1992 Skybox Garfield Premier Edition

While checking out a card shop in Skokie, Illinois, I found a huge bin of picked over packs of junk wax for fifty cents apiece. I struggled to find something to pick up. I finally chose a pack of baseball cards and this pack of Garfield cards.

I'm a sucker for most things Garfield. I was a collector of anything I could get my hands on, Garfield-wise, when I was younger. If it was in some way connected with the comic strip, I had to have it! I still appreciate Garfield, but my collecting lust for all things Garfield has waned.

At fifty cents, I couldn't pass this pack up! Let's see what I found in the pack.

#5 - Pooky
First appearance: 10-23-78
I love the fact that there are facts on the back of the card. This was not a set that phoned it in. Garfield found Pooky in a dresser drawer.

#90 - "I'll rise, but I won't shine"
I'm sure this made it on to a poster or at least a coffee mug at some point.
The back features a full color lounging Garfield and the caption, "Some say, 'Go for it!' I say, 'Make it come to you!'"

#47 - Garfield: The Cliffhanger Scene 2
"It's a swarm of killer gerbils!"
Apparently, there is a story somewhere among the card set.

#21 - Jon's Grandma
We've seen Jon's grandma in "A Garfield Christmas", where Garfield presented letters from her deceased husband as a present and in "A Garfield Thanksgiving", where she whipped up a Thanksgiving meal for Jon to impress Liz. I figured this would be a good opportunity to showcase the back of the card. It's very eye pleasing and chock full of information.

Bonus Tattoo
Moisten hand slightly. Apply "tattoo" color side down, pat gently. Peel off carefully. Now you are tattooed!

#71 - Virgo
Even horoscopes made it into this set!
August 23 - September 22
You are quick-witted... and you'll be the first to admit it. Industrious and meticulous, you always do a good job-- and look good doing it. But don't overdo it. Remember to take time to stop and eat the flowers.

#6 - Nermal
First appearance: 9-3-79
"The World's Cutest Kitten" was originally a kitten belonging to Jon's parents, but now he just wanders into Garfield's house from time to time.

#91 - Likes/Dislikes
Front - Favorite TV Show: Bowling For Donuts
Back - Least Favorite TV Show: Lassie's All-Night Theater

#48 - Garfield: The Cliffhanger Scene 3
A continuation of the storyline from earlier in the pack. The town was struck by an earthquake and the gerbil horde plunged into the bowels of the Earth, along with Garfield.

I am a huge Garfield fan and I had no clue that this set existed! There is some great artwork on display, some thorough information and new drawings. Good stuff!

I think sometime in the future, I may track down the complete set. I didn't get any of the randomly inserted holograms, but this was not a big, fat, hairy deal of a pack. It was a treat.

2009 Allen & Ginter

Has everyone abandoned this blog for the newer one? Apparently so. Well, I'm still here and I want to make a post. I'm shocked that no one has bombarded this site, like every other one, with 2009 Allen & Ginter. I guess I'll have to be the first.

I stopped by my favorite shop on Tuesday, for the first time in about two months. I soon came to realize that the previous owner sold the store one month ago. He wanted to spend some more time with his family. I can't say that I blame him. He was the only employee.

The new owners are a family and are long time customers of the previous owner. The family was actually looking into opening a shop in 1994, but the previous owner beat them to it. It's a natural fit and I'm still satisfied with the place.

I picked up two packs of 2009 Allen & Ginter to ease my craving for new product pack opening. The other pack was nice. I laughed out loud when I found the Hoaxes mini card of the collapse of the Wisconsin capitol building in 1933. This pack was more catered to my taste, so I'll show that one.

Let's begin.
138 - Garrett Atkins

I believe he was in the first ever Allen & Ginter pack I opened in 2007. In fact, I'm sure of it! Look at those squinty eyes. It's as if Garrett is thinking, "Not this guy again". Yes, Garrett, this guy. Again. The feeling is mutual.

7 - John Smoltz

I'm going to get a lot of flack for this, but I really like this card. The splashes of red in the uniform really pop against the green. It doesn't hurt that green is my favorite color and this particular shade is pretty darn close to my favorite shade. I look into Smoltz' eyes and I see a man who can't believe he's that close to Delaware either.

116 - Charles Darwin

The well informed know this guy. The less informed seem to favor torches and pitchforks, right out of a Simpsons episode and of course from the Mary Shelley classic, History of a Six Weeks' Tour through a part of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland; with Letters Descriptive of a Sail Round the Lake of Geneva and of the Glaciers of Chamouni.

Why, what were you thinking? Look into his eyes and you could almost make out Roddy McDowell's Cornelius.

176 - Ramiro Pena

Wow! He's got some talented people blocking him. Does he become the next Jeter or the next Stankiewicz?

112 - Millito Navarro

The first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues and the oldest living Negro League player at 103!

