The Monkey's Out of the Bottle

I have a laser-focused collection.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy miscellaneous Cubs cards, fun photography, and mysterious oddball pasteboards.  However, after nearly two decades worth of collecting the way I do, I don't think I'll be shifting my collecting focus anytime soon.  In short, I am set in my ways, I love my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection, and that binder get 99% of my hobby time.

On the bright side, the fact that I am so preoccupied with one mission (collect one card of every man to take the field in a Cubs uniform) keeps me grounded.  I'd much rather spend $20 on a super vintage tobacco card than a blaster of random, modern day product.  On the negative side, it also keeps me grounded.  By that, I mean that I don't get much joy out of buying packs, blasters, and boxes of cards because I know that my collecting needs will almost never be met by such purchases.  After all, I'm not going to find a strip card of some Depression Era benchwarmer in a rack pack of 2020 Topps, am I?  Heck, even if there is a Cubs rookie or first appearance in a North Side uni in a new set, it's infinitely more economical to purchase them secondhand rather than play the Topps lottery.

When the new cards first hit the shelves each year, it should be an exciting event for any hobbyist, but my supremely narrow collecting focus keeps my exuberance mostly in check.  Parade, meet rain.

That said, I am not made of stone.  While both my brain and my wallet know that spending money on modern product will not provide much benefit to my CATRC, that doesn't keep me completely on the sidelines.  I'll still buy a stray pack or two each year - I have to see what the new stuff looks like in person, after all.  Therefore, when I found myself in Target over the weekend, I decided to loosen my collar a tad with a rack pack of 2020 Series One.

Now, like I said, modern products rarely have any carrots to dangle in front of my face and this year's Flagship is no exception.  While the checklist is 350 cards long, there is only one, single bullet point which captures my attention, #103 Danny Hultzen - it's like being a Rangers fan or something.  Anyway, despite landing fifteen cards in the set, Hultzen represents the only Cub making his first pasteboard appearance with the team, thus making it a chase card for my CATRC.

Despite this fact, I still plopped down the five dollar bill - despite the long odds of adding anything to my binder - because sometimes you just have to...

Little did I know, I was in for a surprise.  Without any further ado, let's bust into this 34-card pack of 2020 Topps Series One - my very first pack of cards on the calendar year:

Upon shedding the wrapping, it was Tony Gonsolin's face (or his trendy mustache and flowing mane) which initially greeted me.  I don't know who this guy is. but he's definitely got a good first name.

Second out of the packet was a card that could be of potential use.  The Cubs have brought in local hero, Jason Kipnis, on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invitation.  He represents a cheap (an emphatically important quality for the front office this winter), veteran stopgap at second base that could allow blue chip prospect, Nico Hoerner, to spend some time refining his game at AAA.  So, maybe I'll be adding this card to my CATRC binder soon and actually get something useful out of my "treat yo'self" impulse purchase.

Also, maybe the hometown hero can redeem himself for very nearly ruining the Cubs' party in 2016.

I think I lost about 5 years off of the back end of my life when I saw that ball leave the bat.  Yikes.  My skin still crawls when I watch the video 3+ years later.

Speaking of startling moments, the next card in the pack was a massive surprise.  Like I said, there was exactly one card on this fairly large checklist that I actually "needed" for my collection.  One.  One out of 350 possible pulls and I had only bought 34 cards.  Yet, only three cards into my first sampling of the product, there it was staring back at me:

Danny Hultzen makes his first appearance in a Cubs uniform; in fact, he makes his first appearance on a card as a Major Leaguer, period.  As you might infer, that means this card will slot right into my CATRC binder.

The lefty was one of the few bright spots for the Cubs during the latter half of the 2019 season.  The second overall pick (by Seattle) of the 2011 amateur draft was the only player taken in the first 29 selections who hadn't reached the Bigs. This draft class is widely considered to be the greatest of all-time - for apparent reasons and Hultzen was expected to be one of the bigger names from it.  However, while names like Gerrit Cole, Mookie Betts, Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez went on to stardom, Hultzen battled an onslaught on injuries and washed out of baseball on two separate occasions.  Yet, come last September, there Danny was in a Cubs uniform, striking out the side in his maiden Major League appearance.

