2016 Heritage First Pack PLUS a Hanger

Got my hands on some 2016 Heritage cards on Monday, a Single Pack and a Hanger. Thanks to the Topps/Target Coupon that was part of our 2016T Blaster we opened last month the Hanger went for $6.99.

We start off with the loosey

2016 Heritage #120 Billy Hamilton

Fittingly he exciting Billy Hamilton leads off our first pack. Card #120 in the original is Floyd Robinson who reps the Reds as well, although it is on a cap-less card as he had been acquired from the White Sox following the 1966 Season.

#217 JP Howell
#9 Wil Myers
#136 John Danks
#157 Manny Machado

Nice set of cards at the top of the pack, Howell, Myers and Machado are all great examples of 1967T. The Danks card has some sort of Cactus League backdrop that adds a bit of variety to a set that is bound to be heavy on profile shots.

Wil Myers drew his former uni number (9) with the the Rays.

 #498 Odubel Herrera

First Heritage Insert is a High Number of a Phillies Player. Thats a W.  Good shot from Clearwater. Team Phungo was there roughly a year ago, perhaps this shot was taken while we were in town.

#71 Caleb Joseph
#313 Seth Smith
#66  Eddie Rosario

We can't get a Topps card of the Orioles Starting Catcher but we do have back up Caleb Joseph. The Rosario card looks like a dugout shot, which is a bit of a departure from the style from the original 1967 set, however it does maintain the spirit of the era.

Hanger Highlights

We will start out with the Hanger All-Star Team

Battery

Mark Buehrle
Hisashi Iwakuma
Santiago Casilla
Evan Gattis

The Buehrle card is a great one of a great player. Gattis is listed as a DH here but I snuck him into the Battery section for his Catching roots, and one cannot dismiss the hipster beard. 

Brandon Belt
Giovanny Urshela
Justin Bour
Starlin Castro

The Indian Urshela is one of those cards of players in the box that I didn't know. Actually had close to 300 PAs in 2016. Hell Justin Bour  is in the Phillies Division, Hit 23 Home Runs and got a rookie cup and I don't know him. Bour was not in Topps Series 1, Assuming his flagship card is in S2 he will be 28 prior to the release of his r-Cup card. I am assuming this is Starlin Castro's first card as a Yankee - We will return to this in the Inserts portion of our show.

Hunter Pence
Starling Marte
Coco Crisp
Jackie Bradley

Crisp once again displays a unique look - Still not as cool as his 2014T Card. Saw Starlin drop a can a corn in a game against the Phillies y-day, nice shot w/ the camo didn't see those in 1967.


Inserts Mojo Chasers

Chrome Aroldis Chapman (#d /567)

Ok a year ago this would have been a fine card to draw as the Serial Numbered bonus. Unfortunately in the last 12 months we found out Chapman is a jerk and now he is on a different team.

This is is my issue with the Starling Castro card above. Topps got him in a Yankees uniform, Chapman here got traded within in a month be he remains on a Reds card. 

#479 Lorenzo Cain (Hi Number)

Cool shot, Solid SP to pull. 

Standup #14 Mike Trout

Uhm this is disturbing. So far in 2016 I have picked up A Blaster, A Hanger and a couple of looseys and have scored 3 Trout inserts.

#TAN-YD Carl Yastrzemski & Chris Davis

The 1967 Font looks goofy on inserts. 

Mets Maulers: Lagares & Granderson
Atlanta Aces: Freeman & Markakis

I like using action shots on the Multi-Players, for a look back at our recent post on the originals click here.

Angels Team Card & Checklist

The team cards are goofy. 

Sources and links
1967 Topps / 2016 Heritage Index
Cardboard Connection
Baseball-ref

2013 Topps All-Stars Home Run Derby Cards

On Sunday Team Phungo was fortunate enough to make it to Citi Field to see the All-Star Futures Game. One of the nice things about the Futures Game is that you get to see a lot of the background of what goes into putting together game without having to shell out ASG money.

One of the items the Mets have is the Topps Lineup cards similar to the Phillies.  For Monday Night the cards are specail ASG cards of the Home Run Derby participants.  

New York Mets Citi Field 2013 Topps ASG Line Up Cards (click to enlarge) 

2013 Topps ASG Cards HR Derby Participants NL
Pedro Alvarez
Michael Cuddyer
Bryce Harper
David Wright

2013 Topps ASG Cards HR Derby Participants AL
Robinson Cano
Yoenis Cespedes
Chris Davis
Prince Fielder

Snapshots 2013 06 12 Angels 9 @ Orioles 5

Team Phungo made it out for our first Orioles game of the year.  It didn't go any better than the other 4 Phillies losses that I have had the pleasure of witnessing this season. 

The Orioles led 4-2 going into the 7th when reliever Pedro Strop came in and failed miserably.  He was unable to strand the two runners Jason Hammel put on, plus he added a few of his own.  That was the end of what had otherwise been a decent O's outing. By the end of the inning the Orioles were down 4 and ended up losing 9-5..

Snapshots (click any pix to enlarge)

Nate McLouth singles in the first

McLouth got the O's started off strong, getting a leadoff single in the first and scoring on one of 2 RBI Grounders later in the inning.

The game really may have turned on two plays, one of which was McLouth being called out by Joe West on a Stolen Base attempt in the 3rd inning.  I thought he was safe as did Buck Showalter.

