2014 Topps Series 2 Rack Pack

Greetings!

Hope everyone had a good week.  I have been trying to get back into my Great Reorganization Project (one of the main reasons why I started posting to this site), but I keep running into roadblocks.  One of them is the inability to file away cards while I still have a pack to post.  So, let me get one of them out of the way (as soon as I found the pack again...it got misplaced) - it's a rack pack of 2014 Topps Series 2!

It was a 330 card set (the last year for this size as of this post...remember, it's been 350 cards the last couple of years).  Since there's several packs already posted on the site, let's just go through the pack rapid-style-like (I used my camera against card boxes this time out, so I apologize in advance for the graininess / shadows in the shots).

Here's what I got...Top Half:

#463 - Samuel Deduno
#660 - Jose Fernandez
#497 - Fernando Rodney
#351 - Matt Garza

RIP, Jose.

(As an aside, Fernandez was on my fantasy team, and before I got all the alerts on my phone about the sad news, I got a Yahoo alert letting me know that his status was changed from "Healthy" to "Day To Day".  Yahoo Fantasy has something to work on for next year).

#581 - Tony Cingrani
#590 - Brett Cecil

#390 - Bryce Harper (Checklist)
#645 - Wilson Ramos

#487 - Jim Johnson (#614/2014)
#BM-23 - Derek Jeter (Breakout Moments)
#659 - Ervin Santana
#529 - Jesus Montero


Per the back of the pack, both the Gold and Breakout Moments cards come 1 in 2 packs.

#462 - J.A Happ
#557 - Vic Black (RC)
#515 - Curtis Granderson
#622 - Dexter Fowler
#352 - Ryan Wheeler
#393 - Devin Mesoraco

Moving onto the Bottom Half:

#454 - Brandon Beachy
#548 - Jered Weaver
#586 - Luke Hochevar
#615 - Drew Storen

#538 - Jon Jay
#487 - Jim Johnson

It's a Jim Johnson hot pack!

#559 - Asdrubal Cabrera
#632 - John Lackey

#545 - Jeremy Affeldt
#FN-46 - Sonny Gray (The Future Is Now)
#569 - Michael Morse (Green Parallel)
#373 - Kyle Drabek

Odds were not listed for The Future Is Now.  I think the Green Parallels were exclusive to the Rack Packs.

#508 - Sonny Gray
#459 - Eric Hosmer
#560 - Aramis Ramirez
#418 - Jordy Mercer
#486 - Drew Hutchison
#363 - David Hale (RC)

Or is it a Sonny Gray hot pack? 

Anyway, that's it.  Now I can file these away and move onto the next stack...hmm, it's 2014 Series 1.  That means I have a Rack Pack for Series 1 tucked away somewhere.  The good times don't stop!

Thanks for reading!

1997-98 NHL Pinnacle Certified

While Topps has Finest set Pinnacle has Certified. Like Topps Finest the card has UV coating you peel off. I usually leave it on the cards. There are six cards in a pack.

Each pack has half of the checklist and Paul Henderson framed set offer that is limited to 500 requests and paying almost $200 US. Paul Henderson is a hero in Canada for leading Team Canada in victory against USSR in 1972 Summit Cup.

60 - Alexander Mogilny - it got the chrome while highlighting the player while background goes to gray. Back of card has picture shot and Bowman-esence stats against the teams he faced the previous season. What else have Pinnacle lifted from Topps?

33 - Mike Modano

49 - Adam Oates

105 - Dino Ciccarelli - he finished his career in Florida playing season and half with Lightning before going to Florida Panthers.

I got redemption card I cannot redeem missing out by almost two decades. As for the player it was Marc Savard

17 - Ken Wregget - surprised he's on this set. He split time with Patrick Lalime and Lalime played better in goal and stats-wise than he did in the season.

Three packs down, few to go. Who's ready for hockey?

2016 Upper Deck World Cup of Hockey

The World Cup of Hockey is back after a 12 year lay off. This is the 3rd time it's being played. The US took the first one played in 1996 in an amazing 3 game finals against Canada. In the final game, Team USA came back in the 3rd with 4 unanswered goals in the final 3:18 to take home the first trophy. Team Canada redeemed the loss taking the 2nd WCoH in 2004, beating Finland in a single game final 3-2.

This year's edition did not start well for Team USA, getting blanked yesterday by Team Europe, which is a team comprised of players not in the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden. Those 4 countries have their own teams. Let's hope, for my fandom, they figure out what went wrong and right the ship.