Some might question the validity of putting a minor league lifer who had only made six appearances in the preceding season onto the checklist of Topps Series One and - honestly - those people would be right.  It doesn't make sense - it's just a symptom of the over reliance on rookie cards that Night Owl eloquently studied not so long ago.  Plus, while he is back with the club for 2020, the chances of him making much of an impact are quite slim.  The new three batter minimum rule and his lack of a 40-man roster spot see to that.  You'd think Topps would want a proper representation of the Major Leagues in their Flagship set... but rookies.

Of course, with all that being stated, the homer in me is thrilled to find a proper Cubs card of the guy.  After all, LOOGY-type relievers rarely get any love and he looks so much better in Cubbie Blue than Mariners Teal.  Does this make me a hypocrite?  Probably.  Maybe.  Yes. C'est la vie.

While this pack was already a odds-defying, massive success, I was thrilled to discover another Cubs card just a few flips later.  Since "the Professor" is known for his intelligence and attention to the finer points of pitching, let's now take a moment to examine the design used for 2020 Topps.

In short, I like it.  While, like many who would bemoan this era of collecting, I would prefer a return to borders.  However, that horse is dead, buried and decaying.  Others complain about the sideways orientation of the nameplate and it's seemingly Bowman-inspired layout.  In regards to the former, I also agree, but I find this to be much easier for my brain to comprehend than having the last name printed above the first, like in 2019 Topps; so, at least it's an improvement.  In regards to the latter, some scream Bowman rip-off; but, to me, the layout and design harkens back to video games like MVP Baseball or to graphical elements used in mid-00's television broadcasts, which tickles my nostalgia bone.  

Also, I enjoy the color coding used in the nameplate  Any attempt to get more blue and red into my Cubs cards is welcomed.

As for the back, they're pretty standard fare, although the heavy reliance on gray is a bit drab.  Also, I find it odd that they included Danny Hultzen's minor league numbers rather than his MLB stat-line.  I'm sure it has something to do with print deadlines or whatever.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's see what the rest of the pack produced:

Here we have a pair of former Cubs, or at least a former Cub and a former North Side farmhand.  I don't miss Aroldis Chapman, but this otherwise standout pack had to damped my enthusiasm by reminding me that Eloy Jimenez is blossoming on the other side of town...  Oh well, nothings truly perfect, I suppose.

On the plus side, the latter does represent my first Eloy card whatsoever, so it'll fit in nicely with my "Coulda Been a Cub" side project.

Next up, a trio of cool photos, including a special "Maryland Day" Orioles uniform (anyone else think soccer when they see this?), a hovering Gregory Polanco, and an intimidating perspective not seen nearly enough on baseball cards.

Oh hey, this guy has been in the news a lot lately, hasn't he?...

On a brighter note, I think I might have the market cornered on the second generational talent in Toronto.  Well, almost - I'd just need Vlad Jr. to complete that "set."  Still, that's a lot of family ties for one pack.

That does it for the base portion of the packet.  Moving on, let's examine the "special" cards:

 

As I mentioned earlier, this particular pack of cards came from a Target, so here are my retail-only Turkey Red inserts - two regular and one Chrome.  Like the return of crimson birds, but a whole lotta meh here with the backgrounds and the players pulled.  Also, I'm just now noticing how poorly these inserts photographed, especially that shiny Sale.  Although, much like Chris' Sawx and Yordan Alvarez's Houston Astros, I probably should have seen that coming.

Zing.

And finally, to close out the pack-busting experience, here's a 35th Anniversary of 1985 Topps insert.  Seems like Topps likes to dip into the well of 80's nostalgia quit often; but, the '85 set is actually one of my favorite designs of all-time, so I'll let it slide this time.  I can't quite put my finger on why I get such a kick out of this set (perhaps it's the simple geometric design, prominent use of team logos, and bold colors), yet I find the originals representing a fair amount of 80's Cubs in my CATRC.

