts today has paid off by revealing that this picture was taken in Cleveland. OK, so it's not much of a payoff, but I'm always a little bit curious of where the card pictures originated from.
I like the horizontal and feel like it's one of the best parts about this set, but couldn't Topps have found a picture from the regular season for Kendry. I realize cards like this happen for players new to the team like Abreu (below), but K-Mo deserved better.
Outside of Torii Hunter, Abreu has pretty much been the offensive highlight for the Angels this season. With his zero home runs, that should tell you a little something about the Halo offense. Even without the power, this signing has been really important for the Angels this season. Hopefully a healthy Vlad can start driving him in upon his return.
Love the angle that this photo was taken at. Matthews will never be a beloved Angel, but at least he has a card that I will look back on fondly on 55 million dollars later.
Vladdy the Legend. I hadn't looked through any of the checklists for Series 2 or glanced at many blogs lately, so this was a very cool surprise. It's easy to get frustrated watching Vlad swing wildly at balls in the dirt or over his head, but it's also nice to open a pack of cards and see one of the players from your team on a card designated for legends.
Speaking of legends...
Cy Young. Apparently this guy was good enough to have an award named after him.
Mel Ott. 511 home runs for a guy who stood 5'9" and weighed 170 pounds. Obviously it was a different game in Ott's era, but it's fascinating to look back at these accomplishments.
Campy. 10 seasons, 3 MVP awards. Campy was a man of efficiency.
Rogers Hornsby. The Career Best cards are interesting in that they show you the best a player did in each offensive category at some point in their career. The numbers on the back of the Hornsby card are incredible. A season with a .424 average, 250 hits, an OPS of 1.245, 42 homers, 152 RBIs, 47 doubles, 20 triples, 156 runs scored...and it goes on. Incredible.
And finally, the legendary SP
I really enjoy these SPs and wish I had the money to chase after them. While the legends cards in general are a highlight to me in 2009 Topps, these cards are even more interesting in that they just blend in with the set. My eyes did a double take when I realized this was a Jim Palmer card and unlike the Mickey Mantle cards of past years, these cards look natural and like they should be part of the set. This one really has me tempted to go after more.
That does it for part 1 of the 8 pack break. Some nice Halos and some even cooler Legends of the Game. While the photography for '09 has been lauded often, it's the Legends that put this set over the top for me. After opening packs I tend to spend another half hour on the internet looking up information on the players and reading various writeups. These cards make me feel better about baseball and that's always a good thing.
Part 2 tomorrow...hopefully.
Go Halos!
The wife was able to snag 8 packs at Target, so I figured I'd show off the Halos and Legends cards today and hopefully the rest of the highlights tomorrow.
The HALOS!
Sure, it's just a ToppsTown card, but at least it's a TT card of Vlad wielding imposing wooden stick of doom.
For once all of the unnecessary signage and clutter in dugouts today has paid off by revealing that this picture was taken in Cleveland. OK, so it's not much of a payoff, but I'm always a little bit curious of where the card pictures originated from.
I like the horizontal and feel like it's one of the best parts about this set, but couldn't Topps have found a picture from the regular season for Kendry. I realize cards like this happen for players new to the team like Abreu (below), but K-Mo deserved better.
Outside of Torii Hunter, Abreu has pretty much been the offensive highlight for the Angels this season. With his zero home runs, that should tell you a little something about the Halo offense. Even without the power, this signing has been really important for the Angels this season. Hopefully a healthy Vlad can start driving him in upon his return.
Love the angle that this photo was taken at. Matthews will never be a beloved Angel, but at least he has a card that I will look back on fondly on 55 million dollars later.
Vladdy the Legend. I hadn't looked through any of the checklists for Series 2 or glanced at many blogs lately, so this was a very cool surprise. It's easy to get frustrated watching Vlad swing wildly at balls in the dirt or over his head, but it's also nice to open a pack of cards and see one of the players from your team on a card designated for legends.
