Gint-A-Cuffs IX (Packs 9-16)

Running Total (Packs 1-8): 47

Pack 9
134 Steven Matz
203 Carlos Gonzalez
162 Sonny Gray
89 Ken Rosenthal
254 Hunter Pence
323 Drew Smyly SP (+1)
WaD Insert Mike Piazza (+2)
153 Sean Doolittle BROOKLYN BACK (+7)
Pack Total: 10
Running Total: 57

Pack 10
32 Peter Rosenberg
287 Elvis Andrus (+1)
6 DJ LeMahieu
195 Matt Kemp
243 Alex Reyes
147 Salvador Perez
SF Insert Giant Trevally (+2)
169 Anthony Senzatela MINI
Pack Total: 3
Running Total: 60

Pack 11
60 Nolan Ryan (FT) (+1)
191 Jay Glazer
50 Bryce Harper
182 Kyle Hendricks
35 Johnny Damon
327 Steven Wright SP (+1)
WaD Insert Roger Maris (+1)
211 Ben Smith BLACK BORDER MINI (+4)
Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 67

Pack 12
82 Bobby Abreu
264 Robinson Cano
38 Craig Kimbrel
212 Don Mattingly (-1)
FSR Giancarlo Stanton HIT (+8.5)
WF Insert Statue of Liberty (+2)
Con. Ursa Major MINI INSERT (+2)
Pack Total: 11.5
Running Total: 78.5

Pack 13
283 Chris Davis
205 Alex Bregman (+2)
57 Jharel Cotton
148 Jesse Winker
268 Matt Olson
309 Fernando Rodney SP (+1)
WaD Insert Giancarlo Stanton FP (+4)
296 Zack Grienke Mini
Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 85.5

Pack 14
176 Marcus Stroman
52 Trees in India
130 Renato Nunez
55 Andre Dawson
169 Anthony Senzatela
221 Yadier Molina
RD Insert Battle of Princeton (+2)
104 Dexter Fowler Mini
Pack Total: 2
Running Total: 87.5

Pack 15
138 Adam Duvall
218 Tim Anderson
40 Dansby Swanson
115 Carlos Rodon
269 Krazy George
346 Hisashi Iwakuma SP (+1)
WaD Insert Justin Verlander (+2)
Candy Maldonado INDIANS BUYBACK (+1)
330 Mark Melancon MINI SP (+3)
Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 94.5

Pack 16
20 Brooke Hogan
29 Maikel Franco
9 Ryan Schimpf
15 Gary Sanchez (Yankee) (-1)
173 Odubel Herrera
278 Trevor Story
WF Insert Habitat 67 (+2)
285 Hunter Renfroe A&G BACK MINI (+2)
Pack Total: 3
Running Total: 97.5

Current Running Total: 97.5

AB3K Topps NOW!

It has been almost two weeks since I posted about my last Topps NOW purchase: cards for Adrian Beltre's 450th home run and his feat of being the 21st player in MLB history to reach 5,000 total bases.

Chris, a.k.a. The Collector, asked in the comments of that post if I had the Topps NOW card for Beltre's 3,000th hit. I had ordered it, but did not have it at the time.

But I do now.

As much as I usually love the images chosen by Topps for the NOW cards, this one just seems boring to me. I don't think that's necessarily Topps' fault - there is only so much you can show to represent a hit. However, the images on the reverse side of the card are far better:

Once play stopped for the crowd to recognize Beltre, his kids ran from the stands all the way to the outfield wall to uncover this logo the Rangers had prepared for the hit. The bottom images show Beltre's teammates coming out to hug and congratulate him on the accomplishment. I love both of these images, and I think it would have been awesome to have the second (bottom) image on the front of the card and the first (top) image on the back. But that's just me.

I believe this is the fourth Topps NOW card that I have purchased this year. I hoped they would put the following image on a card - it is just begging to be put on cardboard - but it didn't happen. Hopefully it will someday!

I hope everyone is well!

Gint-A-Cuffs 9 Scoring

Packs 1 - 8: 47
Packs 9 - 16: 50.5
Packs 17 - 24: 46

Running Score: 97.5


Final Score: 143.5

Gint-A-Cuffs IX (Packs 1-8)

I feel like I have been gone for an eternity! I haven't had anything to really write about, but I do now. Let's see how close to last place I will finish in this year's edition of Gint-A-Cuffs!