295 - Brett Gardner

Another Yankee. Another generic Ruthian pose. Yawn. But wait. What's going on with those eyes? Spooky.

200 - Carlos Quentin (Mini A&G back)

Sweet! My first White Sox Allen & Ginter for 2009 and it's a mini! There is celebration in the streets!

NP60 - Stephen Drew

An American. I was hoping for a cool foreign flag, but this is cool too.

All in all, not a bad pack. I love the Quentin mini and the Darwin card. There's something mesmerizing about the Smoltz card. I was hoping for a Negro League player and I got one. I was secretly hoping that it would be a player from the Chicago American Giants. You can't have everything. Maybe next time.

2008 Upper Deck Documentary

I recently won a contest over at A Cardboard Problem. My prize? A hobby pack of 2008 Upper Deck Documentary. Can I find something worthwhile in this pack? Will it be a complete dud? Will I find a game involving the White Sox? We shall see.

I love the idea behind Upper Deck Documentary. Showcasing each game played from each team’s perspective. Sounds very interesting… right? It could have been, if Upper Deck didn’t cut some corners here and there.

The first card out of the pack illustrates this perfectly.

2138/BAL78 – Orioles 11 – Cubs 4

Is that a home uniform on the Oriole? I would certainly appear that way. But that can’t be… they’re supposed to be playing at Wrigley.

On through the rest of the pack!

2407/LAA87 – Blue Jays 7 – Angels 5

2715/AZD95 – Diamondbacks 3 – Phillies 6

1006/DET36 – Red Sox 5 – Tigers 1

1045/LAD35 – Astros 7 – Dodgers 1

1035/KCR35 – Orioles 7 – Royals 4

1133/SFG33 – Giants 6 – Pirates 12

1123/SDP33 – Padres 3 – Braves 5

HRD-1 – Josh Hamilton

3234/NYM109 – Mets 3 – Astros 7

3231/MIN109 – Indians 1 – Twins 4

3228/MIL109 – Cubs 11 – Brewers 4

3269/WAS108 – Phillies 8 – Nationals 4

3266/TOR108 – Rays 3 – Blue Jays 2

447/LAD17 – Dodgers 1 – Braves 4 (Gold?)
What was it on the Cosby Show? You can have a steak cooked to perfection with all the trimmings, but if you serve it on the underside of a garbage can lid, you wouldn’t want to eat that steak. That’s how I feel about Upper Deck Documentary. All this cool information was gathered and printed on each card, only to be undermined by a photo that was unrelated to the game being documented.

1990-1991 Hoops

Sorry I haven't been posting on here lately. After the new look of APAD, with all the new cool features, this page loads after about 10 minutes. I chalk it up to needing a new computer and the new layout. This is one of the few sites that causes my browser to freeze for the full length of "Oh Well" by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and then some.

Anyway, basketball is not my sport. I do enjoy it, but I'm not passionate about it. These packs arrived in a package from Captain Canuck. It started with this note stuck to the first pack.

"I warned everyone on "APAD" whomever I trade with.... gets Hoops!"

With that ominous warning, how could I not be intrigued? So what could it be? Four packs of Hoops basketball. Basketball? OK. I've been known to follow a Chicago Bulls game. I did follow basketball from the late eighties until the mid nineties, then pretty much just followed Bulls games. It should be interesting to see if I remember anything from 1990. Basketball is pretty foreign to me now, but I followed it when these packs were created.

Let's rip!

1990-1991 Hoops

270 - David Robinson
I know him! Good start!

267 - Sean Elliot
I remember him.

66 - Stacey King
A Bull!

177 - Larry Krystkowiak
The name looks familiar.

242 - Mark West
Drawing a blank.

320 - Bill Musselman
I don't remember many coaches.

217 - Dave Corzine
Born in Arlington Heights, Il. and played 7 seasons for the Bulls. The name sounds familiar, but not really.

244 - Wayne Cooper
Rings a bell, but I don't know why.

76 - Paul Mokeski
His middle name is Keen?

96 - Jerome Lane
Not a clue.

133 - Vern Fleming
I know of Ian Fleming.

8 - Robert Parrish All-Star
I know him!

263 - Willie Anderson
Nope.

145 - Gary Grant
Uhhhhh... sorry.

108 - Gerald Henderson
Not sure of who he is.

The first pack started off strong, but then kind of trailed off. These may all be great players, but I don't remember most of them.

Second pack
1990-1991 Hoops

91 - Michael Adams
Sorry.

159 - Byron Scott
I know the name.

34 - Alexander Volkov
Who?

86 - Derek Harper
Not sure.

33 - Kenny Smith
I'm at a loss.

114 - Rod Higgins
Sounds familiar.

139 - Rik Smits
Sounds very familiar.

299 - Charles Jones
A Bullet! Why did they ever become the Wizards? That sounds so lame.

