2003 Topps Series 2: Retail Box 1

It just so happens that I may have misstated things a bit when I spoke of a 2003 Topps hobby box in a recent poll question. I just compared the pack wrappers to this post and realized that this is actually a retail box. Even more baffling is the fact that I ended up with not one but two Series 2 boxes, the second of which I finally opened Monday night in a fit of self-pity after a recent extremely unpleasant event. I didn't really intend on buying two Series 2 boxes when my Series 1 set is nowhere near completion (nor is the Traded set, but that's a completely different issue.) I thought about including the second box as a prize option in the football contest, but I knew that if I did that I'd be lamenting all of the cards that would end up as still missing on my want list, considering the lackluster collation of Box 1.

Let's talk about Box 1.

I didn't even know what was happening when I saw this little gem. It turns out that Topps was pretty gung-ho about its new eTopps line in the year 2003, and this is the front side of one of the ad cards. I suppose this is more charming than ToppsTown, ToppsAttax or preachy messages sponsored by David Wright. It's weird, though.

James Loney is doing his best to look serious here, even though he's a kid who just got handed a professional contract to play professional baseball. For money. Real money!

John Olerud: underrated with the glove or further proof that Gold Gloves are and always were primarily an offensive award?

John Smoltz, throwing back.

This guy... this guy (?!) is a Major League Baseball player? And he was still at it for another 6 years?

Prospect cards are so hilarious. None of these guys ever pan out. They're probably working at gas stations right about now.

Cole Hamels looks like he gave some tourist agency a few bills to get his picture taken in someone's baseball uniform in front of a "real" baseball stadium background.

I wonder where this card ranks on Night Owl's scoreboard scale. Probably not very high...

Those are the base card highlights. Let's recap what else I found...

Cardinals cards: Team Card [2], Brett Tomko, Edgar Renteria Gold Glove [2], J.D. Drew [2], Mike Crudale [2], Jim Edmonds Gold Glove [2], Scott Rolen Gold Glove, Joe Girardi, Miguel Cairo, Scott Rolen, So Taguchi, Jim Edmonds, Edgar Renteria All-Stars, Scott Rolen All-Stars, Woody Williams [2]

There wasn't a lot to show here that I didn't already have or have probably posted before, but I know there were a few needs that I took care of here. Another nice thing about buying these boxes is that a lot of the packs I purchased previously had cards that were stuck together, which would often peel off specks of the back of the attached cards. They still look okay but are clearly flawed.

Red Backs (Odds - 1:12, 3 per box): 2 (Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds)

Yes, these are similarly modeled after the (smaller) inserts in the 2010 sets. It was nearly a toss-up between A-Rod and Barroid as far as whose card I chose to scan.

Hit Parade (Odds - 1:15, at least 2 per box): 3 (Rickey Henderson, Andres Galarraga, Sammy Sosa)

Record Breakers (Odds - 1:6, 6 per box): 6 (George Brett, Dwight Gooden, Frank Thomas, Darin Erstad, Jim Rice, Frank Robinson)

I don't remember these cards looking so nice. It makes me want to get one of the Record Breakers autograph cards, although the only one I'd seriously need is Pujols and it's probably outrageously expensive.

Goldies! (Odds - 1:7, at least 5 per box): 6 (Mike Piazza All-Stars, Vladimir Guerrero All-Stars, Bobby Cox All-Stars, Terry Mulholland, Joey Gomes, A.J. Pierzynski)

You know the deal with these. They are serial numbered to 2003. The Joey Gomes card, incidentally, is extremely confusing. Apparently he is Jonny's older brother. The back of the card has Jonny's bio information and stats. I'll have more on this later, perhaps.

Yeah... I don't know what to say.

A lot of these cards will be up for trade, including all of the inserts. If you're looking at my 2003 want list, please give me a few days to get it together as I still have the second box to post about.