Definitely 2016 Topps - FINALLY!

It took me four desperate attempts to finally get my hands on the goods; but, yesterday, I was finally able to track down some of the 2016 edition of  Topps Flagship.  At long last, my long national nightmare is over!

Yea - I know - #FirstWorldProblems at their finest.

After being shut out and the Walmart near where I work, my hometown LCS, the Target I dragged my fiance to at 9pm after a lengthy family dinner out of town, I finally spotted some of the newest product on the shelves of my more local Target.   I was starting to wonder if it was ever going blow into the Windy City.

In my sudden elation, I immediately grabbed a blaster of the stuff - very uncharacteristic of cheapskate me.  After all, there were really only a couple of cards that I "needed" from the set; however, my enthusiasm quickly got the best of me.  I also grabbed a cheap hockey repack to cleanse my pallet if this box was filled with disappointment.

*EDIT* Spoiler alert - it was.

Meanwhile, each one of these blasters promises a manu-relic coin card.  Manu-relics are a concept that just do not appeal to me.  I mean, what's so darn exciting about a coin that is not legal tender and has no real connection to the player pictured embedded in a ridiculously thick card that is damn near impossible to store?  I guess these just aren't for me.

Even so, I decided to save this little bonus for last since it's super special and all.  I should also note that if it turned out to be a Cub, I'd be hypocritically excited.  Anyway, I know you're all just dying to know who would be depicted on my first card of the new season.  Fingers crossed that it's Kris Bryant!!:

Well, that grades out as a pure "meh" for me, neither the player nor the team illicit any real emotional reaction for me.  That said, the second card in my first pack was a little different:

Ryno on one of those 100 Years of Wrigley inserts?  Not bad for the first Cubs card of the year.  This is by far and away my favorite insert of the and not entirely because of my Northside fan bias - mostly, but not entirely.  The ivy and brick motif really pleases my inner graphic design nerd.

Sadly, after this point, the blaster quickly went downhill.  Mostly because I only pulled two more Cubs cards from the whole thing:

Not a bad first (and only) base card of the year so far in Jake the Snake.  These MLB Debut inserts are okay - however, the border-coloring reminds me a tad bit of vomit and I'm rather certain that the picture used was taken at Wrigley Field; Starlin made his debut in Cincinnati - lame.

As for the design of the base cards, it's already been discussed ad nauseam;  but, I applaud Topps for testing uncharted waters and dropping the traditional border.  I, for one, like the smokey/hazy look (even it does sometimes get intrusive) and the slashing nameplates/team designation.  Although, they do kind of remind of the graphics used on Sports Center or some other ESPN program.

Also got a couple of cards of former Cubs, which I do collect passively.  I do like the concept of the Walk Off Win inserts; although, I wish you could see more of the chaotic scene that surrounds such a victory, rather than a weird, exploding star in space kind of background.

And now - the best of the rest - starting with the base:

I pulled the Jose Bautista bat-flip card, which thankfully Topps didn't decide to make a super short print or photo variation gimmick, that's making an early bid to be the most iconic in the set.  As good as that one is, there was still some more awesome horizontal imagery to be found as well.

A couple of more fun celebration shots.  Also, the resolution on these photos are top-notch, just look at those beads of water in that Street shower; the detail is impeccable.

Some big rookies.  How often has a player gotten the coveted Rookie Cup as well of the official "rookie card" designation on the same card?  I don't recall seeing it before; but for all I know, that happens every year and I'm just not very observant.

Some "Future Stars",  I always find myself rooting for Rule V guys - I'm a sucker for a good underdog story and the odds are heavily stacked against these players - so, it was nice to pick up an Odubel.  Thor on the other hand, I definitely wasn't rooting for him as he carved up the Cubbies in the NLCS last October.  Still, you have to be able to appreciate talent when you see it.

What about parallels?

