Birthday Cards

Because I have the best girlfriend in the world, I now own the book The Card, which is about... well... The Card. I was also lucky enough to receive from her my first ever Ozzie Smith relic card, which automatically moves it near the front of my Ozzie collection that I started way back in high school. The jersey swatch is road gray, but has some stitching visible which is pretty cool.

Along with other lovely birthday gifts, there were a few packs for me to open.

2008 Topps Heritage:

238 - Todd Helton
307 - Kelly Johnson
340 - Hank Blalock
217 - Jered Weaver
213 - Ricky Nolasco
267 - Xavier Nady

467 - Ryan Theriot (SP)
- David Wright thinks you should stay in school
322 - Richie Sexson Black Back

Well, if you've read this blog more than a couple of times, you're probably already sick to death of seeing me talk about this set. It's a relative large set by today's standards, and apparently there's a "high series" coming out at some point, so my work is hardly done. This is, hands down, my favorite set since I got turned on to the junk again, so I'm not done talking about it. This pack had a few cards I didn't recognize in it (good) and a Ryan Theriot SP, the only reason I would actually show a Cub here. Unfortunately, I received another Theriot card in a random pack I bought the very next day, so if anyone needs one, let me know.

2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces:

23 - Jim Thome

19 - Ryne Sandberg
34 - Gary Sheffield
13 - Curt Schilling

This is the first pack I've ever opened of this set, because at its current price it violates my Bang Divided by Buck Rule. I do really like last year's set (at the low, low price of 40 cents per card in pack form) though I think this year's stuff is darker than it needs to be. I haven't had time to fact check these cards, so I'll have to leave that to the experts. Ryne Sandberg makes two Cubs images in one post, as he is the only retired player in the pack of players I'm either not overly fond of or ambivalent about.

2008 Upper Deck X:

77 - Chase Utley

91 - Albert Pujols

22 - Kosuke Fukudome Die-Cut

X-CP - Carlos Pena X-Ponential
62 - David Wright
97 - Vernon Wells

This set is hilarious, from wrapper to design, but something compelled me to buy another pack the next day after I opened this. Maybe I can just chalk that up to a boredom with the bulk of the offseason looming. Apparently I pulled one of two Cardinals base cards in this small set, the other being Rick Ankiel. I only showed the Fukudome card, the third (!) Cubs image in this post, so Erin could see what the die cut cards look like since I don't think I do a very good job of describing things verbally. The X-Ponential whatever cards are indeed all they are cracked up to be, designwise anyway.

2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes

98 - Ben Sheets
120 - Ian Kennedy (RC)
88 - Brad Penny
155 - Erik Bedard

115 - Alex Rodriguez Charcoal or whatever shade of black that you prefer

These are packs that I don't mind dropping a couple of bucks on. I guess they just remind me of the inserts in the early Upper Deck packs. I do have a feeling when I buy packs like this that I'm not really going to get any lousy players, though this pack doesn't really do that idea justice. I have a feeling I'll end up sending the A-Rod card to Eric the Yankees fan eventually. I wish I had more birthdays.