A List of Stuff I've Been Thinking About

1. I'm busy doing other things I'm enjoying more than collecting cards right now.

2. Panini: Please stop wasting paper and killing trees with your unlicensed baseball crap.

3. Topps: Please stop resting on your laurels and make some original designs for your cards.

4. Topps: Please use a little more common sense.

5. Orioles: Please stop being cheap or you're going to end up in last place in the division this year.

6. Maybe I'll be back one day to bore you all more with my lame writing.

2013 Topps Chrome Group Break Box #2

It's hard to believe we're halfway home in the group break already!  I guess thats what happens when there's only 2 boxes to bust!  I'm not going to scan any regular refractors in this box since they aren't really that rare.  So without further ado, lets bust 'em!

Box 2, Pack #1
183 Matt Holliday - Cardinals
102 Brandon Maurer - Mariners
189 Alfredo Marte  Refractor - Diamondbacks
153 Dan Straily - A's

Pack #2
47 Jake Peavy - White Sox
68 Paul Konerko - White Sox
214 Eric Hosmer - Royals
167 Brandon Phillips - Reds

We're off to a bit of a slow start for box #2. I hope the luck starts to turn around.

Pack #3
30 Adam Warren - Yankees
107 Carlos Martinez Refractor - Cardinals
93 Brandon Boggs - Astros
201 Adam Dunn - White Sox

Pack #4
154 Nick Franklin - Mariners
177 Mike Moustakas Refractor - Royals
190 Adam LaRoche - Nationals
130 Kyuji Fujikawa - Cubs

Pack #5
67 Ryan Vogelsong - Giants
132 Ricky Nolasco - Marlins
39 Mike Zunino Refractor - Mariners
41 Jayson Werth - Nationals

Still kinda blah packs right now. We're only 5 packs in.

Pack #6
156 Mike Kickham - Giants  I saw Kickham pitch here in Richmond for the Flying Squirrels (Double-A farm team for the Giants)
85 Bruce Rondon - Tigers

189 Alfredo Marte Rookie Autograph - Diamondbacks
Nice hit for the D'backs.  They weren't claimed so somebody got a random autograph!
33 Marcell Ozuna - Marlins

Pack #7
118 Mariano Rivera - Yankees

CC-JR Jose Reyes Chrome Connections - Blue Jays
27 Rob Brantly - Marlins
106 Jered Weaver - Angels

Pack #8
1 Mike Trout - Angels
175 Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers

72C-SS Stephen Strasburg 1972 Topps Chrome - Nationals
Judson is hogging all the '72 Topps Chromes!
110 Matt Magill - Dodgers

Pack #9
70 Josh Hamilton - Angels
I still can't get used to see him in an Angles uni.
10 Derek Jeter - Yankees
19 Adrian Gonzalez - Dodgers
92 Dustin Pedroia - Red Sox
There's a lot of big money players in this pack!

Pack #10
86 Angel Pagan - Giants

CC-YD Yu Darvish Chrome Connections - Rangers
196 Jarrod Parker - A's
176 Wilin Rosario - Rockies

We are still looking for some colored refractors somewhere in this box and the whole break for that matter!

Pack #11
129 Jason Kubel - Diamondbacks
126 Anthony Rendon - Nationals
149 Yonder Alonso - Padres
123 Todd Frazier - Reds

Pack #12
150 Justin Verlander - Tigers
133 Will Middlebrooks - Red Sox

72C-DB Dylan Bundy 1972 Topps Chrome - Orioles
Almost halfway thru the box I finally get an Oriole card
49 Andrew McCutchen - Pirates

Pack #13
210 Gerrit Cole - Pirates
125 Dylan Bundy - Orioles
5 Lucas Duda Refractor - Mets
151 Justin Wilson - Pirates
Back to back packs with the young Orioles ace-in-training!

Pack #14
164 Alex Wood - Braves

RHR-DB RED HOT ROOKIE DYLAN BUNDY AUTOGRAPH #D 18/25........
HOOOOO LLLLLEEEEEEEEEE SSSSSMMMMMMMMOOOOOOKKKKEEEEEESSSSSS.  I seriously cannot beleive my eyes and I have goosebumps.  At the beginning of the break I was hoping for a Bundy or Machado autographed rookie card but this is even better!  I hope this doesn't count
as our second autograph from the box since is kind of an insert card.  BTW, the Red Hot rookies fall 1 in every 4945 packs.  So that means since there are 10 subjects in the set the already astronomical odds of pulling a Bundy becomes in in every 49,450 packs!  I will probably never pull a better card in my lifetime!
83 Shin-Soo Choo - Reds
207 Miguel Montero - Diamondbacks

Pack #15
208 Cliff Lee - Phillies

142 David Wright Blue Refractor #d 118/199
Wow a really nice looking card for the Mets.  I like that the Blue border isn't quite as dark this year!
145 Jose Reyes - Blue Jays
96 Yoenis Cespedes - A's

Pack #16
136 Albert Pujols - Angels
179 Aaron Hicks - Twins
54 Brett Lawrie Refractor - Blue Jays
192 Jake Odorizzi - Rays

Pack #17
81 Starling Marte - Pirates
48 Andre Ethier - Dodgers
195 Curtis Granderson Refractor - Yankees
36 Jim Johnson - Orioles

Pack #18
69 Brad Zeigler - Diamondbacks

172 MARK TEIXEIRA RED REFRACTOR #D 3/5 - YANKEES
Wow, I'm no Yankees or Teixiera fan but you can't deny the fact that there are only 5 of these in the world!
88 Tyler Skaggs - Diamondbacks
182 Paco Rodriguez - Dodgers

Pack #19
60 Jonathan Niese - Mets
29 Shane Victorino X-fractor  - Red Sox
140 Alex Gordon - Royals
144 Alex Rios - White Sox

Pack #20
61 Jonathan Papelbon - Phillies
74 Michael Bourn - Indians
206 Joey Votto Refractor - Reds
188 Martin Prado - Diamondbacks

4 more packs to go.