178 - Brad Lohaus
Can't recall.

58 - Robert Reid
Yeah!... no.

303 - Darrell Walker
Another Bullet! Sounds familiar.

16 - Clyde Drexler All-Star
I know him! Who or what is a Drexler?

197 - Jack Haley
I remember him!

268 - Caldwell Jones
Did he start a bank? That's what I'm thinking.

156 - A.C. Green
I remember him!

Not bad, but I don't recall a lot more players in this pack. On to pack three.

1990-1991 Hoops Series II

147 - Danny Manning
'Kay...

370 - Pooh Richardson
Pooh? Really? An illustration of Pooh? 'Kay...

229 - Hersey Hawkins
I remember him!

48 - Brian Shaw
Not a clue.

365 - Reggie Miller
An illustration of a player that I know!

157 - Magic Johnson
About $180,000 shot directly into the bloodstream seems about right. Without it, the Red Hot Chili Peppers couldn't record their song.

288 - Blue Johnson
I don't want to know how he got that nickname.

241 - Kurt Rambis
Don't remember him, but he looks like he should be teaching science.

346 - Bob Wiess
Old school Bull alert!

255 - Antoine Carr
Nope. Sorry.

189 - Tod Murphy
Who?

435 - Sidney Green
Kinda sorta remember him.

183 - Jack Sikma
Uh-uh. Don't recall.

310 - Richie Adubato
He replaced Dick Vitale and looks like Dick Cheney.

387 - Dell Curry
Stay In School. It's Your Best Move. Good advice from a trading card.

On to pack four!

1990-1991 Hoope Series II

295 - Mark Alarie
He gets points for being a Bullet, but nothing from my memory bank.

412 - Joe Wolf
Not a clue here.

128 - Larry Smith
He looks demonic in his profile pic on the back.

248 - Drazen Petrovic
I seem to remember the name, but not much else.

440 - Checklist
You could find yourself whisked away to Delaware. Hi. I'm in Delaware.

36 - Dominique Wilkins
I know him!

233 - Kenny Battle
Great name! No clue.

141 - Randy Wittman
There sure were a bunch of white guys that I've never heard of in this set.

380 - Karl Malone
An illustration of the Mailman!

54 - Armon Gilliam
Sounds like a European vampire who sketches. I don't remember him either.

307 - Gene Littles
I remember coaches even less.

411 - Orlando Woolridge
Sounds very familiar but can't place him.

121 - Tom Tolbert
I remember him for some odd reason. Who knows why.

279 - Shawn Kemp
I know him!

406 - Danny Ferry
Not a clue.

It turns out I remembered a lot more than I thought I would. Still, most of the players are a mystery to me. It was an interesting experience. One that I probably won't repeat anytime soon, but I enjoyed opening these packs. If only for the fact that I saw the Washington Bullets again. Thanks, Captain Canuck!

Sox Or No Sox: 8-23-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 2008 Upper Deck First Edition Update pack. The pack contains 10 cards and 1 StarQuest foil card. Let's begin.

#1: Shelley Duncan – 426 - Yankees
Who? Must be all the injuries on the Yankees?

#2: Matt Garza – 480 - Rays
He made his first start of the 2007 season against the White Sox in a game the Twins won 12-0. Uh… next card.

#3: Trevor Hoffman – 453 - Padres
What’s the all-time Major League saves leader doing in an update set?

#4: Brian Wilson – 462 - Giants
Great. Now I have that Barenaked Ladies song running through my head. Has Brian ever pitched in a sandbox? The world may never know.

#5: Luis Gonzalez – 363 - Marlins
There is no text on the back, just stats dating back to 1990.

Halfway through the pack. Meh. I’m not feeling this pack. Let’s see if we can get a White Sox card!

#6: Joe Crede – 335 – White Sox
JOE CRE-DE!!! as Hawk Harrelson would say after a “Late Inning Joe” moment.

#7: Jhonny Peralta – 345 - Indians
Is Jhonny hiding a dyslexic problem? Or were his parents just unusually cruel or stoned… or both?

#8: Joey Gathright – 372 - Royals
Joey only seems to do well against the White Sox.

#9: John Lackey – 381 - Angels
Ladies and gentlemen, the most invisible 19 game winner in Major League history! Seriously, why hasn’t more been written about him?

#10: Francisco Liriano – 401 - Twins
Where do they keep finding them and why do they keep sending them against the White Sox? This may give the Twins the boost they need late in the season.
#11: C.C. Sabathia – StarQuest – SQ-35 - Indians
This product just came out and Sabathia’s been on the Brewers for two months. What’s up with that?

OK, our pack opening is complete. No trap cards and one White Sox card! That was an OK pack. The White Sox card saved it from being a meh pack.

So, that’s ½ point for each card in the pack. 2 points for the White Sox card.