Got my rainbow foil and my gold, nothing that really moves the needle though.  Perhaps the inserts will be more intriguing?:

Got a bunch of these MLB Debut inserts, in addition to the Castro that I already showed off.  Still not too keen on these; although, kudos for Topps for going off the beaten path a little bit in using a guy like Jayson Werth.  But, then you have a good portion of the usual suspects too.

It's all about Perspective.  I read someone describe this insert set as the WordArt set and that is the perfect descriptor.  However, with images like that Ozzie Smith beauty on top, I can get over the cheesy font choices and it takes a lot for this Cubs fan to appreciate a Cards card.

These Back to Back cards are horrendous.  They would have been better off not altering the images at all if they wanted to use this concept.  As it stands, the weird pixelation/fade makes it look like that players are being vaporized.

Two of Berger's Best.  I mean, I appreciate what Topps is doing to honor their fallen guiding light; but do we really need reprints of junk wax cards or cards that are from just a few years ago?  I don't, anyway.

These Amazing Milestones are exclusive to Target, according to the cellophane that was around my blaster.  A couple of the usual suspects being honored for exactly what you'd expect - not that they shouldn't be - but, it doesn't inspire any interest in me.

We've got another Walk Off Winner (JediJeff - it's yours if you'd like) and a Pressed Into Service too.  I would stand up and applaud the latter concept if I could - this is something that I'd often dreamed of creating myself.  However, it falls kind of flat when you don't use pictures of the guy pitching.  Also, no John Baker on that checklist?  How can you not?

I want this man's outfit and I'm not even Canadian - so gloriously awful.  In fact, it's so loud that you might not be able to read my commentary about it, it's just too distracting.

Lastly, it appears as though Topps is finally combining two of their most iconic brands, baseball and Wacky Packages.  While these products might seem like odd bedfellows, I'm kind of surprised that they hadn't tried it sooner.  These preview cards foretell a full such set due out in a few months and I'll probably dabble in a pack or two.  At least it's something different.

That does it for the insets, that is, except for the super duper special coin card that's so uber awesome that it gets it's own pack.  Let's rip into that, shall we?

Meh.  Who wants it?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thus concludes my first experience with Topps' 2016 edition of Flagship.  For once, I decide to drop the money for more than a few stray packs and yet I still end up with about the same amount of Cubs that I'd normally get.  Not to mention, the fact that is was so unusually difficult to find built up my anticipation to the point that it was bound to fail to live up to expectations.  So it goes, I guess.

I'm glad I decided to add on that hockey repack as I was walking away from the aisle - that actually made for a much more satisfying break.  But, that story is for a different post for a different time.

Everything you see above is available for trade (except the Cubs, of course).  I'd be more than willing to swap some of these out for the rest of the team set.

Next time Bryant, next time you will be mine.

#ThrowbackThursday - Back to the Minors

How appropriate it is that on #ThrowbackThursday that the Cubs made a roster move straight out of 2006 - it was announced today that the Northsiders have inked Matt Murton to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Before going over to Japan, Murton had been a Cub from mid-2005 until mid-2008.  Acquired in the Nomar blockbuster, Murty became a useful spare outfielder who could knock out singles with the best of them, but lacked any real power.

This tragic lack of extra-base ability for a corner outfielder is what lead to his eventual displacement by Cliff Floyd, his trade to Oakland in the Rich Harden deal and his eventual immigration.  While in the land of the rising sun, Murton broke their single-season record for hits in 2010 (held by Ichiro) and became a star.  Back here in America, he'll jostle for the fifth outfielder job on the Cubs bench.

Whenever I think of the ginger-haired outfielder, my mind always goes back to the card you see above.  See, when Murton initially came up to the Bigs, he went on quite a tear, leading prospectors to start hoarding his cards.  Wide-eyed, teenage Tony bought into this and immediately bought a graded copy of his West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (what a team name!) team issue.

