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Opening day ... whenever that is


I did kind of a dumb thing Monday. I went to the grocery store.

I was aware of the mob scenes at Walmarts and grocery stores throughout the country over the weekend. And I knew that it was probably smart to avoid crowds.

But it was 1 o'clock on a Monday afternoon. How crowded could it be?

I've been running errands on Monday afternoons for literally decades now. I almost always have Monday off and since for everyone else the day is "go back to work/go back to school," it's the perfect time to do my shopping. I move about freely, never have to concern myself with crowds and if I have to go to the grocery store, there's maybe 20 people in it, tops.

Plus, Monday is my day to cook dinner, so I usually get ingredients that day, too.

So, no sweat, right? The crazies were out on the weekend, when the crazies are always out. Gonna be an easy-in, easy-out.

Nope.

I pulled into the parking lot and it was full. Full. On a Monday afternoon. This is probably the fourth most popular grocery store in the city and I've never seen it that busy (not that I grocery shop during peak grocery store hours).

The crowd inside freaked me out instantly. I told myself "don't touch your face, don't touch your face" repeatedly. There were people everywhere that I never see in the store at that time. Businesswomen in suits and heels, college kids. One elderly lady tried to talk to me in the check-out line and I instinctively moved back. I half expected the store to be out of everything I wanted, but it was all there, in shorter supply, but still there.

I was so startled -- I don't do well in crowds anyway -- that I started thinking that I needed some cards to take the edge off. So I zipped over to the Target next door and practically ran to the card section. Target was much more regular -- the regular amount of people -- and I grabbed a couple of Opening Day packs, freaked out momentarily when I realized I'd have to touch the automated check-out area, drove home and scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed.

So, since then, I haven't been anywhere besides work. It's no big deal keeping myself home. It's where I want to be anyway. I could make a calendar for the next three months of what I could do at home and not run out of stuff.

But today I'm showing you what was in those Opening Day packs. These could be the last cards I buy at a retail place in quite some time, so enjoy this post.

PACK 1


Opening Day doesn't deserve card-by-card treatment. It's everything we've all seen before with just a few different images (I believe that's Rendon in a photoshopped Angels jersey).



I've gotten used to the 2020 Topps design but I still don't like it much. It still reminds me of 1992 Fleer and 2007 Upper Deck.



Since I stopped buying 2020 flagship after a few early purchases I don't have a good handle on what OD cards are repeats from series 1 and which are new. The Bryant is new I believe.



This is what the Opening Day "Opening Day" inserts look like this year, they're like the stadium shots that were in 2019 Topps.

Out of this first pack there were three highlights for me.


A Dodger. Yes, I must have my Dodgers, even if it's just mindless repetition of the base set.



A view of the Jackie Robinson Statue at Dodger Stadium as part of the Team Traditions and Celebrations insert set.



And this card.

I. Love. This. Card.

Yes, I love that it's Roberto Clemente and it's a scene from a spring training game and Spring Has Sprung.

But I also love it because of the design. That is a Very 1970s Design. Every bit of it. The sun theme. The use of yellow, gold and brown. This card is straight from childhood.

It makes me want to collect the entire insert set. I've seen some of the other cards and they're not as fun as the Clemente, but they still remind me of walking to the drug store to get baseball cards on a sunny day in 1975 and if that's not a reason to collect an insert set, I don't know what is.


PACK 2


Pack 2 wasn't nearly as fun as Pack 2. A lot of blah, blah, blah.



I feel like I should apologize for buying these cards. But I was IN A STATE. They helped me calm down a bit.



There was a blue parallel in this pack. Of course it was a Tampa Bay Ray.



Look, it's a Texas Ranger. Topps CAN make cards of Texas Rangers!



This, no doubt, is a night card, although you're deprived of the night sky because of the dome roof. Let's hope it was raining.



Bernie Brewer not on the slide is odd.

So, after that ordeal, I learned my lesson and have been happy to create card posts based on cards I own or cards that folks have sent me.

You may have noticed that I have posted to this blog every day this week, which is not something that I have done for several years. Part of that is because I have more time now that there are no sports being played. The other part is I'm sure some people are looking for things to do every day in our current state. If I can provide a little bit of content every day during this time, then I'm happy I can be useful in that way.

I'm just not going to mix it up with the crazies for you anymore.

