Good News Along with Good Cards

It seems luck has been on my side lately, and I can’t be more thankful for it. The Baseball Card Locker, the only hobby shop in Central Jersey, was about to call it quits at the end of the month when longtime and great employee, Kevin, bought it off the owner. Now he’s taking a week off to stock up the shop with all the newest items and the Baseball Card Locker will be back with a bang. I couldn’t tell you how ecstatic I was to heat the news and now I won’t have to dread $4.99 shipping anymore. Even though it will still be in business, I bought a ton of loose packs and singles for great prices. Let’s begin.


2007 Bowman Heritage

Pack 1:
#26: Russell Martin
#70: Roger Clemens
Mantle Short Prints: 5 of 5

These Mantle short prints had a ratio of one in every three hobby packs. Each one reflects a different Bowman design. This is one of the many Mantle inserts Topps shoved down collector’s throats in 2007. I don’t mind though, I like the Mick.

Rainbow Foil #57: Cliff Lee
BHP #2: Peter Bourjos
BHP #62: Aaron Cunningham
#124: Josh Willingham
#140: Carlos Beltran

Pack 2:
#30: Manny Ramirez
#94: Kenny Rogers
SG-SE: Stephen Englund (Auto)

I have gotten lucky pulling hits out of the loose hobby packs I’ve picked up. I pulled a Mulder jersey in my previous trip to the card shop. It’s an autographed card, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the design is dull and the player is unrecognizable.

Rainbow Foil #178: Jose Vidro
BHP #39: Michael Devaney
BHP #77: Nathan Southard
#215: Kevin Slowey (RC)
#80: Johan Santana

Pack 3:
#126: Travis Hafner
#162: Tadahito Iguchi
#242: Josh Hamilton (RC)

Another stroke of luck with a coveted SP. This card sports Josh Hamilton displaying a face that may scare some younger children. For future reference: the SP’s have no signatures. The gold on the right side is the sleeve protecting the card.

Rainbow Foil #197: Tim Hudson
BHP #60: Joba Chamberlain
This picture shows Joba pondering on how bad the Yankees’ brass will play with his head the next few years.

Prospects #78: Brandon Hynick
#209: Tyler Clippard
#27: Lance Berkman


2007 Bowman

Pack 1:
#13: Chuck James

It seems Bowman keeps recycling the same base design year after year (2010 has the black border as well). I never was a fan of the black border because of how easily it chips.

#93: Bill Hall
#217: Jeff Fiorentino (RC)
Rookie cards added in the base set have a green variation.

#147: Jeff Kent
#142: Chipper Jones
Gold BP #90: Rayner Bautista
BC #13: Brennan Boesch
BC #12: Scott Deal
BP #80: Dan Dement
BP #106: Desmond Jennings

Pack 2:
#132: Adam Dunn
#69: David DeJesus
#39: Gary Matthews, Jr.

The Mets love train wrecks.

#157: Garret Anderson
ARHR161: Alex Rodriguez
The “Road to 500” cards were inserted in Bowman packs. No one seems to like these, but I’ll be willing to take them off your hands.

Gold #175: Albert Pujols
I think the Gold bordered cards in Bowman look ten times better than the gold bordered cards in Topps.

BC #55: Matt Palmer
BC #26: Trey Shields
BP #84: Will Venable
I’ve seen this kid too many times on prospect and rookie cards.

BP #72: Tony Peguero

2008 Topps Opening Day

Pack 1:
#131: Chien Ming-Wang
#119: Brett Myers
#58: Justin Upton
#184: Adrian Gonzalez

The Padres would be idiotic to get rid of this guy. Not only is he the catalyst for the offense but he puts people in the seats (San Diego is very close to Tijuana, Gonzalez’s home town).

#26: Derrek Lee
#83: J.J Hardy

Pack 2:
#129: Paul Konerko
#44: Kenny Lofton
#34: Mike Piazza
Flapper Card FC-MM: Mickey Mantle

A Mickey insert? No way!

#194: Troy Tulowitzki
#146: Fausto Carmona
This guy.

Pack 3:
#57: Tim Hudson
#89: Gil Meche
Puzzle Piece: Jake Peavy

Opening Day has horrible inserts, for any of you who haven’t caught that yet.

#167: Carlos Pena
#50: Albert Pujols
#156: Aaron Rowand

Pack 4:
#217: Jeff Clement
#65: Alfonso Soriano

Voted most overrated player in baseball by Sporting News.

#29: Chris Young
#178: Ryan Braun
#206: Steve Pearce
#178: Carlos Lee

After numerous packs of Opening Day, I have yet to pull a Halladay card. Frustration indeed! Along with the packs, I got a few singles.

2003 Donruss Elite All-Time Career Best AT-36: Alex Rodriguez

2000 Bowman #347: Brandon Phillips (RC)
2000 is arguably my favorite year from Bowman (I’m trying to get another box of Chrome). Phillips was drafted by the Expos, but was sent to the Indians in the infamous 2002 when Montreal sent Phillips, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Lee Stevens to the Cleveland Indians for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew. While Lee, Sizemore, and Phillips are putting up All-Star seasons, Drew is out of baseball and Colon is somewhere eating himself to death. Anyway, Phillips is, in my opinion, one of the top five second basemen in the league. He is guaranteed a 20/20 season and plays excellent defense for the Reds.

1990 Score #663: Frank Thomas (RC)
Yeah, I got this for under a buck. Yeah, I’m not a real collector unless I have Frank Thomas’s rookie card.

2007 Upper Deck Spectrum RR-JW: Jered Weaver
I’ve always been a fan of Jered Weaver. He sure as heck is better than his brother. By the way, this is beautiful card.

2000 Upper Deck Rookie Foil Silver #952: Travis Ishikawa (RC)
I’m a sucker for numbered cards.

2004 Bowman Chrome #351: Willie Mays
I always thought putting retro players in a brand labeled “Home of the Rookie Card” was contradicting, but dang that Mays card looks nice.

2000 Bowman Chrome Retro/Future #207: Ben Sheets
Another 2000 Bowman Chrome card I can cross off my list. Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, Barry Zito, and Roy Oswalt lead the rookie charge from the 2000 set.


I hope you enjoyed the wax busting as much as I did. Now I can delete my Blowout Cards coupon e-mail and sleep peacefully tonight.