More fun (and not so much fun) with Stadium Club

Yesterday, my wife told me that there were binders of baseball cards at a thrift store in a plaza nearby.

The only thing I knew about this thrift store in the past is it is filled with women's clothes and, like, nothing else. So there was no reason for me to go there. I couldn't believe that suddenly there were baseball cards.

Per usual, I was suspicious. But that didn't stop me from heading out there almost instantly to see what was up. It turns out there were about a dozen-or-so one-inch ring binders, each containing sets from the early '90s. Stuff like 1991 Upper Deck and 1992 and 1993 Ultra. They weren't complete sets and they were 11 bucks a binder.

Although I was momentarily interested in the binder of 1992 Pinnacle, I passed ... and headed down the street to blow some cash on Stadium Club!

I sometimes feel like I need to apologize for buying modern cards, but for me this is the peak of the current-card season. Both Stadium Club and Allen & Ginter are released during the summer and they are consistently my favorite sets.

Right now I'm focusing on Stadium Club. I mentioned yesterday I bought a blaster of it, too. Here are the contents of that blaster:

Pack 1

#117 - Brian Anderson, Marlins

#211 - Jack Flaherty, Cardinals

#PZ-1 - Shohei Ohtani, Angels, Power Zone insert

#182 - Robin Yount, Brewers

#55 - Cole Hamels, Cubs

I like the Cole Hamels card because, even though I know it's the rosin bag, it appears that he has just vaporized a baseball with his own fist.

I'd also like to mention that the Ohtani insert was the only Ohtani card I pulled in the blaster. This is one of the things I like about Stadium Club. It may cost a little more, but you're not inundated with nonsense, stuff like 8 different cards of one guy or manupatch doo-dads.

Stadium Club deals in the best-of-the-best, classy photos and autographs. It also has inserts, which I wish it didn't because they seem unneeded, but that's about it.


Pack 2

#70 - Jackie Robinson, Dodgers

#71 - Kris Bryant, Cubs

#226 - Manny Machado, Padres

#200 - Chris Taylor, Dodgers, red parallel

#236 - Honus Wagner, Pirates


I mentioned on Twitter that I will not pull a better collection of cards in any other pack I open this year. From the subjects, to the photo selection, to two Dodgers in one pack, to the parallel being a Dodger, I won all the way through.

The Robinson card may look familiar to you. That's because it's a few clicks of the camera away from this Stadium Club card:

Back in 2014 I praised that card as the best there was that year. The 2019 version provides a different perspective, and of course it's been colorized. I like both of them and I can appreciate the different treatment if essentially the same photo. There is another example later that I do not appreciate.


Pack 3

#161 - Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

#225 - Juan Marichal, Giants

#256 - Roger Maris, Yankees

#139 - Darryl Strawberry, Mets

#155 - Rhys Hoskins, Phillies


That Kershaw card is phenomenal and crazy all at the same time. Never have I ever thought that I needed Clydsdales on a baseball card. Stadium Club gives me what I didn't know I needed.


Pack 4

#146 - Cody Bellinger, Dodgers

#21 - Charlie Blackmon, Rockies

#144 - Josh Hader, Brewers

#137 - Gary Sanchez, Yankees, red parallel

#28 - Eddie Murray, Orioles

The Murray photo appears to be from a postseason game, although I can't narrow it down between 1979 or 1983 as his mutton-chops look was strong each year.

The Cody Bellinger shot is from last year's NLCS against the Brewers. I wish I could see more sad Brewers fans because Bellinger is obviously celebrating something big for the Dodgers.

Finally, I agree with those who have said the font makes this year's Stadium Club either the "Lord of the Rings" set or the "Game of Thrones" set. I think the font may match the LOTR better but seeing those red parallels, Game of Thrones may work more because those parallels are so bloody.

Pack 5

#20 - Eugenio Suarez, Reds

#78 - Chipper Jones, Braves

#WS-1 - Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves, Warp Speed insert

#202 - Wil Myers, Padres

#84 - Andrelton Simmons, Angels

Dullest pack of the bunch.


Pack 6

#136 - Ryan Braun, Brewers

#98 - Dale Murphy, Braves

#286 - Todd Helton, Rockies

#24 - Frank Thomas, White Sox, red parallel

#3 - Touki Toussaint, Braves


Lots of Braves action the last two packs. But the Braves are at the center of what I consider a big-time Stadium Club gaffe.

This photo should look familiar to anyone who has been collecting for five straight years because ...

IT WAS IN STADIUM CLUB IN 2015!!!!!!

Wow.

I know why this happens. Topps has only so many licenses for retired players, but there are only so many photos of those players available, and I'm also guessing the same people aren't working on Stadium Club that were in 2015, but this photo is so memorable how could anyone miss that it's been used already?????

Just leave Dale Murphy out of the set if you're not sure if you have any other photos of him. Why people like Murphy and Hideki Matsui and Luis Gonzalez need to be in more than one Stadium Club set I have no idea.

This just looks dopey. Kinda cool. But dopey.


Pack 7

#85 - Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox

#294 - Evan Longoria, Giants

#EZ-4 - Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees, Emperors of the Zone

#SCA-CB - Corbin Burns, Brewers, autograph

#87 - Christian Yelich, Brewers


Hey! It's my first autograph pull of the year!!

I have no idea who Corbin Burnes is!!

(*Looks up his stats*)

His ERA is 8.85!!

OK, back to the box break!!


Pack 8

#141 - Derek Jeter, Yankees

#60 - Mike Trout, Angels

#174 - Dennis Eckersley, Athletics, orange parallel??

#210 - Franmil Reyes, Padres

#259 - Babe Ruth, Yankees


I have a feeling some collectors would spontaneously combust if they didn't have a new Derek Jeter card to collect every year. So I suppose Topps needs to keep them alive. Otherwise I don't need to see him in a set every year.

I'm stumped by the Dennis Eckersley card. It looks like one of those nifty orange parallels that Stadium Club had the first few years of the reboot that I could never get my hands on. I hope it is because that would be my first.

So that was my blaster. I am quite happy with it. The Kershaw card, three Dodgers total, an autograph, and a whole bunch of neat pictures.

Sure I could've bought a binder of 1990 Fleer for 11 bucks. But you get what you pay for.