Of course, Pete Alonso is a fully-grown "Polar Bear" and not a "Cub."  Thus, as much as I will cape for '85 Topps, this one will be going into the trade stacks.

With that, we've seen all there is to see with this odd-defying hanger pack.  Within the plastic wrapping, I was able to uncover the one and only card from this product that I declared a target (and, again, within three flips) which served as a Cubgrade for my CATRC, one potential further addition to said binder, a bonus Kyle Hendricks, and an Eloy for my "Coulda Been a Cub" collation.  Considering my narrow scope of cardboard interests, that's an exceptional haul.

All in all, my dip into 2020 Series One went even better than I could have possibly expected and I'm thoroughly satisfied with the brief abandonment of logic that facilitated the purchase.  Granted, there's not a shred of doubt that I could still purchase the single Hultzen RC on Ebay or at my LCS for a fifth of the price I forked over for the pack, though nothing compares to that childlike thrill of pulling it yourself, right?  I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who feels that way - I encourage you to share a story about the last time you experienced such a rush and/or your feelings about 2020 Topps Series One in the comment section below.

In the meantime, now my wallet and brain have to get together and work twice as hard to repress the urges of my yearning heart to try and replicate the magic.  What have I done?

What Wood You Do?

There's more lumber in this Cubs card than a Lowe's home improvement store.

This single from the most recent release of Topps Heritage has been a target since the product first hit store shelves this spring.  I have to believe somebody with some pull in creating the checklist purposely paired these rookie hurlers due to their wooden surnames.  It's not as funny as the classic "Bong Puffer" rookie card of 2003; that being said, I can certainly appreciate the attention to detail.

Of course, the wry humor behind this timber twosome is just a bonus.  In all actuality , the reason why I've been tracking this card like a lost lumberjack is because it represents James Norwood's true Major League rookie card.  To this point and to my knowledge, the relief prospect had never appeared in a set that wasn't a minor league team issue.  Thus, I soon found myself "pine-ing" for his Heritage debut, wanting to include it in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

It was in hopes of landing that cedar single that I purchased this particular pack of Heritage.  Although, I must admit, I had a rather strong inkling that I wouldn't be leaving my Target disappointed.  As you can see in the image above, the thin wrapping cannot mask the Cubbie Blue showing through - I knew for certain that I'd be adding this card to my CATRC binder as soon as I picked it off the rack.

Did I bend the rules of collecting?  Maybe a little.  I can't help the fact that I have eyes and I can see the dark cards through the thin, light wrapper, even without the glasses that I broke a month ago and still haven't replaced.

At any rate, I now find myself the proud owner of a brand new Norwood for my favorite three-ring.  James made his Major League debut in 2018, getting into eleven games during the summer months and posting a 4.09 ERA in eleven frames.  So far  2019, the 25-year old has made one additional appearance, but he's mostly been biding his time in AAA.  With a power arm, he figures to be seen in Wrigley Field again before long.

While I certainly needed a copy of his first true Cubs card, the young reliever hadn't been completely absent from my collection.  Back in October of 2017, I spent a weekend in the Myrtle Beach area, during which I visited the local ballpark of the Cubs affiliated Pelicans and picked up one of those aforementioned MiLB team sets.

As much I love the memories attached to this souvenir, a true Cubs card is going to beat out a minor league single (even from a Chicago affiliate) any day of the week.  The only characteristic that gives me pause is the fact that the Pelicans card is a solo piece, while the Heritage is shared with Duane Underwood (who himself has an individual pasteboard already in my binder) and I prefer to have my players not have to share pockets with a roommate.  Nevertheless, Heritage wins this battle... for now anyway.

In the process of drafting this post, I discovered that Panini Prizm came out in the middle of last month and James got his own, dedicated rookie card in that super shiny, foil-based product.  With that. while I though it was over, the chase continues...

At any rate, I've rambled on and on about Norwood quite long enough.  I'm sure you're wondering about the rest of my fat pack of Heritage.  Well, please allow me to show off the rest of the goodies that came packaged with the "wood brothers."  I'm sure the NASCAR fans who wandered over here will appreciate that pun.