Final score: 7 ½ points

One White Sox card of Joe Crede in this game! Let’s find some more next time on Sox Or No Sox.

Sox Or No Sox: 7-10-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 1988 Donruss pack. The pack contains 15 cards and 3 puzzle pieces. Let's begin.

#1: Doug Drabek – 79 - Pirates
A future White Sox!

#2: Rick Sutcliffe – 68 - Cubs
A trap card! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

#3: Gerald Perry – 437 - Braves
What a nice smile. The lighting on his ear makes him look like he has an earring at first glance. His middle name is June?

#4: Tom Foley – 303 - Expos
An Expo! What a rare treat.

#5: Brian Dayett – 416 - Cubs
What the??!! Another trap card!!

#6: Mike Davis – 281 – A’s
Rockin’ the aviators!

#7: Scott Bradley – 147 - Mariners
The White Sox got the late Ivan Calderon by trading Scott.

#8: Donnie Moore – 621 - Angels
I will distract the hitter by waving my glove at him.

Two trap cards!! AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!!! OK, I’m over it. That half really sucked. 7 cards left to go. Let’s see if we can get a White Sox card!

#9: Kal Daniels DK - 14 - Reds
Kal is an exciting outfielder according to the back of the card.

#10: Lance Parrish – 359 - Phillies
I forgot that Lance was on the Phillies.

#11: Frank White – 225 - Royals
He’s a Jr. See the Royals can have a Jr. too!

#12: Jim Gantner – 214 - Brewers
I still can’t think of the Brewers as being a National League team. Jim’s middle name is Elmer?

#13: Dale Bryan Murphy – 78 – Braves
OK! That’s the superstar of the eighties that this pack lacked!

#14: Frank DiPino – 570 – Cubs
C’mon!! You’re killin’ me here!!

#15: Mike LaCoss – 436 – Giants
Mike went into the wrong sport. How fun would it have been to say, “LaCoss with the goal in Lacrosse”?

#16: Stan Musial puzzle piece 43, 44, 45
Great. A piece of Stan the Man’s crotch. I don’t want to know THAT much about Stan the Man.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Three trap cards and no White Sox cards! That pack sucked big fat donkey. I suppose there are going to be bad packs like this still out there.

So, that’s ½ point for each card in the pack. –1 for each trap card.

Final score: 4 ½ points

No White Sox cards in this game, but there's always next time on Sox Or No Sox.

2008 Topps Chrome

It's been awhile since I've posted on A Pack A Day. There's good reason behind that though. I've started a new job that takes up a great deal of time. I've barely had time to keep up with my own blog. My free time is spent with projects around the house and wedding preparations. I still manage to pick up a pack here and there, but I just don't post them often enough.

Well, that changes now. I have found a pack so one sided, so region specific that it breaks all known logic. With only four cards to a pack, you'd think that there would be a greater chance for variety. WRONG!

The facts of this pack are as follows. I purchased this pack late last week at a Target in Joliet, Illinois. Joliet is roughly an hour southwest of Chicago. You may be familiar with its prison, which has been featured in such classics as The Blues Brothers and the television show Prison Break. It's built up a better reputation in more recent years, but I'm getting way off topic. On to the pack opening!

Luis Castillo #171 - New York Mets

Johan Santana - Trading Card History #TCHC11 - Minnesota Twins (now with the New York Mets)

Johan Santana X-Fractor #32 - New York Mets

Carlos Beltran #157 - New York Mets

Checklist #1 of 2

Students: Work Hard, Get Cards featuring David Wright of the New York Mets

HOLY SCHNIKE! How did so many Mets end up in one package? I call shenanigans, Officer Barbrady! Four Mets and a Twin who is a current Met. That's insane! That's not even fun to collect, unless you're a huge Mets fan.

The cards are nice and shiny and have a hypnotic lull to them, but I'm not a fan of packs stacked with one team, unless it's my team, which the Mets are not. At least it wasn't the Yankees.

1986 Topps Baseball Tattoos

I received this pack, along with some other goodies, in the first part of a tradewith David from Indians Baseball Cards. Always. I barely remember these. If I bought any, it was probably only once. I think I passed on these for the rubdown sheets. Probably because the players looked more realistic.

With a cartoon of Pete Rose on the cover, I was ready for anything. I was not disappointed.

For those who can't read backwards, here the list of the 18 tattoos that were on sheet 4, which I recieved in the package.

Johnny Ray - Pirates
Darrell Evans - Tigers
Mike Davis - A's
Leon Durham - Cubs
generic fielder and generic batter
HAROLD BAINES!!!! - White Sox
Cal Ripken - Orioles
generic baseman and generic umpire
Glenn Hubbard - Braves
generic leaping fielder and generic catcher
generic runner and generic on deck batter
Ted Simmons - Brewers

22 year old stick of petrified bubble gum

The packaging looks better than most of the tattoos, but they still look cool in a retro way. This sheet (#4 of 24 sheets) seems to have most of the fringe and regional stars on it. Cal Ripken is the real superstar relegated to the sheet. Harold Baines and Darrell Evens seem to be the national exposured regional stars and Johnny Ray and Leon Durham seem to be the true regional stars. The other three would not register with the casual fan. I remember them though, but that's not saying much. I remember Jody Davis too.

