Random Wax: 2021 Topps Heritage

2021 Heritage:  Let the baseball playoffs begin!  Mookie Betts and the Dodgers have a bye in the Wild Card round.  He knows a thing or two about playoff baseball having won two championships.  One as a Red Sox and the other as a Dodger.  Red Sox fans still miss ya Mookie.

Unfortunately, the cards in this pack had some dinged corners.  Always disappointing.  Nice Pete Alonzo appearance on this design that isn't a favorite of mine.

Leader cards are always fun.

I do like the In Action cards which help since torso shots are really all you get to see in these sets.  Flashbacks and Boyhood Photos are fun inserts.

I love getting to see the team stats from the postseason and they really hit here for the team that won the World Series.

Miggy is hanging it up after this season.  What career.  

Some youngsters here.  Not a big fan of this set but I still enjoy busting these and seeing players in a little different format.  Good luck to your teams today!

BREAKDOWN:

20 – Total Cards

3 – Action

1 – Leaders

1 – Rookies

1 – Flashbacks

1 – Rookie Stars

1 – Boyhood Photos

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Heritage Hanger Box

2021 Heritage:   We'll keep the Jose Altuve thing going this week with a Heritage hanger box.  Altuve was a guy you thought, early in his career, had a good shot to get to 3000 hits early in his career.  He can still do it, especially if he plays late into his 30s.  He turns 33 in a few months and has batted .307 over his career now sitting at 1935 hits.  Feels like 2020 really hurt his chances.  2035 hits would feel like he was in a better position to get there.

Always rooted for Jackie Bradley Jr.  While he provided good defense, he was never consistent at the plate.  A couple of pitchers who anyone would want on the mound for their team.  Big difference is Justin Verlander is still doing it at high level including a Cy Young at age 39 last season.  Amazing.

Nice looking League Leaders inserts.

McMahon is still looking for consistency but has shown he can hit the long ball.  Love World Series highlights.  The Flashbacks are pretty cool as well.

This design is ok but not something I'm excited about.  I'm just not a fan of many of these older designs.  Probably not in the majority in that opinion.

Plenty of In Action inserts in this box as well as star power.  Cutch is a favorite of mine which helped my pull.  Fun box of cards and good way to start off a Friday.

BREAKDOWN:
35 – Total Cards
8 – In Action
1 – Rookies
1 – Flashbacks
1 – World Series
1 – League Leaders

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Heritage Hanger Box

 2021 Heritage: One of those I picked up over a year ago.  I'm a big Arenado fan.  Only bad thing is he's a Cardinal now but I do get to hear more about him day-to-day on local sports radio.  He's having a great season - his best since 2019.  Dude continually brings it at the plate and in the field.

Topps went with their '72 design for this edition of Heritage.  Plenty of great players in this box and Ohtani may be the best of the lot.

Two greats in their own right but seemed a bit of an odd pairing.

This is the Candy Lid insert.  Always like seeing retired greats even on different inserts like this one.

All three of these guys are having good years again and probably in the exact same order even if they aren't at the top of the ERA leader board.

Dylan Carlson has struggled this year after having a good season in 2021.  White hasn't found any success at the major league level.

One of Tatis' few highlights of late.  I really like that dude and want him to come back strong after his suspension.  I know many will never look at him the same.

In Action cards which we've come to expect from Heritage.

Good box of cards.  My pull helps of course but modern stars in old designs can be a fun look.

BREAKDOWN:
35 – Total Cards
6 – In Action
4 – Rookie Stars
2 – Retired Greats
2 – League Leaders
1 – Rookies
1 – Postseason
1 – Candy Lids
1 – Then and Now
1 – Boyhood Photos of the Stars

2021 Heritage Baseball Hanger

2021 Heritage Baseball: I found some Heritage this weekend as well as a tin which I'll show off later this week.  I'm not a huge fan of the older designs but Heritage is in the 70s now so there'll be more designs I like.  I was excited until I checked out.  This hanger box was $11.  Other than the card stock I don't get it.  But on to the good which starts with this trip back to '72.  I'm good with this design.  It's quirky and definitely something I can see being done in 1972.  Pulling a Mike Trout is always a good thing.

Static photos of players isn't that exciting but some photos have more character than others.  Thank you Joey Votto.

The backs are fun and take you back to when you were a kid. The trivia are always fun as well.  

There are some inserts.  The Boyhood Photos is a cool concept.  New Age Performers highlights players who have "outdone all-time greats".  What did Dave Fletcher do you might ask.  I don't really know.  On the back it talks about his defensive versatility and compared him to Bobby Grich on the '72 Orioles.  <yawn>  I do love me some World Series cards. The back has the box score which doesn't do justice to what might be the craziest finish ever in a World Series game. 

The Rookie Stars inserts will have either young players from the same team, different teams within the same league or across the leagues as you see here.  There might be two or three players on each card.

I like League Leader cards.  Simple but a fun look back at the top players for a season.

In Action inserts finally get us on the field.  The designs overall are pretty true to the '72 versions.  This probably isn't my favorite Heritage design but I do like it better than most.  We'll end it with Mike Yastrzemski, a PC guy, whose first two years in the big leagues were very solid.  Hopefully he can keep it going this year.

BREAKDOWN:
35 – Total Cards
6 – In Action
3 – Rookie Stars
2 - RC
2 – Boyhood Photos of the Stars
1 – World Series
1 – League Leaders