Minor league card of a future star?  $$$$$$$

Well, that luster quickly wore off and I eventually wound up freeing the card from it's plastic prison.  However, several years later, I'm still glad I made the gullible purchase since I glean minor league cards of Major Leaguers.  Specifically - those who played for the Cubs

Thus, in honor of #ThrowbackThursday, Matt Murton and MiLB baseball cards, I'm going to show off a few more of my favorite such pieces, with minimal commentary:

Here's a couple of my oldest (and most favorite) bush league issues; perfect for a throwback theme.

The guy who came to the Windy City with Matty and the guy who took his job.

Some teammates of the red head during his time spent in Chicago.

Another guy who's signing this off-season caused to me to question what year it was and if someone stole my blueprints for a working TARDIS.

Another pair of pre-rookies that I thought were going to make me a pretty penny down the road.  I mean, it turns out I was right after all though - they're literally worth a penny.

 Another round of Murton teammates.

 

A pre-rookie card of a guy whose Cubs tenure just missed overlapping with #19 and of the oldest man in the Major Leagues last season.  It's kind of a a "miracle" that he lasted that long, wouldn't ya say?

 

A couple of young Dodger prospects who actually capitalized on their early promise...

 ...and one young Cubs prospect who definitely didn't.  Thank God for Theo & Co.

As a closing act, here are a couple of recent additions that I haven't gotten around to showing off yet.  By the way, that's Mike Olt on the right... damn chrome.

Honestly, I've been looking for a proper excuse to make this post for a long time and the Murton signing just seemed right.  The bizarre sight of a player from the highest rung of the sport in an unfamiliar, small-town, minor league jersey truly piques my oddball interest.  Plus, who can beat team names like the RockHounds, the Lugnuts and the Pelicans?

Is anyone else as fascinated by these kinds of cards or is that just weird, ol' me?

Thank you Matt Murton for giving me the window I needed to get this post out - for that, I wish you good luck on your quest to make it back to the Majors.  Now I just need to get one of your Japanese cards for one of my other side-collections...

Definitely Not 2016 Topps

Got my gosh darn hopes up.

After being inspired by seeing a few posts about over-eager retail employees putting merchandise out too early, I twice tried to see if any shiny, new packages of 2016 Topps were sitting on the shelves of my local retailers.  Both times, I walked away skunked.

First, I tried the Walmart by my workplace over my lunch break.  However, I made the mistake of heading that way before I actually ate my mid-day meal, justifying my move by resolving to at least grab a bag of turkey jerky for my troubles.  

No 2016 Topps, no turkey jerky either.  Double drat.  Not even any satisfactory consolation cards to be had either.

Thus, after work, I decided to take a shot at my hometown LCS, just in case.  Even if they hadn't snuck any of the goods out yet, I knew there would at least be something to scratch that pack-ripping itch.

Still no 2016 Topps.  Bummer - I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow like the rest of the plebeians.

So, this post is all about what I bought INSTEAD of the first baseball card set of the year:

Well, I needed a pack to rip and there wasn't really anything on the counter catching my eye; so, I walked over to the discount bin and picked up this re-pack that was sitting on the top.  My Bears Roster collection has been feeling pretty neglected lately; maybe I'd luck out and get a few new guys for the binder.

At 69 cents, that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Unfortunately, outside of that fantastic leaping shot of David Tate, the package was pretty much entirely made out of Mark Carrier and Wendell Davis cards.  I'm pretty sure a few other guys suited up for them that decade...

But, have no fear Bears binder - I grabbed a couple of loose singles on my way to the register as well:

A couple of guys who turned out to be surprise contributors for this years' Chicago squad.

Tracy Porter signed a one-year deal to rebuild his value after some injury-marred campaigns.  Both fortunately and unfortunately, he played well enough on that deal to price himself right back out of Chicago.  Such is the nature of that kind of contract.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Miller came out of nowhere to be Jay Cutler's favorite target on the year.  This was likely necessitated by the seemingly incessant injuries to the WR corps; but, Zach seized the opportunity, more than doubling his previous best in receiving yards (439) after not having even played in a regular season game since 2011.  Hopefully this sudden renaissance is more than just a fluke.