Speaking of legends...
Cy Young. Apparently this guy was good enough to have an award named after him.
Mel Ott. 511 home runs for a guy who stood 5'9" and weighed 170 pounds. Obviously it was a different game in Ott's era, but it's fascinating to look back at these accomplishments.
Campy. 10 seasons, 3 MVP awards. Campy was a man of efficiency.
Rogers Hornsby. The Career Best cards are interesting in that they show you the best a player did in each offensive category at some point in their career. The numbers on the back of the Hornsby card are incredible. A season with a .424 average, 250 hits, an OPS of 1.245, 42 homers, 152 RBIs, 47 doubles, 20 triples, 156 runs scored...and it goes on. Incredible.
And finally, the legendary SP
I really enjoy these SPs and wish I had the money to chase after them. While the legends cards in general are a highlight to me in 2009 Topps, these cards are even more interesting in that they just blend in with the set. My eyes did a double take when I realized this was a Jim Palmer card and unlike the Mickey Mantle cards of past years, these cards look natural and like they should be part of the set. This one really has me tempted to go after more.
That does it for part 1 of the 8 pack break. Some nice Halos and some even cooler Legends of the Game. While the photography for '09 has been lauded often, it's the Legends that put this set over the top for me. After opening packs I tend to spend another half hour on the internet looking up information on the players and reading various writeups. These cards make me feel better about baseball and that's always a good thing.
Part 2 tomorrow...hopefully.
Go Halos!
May 20, 2009
Getting a Card Fix From a Junkie
I've been in a bit of a funk lately, but nothing pulls you out of a funk quite like some free cards. These were courtesy of Jeffrey over at Card Junkie. First Jeff sent along some Angels cards as a thank you and then followed that up with a couple of cards from off of my 2009 Topps Series 1 Wantlist. These 2 cards put me just 8 away from finally putting to sleep Series 1.
First up, the 2009 Topps cards, both of the horizontal persuasion.
I'm thinking a more creative photo might have been in order for a card celebrating an MVP.
On the other hand, the Furcal cards is just plain sweet. Excellent use of the horizontal.
On to the Halos. Jeff sent a number of cards from various sets, so I'll hit you with a couple of highlights.
My first and maybe only 2009 Goudey card. The reviews have been poor and my budget is tight. Not a good combo for the boys at Upper Deck seeing my dollars. I've been itching to open some packs and Goudey has been at the Target for a couple of weeks, but even so I haven't been able to pull the trigger. Not a good sign.
I'm not the biggest 88 Fleer fan, but I like a lot about this card. The pure 80s spectators are nice, combined with the dirty uniform, real stirrups, the old orange railing that made any Anaheim Stadium background card instantly recognizable and the Schofield batting stance which looks to me like a guy who's a bit scared of the ball being thrown in his direction.
DiSar the prospect.
Polonia the superstar.
The highlight of all the cards. I have no idea what set this came from. It's numbered 537, so apparently there are a number of this set floating around, but outside of that it has no identification. Even the back only has a 3 paragraph write-up about the "Best Hitters in Baseball" and nothing else. Odd and wonderful.
Thanks for the cards Jeff, I really appreciate them.
Go Halos!
First up, the 2009 Topps cards, both of the horizontal persuasion.
I'm thinking a more creative photo might have been in order for a card celebrating an MVP.
On the other hand, the Furcal cards is just plain sweet. Excellent use of the horizontal.
On to the Halos. Jeff sent a number of cards from various sets, so I'll hit you with a couple of highlights.
My first and maybe only 2009 Goudey card. The reviews have been poor and my budget is tight. Not a good combo for the boys at Upper Deck seeing my dollars. I've been itching to open some packs and Goudey has been at the Target for a couple of weeks, but even so I haven't been able to pull the trigger. Not a good sign.
