Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I Don't Get It

Obligatory NLCS Comment: After the first two slugfests, I'm fully expecting runs to be at a premium when things return to the normalcy of Busch Stadium for three games this week. I don't exactly know what happened to Miller Park this year, but I know that I'm not going to complain about a 12-3 outcome in favor of the Redbirds.

I found myself in a Target store on Saturday because I was in need of a new lamp. It used to be fairly common to find me on a weekend at a place that sells trading cards, but these trips have been pretty infrequent of late. I knew to look for Topps Update packs just because it feels like a requirement, and said cards were available in three different formats. My first opened pack ended up being a rack jumbo pack. I knew absolutely nothing about this product going in.

US226 - Steve Pearce (Yarr! It's a Pirate. Oh, don't worry, it's just Steve Pearce.)
US265 - Willie Harris
US212 - Pat Neshek
US284 - Laynce Nix (In a year when not a ton of big names changed teams during the season, you're going to end up with a lot of Nixes in a set like this.)
US73 - Juan Nicasio Rookie Debut
US136 - Brandon Crawford Rookie Debut (I don't remember if they had these Rookie Debut cards in last year's set. I want to say... yes?)
US164 - Hector Noesi
US251 - Justin Turner

US245 - Kevin Correia (There's been a trend of late for Topps to include wide-angle shots of pitchers in focus while their respective batter is blurry. I think these either work really well or look terrible, and there's not really any in-between.)

US66 - Andy Dirks Hope Diamond Anniversary 03/60 (I guess I realized this wasn't your ordinary bedazzled sparkly card when I saw that it had a blue tint. It's numbered, too, but not in the fun gold foil way.)

TTU-37 - Neil Walker Topps Town (Geez... more Pirates.)
US230 - Miguel Cabrera All-Star

US85 - Roy Halladay All-Star (We've come to the All-Star portion of the pack.)
US140 - Clayton Kershaw All-Star
US192 - Mike Moustakas
US43 - Carlos Quentin All-Star

US72 - Colby Rasmus (Ugh, this kind of makes my stomach turn.)
US162 - Troy Tulowitzki All-Star
US300 - Carl Crawford (Do you mean to tell me that Topps just now figured out that Crawford has a new team for 2011?)
US28 - Adam Kennedy
US87 - Clayton Mortensen (Former Cardinal.)
US214 - Matt Daley

US243 - Chris Denorfia (Nice throwbacks.)
US203 - Juan Nicasio (Same guy with two cards in the same pack.)
US24 - Rex Brothers
US263 - Chad Qualls
US308 - Kyle Seager
US197 - Brandon League (The Mariners are going to regret not trading their closer soon if they haven't already.)

US217 - Elliot Johnson Diamond Anniversary (This is your normal, garden variety bedazzled parallel.)

KC-135 - Carl Crawford Kimball Champions (My scanner still hates these cards. I think I am finally coming to a decision where I'm just going to let these cards go. I don't think I like them enough.)

634 - Mitch Moreland Cognac Diamond Anniversary ("Cognac" is one way to describe these. Another way is "vomit". Also, what the heck is with the card numbering? Perhaps I can put it a better way... why are these parallels of Series 1/2 cards suddenly showing up in the Update product? Is someone trying to make up for past perceived mistakes?)

T60-144 - Zach Britton Topps 60
US287 - Matt Joyce All-Star
US292 - Mike Adams
US50 - Jered Weaver All-Star

US268 - Yadier Molina All-Star (This is the reason this pack was pulled off the shelf and sent home with me. It's always good to start off on a high note, after all.)

So what is it that I don't get? I guess it's all of this sparkly nonsense. I pulled three of them in a $5 retail pack, so I can't imagine that they are worth anything.

8 comments :

  1. I'll save you a Yadier Molina Topps Chrome XFractor for that pukey Moreland.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't care for the Cognac or the Hope Diamond parallels, but I find myself looking for them of the players I collect.

    Go Cardinals!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alright, pukey Moreland for Play at the Plate and Pirates for the Pirates fan.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, I need Neshek, too. I'll email you a trade offer once I pick some Update up at Wally World.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey brother! Nice break... I had to comment cuz you tagged it perfect with the pukey vomit thing... Cognac is close, but puke is dead on... I got yer package in the mail yesterday, completely amazing as always... Been loving the NLCS - I know you are... Should you decide to bail on the Kimball Champs, you know I want em! That Elliot Johnson would look way better in MY binder too... Cheers! Go Brew Crew!!! Ha!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, using yer comments for my personal use... I have a package collecting dust for Pirates Fan and dont have his addy... Dude, if you are reading this - sent me yer addy!!! Otherwise, Madding, could you share it with me?
    Thanks! troll

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do you still have the Dirks? I would LOVE to buy that card from you!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are highly encouraged, but then again, so is eating your fruits and vegetables.