2011 Topps Baseball Retail (Wal-Mart)

Hey, did you hear? Topps 2011 is live! I bet you haven't seen any of it yet, since it hasn't been posted on this blog so far. (Except for the pack posted yesterday.)

Well, today's your lucky day, because I happened to go to Wal-Mart and found myself one of their special exclusive, members only jackets, er...I mean, packs!


Thanks pack wrapper, I think I WILL look for exclusive blue diamond insert cards. That's exactly what I'm going to do. And you're going to watch me do it. And you're going to like it.

#18 - Kevin Millwood - He lead the league in losses last year. It kind of looks like it from the picture, too. The back says card 18 belonged to Don Drysdale in 1957. You, sir, are no Don Drysdale.

#108 - Zack Greinke - I'm so glad the Cubs didn't sign Greinke. I have a hunch that he's not going to be anything spectacular for the Brewers. In fact, I fully expect him to outright suck.

#178 - Heath Bell - Nice shot here. It's always fun to see passion. And it's fun when you can pinpoint the moment. The cap tells me this was most likely a July 4th game.

#328 - David Price - Checklist - Price perpetuates the pitching parade. I hope the trend of using season achievements as checklist cards instead of "classic combos" continues throughout the next two series.

#96 - Zach Duke - It's a regular Zach/k Attack pack. All I need now is a Mark-Paul Gosselaar card to complete the trifecta.

#183 - Stephen Strasburg - Rookie Cup - Gold Parallel #1476/2011 - Hooooo, buddy! Just you wait. This card is gonna be worth hunn'erds once Strasmaster 5000 comes back next year. Also, probably the only Topps card to feature the phrase "I spent a lot of time puking." No joke.

#13 - Billy Wagner - Platinum Diamond Anniversary Parallel - I feel like I'm practically the only blogger out there not collecting this set. You know what that means....

#BDW15 - Roy Halladay - Blue Diamond Wal-Mart Exclusive - Look and ye shall find! All my searching was not in vein. These inserts look nice, but I think the Target red versions are a little sharper.

#TT-50 - Albert Pujols - ToppsTown - Hey, what's a non-pitcher doing in this pack? Get outta here, Pujols. Nobody wants you! Not the Cardinals, not nobody! P.S. Please sign with the Cubs next year. Thank you.

#13 - Billy Wagner - Get outta here, Billy Wagner! Nobody wants ---what's that? Oh, you already retired? Come back, Billy Wagner! Shoot for 500 saves!

#276 - Miguel Olivo - The card backs are quite solid this year. If you squint, the white part kind of looks like the Parthenon or the Lincoln Memorial or some such building. Big card number good. Tiny recycled picture from front unnecessary.

#56 - Johan Santana - And of course we end with a pitcher. Injury aside, Johan doesn't feel like the elite starter he once was, but I think that's more the Mets' fault as a whole. The guy still had an ERA under 3 and a WHIP of 1.18 last year. I don't know.

So there you have it. Your very first look at 2011 Topps ever. Quite the loaded pack, especially since Golds come in 1:5682 packs this year. AND the Blue Diamond. AND the Shiny parallel. If only every pack could look this good.