I'm not the biggest 88 Fleer fan, but I like a lot about this card. The pure 80s spectators are nice, combined with the dirty uniform, real stirrups, the old orange railing that made any Anaheim Stadium background card instantly recognizable and the Schofield batting stance which looks to me like a guy who's a bit scared of the ball being thrown in his direction.
DiSar the prospect.
Polonia the superstar.
The highlight of all the cards. I have no idea what set this came from. It's numbered 537, so apparently there are a number of this set floating around, but outside of that it has no identification. Even the back only has a 3 paragraph write-up about the "Best Hitters in Baseball" and nothing else. Odd and wonderful.
Thanks for the cards Jeff, I really appreciate them.
Go Halos!
May 14, 2009
Whittling Away at Series One
Thanks to Ed at Roll out the Barrel, I am slowly making my way towards a completed series one Topps set. After reading my post about mistakenly getting Topps Throwback cards, Ed sent me an e-mail, offered up his cards for free and I received them within a couple of days. It doesn't get any better than that.
Ed sent along the above cards: 9, 14, 54, 60, 70, 73, 84, 121, 128, 148, 180, 230, 245, 274, 308 so now I'm only in need of:
7, 41, 63, 66, 105, 108, 137, 179, 200, 266
10 cards to go. It can be done.
Thanks again Ed, I really appreciate the help towards this goal. I'm working on something to send off as a thank you. Hopefully I'll finish this set off before becoming too overwhelmed by series 2.
Go Halos!
Ed sent along the above cards: 9, 14, 54, 60, 70, 73, 84, 121, 128, 148, 180, 230, 245, 274, 308 so now I'm only in need of:
7, 41, 63, 66, 105, 108, 137, 179, 200, 266
10 cards to go. It can be done.
Thanks again Ed, I really appreciate the help towards this goal. I'm working on something to send off as a thank you. Hopefully I'll finish this set off before becoming too overwhelmed by series 2.
Go Halos!
Feb 28, 2009
2009 Topps: Black vs. White
I had to do it. I'm a sucker. And I'm okay with that. When I saw the Black Topps cards start popping up, I knew I'd be heading over to Wal-Mart and taking the plunge. I also knew after a few cards, a comparison was needed. So which style reigns supreme? Well, let's get to the matchups.
The category: Actions Shots
The entrant: Reggie Abercrombie
Is this a collison at home plate or just two mean fumbling in the dark, slamming into one another? While I don't think the black enhances the card, it doesn't do major damage either. But you can see some odd outlines around the flying helmet apparati, so that drops it a point for me.
Advantage: White
The category: Horizontal Action Shots
The entrant: Grady Sizemore
The black didn't stand a chance on this card. It's one thing to black out a few innocent bystanders in the stands, but to black out the checkered outfield lawn, well that just ain't right.
Advantage: White
While we're already horizontal, let's look at a couple of more Sideways entries.
The category: Sideways Shots
The entrant: Alex Gordon
You can't have a Topps gimmick without thinking back to Alex. As for the battle of good vs. evil, I think evil may have picked one up here. I like how the blue colors pop against the black background and borders.
Advantage: Black
The category: The Original 2009 Topps Image
The entrant: Albert Pujols
The black makes the image pop somewhat, but there's also a loss of ambiance and perspective. Hmmm....
Advantage: There are no winners when it comes to awkward, slightly homo-erotic squat shots.
The category: Iconic Stadium Shots
The entrant: Jay Payton
Jay lost among the ivy, good. Jay with a faded out ivy backdrop, not so good.
Advantage: White
The category: Hobby Superstar In The Playoffs
The entrant: Evan Longoria
This is a tough one because the black is doing nothing wrong and may even be a cooler look, but it has one fatal flaw. The white card can be used to prove that Yes, the Rays do have at least a handful of fans who were willing to go to the Trop and watch a game.
Advantage: White
OK, White is clearly dominating at this point 4-1, time for Black to break out the big guns.
