2009 Bowman Chrome

I guess I just refuse to let this blog die. (Should the words "with dignity" end that last sentence?)

First of all, let me state that this pack of cards has been sitting, opened, on my shelf, for probably at least six months, if not more. At the present, these cards are now curled up like a bag of Fritos Scoops. You know, the big ones that enable America's plumpening in the ass and mid-section regions. And the thighs of you womenfolk.

Secondly, I can state with authority that I remember some of the circumstances surrounding my purchase of this pack of cards. Only when I looked at my receipt did I realize that I had bought a JUMBO pack, not the regular pack. I cry foul on this one. Since when does a JUMBO pack contain five cards? Mother fuck. I'm still having flashbacks, and soon the state is going to have to pick up the tab for some serious PTSD medication.

What I need right now is someone roughly the height, build, and hairiness of Robin Williams to firmly embrace me while repeatedly assuring me, "It's not your fault. It's not your fault." Then I'm going to turn on the shower and sit there for an hour while the blood slowly leaks out of my violated asshole, which is now the size of a pickle jar. Then a cab driver will ridicule me about the "back door delivery" I wasn't expecting. (If you can identify both film references in this paragraph, flaunt your prowess in the comments. Now.)

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
122 Alexi Casilla

13 Cliff Lee

BCW48 Some WBC guy from Japan (God, this stupid WBC crap showed up in too many products last year. It created a climate in which I refused to buy a single pack of 2009 Topps Chrome, and I loved 2008 Topps Chrome. When there are four cards in a pack, it is inexcusable to get a WBC card. I am on alert for 2013 already, where the field may be expanded to 24 teams. Expect 50 percent more of this crap should that occur.)

BCP185 Jack McGeary

123 Scott Kazmir

Kick me in the nuts, swiftly.

2009 Topps Chrome Baseball

One of the things that made Topps' 2009 flagship product such a critical success this year, but has gone mostly unheralded because of its position on the back of the card, is the bevy of interesting stats Topps included in an arching graphic on the back of each card. I'd like to share something interesting from each card in this pack of 2009 Topps Chrome (retail).

207 Mike Hinckley (RC) - According to this card, the Nationals lost no fewer than 11 games in 2008 due to a cause labeled as "league-wide indifference."

26 David DeJesus - In the off-season, David's family plays a variation of the game known as "Australian Rules Baseball," depicted in the photo here.

W65 Greg Halman - "Did You Know... that Greg is third in line of succession to take the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands?" As it turns out, the only citizens standing in his way are Johann Cruyff and Paul Verhoeven.

55 Daniel Murphy - Oddly enough, the Six Degrees of Mantle factoid is replaced on this card with the original Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Daniel Murphy plays with David Wright who once rented Zoolander starring Owen Wilson who tried to kill himself on the same day a home run was hit by Jason Bay who once fantasized about Denise Richards who was in Wild Things with Kevin Bacon.

2008 Topps Chrome

I am staying the night at a hotel in preparation for a training I am helping to lead on Friday. Yes, I'm in a hotel and I'm busting wax. What can I say?

I bought one of those 'cheapy' packs at Target, randomly selecting the 2008 Topps Chrome from the box full of 'older' packs. I only have access to a very low-grade camera that does not take very good pictures indoors, so please excuse the quality (or lack thereof).

First up, we have Troy Glaus (Cardinals). He is playing at Busch Stadium and it looks like he is playing against the Mets, maybe?


Next up, Prince Fielder (Brewers) comes to us on a "Trading Card History" insert. The back of Fielder's card says "1934 Diamond Stars" and then goes on to talk about Fielder. Wait, what? If this is a TCH card, then why would you not discuss the history of the set you put on the back of the card!? Truly, it boggles the mind.

---

Adrian Beltran (Mariners) refracts his way into (or maybe out of) the pack. I am not very good at discerning refractors of late issue. In the 'early' days, the refractors were much more, well, refracting... I just happened to have noticed that his name did weird things in the light. Turned the card over, and sure enough, refractor city.

---

And the last card in the pack is Rickie Weeks (Brewers). Man, if only I had been playing "Brew or no Brew!" Rickie looks like he lost the ball somewhere in the logo overhead. Or perhaps he is hoping one of the letters in the team name will find its way into his glove...

I don't know about you, but I feel much better now that my pack-busting habit has once again been satisfied!! Now, about those movies on the hotel television....

2007 Bowman Chrome

Just think about this before you read on. Someone out there could very well have paid $2.99 for this pack. A dollar per card automatically prices me out of any pack you could throw in front of me, unless there was some sort of guarantee that it would be chock full of shiny Cardinals that I lacked. Since that's not happening, how did I end up with this pack? It was on the front of a repack box, of course. I can honestly never keep any of the Bowman designs straight because I just barely have any of the stuff, so I couldn't really picture this set in my mind when I bought the box. I just went for it. So you could easily make fun of me for spending $11 or however much it was for a repack box comprised mostly of junk, but at least I didn't pay $1 a card, right?

Right?

211 - Jerry Owens (RC) (Owens is a light-hitting outfielder who had a grand total of 16 ABs with the White Sox last season after playing in 93 games his rookie year.)