Pack #21
159 Chris Johnson - Braves

DY-AW Adam Wainwright Dynamic Diecuts - Cardinals
203 Desmond Jennings - Rays
168 alex rodriguez - yankees

Pack #22
165 Ryan Howard - Phillies
104 Roy Halladay Xfractor - Phillies
155 Adam Eaton - Diamondbacks
178 Jedd Gyorko - Padres

Pack #23
14 Josh Rutledge - Rockies
107 Carlos Martinez Refractor - Cardinals
193 Nelson Cruz - Rangers
99 Craig Kimbrel - Braves

Pack #24
21 Carlos Santana - Indians
39 Mike Zunino X-Fractor - Mariners
22 Khristopher Davis - Brewers
184 Prince Fielder - Tigers

So the group break comes to a close. I hope everyone has enjoyed it.  I love busting packs and I love interaction with other bloggers so I love doing group breaks.  Dave and Adam's always gives away free packs of cards with any order over $75 so I decided to get the 4 2010 Upper Deck Hobby packs.  I'll be including those in the packages.  I'm not going to list them here so there will be a little surprise in your packages when you get them.

I'm going to be very busy this weekend building my workshop/shed but I hope to get all of the packages mailed out on Monday.

2013 Topps Chrome Group Break Box # 1

UPS delivered the 2 hobby boxes to my home this morning so know it's time to start busting some packs since the sun has gone down and I can't cut lumber and nail them together without night vision goggles.  Unfortunately, the wifey will not be helping me with this first round of packs.  Maybe we'll get some toilet humor tomorrow.

It's pretty sweet that Manny Machado is on the box!


Here we go:

Box 1, Pack #1:

213 Gio Gonzalez - Nationals
These look more like the Walmart Black background parallels from a few years back when they are scanned.  I probably won't scan anymore regular base cards from here on out.
205 Ben Zobrist - Rays
158 Anthony Rizzo - Cubs
135 David Freese - Cardinals

Pack #2
37 Madison Bumgarner - Giants
211 Carlos Beltran - Cardinals

DY-AP Albert Pujols Dynamic Diecuts - Angels
A Really nice looking card.  These are seeded 1:24 packs so we probably won't get another in this box.
75 Robinson Cano - Yankees

Pack #3
64 Tim Lincecum - Giants

216 Pablo Sandoval Refractor - Giants
50 Stephen Strasburg - Nationals
124 Aroldis Chapman - Reds

Pack #4
198 Tommy Milone - A's

2 Hunter Pence Refractor - Giants
The Giants are off to a good start!
199 Yu Darvish - Rangers
191 Dexter Fowler - Rockies

Pack #5
143 Justin Upton - Braves

112 Allen Webster Autograph - Red Sox
38 Joe Mauer - Twins
18 Kris Medlen - Braves
A good pack for the Braves but the real winner are the Red Sox with the first autograph of the break!

Pack #6
28 Hiroki Kuroda - Yankees
209 Jeremy Hellickson - Rays

72C-YC Yoenis Cespedes 1972 Refractor - A's
I think all of the 1972's are refractors because this one as well as the 2 I got in my Target packs today are refractors
51 Sergio Romo - Giants

Pack #7
54 Brett Lawrie - Blue Jays
195 Curtis Granderson - Tigers

127 David Price Refractor - Rays
90 Ben Revere - Phillies

Pack #8
43 Adam Wainwright - Cardinals
220 Bryce Harper - Nationals

CC-DO David Ortiz Chrome Connections - Red Sox
A sharp card (literally!) for the Sox.  The Red Sox weren't chosen by anyone but I'm sure Jason will be happy to have this card and the autograph
95 Austin Jackson - Tigers

Pack #9
9 Trevor Bauer - Indians
100 Miguel Cabrera - Tigers

26 Carlos Ruiz Refractor- Phillies
166 Jackie Bradley Jr. - Red Sox

Pack #10
53 Derek Holland - Rangers
186 Oswaldo Arcia - Twins

72C-BH Bryce Harper 1972 Topps Collection - Nationals
Nice Hit for Judson!
5 Lucas Duda - Mets

Pack #11
148 Evan Gattis - Braves
8 Matt Cain - Giants
24 Nick Maronde - Angels
32 Jose Fernandez - Marlins
I finally get on the board with a card from my random team.  The weird part is that the logo is the Mariners!  I checked his regular Topps card and the mini and they correctly have the the Marlins logo.  How does that get screwed up for Chrome? WTF?

Pack #12
139 Wade Miley - Diamondbacks

74 Michael Bourn Black Refractor #d 26/100 - Indians
Congrats Baseball Dad!
56 Carl Crawford - Dodgers
4 Jon Jay - Cardinals

Pack #13
152 Adam Jones - Orioles (Finally in lucky #13)
45 Salvador Perez - Royals

202 James Shields Refractor - Royals
66 Avisail Garcia - Tigers

Pack #14
119 Michael Wacha - Cardinals
16 Wil Myers - Rays

217 Justin Morneau Refractor - Twins
78 Nolan Arenado - Rockies

Pack #15
13 Yovani Gallardo - Brewers

CC-BH Bryce Harper Chrome Connections - Nationals
The Second Harper insert in the box.  Lucky Judson!
55 Mike Olt - Rangers
122 - Adrian Beltre - Rangers

Pack #16
174 CC Sabathia - Yankees

20 Matt Kemp Xfractor - Dodgers
163 Ryan Braun - Brewers
142 David Wright - Mets

Pack #17
7 Lance Lynn - Cardinals

2 Hunter Pence Xfractor - Giants
87 Kyle Gibson - Twins
72 Victor Martinez - Tigers

Pack #18
103 Chase Utley - Philles
58 Asdrubal Cabrera - Indians
215 Domonic Brown - Phillies
46 Mike Napoli - Red Sox
Kind of a bad pack there.  No refractors or true superstars in there.

