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.

Phungo 5 Pack - Topps 2009 Heritage Hi Numbers....

In lieu of getting a blaster I picked up 5 packs of the 09 Topps Heritage High Numbers at the Philly Card Show. If you want to read a specific pack break on the first pack check here for my post over at A Pack to be Named Later.

The five packs were as expected 30 heritage cards and 10 U&H cards. Every back broke down as 3 Heritage followed by 2 U&H then the insert and the final 2 heritage cards.

I got two Phils, The J A Happ card below and a John Mayberry card which is featured in the APtbNL post. Former Phil Jim Thome was also present.

This action shot of Thome may be picture 4 in the link.

The Inserts

Rookie Performers Tommy Hanson, Chrome Trevor Hoffman, and Then and Now featuring a player from my favorite AL team and my least favorite NL team. Hopefully Wright doesn't play long enough to be paired with Mike Schmidt in a future Heritage T&N. The other 2 inserts I picked up were short prints of Andrew McCutchen and Penn Alum Mark DeRosa.

Rookies

Picked up both versions of the Gerardo Parra card - he was the top of the rookies in the 5 packs other than McCutchen.

Etc
Photoshop anyone?? or did the Giants send Garko to spring training after picking him up on July 27th.

Still time to get your football predictions in for STS Bonus

You have a little over 12 hours to get your football predictions in for this weeks Spot the Sig! bonus. To find out more click here.

To get you into the football spirit I have busted open a couple of packs of 2008 UD Icons which I found at Kmart tonight for a whopping 52 cents (including PA Sales Tax)



2008 UD Icons #78 Troy Polamalu
2008 UD Icons #42 Reggie Wayne

The remainder of the pack consisted of:
#81 Antonio Cromartie
#45 Maurice Jones-Drew
#9 Willis McGahee

No Vikings, No Eagles, pretty Meh. For a more complete review and slightly more exciting pack - If your a Cowboys fan - check out my other pack break over at A Pack to be Named Later.

Spot The Sig! - 2nd Inning Wrap Up - Alex Rios - Robin Roberts

Night Owl Cards took this weeks Spot the Sig! NOC has been very active with the bonus questions and has even managed to score a run via the bonuses. This week he was the first one in to spot Alex Rios.

I pulled this from the first pack of Allen & Ginter I picked up this past year. This Rios Auto as well as other low-end Rios Auto's sell for about $6-8 on ebay. There are a variety of other dual autos featuring Rios that go for a few dollars more. That is probably about where the price point should be. Rios looks to be an above average hitter ready to hit his prime. Playing in Toronto probably holds down his value in the card market.

Night Owl earned a Russell Martin Double for getting the STS! this week. With that he also pushes a runner to third setting up a couple of runners in scoring position and a possible big inning.

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The second order of business is to straighten out the Bonus Question. This is my quest to get at least one Phils card out of a via ripping open a pack - This has not happened at Phungo Head Quarters in 19 Packs. 19 Frigging Packs. This is pack number 20. Is it the streak buster??. The pack we are ripping open a pack of 2005 UD MVP cards - 6 Cards - This pack came out of a Fairfield Repack, and I really don' t know that much about what they look like. The only person to pick this pack is DayF. Here goes. RIIIPPP!!!

#59 Nomar - Close - He's not a Phil yet and not a Phil on this card - He is a Cub though - 2005 likely one of his first Cubs cards.

#49 Jose Vidro - likely one of his first cards as a Nat

#28 Garret Anderson - Underrated here on the east coast. couple of good years this guy might be in HOF conversations

#15 Delgado - Another guy that may get himself into the HOF discussion someday

#47 Johnny Damon - A Phungo Favorite

And I don't believe it!!!!.....

BU-34 Robin Roberts Philadelphia Phillies.

