2009 Topps Jumbo Pack!

Before we get to today's pack, I have a special announcement. Now, I normally wouldn't shamelessly promote my blog like this, but I have free cards to give away. Free baseball cards. Free basketball cards. In today's economy (tm), that's called a win-win situation. Go here to find out why I am bothering you before I post the contents of a baseball card pack here. All you have to do is fill out one of those ubiquitous NCAA tournament brackets.

Now that the little... unpleasantness... is out of the way, let's check out some baseball cards. This was the first Topps jumbo pack I bought this year. It's just plain old basic Topps, but I think they have really put together a solid base product this year so far.

136 - Tim Hudson

193 - Zack Greinke (There's something to be said for a crisp, straight-forward portrait on a baseball card. Zack looks kinda ticked off, though.)
37 - Erick Aybar
211 - Ryan Rowland-Smith (In the Mariners disasterous 2008 season, this Aussie was asked to do just about everything. He made 12 starts in 47 appearances, saved two games and put up respectable numbers in the process.)

122 - Joe Mather (Mather seems to have the 3B job locked down until Troy Glaus gets back.)
155 - Roy Halladay (The ace of one of my fantasy team's staff for something like 3 or 4 years running.)
81 - Ryan Howard / Adam Dunn / Carlos Delgado NL Home Run Leaders
43 - Joe Mauer / Dustin Pedroia / Milton Bradley AL Batting Average Leaders (During a fit of computer trouble, Yahoo saw fit to draft Joe Mauer for me, and now I'm stuck deciding whether or not to dump him. Pedroia's commercial for some PS3 game is annoying and Milton Bradley is no longer in the AL.)

4 - Chipper Jones / Albert Pujols / Matt Holliday NL Batting Average Leaders

115 - George Sisler (At the time that I got this, I didn't know how tough these short print things were to get. And I had already pulled a couple of Mickey Mantles, so I didn't realize that his card wasn't special but this one was. I'm trying to decide whether or not to sell this card on eBay.)
TTT22 - Tim Lincecum Topps Town
97 - Willie Harris
108 - Alcides Escobar (RC)

194 - Jeremy Guthrie (Sometimes pictures just have to tell the story.)
306 - Javier Vazquez (Hopefully his transition to the NL goes well, because I drafted the guy.)
29 - Jerry Hairston (Went from "I can't believe this guy gets paid to play Major League Baseball just because his dad was some unheralded ex-player" to "wow, he hit .326 and stole a few bags in part-time duty" last year)
33 - Jose Guillen (I'm not sure what he's pointing at, but it's kinda funny. I didn't scan the card, though, so I might have to save it for another post.)
142 - Brad Penny
156 - Carlos Pena
76 - Marcus Thames
213 - Jeremy Sowers
210 - Geovany Soto (Currently stealing ABs and face time from Yadier Molina for Team Puerto Rico.)
328 - Doug Alphabet
260 - Manny Ramirez (What's the over/under on the first date he runs out a ground ball this season? June 3rd?)

153 - Lastings Milledge (Everything you've heard about the improved photography from Topps this season is absolutely true.)
163 - Ross Gload

LG12 - Mel Ott Legends of the Game

121 - Greg Golson (RC) (In no way does the subject of this photo represent a Major League baseball player.)
137 - Angel Salome (RC)
144 - Matt Tuiasosopo (RC) (My girlfriend thinks it's hilarious when I say Tuiasosopo outloud. When you come from Pac-10 football country, it just rolls off the tongue.)
237 - Aaron Cunningham (RC) (Never heard of the guy until right now. I guess he has a generic name.)
236 - Kelly Johnson (Still a Brave, right?)
198 - Conor Jackson
277 - Asdrubal Cabrera

2 - Omar Vizquel (A final Topps stats-on-the-back tribute to Omar Vizquel, a fine example of a shortstop. Wait... Omar didn't retire? What are they thinking?!)
57 - Jo-Jo Reyes