Hello, 2024.

A recent trip to Target yielded my first packs of 2024 Topps. 

I kind of dig this year's design, so I was somewhat excited that they were in stock and not completely picked over. In my opinion, the cards look like a cross between the 1986 Topps cards and the neon "DOUGHNUTS" sign at Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops.  

I really like the 1986 Topps set and I also like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, as long as they are being sold at their restaurant and not a grocery store. Krispy Kremes have to be hot or they're no good.  

Here are my firsts from my packs.

First card was Ronald Acuna.  

I also included a scan of the back of the card, because Acuna is card number 1. Convinient for set building purposes. Unfortunately, my second card was not card number 2, but I do like these card backs. 

I love how stolen bases happened last year. I miss the high totals of my childhood, which is probably another reason why I like the back of this Acuna card.  

First Cardinals card was Nolan Arenado.  

First former Durham Bulls player was Merill Kelly.  

He's turned into a really good pitcher. See the Diamondbacks in the World Series last year.  

A few other cards that were in my packs.....

Topps is doing holiday themed backgrounds this year. They were also in the Update set last year. I got three out of a blaster box. Springer is the best player in this group, but DeLuca was traded to the Rays and is a candidate to start the season in Durham. Seems like he might be a fun player to follow this year.  

We also have the 35th Anniversary reprints. Not sure why we have a Topps Heritage set at this point. I like the 1989 design, but the font is off on the player name. There is a Jim Edmonds autograph in this set, so I am sure I will go find that card at some point in the coming weeks.  

Best card I pulled was an Evan Carter blue framed parallel. He is the favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year this season.  The card is serial numbered out of 800, but several copies have sold for north of $100 already. 

Here is the card......

I am going to file Evan Carter away for safe keeping.  Might have to revisit this card later this summer depending on how the Rookie of the Year chasr is going.  

I also got two yellow parallels. These used to be in the packs at Walgreens, but I am guessing that they are now in all retail packs seeing how I bought these cards at Target. Nice looking cards, love the Corbin Carroll.  

Last card for today. I also landed a Matt Olson Home Run Challenge card.  

Does anyone actually play these cards? I feel like I have a stack of them from the past few years that went unused.  I am sure you win something for playing, but I am not sure if it is worth my time and effort.  

Anyway, I like the 2024 Topps set, so I will be writing more about it throughout the summer.  

I'm Just Happy To Be Here

Six years ago Merrill Kelly was a fringe prospect pitching for the Durham Bulls.  He played in college, so he was little older by the time he reached Triple A.  Merrill Kelly played for the Bulls during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and was good enough to make the International League All-Star team his final year in Durham.  I liked watching Merrill Kelly for the two years he was in Durham, even if he never got a chance to play with the Rays.

I posted his team set card from 2014 a few years back.

Merrill Kelly would eventually end up in Korea, where he would pitch for the SK Wyverns.  They have baseball cards. I think this might one of the only Korean cards in my collection.

Merrill Kelly ended up back in the US this past season with the Diamondbacks.  He was mostly an average pitcher this year in Arizona, but still had some good moments during the season.   

I'm just happy that there are Merrill Kelly cards.  

Topps had the great idea to make a bunch of Merrill Kelly baseball cards.  He also signed a ton of autographs for them.  I waited awhile, but recently had the chance to buy a bunch of Merrill Kelly autographs.  All totaled, it cost right around $10 for three cards.  I also pulled one out of a pack of cards a student got my as a holiday gift.  

Here are my four Merrill Kelly autographs in countdown form:

4. Topps Chrome Update

Aren't all the Chrome autographs normally on card?  The sticker looks a little bit out of place on this card.  Get rid of the sticker, make it an on-card autograph and it might be at the top of the list.  It also looks like it was not Merrill's best day signing autographs.  Again, I really wish that this autograph was on-card, I would rate it much higher.  

3. Topps Tek 

I like Topps Tek.  It's affordable and the autographs are all on-card.  Topps has simplified the pattern aspects on these cards, so they all look the same.  I also like that Topps has a faded area around the bottom for the signer.  Always makes for a nice card.  Still, there are better cards of Merrill Kelly out there.  

2. Topps Gallery 

Topps Gallery is a sticker autograph, and I do not even care.  It's well blended, and the art on this card more than makes up for the sticker autograph.  Plus, it was a good signing day for Merrill Kelly when he was autographing these cards.  This is the lone autograph on this list that I did not buy off of Ebay.  My students at school all know that I enjoy a few baseball cards, sometimes they give me packs.  This came out of a Gallery blaster.  

1. 2019 Topps Update 1984 Topps Merrill Kelly 

I did not really do much with the 2019 Topps sets.  Any of them.  I did really enjoy these 1984 style inserts and autographs though.  It has long been   Last year, I spent time working on assembling a set of the 1983 cards, plus I found several of the autographs.  This year, I have completely skipped over most of the base set in favor of spending my time and money on the autographs.  It's the end of the year, this is likely the end of my 2019 Topps cards, so it's a nice way to end the year.