Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011 Topps Heritage Minor League Pack

Cross-posting this over here too BECAUSE I CAN. Have I even posted here in the past year? Who knows?! Here's some gosh-darn BALLCARDS.


First Topps had Bowman Heritage as a late-season Heritage/Retro type product. It was inconsistent but generally good. Topps then killed Bowman Heritage viciously and with malice aforethought and replaced it with Heritage High Numbers Presented By And Including Two Topps Updates And Highlights But Not Traded Or Rookies Series Three Series That You Already Bought Two Jumbo Boxes Of A Month Ago And Do Not Want At All But You're Getting Them Anyway Instead of Two More Heritage Cards So Suck It. Last year they had no late season retro set at all which was probably a good idea since the 1961 design is horrible. Topps must have overbought the cereal box card stock this year though because late season Heritage is back again, this time in a minor league set. I assume Topps wanted another late season prospect dump product to try to sucker collectors with ZOMG FIRST CARDS even though minor league cards are the red headed stepchildren of the hobby. Since it's a minor league set, there is little to no demand for the product so it's a Hobby only product. If Topps had included some veteran cards along with the prospects they likely would have sold more and maybe even been able to sell it in retail outlets. Huh, a set like that sounds familiar... what set would that be... Oh yeah. Bowman Effing Heritage. That product was probably the pet project of an executive that was squeezed out in a boardroom power play so we will never ever see it again. Sorry Folks, you get what Topps wants, not what you want.

What we get is a '62 Topps retro set with minor leaguers. Details can be found at Baseballcardpedia. Long story short, 200 card base set, 50 short printed all-stars, autos, relics and parallels, oh my. Oh yeah BRYCE HARPER HNNNNNNNNG. I got this pack for three bucks and a quarter, I don't expect to see a pack go for much more than that to be honest. Not that I'm likely to buy another pack with Topps Series 3 out. Gotta chase those Liquorfractors. Here's mah pack. No card numbers because I left the actual cards upstairs and if I go up there I'm getting beer and you can forget about this getting posted before December.

Pitcher - A Ball 
Cardinals - 1st Round 2010



Thanks to Byzantine free agent draft pick compensation rules, the 46th overall pick is now considered a first rounder.




Pitcher - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Orange County, California, USA, Earth, Third Planet in the Sol System, Southern arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, Parallel Universe #590273978593223461 
Angels - 1st Round 2009






Don't expect a lot of commentary, I don't know who these people are.

UPDATE: Well, crap. Garrett got a cup of coffee this year!



Shortstop - Triple-A 
Rays - 1st Round 2008




#1 overall pick in '08, only 21 and in Triple-A. He'll be up to the bigs soon enough.



Pitcher- A Ball 
Nationals - 12th Round 2010



They can't all be first rounders. I just love giving Topps crap about anything, but ever since I pulled cards of Kris Medlen, Johnny Venters and Tommy Hanson in various Bowman products and my initial reaction was "Who the @#$! are these bums??" I've learned it's best to respect their scouting department if nothing else.



Shortstop - A Ball 
Braves - International Signing 2010



MIXED FEELINGS ALERT: I pull my first card of one of the Braves' most heralded prospects and it's this hideous piece of garbage. I don't care if it's serial numbered, this is awful. Why, Topps? WHYYYYYY



Pitcher - Oakland A's
Drafted by Toronto - 1st round 2007



First card in the pack to have made the bigs already. #56 overall is NOT a first round pick. Sorry. There needs to be a First-and-a-half round pick designation.



Pitcher - St. Louis Cardinals 
Mets - International Signing 2007



This dude might get a World Series ring! What's he doing in a minor league set?



Second Base - High A
Angels - International Signing 2007



Awwww, this guy is adorable. I want to pinch those cheeks and give him a cookie. He's also the #57 overall prospect in 2011 according to Baseball America.


Jaff Decker

Outfield - Double-A
Padres - 1st round 2008



145 strikeouts in 133 games. Someone get Adam Dunn the hell away from this kid. Of course if he can manage to figure out how to bop 30 homers a season he's got a 100-million dollar contract waiting for him. Also: Jaff is his given name. I'd normally criticize his parents for sticking him with that name, but I gat my e's end a's mixed up whila typing ell tha tima. Saa?

Ok, there's a pack of artificially antiqued young-un's. I apologize for any eye strain the Salcedo may have caused.