2010 Topps Chrome Baseball

I can't believe I'm the first person to post a pack of 2010 Topps Chrome on this here blog. Come on, guys! I'm the collector who is always BEHIND the times. I like movies from the '70s! I still consider batting average a usable statistic! People my age have a general aversion to rap music!

I should not be the one debuting an ultra modern card set on APTBNL!

But, fine, I'll blaze territory for you.

This pack was actually extracted from one of those rack value packs. Each $8.99 value pack contains three individual four-card packs of shiny chrome and three orange refractors, which are separately wrapped from the individual packs.

I rather like these value packs, but I would buy even more of them if Topps made it a real value and bumped the price down about a dollar.

Anyway, here are your four cards from the pack:

Felix Hernandez: I'm calling it here and saying Hernandez beats out Sabathia and Price for the Cy Young Award. It's entirely possible I'm wrong, but I think enough writers have seen the light and don't rely solely on wins to choose the best pitcher in the land.

Brandon Phillips, purple refractor: Oooh, very nice. Putting purple refractors in retail value packs was a good move. Phillips may have sabotaged the Reds by opening his big mouth, but he's right: The Cardinals DO whine. Also, I think La Russa's been giving crying lessons to Bruce Bochy.

Shane Victorino: The Flyin' Hawaiian had a tough postseason. In general, the Phillies hit .216 as a team against the Giants. The Phillies have now disappointed me three postseasons in a row. Not good.

Manny Ramirez: Hey! It's an Ex-Dodger! I instinctively went to look up who the Dodgers got from the White Sox for Ramirez.

Heh. Silly me. I forgot Frank McCourt runs my favorite team.

OK, lads and lasses, there's your official APTBNL Chrome pack. But I'm done with the pioneering stuff. When Topps Update comes out, someone else is going to have to do it.

Oh, wait ...