When I checked my mailbox, the thing I most like to see was inside - a red and white card notifying me that I had a package that doesn't fit in the box. Since I had been buying quite a bit on eBay lately, I figured it was one of those packages - but it wasn't. It was something totally unexpected, out of the blue, with no warning whatsoever, from fellow White Sox fan Steve at White Sox Cards.

When I opened it, there were two full-to-bursting team bags of cards, each containing all sorts of stuff. Have a look:

Some 2010 Heritage for team-set building purposes. Plus, the obligatory Hebrew Hammer, which is nice.



Also a pair of 2011 Heritage Ichiros with razor sharp corners.


More 2011 cards - this time, Opening Day. Steve was obviously paying attention when I talked about being a sucker for cards with throwback uniforms on them. (Green and gold FTW!) By the way, when did the Reds get that mascot? And what the hell was wrong with Mr. Red?


Some 2010 Upper Decks. That set, thanks to the whole licensing kerfuffle, is a mother lode of uniform back cards. The 2010 Bowman Markakis is not part of the set, but doesn't look out of place next to the other two.


Not only is Jose Lopez shiny and bendy, he's also refractory. If that's even a word.


I'll take a Topps Attax card if it has Stubbsy on it. And that is such a pretty picture of the GABP.


Some Moments and Milestones. It's a tie between that and Upper Deck Documentary for the Set That Wouldn't Die. The Radhames Liz is numbered 1/25 - maybe I should sell it on eBay and put lots of exclamation points in the title.


Here's two more cards concerning my monumentally stupid decision to collect all of the Cards Your Mom Threw Out. Did I mention that I want to collect all the original backs, too?



Finally, it wouldn't be a package from White Sox Cards if he didn't include, well, some White Sox cards. Anytime you open a package containing Luis Aparicio, it's going to put a smile on your face...Luke Appling had one of the best nicknames ("Old Aches and Pains") in baseball history...there was a good selection of current and recent Sox players, with Vizquel, TCQ (a National Chicle card I don't completely hate), Ordonez and shiny Manny...when I was a kid, Jack McDowell seemed to be just about the coolest guy on the planet...yes, that is a real 1961 card of Al Smith, and it's in great shape...the Conlon Collection is one of those sets that everybody in the blogosphere should help each other complete. Donate your cards of teams you don't collect to people who do...mini Carlton Fisk, wearing the uniform that made me fall in love with the White Sox. Shame that his hand is covering up the number on the pants leg.

That's quite a haul, and guess what? That's only one of the bags in the package. I haven't even opened the other one yet. See you tomorrow for those results.

(Okay, I did have a peek at the other bag. There's a mojo relic of a Zeppelin tee.)

On my Opening Day post, I reminded everyone to smile, because no matter who you support, your team is in first place.

Well, three days into the season, the Reds, White Sox, Mariners(!) and Orioles(!!!) are all 2-0.

Sure, it's an extremely small sample size. And accomplishments at the beginning of the season tend to get magnified out of proportion because everyone is focused and it's the only data available. Remember Tuffy Rhodes's three home runs on Opening Day, 1994? It's not like he led the NL in home runs that season. In fact, he only hit eight that whole season. Hardly a harbinger of future success.

The fact is, if this was June and the Reds, White Sox, Mariners and Orioles all went on a two-game winning streak at the same time (for that's all this really is), I doubt I would even have noticed. In fact, it probably happens more often that we realise.

But for now, none of that matters. I'm just enjoying the moment.

Is there anything full of more hope and promise than an unopened box of baseball cards?

Okay, maybe that’s a touch on the melodramatic side, but think about it: think of the feeling that you have when you hold a still-wrapped box of cards in your hands. The sense of excitment and expectation when you still don’t know the contents of what’s inside. Why, there could be anything in there! Relics and autos of your favorite player. A 1/1 case hit. Better still, a case hit of your favorite player. Maybe even a hot box. Even though your brain knows better, everything is possible, everything is on the table, when you haven’t opened that box yet.

My jumbo box of 2011 Topps (the first cards I received under my new incentive program) arrived in the mail yesterday. So did my DSL modem, but that’s not important (and it doesn’t work). I am exercising great restraint – that box of cards still sits, in front of the television, in its shink wrap. But not for long.

I have some clear expectations and hopes for this box. As we go through what’s inside, hopefully the expectations will be met. Even better, the hopes will be, too.

