The Elusive Heritage High Jumbo Packs

Even though I'm reasonably close to completing two sets I'm chasing (2008 Allen & Ginter and 2007 Turkey Red), my priority has become 2008 Heritage. Since there's rarely a pack of the first series to be found at retail anymore, and since I don't get to hobby shops much, I have had to settle for the high series stuff. Fortunately, it's a much smaller set than the first series, so I feel like I'm getting closer to completing it than the first series anyway. Considering my luck with the blaster I bought recently, however, maybe I shouldn't buy any more packs of this stuff. Nothing that awesome will probably ever happen to me again.

Credit goes to Erin (once again) for finding these three jumbo packs on the rack at a westside Target. It's way too easy for my eyes to miss these things when they're almost indistinguishable from the regular Updates & Highlights rack packs. At $4.99 for 13 cards (plus 3 U&H cards), they are a much better deal than the regular packs. I snagged the last three of the rack, so let's see what's in them...

Pack 1:

562 - Jed Lowrie (RC)
591 - Rod Barajas
522 - Jason Kubel
668 - Kevin Mench
635 - Maicer Izturis
683 - Jorge Cantu
536 - A.J. Pierzynski
601 - San Diego Padres (This one has the autograph checklists on the back. I realize now how well I did.)
607 - Kevin Millar
584 - Wes Helms
548 - Glendon Rusch (Glendon just looks happy to be in this set.)

RP11 - Johnny Cueto (I get all kinds of Johnny Cueto cards. Same with Jay Bruce. I'd gladly give them up for more obscure Cardinals rookies.)
706 - Heath Bell (SP)
UH110 - Jose Valverde

UH274 - Albert Pujols All-Stars (Maybe the last 2008 Topps base card I put on this blog. Maybe.)
UH184 - Chase Utley Home Run Derby

Pack 2:
535 - Curtis Granderson

507 - Skip Schumaker (First base?? Seriously? I guess that's what the Cardinals are planning on doing with their glut of outfield talent this season. Move over, Albert!)
504 - Todd Wellemeyer (I'm doing pretty well on the Cardinals cards here. Can't complain about that.)
534 - Jesse Litsch
644 - Andy Sonnanstine (I'm going to be tempted to snag this guy in fantasy leagues this season.)
503 - Johnny Cueto (RC)
554 - Vicente Padilla
523 - Jose Molina Black Back

545 - Justin Masterson (RC) Black Back
658 - Arizona Diamondbacks
579 - Jose Guillen Black Back (A parade of black backs here.)
546 - Milwaukee Brewers

TN5 - Bob Allison / Dustin Pedroia Then & Now
UH295 - Aaron Miles (My 6th Miles card from this set.)
UH4 - Brent Lillibridge (RC)
UH319 - Ruben Gotay

Pack 3:
586 - Cody Ross
684 - Jo-Jo Reyes
568 - Damion Easley
521 - Angel Pagan (Back-to-back Mets scrubs.)
679 - Erick Aybar

615 - Todd Jones (See, it's not all prospects, inserts and Cardinals around here. Sometimes you just gotta Todd Jones.)
518 - Brandon Boggs (RC)
639 - Mike Redmond Black Back (Redmond sounds like a fake player name from MLB 2K.)
557 - Dallas Braden Black Back (So does Braden, actually. I have no idea who he is. MLB 2K seems to like to create fake player names by recycling other players names. So I've decided Braden is a combination of Dallas McPherson and Braden Looper.)
617 - Gregorio Petit (RC) (Another fake player.)
563 - Doug Mientkiewicz Black Back (This is making up for the lack of black backs in my blaster, not that I'm complaining.)
641 - Omar Infante

TN10 - Sam Jones / C.C. Sabathia Then & Now (It's not very "Now" of them to show Sabathia in a Cleveland uniform, but it works okay I suppose.)
UH44 - Ryan Sweeney
UH111 - Brandon Boggs (RC)
UH311 - Oscar Salazar

All in all, with an insert in each pack I have no complaints. I will try to snag more of these if I manage to see them. I'm going to try to hit another Target this weekend as rumor has it that 2009 Topps is creeping its way into stores. Yikes. My poor wallet...