2006 Topps Series 1 Rack Pack

Greetings!

Hope everyone is doing well.  Thanks to the flurry of posts from my fellow contributors, September won't end with single-digit posts because this one is post #10.  The streak continues!

Anyway, with the baseball playoffs looming, here's a pack from a set that has been posted here five times already (check out the sidebar if you doubt me).   Here's #6...it's a 2006 Topps Series 1 Rack Pack!

There's 18 cards in the pack, 6 in each section.  There's also 3 TOPPS VINTAGE CARDS INSIDE!  Will I pull a common from the sixties?  Of course not.  Here's what I got:

Top Section:

#146 – Matt Clement

#67 – Brian Jordan (back)

#BB674 – Barry Bonds

1989 Topps #399 – Wade Boggs All Star

#177 – Jose Reyes

#206 – Edgardo Alfonzo

#276 – Jack McKeon

Middle Section:

#295 – Frank Robinson

#66 – Shawn Estes

#82 – Huston Street

1989 Topps #71 – Mike Boddicker

#212 – Bill Mueller

#36 – Jeff Suppan

#63 – Desi Relaford

Checklist 2 of 3

Bottom Section:

#265 – Ryan Howard (ROY)

#223 – Humberto Quintero

#113 – Bobby Madritsch

No# - William Hooper (Declaration of Independence)

1988 Topps #638 – Steve Balboni

#196 – Brad Penny

#310 – Hong-Chih Kuo (RC)

No# - Work Hard, Get Cards (not pictured)

No# - Sluggers Fantasy Baseball card (not pictured)

Well, at least Topps was considerate enough to not give me 3 cards from 1989.  How cool would it have been if some kid got a Mantle rookie as one of the three vintage cards?

That's the pack.  I've not no rooting interest in the playoffs since the Cubs are not involved.  While I'm sure Fox will freak out if the Pirates play the Rays in the World Series, I'm thinking Dodgers and Tigers.  More later, and thanks for reading!

2013-2014 Score hockey

Today is the final day of the MLB season. While my White Sox year was something to forget, I'll be back into excitement mode when I hear those five magical words every February....

Pitchers and catchers report today

However, until then, another sport season begins on Tuesday - the NHL is back!!! Can someone remind me how last season ended?

 

OH YEAH!!! Now I remember.... My Hawks start defense of the Holy Grail against Ovechkin and the Capitals at home on the 1st. Banner raising night. So let's keep this Panini thing going with their 13/14 Score release.

Because of the shortened 12/13 campaign, we get double rookie class this year, something UD and Panini remind us ALL THE TIME! Ok - we get it. Rare you get a pack nowadays with so much cardboard for under $3. And away we go...

Decent, straight-forward design from Panini. The only foil is the brand logo - so nice. Keeps the player's names easy to read. I'll keep saying it - hey Devils, dump the black and go back to the green.

Panini is matching the bottom bar with the team colors. The Wild did a little jersey overhaul. Nice change.

Two things: Sure, those are my Hawks they just scored on. Whatever. And two..... he's on fire.

Pens dumped these nice alts for this season. They are going to have a new alt next year.

I hate that winged logo on the Caps. It is better than this, though.

Ugh. You got rid of the arm pit stripes - good. But this is a little too minimalist.

Only dual rookie class card I pulled. Not too bad.

Gold borders come one to a pack. No serial number on them. Great action shot on this card.

BRING BACK WILD WING! heh heh...

He shoots, he scores. Here they are celebrating an OT winner by Leddy against the Dead Wings.

Dear every team thinking of changing their uniform. Follow the Oilers and go back to what works. I am talking to you Islanders, Flames and Canucks (make them primary, not the alt).

Blue Jackets....a team in search of an identity. Here are the card backs.

Pretty plain. No image recycle, and full career stats by year. Very nice indeed. There are rare red backs.

2013 Panini Golden Age

So yesterday was Panini Pinnacle, something I didn't like. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I kind of ripped on it, and I don't want to think that everything Panini releases is poor. I think you can do no logos and do it well. Here's a product I do like - Golden Age. The only 2012 cards I have from this set I pulled out of dime boxes. But I picked up a box of this at the National, and have slowly tried to complete the set. But enough about me. Let's get to ripping.

Simple pack. I don't think you can design anything so plain, yet it's nice. Remember - cards are for ages 9+. And my six?

It's busy enough that I like how it looks. I think this is the home uniform of the Boston Braves, so they shopped out a cap logo and a "B" from the left side of the uniform.

Card back. Got a few backs to show from this set. Don't see a lot of maroon ink on cards.

One of a few insert sets. This is a homage to the 1933 DeLong Gum cards. Other recent sets that replicate the Delong Gun sets work poorly. But with the right cardboard, the design has warmth.

Back of the Curly Neal.

Sparky. Now the shopping is evident.