Expectations:
• I am able to complete the 330-card base set with this box. For the past two years, I have bought hobby boxes of Series 1 and Series 2, and, with the exception of 2010 Series 1, I am still roughly ten cards short of completing those sets. On the other hand, I bought jumbo boxes of the Updates and Highlights series, and I have complete sets, thanks to the jumbo boxes alone.

• I get ten ToppsTown code cards. No more. I’d prefer it to be zero, but ten is better than 36. (This one should be easy)

• That I have the promised three hits in the box. Because I’m going to be pissed if I have to chase up a missing hit. At least I’m already saving the wrappers for the redemption program.

Hopes:
• That my three hits are an Ichiro, a Lincecum, and a King Felix. A kid can dream, right?

• That I get ten 60 Years of Topps cards and ten Diamond Duos cards. I also hope I beat the odds on the 60 Years of Topps original backs.

• That my gold parallels are of teams and players I collect, or, failing that, teams that I can actually use in trades. This means no Pirates gold parallels. I always seem to pull Pirates gold parallels.

• That my Diamond Parallel/Bedazzled cards are from the teams I collect, or at least cards that Nachos Grande still needs. Hopefully he can trade them for Bedazzled cards I can use. Got any spare sparkly Ichiros, Chris?

• That I beat the odds on the Diamond Giveaway cards. I already have one. I’d like to get at least four more so I can get that free pack of “vintage” cards (I didn’t know 1987 qualified as vintage now).

• That it’s insanely fun opening this box.


Without further ado, here’s the first pack:

Best three cards (in reverse order):

#3 – Starlin Castro (#247): A nice shot of Castro turning two. Loses points because he made the play against the Reds.


#2 – Seth Smith (#301): At first, I thought it was a shot of Smith arguing with the umpire. But why would he argue if the ump called him safe? This will definitely make an appearance in the Uniform Back series someday. And probably Play at the Plate, too.


#1 – Omar Vizquel (#243): He will go into the Hall of Fame someday. But it’ll probably take the Veteran’s Committee to do it. A great picture of Vizquel making the play, full extension at age 43.


Worst card:
There weren’t any that were really bad, just a bunch that were bland. I’m going to give the award to Lucas May (#91) because it’s his rookie card and you can’t see the poor guy’s face. Nice work, Topps.


Best card back:
This award goes to Travis Hafner (#257) because of the references to both the Pronk Bar and Pronkville on the back of the same card. It's a shame they also couldn't work in a mention of Pronk Beef Jerky.

Insert cards:


Carl Crawford Topps 60


Justin Upton/Mike Stanton Diamond Duos


1977 Bruce Sutter 60 Years of Topps


Mickey Mantle 60YOT The Lost Cards


Jose Bautista Kimball Champions

Was there a hit? Is it available for trade?:
Yes, there was a hit. A Matt Harrison Topps 60 sticker auto. My excitement and faith in my brand new box was crushed in the very first pack.


You’re damn right it’s available for trade. Although what I can get for it, I’m not sure.

Any Diamond Parallel cards?:


Yes, Derek Lowe (#19). I hope Nachos Grande needs it.


Card I was most happy to see: The Chicago White Sox team card (#161). A nice scene, and it’s a night card. Although I swear it looks like they Photoshopped Michael Jordan’s picture in there.

Card I was least happy to see: The Harrison auto. Who’d have thought somebody would be so disappointed about a hit?

Overall thoughts:
I know I’m not the first person to say this, but...Topps, it’s time to give the whole Mickey Mantle/Card No. 7 thing a rest. And by rest, I mean STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!! There’s a place for Mickey Mantle cards – they’re called insert sets. Free up card No. 7 for someone who’s at least lived in this century, much less played in it.

The other thought is about the whole “hit” thing. Man, that bummed me out. Matt Harrison is not a guy who’s exactly on my radar so to get an autograph card of him was underwhelming to say the least. But maybe getting a hit so early in the proceedings means this is a hot box...

...There’s that optimism again!

Set Progress: 48/330 (14.5%)

So I logged into my Million Card Giveaway account to see what trade offers were available. It was the usual detritus - six 1985 to 1988 cards for my 1971 Curt Blefary, an '89 Ozzie Smith for my '71 Johnny Jeter, five junk wax cards for my Luis Tiant, and my personal favorite, a 1987 Don Mattingly All-Star card for the 1968 card in my account.

Not even the regular card. The All-Star card.

