Made a Target Run, Voted for More Cards!

Aloha, everybody, 

I made a quick dash to Target, so that also meant a quick dash to the cards aisle to see what I could see. This made my collector senses tingle...

I hadn't seen one of these before. The windows on the front and rear of the box showed packs of 2016 Gypsy Queen and Babe Ruth Collection were two of the four packs. Not a bad start. 

I was prepared for the 50 cards to be the usual repack suspects and wondered about that "bonus". The box didn't say "bonus autograph" or "game-used swatch" or anything like that, so I was curious about what their idea of a bonus was. That was enough for me. SOLD! 

Let's check out what I got. Leading off are those 50 repack cards...

At least I got one new Dodgers card. Stirrups! 

Thin Tony Gwynn! That'll work...

How about a member of the Big Red Machine? I'll take one of these all day long. 

Stirrups n' dust. That's much better than that strange vape smoke Topps used to obscure the 2016 product. 

As far as containing legitimate names out of the past, this little box delivered better than I expected. Here's Fergie Jenkins. 

Cubs fans...is this his final Topps issue? 

This slice of cardboard pops on a variety of levels - action photo, well-utilized horizontal space, smart use and placement of text, and a slick, shiny surface...

I got five cards from Topps Finest. Nice cards, boring players...

 Another handsome card of someone I don't collect. Hope you like Aramis, Matt. 

 While I know I'm not going to pull a Johnny Bench RC from these repacks, I'm not sure a lousy checklist from a lousy set should count against my 50 cards. 

This guy's card came in its own penny sleeve, like someone really cared about Abbott's chances in the bigs. 

In 1992 Abbott led the league! In home runs allowed, wild pitches, and losses. Ouch! 

Back to cool cards with cool players...

Finally, Ichiro!

Not a bad haul from the fifty. But stay tuned, because that's not all that was in my Target box. 

Next time: The four packs and a bonus. Aloha! 

ATBATT's All-Time All-Stars Right Field

Hey everybody,

when we last visited the All-Timers, we completed the infield and one outfield position. Here's the line up to this point:

C: Johnny Bench
1st: Lou Gerhig
2nd: Jackie Robinson
SS: Ozzie Smith
3rd: Brooks Robinson
LF: Rickey Henderson

This time we get my pick for the best right fielder of all time - with the opportunity to check out a few cool baseball cards.  Not bad for some free Saturday evening entertainment. 

Several of the positions for my all-stars have been difficult choices, and this one was pretty tough as well.  There are several first-ballot players.

I, for one, would usually take Reggie's 563 homers and ability to come up big in the Fall Classic.

While Reggie's a solid choice...what about Roberto Clemente?  He only had 3,000 hits, 12 all-star games, and was regularly bringing fear to N.L. base runners with his cannon for an arm before his life and career were tragically cut short.

Clemente was actually my first choice, but then I remembered this guy...
 

Sure, Hammerin' Hank would be the natural first choice choice for lots of us.  That is, until we remember this next ballplayer, who held down right field before any of 'em.  There's just no way I choose somebody else before I choose this guy.

This is the man that caused the building of the original Yankee Stadium (RIP).  They called it "the house that Ruth built" for good reason.  He led the Yankees to 7 A.L. pennants, 4 World Series championships and rewrote Yankee and baseball record books along the way.

 I once read somewhere that foul poles were invented because the Bambino regularly hit the ball so far the umpires needed help.

Of course I'm gonna pick the guy who practically played with a hot dog in one pocket and a beer in the other, all the while hitting the ball out of the park.  The best part of all, he did it steroid free.

THANKS for reading, everybody.  Time for me to go back to watching the Dodger game.