2018 Topps National Baseball Card Day

 Happy National Baseball Card Day.  It wasn't that long ago that the hobby had a national trading card day that involved all the major manufacturers, but I'm not going to look free cards in the mouth.  If you are lucky enough to have a hobby shop near you, or like me thave two, you could stop in today and get a free pack of cards.  The packs are clear and you can see who is on top. A promo advertising card is on the back.  You can see the whole checklist over at the Trading Card Database.

This is the first Ohtani card I've pulled this year.  I really haven't been buying much product so that's no surprise and neither was this card since it was on top.   You get 5 cards per pack and there is a possibility of pulling an autograph.  Let's look at the rest.

 There was one card I was hoping to find and as luck would have it I pulled it.  Mr. Eric Thames.

 Here's the Update / Topps Holiday promo card.

 As a bonus if you made a purchase at the store you got one of these Aaron Judge cards.  On August 25th you can pick up the Rhys Hoskins.

2015 Panini Contenders Baseball

I usually stay far away from college prospect type sets, but I found a blaster of this stuff at a discounted price and there really wasn't much competition on the shelves that day. Here is the first pack.

7 - Trea Turner - Exhibit C on why you should probably scrub your social media history after you become a so-called adult. Better yet, maybe just don't say or do stupid ignorant stuff in the first place? I'm guessing agents will get a handle on this stuff on the future.

97 - Tyler Naquin - Another guy I've heard of, which is more than I expect out of one of these sets.

88 - Tate Matheny - Son of the recently ousted Cardinals manager. He's a center fielder that's spent this season at AA.

1 - Dansby Swanson Class Reunion - We know this guy. He's still trying to figure out how to hit at the big league level.

50 - Tyler Krieger School Colors - I had to Google Kreiger, who is in his second straight season at AA in the Cleveland system.

15 - Frank Howard Old School Colors - A throwback to the wayback years. Thank you for not colorizing this, Panini.

2018 Topps Heritage WWE (jumbo)

2018 Topps Heritage is out using 1989 Topps design. This is a jumbo pack containing 18 cards.

108 - Roderick Strong - from NXT brand and currently 1/2 of NXT tag team champions with Kyle O'Reily. I was there in person at NXT Takeover: New Orleans where he turned on his partner Pete Dunne and joined The Undisputed Era.

38 - Kane - former champion is now newly elected mayor of Knox County, Tennessee

28 - Finn Balor - in his demon persona on this card. First ever WWE Universal champion booking haven't been kind to him

22 - Charlotte Flair - only women to hold WWE Smackdown, RAW, Divas and NXT women title. On her way back from surgery.

47 - Maria Kanellis - currently training after having a baby

33 - Jey Uso - 1/2 of Uso Brothers

18 - Carmella - currently WWE Smackdown women champion after she cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase and beat Charlotte Flair on the first Smackdown after Wrestlemania.

1 - AJ Styles - current WWE champion; after his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, The Phenomenal One must deal with Samoa Joe at Summerslam

Hall of Fame Tribute: 27 (out of 40) - this is Hall of Fame tribute insert set feature Ric Flair on cards 21-30. This one mention winning tag team titles with the late Roddy Piper against The Spirit Squad. Good because I never liked The Spirit Squad.

37 - Kalisto - a bronze, I believe, parallel. Former US and cruiserweight champion is currently on 205 Live brand with Gran Metalik and Lince Durado calling themselves Lucha House Party.

Rookies: 1 - Asuka - insert set featuring rookies of WWE. After being undefeated in NXT along winning women Royal Rumble she took her first lost against Charlotte at Wrestlemania 34. After that she been booked very poorly ever since.

Macho Man Tribute: 24 (out of 40) - another tribute set this one featuring the late Randy Savage on cards 21-30. This one mention being replacement for Mr. Perfect at Survivor Series. The back got it all wrong saying he and Scott Hall were the survivors of the team when it was Marty Jannetty and 1-2-3 Kid (aka: X-Pac/Syxx/Sean Waltman) were the survivors.

TT5 - The Club/Good Brothers - another insert set this time featuring tag teams. They call them Gallows and Anderson but I prefer their original names as The Club or Good Brothers. Here's a team that shafted by lousy booking.

TT19 - The Street Profits - from NXT they get the crowd pumping

BL40 - Ric Flair - how many insert sets in his Heritage set? I like they used Big Topps design on this. This one called Big Legends and they nailed with the legendary, WOOO! Nature Boy, WOOO!, Ric, WOOO!, Flair. WOOOOOOOO!

BL34 - Mick Foley - call him Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love, or his name the guy puts his body on the line (see King of the Ring 98; Hell in the Cell)

BL26 - Kerry Von Erich - a tragic figure (along with entire Von Erich clan), he was former NWA World Heavyweight champion and Intercontinental champion. His demons got a hold of him ultimately lead him to commit suicide.

BL10 - Bob Orton - the father of Randy Orton, he was part of main event from the first ever Wrestlemania.

Too many inserts in this set but I like Big Legends set for use of Big Topps design. I do enjoy the 1989 Topps design on this set.

2018 Topps Chrome Hobby

 Stopped in for trade night at my LCS, Boscos in Anchorage, Alaska last night. Picked up a few singles and a couple packs of Topps Chrome.  I only picked up two packs this was the best of the two.  Since it's only 4 cards per pack you get backs for all the cards!

 I did pull a insert which is nice. My other pack had a base refractor with no one of note.