Pack #19
194 Kevin Gausman - Orioles

89 Russel Martin Sepia Refractor #d 51/75 - Pirates
No "color" refractors yet but we've had 2 of lower numbered refractors in the product so no complaints.  Congrats Nate on the Pirate hit!
217 Justin Morneau - Twins
202 James Shields - Royals
Come On Topps!  They still have the Rays logo on the card.  (check out the Refractor above) The sad part is that Shields has appeared on cards as a Royal in Heritage, Gypsy Queen, and Allen & Ginter among others and had all the logos right.  sigh....

Pack #20
113 Brian McCann - Braves
89 Russell Martin - Pirates

85 Bruce Rondon Autographed Refractor #d 11/499 - Tigers
Congrats to Roger!  The Autographed refractors fall 1 in 83 packs.
206 Joey Votto - Reds

Pack #21
160 Ian Kinsler - Rangers
177 Mike Moustakas - Royals

120 Jason Kipnis - Indians
105 Casey Kelly - Padres

Pack #22
189 Alfredo Marte - Diamondbacks

204 Jacoby Ellsbury Xfractor - Red Sox
108 Rickie Weeks - Brewers
172 Mark Teixeira - Yankees

Pack #23
181 Ian Desmond - Nationals
187 Chris Sale - White Sox

126 Jonathan Pettibone Refractor - Phillies
126 Jonathan Pettibone - Phillies
Yep back to back.  A good pack for Pettibone collectors!

Pack #24
11 Evan Longoria - Rays
216 Pablo Sandoval Xfractor - Giants
120 Jason Kipnis - Indians
44 Billy Butler - Royals

We end up the box right where we started with another Pablo Sandoval refractor card!

I don't think I'm going to do the card count this time since this break is only going to last 2 rounds.  Hopefully I can get box #2 opened up and posted tomorrow night.  I probably won't scan all of the regular refractors and xfractors to speed things up.

I hope everyone is liking the break so far!

The Topps Chrome Group Break Starts Tomorrow

(Hopefully!)  I actually got my shipping info from D&A yesterday and UPS is supposed to deliver the cards tomorrow (Wednesday).  I'm not sure if I'll be able to do an entire box at a time because quite frankly, I'm going to be busy over the next few weeks.  Today I had my storage shed delivered by 84 Lumber.  The only problem is that I have to put it together!  So yeah, theres a big stack of lumber sitting in my driveway that I hope is non-existent in a few weeks.

Anyways, I might have the wife add some of her commentary during the pack busting process since it was seemingly a hit during the Minis group break last month.  We've all seen the base cards plenty this year and really the only thing that is different is that they are all Chromed up this time.

Before we get to busting though, go back and check the previous thread to make some trades.  I think there are several trade offers out there and they just need to be confirmed.  Also, to make it easier for trades to happen, go ahead and check the box that emails you when new comments are posted.

That's all for now, see you all tomorrow night!

Topps Chrome Group Break 2nd Team Randomization

Here we go:

List Randomizer

There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Red Sox
2. Rays
3. Diamondbacks
4. Yankees
5. Brewers
6. Giants
7. Twins
8. Phillies
9. Astros
10. White Sox
11. Mets
12. Cubs
13. Marlins
14. Mariners
15. Padres

Timestamp: 2013-09-19 23:52:29 UTC

You have randomized this list 3 times.

And the Participants:

List Randomizer

There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Joe Average
2. Chris Ross
3. GCRL
4. Chris Mays
5. Chris Rasmussen
6. Baseball Dad
7. Nate Bell
8. Baseball Dad
9. PATP
10. PATP
11. Joe Average
12. Judson
13. Ryan H
14. IDK3B
15. Chris Rasmussen

Timestamp: 2013-09-19 23:53:04 UTC

You have randomized this list 3 times.

So Here's the Pairings:

Name                     1st Team                      Random Team

Joe Average           Rockies                        Red Sox

Chris Ross             Royals                          Rays

GCRL                   Dodgers                        Diamondbacks

Chris Mays            Braves                          Yankees

Chris Rasmussen   Blue Jays                      Brewers

Baseball Dad         Indians                         Giants
Nate Bell                Pirates                         Twins

Baseball Dad          Reds                           Phillies

PATP                     Rangers                      Astros

PATP                     Angels                        White Sox

Joe Average           Cardinals                     Mets

Judson                    Nationals                    Cubs

Ryan H.                 Orioles                        Marlins

IDK3B                  Tigers                          Mariners

Chris Rasmussen    A's                              Padres

If you wish to trade your teams, please do so in the comments below.  I will leave team trading open until the first packs are busted.

Good Grief

    It's been 2 weeks since my last post!  It's not totally unusual for me to go long periods without posting anything but I feel this is becoming more and more the norm instead of the exception.  Oh well, I'm not shutting this baby down if that's what you are thinking!
    I haven't bought any cards off the retail shelf in about a month now which is also strange for me since I love busting packs.  I have bought some cards online, the boxes for the past Topps Minis group break and the preorder for the Topps Chrome group break, as well as a couple cards from my wantlists.
    Nothing exciting enough to show off unfortunately for you all out there that still read my posts.  I have been reading a lot of other blogger's posts but haven't really had much to say in the comments.  Keep up all the great work!
   
