Something to open

 

I mentioned I received a Target gift card for Father's Day with the expectation there would be cards to shop for on its web site.

Ha.

 

I tried almost every day for two weeks to find a box or pack of cards to buy on that site with zero luck. Just a bunch of overpriced Project 70 cards from some third-party seller. I don't need to see those.

 

Then, suddenly, early last week, I tried again and boxes of 2021 Heritage and Panini Diamond Kings greeted me. None of it was really what I was looking for -- I had my eye on a Series 2 or Stadium Club blaster. But after two weeks of scraps, I jumped at the DK box (I'm pretty over Heritage this year), even though my issues with Panini and Diamond Kings are well-established. Hey, it was something to open. It's not like Target is offering vintage on their site.

 

This is basically a pack-rip post, about a product with no logos, but considering it's only the second or third time I've opened some packs this year, it's actually a rare post in 2021. There are signs things are getting better (Bob Walk the Plank mentioned that he found Series 2 and Stadium Club on the Target site not more than 3 days after I ordered my cards -- I have the worst timing), so maybe you'll see some more pack rips before the year is out.

OK, as you know, Diamond Kings features a mixture of legends, current players ... and rookies you've never heard of and don't work with the old-timey look of the product at all. The textured cards and oldie players are the drawing point for me, and it's the one Panini product where the lack of logos isn't screaming at me.

Let's look see:

Pack 1

#87 - Juan Soto, Washingtons

#45 - Edward Olivares, Kansas Citys (RC)

#125 - Tanner Houck, Bostons (RC), blue-framed parallel (it looks black)

#AOH-9 - Jose Altuve, Houstons, Art of Hitting insert

#136 - Zach McKinstry, Los Angeleses (RC)

One pack of five with three rookie cards. If I didn't enjoy the McKinstry card so much I'd mention how appalling that is for something that is characterized as a legends set.

However, the McKinstry card makes me feel good about picking up this box. I'm in a Nachos Grande group break in which Diamond Kings was opened. Buying this box was somewhat risky, but NG didn't pull the MCK!!

P.S.: They've got to stop making inserts of Houston players.

 

Pack 2

#3 - Harvey Kuenn, Detroits

#61 - Jorge Mateo, San Diegos (RC)

#19 - Joe Jackson, Chicagos, Artist Proof

#LL-12 - Eddie Mathews, Milwaukees, Legacy Lithographs insert

#DDK-?? - Joey Bart, San Franciscos, Debut Diamond Kings insert

I cannot make out the number on the back of the Joey Bart card. The checklist claims it is number 24. Even magnifying the number to four times doesn't make it any clearer (it looks like "SG"). I don't understand why card companies are actively working to blind their customers.

By the way, the Legacy Lithographs inserts are designed quite nicely (so are the Art of Hitting inserts but Altuve bugs me).

 

Also, I'd complain about the Artist Proof Shoeless Joe card -- the most pointless parallels ever -- but the next pack took care of my whining.

 

 

Pack 3

 

#19 - Joe Jackson, Chicagos (there we go! Just want that base card!)

#42 - Casey Mize, Detroits (RC)

#99 - Ha-Seong Kim, San Diegos (RC)

#A-11 - Freddie Freeman, Atlantas, Aficionado insert

#166 - Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlantas

It seems mean to give Joe Jackson the number 19 considering what happened in 1919.

 

Pack 4

#57 - Adonis Medina, Philadelphias (RC) (no idea)

#72 - Yu Darvish, San Diegos

#15 - Carl Erskine, Brooklyns

#GS-10 - Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlantas, Gallery of Stars insert

#161 - Jose Abreu, Chicagos

 

I pulled two Acuna cards on the day he was declared out for the season. No, you can't blame me, you psycho Braves fans.

The appearance of the Erskine card forces me to trot this out again:

That's Erskine's Diamond Kings card in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 (He had a different photo for his 2018 card but apparently Panini lost the image).

I've complained about this a bunch, even did a whole post about it last year. How does Panini not see what is wrong with this? Yeah, I know, "it's Panini."

 

 

Pack 5

 

#29 - Vladimir Guerrero, Montreals

#86 - Pete Alonso, New Yorks

#123 - Dean Kremer, Baltimores, Artist Proof (RC - 1-8 with 6.59 ERA)

#AP-9 - Shane Bieber, Clevelands, Artist's Palette insert

#156 - Alejandro Kirk, Torontos (RC)

The Artist's Palette cards are certainly colorful. I'd love them with an MLB logo.

 

 

Pack 6

 

#44 - Christian Javier, Houstons (RC)

#2 - Eddie Stanky, Brooklyns

#42 - Casey Mize, Detroits (RC), Artist Proof

#TC-1 - Babe Ruth, New Yorks, The Club insert

#DDK-NY - Deivi Garcia, New Yorks (RC), Debut Diamond Kings insert

 

OK, I can read the number on the Garcia card, which means the Joey Bart Diamond King "number" is DDK-SF. I don't know where the actual card number is on the card though (Garcia's card claims to be No. 19). Also, why is there so much space at the top of these cards?

"The Club" card looks cool, especially since it's a legend player. I'm a bit tired of Babe Ruth cards, but I probably shouldn't be. Also, I've noticed that Panini isn't colorizing some of the legends cards this year. I think I prefer that.

 

Pack 7

 

#60 (80? Wow these things are so hard to read) - Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pittsburghs (RC)

#84 - Freddie Freeman, Atlantas

#41 - Daniel Johnson, Clevelands (RC) (11 games! .071! For his career!)

#E-8 - Mookie Betts, Los Angeleses, Elegance insert

#151 - Ryan Weathers, San Diegos (RC)

 

Woooooo! A Dodgers insert! Officially happy now that I picked this box over Heritage. 

If you were scoring at home you know that I pulled 14 rookie cards and just six legends cards. So this actually isn't any kind of "legends set," it's a rookie set like everything else. I will come back to this pack break in three years and we'll see how many of these rookies are still relevant.

But pack-ripping-addicted beggars can't be choosers. I still enjoyed opening it. I'm one of the few that likes the design used this year. And I'm happy I added a few cards to the collection (the Dodgers, the Joe Jacksons, the Casey Mize cards might be useful).

However, you'll probably never see me open another box of this.

OK, scratch that.

If there is another global pandemic that wipes out all available card product, I will buy another box of this.