A current Cubs outfielder and a former one, both with a beautiful blue sky back drop.  Both welcome additions to my collections.

Also, I miss Dexter Fowler.  He just doesn't look right in Cardinal Red.  😢

*ahem*  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here's what the back of 2019 Heritage looks like; though, I'm sure you've seen every detail of this set covered on the blogosphere already, seeing as it's already been out for a few months:

A very fair approximation of the originals, although the required legal-ese always ruins the illusion when it comes to these nostalgic recreations.  Oh well, nothing that can be done about that, I suppose.

Additionally, I like that the cartoon on the back spotlights Kyle's supremely unlikely performance in the 2016 World Series, which remains the high point of his still young and promising Cubs tenure.  His performance on the field since that time has been extremely up and down, due to his issues with plate discipline; however, if he ever puts it all together - with that prodigious power - the National League better watch out!

That did it for the Cubs content in the packet.  Of course, there were still some other cards that managed to catch my eye, for one reason or another.

This pair of pitchers represent a formidable, folicular duo.  Daniel Mengden would look right at home on an Allen and Ginter or Gypsy Queen single, with that silent movie villain mustache.  It's certainly the best I've seen since former Cub, Carlos Villanueva, sported a similar look a few seasons ago.  Meanwhile, Mikolas' stache isn't nearly as stylish, but the stormy skies in the background of his photograph make for an interesting contrast from the rest of the largely sunny set.

A pair of players from other teams who I find it difficult to root against.  A Nippon League veteran who came stateside with Diamondbacks just prior to the 2018 season and a late-blooming, former prospect who finally worked his way into the Major League picture.  Foreign imports and minor league journeymen are stories that I pretty much always find to be intriguing and neither Yoshihisa nor Nicky are exceptions.

Unfortunately, neither player is having a pleasant 2019, as Hirano's ERA sits comfortably over five and Nicky recently went down for the rest of the campaign due to a shoulder injury.  Here's hoping both of these guys can turns things around, just not when they face the Cubs.

Stephen Strasburg may be an intimidating presence on the mound; but, he certainly isn't imposing in this photograph.  In fact, his smile is proving to be quite infectious - check out those pearly whites!

That about does it for the non-Cubs that caught my eye.  Nevertheless, in the interest of completion, here's a quick compilation of the rest of the cards found within my purchased jumbo pack of 2019 Topps Heritage:

And there you have it.  Unless any of these guys end up playing for the Cubs someday, I don't have much use for these.  Into the trade boxes they go.

Overall, it was a pretty decent rip.  Two bonafide Cubs cards and one featuring a former Second City favorite in a jersey of a different color.  One of those Cubs cards also happened to be a particle board... errrm... pasteboard that I had been actively chasing, although I knew for certain that it was in the packet because I could see it through the wrapper.  While I didn't feel up every pack, pressing the wrap up against the cover card to get a better look, I did glance at a few of them before I made my final decision and it was fairly easy to tell what was first in line on many of them without staring.

On that note, I have to ask, do you think it's problematic to be picking your packs based on cards that can be somewhat seen through the wrappings?  Is this akin to pack-searching and cheating the system put in place to keep things fair?  Or, is this more like the old cello rack packs, where were able to actively choose your purchase based on the cards purposely showcased in the front?  Please feel free to make your thoughts on this moral gray area known in the comment section below and I apologize if we are re-litigating an issue that I hadn't noticed covered elsewhere.

In this situation, what "wood" you do?

The Early Bird Gets The Worm

This never happens.

Normally, when a new baseball card product is scheduled to hit store shelves, I won't see it for a week or longer.  The local Target and their assigned vendor are dreadfully slow when it comes to bringing out the new stuff.  For example, the first time I saw the 2019 edition of Topps Flagship in the card aisle at this location was last night. I don't know why this is other than the fact that I'm probably the only pasteboard obsessed nut who pays any attention; thus the priority isn't there.  At any rate, I've resigned myself to having to wait a couple of weeks before I get the chance to sample the latest and greatest product from Topps or Panini. 

