2018 Topps Gypsy Queen

The 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball is another solid offering of this brand.  The fronts have a similar look we've become accustomed to with enough changes to ensure you know it is their 2018 set.  I'd like to see some team logos and a less pronounced GQ logo but otherwise the fronts are nice with good space for the photos.  The backs are fairly simple with a short write-up being the highlight.  These cards and their old school aesthetics appeal to me each year.  I wish the price point was a bit easier on the wallet though.  While my pull was a bit bland I still like the design and in particular the Wilson Contreras card stood out.  Nice reaction photo taking up the majority of the card for a close-up feel.  

Beyond the green parallels I also pulled an indigo parallel that is numbered /250 of Addison Russel.  Paul Goldschmidt will go into the personal collection and this pack also shows Evan Longoria in his new Giants uni.  I like this set.  I may or may not pick up more packs with the price point being the only thing that would hold me back.  

BREAKDOWN

23 – Total Cards

17 – Base

5 – Green Parallels

1 – Indigo Parallel (#/250)

2018 Topps Opening Day - Just Showing Off - Part 2

Today I'm just showing off more of the 2018 Opening Day hobby box I busted.  First up is The Freeze!  I'm stoked to pull this card.  My Braves would "Unleash the Freeze" between innings.  Fans would get a head start on a race around the outfield dirt track before The Freeze started and for the most part would catch the fan and win.  Here is a great video where a fan thought he had won and ended up falling when he saw the freeze catching him.   

I'm not a Cardinals' fan but I do believe the Clydesdale horses are the greatest tradition/ambassador of a team.  

 Plenty of fun and great photos so I'm just throwing out a bunch for everyone to enjoy.

2018 Topps Opening Day Hobby Box - Part 1

Happy opening day!  I'm a big fan of the Opening Day brand cards so I decided to grab a hobby box of the 2018 Topps Opening Day cards this year.  The box cost $29.95 but netted me 252 cards.  I enjoy the fun Opening Day delivers with the mascots, traditions, and other quirky offerings to include the logo itself.  The smaller base set (200 cards) is a big plus for me as well.  Plenty of stars and young players packed into those 200 cards.  I didn't pull any autographs or short print variations which would have been nice but they weren't my goal here.  I like the base 2018 Topps baseball and knowing I like Opening Day this was a no brainer.  Weren't many duplicates which is always a good thing.  As you can see I got the Ohtani card which I pulled with about three packs to go.    

Some of the players who changed unis over the off season were pictured with their new team but with the slow movement this winter there weren't a ton of these.  The mascot cards are always fun with some of the secondary mascots also getting cards this year.  The Topps All-Star Rookie trophies are still here and I'm glad they are.

  These first two are Blue Foil parallels (1 in every nine packs).  In addition to the blue foil, March, 29, 2018 is stamped just above the player's name on those cards.

 

Like the flagship brand these cards have the same great photos.  Plenty here to enjoy.  Also plenty of stars which you can't go wrong with.  

Other cards included Team Traditions & Celebrations, Before Opening Day (highlighting spring training), and Opening Day Stadium cards.  The traditions ran the gamut from fun to laugh out loud to making you go "huh".  I wish more of the Before Opening Day cards were more like this Mookie Betts card which showed him in a different light.  Most of the cards just have photos of players in spring training.  Opening Day Stadium cards have photos of stadiums on opening day which provides some cool photos.  I was extremely happy with this box and these cards.  Again it is a brand I enjoy and the brand is all about fun.  I'll have a 2nd post tomorrow about these cards which will mainly just show off cards.  

BREAKDOWN:

252 – Total Cards

31 – RC (2 – Blue Foil)

11 – Team Traditions & Celebrations

10 – Mascot

9 – Opening Day

7 – Topps All-Star Rookie (2 – Blue Foil)

6 – Opening Day Stadium

1 – Opening Day Stars

2018 Boston Red Sox Preview

The Red Sox are stacked, there is no denying that.  They won 93 games last year and there is no reason to think they can’t do it again.  All they did this offseason was add J.D Martinez to a lineup which already had Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, and Andrew Benintendi.  I like Martinez who can hit and also brings a ton of power to a lineup that really lacked any.  I look forward to seeing what 3B Rafael Devers can do in a full season at the plate.  This lineup has plenty of hitters from top to bottom and I’m thinking they can do better than what we saw last year.

Pitching, in theory, should be just fine.  Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, and other starters including Eduardo Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, Hector Felazques, and Steven Wright make up a formidable starting staff.  Stud Craig Kimbrel once again anchors the closer position while Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Brandown Workman help take up the rest of the workload.  Boston should have plenty of arms to lean on and should once again be one of the top staffs in the American League.