The baseball fan in me loves the Cal Ripken, but the White Sox fan in me loves the Harold Baines and to a lesser extent, Leon Durham. Leon was briefly in the White Sox system at the end of his major league career, but never made it past Spring Training. He also played a precursor to Bill Buckner and Tony Graffanino.

This was a prety cool way to relive 1986 again. Thanks David! I'm working on my part of the trade already.

Sox Or No Sox: 3-10-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those elusive White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 2008 Topps Moments And Milestones pack. The pack contains 6 cards and every card is numbered. Let's begin.

#1: John Smoltz – 84 – Braves (42 Wins) 082/150
I swear, dayf and I should trade teams. I pull all the Braves cards and he pulls all the White Sox!

#2: Frank Thomas – 3 – White Sox (285 Home Runs) 131/150
Maybe I spoke too soon! Frank in a White Sox uniform is always a good thing.

#3: Trevor Hoffman – 32 – Padres (335 Career Saves) 041/150
The first pitcher to save 500 games. If he doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame, then there’s no hope for Lee Smith.

A White Sox card a third of the way through the pack! That’s awesome! No trap cards either. 3 cards left to go. Let’s see if we can get a White Sox card!

#4: Nick Swisher – 104 – Athletics (91 Walks) 022/150
A current member of the White Sox! Too bad that doesn’t count.

#5: Radhames Liz – 161 – Orioles (2008 Rookie) 1/25
Nice rookie numbered to 25!

#6: Troy Tulowitzki – 9 – Rockies (98 RBI) 150/150
He bested Nomar by 1 RBI in his rookie season! Cool.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Not too shabby. A rookie numbered to 25 and a Frank Thomas White Sox card. Very cool! The cards look nice too. If I come into a little extra cash, maybe I’ll pick a box up.

So, that’s ½ point for each card in the pack. 2 points for the White Sox card.

Final score: 5 points

A cool Frank Thomas White Sox card in this game, I’ll search for more next time on Sox Or No Sox.

1992 Baseball Enquirer

I can't exactly play Sox Or No Sox with this pack. Mostly because there are no team names. You can pretty much figure out who is who, but no logos or mention of specific names are here.

These cards baffled me for a long time. I had a few in my collection, but had absolutely no idea how they got there. Even now, looking at the package, I can't ever remember buying a pack of these. Since there are 10 mystery interview cards per pack, I would be well short of that. The few that I've had for awhile, I have doubles of, so I have no clue.

I'm guessing these were put out for kids. If they weren't, I can't imagine the audience for them. There are cartoons of famous baseball personalities with a fake interview on the back of the card.

I want to thank Patricia and Lucy from Dinged Corners, who donated this pack. It has been put to good use!

Enough talk, on with the pack opening!

10 - Will Clark
Will must be considered boring. He keeps saying nothing except "Okay" in his interview and has the phrase "Ho Hum" on his cap.

58 - Deion Sanders
Deion has a "No Bo" logo on his cap. He calls the interviewer a "sucker" and a "chump". Who does he think he is, Clubber Lang?

2 - Jose Canseco
Jose does nothing but cry on his card. There are no words, just sobbing. Fake cards can be cruel.

32 - George Bell
The interviewer questions George's questionable defense. George even has an E-7 on his cap. And when his bat went away the next year, so did he.

40 - Nolan Ryan
Nolan calls the interviewer's suggestion that he takes special pills to keep his arm fresh "madville". Do people even talk like that? The special pill part was a bit scary considering everything in the media today. He also claims that Nolan comes from another planet and had a surgical implant. Crazy. I love the rocking chair on Nolan's cap.

24 - Jack Morris
It seems that Jack is labeled as being slow on the mound. Jack has Zzz's on his cap. And for some reason is pictured naked with a towel slung over his shoulder.

48 - Pete Rose
Pete's betting? Oh no! Cracks about appearance fees. Cute. I wonder why he's pictured trying to autograph a penny loafer wearing a wife-beater.

16 - Blank
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Notice: The content of this card has been blacked out in your area. Regular viewing has been pre-empted by pay-for-view subscribers.

56 - Darryl Strawberry
Apparently, Darryl puts his foot in his mouth. A lot. The open mouth on his cap remind me of the Morton Downey Jr. Show.

8 - Cecil Fielder
Fat jokes. Overeating jokes. Buffet tables in the dugout jokes. Weight jokes. Ugh. Love the half eaten chicken leg on his cap.