The category: Southern California Shortstops and their Eyewear
The subjects: Erick Aybar and Angel Berroa
Both are pretty decent cards in their original white incarnations, but the black takes these cards to another level. They look like ridiculous futuristic baseball players from the apocalypse in the black. Check out the glowing glasses they're wearing in the dark. Well done, Topps. Well done.
Advantage: Black x2
The category: Innocent Jogs Towards Home
The entrant: Edwin Encarnacion
In the white version, Edwin looks a bit confused, but he's making a happy jaunt home. In the black, he looks terrified and we have no idea where he's coming from or what might be chasing him.
Advantage: Black
The category: Farewell Chicago
The entrant: Ken Griffey Jr.
The white card is a bit mundane and doesn't offer much from a fading legend. However, the black card makes Griffey come alive. Suddenly he's on stage with the spotlight shining down him. Or is it the white light of his career calling Griffey towards it? Either way, this one is an easy decision.
Advantage: Black.
Just like that, it's 5-4 Black, with just a couple more entries to go.
The category: Awkward Pics in the Batter's Box
The entrant: Carl Crawford
This one's a coin flip for me. The black again makes the image pop, but it's missing one thing. Where's the flying dirt? Bad black out Topps. The dirt deserved to live.
Advantage: White
We're all tied up, with one to play.
The category: Halos
The entrant: Brandon Wood
Brandon has clearly lifted one deep. But where is he doing it? Is he on the road at any of a number of American League ballparks, or has expansion taken over Major League Baseball and Brandon is now taking one deep on the moon!! Hmmm, with gravity being what it is on the moon, Brandon would go from warning track power to an absolute beast. He'd be Dante Bichette with the Rockies. How can we deny that?
Advantage: Black
It all becomes so clear when you break it down in a structured and clearly unbiased environment. Black is the dominant and superior base card look for 2009. Congratulations Topps, you've actually come up with a gimmick that I like. And now I have to sink more money into your stupid blasters. Brilliant.
The category: Actions Shots
The entrant: Reggie Abercrombie
Is this a collison at home plate or just two mean fumbling in the dark, slamming into one another? While I don't think the black enhances the card, it doesn't do major damage either. But you can see some odd outlines around the flying helmet apparati, so that drops it a point for me.
Advantage: White
The category: Horizontal Action Shots
The entrant: Grady Sizemore
The black didn't stand a chance on this card. It's one thing to black out a few innocent bystanders in the stands, but to black out the checkered outfield lawn, well that just ain't right.
Advantage: White
While we're already horizontal, let's look at a couple of more Sideways entries.
The category: Sideways Shots
The entrant: Alex Gordon
You can't have a Topps gimmick without thinking back to Alex. As for the battle of good vs. evil, I think evil may have picked one up here. I like how the blue colors pop against the black background and borders.
Advantage: Black
The category: The Original 2009 Topps Image
The entrant: Albert Pujols
The black makes the image pop somewhat, but there's also a loss of ambiance and perspective. Hmmm....
Advantage: There are no winners when it comes to awkward, slightly homo-erotic squat shots.
The category: Iconic Stadium Shots
The entrant: Jay Payton
Jay lost among the ivy, good. Jay with a faded out ivy backdrop, not so good.
Advantage: White
The category: Hobby Superstar In The Playoffs
The entrant: Evan Longoria
This is a tough one because the black is doing nothing wrong and may even be a cooler look, but it has one fatal flaw. The white card can be used to prove that Yes, the Rays do have at least a handful of fans who were willing to go to the Trop and watch a game.
Advantage: White
OK, White is clearly dominating at this point 4-1, time for Black to break out the big guns.
The category: Southern California Shortstops and their Eyewear
The subjects: Erick Aybar and Angel Berroa
Both are pretty decent cards in their original white incarnations, but the black takes these cards to another level. They look like ridiculous futuristic baseball players from the apocalypse in the black. Check out the glowing glasses they're wearing in the dark. Well done, Topps. Well done.
