2014 Gint-a-cuffs: The Epilogue

Well, it looks like I ended up winning Gint-a-cuffs again this year. I guess I should add Jose Altuve to my favorite players list since this extra hit pretty much lucked me into first place. This was my third year to participate and it's my second win. Part of me feels like I should take 2015 off but it's so much fun and, really, what are the odds I'd actually come in first again? Hopefully there will be plenty more participants and we'll all get awesome boxes so nobodies disappointed. Whenever the Commissioner opens up shop next June or so I'll be sure to make note of it here and encourage everyone to participate. I mean, look how easy it is to win! *joking, please don't hate me*

My prize box arrived in the mail Saturday, which was perfect timing. This season, my interest in football has been at its lowest since I was in elementary school. I was probably this close to watching a game or two this weekend until I had some leftover baseball to tweak out on. I unwrapped that sucker and started methodically opening each pack, thumbing through every card to eyeball any that I had yet to see this season. Knowing it would most likely be my final box of 2014 cards, I leisurely made my way through the stack.

Here's an overview of what all was inside. I actually went through and totaled up the score from this box just to see how it would've fared in the rankings. Final score: 202, which was actually less than the "winning" total. You can see the boxloader was a Roberto Clemente Oversized Reprint. I had a stack of SPs, a pretty even amount of Yankees (baseball and non-) and cards from the Favorite Players list. The scoring on the minis seems to have dipped in this box. And my pile of inserts was equal to the number of packs in the box, 24. Now onto the hits....

Here were the first two I pulled. An Allen Craig Full Size Relic with a white swatch. Definitely a step down from the relics I pulled from my first box. The Casey Kelly Auto is nice since I didn't get an autos from box one. But how many Casey Kelly collectors are out there? As for the last, you may notice something odd in the overview pic up there. That hit stack looks a bit tall for 3 hits.

I wish I would've taken a photo of this thing in the pack. I was just too excited to open it, though. It was easily twice the thickness of a regular pack. I think a packsearcher could probably pick it out blindfolded with mittens on.

This is the first booklet card I've ever pulled. And it's of a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Steve Carlton retired just before I started following baseball so I don't really have a firm grasp on where he ranks amongst other HoF pitchers. But he's definitely a worthy HoFer. And this is definitely much more exciting than Mark Trumbo or Hisashi Iwakuma or something.

It's numbered 02/10. And, for some reason, has a jumbo relic of a bat. I'm not complaining, though. This thing is freaking cool. Seeing photos online of booklet cards doesn't really do them justice. I need to restrain myself from opening it up over and over again. Hopefully I can get a case or something for it with relative ease.

I'm really surprised that even with this huge hit, this box scored less than my previous one. It just goes to show you how it isn't all about the hits. And hopefully it gives hope to anyone contemplating whether or not to participate next year. You can still have a great box even if you don't end up at the top of the leaderboard. And you can definitely have a great time, no matter how the cards fall.

Thanks again to the Commissioner, Mark, for all the time and effort he puts into Gint-a-cuffs year after year. It can't imagine the patience it takes to coordinate this thing. It seems odd to reward him with more work but the best way to show my gratitude is to encourage everybody to sign up for the 2015 contest. Unless he'd prefer some cookies or something.

Also, thanks to Topps for ponying up the prize for this thing. I feel like it helps legitimize the card blogging community when they're willing to donate.

2014 Spirit Base: 886-900

#886 - Gerardo Parra, #887 - Chris Herrmann, #888 - Josh Edgin
"FLAG ON THE PLAY. TOO MANY UNUSED CONSANANTS. #12, MINNSOTA."

#889 - Shawn Kelley, #890 - Drew Pomeranz, #891 - Mario Hollands
I've spent so much time recoloring the A's jerseys & hats they should just throw me a bone and make the switch to kelly green.

#892 - Brent Morel, #893 - Kevin Siegrist, #894 - Alex Torres
I don't begrudge Alex Torres for wearing the puffy hat since it's in the name of safety. But I really hope they can improve the technology and find something as effective that doesn't take up as much space. He looks like one of the Mario Bros. out there.

#895 - Hector Sanchez, #896 - Fernando Rodney, #897 - Jeff Beliveau
As annoying as it can be, it just didn't seem right to use a non-arrow photo of Fernando Rodney.

#898 - Colby Lewis, #899 - Steve Delabar, #900 - Tyler Moore
It's cool that there are still unique photos this late in the set. That Delabar shot is one of my favorite.

