Letting my club membership run out

When 2016 Stadium Club started popping up on the usual online outlets, I looked at the calendar and said to myself "ALREADY?"

I'm not even done trying to complete 2015 Stadium Club. I'm still eight cards short, with no immediate plans to track down those eight cards.

Then I looked at the images from '16 Stadium Club that were being advertised and said to myself, "Oh, man, ALREADY?"

This is a very collectible set. Again.

I've enjoyed Stadium Club quite a bit over the years. Even 2008, when Topps really screwed over Stadium Club collectors, I still attempted to collect what I could. The 2014 set was hobby only, so there was no chance for me there. But I've really come around on the set after ignoring it between 1995-2002.

Which is why it's a little sad for me to say that I'm no longer part of the club. I'm letting my membership run out. I won't be collecting 2016 Stadium Club.

Why? Well, officially, I'll say it's because the font -- like everyone has mentioned -- is very similar to 1997 Fleer.

Now, I have no problem with 1997 Fleer. It's fine. And I have no problem with the font either. It's just that I've seen it before. I don't want to see it again. There's too much of a connection to '97 Fleer for me. So every time I see a 2016 Stadium Club card, no matter how great the photography, I see that font and my brain goes "seen it."

So, that's an excuse. I know it is. That's what I'm using to prevent me from collecting it. Because the other reasons -- I haven't finished the 2015 set, the cards are 50 cents apiece for crying out loud -- aren't enough incentive to keep me away.

It's for my own good I step out of this club. And the font is letting me do that.

Still, I grabbed a blaster I saw on the shelf today because -- heck, you've seen the photos. It's difficult to resist.

I'm just going to show a few cards from each pack because I don't have the time. It was pretty good blaster, despite all the Giants and Yankees.

PACK 1

Pack contents: Joe Mauer, Dallas Keuchel, Bryce Harper, Catfish Hunter, Jason Kipnis

I don't know what the Harper insert is. I just haven't kept up. I do know that I am so glad Catfish is an Athletic.


PACK 2

Pack contents: Brian Johnson, Henry Owens, Salvador Perez, Madison Bumgarner (gold), Luis Severino

Of course it's a gold Bumgarner because the pack gods hate me.


PACK 3

Pack contents: Jung Ho Kang, Mark Teixeira, Greg Holland, Randal Grichuk, Brock Holt

Holy moly, that Grichuk card could be Card of the Year. Cards On Cards is going to have to bare-knuckle box me for it.


PACK 4

Pack contents: Harmon Killebrew, Dennis Eckersley, Robinson Cano autograph card, Ken Giles, Ichiro Suzuki

Hmmm, I might have buried the lead with that Robinson Cano pull, huh? Ichiro is certainly impressed. And Twitter certainly knows about it. So it's already been claimed, most likely.

That's my pull of the year right there. That came from Walmart, you know.


PACK 5

Pack contents: Collin McHugh, Marquis Grissom, Brandon Belt, Edgar Martinez (black), Aroldis Chapman.

I appreciate the Grissom addition, although it concerns me when a guy who made his MLB debut in 1989 is considered old-school. That's not old-school. I had been in bars for six years by 1989.


PACK 6

Pack contents: Rougned Odor, Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Raul Mondesi, Rafael Iglesias

Mondesi is so going to rub this card in his dad's face.


PACK 7

Pack contents: Cameron Rupp, Jose Altuve, Adrian Beltre (luminous triumvirate), Joe Panik, Jose Fernandez

That's one of the least-impressive triumvirate thirds I've seen. It's barely a card it's so skinny.


PACK 8

Pack contents: Josh Hamilton, Whitey Ford, Victor Martinez, Luis Gonzalez (gold), Michael Conforto.

Like I need to tell you, that Whitey Ford card is outstanding.


So that was my spur-of-the-moment blaster. Please note the abundance of Giants and not one Dodger. Of course.

So now that I'm not in the club what's the mean?

It means I can buy and collect as I wish. I'll sample some here and there. You'll find some of this in your trade packages. And I'll keep those that I want. Completely and totally at my whim.

It feels good not being a part of the club.