I've got one pack of Bowman here for you, because I'm good like that. I wanted to buy just a single blister pack of 10 cards, but my Target seems to only offer card packaging in the vehicle that will cost you the most money. Last year's discounted blasters? Full price. Single packs of Gypsy Queen? They just have outrageous $9.49 rack packs for you, son.
So these jumbo packs were the only thing available. I suppose they could have offered only the rack packs with purple parallels of nobodies, which would have cost more. So I'm getting a deal with these five-dollar-something packs.
Because it's Bowman and I don't care about the players who haven't reached the majors, I'm only showing the guys I know -- and not even all of them. If you want the other cards of non-major leaguers -- for TTM tries or whatever -- they are available. I can barely get myself to TTM guys with big-league salaries.
The pack:
#151 - Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Immediate success! I promise I could not see through the pack, although it would have been shrewd shopping if I could.
As a number of people have mentioned, it's refreshing to see Bowman step away from its addiction to black borders. The white's a nice change. But as I've said before, everything looks better with black borders.
So, here is a hurried, sloppy, not-patient-at-all rendition of what 2012 Bowman would look like with a black border:
If you can overlook the jagged borders, that'd be pretty cool.
#139 - Tim Lincecum, Giants
The last two games of the Dodgers-Giants series this week were highly entertaining.
#203 - Leonys Martin, Rangers
He's played in the majors ... barely.
#143 - Dustin Ackley, Mariners, gold parallel
#160 - R.A. Dickey, Mets, silver ice parallel
These, I have to admit, are pretty awesome. Better than those gold things in 2012 Topps. Better than last year's liquorfractors. Probably better than the diamond parallels.
But even though Dickey has emerged as my favorite Met, this will be going to the Mets fan who keeps sending me cards. That's a good way to get my attention.
Here begins the segment with no pictures.
#BP13 - Tyler Gagnon, Rockies, 1st Bowman card (yawn!)
#BP7 - Clay Holmes, Pirates, 1st Bowman card (back says "big-bodied hurler who can throw hard downhill." I should hope so. Those mounds where you have to throw uphill are a bitch).
#BP31 - Nick Marone, Angels, 1st Bowman card (the back borders for the Bowman newbies are white, while the borders for the veterans are gray. Is that a replacement for the old "green for newbies, red for veterans system"?).
#BP20 - Robby Price, Rays, 1st Bowman card (Price is the son of University of Kansas baseball coach Ritch Price).
#45 - Adam Jones, Orioles
#186 - Aramis Ramirez, Brewers
Something looks weird about this photo. I don't think he's really in that ballpark.
#103 - Mike Moustakas, Royals
I'm tired of scanning.
#161 - Jason Heyward, Braves
#108 - Torii Hunter, Angels
Here come the chrome cards of guys who may or may not have major league careers:
#BCP52 - Dean Green, Tigers (was one of the top players in the New York-Penn League last year. There was a time when I knew almost every player in the NY-P).
#BCP1 - Justin Nicolino, Blue Jays (Toronto's top single-A prospect last year. So, uh, look out)
#BCP24 - J.R. Graham, Braves ("Wrote 'No Fear' on underside of his cap." ... OK, this isn't football).
#BCP83 - Jacob Anderson, Blue Jays ("Grew up as a Dodgers fan admiring Matt Kemp and Josh Hamilton." He knows how to pick them).
Some ad for Topps Pennant, the Modern Boxscore, App. I'm not an "app" guy so we're not learning about that today.
#159 - David Ortiz, Red Sox
OK, one more scan.
#185 - Jayson Werth, Nationals
And there you are. Chances are it'll be the last of this stuff that you'll see on this blog.
As usual, I can't figure out what all the breathless excitement is about. The cards are OK. Hardly anything to hyperventilate over. But then Bowman was never based in logic. It's the kind of product that should be available only at casinos in Las Vegas.
All of these are for trade. Except for the Kershaw card, of course.
That's mine. All mine.
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