BC124 - Brandon Hynick Prospects (Hynick is a right-handed starting pitcher who was the #8 prospect in the Rockies system according to Baseball America in 2008. He pitched in AA last year.)

65 - Manny Ramirez (And then there's this guy.)

Well, at least they're shiny.

2008 Bowman Chrome...Sigh

Alright, I'll post a pack of baseball cards. I think I'm up to the madding challenge. This one has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of weeks, though. My wife had her friend stay with us for a weekend, and I was goaded into buying some cards on a trip to Target. Whenever you're coerced into buying cards, the decision-making process becomes compromised, and bad things happen. I give you...Bowman Chrome.

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
145 Joba Chamberlain (Coverboy.)

95 Austin Kearns (Got paid $5,000,000 in 2008 to bat .217.)

BCP168 Zach Britton (Got as high as regular-A with the Delmarva Shorebirds last year.)

Here are five things I could have more wisely spent my money on at Target:
5. Three things from the Dollar Spot, the crapstravaganza located just inside the door of most Targets. Lord knows I need a new Spiderman activity book.
4. A package of Easter candy. Easter is a very underrated season for candy. Putting aside the disgusting Peeps, there are a lot of good candies out there that Easter-fy their offerings, many of them involving peanut butter.
3. A St. Patrick's Day greeting card. These were purchased before the 17th, so those things were available a-plenty. SPD might soon overtake Christmas in the card sending arena.
2. Some sort of frozen treat.
1. A bottle of store-brand dishwashing liquid. Not very fun, but at least it can clean your dishes. Apparently, part of the "Joba Rules" called for no washing dishes. Lucky fuck.

2008 Topps Chrome Visits a Star Trek Replicator

Perhaps before you read this post, you should refresh yourself on an earlier one I'd written. I'll give you a minute.


So, let me set the stage for today's extravaganza. Not too long ago I purchased a blaster of Topps Chrome Baseball, the last one I've seen on the shelves in my area. These things come with a "BONUS PACK," which is what I'm sharing today.

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
TCCP20 Dan Haren
TCCP20 Dan Haren (Refractor)

You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!
This is the second time in as many blasters that this has happened! At this point I'd be happy to see any other card in one of these bonus packs.

Any.
Other.
Card.

Hell, at this point I'd take a dual Kathy Griffin/Kathy Lee Gifford card with a microchip implanted in it that activates a tiny speaker that plays a simultaneous recording of their greatest rants, the volume of which is set to 11 and cannot be lowered and cannot be turned off until the three-hour program has run its course.

Well...maybe not.

Here's the sum total of my efforts.

All I need is three more Harens and an Ann B. Davis and I've got the Haren Bunch. Don't think it won't happen.

2008 Bow-Man Chroom

Bowman Chrome...never before has a more stepped-on product hit the Milwaukee streets. Half as pure, so you buy twice as much. Some dude sold this to me outside the Westlawn low-rise projects. Shouts of "five-oh" filled the air not long after I pocketed the red-top, the kind with Joba on the outside. What am I gonna do, though? When a guy needs to chase the dragon, what choice does he have?

Let's tie off and tear in.

Top to Bottom:
195 Denard Span Refractor (Big Harry just showed up.)

BCP188 Jhoulys Chacin (The back says he "overpowers with speedball...er...fastball consistently in low 90s.")

198 Chin-Lung Hu (Awwww, yeeeaaahhh, now I'm firing the ack ack gun...)

In an amazing coincidence, I pulled three guys with the exact same names my wife and I agreed we would like the names of our future children to be; Denard, Jhoulys, and Chin-Lung, get down here this instant!

2008 Topps Chrome: Ryan Braun Edition

Yesterday I snagged the last retail pack at my nearest Target. Opening it, I was pleasantly surprised.
Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
119 Cameron Maybin

TCHC20 Grady Sizemore Trading Card History (1948 Swell Gum)

113 Ryan Braun X-Fractor

113 Ryan Braun

Just had to share that. If only all packs could be that great.

2008 Topps Chrome Baseball

Before launching into this post, I feel the need to recognize one of the institutions of American broadcasting that died an all-too-early death: The CBS Garfield Network Special.
Yes, I believe some of the Garfield holiday specials may make the occasional appearance, but the others, the ones that were shown in closer proximity to Arbor Day than Christmas Day, never really make it back to the airwaves. I'm talking about Garfield on the Town, where he's in search of his mother. I'm talking about Garfield in the Rough, the one with the panther attack and the "Run Run, I'm Afraid, Run Run, I'm Afraid" chant you know and love. I'm even talking about the oddball Garfield: His 9 Lives special, the uneven experiment in animation wherein Garfield assumes nine different identities, the worst of all being that of a watercolor-drawn, pampered-princess-type cat that has the good sense to die on the piano.
Why am I bombarding you with this obvious sickness of mine. It's because of what this pack of Topps Chrome got stuck in my head. What I'm referring to is the crucial moment in one of the lost specials (and yes, I realize you gan get them on DVD, but it's just not the same), Garfield in Paradise, where Jon Arbuckle's rental car becomes an object of worship to the Polynesian natives. Upon spying the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, the entire village begins bowing and chanting the following phrase over and over:
"Chrome...chrome...chrome...
Ba-Bop-Ba-Bee-Bop
Chrome...chrome...chrome...
Ba-Bop-Ba-Bee-Bop"