  So in regards to the upcoming Topps Chrome group break, I have ordered the boxes and they are supposed to be released next Wednesday the 25th.  I would imagine that they would be delivered to my house in the next few days after that.  I'm still waiting for payment for some of the slots so if you haven't paid yet, please do so as soon as you are able.  Also, I'm going to do the 2nd team randomizations in the next few days so keep an eye out for that if you are interested in trading your assigned teams.

Group Break Reminder

I know a holiday weekend is probably the worst time to open sign-ups for a group break but in case there were people not their computers on the "unofficial" end of summer weekend here's a link to all of the fun:

2013 Topps Chrome Group Break

There's still a few spots left including the big name teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Cubs, and Cardinals ripe for the picking.

Group Break Announcement: 2013 Topps Chrome

I had a lot of fun hosting the group break a few weeks back for the Mini set that Topps has as an online exclusive.  While it was frustrating waiting for them to go on sale, I have decided to do another group break!

So what are we busting?

2 Hobby Boxes of 2013 Topps Chrome! There will be 4 on-card autographs in the 2 boxes.  Everyone likes on-card autographs don't they?  You know there's going to be regular refractors, blue refractors, gold refractors, and superfractors in these hobby boxes too!  I'm big fan of Topps Chrome since it usually has a good selection of autographed cards and there isn't a whole lot of chaff in the player selection.  Nothing like seeing the best players with the best photography all Chromed up!

The product will be released on September 25th so I hope to order the boxes by the end of the week to lock in a preorder!

The rules are going to be similar to the other breaks I've run in the past.  I'm going to stick with what works!  You sign up for the team you want (if you want more than one, that's fine too).  You're then going to get a random team from the 15 that weren't picked.  Each standard 2 team slot is going to be $12.50.  Each additional 2 team slot will cost $10.00.  International shipping will be extra since the USPS has jacked up the price of shipping overseas.

Payment should be sent Paypal to ryanhughes12 at yahoo dot com.  Also please send me an email to the same address with your current address and the teams you claimed so I have updated info for you. If you need to send payment through a different option, please contact me!

All 15 Slots have been claimed!  Thanks!

Atlanta Braves - Chris Mays - PAID
Arizona Diamondbacks -
Baltimore Orioles - Ryan H. - PAID
Boston Red Sox -
Chicago Cubs -
Chicago White Sox -
Cincinnati Reds - Baseball Dad - PAID
Cleveland Indians - Baseball Dad - PAID
Colorado Rockies - Joe Average Card Collector
Detroit Tigers - I Don't Know...3rd Base - PAID
Florida Marlins -
Houston Astros -
Los Angeles Angels - PATP - PAID
Los Angeles Dodgers - GCRL - PAID
Kansas City Royals - Chris Ross - PAID
Milwaukee Brewers -
Minnesota Twins -
New York Mets -
New York Yankees -
Oakland Athletics - Chris Rasmussen. - PAID
Philadelphia Phillies -
Pittsburgh Pirates - Nate Bell - PAID
San Diego Padres -
San Francisco Giants -
Seattle Mariners -
St. Louis Cardinals - Joe Average Card Collector
Tampa Bay Rays -
Texas Rangers - PATP - PAID
Toronto Blue Jays - Chris Rasmussen. - PAID
Washington Nationals - Judson - PAID

One Hour 'til the Group Break Announcement!

 One hour and counting.....

A New Group Break Is Coming!

Check back here tomorrow (Sunday) September 1st at 7pm EST for the announcement and sign ups for my next group break!

Trade with Dustin of Coot Veal and the Vealtones

Another awesome trade that I completed recently was with Dustin of Coot Veal and the Vealtones.  Dustin has become one of my favorite trade partners over the last few years.  I even traded with him before he made it to Major League Blogging (*not a real league).   He sent me so many cool cards I had a hard time whittling this post down to 5 cards for the sake of brevity.  Lets begin:

I really enjoy adding new autographs to my Orioles collection especially if they are on-card.  Here is my second Brandon Snyder autograph but my first on-card one. While Brandon didn't make a huge impact with the Orioles he was able to play with Texas and is now with Boston.

Speaking of Boston, it still pains me to see Koji wearing "red socks" now.  He really endeared himself to the Orioles fans while he was here even though he was hurt a lot.  I think the only thing that I take solace in him being gone is when I seen Chris Davis manning first base!

Speaking of big burly first baseman, Boog Powell did it first in Baltimore.  Now he makes a mean BBQ sandwich in right field at Camden Yards.  I'm thrilled that Dustin sent this vintage "Booger" for my PC.

Speaking of boogers, PC's, I also found this Brady Anderson MLB Showdown game card in the package.  I've slowed down on the Brady PC as of late since I have most of his early career stuff (think over-production era) and some of the late 90's "off the beaten path" stuff can be somewhat harder to find.  MLB Showdown was underrated in that there were some obscure players in there.  There are Orioles cards of Trenidad Hubbard and Mike Trombley in some of their sets!

I'll close with another PC addition of Jim Palmer.  I don't have many Topps Pristine cards in my collection mostly because I wasn't collecting much when they were released.  Plus, me being a poor college student at the time kept me from buying the high end products.!   

Thanks Dustin for the awesome trade package!

A Few More Smaller Scale Trades

With the Minis Group Break in the rear view mirror (all the packages have been sent out), I can get back to thanking the great traders I've swapped cards with over the last few weeks.

First up is this Dylan Bundy Chasing History card from Nate who runs the relatively new Big 44 Sports Cards blog.  He's a Pirates fan so go check him out!  It's amazing that the Orioles are even in contention for a wild card spot as crappy as the starting pitching has been this year (except for Chris Tillman, well mostly).  I can only imagine how much better the pitching staff would be if they hadn't rushed Bundy and caused him to blow out his elbow last September.  I'm wondering if they have ruined Bundy and Gausman by rushing them to the majors because of the crummy, faltering, starting rotation that has plagued them all year (or the last 15 or so years for that matter!).