Comments

Brett Alan said…
I haven't been out (other than to the mailbox or the dumpster) since I went shopping on Tuesday. It was certainly busier than usual but nowhere near the craziness you describe. I was planning to next go shopping...pretty much Monday at 1PM, so maybe I should be worried?
Not going to catch me outside the yard for several weeks. Good on supplies and food. Desserts are going to be a problem (my Uncle loves his dessert every night). But it is what it is. I'm used to just sitting here in the house, after all it is what I've been doing for going on 4 years now. It's okay. Now just got to get used to letting the mail sit for a few days before opening.
Doc Samson said…
I feel your pain, Mr. Owl. With this cabin fever, I have a binder full of empty sheets that I would like to fill with a complete set. But which set? I have a set from each major card company already in its own binder. From different decades, no less. So which set gets a new home? If I were a sadist, I would put 1988 Donruss in there. Okay, strike that.
Nick said…
I absolutely LOVE those "Spring Has Sprung" inserts. I'm worried I'm gonna start buying more packs of Opening Day just for the outside chance I pull one of 'em. Was hoping to pull that very Clemente from my couple blasters of OD, but alas no luck.
Chris said…
The Clemente SHS insert is the only one I've seen so far, so I'm trying not to let it set my expectations of an OD insert set too high. That said, It's now the second 2020 product that is appealing to me strictly for the inserts (flagship's 1985 and decade's best being the first.)

I have been fighting the urge to make a Target run just for cards and snacks, as if everything were normal. I feel guilty for thinking about it at all, but if I'm stuck inside my house for three months with no new cardboard to occupy me, I will go insane.

Fuji said…
I was at Target on Monday (before the shelter-in-place order), but I was so focused on buying a Brita water dispenser I totally forgot to check the card aisle. Not sure when I'll be going out again, but I hope when I do... I come across some Opening Day.
DMA said…
Wow, what a great Clemente. I bought a handful of packs recently and got zero Pirates.
Those inserts are nice, but the base cards just make me want to let out a big yawwwn.
bbcardz said…
I never pay much attention to Topps Opening Day and never bought any. But that Jackie Robinson statue card is awesome! The gf and I have passed by that statue many times and it is impressive. Now I wish that insert set had been part of the flagship set--DOH!
madding said…
That Clemente card is awesome. I haven't seen Opening Day around here yet, although I have been confined to certain areas this week.
RunForeKelloggs said…
I used to have Mondays off years ago when I worked full-time at a golf course. Those were great days to get things done.

My wife, a nurse, wonders why they keep the self-service checkouts open at grocery stores since we all have to touch the keypads.

Thanks for daily writing. I do enjoy the break. I've been out for running and cycling but that's it.
More like "Opening Delayed".

That Rendon card is embarrassingly bad. The Clemente card is luxurious. Otherwise, a lot of "Meh" going on in there. But as therapy I understand why you did what you did.
Old Cards said…
Thanks for your frequent posts and keeping us entertained while we are all stuck at home.
Bulldog said…
Fun cards. My favorite is the Freddie Freeman in that throwback uni. Good post. Stay positive and be safe brother.
GCA said…
I've got tons of card work and video binge watching waiting for me, but work is pushing us like Hebrew Slaves to get set for online lessons. Waiting to see if MD government orders everyone to stay home before we pass out equipment etc.
My usual Tuesday night activity got shut down, but otherwise, it wouldn't be much different for me to stay in anyway...
Nick Vossbrink said…
Not my product but I've been tempted to buy a couple boxes of this for my kids to rip while we're all stuck at home.
AdamE said…
It's crazy out there. Stores are bad in Phoenix. They are all empty. Every morning there are lines waiting for the store to open hundreds of people deep. Every single grocery store is this way. Friday I wasn't going to wait in a line just to spend money so I went at about 7am instead of 6. Foodwise the place was empty. Lots of people walking around trying to things but they just are not there. The produce section has nothing but apples and oranges. There is no bread. The only meat they had were T-Bones at 20+ per pound. no other meat at all. No chicken, no pork. Frozen sections have ice creams stuff left and that's it. No frozen meat, vegetables, pizzas nothing. No bottled water, no canned goods, no paper goods nothing. The only thing they had in abundance were dairy products. I tried three stores and they were all the same. I picked up a few items. I could tell the checkout lady was overwhelmed. She said it was like Thanksgiving Day, The Super Bowl, Memorial Day, and 4th of July rush all in one. Good thing I have a deep freeze woth food in it already. I only wish I had known to buy toilet paper a week ago.