Last night, my wife and I made a quick pit stop at the red bullseye to pick up some essentials for our upcoming, weekend road trip to Kentucky to visit some family.  Of course, I am quite easily distracted and soon pealed off to take a quick peek in the cardboard aisle.  I was pleased to see that Series One had finally made it's way out onto the racks and thought about maybe grabbing my second pack of the product, as a treat.  But, then I noticed something strange... the Heritage packs that I saw underneath of Flagship didn't look like last year's edition...  could it possibly be? 

Yes, it could.  Despite the fact that they weren't supposed to officially drop until today, my notoriously slothy Target had actually put out 2019 Heritage a full day early.  Huzzah!

Talk about a sudden turnaround - I didn't expect to see this rehash of 1970 Topps on Target shelves until at least March.  There's simply no way that I could let this sudden timeliness go unrewarded, so I excitedly grabbed a pack and made my way back to road trip prepping.  I would have loved to grab a rack pack or even a blaster because it was all out there, but, unfortunately, I cannot trade extra baseball cards for gasoline.  At least, I don't think I can... I've never tried to do so.

Anyway, after filling up our cart with the proper car snacks and travel-sized toiletries, the wife and I made our way back to the homestead, where I gleefully tore into the wax wrapper that you see above.  Sure - I could have been packing; however, that's not nearly as fun as ripping into surprise baseball cards, is it?

Even better, this unexpected purchase yielded my first Cubs card on the young season:

And it's a wonderfully-composed photograph of Jose Quintana that gets the honor.  The home pinstripes will always be the best of the Cubs' wardrobe and I will never sway from that opinion.  And, maybe just because it's finally spring training after a long winter, but the obvious Cactus League facility in which Jose is posed, framed with a beautiful blue sky, truly warms my cockles.  This card is the perfect reminder that baseball is back!

Of course, this year's version of Heritage pays tribute to the 1970 release of Topps Baseball - so, let's compare and see how the old bubblegum company did in recreating their previous work:

Please excuse the ratty condition of my Jimmie Hall card - it was the only '70 single I could dig up in a timely manner.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the difference in color between the team designations on the two.  That said, this is a characteristic that changed from card to card and wasn't even consistent within team ranks.  Yellow, red, black, and white are all used, seemingly without any rhyme or reason, throughout the checklist.  So, can't knock them there.  Plus, all of the fonts look right on the money (maybe the position listing is a touch bolder in 2019) - hell, in fact, the script for the name plate looks like a perfect match.  Overall, I'd say that Topps did a phenomenal job in bringing 1970 back to life!

The backs are pretty much the same too, although I forgot to scan an original for comparison, except with the now necessary "legal-ese" found added at the bottom.    Again, they seem pretty faithful to the original design.

Here's hoping that Jose can rediscover the form that allowed him to striek out 12 men in his Cubs debut, as spotlighted in the comic.  Although, he's be a decent mid-rotation contributor since his July 2017 acquisition, the Cubbies paid a premium price to add the lefty to the fold and, no doubt, expected him to perform at a top-of-the-rotation level.  If he can up his game in 2019, that would go a long way towards the Cubs making another World Series run and alleviating the pain that Cubs fans will feel whenever Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease debut across town.

Oh... and as for the other 8 cards that I found within the pack:

A Ray that I know little about and Ryan Braun... swing and a miss.

A pair of exceptionally similar looking cards of AL players.   Seriously, they're almost posed exactly the same!

Padres hot-pack!  Does that Lucchesi look Photoshopped to you or am I losing my mind?  Speaking of Joey, he was the first pitcher of the 2016 draft to reach the Majors and has one of the most interesting windups in baseball:

this is exhausting to watch pic.twitter.com/B4sNUJCL4V

— Danny (@recordsANDradio) May 10, 2018

Whatever works for you, I guess.

We cap things off with a Postseason highlights subset single, honoring Jack Bradley, Jr.'s dramatic grandslam against the Astros in Game 2 of the ALCS, and a "Then & Now" insert which draws a comparison between Minnesota's Jim Perry and Tampa Bay's Blake Snell, the Cy Young winners in 1970 and 2018, respectively.