Buck Showalter and Joe West

Pedro Strop

Hank Conger reaches on a "Single" in the Angels big 7th inning

There were some big blows after Conger bounced a single off of Pedro Strop's glove, but this play was pretty pivotal. Had Strop handled the ball or even completely missed the comebacker, I think it is likely the O's would have turned a Double Play which would have gone a long way towards getting out of the inning.

Instead no out was recorded and the top of the Angels order came to the plate. Regardless, Pedro Strop really didn't do much else in 1/3 of an inning. He couldn't find the plate and ended up giving up 4 earned. His ERA balooned to 7.58.  

Erick Aybar

Eric Aybar had one of the two big hits in the 7th inning.  This is the swing Aybar had on his bases loaded triple. I was to upset at the time to remember it now. Three Batters later Albert Pujols

Noteworthies

Chris Davis

The AL Home Run leader hit his 21st dinger of 2013 in the 4th inning.

Manny Machado
The Current AL WAR leader was 2-5 with a double.

Brad Hawpe
The newest Angel

Mike Trout
No miracle catches for Trout who was back starting in center after Peter Bourjos big catch on Tuesday Night. During the defesive replacement phase of the game Bourjos did come into play CF and Trout moved to left.

Albert Pujols
Pujols came a triple short of a cycle. He was a DH on Wednesday and he hasn't played the field much lately.  It was very obvious his foot was bothering him and I observed the former MVP talking with JJ Hardy at some point in the game.  He appeared to be motioning towards his heal during the discussion. The O's didn't bother holding Pujols had first whenever he reached base.    

A good Day at the Yard

Even with the Orioles taking the Loss, a day at the yard beats any day at the office.(Pedro Strop v Erick Aybar)


Source
Baseball-Ref

Bucket or Chuck-It: 2013 Topps Archives

Easy one Chuck-It.

I could finish the review there but I will post some pix and thoughts. The following cards are from a rack pack of cards purchased at a local big box.  $5.99/pack plus local sales Tax (6% in PA) for an 18 card pack.  

My biggest issue is 2013 Topps Archives is largely comprised of 3 designs I am not fond of, and a fourth that I find to be about average. Then there is the issue of Topps Canabalizing their old sets, and finally the whole lottery aspect of opening Archive for the more interesting whacky inserts - I do like the whacky inserts, but they won't tempt me enough to pick up a box. 

I even dislike the wrapper which got favorable reviews from a couple of sources including The Shlabotnik Report which has a fine column on the derivation of the wrapper.

2013 Topps Archives #55 CC Sabathia (1982 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #44 Chris Davis (1972 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #101 Andrew McCutchen (1985 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #186 Brett Lawrie (1990 Topps)

These are the four basic Topps Designs in 2013 Archives.  Right off the bat there are too many from the same era - 1985 and 1990 are pretty firnly in the junk wax era and 1982 is pretty close. And 1990 is my least favorite of the Topps canon.  

Finally, I am in the minority on this one, but 1972 Topps really doesn't do it for me.

Another Chuck-it for the rack is that there were no Phillies in the 18 cards :(

The hockey stick set (1982 Topps) is my favorite of this years four mains. CC is near the top of my list of favorite Yankees, Chris Davis is putting together a 2nd consecutive fine year for the Orioles - Kudos to O's fans for having 3 Orioles leading the early All-Star voting (Davis, Adam Jones, and .... JJ Hardy). Always good to get a McCutchen card - he is one of the good guys in baseball and a fine player.  Brett Lawrie has been on the shelf for a disappointing Jays team and unable to repeat is fine 2012 campaign


4 More low-lights

2013 Topps Archives #48 Ryne Sandberg (1972 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #214 Fred McGriff SP (1989 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #134 Wei-Yen Chen (1985 Topps)
2013 Topps Archives #153 David Ortiz (1990 Topps)

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is one of the hilights of the pack.  The McGriff is a 1:4 Pack short print from the 45 card Fan Favorites hi-number series.  Chen has been on the DL for about a month, but was a nice find for the Orioles in 2012, He was a big help to the club to reach the playoffs.  David Ortiz is just keeps on chugging looks like he may e adding another fine season to his career.

There you have it - 18 cards, no Phillies, 1 short print. this is likely the only pack of 2013 Archives I will likely pick up. Chuck-It

2013 Topps Archives Other Views
Nacho's Grande (Group Break - 3 Hobby Boxes - Multiple Postings)
Arpspmith's Sportscard Obsession (2 Hobby Boxes - McGriff, DeShields, and Orosco Autos)
30 Year Old Cardboard (Two Blasters)
Capewood Collections (Blaster+ 1972 Schmidt, 1990 Chooch, Ryan Howard Relic)
Night Owl Cards (Blaster)
Play at the Plate (Blaster)
Things are Funner Here (Rack Pack w/ 72 Ryan Howard)
Paul's Random Stuff (Mets)

ReWind
Phungo Review of  2012 Topps Archives.  FYI - Despite the 3 Phils I think I passed on getting any future Archives last summer and didn't go for the Hobby Box. Also liked the set selected for 2012 archives much more then 2013.

 
References

Schlabotnik Report
Baseball-cardpedia
MLB Trade Rumors
Baseball-ref.com