W

T

F???


Hang on, what's this? An offer for my 1956 Jim Davis (aka the oldest card in my collection). It's another 1956 card, and it's not a Cub. In fact, it's a White Sox card:

Hello Dixie Howell. I do believe I'll trade for you.

The back of the card says that Dixie Howell made the majors in 1955 after twenty years in the minor leagues. In a feat reminicent of Ron Mahay or Rick Ankiel in reverse, Dixie actually tried to break in to the Reds team in 1943 as an outfielder, and made it 12 years later as a pitcher instead. He is not to be confused with Dixie Howell the catcher, although the MCG site seems to do that anyway. But the best part of this card isn't any of that. It's his full name:


Yes, Dixie Howell is named after one of America's great forgotten presidents, Millard Fillmore. I'm not really sure what would possess parents to name their child after Millard Fillmore. I'm pretty sure that even by 1920, he was already considered a mediocre president. You have to wonder - did he have a brother named Franklin Pierce Howell? Or Martin Van Buren Howell, perhaps?

No wonder he went by Dixie, even though he was from Pennsylvania.

It only took me four days (that's quick for me), but the box of APOH has been busted. I'll definitely be looking to get more of this set. For those unfamiliar, the box contains 16 packs with 7 cards each. There's one "hit" in each pack, but most of the time it's a serial-numbered parallel of a base card, but there are autographs, relics and patch cards available. Of course, the big draw is the Hollywood relics, but I really don't care about them, mostly because the checklist seems to contain movies I haven't seen. I'd be impressed if I got a Claude Rains relic and it was from Casablanca, but it's probably more like something from The Man Who Watched Trains Go By.

So here's the hits from my break. As far as the main set goes, I now have 98 base cards from the 200-card set. Another box will put a big dent into that, and then I'll have to further examine the checklist to see if it makes sense to get a third box or just pick up what I need from here and there. But I love the look of the cards. The marble finish, the frame for the picture, the gold-embossed team logo in a solid-colored circle at the bottom of the card - visually, I find this set very appealing. Here's the Felix Hernandez base card (from my personal collection) to show you what I mean:

The more I discover sets like this and Masterpieces, the sadder I become that Upper Deck isn't going to be producing any more of these. One set I'm not sorry about is Yankee Stadium Legacy. That's just a pox on humanity. But this is 2009 Upper Deck, so we don't have to worry about that. What we do have to worry about, is the Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Mega Set. And in this product, half of the packs contain cards from the set. From what I can seem to tell, they're all numbered in the 500s. Here's what I pulled:


554 - Ken Griffey Jr. 1993 MVP voting
534 - Ken Griffey Jr. 27 HR season in '92
559 - UNC Tar Heels
539 - Chicago Bulls win '93 NBA title
544 - Michael Jordan All-Defensive team in '93
524 - John Paxson Game-winning shot in Game 6 (1993)
529 - Montreal Canadiens win '93 Stanley Cup
549 - Derek Jeter Short-print cards introduced

The two Griffeys, obviously, I'm glad to have. They go into my PC with some others from this set. I'm also glad to have the UNC Tar Heels card because I'm a proud alum, even if that particular card has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Heels. It's about how Michigan beat Kentucky to set up the infamous Chris Webber "Time Out" game. And then there's a picture of the Superdome. But I'm going to keep it.

The other five cards are available for trade if anyone wants them. The Jeter card is wonderfully self-referential. It's all about how, in 1993, Upper Deck started the short print craze that the hobby currently "enjoys". Never mind the revisionist history - the card is so comical, it's guaranteed to cheer up anyone who's having a bad day.

Okay, on to the real hits. I'll keep the commentary to a minimum, lest this post end up becoming the size of a William Faulkner novel.


BSM-PK Paul Konerko Box Score Memories relic card

Why not start with the big gun? This was the relic that I pulled, and I can't complain getting a Paul Konerko. It's a shame that it's a plain white jersey, but when you consider all of the other cards out there, to pull a relic of a great player on one of my favorite teams ain't half bad. I'm definitely keeping this.





Blue Parallel cards (numbered to 999):
31 - Troy Tulowitzki
90 - Evan Longoria
150 - Mitch Talbot
Franchise Members - Chicago Cubs (Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, Soto)

The double Tulowitzki isn't a mistake - I pulled two of them in this box, within three packs of each other. None of these cards overwhelm me so they're all available for trade, especially the Tulowitzki dupe.