Upper Deck, having the exclusive NHL license, put out a 40 card set for the WCoH as giveaway packs this weekend. Similar to other free pack giveaways, you can get them at your LCS this weekend. I was fortunate enough to be out this morning and stopped at my LCS the moment it opened. After some purchases, I scored 5 packs. The 4 color foil is nice on the pack, along with the tournament logo. Yeah, the final prize is a little ugly, but.... Like other free packs, autographed cards are a possibility. Five cards. Here we go.

High gloss on these bad boys. You have the player in the country sweater, for those that are posed shots. There are some images that are close cropped face shots where you can tell the player is in their club sweater. Oh, and hey Jamie? Camera is over here. No...here. Look here. Whatever...

Here's Pekka in an obvious Predators uniform on the card. You see all the maple leafs in the background patterns. World Cup of Hockey replaced the Canada Cup tournament.

And did I mention? NO FOIL!!!! Not a metallic shimmer to be found. I sort of wish Krejci went the way of Benn and looked away from the camera. He is staying deep into my soul.

I was a bit perplexed about the sweater Kucherov is wearing. It's not Russia, and the cut isn't really the Lightning. Until I realized UD shopped out the NHL shield that is normally at the center of the neck. And I am confused more as the NHL is the chief creator of the WCoH, and UD has their license, so.... Hey - enough thinking. Here's the backs.

Duplicate images. No career stats to be found. Just the personal information and some tales about international playing career. I glanced at the other backs and some do mention their NHL clubs, but the talk is more focused on their international play.

Ok - that was four and I just showed the back. What up, Jeff? Well, if you follow me on Twitter, you should see where this is going.

Oh hell yeah!!!! Magenta printing plate of Sid the Kid. Besides pulling Ovechkin, Kane or Toews, this would be the other player you would want a 1/1 from. I will probably flip this for some cash, unless one of you readers has a Kane or Toews plate from this set.

2016 Topps Archives Snapshots Baseball

2016 Topps Archives Snapshots Baseball is a new set available from Topps' website. Each box is one pack with 1 autograph and 11 Topps cards featuring some shots from the vault.


As with the standard Archives sets, this set features both current and "throwback" players. Interesting action post from Nolan Ryan.

 Jose Canseco and Ryan Klesko are the classics here, and a Miguel Sano RC.

I somehow lucked out with two autographs. Brian Johnson of the Red Sox, and Orioles legend BJ Surhoff.

2003 Topps Stadium Club Baseball

Another pack I picked up at Stevens Creek. Pujols on the front with 6 cards. Let's rip....

41 - Jeff Bagwell - Astros player and future Hall of Famer! Trying catch in-field fly ball. Still waiting for his long overdue call.

123 - Sean Pierce - a thick gold card. Flamed out after 2003 season never reaching above A ball.

117 - Franklin Gutierrez - a player that is still playing. He's playing for Mariners this season. From look of the shot its been taken at spring training.

BT9 - Vladimir Guerrero - insert card of Vlad the Implaer. The insert runs in 1:12 packs.

77 - Jim Thome - Thunder Thome catching a ball to throw out a Royal. Another player waiting for his Cooperstown call.

31 - Mike Cameron - one of 13 players to hit four homeruns in a game and former All-Star

Fun pack as I got an Astros player and Thome

2003 Upper Deck 40 Man Baseball

A family reunion trip in Bay Area resulted me a trip down at Stevens Creek Sport Cards in San Jose. Check them out if you are in San Jose area because they have great selection. I will be posting pile of packs I bought from them. This is one of them. Upper Deck counter Topps Total with 990 card 40-Man set. On to the pack

324 UD Vintage Update - Mendoza Signs With Red Sox - this is part of 60 card Vintage update subset to go along with their Vintage set. One card per pack. This card highlights of free agency one upmanship between Yankees and Red Sox during that time.

710 - Rob Mackowiak - that big "40" in the corner is an eyesore. The back shows entire MLB playing career stats up to that point. For some reason he was one of my favorites.

62 - Roy Halladay - its Doc Halladay

31 - Eric Chavez

722 - Felix Heredia

402 - Shane Reynolds - in Braves uniform after spending 11 years with Astros. Despite winning record he played poorly in his only season with the Braves.

756 - Brian Fuentes

455 - Jason Simontacchi

856 - Alex Rodriguez - Upper Deck top 40 players set which includes recently retired ARod

882 - Michel Hernandez - part of "New Releases" set consist of rookies and prospects. Had journeyman career in the minors playing total of 45 games in the majors. Now a coach for Charleston minor league team.

One pack down, more to go.....