Pack #8

Base:
Jack Cust
Rich Hill
Erik Bedard
Akinori Iwamura
Bucky "Bleepin'" Dent
Dan Uggla
Josh Beckett

Parallel:
Blue Back Sport Royalty: Janet Evans

A little tidbit I picked up while watching the Michael Phelps Invitational (a.k.a. the Beijing Olympics). In a sport where world record durations last longer than the attention span of your typical seven year-old, the world record Evans set in the 800 meters in 1989 was just broken.

Let me repeat that: The world record Janet Evans set in the 800 meters STOOD FOR NINETEEN YEARS!

Sport Royalty, indeed.

Pack #7

Base:
Glen Perkins
Victor Martinez
Jeff Francoeur
Frank Thomas
Chris Duncan
Miguel Cabrera
Adam Dunn
Al Kaline (SP)

Yeah, I pulled an Al Kaline short-print. But all-in-all, this was a pretty boring pack. I guess I gotta write something.

I know what I'll write, I'll plug my "Trade Me Something-A-Ruther" contest. Yeah, that's the ticket.

So here's the deal. You send me 20 cards, I'll send you 20 cards back, and the person who sends me the best cards will win something-a-ruther.

Pack #6

Base:
Catfish Hunter
Towelie RC
Luke Hochevar RC
Ichiro
Adam LaRoche
Brad Penny
Jim Thome

Mirror:
Yankee Stadium Legacy: Moose Skowron #2930

Yes, I fully realize that this is not an Upper Deck Goudey card of Houston Astros catcher J.R. Towles. But after pulling a Towles in this pack of Goudey, I couldn't resist re-posting my Photoshopped masterpiece: A 2008 Topps Heritage "rookie" card of Towelie.

"Aw man, I have no idea what's going on."

Pack #5

Base
Grady Sizemore
Mark Teixeria
Vernon Wells
A-Rod
Eddie! Eddie! Murray
Evan Longoria
Sport Royalty: Albert Pujols (SP)

Parallel
1936: Albert Pujols

The more I stare at this 1936 Albert Pujols red mini, the more I don't like having the '36s in the base set.

The more I stare at this Sport Royalty Albert Pujols, the more I think that SR would have worked better as an insert.

Pack #4

Base:
Aaron Rowand
Alfonso Soriano
Juan Marichal
Delmon Young
Paul Konerko
Scott Rolen
Billy Wagner
Melvin Mora

One of the unintended, albeit positive, consequences of UD losing the CMG contract to Topps, is that it allows other Hall of Fame and HOF-caliber players -- those you don't normally see that much -- into sets like this. Already, I'm only four packs into this blaster and I've pulled cards of Whitey Ashburn, Eddie Mathews, Tom Seaver, Bob Feller, Jack Morris, and now Juan Marichal.

Topps: You can have your Mickey Mantle, I'll take Whitey and Juan Marichal.

Speaking of Marichal, about the only thing missing from this pack was a card of Pedro Martinez to go with it.

A lot of ex-Phightin's in this pack: Rowand, Rolen, and Wagner. Aaron Rowand is a rarity, an athlete who left Philly and is still beloved by the Phans.

Geez, I wonder why.

Rolen and Wagner? Not so much.

Pack #3

Carl Crawford
Jack Morris
Nick Markakis
Bill Mazerowski
Mark Ellis
Miguel Tejada
The Greek God of Walks
Sport Royalty: Mr. Hockey© (SP)

Yes, it really says "Mr. Hockey©" on Gordie Howe's Sport Royalty card. In fact, the word "Gordie" appears nowhere on the card.

Something else that's strange about this card: both the Detroit Red Wings and NHL logos are on the back of this card. From a licensing perspective, I wonder how many legalese hoops UD had to jump through to put an officially-licensed hockey card in an officially-licensed baseball card set.

