1998 Upper Deck Series 3 Baseball

Reading Night Owl's post earlier today made me think that the decline in activity on A Pack a Day has been kind of sad. This was one of the blogs that really influenced me when I got back into collecting, so the least I can do is post a pack. I came home from work and found this one in the card closet, a hobby pack of 1998 Upper Deck Series 3 Baseball. I actually bought this about 2 years ago and have never really felt like opening it. Price was $2.99, 10 cards per pack, here are all 10 for your viewing pleasure...

#546 - Mike Kinkade - Star Rookie - One thing this pack taught me is that I desperately need to clean my scanner.

#DS28 - Derek Jeter - Destined for Stardom - See what I mean? This is one of those cards that actually looks nice in person, but just doesn't scan well. Too bad the entire right border of the card is bent slightly backwards. I seem to have a knack for pulling Jeters, which is unfortunate...

#594 - Sidney Ponson - Star Rookie - Sidney's MLB career would appear to be over, as far as I know he's not signed with any team for the 2010 season.

#678 - Joe Randa - Here's where the pack takes a downturn. Apparently someone got to Randa's wikipedia page and snuck in an update. Here's the quote: "Randa will be joining the Bonner Springs MasterBatters for the 2010 season." I know it's pretty juvenile but it made me chuckle. Don't believe me? Go look it up yourself (at the very bottom of the Pro Career section)

#740 - Mark McLemore

#739 - Roberto Kelly

#545 - Gary Matthews Jr. - Star Rookie - Gary is 2/14 to start the year for the Mets. I'm not sure anyone out there knows what the Mets saw in him...

#665 - Dmitri Young - Did you know Dmitri collects baseball cards?

#654 - Dennis Eckersley - Now the pack is picking up steam. I always appreciate an Eckersley card!

#730 - Fred McGriff - Eck followed by the Crime Dog, very strong finish. Well for 3 bucks I got some sweet cards and learned why it's a bad idea to ever use Wikipedia as a reference. I think I might have to post here more often.

1991 UD Comic Cards 2

I've been away from APAD for longer than I care to admit.  And, with that, let us delve into a pack of cards I received as part of a "Non-Sport" purchase.  Evidently, cartoonized cards featuring Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan are not "baseball" enough to be considered a sport.  After reading this, you make your own conclusion.

Taz gives Reggie a high-five.  Each card features a title ("Seventh Inning Stretch" here), the Looney Tunes and UD logos and some kind of picture.  Sometimes, the pictures are of actual people.  Other times, well, it's just looney.

Every card ties the Looney Tunes cast into a baseball-related scenario.  The backs of the cards feature trivia questions with answers.  Name the first Bugs Bunny cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award.  No, really, without Google.  Go ahead.  Okay, fine, it was in 1940 and it was "A Wild Hare." Happy now?

I'm not sure if you put the cards in order they would tell a story. Judging by the dialogue, I would have to guess yes.

This appears to be the title card.  I have no idea what chicken wings have to do with it, but how do you have chicken wings without Foghorn Leghorn!?

Do you see that!? Dupes. In a single pack, I get dupes.  Yeesh.

"So, Nolan, you're one of the greatest pitchers ever, right?  Well, we'd like to take some pictures of you pretending to talk to Bugs Bunny.  Yes, I said Bugs Bunny. Hello?  Hello, Mr. Ryan?"

*This post appears in a three-way cross-posting between "APAD," "A Pack To Be Named Later," and "Things Done to Cards."

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.

2003 Topps HTA Jumbo

Anytime you get a chance to buy a Topps hobby jumbo pack for $2, you have to pounce on it. I don't care what year it is. It also doesn't hurt that I am trying to collect this set.

187 - Ismael Valdes

191 - Ramon Hernandez

216 - Todd Hundley

218 - Derek Lowe

220 - Jorge Posada (Posada is the last of five consecutive horizontal cards to lead off the pack. These things seem to always come in groups.)

130 - Gary Sheffield (Here's Sheff back when he was slightly less obnoxious.)

195 - Tony Batista

234 - Matt Lawton

239 - Eric Milton

153 - Mike Stanton (Mariano Rivera gets all the credit, but Stanton was tossed out into the fire in some pretty key situations during the Yankees late '90s period of dominance.)

260 - Vicente Padilla

78 - Jimmy Anderson (Anderson gets the dubious honor of being the first gut in the pack that I've never heard of.)

203 - Kip Wells

192 - Adam Kennedy (Kennedy had a surprisingly good year with Oakland yet can't land a job for 2010 for some reason.)

