The REAL March Madness: 2008 Topps Heritage Box Break, Part Four

At the halfway point of this box, I'm still looking for my guaranteed hit. I've pulled six duplicates, but they're all cards I had before I started on the box. I'm enjoying my first-ever Heritage set building experience, although that may change when I end up desperately hunting short prints and seeing colored circles in my nightmares. Onward and upward!

Pack 13
273 Josh Barfield - Jesse's boy, which sounds like the less-popular version of a Rick Springfield song.
51 Chad Cordero - Did you know that Ted Turner used to refer to NL President Chub Feeney as "Chief"? He also called ex-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn "Superchief".
25 Edwin Encarnacion
311 Jeff Suppan - Last year was about as typical as it gets for Jeff: 12-12, 4.62 ERA. His career numbers: 118-113, 4.61 ERA.
424 Juan Uribe - He was just placed on waivers. He could be starting for the Orioles on Opening Day...God help us.

21 Troy Tulowitzki - His last name makes him sound like a Polish leprechaun.
NF10 News Flashbacks: Antarctic Treaty Signed - Cards for Alaska AND Antarctica? Give me a break.
34 Magglio Ordonez and Curtis Granderson: Pitchers Beware black variation

Pack 14
4 Mark Teixeira - The card back says he "took a cotton to his new digs". I appreciate the use of 1959 language. At least I assume that's what's going on here.
440 John Smoltz - The base card, not the wacky super-SP variation.
118 Emilio Bonifacio RC Rookie Stars
143 Erick Threets RC Rookie Stars - That's Erick, not Eric (as in Byrnes) or Erik (as in Bedard). Got that?
292 Chad Tracy - No relation to former Dodgers and Pirates skipper Jim.
301 Ronnie Belliard - Man, I love BellyLard. The Nats have had lots of entertaining fat guys in three short years (Ray King, Livan, Dmitri Young, etc).
483 Orlando Hudson All-Star SP - What is he looking at? I think O-Dawg is pretending he's on the Brady Bunch.

92 Phil Hughes black variation - Looking at his minor league stats reminds me of how bitter I am that New York took over the Red Barons as their AAA affiliate and re-branded them the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. Ugh.

Pack 15
152 Brian Bannister - One more double.
400 Manny Ramirez - I suppose he's good enough for card #400.
319 A. J. Burnett - Wikipedia tells me his initials stand for Allan James. There you go.
139 Jeff Ridgway RC Rookie Stars - Wonder if he's related to the Green River Killer.
296 Josh Banks RC
52 Omar Vizquel - He signs using his full name: Omar Enrique Vizquel Gonzalez. Whew.
C9 Josh Hamilton Chrome 1277/1959 - My first card of him. He's got a great story, and I hope he continues to succeed.

3 Eric Byrnes black variation

Pack 16
189 Kenji Johjima - I always feel like I'm drunk when I say his name out loud.
298 Ben Sheets - Card back: "A healthy Ben is a dominant Ben." Wait a sec...let me check something. A. J. Burnett's card back: "A healthy A. J. is a dominant A. J." Shenanigans!
297 Bill Murphy RC
344 Michael Bourn - Photoshopped into his Astros duds. The cap logo is too tiny.
385 Geoff Jenkins - He just left the Brewers after ten years in Milwaukee. Too bad.
225 Pedro Martinez - Card back refers to him as "Petey". That's kinda fun.

475 Jose Contreras SP - Listed as 36 years old. Actually 75.
284 Luis Gonzalez black variation - The Marlins will be his sixth team.