I love cards that showcase pitcher grips like Snell does on his half of the latter card.  It screams, "you couldn't hit this pitch even if you knew what was coming!"

With that, we've reached the end of my first pack of 2019 Heritage, technically opened a day before they were even supposed to have been released.  Any pack in which I pull a Cub is a definitive success, especially so when I wasn't even expecting to buy cards upon leaving my apartment.  Although, before I wrap this up, I want to point out one more thing about the Q card that I pulled:

I don't know if that's purposeful, artificial aging or a printing defect found on the right portion of the white border which frames the player picture, but that line is definitely runny.  I noticed this on one other card found within my pack; however, the rest of the cards had crisp, clean frames all the way around.  I know how Topps loves their subtle variations, like fake gum stains and sparkles.  Does anyone know if this is some sort of variation, parallel, or maybe even some how a subtle tribute to the original set?  Or, is that wonkiness just a legitimate defect?  Now that I've noticed, I cannot get my mind off of this oddity.

At any rate, I'm happy to have my first Cubs card of the year in just my second sampling of 2019 packs.  That Q card will likely be swapped into my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection as his representation in my marquee collection.  Thus, I can safely declare this purchase to be a win.  Additionally, I am optimistic that my local Target will now be a little more timely with future stocking.  Perhaps that was their New Year's Resolution this year?  Of course, I'll find out on March 6th, with the release of Panini's Donruss.  We shall see.

In the meantime, I should probably get back to prepping for our upcoming weekend getaway.  I wonder if the clerks at Speedway or Mobil would take my Profar or Braun for $20 worth of unleaded?

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Trying To Keep My Blogging License

Baseball is back, baby!

Well... exhibition baseball, anyway.  Spring Training is well under way and Cactus League games have begun for my beloved Cubs...  a welcome distraction from the decidedly un-spring like whether currently plaguing the Midwest.  As things stand now, the Cubbies are currently undefeated, sporting a record of 2-0, which obviously means they'll be winning the World Series in five this year.  While the franchise may have disappointed six ways to Sunday this winter, it's just nice to know that real baseball is just around the corner.

Luckily, these first two Cactus League contests have been covered by the terrestrial radio crew; so, I was able to "turn on, tune in, and drop out" out of the real world for a couple of hours this past Saturday.  As I was getting lost in Arizona baseball, by way of the soothing voice of Pat Hughes, I took the opportunity to open my very first pack of 2019 Topps cards. 

Wait a minute... the FIRST pack of 2019? 

  
Flagship has been out for weeks now and is even about to be lapped by Heritage.  What gives?  What kind of baseball card writer hasn't already opened boxes of the stuff by now?  Don't they take away your blogging license for that?

See, here's the thing - I collect in waves and, lately, it's been low tide.  The winter months are usually the doldrums of both card collecting and blogging, seeing as my favorite sport is in deep hibernation.  Additionally, the lax free agent market over the past couple off-seasons has only made this disinterest worse.  Furthermore, I wasn't particularly high on the design of Topps' 2019 Flagship product when it was unveiled last fall.  All of these factors combined have kept my enthusiasm in check for the release of new cards.

However, now that Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and the boys are back on the diamond - albeit at Sloan Park instead of Wrigley - my interest is beginning to rise.  Watch that shoreline... the tide is coming in!

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Thus, when I made my way to the local card shops in the area for National Hockey Card Day this weekend, I decided to grab a pack of the newest edition of our hobby's flagship while I was out and about.  Then, I came home, turned on 670 the Score, and let baseball wash over me as I flipped through the cardboard.  The pairing of the Cactus League opener and new cards made for the perfect way to officially kick off the baseball calendar.

But enough exposition, how'd the pack ripping go?  As the Cubs were whipping the Brewers 8-4 (I know it means jack, but winning is never a bad thing), here's what fell out of my first foil-wrapped packet of 2019 Topps Flagship:

A whole lotta meh in there.  Although, I kind of like the photograph of Kyle Tucker rounding the bases - it's a touch more interesting than the standard, generic batting pose.  Also, I definitely got the wrong mustachioed Athletics hurler.

