Random Wax: 2015 Topps Opening Day Hobby Box (Part Deux)

2015 Topps Opening Day: Today is like the second Opening Day in the MLB.  At least for some teams.  Thought I'd do a second post from the 2015 Opening Day Hobby Box I first showed off in April.  2015 Topps and the Opening Day brand are a favorites of mine so this is a no brainer and today's post is all about showing off more of these fun cards.

Here we go with some pitching greats.

How can you not like this guy.  Just hope he can be healthy after this season.  It's tough when you start saying about great players "what if he had stayed healthy".  Also hoping the Angels can finally get him back to the playoffs.

Throwback jerseys are always fun and Bernie Brewer is a throwback himself.

A young Altuve and a few guys no longer playing for the same teams.  Not that anyone believed Stanton would stay in Miami.

Some infielder greats. 

Lots of green and that really works with these cool Oakland A's jerseys.

PC guy who was having an outstanding year for the Cubs before being traded to the White Sox where he has struggled.

Knuckleball fun, a Red Sox great and a guy who'll I'll be curious if he makes the Hall of Fame.  

I was so rooting for Billy Hamilton to be a good hitter.  If he could have hit at all 100 stolen bases wasn't out of the question. The man has wheels.

Some nice inserts.

Dude is so great with the glove.  This box was so much fun.  Love the design and it's a blast seeing players on cardboard six seasons ago.

BREAKDOWN:

252 – Total Cards

19 – RC

11 – All-Star Rookie

8 – Superstar Celebrations

8 – Blue Opening Day Edition

7 – Mascots

7 – Hit the Dirt

7 – Opening Day

7 – Franchise Flashback

2 – Opening Day Stars

1 – Team Spirit

2015 Topps Opening Day Hobby Box

 2015 Topps Opening Day: 2015 Topps is one of my favorite designs so I've been eyeballing a box of Opening Day for some time and I finally pulled the trigger.  I wasn't disappointed.  I'll do multiple posts of this box over time.  We'll kick this one off with the man himself, a great photo and great design.

There are 200 base cards in this set and it's stacked with greats of the game.  Big Papi and Yadi are favorites of mine.  Not sure how a Yankee snuck in here.  I do like MLB analyst/announcer A-Rod though.  I just pretend he only played for Seattle and Texas.

I love these photos.  Cutch was so much better before he cut the hair.  Fail.

Maybe the most exciting thing with a set six years old is to see players just kicking off their major league career.  All three of these have of course gone on to be stasr in the MLB today. Props to Abreu for the throwback uni.

That blue border means Opening Day Edition parallel though the 2015 Opening Day date was stamped on the back as opposed to the front like they are now on these same variations. Team Spirit cards show off excitement in the game while Opening Day Stars give us 3D cards.

Seems like that Mike Trout card would have fit right in with the Hit the Dirt insert cards.  More fun as Superstar Celebrations show off joy in the game.

Who doesn't love mascots?

2014 was seven years ago but Pujols' numbers were already Hall of Fame worthy.  Albert is in the last year of the mammoth deal he signed with the Angels after leaving St. Louis via free agency. 

Stadium Scenes are pretty awesome as they show photos fans uploaded to Instagram throughout the season. I wish they'd do more of this.  Throwback jerseys are always fun so I like the Franchise Flashbacks.  Stadium Scenes are always good in how they show of home venues and special moments.

Great photo of Clayton Kershaw.  Is that Bryce Harper with short hair? 

King Felix while he was still at the top of his game.  He was 2nd in Cy Young voting in 2014.  I love this set and I loved this box.  So much fun. Is the Mike Trout Franchise Flashback a throwback to the jersey or his hair?  Both?

BREAKDOWN:

252 – Total Cards

19 – RC

11 – All-Star Rookie

8 – Superstar Celebrations

8 – Blue Opening Day Edition

7 – Mascots

7 – Hit the Dirt

7 – Opening Day

7 – Franchise Flashback

2 – Opening Day Stars

1 – Team Spirit

2015 Topps Opening Day

It is only fitting that I take a look at the 2015 Topps Opening Day cards on today, the opening day of the 2015 major league baseball season.  I've picked up two of the 24 card packs as well as a standard seven card pack.  I've already reviewed the base set here and I do like these cards.  The Opening Day brand is just as nice.  The photos are great and seeing players in their new unis is exciting. 

I pulled some inserts some of which are below.  They included Stadium Scenes which are pictures taken by fans and then selected by Topps to be included in this year's set.  I like this as it is different and has to be a thrill for those whose photos were chosen.  I pulled a Andrew McCutchen Opening Day Stars card which is a hologram.  I also grabbed a few mascot cards of which my favorite was the TC Bear card.  I also pulled a couple of the blue parallel cards.  There are plenty of other insert sets and I was really hoping to pull a Franchise Flashback card, specifically that of Atlanta Brave Craig Kimbrel.  No such luck. Might have to do some eBay shopping.   Relic cards are also part of the set though I didn't pick any up.  I also would have liked to have pulled a Superstars Celebration or Team Spirit card. 

I'll probably pick up more of these.  This is a fun little set that I enjoy purchasing each year.