That was kind of fun! It certainly was different. I liked the fact that I only had one of these cards in my collection. It's a nice break from all the 2008 Topps Heritage stuff on my end.

Thanks Patricia and Lucy!

Sox Or No Sox: 3-5-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The following pack was donated by John from the UK.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 1993 Donruss Triple Play pack. The pack contains 12 cards and features a fiery baseball shooting through outer space. Let's begin.

#1: Awesome Action – 12 – Angels/OriolesDavid Segui and Luis Polonia.
Now I know I’m in 1993!

#2: Cal Eldred – 18 - Brewers
A future White Sox with a screw in his elbow.

#3: Todd Zeile – 24 - Cardinals
I pulled for Zeile when he was with the Cards. By the time he made the Cubs, it was all over.

#4: Steve Avery – 30 – Braves
I loved Avery when I was a kid. He made me feel like anyone could play, since he looked younger than I was.

#5: Bryan Harvey – 225 – Marlins
Well that breaks the every sixth card sequencing.

#6: Chuck Knoblauch – 48 – Twins
Take it on the run, baby. If that’s the way you want it baby. Then I don’t want you around. I don’t believe it. Not for a minute. You’re under the gun, so you take it on the run.

Not that much to the pack. No trap cards. No White Sox cards. A weird sixth card sequencing. I guess Chuck was hiding from the feds inside this pack. 6 cards left to go. Let’s see if we can get a White Sox card!

#7: Steve Hosey – 54 - Giants
The sixth card sequencing is back!

#8: Ruben Sierra – 60 - Athletics
Yes, the sixth card sequencing is definitely back.

#9: Chris Sabo – 184 - Reds
There is no mistaking Chris Sabo!

#10: Luis Polonia – 190 – Angels
Two Polonias in a pack? Plus, a variation on the sixth card sequencing. I always knew Luis was trouble. He was the thorn, und his mudder’s side.

#11: Awesome Action – 196 – Dodgers/Phillies?
It’s definitely Mike Scioscia, but I have no idea who the runner is. Mike blocks the plate as well as the runner’s identification.

#12: Rob Deer – 137 – Tigers
Why did I think Rob Deer was a superstar? Maybe it was the 32 homers in 1992. It certainly couldn’t have been because of his average.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Very interesting pack. No trap cards and no White Sox cards. It also came with a scratch off card game featuring the Phillies Vs. the Mets (2 of 30). I’m not going to play it. I pulled out the victory in Thorzul’s game, so I’m quitting while I’m ahead. This pack was a nice flashback to my youth.

So, that’s ½ point for each card in the pack.

Final score: 6 points

No White Sox cards in this game, but there's always next time on Sox Or No Sox.

Sox Or No Sox: 2-19-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 2008 Upper Deck pack. The pack contains 36 cards. The wrapper is a two compartment rack pack featuring two Hot Commodities cards. Let's begin.

#1: Shawn Chacon – 205 - Pirates
A couple of OK years.

#2: Ichiro – 139 - Mariners
No last name given. Is this possibly Ichiro Miller?

#3: Hank Blalock – 217 - Rangers
Power, not average.

#4: Jacque Jones – 80 - Tigers
He’s listed as a Tiger, but he’s in a Cubs uniform. Someone at Upper Deck is trying to screw with me. No trap card. Close enough though.

#5: Tim Hudson – 41 - Braves
I know he’s been there for awhile. Why do I have a hard time thinking of him in a Braves uniform?

#6: Kelvim Escobar – 2 – Angels
Kelvim? That name always bothered me. He won 18 games last year though.

#7: Shawn Green – 158 - Mets
Green in orange and blue.

#8: Ryan Dempster – 75 - Cubs
Trap card! I liked him on the Marlins.

#9: Kyle Kendrick – 192 – Phillies
Is that Jim Thome standing behind him. Thome is laughing at you for being traded for a hot dog eating champion too.

#10: Ryan Theriot – 78 – Cubs
What the hell? Another Cub trap card?

#11: Ryan Klesko – 117 – Giants
It looks like Ryan just popped up.

#12: Ryan Madson – 195 – Phillies
That’s the third Ryan in a row and the fourth in the last five cards. Was Ryan a popular name in the late 70’s and early 80’s? I think so!

#13: Matt Holliday SH – 396 – Rockies
The National League leader in hits.

#14: Vladimir Guerrero CL – 351 – Angels
Congrats Vladdy! It looks like you just did something great before this shot was taken.

#15: Wladimir Balentien – 303 – Mariners
My spellchecker is going insane right now.

#16: Nyjer Morgan – 330 – Pirates
I stand by my last statement.

#17: Don Mattingly YSL – 5195 – Yankees
Card number 5195? Ugh. A pointless mirror card. – ½ point!