Thanks Nate for the cards!

Onto a PWE that AJ from The Lost Collector sent me.  He included this Cap'n Crunch unlicensed card from 1989 of Cal Ripken.  Unlicensed cards from the 80's and 90's don't bother me but the Triple Play, Prism, and Cooperstown crap that Panini puts out these days is deplorable.  Buying Panini's "baseball cards" is like eating a veggie burger or drinking non-alcoholic beer.  You're missing the "meat" or the "alcohol" so what the hell is the point?  I don't watch baseball games on TV where the players have on street clothes or jerseys with blocked out logos so why would I want to buy cards that look just as drab?  Panini just makes me feel like something obviously missing that should be there.

Lastly is this card from Sam our beloved Daily Dimwit. He saw the Andrew Aplin refractor autograph from my Bowman hobby box break and had to have it.  While he didn't have any Orioles cards I was interested in trading for, I opted to trade for the Taijuan Walker autograph card from last year's Bowman Platinum to use as trade bait.  Walker is a pretty highly regarded prospect in the Mariner's farm system and I believe he is being recalled for a cup of coffee in September.

Thanks guys for the trades!

2013 Topps Mini Group Break: Round 6

We've arrived at the last round of the Minis Group Break.  I haven't been overly impressed with the collation of the boxes up to this point but its nothing I can really do about it.  It's just the luck of the draw I guess.  My hopes were to get everyone close to completing a team set for their chosen team.  Let's see if we get any closer to that goal in the next 12 packs:

Box #3 Pack #13
197 Tyler Cloyd - Phillies
174 Jason Grilli - Pirates
132 Ryan Vogelson - Giants
43 RA Dickey - Mets
294 AL Batting AVG Leaders Cabrera, Trout, Beltre
345 Jennry Mejia - Mets
383 Matt Harrison - Rangers
546 Carlos Quentin - Padres
529 Collin McHugh - Mets
237 Brandon Lyon - Blue Jays

Not an exciting pack but a good one for the Mets.

Pack #14
658 David Freese - Cardinals
607 Chris Carter - Astros
561 Josh Vitters - Cubs
584 Alfonso Soriano - Cubs
the 87th Alfonso Soriano card we've pulled so far.
152 Jose Contreras - Phillies
212 Eric Chavez - Yankees
280 Rafael Dolis - Cubs
355 Carlos Marmol - Cubs
222 Jason Heyward - Braves
167 Luke Hochevar - Royals

This pack was 40% Cubs.  How often does that happen?

Pack #15
248 Colby Lewis - Rangers
13 Brett Lawrie - Blue Jays
444 Jordan Walden - Braves
500 Stephen Strasburg - Nationals
532 Todd Helton - Rockies
The wifey indicated that she's not a fan of cards with multiple players since it can be hard to pick out who the players are if you aren't familiar with all the players.
179 2012 ALCS Game 4 - Tigers
109 Kirk Nieuwenhuis - Mets

MCH-19 Ty Cobb Chasing History - Tigers
127 Giancarlo Stanton - Marlins
74 Kenley Jansen - Dodgers

Pack #16
415 Leonys Martin - Rangers
301 Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Red Sox
319 Brian Bogusevic - Astros
264 Roy Halladay - Phillies
88 Jamey Carroll - Twins
654 Brandon Barnes - Astros
23 Jemile Weeks - A's
153 2012 AL HR Leaders Cabrera, Hamilton, Granderson
276 Luis Ayala - Orioles
339 Nick Swisher - Indians

Pack #17
624 Justin Ruggiano - Marlins
6 Ryan Howard - Phillies
99 Paco Rodriguez - Dodgers
160 Stephen Drew - A's
434 Wei-Yin Chen - Orioles
497 Brett Myers - Indians
548 John Lackey - Red Sox
571 Melky Cabrera - Blue Jays
50 Adam Wainwright - Cardinals
198 Chris Coghlan - Marlins

More Dupes just make it hard to think of anything to say.

Pack #18
232 Jake Odorizzi - Rays
266 Albert Pujols - Angels
354 Casey Janssen - Blue Jays
428 Kyle McPherson - Pirates
468 Anthony Gose - Blue Jays
505 Ross Detwiler - Nationals
317 2012 Wildcard Winner - Orioles
189 2012 NL Batting AVG Leaders Posey McCutchen, Braun
130 Jason Motte - Cardinals
181 Jeff Keppinger - Rays

The second half of box #3 is proving to be a dud...

Pack #19
608 Ricky Nolasco - Marlins
590 Liam Hendriks - Twins
526 Tyler Flowers - White Sox
629 Trevor Plouffe - Twins
233 Edwin Jackson - Nationals
498 Martin Prado - Diamondbacks
439 Marco Estrada - Brewers
352 Tommy Hanson - Angels
16 Andre Ethier - Dodgers
92 Clint Barmes - Pirates

Yikes, brutal pack!

Pack #20
613 Jhoulys Chacin - Rockies
564 Francisco Peguero - Giants
626 Gio Gonzalez - Nationals
575 Justin Morneau - Twins
290 Tom Layne - Padres
253 Adam Greenberg - Marlins
462 Eduardo Nunez - Yankees

125 Matt Holliday Gold Bordered #d 13/62 - Cardinals
Nice hit for the Cards!
217 Brian Matusz - Orioles
285 Addison Reed - White Sox

Pack #21
494 Alberto Callaspso - Angels
475 Garrett Jones - Pirates
452 Raul Ibanez - Mariners
Keeps turning up like a bad penny.