Box Score Memories subset (numbered to 999):
Derrek Lee
Rafael Furcal

Both available for trade. The idea is okay, an important game in the players career with the box score for that game printed on the back.

Both cards are available for trade.


Franchise History subset:
Roy Halladay (numbered to 999)
Jason Varitek (numbered to 149)

I've already got the Tim Lincecum card in this subset, but would be interested in the cards from the five teams I collect. I know Brian Roberts is on the Orioles card, Konerko's on the White Sox and Bobby Crosby is on the Athletics (remember, this was a 2009 set).

Both of these cards are available for trade. The Varitek is from the rarer "black" subset. Looks like it should be called the "gold" subset to me.


A Piece of Hollywood
POH-BS - Ben Stiller

"Pants" is a good word to describe this pull. Over on A Pack to Be Named Later, I wrote that I hoped whatever relic I pulled it would be from a movie I'd seen. Three packs after I wrote that, I didn't get my wish. These pants, as you can see, are from Along Came Polly. There's a reason I didn't see that movie. I'm not buying Jennifer Aniston as a free spirit. Uptight and controlling like she was in The Break-up - now that I can buy.

This is definitely available for trade.


Violet Rookie Autograph
125 - Shairon Martis

Really? Shairon Martis? The guy so obscure, Topps spelled his name wrong on his 2009 base card? And it's a sticker auto, too.

I guess I shouldn't be badmouthing this card if I want to trade it away. Umm, this card is great! Truly a special card of a special player! Thanks, Upper Deck, for allowing me to share its glory!

Yeah, it's available.


Timeless Moments subset (numbered to 999):
TM-CH - Cole Hamels

When Thorzul opened a couple of cases of this, I got a Ken Griffey relic from this subset that would have been the hit of the break if it hadn't have been for some crazy Junior short print about his return to the Mariners. And the damn thing was, I would have had the Mariners *and* the Reds if I had logged on five minutes earlier. Instead, I got the Orioles and ended up with two Brian Roberts base cards and a Nick Markakis. It's funny how life works.

I have no interest in this card. If you do, please make me an offer.



Cut From the Same Cloth subset (numbered to 999):
CSC-GB - Ken Griffey and Jay Bruce
CSC-RR - Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins

Saving the second-best for last. Here's a card for my Grifffey White Sox Project that I didn't even know existed before I pulled it. And it's got a Red (and a good Red at that) as well. I pulled this within the first four packs (maybe it was Pack 2?) and that pretty well cemented my love affair for this set. A really sharp looking card.

The Reyes and Rollins card is available for trade. The Griffey/Bruce card, obviously not.

Let me just finish by saying that I enjoyed this set. However, I may have been shorted a memorabilia card, according to the sell sheets and the Dave & Adam's web site. But what the hell am I going to do about that from here, and more than a year after the product was released. With Upper Deck on its last legs, can it even do anything about the problem?

But I'll be a sucker and get another box, to be sure. And if there's three relics in that one, then all will be forgiven.

So I purchased a box of Allen & Ginter thanks to the good folks at Dave and Adam's (who, as regular readers of the blog know by know, actually ship to Australia). I opened the box on the holidays, and, in the spirit of rationing, have limited myself to three packs a day, much like a smoker! :o

The first three packs (without the box topper, which I'll open later) included one of the hits. It also included a quasi-mangled mini card, which was a bit frustrating.

Here's the hit - as you can see, it's definitely one worth having:

It's Carlos Quentin. TCQ got off to a slow start this season, but eventually became a big contributor to the Bunbury Biscuits success in fantasy baseball. Unfortunately, the Biscuits regular-season triumph did not translate into post-season glory, going out in the LCS to an inferior team. Sometimes I hate fantasy baseball. Bring on fantasy hockey!

Here's the quasi-mangled card.



Negro Leaguer Robert Scott, so I'm annoyed that this happened. There's a gouge on the right-hand side of the card in the middle, like it was caught in a crimper. You can sort of see it on the scan. Regardless, this still goes into the Frankenset, because beggers can't be choosers, and I'm just starting out.



The other two minis were National Animals, the Jaguar and the Elk. I wonder who would win in a fight?

As far as regular cards, the only one that I got, and really wanted, isn't even a baseball player:


It's marathon champion Meb Keflezighi. If you're not familiar with his story, check it out. He's bringing marathon glory back to the USA. Even if he is originally from Eritrea.