I finally get a Phils Card!!! Whoohoo!! - and Congrats to DayF on getting the bonus. but even more amazingly he picked the exact card. Check his comment here. I will refrain from awarding a double bonus for that but let me just say the man knows his cards. The bonus is improved this week however so Dayf gets a single and advances a runner to 2nd.

So lets summarize.

The current STS! standings after 2 innings.

PTBNL - repsresentin those Fightin Phillies - 5 Runs - Man on 2nd.

Night Owl - Dodgers - 1 Run in men on 2nd and 3rd
Stats on the Back - Mets - 1 Run in - Man on 3rd
Cardboard Junkie - Braves - 1 Run in - Men on First and 2nd
Cardboard Addiction - Bosox - Man on First
A Cardboard Problem - Yankees - On Deck
Covered in Wrappers - Cardinals - On Deck

Nachos Grande - Reds - On Deck

I must also mention that we welcome the Cincinnati Reds Representative Nachos Grande to the game. You are on Deck - best of luck. I encourage folks to keep participating, I don't think PTBNL is out of reach yet.

For further information regarding the Phungo Spot the Sig! contest click here and join the party - you just may find yourself with a stack of cards come spring training!

Phungo Cards - Mike Mussina

2009 Phungo #20 Mike Mussina

Today the Hall of Fame committee selected Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice as it's class of 2009. Henderson is an obvious choice and is going in on his first ballot, Rice is not as obvious and gets in on his last ballot. I haven't really looked over Rice's numbers, but from what I have read Rice's qualifications are certainly in the neighborhood. The only non-member that I know enough to construct an argument for would be Bert Blyleven and possibly Ron Santo.

What does this all have to do with today's Phungo Card? Well, if he remains retired, in 2014 Mussina will be on his first Hall of Fame ballot. At that time I am pretty sure that I will advocate his induction into the hall. If you want to see some of my arguments for Mussina's Hall of Fame credentials check out the Phungo post from November in reference to his retirement.

As far as the Phungo Card, I have selected a dark blue for the Yankees border color. Mussina gets a hero number of 20 for his card. I did this to represent his 20 Wins in his final season. His uniform number is 35, I will let you ponder who got that number instead over Mussina. You may also notice in the player postion I have added the designation of ACE. I have annoited certain pitchers as Aces if I think they are the top pitchers on their staff. I am sure this can be debated during Mussina's career in New York. He may not have always been their ace but over the last 5 or 6 years he has certainly been one of their steadier pitchers. This picture was taken on May 3rd of this past year. It was a Saturday day game. Mussina pitched well giving up one run over six innings scattering 7 hits, all singles. Good enough for Career win #254.

I hope that Mussina gets one more victory when they announce the selections for Cooperstown five years from now.

If you want to know more about Phungo Cards, read some background here.

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There was another reason I selected Mussina today, I wanted to recognize the great young ladies over at A Cardboard Problem for getting into the Heavenly 7. They are of Yankee fandom and put out quality work that is both informative and funny - Best of all they drop by here to comment occasionally and are also active participants in Spot the Sig!

Speaking of Spot the Sig! Night Owl Cards got this weeks STS! and broke PTBNL string of four consecutive STS! victories. I will have more on Alex Rios and the autographed card later this week. Tonight, however I am hoping to do some streak busting of my own. If you were with us last night, you now that Team Phungo is in a Phillies drought. We have opened 18 EIGHTEEN!!! consecutive packs and not drawn one Phillies card. Can you believe that??

This is the first pack, 08 UD Masterpieces. I think at least two of our participants picked Masterpieces and I appreciated it. Here goes. RIP!!!

#36 Miguel Cabrera
#8 Jim Palmer...funny doesn't look like Palmer
#60 Whitey Ford and I think I have this card already.
#39 Roy Oswalt

bummer 19 packs and still no Phils.

Sorry Sooz, Sorry Fan of Reds. No Phils in the Masterpieces Pack. Tomorrow or Wednesday I will have a Post on the 05 UD MVP, which was only picked by DayF.