#18: Jim Thome (Hot Commodities) – HC9 – White Sox
I have a confession. I picked the pack up because I saw this card peeking out on the back. Woo hoo! 2 points!

We’re halfway through. A great White Sox insert card. But two dreaded Cubs trap cards! Almost three! 18 cards left to go. A Yankee Stadium mirror card. Let’s see if we can get another White Sox card!

#19: Brian Bruney – 295 - Yankees
He’s described as burly. There can only be one Buehrle!

#20: John Buck – 256 - Royals
This almost sounds like a porn star’s name. A porn star who can swing a big stick for the fences. Sorry. Thorzul is a bad influence. Yeah, that's the ticket!

#21: Adam Wainwright – 61 - Cardinals
Very decent stuff!#22: Freddie Bynum – 178 - OriolesI remember Freddie from his days as a Cub. He still can’t hit that well.

#23: Dennys Reyes – 275 - Twins
It looks like he’s been eating every meal at Denny’s.

#24: Joel Pineiro – 62 – Cardinals
From bullpen guy to starter in two different leagues. At least he should’ve gotten a ring in 2007 for his role in the Red Sox season.

#25: Jorge Posada – 296 – Yankees
Will he be a career Yankee? Probably.

#26: Mark Grudzielanek – 257 – Royals
One of my exes had a huge crush on him when he was with the Cubs. She was violently ill when he went to the Cardinals. Mark was also featured in an SNL sketch from 1997 called Baseball Dreams. If anyone posts a YouTube video of that, let me know and I'll post it here.

#27: Ian Kinsler – 218 – Rangers
He looks to be a star in the making. With a little practice and a little luck, who knows.

#28: Scott Baker – 273 – Twins
He hasn’t quite translated his minor league success into a major league career.

#29: David Weathers – 234 – Reds
Very well traveled, including a brief stint with the White Sox in 2001.

#30: Matt Stairs – 39 – Blue Jays
Matt has become well traveled the last few years.

#31: David Wright – 156 – Mets
I’m frankly surprised to see David Wright in an Upper Deck product. Good for him.

#32: Jake Peavy CL – 369 – Padres
Rocking the old school Padres uniform! Very cool!

#33: Jerry Blevins – 306 – Athletics
He got rocked last year. Hopefully, he rebounds from it. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

#34: Fred Lewis SH – 387 – Giants
He went 5 for 6, while hitting for the cycle. Impressive.

#35: Joe Koshansky – 324 – Rockies
At least he’s clutch.

#36: Matt Holliday (Hot Commodities) – HC45 – Rockies
Nice looking insert.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Very interesting pack. Two Cubs trap cards and one White Sox insert. A boring, but clean design for the card. Not that bad. It never felt gimmicky. Keep in mind an average pack of these, with no trap cards, no mirrors and no White Sox cards should yield 18 points.

So, that’s ½ point for each non-mutilated card in the pack. –1 for each trap card. –1/2 point for the mirror card.

Final score: 17 ½ points

One White Sox card in this game, we’ll look for more next time on Sox Or No Sox.

Sox Or No Sox: 2-11-08

Let's play America’s favorite pack opening game, Sox Or No Sox.

The following pack was donated by Mark Mosley of Stats On The Back.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 1989 Topps pack. The pack contains 15 cards, one very broken piece of 19 year old chewing gum and a chance to win a trip to 1990 Spring Training. I hope I win that trip! Let's begin.

#1: Roger Craig – 744 - Giants
A manager card. We’re off to a glorious start!

#2: George Bell – 50 – Blue Jays
A future White Sox. This was back before George began an illustrious career pumping gas in the Dominican Republic.

#3: Claudell Washington – 185 - Yankees
A former White Sox. We’re getting closer!

#4: Bill Schroeder – 563 - Brewers
Bill looks like he’s about to blame something on the dog in this picture.

#5: Joel Youngblood – 304 – Giants
It’s always nice to see a happy batter!

#6: Jamie Moyer – 717 – Cubs
Oh no! A trap card! A fine pitcher though.

#7: Jim Traber – 124 – Orioles
I know nothing about him, but I do know that in 1989, he lived in Columbia, Maryland.

#8: Lee Smith – 760 – Red Sox
Trap card! Lee should be in the Hall of Fame, but probably will not get there unless he pays for bus fare.

We’re to the Topps Company Store insert. No White Sox cards. But a dreaded Cubs trap card and a Red Sox trap card! 7 cards left to go. Let’s see if we can get a White Sox card!

#9: Kevin Gross – 215 - Phillies
Holy mutilation Batman! I don’t know where this pack was stored, but it must’ve been near an open heat source. The Topps Company Store insert melted to this card and then separated when cooled. The blob over Kevin's face is actually raised off the card like a plateau. Maybe this is the first step in non rubberized vulcanization? Gross is right!

#10: Rangers Leaders – 729 - Rangers
Someone hated this pack. Another mutilated card.