173 - Johnny Damon (Pre-Caveman Damon.)

339 - Alex Rodriguez / Jim Thome / Rafael Palmeiro AL HR League Leaders

361 - Bernie Williams All-Stars

337 - Manny Ramirez / Mike Sweeney / Bernie Williams AL Batting Average League Leaders

RB-JM - Juan Marichal Record Breakers

HM7 - Chipper Jones Hobby Masters (Wow, look at all of those MLB logos!)

154 - David Justice

254 - Glendon Rusch

10 - Mark Prior

163 - Carl Everett (I wonder if Carl Everett watched Jurassic Park back with his buddies in college and freaked out.)

212 - Robert Fick

132 - Brian Daubach

99 - Jose Rijo (Rijo has five consecutive years of stats on the back which read "INJURED - DID NOT PLAY")

16 - Kerry Wood

243 - Sean Burroughs (What happened to this guy? He was the typical Can't Miss Kid.)

263 - Bobby Cox

25 - Nick Neugebauer (No idea who this guy is.)

204 - Ron Coomer (Him neither.)

102 - Hideki Irabu

23 - Aubrey Huff

157 - Brian Lawrence

2009 Donruss Americana: The Worst Pack of All-Time

The pack that finally made me swear off this stuff once and for all. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy Donruss Americana unless it is a first series hobby box.

Let's tear in.

Top to Bottom:
49 Denzel Whitaker (I have no idea who you are. Thus, you are the result of Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker having a baby.)

7 Sofia Milos (I have no idea who you are. Thus, you are a cross between a TV chef on a show nobody watches and Carnie Wilson. Or you are the third sister of non-sisters Dana Delany and Kim Delaney, Sofia Delaeney.)

15 Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (I have no idea who you are. Thus, I apologize for not watching Welcome Back, Kotter. A little before my time.)

72 Anson Williams (I know who you are, you're Potsie! Yay!)

29 Ty Hardin (I have no idea who you are. Thus, you are a cigarette spokesman from the 1950s. Knowing what you know now, how can you live with yourself?)

Even the wrapper sucks for this product.

What is this, a record crate? If so, what is it doing in the middle of the desert?

I apologize.

1995 Topps Stadium Club High Series

Hello, A Pack A Day. It's been a little while. The boss is back, so I figured I'd better look busy. I received a box of 1995 Stadium Club High Series as a gift awhile back and I thought I'd show off the first pack. At least, I think it was the first pack. I'm just going to go with that.

526 - Alex Gonzalez (Of all the Alex Gonzalezes that played professional baseball over the years, this is the one that played for the Blue Jays in 1995.)

569 - Jim Abbott (Enough said.)

540 - Mickey Tettleton

593 - Mark McLemore (Nice shot of McLemore making the turn. This is what we all come to Stadium Club for.

546 - Pat Borders

625 - Gregg Jefferies Trans-Action (As noted on the wrapper, each pack promises four "Extreme Corps" or "Trans-Action" theme cards per pack with rainbow and silver foil stamping. If you replace the word "rainbow" with "red" then it makes sense.)

625 - Gregg Jefferies Trans-Action (Again? Arrrgh. This is a nice photo, at least. Unfortunately, it commemorates when the underrated Jefferies made his exit from St. Louis.)

501 - Jeff Bagwell Extreme Corps (First off, what does "Extreme Corps" actually mean? Secondly... did they really need to go with the ransom note font?)

510 - Cal Ripken Extreme Corps

581 - Mark Kiefer (Just a few cards left... can I get a fist pump?)

536 - Joey Cora (Hell yeah!)

529 - Jason Bates

558 - Mike Perez

2009 Upper Deck 1st Edition Basketball

2009 Upper Deck 1st Edition Basketball

108 David West
143 Brandon Roy
155 Manu Ginobili
198 Ty Lawson
BA-11 Troy Murphy - Behind the Arc insert
1007 Michael Jordan Legacy
189 Jeff Teague
88 Jermaine O' Neal
74 Sasha Vujacic
#27 Delonte West

2009 Upper Deck First Edition Football

2009 Upper Deck 1st Edition Football

50 Calvin Johnson
28 Lance Briggs
177 Shonn Greene
102 Domenik Hixon
89 Wes Welker - silver parallel
CT-5 Ed Reed - Crunch Time insert
72 Rashean Mathis
56 Greg Jennings - Lambeau Leap
199 Josh Freeman
129 Frank Gore