Pack 1
263 Kevin Kelley
71 Julio Teheren (+2)
168 Robbie Ray
33 Byron Buxton
237 Andrew Benintendi
314 Dan Vogelbach SP (+1)
WaD Insert Anthony Rizzo FP (+4)
261 Mike Moustakas MINI
Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 7

Pack 2
255 Trea Turner
211 Ben Smith
223 Lucas Giolito
292 Evan Longoria
215 Yasmany Tomas
2 Albert Pujols
WF Insert X-Ray Machine (+2)
35 Johnny Damon A&G BACK MINI* (+2)
(*Forgot to scan the back, but I will happily do so for anyone wanting to see)
Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 11

Pack 3
222 Jake Thompson
277 Miguel Sano
208 Felix Hernandez
80 Mookie Betts
76 David Dahl
325 Danny Salazar SP (+1)
WaD Insert Julio Urias (+2)
112 Jayson Worth MINI
Rey Quinonoes MARINERS BUYBACK (+1)
Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 15

Pack 4
131 Dan Jennings
66 Kenta Maeda
265 Kevin Kiermaier
39 Yu Darvish FT (+1)
AUTO Allie LaForce HIT (+7)
SF Insert Redfish (+2)
45 Harriet Tubman BLACK MINI (+5)
Pack Total: 15
Running Total: 30

Pack 5
246 William Shatner (+1)
67 Allie LaForce
220 Chipper Jones
210 Didi Gregorius (-1)
285 Hunter Renfroe
318 Harmon Killebrew SP (+1)
WaD Insert Hank Aaron (+2)
Mike Stanley RANGERS BUYBACK (+2)
WD German Snow Patrol Dude MINI INSERT (+2)
Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 37

Pack 6
159 Yoenis Cespedes
128 Tyler Glasnow
37 Devon Travis
94 Justin Upton
132 Corey Seager
248 Wilson Ramos
SF Insert Bass (+2)
212 Don Mattingly A&G BACK MINI (Yankee) (+1)
Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 41

Pack 7
226 Ryne Sandberg
31 Carlos Santana
95 Dee Gordon
281 Yoan Moncada
3 Tyler Naquin
310 Brandon Crawford SP (+1)
WaD Insert Javier Baez (+2)
266 Greg Byrd Mini (Yankee) (-1)
Pack Total: 2
Running Total: 43

Pack 8
75 Max Scherzer
49 Davaid Wright
174 Danny Duffy
133 Addison Russell
145 AJ Reed
36 Edwin Encarnacion
RB Insert Battle of Bunker Hill (+2)
MI Pamela Colman Smith MINI INSERT (+2)
Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 47

Packs 1 - 8 Point Total: 47

Not a bad start, but can the point parade continue all the way to the top of the leaderboard? Find out tomorrow!

Topps NOW...Again

I am finding myself watching for Topps NOW cards featuring Ranger players. Rather than purchase them through Topps, I find that I can usually get them through eBay for about $5 with free shipping.

Such is the case with my two most recent pickups, both centered on Adrian Beltre.

First up:

The One-Knee Wonder. Beltre has made this follow through famous, so it is only appropriate that his card celebrating 5,000 total bases show it.

I also grabbed this one:

Beltre recently hit home run number 450. I believe he currently sits at 455, so hopefully he will reach number 500 next season. If he isn't already, having 500 homers (to go along with 3,000+ hits) should make him a first ballot hall of famer.

What are your thoughts on Topps NOW? Purchased any for yourself?

I'm Starting To Fall In Love With Oddballs

When I first started collected, oddballs were just that to me: odd. I didn't know what to make of them. At some point, I decided that I didn't care for them.

However, as time has passed, I've found myself being drawn to oddballs more frequently.

For instance, I just picked this up:

I tried multiple times to get a scan of the other image on this coin (Bell's face), but evidently I'm not talented enough to do that.

This coin is form the 1984 7-11 Super Star Sports Coins set. I don't believe any other Rangers were featured in this set, unfortunately. That doesn't matter though, because I dig this one.

I think oddballs are really becoming some of my favorite pieces.

The Case of the Missing Smile

A few weeks ago, I posted that I happened to have some retail luck in pulling this:

In the comments, P-Town Tom asked something that was on my mind, also: do all of Randle's Fan Favorites autographs have the smiley face?

A couple weeks went by and I was able to pick up this blue parallel:

This card also had the smiley face!

I decided to create a saved eBay search to let me know when a new Randle card was posted so I could see if there were any without the smiley face.

I waited and found nothing. Nothing, that is, until last week:

Smiley-face-less Randle is now mine!