Pack #2

Base
Tom Seaver
Jeff Francis
Austin Kearns
Bob Feller
Dan Haren
Josh Hamilton

Parallel
Red Back: Sport Royalty Chutley

Mirror
Yankee Stadium Legacy: Johnny Mize #2357

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First Whitey, now Chutley!!!!!! It's a Phillies hot box. I've got.....


Johnny Mize is one of those 16 CMG players that became Topps-exclusive a few months ago. Therefore, I'm a bit curious to see a YSL mirror of Mize in this pack.

On the day Donruss informed the world that Brett Favre has nine fingers on his right hand, I'm celebrating with a blaster of 2008 UD Goudey. And I'm gonna rip 'em, one-by-one for APAD.

Yes folks, it's time for another...


Pack #1

Base:
Richie Ashburn
Jered Weaver
Albert Pujols
Corey Hart
Orlando Cabrera
Jake Peavy
Eddie Mathews
U.S. Presidents: Grover Cleveland (SP)

OH, HELLS YEAH! First Goudey card of 2008, and it's Whitey FUCKING Ashburn! Who cares if I also pulled a worthless gimmicked-up Presidents card!

I GOT A CARD OF WHITEY!

Wait, what's this? An eighth pack of Topps Heritage in a seven-pack Target Blaster? SCORE!!!

Pack #6

Base: P. Hughes, A. Ramirez, L. Milledge, F. Garcia, R. Sexson, R. Zimmerman
Variations: D. Lee, D. Willis

Pack #7

Base: R. Hill, J. Damon, A. Cook, J. Fogg, Y. Gallardo, F. Thomas (SP)
Variations: J-Roll, M. Ordonez

Pack #8

Base: Young & Zimmerman, O. Cabrera, B. Zito, D. Roberts, Delmon Young, Delwyn Young, K. Suzuki, J. Bartlett

What are the odds of getting a Delmon Young and a Delwyn Young in the same pack?

Blaster Stats

Base Cards: 54 (3 SPs)
Variations: 8
Parallels: NONE
Inserts: 1 Frank Robinson Baseball Flashback, 1 Antarctica News Flashback
Autogamers: NONE

Pack #4

Base: S. Marshall, F. Hernandez, J. Werth, N. Morgan RC, J. Reyes, Maine & Randolph, D. McGowan
Variation: S. Stewart

Pack #5

Base: T. Hudson, J. Bergmann, K. Greene, P. Fielder, C. Monroe, J. Estrada, J. Logo (SP)
Variation: T. Gwynn, Jr.

This is the fourth Blaster box of Topps Heritage I've thus far ripped. Add that to the Hobby box I ripped a few weeks ago, and I've opened 52 packs of '08TH.

In those 52 packs I've now received three Shannon Stewart black-back variations.

I've yet to pull a Shannon Stewart base card.

Pack #2

Base: J. Beckett, J. Cust, S. Smith RC, Dice-K & Beckett, Lofton Baseball Thrill, R. Wolf, K. Lohse (SP)
Variation: H. Kendrick

Pack #3

Base: V. Guerrero, J. Posada, J. Weaver, A. Harang, H. Blalock, C. Crawford, C. Duffy
Insert: Antarctica News Flashback (1:12)

I never thought I'd say this, but if I had to pull a baseball card of an inanimate object, I'm glad it was a mountain in the Antarctic -- as opposed to a guitar or a windmill.

OBTW, I already pulled this card.

Because you just can't get enough of 2008 Topps Heritage, here's another Blaster box. This one's from Target.


Bonus Pack: M. Holliday, C-L Hu, Ichiro, W. Balentien


These T-205 cards are the same as the ones that were exclusive to Topps series one Target Blasters. The only difference being the size of the cards. The Topps cards were 2.5" X 3.5", whereas these are T-205 sized.

Pack #1

Base: L. Hernandez, B. Myers, B. Roberts, I. Kinsler, R. Johnson, F. Gutierrez
Variation: J. Jennings
Insert: Frank Robinson Baseball Flashbacks (1:12)

The only card in this pack I need is the Jason Jennings black-back. (Trade anyone?)