#11: Louie Meadows – 643 - Astros
Rocking the rainbow stripe! Another mutilated card though.

#12: Matt Williams – 628 - Giants
I used to think Matt was a great player who didn’t get a lot of attention.

#13: Willie Upshaw – 106 – Indians
I will always think of Willie as a Blue Jay.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Very interesting pack. A Cubs trap card, a Red Sox trap card and no White Sox cards. Me thinks that this pack has been searched! 13 cards in a 15 cards pack with fringe big name players, commons and mutilated cards? Yup, that’s a searched pack! The Ventura and Abbott cards were probably already lifted from this pack years ago. This is truly bad wax.

So, that’s ½ point for each non-mutilated card in the pack. –1 point for each trap card. –1 point for each missing card.

Final score: 1 point

No White Sox cards in this game, but there's always next time on Sox Or No Sox.

Sox Or No Sox: 2-5-08

Welcome to the Magical Pack Genie edition of Sox Or No Sox.

A mysterious package came to game show yesterday. This package has the potential to be the highest ratio pack of Sox Or No Sox history!

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those hard to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is a 1986 Donruss All-Stars pack. The pack contains 3 cards, 1 pop-up card and a puzzle piece and features a see-through cellophane wrapper. Very cool. Let's begin.

#1: Carlton Fisk - pop-up - White Sox
The 22 year old packaging tore everywhere, except where it should open. The little tab thing on the back ripped right off. Fear not, I had scissors. Like Mel Brooks' Rabbi Tuckman, all that was needed was a little snip of the tip. And let me tell you, I was rewarded!

#2: Dave Stieb - 55 - Blue Jays
A future White Sox pitcher, from 1986's standpoint. Plus, a pitcher that I loved before he became a member of the White Sox.

Halfway through the pack. 1 White Sox Hall of Famer and a future White Sox pitcher!!! This is turning out to be more of a ringer pack than the Eight Men Out pack, which wasn't so much a ringer. 2 more cards in the pack. Dare I say it? Let's find some more White Sox cards!

#3: LaMaar Hoyt – 9 - Padres
An ex-White Sox Cy Young award winner!

#4: Carlton Fisk - 17 - White Sox
Another Fisk!! My luck is changing! Thank you Magical Pack Genie for making the 300th post in A Pack A Day (according to blogger.com) extra special!!

OK, our pack opening is complete. THAT WAS AN AWESOME PACK!!! How impossible is that to get two White Sox cards in a pack of 3 cards and a pop-up! Plus the other two were on the White Sox in the past. Plus, a puzzle piece (28,29,30) of the true Home Run King, Hank Aaron. This is the pack that White Sox dreams are made of.

Final score: 6 points

2 White Sox cards in this game, let's see if we can break that record next time on Sox Or No Sox.

Sox Or No Sox: 2-2-08

Let's play America’s favorite game, Sox Or No Sox.

The rules are simple. We take one unopened pack of baseball cards that was randomly selected by yours truly. We then go through the pack card by card looking for those pesky to find White Sox cards.

Our player in tonight's game is another 2004 Fleer Tradition pack. The pack contains 10 cards and features a very busy looking wrapper. Very cool. Let's begin.

#1: Wes Helms – 261 - Brewers
I don’t remember Wes being on the Brewers. I guess that has something to do with the Brewers switching to the National League.

#2: Brooks Kieschnick – 234 - Brewers
This would be a Milwaukee favorite pack. Never heard of him. He has a cool sounding name though.

#3: Matt LeCroy – 135 - Twins
There’s something wrong when you’re a designated hitter before age 30 and not a household name.

#4: Kelvim Escobar – 174 - Angels
A year later, he would be involved in the controversial dropped third strike in the playoffs.

#5: Jose Valentin – 119 – White Sox
The White Sox player who set the team record for single season home runs by a shortstop and dropped everything else.

Halfway through the pack. One White Sox card. No trap cards and a few of the Brew Crew. 5 cards left to go. Let’s see if we can another White Sox card!

#6: Larry Bigbie – 425 - Orioles
An SP card of an Oriole. Kevin will be proud!

#7: Julio Lugo – 314 – Devil Rays
Julio looks like a pitcher on the card.

#8: Jeff Bagwell – 368 - Astros
A Bagwell is always a welcome sight.

#9: Ivan Rodriguez – 3 – Marlins
A Lil’ Pudge World Series card! Very interesting.

#10: John Lackey – 56 – Angels
John had a 19-20 career total at this point.

OK, our pack opening is complete. Not that bad. A Jose Valentin White Sox card. No trap cards. These cards look meh. They remind me too much of 1990 Fleer. Meh.

So, that’s ½ point for each card in the pack. +2 for the White Sox card.

Final score: 7 points

One White Sox card in this game, we’ll look out for more next time on Sox Or No Sox.