Ginter Madness: 2011 Edition

This post means that I have admitted collecting failure once again. I have not managed to complete any of the previous three Allen & Ginter sets prior to the release of the 2011 set. No sooner had I purchased 10 of the 15-pocket Ultra Pro sheets for storage of coveted mins for last year's set than I noticed this foul temptress on the shelves. I caved and bought three hobby packs. Technically, my first 2011 A&G came by way of Smed's Dastardly Grab Bag Service, but I disgress.

Pack 1:

293 - Royal Wedding (I think it's hilarious that this was my very first card, in light of this post over at Night Owl Central.)

256 - Hunter Pence (Pence is the lone plum that still has color on the otherwise dead and rotten tree over in Houston. I fully expect that this team flirts with record-setting futility in the short term before starting to turn things around thanks to some truly terrible management.)

218 - Bobby Abreu

163 - Ian Kennedy

219 - Johan Santana (First horizontal card.)

321 - Mark Reynolds

325 - Mike Stanton Mini (Super talented player. Possibly short-printed mini.)

HH37 - Clayton Kershaw Hometown Heroes (These seem to follow the theme of the This Day in History and National Pride cards among others.)

Pack 2:

197 - Jay Bruce

235 - Cole Hamels

156 - Marlon Byrd (A lot of cards from teams I don't like.)

91 - Joel Pineiro (Wow, I've never seen Pineiro look so angry before.)

BHS-10 - Ryan Howard Baseball Highlight Sketches (I'm not overly thrilled that these are back. It also doesn't make sense that the frame is in portrait orientation but the sketch is landscape.)

329 - Alex Gordon (The mega prospect third baseman has turned into a serviceable outfielder. I suppose that's okay.)

270 - Kevin Youkilis Black Mini (Here's a new look to the black bordered minis.)

HH86 - Kevin Youkilis Hometown Heroes (Back to back Youk.)

- Ginter Code ad (Ugh, Twitter.)

Pack 3:

227 - Lucas Duda

295 - Chris Carpenter (I love this. Carp is my favorite active player.)

207 - Kosuke Fukudome

46 - Edinson Volquez

172 - Yunesky Maya Ginter Code (Here's a code parallel. I don't know if this useful to anyone or not. Has the thing been cracked yet?)

320 - Jon Lester (It's nice to see that the old familiar reverse of these cards has not changed.)

208 - Marco Scutaro Mini A&G Back (So many Red Sox.)

FF20 - USS Pennsylvania Floating Fortresses (Interesting... I was expecting to see a Hometown Heroes card here.)

None of these cards are for trade. All for me! Ha!