5 on the 5: 2006 Topps Heritage

Opportunities like these seem to come few and far between, but I am always eager to jump on discounted Heritage packs, especially when they're from one of the sets that came around before I knew anything about Topps Heritage. I could probably shell out big cash for a box from any one of those sets, 2001 through 2006, but I really don't have that kind of scratch. Stick a few packs in front of me at $2 a pop, however, and I'll be more than happy to open the wallet.

Pack 1:

228 - Jason Isringhausen (Something that has been completely lost among the financial troubles and mediocre play of the Mets this year has been the bafflingly effective return of Jason Isringhausen to the team he broke in with. Izzy had only made 9 major league appearances since his last days with the Cardinals in 2008, and barely pitched at all last year in a comeback attempt with the Reds. In 15 appearances this year, he's struck out 10 and has a WHIP shy of 1.00. One question remains: why is the bat on his jersey red???)

131 - LaTroy Hawkins

189 - Nick Swisher

382 - Hanley Ramirez (Hanley Ramirez looks like a dastardly villain here.)

421 - Royce Clayton

466 - Melky Cabrera

137 - Orlando Cabrera (Can Miguel be next?)

257 - Jermaine Dye (Ah, I guess not.)

Pack 2:

250 - Ichiro Suzuki (My token Ichiro card.)

224 - Hank Blalock

480 - Mike Hampton (Is there a Disabled List Hall of Fame? Because Hampton would be a first ballot member for sure...)

461 - Justin Verlander (Verlander is pretty good at the baseball game.)

NAP-PM - Pedro Martinez New Age Performers (This is the first NAP card I've seen from this set. It looks like Pedro is pitching in front of a green screen.)

466 - Melky Cabrera

137 - Orlando Cabrera (These guys again.)

173 - John Koronka

Pack 3:

23 - Derek Jeter (I know, I know. We could all use a little less Jeter in our lives.)

205 - Jeff Francoeur

8 - CC Sabathia

482 - Antonio Alfonseca

FB-EB - Ernie Banks Flashbacks (Good stuff. More Cubs players need to be more like Ernie and less like Zambrano.)

3 - Daryle Ward

208 - Edgardo Alfonso

366 - Joe Crede

Pack 4:

179 - Wes Helms

473 - Xavier Nady (Nady makes me miss the Portland Beavers.)

229 - Brian Fuentes

135 - Michael Barrett (Can't say I have fond memories of Michael Barrett.)

291 - Conor Jackson (Here's the lone short print of the lot.)

40 - Trevor Hoffman

97 - New York Yankees (MLB's reality show.)

362 - Craig Breslow

Pack 5:

8 - CC Sabathia (Lots of doubles.)

482 - Antonio Alfonseca

80 - Tim Hudson (Hudson is really underrated.)

104 - Andy Pettitte

NAP-CL - Carlos Lee New Age Performers

201 - Shawn Estes

261 - Brandon Watson (What in the world is that supposed to spell on Watson's jersey? That doesn't really look like "WASHINGTON" or "NATIONALS" to me.)

485 - Joe Saunders

It's time to update the want list again.