The Red Sox should be able to compete every night and should be able to win their division.  Still losing the division isn’t the worst thing in the world.  Losing in the first round of the playoffs can be though – just ask their manager.  New skipper Alex Cora is being asked to get this team over the hump and past the division series.  This team has plenty of young talent so there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to get to the LCS or World Series.  That is always tough no matter how talented you are I know.  It should be another fun season in Boston and I’m hoping for a little more from them.  Go BoSox!    

2018 Atlanta Braves Preview

Ronald Acuna

The Atlanta Braves enter the season with hope, maybe not for this season, but for future years.  The Braves won 72 games last year and will probably be around that number come the 2018 season’s end.  Freddie Freeman once again leads this team in star power while 2017 All-Star Ender Inciarte anchors centerfield.  Nick Markakis is steady if not flashy and the catcher position is manned well with veterans Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki.  Shortstop Dansby Swanson hasn’t corrected his issues at the plate and 3B isn’t a known quantity yet.  Outfield mega prospect Ronald Acuna is expected to be called up after a short stint in the minors and much is expected out of second year player Ozzie Albies who batted .286 in 217 at bats last year.  The Braves are at least a year away until the offense is expected to really click.  Hopefully the young players will gain experience this year and be ready next year to take it to the next level.  My thinking is the Braves are still a few players, whether they are players in their minor league system, or external from having a good offense.  I think 2020 is a better expectation for seeing that jump in production.

Pitching last year was bad with starter R.A Dickey leading the way with a 4.26 ERA among starters and the closer, Jim Johnson, had 22 saves ending up with a horrible 5.56 ERA.  Still the bullpen had some good pieces with Sam Freeman and Arodys Vizcaino having sub three ERA’s while the latter is slated to take over the closer position this year.  It is believed he could be a shutdown closer in future and did notch 14 saves to go along with 10 K’s per nine innings last season.  Jose Ramirez is also back after posting a solid 68 innings of work.  The starters will really need to step up for the pitching staff to make any type of positive jump.  If it doesn’t the team will again look like a contender for the National League East basement. 

The team is rebuilding and enough said.  We as fans don’t like it but I don’t think spending a ton of money would have fixed this team.  Right now we have to hope that the young talent can make some strides and look towards a season in the near future in which we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Go Bravos!

2017 Topps WWE

While it has been years since I followed the sport I do enjoy picking up wrestling cards just to get a look at what they put out and they usually have plenty of retired greats so I also get to go down memory lane.  This pack of 2017 Topps WWE was pretty fun.  First off I got a Ric Flair which screams Woo.  Sorry.  Still he is a favorite so it was great grabbing this card.

The base cards utilize the 2017 Topps baseball design.  It works here.  I really like the Liv Morgan card.  Not sure what pops there for me.  It may be because she is cute and nothing else which wouldn't be the first time.  I really don't know anything about anyone except Ric Flair in this pack but I'm ok with that.  

I pulled a Breaking Ground card which is a behind the scenes card and a 1st NXT card, to go along with the two legends and the other three base cards.  Not bad looking cards.  I always enjoy sets that include legends and grabbing Ric Flair makes this pack a definite win.   

2017-2018 Prestige Basketball Cards

Grabbed two packs of the 2017-2018 Prestige basketball for a total of 60 cards.  I really liked last year's Prestige offering so I was curious to see if they could wow me again this year.  Again I'm very happy the simple design and nice photos.  I'm not quite as impressed as I was with last year's cards but I still like them.  Why did they drop the team logo though?  It is something I'm big on and doesn't have to be that big.  I preferred the backs from last year but these aren't all that bad.

My pull didn't seem as star laden as the two Contenders packs I picked up at the same time.  Still I won't complain and it may be more of a product of having more total cards here.  Still I did pick up good players and I think the Lonzo Ball cards are the first ones I've grabbed this year. 

Had to post that Justise Winslow card in my post.  The look on his face is great.  

I really like these Timberwolves jerseys and I'm also a big Jimmy Butler fan so I'm digging this Stars of the NBA card.  The Micro Etch Rookies Bright Green card seemed out of place with the rest of the cards.  I didn't post a rain parallel but literally the cards are designed to feature rain over cards.  It isn't a bad look but hard to capture in a scan.  

I'll definitely grab more of these.  They are my favorite of the low end basketball cards this year.  I'm usually one of the few scooping these up so there are plenty to pick up as the season winds down.  

BREAKDOWN:

60 – Total Cards

35 – Base (2 - Rain Parallels)

14 – RC (2 - Rain Parallels)

5 – Rookie Class (1 - Rain Parallel)

3 – Stars of the NBA (1 - Rain Parallel)

2 – Highlight Reel

1 – Micro Etch Rookies Bright Green