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So that wraps it up. With an assist from the Royals and Giants, I was able to reach my goal of completing this set before the end of the 2014 season. Sure, I probably should've spaced it out over the whole year a little better instead of dumping 600 cards in the final month or so. I've learned my lesson. And that lesson is to never do a 900-card project again. Unless of course Panini or Topps comes calling.

Thanks for your patience and whatever time you spent (and continue to spend) reading my posts and viewing my work. My plan for 2015 is to stick with what I was doing before this season. There will be base cards for Spirit, Clubhouse, Deluxe and Pennant along with a variety of insert designs. Also, I'll try to review more Topps and Panini release throughout the whole season. And if you'd like to see some more design remix posts, feel free to hit me up with some suggestions.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to back away from the computer and enjoy the final game(s?) of the World Series without these base card posts eating away at my nerves.

And the winner is...

First off, I'd like to thank those of you who took the time to comment and share with me your favorite cards. It's always nice to hear feedback and know that my work is actually being seen by the eyes of others. Now onto the giveaway.

I took the list of commenters (ordered by comment chronology) and ran it through random.org once. Here are the results:

Congrats to McCann Can Triple! Her*(thanks for the correction)  favorite card of the set was #327 - David Price.

I can't really argue with her choice. Luckily for Mr. Price, he'll have another card in Series 3 with him actually pitching. That's right, I finished putting together the checklist and I'll be doing another 300 cards. Luckily for you, though, I'll spread it across fewer posts so you won't have to click through as many near-identical blog entries. My goal is to have the final card posted before the final out of the World Series. If the Giants manage to make it to World Series, that may be an obstacle. We'll see...

Again, thank you all for commenting, reading or even just scrolling through to look at the pretty pictures. I really do appreciate it.

Give me your opinion, I'll give you this autograph

In case you didn't read through my final Spirit Base post, now that I'm finished with Series 1 and 2, I'm looking for some feedback. All you have to do is tell me which of the 600 cards I created you like best. It could be your favorite player, a really great photograph or any other criteria of your choice. Either leave a comment on this post or the last past of the series. Or you can tweet your choice to me if that's your thing. On Friday, October 10th I'll randomize all comments and one winner will receive this 2014 Topps Archives Bill Russell Fan Favorites Autograph. No need to write your own blog post linking to mine or anything like that. Just comment with your choice (card # and player name) and you're entered to win. That's it.

Again, thanks for all your patience and time during this project. There may even be a Series 3 to come. If that happens, I'll change the post format a bit so it won't be so spammy for all you followers.

Welcome to the Clubhouse

First off, I want to welcome all of you new readers out there. I'm sure a lot of you came here thanks to Robert over at $30 a Week Habit, so thanks again to Robert. I really enjoy your blog and marvel at your restraint to stay within your budget. You are much stronger than I.

Now onto the card design. I was looking to create a 'low-end' set for Spirit, along the lines of Collector's Choice from the 90s or Topps Total from the early 00s. I think having a product come in at $1 a pack is important to keep growing new collectors in their youth. I know we have Opening Day but I don't like the idea of a product being tied to a single day early in the season, especially since Topps Series I is still somewhat fresh at that point. The Clubhouse set would hit the shelves right around Memorial Weekend, which, to me, always signifies the start of summer.

The base set consists of 810 cards total: 25-man roster + manager + team checklist x 30. The front of the card features the player cut out and placed in front of an old wooden fence in team colors with the team logo 'painted' on. At the bottom is the player name, position and team name placed on top of a team color dirt patch. The two sections are separated by a white chalk line and the Clubhouse logo. I think this is a pretty good 'kid-targeted' design with the solid colors and player cut out. It has a bit of a 'Sandlot' feel to it.

The back of the card features the same team color sections but with the proportions flipped. A full-frame picture of the player is found on the left with the stats & info on the right. The stat lines only cover 5 seasons and a small selection of statistical categories. They're a blend of traditional and sabermetric stats, whichever floats your boat. The card numbers in the upper left hand corner, rotated 90° counterclockwise. This makes them easier for sorting when stored vertically in /ct boxes and also keeps from covering up too much of the photo.

The production is pretty no-frills, with no foil stamping, crazy shiny patterns, parallels or any other gimmicks. Just full-color printing on a coated card stock with a semi-glossy coating. There will be a few inserts coming up later and maybe even something like a relic or die-cut. This would be a simple, fun, colorful release for set-builders on a budget or kids spending their lemonade money or whatever kids do to earn money during summer break.