Additionally, as I was flipping through the gridiron singles, I noticed that the store proprietor had also put a discount Blackhawks bin out on the counter for the first time.  Seeing as the Hawks have pretty much been the "it" thing in Chicago for the past few years, he's charged a premium for their cards.

Looks like he finally realized that "Johnny Come-Lately" isn't buying cards of guys not named Kane, Toews or Crawford.

For just a quarter each, I nabbed:

Two pretty insignificant guys from the 90's - but, they were Blackhawks, so they're still cool in my book.

I'm sure they were worried about that.

Vintage hockey cards for 25 cents a pop?  I'll take two please!

 A guy who played just 9 games for the Windy City at the end of his long career and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, a guy who performed in a Chicago sweater for 8 years.  Despite their differences, both were just as needed for my Blackhawks Roster Collection.

 One nice horizontal shot showing the importance of calisthenics.

Lastly, I wrapped up the icey portion of my purchase with an upgraded Brandon Pirri card.  Obviously any card that shows a player wearing the "right" uniform is always superior in my book.  Now Brandon Pirri is properly represented in my binder.

So, while I may have been initially disappointed with my lack of 2016 cards, I walked away with some pretty nice consolation prizes.  After all, 8 new Blackhawks and 2 new Bears for my collection makes for many more useful cards to me than a blaster of 2016 Topps would provide. 

The rational side of my brain understands that concept; however, the emotional side is still dying to rip open something super duper new.  Thankfully, I should only have to wait for one more day until I have that chance.  Mother always told me that patience is a virtue...

Walt Just Won't Play Ball

Just a quick post for today; the last few times out, I've put a lot of creative effort and thought into the posts (I hope that shows) and Monday has me feeling a little bit burnt out.  That doesn't mean I can't still show off a cool piece of cardboard though, right?

Allow me to unveil the newest addition to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection - Walt Lanfranconi.

Walt is one a few a relative few MLB'ers who was born in Vermont (38 total).  Though he was born and died in that state, he found himself all over the world in between.  Over the course of his life, Walt spent time in Switzerland (his parents' native land), England, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Cuba and Argentina.  His passport was definitely working overtime.

As far as baseball was concerned, he pitched in a total of two contests for the Cubs in 1941, including one start.  After his brief September call-up, Uncle Sam came a-calling and Walt served in the military for the next 5 seasons.  After hurling in the minors for a year, the Braves gave him one last shot at the Bigs for 1947.

As you see, the back of this card actually lists Walt as a Bravo, even though he's clearly pictured as a Cub on the front.  TCMA created a set of original Play Ball cards that mimicked the style of the original releases, but extended the series for a couple additional seasons.  In short, these are theoretically what Play Ball cards would have looked like in 1947, had they been produced.

As for what actually happened in 1947:

Mr. Franconi made the most of his second chance at the Show - not only making the club, he became a key part of the Boston bullpen.  Over the course of 36 games, he posted a 2.95 ERA with 64 IP and 13 games finished.  He must have developed some self-confidence in that time, as he was asking for a lofty raise (by that I mean slightly over league minimum) to come back in '48.

An artist's rendering of the Braves front office

As was common across baseball in the time of the reserve clause and before big contracts, the Braves balked at that; Walt was content to finish out his playing career in the old Pacific Coast League through the 1952 campaign.

In essence, Walt just wasn't willing to "pay ball" with Major League Baseball. *rimshot*

Also of interest was the choice of protective wrapping included in the PWE by the Ebay seller I won this from:

Looks like an index page from a rather old text book or reference book.  Do we have some disgruntled college professor ripping up archival books for use as packing materials?  Inquiring minds want to know.

In the meantime, I now know more obscure abbreviations that I ever thought possible.

I guess that's rather appropriate though, wrapping an oddball card of a super obscure baseball player in a thoroughly-aged page of an obscure reference book.  It all makes perfect sense if you stop and think about it.

Another name comes off of the CATRC need list and another Monday is almost crossed off of the calendar.  Just gotta hang in here for a few more hours...