Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

"Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to."

From what I've seen on the internet during the build up to and immediate aftermath of the release of Topps' 2018 Flagship offering, many a card collector is applying TLC to their collection this year.  By that, I don't mean "tender love and care," because obviously we all do maintain those principles with our favorite fragile strips of paper.  Rather, I'm referring to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez and company and their ubiquitous little ditty known as Waterfalls.  The 90's R&B classic tells the story of a mother imploring her daughter to stay grounded, not to chase waterfalls, and to stick with what she's used to.

Of course, the song is actually a commentary about the HIV/AIDS epidemic; but, that's another story for another blog.

At any rate, I've noticed many a collector voice their distaste with what's become known as "the waterfall" set; making note of how the release has inspired them to stick with vintage cards (aka, what they're used to).  In their second year of no-borders, Topps has made use of a colored swirl, which has been mocked mercilessly by vociferous collectors, as part of the "lower-third graphic" in the design, appropriate for a set which (again) looks like a TV visual put together by ESPN.  I must admit, that general displeasure had kept me from getting too excited about it's release... well, that and a few other factors.

After all, this is a busy time of the school year, with the quarter ending and report cards being due.  Additionally, I was in Texas for four days last week for a conference, including the day Topps dropped.  Between the airports, convention centers, and late night food runs, I couldn't find the time or desire for another side jaunt to a Walmart or Target in the Lone Star State.  Furthermore, while many were preoccupied with the new visuals of the card set, I was left unimpressed with the checklist of the product. Considering my ultra-niche collecting habits, I suppose this shouldn't come as much of a surprise; nevertheless, I was disappointed that there were no Cubs debuts in the product (plus Koji Uehara, for some reason).  All of this considered, I was in no rush to taste the new stuff.

But, eventually sirens' call of new baseball cards wormed it's way into my head.  Yesterday (after a loooooooong day at work), a week after it's hitting store shelves, I made an impulsive trip to my LCS in search of Waterfalls - sorry, TLC.  Anyway, since I wasn't thrilled with the checklist and I'm a cheapskate, I was pleased to discover that my longtime baseball card provider had a small bin of 2018 singles near the register, especially this one:

"Q" appeared in the Update set last year and even had a Topps Now card printed in his name after his trade across the Windy City; however, I still had yet to track down a proper Cubs card to represent one of the most underrated hurlers in baseball for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

In the meantime, I had to settle for this 2014 White Sox Factory Team Set single that my brother gifted me with for my marquee binder:

Personally, I think blue and red suit Jose much better; but, that's just me.  After his strikeout rate exploded to 28.3%  post-trade in 2017 (normally around 20%),  I cannot wait to see what the lefty does for the North Siders over the course of a full season in their rotation.

The reverse side makes note of Jose's phenomenal Cubs debut, where we whiffed 12 Orioles on July 16th - he was absolutely masterful. Along with that that tidbit, we get Jose's vitals, social media handles, five years of statistics, and lots of impossible to read legalese.

For a couple quarters (hometown markup), I was quite content having chased down this "waterfall" for my CATRC.  That being acknowledged, there were still a few Cubs to be had in that bin of 2018 singles and the sirens compelled me to add one more card to my small purchase:

How could I pass up this image of Willson Contreras, soon to surpass Yadier Molina as the best catcher in the National League, looking so positively jubilant?  For spare change, might as well throw this beauty into the CATRC, as well, seeing as that epic photograph perfectly captures the spirit of the young backstop.

A quick search of Getty Images fills us in on the context of the scene - Contreras had just jacked a late-inning solo shot to tie their June 19th tilt against the Padres, a game they would go on to win 3-2.  In that situation, I'd be pretty pumped up too!

WillCo is a wonderful talent to watch at the plate and behind it, but the emotion he brings to the game makes him perhaps the most electric player on the roster.

The fun fact given on the back of Willson's card is about as obscure of a baseball stat as you can get.  If you cannot read that text, the gist of it is that Contreras was the first catcher in Major League Baseball history to lead off a game with a home run in his first ever start from the lead-off position.  I want to know who tracked that tidbit down!

In the end, these two 2018 Flagship singles ended up being the only cards that I purchased from the LCS yesterday.  It might have been a decidedly low dollar day, but I was much happier to spend a dollar and change on two cards that I know I wanted rather than almost three bucks on a random pack and hoping the baseball card gods shined down upon me favorably.  Yea... as much as I like this particular shop, I definitely do not enjoy the fact that he pumps up the prices on all of his new stuff.

 As far as the controversial design of the cards themselves, I must admit, I don't hate it.  While it did look a little silly when the initial sell sheet dropped a few months back, in hand, these cards look pretty darn decent.  That much-maligned waterfall that cups the team logo is color-coordinated with each franchise as well - a characteristic that I always appreciate.  In fact, I think I like it better than either the 2017 or 2016 layouts.  That said, I do kind of miss borders.

Overall, is it my favorite Flagship design of all-time?  Noooooooooooooooo way - far from it!  Is it my least favorite design to ever hit the market?  Also, decidedly not.  But, if the player selection varies a little more to my liking for the Factory Team Sets, Series II, and Update, I wouldn't be opposed to chasing down a few more waterfalls for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

In the meantime, in the comments section below, please feel free to let me know what you think of the 2018 edition of Topps' Flagship offering.  Are you one of the collectors who will be sticking "to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to?"  Is the waterfall goofy?  Are you lukewarm on the whole thing, as I am?  Or, are you the rare bird who actually adores this design?  Curious minds want to know!

As for me, I'll be spending the rest of my day hopelessly trying to get TLC out of my head...