119 Chris Davis - Orioles
Just keeps mashing homers this year!
85 Sean Doolittle - A's
49 Chris Sale - White Sox
17 Shin-Soo Choo - Indians
MCH-25 Alex Rodriguez Chasing History - Yankees
Nope, I'm still not scanning it.  At least Ryan Braun is a big enough man to say he's sorry.  All A-Rod does is act like a pompous asshole and deny any wrongdoing.  I don't think the adjective to describe his has been invented yet.

356 Greg Dobbs - Marlins
Greg Dobbs deserves a scan more than a-roid.
389 Phil Hughes - Yankees

Pack #22
281 David Hernandez - Diamondbacks
328 Jayson Werth - Nationals
405 Hectory Sanchez - Giants
359 CC Sabathia - Yankees
388 Justin Turner - Mets
412 Everth Cabrera - Padres
256 Madison Bumgarner - Giants

MCH-12 Yogi Berra Chasing History - Yankees
A true one of a kind Yanks legend!
84 Adeiny Hechavarria - Blue Jays
58 Jeremy Hellickson - Rays

Pack #23
503 Clay Buchholz - Red Sox
40 Chien-Ming Wang - Nationals
60 Jon Rauch - Mets
148 LJ Hoes - Orioles
227 Jose Altuve - Astros
171 Brock Holt - Pirates
136 Tyler Clippard - Nationals
106 Drew Stubbs - Reds
188 Brian Fuentes - Cardinals
156 Dylan Gee - Mets

Pack #24
118 Daisuke Matsuzaka - Red Sox
62 Tommy Hunter - Orioles
9 Dee Gordon - Dodgers
97 Danny Espinosa - Marlins
592 Nick Markakis - Orioles
549 Huston Street - Padres
645 Luis Cruz - Dodgers

278 Christian Garcia Magenta Printing Plate #d 1/1 - Nationals
Just a printing plate, no big deal.... Congrats Dan!
104 Jed Lowrie - Astros
71 Kyle Kendrick - Phillies

Another Group Break is in the books.  It's crazy how the last pack had arguably our best hit!

A few things before I slam the lid on this post:

I'll be packing the cards up and hopefully getting them in your hands this week.

I'll be sending a pack wrapper out in each package just in case anyone wants to see what they look like.

Don't bother sending in the NPN on the back of the wrapper because I've already taken the liberty and done so for each participant as a thank you for joining!

Last but not least, here's the Final card count through 3 complete boxes:

Mets: 30
A's: 20
Diamondbacks: 22
Rangers: 29
Cardinals: 23
White Sox: 20
Tigers: 25
Indians: 15
Marlins: 27
Red Sox: 19
Angels: 21
Reds: 12
Astros: 33
Giants: 39
Brewers: 14
Dodgers: 22
Braves: 14
Rays: 29
Nationals: 30
Padres: 26
Yankees: 32
Cubs: 17
Phillies: 25
Blue Jays: 40
Royals: 17
Mariners: 18
Pirates: 22
Orioles: 29
Twins: 17
Rockies: 18

2013 Topps Mini Group Break: Round 5

Unfortunately the wife will not be joining me for this round of packs.  I'll try my best to fill her shoes with my snide, smart-ass comments instead of her light-hearted toilet humor.

Box #3 Pack #1
314 AJ Ellis - Dodgers
267 Jason Kipnis - Indians
400 David Wright - Mets
447 Jacob Turner - Marlins
484 Johan Santana - Mets
511 Rob Brantly - Marlins
545 Alex Presley - Pirates
247 Luis Perez - Blue Jays
427 Chris Nelson - Rockies
478 Gavin Floyd - White Sox

Looks like a full pack of duplicates to me.  Not a good sign.

Pack #2
441 Jose Bautista - Blue Jays
492 Jose Molina - Rays
541 Jon Lester - Red Sox
274 Miguel Montero - Diamondbacks
600 Mariano Rivera - Yankees
417 Logan Forsythe - Padres
649 Ryan Hanigan - Reds

62 Tommy Hunter Gold Bordered #d 53/62 - Orioles
Tommy has been great out of the bullpen for the O's this year regularly reaching the upper 90's with his fastball.
347 Brett Anderson - A's
380 Juan Nicasio - Rockies
His bugged out eyes make me giggle almost as much as the wife did.

Pack #3
214 Curtis Granderson - Yankees
278 Christian Garcia - Nationals
342 Matt Dominguez - Astros
407 Juan Pierre - Marlins
279 Vincente Padilla - Red Sox
236 Joe Nathan - Rangers
221 Heath Bell - Diamondbacks

290 Tom Layne Gold Bordered #d 2/62 - Padres
My neighbor across the street in my old neighborhood had the last name Layne.  That's all I've got.
364 Carlos Pena - Astros
398 Mike Fiers - Brewers
It's getting a little annoying seeing the same cards for the 3rd time in the same order.

Pack #4
419 Matt Moore - Rays

MCH-2 Cal Ripken Jr. Mini Chasing History - Orioles
I was really hoping to get this card in the break.  I had decent odds since the Mini Chasing Histories fall 1:4 Packs.
473 Josh Johnson - Blue Jays
522 Dallas Kuechel - Astros
310 Edwin Encarnacion - Blue Jays
357 Juan Francisco - Braves
430 Josh Harrison - Pirates
520 Peter Bourjos - Angels
455 Buster Posey - Giants
480 Lance Berkman - Rangers

More duplicates, in the same order as the last 2 boxes.

