Snapshots 2012 09 09 Yankees 13 @ Orioles 3 (ugh)

Good News - Team Phungo is in the middle of a 3 game week.

Bad News - It got off to a rough start with the Orioles taking it on the chin 13-3 to the division rival New York Yankees.

The Yankees batted around in 2 different innings, I am not going to bother verifying it, but I think every position in their order may have batted w/ the bases loaded at least once.  Curtis Granderson did not enter the game until the 6th innning and still managed come withing a triple of a cycle - recording 5 RBIs in the process. For the day Granderson's Baseball-Ref.com battting game score was only outdone by BJ Upton who had 3 homers.

The Orioles pitching staff combine for 190 pitches.  Zach Britton had a rough outing walking 5 batters while only recording 10 outs. 

Snapshots (click to enlarge)
 

The new Cal Ripken statue was a popular attraction.   

Must be tough to have a future Hall of Famer batting 9th in your lineup.

Joba Chamberlain vultured a Win and got his 2012 ERA below 8.00.   

Mark Reynolds has en fuego recently, especially v the Yankees.  Sunday, not so much, 0-2 with a pair of Ks.   

Links
Phungo Cal Ripken HoF Index

2010 Topps Series 2 - Wawa v Target

okay so I am way behind - everybody else is oohing and ahhing over A&G and I am still working with Series 2. thats ok. I was never good at being the NKotB - I stopped in at BC Collectibles and I just couldn't $6+tax for a pack of Ginter. So here is my experiment with 2010 topps 2.

Quick experiment in 2010 Topps Series 2 packs. Our local convenience store is carrying some baseball cards, and they were the first place this years S2 packs. I also picked up a pack during a recent trip to target. Here is what we found

Both packs are 12 cards and went for $1.99. Wawa must of messed up their pricing and didn't charge tax on their packs. whoohoo Team Phungo saves 12 cents.

The Challenger - Wawa

2010 Topps 2020 #T16 David Wright 2010 Topps #462 Alcides Escobar 2010 Topps Gold #480 Red Sox Team (#153/2010)


For the record the first card in the pack was of Manny Parra. Just doing best in pack and inserts here. Escobar was the best in the pack both in star quality and as far as the photo. The Yankees Team card was in this pack - with the Sox - go figure. Kung Fu panda was the Topps Attax card. The Pack yielded no Phillies.

Overall a pretty lackluster pack.

The Veteran - Target
2010 Topps #516 Marlon Byrd
2010 Topps #490 Michael Bourn
2010 Topps 2020 #T2 Gordon Beckham
2010 Topps Gold #426 Mark Reynolds (#1046/2010)
2010 Topps Gold #464 Francisco Liriano (#311/2010)

Johan Santana and Matt Cain were both in this pack, but a Met ain't making the cut in this post. Cain got bumped by the former Phils. I wish somebody had not pointed out that the photography looks a little off on the portrait style cards in this set. Still I like the Bourn card. It's a nice touch when a leadoff speedster is featured on a card bunting. The Topps Attax card was of Alexi Ramrez.

As you can see there were two gold cards in this pack. Which was a unintended bonus, as the pack contained 13 card rather than the advertised 12. While there were no Phils in the Target pack, it is the clear winner. The bonus gold card helps - and the star quality of the pack was MUCH better.

The quality of the Target cards was also better. The foil stamping on the cards from Wawa was all over the place. some above some below some weak.


2020 Topps

Everyone is gaga over the 2020 cards, Frankly I don't get it. The card covering tiles out the faces of the players. The T16 card above could be David Wright or it could be Ty Wiggington. And what is with the red and blue dots all over these cards. Check out any white part of the uniform, nothing but red and blue dots.