Advantage: Black x2
The category: Innocent Jogs Towards Home
The entrant: Edwin Encarnacion
In the white version, Edwin looks a bit confused, but he's making a happy jaunt home. In the black, he looks terrified and we have no idea where he's coming from or what might be chasing him.
Advantage: Black
The category: Farewell Chicago
The entrant: Ken Griffey Jr.
The white card is a bit mundane and doesn't offer much from a fading legend. However, the black card makes Griffey come alive. Suddenly he's on stage with the spotlight shining down him. Or is it the white light of his career calling Griffey towards it? Either way, this one is an easy decision.
Advantage: Black.
Just like that, it's 5-4 Black, with just a couple more entries to go.
The category: Awkward Pics in the Batter's Box
The entrant: Carl Crawford
This one's a coin flip for me. The black again makes the image pop, but it's missing one thing. Where's the flying dirt? Bad black out Topps. The dirt deserved to live.
Advantage: White
We're all tied up, with one to play.
The category: Halos
The entrant: Brandon Wood
Brandon has clearly lifted one deep. But where is he doing it? Is he on the road at any of a number of American League ballparks, or has expansion taken over Major League Baseball and Brandon is now taking one deep on the moon!! Hmmm, with gravity being what it is on the moon, Brandon would go from warning track power to an absolute beast. He'd be Dante Bichette with the Rockies. How can we deny that?
Advantage: Black
It all becomes so clear when you break it down in a structured and clearly unbiased environment. Black is the dominant and superior base card look for 2009. Congratulations Topps, you've actually come up with a gimmick that I like. And now I have to sink more money into your stupid blasters. Brilliant.
Feb 2, 2009
My 2009 Topps Conundrum
I've got a problem and it's all the internet's fault. As word spread that retail packs of 2009 Topps had hit the shelves of Targets here and there, I set out to look for a few packs of my own. Of course being on the west coast, it seems like everything arrives here a couple of days later than it does to the east. Or maybe that's just my paranoid view as I sit stewing and wondering if I should hit up Target again today when I leave work.
So what does this have to do with the internet and my anger towards it? There are a number of collectors who have come across these packs and started posting the cards on their blogs. I'm intrigued, I want to experience this as well, but ultimately I want to have the cards in my hand. There's something about seeing a card for the first time in your possesion. I want to shuffle through the pack and see an Angels logo, reveal the rest of the card and marvel at the details. I want the experience to be tactile, not just me staring at someone else's scans.
So I sit here on a Monday morning, waiting for my classes to start, itching to click over to a few blogs and check out their cards, but I'm scared. I don't want to ruin the experience for myself, even though I'll probably have no idea what the Yuniesky Betancourt card looked like when I saw it on blog X, it's just the feeling that I won't be able to truly enjoy my own experience that has me conflicted.
For now I will resist the urge and hope to find my own packs soon. I'm just not sure what I'll do though if I look over at my blog roll and see that a Howie Kendrick Topps mega screw-up gimmick card has been released.
Go Halos!
So what does this have to do with the internet and my anger towards it? There are a number of collectors who have come across these packs and started posting the cards on their blogs. I'm intrigued, I want to experience this as well, but ultimately I want to have the cards in my hand. There's something about seeing a card for the first time in your possesion. I want to shuffle through the pack and see an Angels logo, reveal the rest of the card and marvel at the details. I want the experience to be tactile, not just me staring at someone else's scans.
So I sit here on a Monday morning, waiting for my classes to start, itching to click over to a few blogs and check out their cards, but I'm scared. I don't want to ruin the experience for myself, even though I'll probably have no idea what the Yuniesky Betancourt card looked like when I saw it on blog X, it's just the feeling that I won't be able to truly enjoy my own experience that has me conflicted.
For now I will resist the urge and hope to find my own packs soon. I'm just not sure what I'll do though if I look over at my blog roll and see that a Howie Kendrick Topps mega screw-up gimmick card has been released.
Go Halos!
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