Pack #5
70 Todd Frazier - Reds
134 Jake Arrieta - Orioles
183 Drew Hutchison - Blue Jays
208 Kurt Suzuki - Nationals5
429 David Price - Rays
448 Tim Hudson - Braves
495 Joaquin Benoit - Tigers

550 Matt Joyce - Pink Bordered #d 1/25 - Rays
This might be the first #d 1/XX I've ever pulled.  Congrats to the Rays!
527 Carlos Beltran - Cardinals
556 Nick Hundley - Padres

Pack #6
178 Justin Maxwell - Astros
129 Ike Davis - Mets
48 Ryan Cook - A's
24 Dan Haren - Angels
8 Ryan Braun - Brewers
113 Starlin Castro - Cubs
137 Edinson Volquez - Padres
182 Randy Choate - Dodgers
162 Kyle Seager - Mariners
135 Eric Hosmer - Royals

Not much of particular interest in this pack.

Pack #7
538 Brett Wallace - Astros
646 Phillipe Aumont - Phillies
602 Anibal Sanchez - Tigers
550 Matt Joyce - rays

514 Jonathan Papelbon - Phillies
I can't stand this guy's mound antics.  Act like you've been there before, dude.
557 Adam Lind - Blue Jays
37 Maz Scherzer - Tigers
93 Austin Kearns - Marlins
435 Brandon Maurer - Mariners
482 Emilio Bonfacio - Blue Jays

Pack #8
38 Brian Wilson - Giants - Speaking of tired acts....
83 Darin Ruf - Phillies
146 Kyle McClellan - Cardinals
230 David Robertson - Yankees
513 Zach McAllister - Indians
42 Detroit Tigers 2012 ALDS Game 5
69 Marco Scutaro - Giants
637 Ben Revere - Phillies
242 Matt Kemp - Dodgers
218 Ben Zobrist - Rays

*sigh* More dupes.

Pack #9
177 Elliot Johnson - Rays
244 Lucas Luetge - Mariners
254 Sean Burnett - Nationals
604 Rafael Betancourt - Rockies
583 Alejandro De Aza - White Sox
551 Wellington Castillo - Cubs
587 Matt Cain - Giants

MCH-23 Johan Santana Chasing History - Mets
Did he get to 2000 K's this year?
516 Omar Infante - Tigers
337 Chris Iannetta - Angels

Pack #10
68 Colby Rasmus - Blue Jays
3 Hunter Pence - Giants
105 Freddie Freeman - Braves
154 Sergio Romo - Giants
287 2012 NL Wins Leaders - Gonzalez, Dickey, Cueto
331 Jose Reyes - Blue Jays

MCH-36 Yu Darvish Chasing History - Rangers
The doubles have gotten so bad, I'm pulling dupe inserts
591 Derek Holland - Rangers
I keep wanting to call him Dexter Holland, lead singer of the Offspring
440 Ian Kinsler - Rangers
124 Ricky Romero - Blue Jays

Pack #11
302 Aaron Hill - Diamondbacks
25 Mark Teixeira - Yankees
423 Miguel Gonzalez - Orioles
363 Sergio Santos - Blue Jays
275 Johnny Cueto - Reds
216 Josh Willingham - Twins
333 Santiago Casilla - Giants
393 Tom Koehler - Marlins
239 Ramon Santiago - Tigers
425 Josh Donaldson - A's

Pack #12
190 Daniel Descalso - Cardinals
282 Russell Martin - Yankees
207 Matt Holliday - Cardinals
157 Carter Capps - Mariners
151 Alex Rios - White Sox
475 Garrett Jones - Pirates
452 Raul Ibanez - Mariners

MA-WR Wilin Rosario Mini Autograph - Rockies.  Really nice card for the Rockies!  It might be a sticker auto but its still pretty awesome.  Congrats Tim!
220 Octavio Dotel - Tigers
184 Geovany Soto - Rangers



Here's the updated card count through 2 and a half complete boxes:

Mets: 22
A's: 17
Diamondbacks: 21
Rangers: 26
Cardinals: 18
White Sox: 17
Tigers: 23
Indians: 12
Marlins: 20
Red Sox: 15
Angels: 18
Reds: 11
Astros: 27
Giants: 35
Brewers: 13
Dodgers: 17
Braves: 12
Rays: 26
Nationals: 22
Padres: 22
Yankees: 26
Cubs: 13
Phillies: 20
Blue Jays: 34
Royals: 16
Mariners: 17
Pirates: 17
Orioles: 21
Twins: 13
Rockies: 16

2013 Topps Minis Group Break: Round 4

Three rounds are in the books.  I'm having a good time opening the packs with my wife and seeing/hearing her reactions to the cards.  I've learned that she is not a fan of getting duplicates and we've got a few more rounds to go.

Pack #13
251 Sean Marshall - Reds
321 Allen Craig - Cardinals
525 JP Arencibia - Blue Jays
635 Jedd Gyorko - Padres
236 Joe Nathan - Rangers

221 Heath Bell - Diamondbacks "(Comment has been censored by author of this Blog)"
183 Drew Hutchison - Blue Jays

134 Jake Arrieta - Orioles "With his Lt. Dangle Mustache"
237 Brandon Lyon - Blue Jays
222 Jason Heyward - Braves

Pack #14
278 Christian Garcia - Nationals
342 Matt Dominguez - Astros
407 Juan Pierre - Marlins
495 Joaquin Benoit - Tigers "Tiggers"
438 Yasmani Grandal - Padres
493 Johnny Giavotella - Royals
510 Nate McLouth - Orioles
539 Phil Coke - Tigers "Tiggers"
337 Chris Iannetta- Angels
188 Brian Fuentes - Cardinals

Pack #15
425 Josh Donaldson - A's
392 Tom Koehler - Marlins
333 Santiago Casilla - Giants
314 AJ Ellis - Dodgers
18 Mitch Moreland - Rangers
288 Starling Marte - Pirates
353 Bud Norris - Astros