Sorry if you've seen the show and it gets stuck in your head.
On to the pack!
Let's...tear...in...
Ba-Bop-Ba-Bee-Bop

178 Jo-Jo Reyes (Joey..Jo-Jo...Junior...Shabbadoo?) (Heck, it's even funny auf Deutsch...)

TCCP8 Ryan Braun T205

31 Justin Morneau X-Fractor

9 Joe Mauer

Pretty nice pack. I think I'll fire up the Garfield Thanksgiving DVD some day this week.

APADTV Preview: 2008 Bowman Chrome

Hey kids! Have you checked out APADTV yet? What's APADTV? It's APAD's new spin-off blog that has nothing but video pack and video box breaks.

All of your favorite APAD video contributors now have a new home. Check it out at: apackadaytv.blogspot.com

And now, here's an APADTV sneak preview of Chris Harris busting a pack of 2008 Bowman Chrome.

I bet Thorzul on the outcome of the Phillies/Brewers playoff series, and my winnings arrived today. The first pack is a retail pack of 2008 Bowman Chrome.

As many of you know, I do not get the whole concept behind Chrome. I already have Topps and Bowman, so why do I need to collect these same cards again? Anyway, this is the first pack of BowChro I've ever opened in my life. It's a retail pack which means that I only get three cards (as opposed to four in Hobby)

2008 Bowman Chrome

Here's the second annual "Bowman Chrome Is A Crappy Rip" memorial post. Three cards per pack and this year there isn't even a prospect in every pack. What the hey? It's got Joba on the pack though so buy it up kiddos, don't worry about that injury at all...

71 John Maine
BCP194 David Bromberg
112 John Lackey

I've seen worse... Lackey is a good pitcher but so were Pat Hentgen and Mike Scott and no one cares a flip about them anymore. John Maine will probably go to Dinged Corners where he'll be appreciated. I did manage to get a prospect at least although they are one in every other pack for some reason. Isn't Bowman home of the Rookie card? Or at least home of the Prospect Loophole To Get Around The New MLB Rookie Logo Rules card? The card #194 spooked me too, until I realized that Bowman already had cards 1-110 for Bowman Chrome. 200 short printed cards in one set would be cruel. The prospect I got is pretty good at least. David went 9-0 in the rookie league he pitched in last year. The record is not as good in the A-league he is pitching in this year but 169 strikeouts in 143 innings sure is. In five years or so after Dave has had his mandatory trip to Dr. James Andrews he might be a pretty good rookie pitcher! Unfortunately for me the only one of this cards that will be worth anything then are his autographed LudicrousFractor cards, this is just a lowly base card and base cards are for chumps according to Beckett and the message boards. This was a good pack rip though for one reason: While searching Google for David Bromberg I found a cool blues/jazz/country/weirdness guitar player that I wasn't familiar with before. The three bucks I spent on this pack is well worth the cool music I'll be listening to the rest of the day.

2007 Topps Chrome: Cheapie Shelf Empty

After picking the shelves clean at Target, I've got the last of my Chrome packs to share.

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
205 Jim Thome (Remember toys made by the company Tomy, pronounced the same way as Jim's name? I don't remember having any, but I recall one of my de facto childhood playmates, a kid of my mom's friend, having many of these. They were usually weird robots and wind-up stuff, often somehow indistinctly, yet undeniably less violent than the toys I owned, and therefore less fun. Somehow I think that if Jim Thome swallowed a quarter, it would be much harder to retrieve it than it would from this guy.)

217 Brett Myers

85 Carl Crawford Refractor (A basic rule of thumb is that the more a card has going on, the more bells and whistles it has, the weirder it scans. Refractors, however, tell this conventional wisdom to take a flying fock, as they scan beautifully. Any optics experts out there who would care to explain?)

304 Jose Garcia (RC)

Not a bad pack. I'm still trying to decide if this edition is better than this year's. As other APAD contributors have pointed out, two inserts per four-card-pack makes set-building a difficult proposition. If it's inserts and parallels you're after, then 2008 is for you.

2007 Topps Chrome Baseball

Happy 4th of July, everyone! To celebrate, let's crack open a cold one and a year-old pack of Topps Chrome.

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
243 Brandon McCarthy

264 Mark Teixeira Gold Glove Refractor

GN279 Russell Martin Generation Now Triple #1

102 Reed Johnson

All-American pack? Hardly. We've got the Montreal, Quebec-born Russell Martin, a Blue Jay, and two guys who are depicted as Rangers from the United State of Texas, arguably a sovereign nation in its own right.

But that's what this country is, a little bit of everything.

Question of the Day:
What is the most patriotic baseball card set of all-time? I'm thinking of the 1991 Score Desert Storm flag card, but that's just one out of the near-metric ton of cards from that set. What's the set that waves the flag most proudly?