Golden Age = Allen and Ginter. Don't forget: this guy is HUGE in France.

Panini has a NFL license, so Fred's Raider helmet is prominently displayed.

Card six is a mini. And that, folks, is a mustache of epic levels.

Think A&G or GQ when we talk about the backs. Golden Age has five different backs on the minis. Blue and green are the commons, while purple, red and black are more rare. I believe that is the breakdown. There are Panini back 1/1s.

2013 Panini Pinnacle baseball

Jafronius is right - far too few posting here at APTBNL this month. I have a few packs scanned, so let's get some up to finish out the month. First off - Panini's revival of the Pinnacle brand.

The pack has a decent retro feel to it. The total lack of logos is evident from the get go. Strasburg signed a contract with Panini, so no shock he would be the cover boy.

Ummmm.....wow. I'll cut right to the thought: I hate these. I hate them as much as I hate the Prizm crap they put out a few months ago. Way too much black. The lack of logos, which Panini seems to work well enough hiding in Cooperstown and Golden Age really shows itself here. The plain uniform, with the equally plain design makes this card set a dud.

Backside shots - less photoshopping needed.

I see they still have the ability to show the logos on the gloves.

Lack of logos is a good reminder there are far too many softball tops being worn in baseball.

This is an acetate insert card. You can see a bit of the back bleed through in the main "A" behind Jared. This set is anything BUT a Pinnacle of Success in my mind, though.

Almost done.

I'll spare you one image and just show the back of Machado's card. No image recycling. One line of stats and a bio. The MLBPA logo gets a main billing, though.

Oh wow - a rookie.

Sorry, but I cannot get excited in the least over this set. Just bland and boring, but if you think otherwise, I'll send you the cards.

50 Assorted Pittsburgh Pirates cards

 

In honor of Pittsburgh Pirates making the playoffs I give you 50 random Pirates cards pack. I bought this for $10 at shop across the street from PNC Park when I was in Pittsburgh. Took me a while to break open. I split this in year and make.

1981 Fleer - Jim Rooker

 1981 Topps - Ed Ott

1982 Donruss - Vance Law

1984 Topps - Rod Scurry, Lee Mazzilli, Johnny Ray (All Star)

 

1985 Topps - Jim Morrison

 1986 Topps - Sammy Khalifa, Jim Morrison

1987 Topps - Jim Leyland, Ceclio Guante, Bob Kipper, Mike Diaz - Leyland is the last manager took the team to the playoffs.

 1987 Donruss - Rafael Belliard, Jim Winn

1988 Topps - Mike Diaz, Barry Jones

 1988 Donruss - Al Pedrique, Mike LaValliere, Felix Fermin

1989 Topps - Brian Fisher

1989 Donruss - Gary Redus

1989 Fleer - Jeff King, Neal Heaton

1990 Upper Deck - Miguel Garcia - played total of 13 games with the team in 3 years.

1990 Score - Moises Alou, Billy Hatcher, Bill Landrum, Sid Bream - who remembers Alou time in Pittsburgh?

 1991 Topps - Bobby Bonilla (All-Star), Rafael Belliard

1991 Score - Neal Heaton, Jay Bell

 1991 Upper Deck - John Smiley - Team pitching ace at the time who made All-Star team in 91

1992 Upper Deck - Steve Buechele

 

1992 Upper Deck Minors - Ben Shelton - played 15 games with the team in 1993 and only time up in the majors

 1992 Topps - Bob Kipper

1997 Upper Deck Collector Choice - Jason Schmidt - spent 3 1/2 seasons with the team before getting traded to Giants where he had success

 1998 Upper Deck - Kevin Elster - had short-lived stint with the team

2001 Upper Deck SPX - Jason Kendall - team star player during Pirates dark era of late 1990-early 2000.

2001 Topps Stadium Club - Pat Meares - great photorgraphy shot

 2002 Leaf - Mike Williams - team closer with two All-Star selections including undeserved 2003 spot when he his ERA was around 4-5 heading to the game. I knew All-Star game wasn't a big deal anymore before game was played to a tie.

2002 Upper Deck SPX - Aramis Ramirez

 2003 Upper Deck - Bobby Hill - great collegiate career; fizzled out with Cubs organization; caught on with Pirates dark era where he fizzled out again and out of the majors into the independents.

 

2006 Bowman Heritage - Zach Duke

 2007 Fleer - Carlos Maldonado - played total of 21 games in two years with the team. Still playing.

 

2009 Topps - Zach Duke

 

2008 Upper Deck - Bill Mazeroski - all you need to know is 1960, World Series, game 7 vs Yankees, game-winning homerun

 

 2009 Topps Unique - Andrew McCutchen - McCutchen in Pirates throwback jersey. He's the face of Pirates team and main player ushering new era of the organization.

2010 Topps - Lastings Milledge

Nice trip to memory lane of past to present. Good luck to Pirates in the playoffs.