310 Edwin Encarnacion "Another Pink Rim" #d 16/25 - Blue Jays
186 Jordan Pacheco - Rockies
145 Anthony Bass - Padres

Pack #16
564 Francisco Peguero - Giants
626 Gio Gonzalez - Nationals
575 Justin Morneau - Twins
538 Brett Wallace - Astros "From Sonoma, CA (she's reading the backs of the cards now)"
275 Johnny Cueto - Red
363 Sergio Santos - Blue Jays
423 Miguel Gonzalez - Orioles "Born 5-27-84"
484 Johan Santana - Mets
480 Lance Berkman - Rangers
527 Carlos Beltran - Cardinals "He's kinda old and pushing his walker next to (Raul) Ibanez"

Pack #17
473 Josh Johnson - Blue Jays
522 Dallas Keuchel - Astros

38 Brian "Pubes on his face" Wilson - Giants
103 Evan Longoria - Rays

76 Brandon Inge - A's "I like this card because it shows them taking the game of baseball seriously"
30 Neftali Feliz - Rangers
12 AJ Pierzynski - White Sox

MCH-36 Yu Darvish Chasing History - Rangers
156 Dylan Gee - Mets
104 Jed Lowrie - Astros

Pack #18
174 Jason Grilli - Pirates
132 Ryan Vogelsong - Giants
43 RA Dickey - Mets
13 Brett Lawrie - Blue Jays
196 Ryan Vogelsong - Giants

277 Brendan Ryan - Mariners "Trying to fluffle in this guy's face"
569 Ryan Ludwick - Red

571 Melky Cabrera "Gold Rims" #d 17/62 - Blue Jays
135 Eric Hosmer - Royals
87 Adeiny Hechavarria - Blue Jays

Pack #19
475 Garrett Jones - Pirates
452 Raul Ibanez - Mariners "A Real Sweet Old Man"
197 Tyler Cloyd - Phillies
138 Micheal Morse - Nationals
94 AL ERA Leaders Price, Verlander, Weaver
67 2012 WS game 4  Giants
26 Chase Utley - Phillies

MCH-47 Justin Verlander Chasing History - Tigers
556 Nick Hundley - Padres
242 Matt Kemp - Dodgers

Pack #20
492 Jose Molina - Rays "from Puerto Rico"
541 Jon Lester - Red Sox
274 Miguel Montero - Diamondbacks
254 Sean Burnett - Nationals
119 Chris Davis - Orioles "6 foot 3, 230 lbs, of deliciousness"
85 Sean Doolittle - A's
49 Chris Sale - White Sox

443 Lou Marson "Gold Card Member" #d 48/62 - Indians
120 Ian Desmond - Nationals
72 Gerardo Parra - Diamondbacks

Pack #21
572 Lorenzo Cain - Royals

617 Fernando Rodney - Rays "Doing some kind of dorky touchdown dance"
636 Cole de Vries - Twins
3 Hunter Pence - Giants
81 Kershaw, Dickey, Cueto
95 Price, Weaver, Harrison
157 Carter Capps - Mariners
207 Matt Holliday - Cardinals
167 Luke Hochevar - Royals
127 Giancarlo Stanton - Marlins "from Sherman Oaks, CA."

Pack #22
105 Freddie Freeman - Braves
154 Sergio Romo - Giants
232 Jake Odorizzi - Royals
282 Russell Martin - Yankees
341 Lonnie Chisenhall - Indians
395 Alexei Ramirez - White Sox
445 Joe Thatcher - Padres

MCH-33 Dylan Bundy Chasing History - Orioles (Yep, I scanned this card sideways and saved it before I realized it was so.  Kinda fitting since his career has gone sideways with TJ surgery this past spring)
198 Chris Coghlan - Marlins
276 Luis Ayala - Orioles

Pack #23
646 Phillipe Aumount - Phillies
602 Anibal Sanchez - Tigers "Tiggers"
550 Matt Joyce - Rays
658 David Freese - Cardinals
511 Rob Brantly - Marlins
545 Alex Presley - Pirates
247 Luis Perez - Blue Jays

227 Jose Altuve - Astros "He's Really Little (she read his biographical stats on the back)"
218 Ben Zobrist - Rays
162 Kyle Seager - Mariners

Pack #24
580 Jordan Danks - White Sox
528 Darin Mastrioanni - Twins

568 Steve Lombardozzi - Nationals "A complete waste of hydration fluid!"
608 Ricky Nolasco - Marlins
70 Todd Frazier - Reds
8 Ryan Braun "Impotent" - Brewers
113 Starlin Castro - Cubs

417 Logan Forsythe "It's a Gold Rim" #d 7/62 - Padres
74 Kenley Jansen - Dodgers
50 Adam Wainwright - Cardinals


My wife is kinda big on the toilet humor (every guy should be so lucky!).  My wife seems to have the knack of pulling good Blue Jays cards too since she got the Encarnacion Pink and the Cabrera Gold.  I really wish the hits were spread around a little more amongst all the participants but its nothing I can do about it.

Here's the updated card count through 2 complete boxes:

Mets: 18
A's: 14
Diamondbacks: 18
Rangers: 19
Cardinals: 14
White Sox: 14
Tigers: 16
Indians: 11
Marlins: 15
Red Sox: 13
Angels: 15
Reds: 8
Astros: 22
Giants: 28
Brewers: 11
Dodgers: 14
Braves: 9
Rays: 18
Nationals: 19
Padres: 18
Yankees: 21
Cubs: 11
Phillies: 16
Blue Jays: 24
Royals: 14
Mariners: 12
Pirates: 14
Orioles: 16
Twins: 11
Rockies: 12