Next, here's the horizontal heroes portion of the pack:

Nice double play shot of Brandon Lowe there.  I guess it's a good thing I like this picture, seeing as it's a Rays card and I'll, therefore, probably have it forever.  Plus, it's funny that my ballpark card should be Minute Maid Park, seeing as my wife was actually in Texas as I was flipping through these cards.  Of course, she was in the Fort Worth area for a work event, so it's the wrong Lone Star State team; but, I'm grasping at straws for intrigue here.

As far as the best of the base, these two above cards were certainly the best of the bunch.  I'm not a staunch traditionalist in life, let alone in something as (relatively) trivial as baseball.  I say, bring on the Segura-like home run celebrations!  Why shouldn't Jean fly around the bases like an airplane when taking a pitcher deep into the bleachers?  Don't like it?  Pitch better.  Clearly these displays of passion and emotion bring smiles to the faces of fans, smiles as big and beaming as Mookie and Prince Albert here!  After all, isn't reinvigorating fan interest (especially with the youth) the stated number one goal of Major League Baseball?

Thank you for coming to my impromptu Ted Talk.

To close things out, I also found a parallel and an insert nestled in the middle of my 14-card hobby pack.  Former Cubs farmhand, Josh Donaldson, was the closest thing to a Cubs card found within.  
The third baseman is pictured on a Rainbow Foil parallel, which fall at a rate of 1:10 packs.  The most interesting aspect of this card is that, in a few years, we will have all forgotten entirely about the former All-Star's brief, month long tenure in Cleveland.  For what it's worth, Josh already looks confused himself.  #ShortTermStop

As for the retro-themed insert, thank god Topps decided to go with something other than the wood grain borders of 1987.  Quite the opposite actually, as (correct me if I'm wrong) I feel like the 1984 design doesn't get much love from the old bubblegum company.  I'll have to check and see if any Cubbies are available in this insert checklist, as I quite like this resurfacing.

And, with that, we've reached the end of my first pack of baseball cards in 2019.  No Cubs, no particularly eye-catching cards... overall, it was a bowl of "meh."  Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.  Oh, and before I go, here's what the backs look like, in case you're like me and hadn't seen any of these in person yet:

Yay for the return of full career stats and, unlike a lot of people, I also enjoy the fact that they've kept the social media handles around.  After all, we live in the 21st century and this part of the pop culture landscape now.  While social media services like Twitter and Instagram are often credited with downfall of modern society, they also help our heroes engage with their adoring audiences like never before.  Like I said during my unexpected rant about home run celebrations, aren't we trying to generate new interest in our favorite sport?  At the end of the day, this can only help attract the younger audience.

With that, I have to say that I don't hate the 2019 edition of Flagship.  I like the color-coding on the "borders" and the backside.  However, I don't particularly like the last name being above the first name, it jumbles my delicate brain. That said, I'm still mostly indifferent to it,; but, I'm a little bit more left of center than I had been before holding it in hand.  Plus, I decidedly did NOT like the "waterslide" set of 2018; thus, "meh" is a decided upgrade. 

Toothpaste > Waterslide.  That's what we're calling this year's set, right?  It's not only me that is reminded of big ol' tube of Colgate when they look at these cards, right?

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Again, I know that I'm really late on this and I'm sure you've made your opinions known at this point, but, I'm going to ask anyway.  How do you feel about the 2019 edition of Topps Flagship?  Do you find it clean and refreshing, like a freshly brushed set of teeth?  On the other hand, do you find it to be just another disappointing design in a decade full of almost nothing but disappointing designs (2015 💓)?  Or, are you like me and can't offer much more than a shrug, just grateful for something new to flip through while listening to the ballgame?  

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

In the meantime, the Cubs are undefeated in games during which I open packs of baseball cards.  Perhaps this is just the magic mojo they need to go all the way this year?!  Forget Bryce Harper or making any acquisitions of consequence to patch up the offense that died halfway through 2018, this major market franchise with a lucrative, new TV deal operating like a cash-strapped college student needs me to open baseball cards during every single game this year!

This could get expensive...

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