First look, part 1

 

I signed up for Nachos Grande's "Not-So-Secret-Santa" event with only a small expectation of what I might get (and even less awareness of what I was supposed to be giving back).

A large box arrived quickly and inside of it -- I should have seen this coming -- was practically the whole 2022 Allen & Ginter set.

BAM.

 

I had been following along daily as Chris opened a case of his favorite product and displayed the contents of each box. At the time I didn't really consider what he would do with all of his extras, but I should have linked the Santa contest and his case break together. Of course! A&G is multiplying in his house!

Chris sent me every 2022 A&G card except for the short-prints and two base cards, Bryson Stott and Blake Snell.

Here are all but one of the Dodgers in the set. I suppose if I'm now trying to complete 2022 A&G, I need another copy of each of these. So much like a teacher, giving me surprise assignments!

 

Here are just about all of the non-baseball players in the set. A few are cool, many more are shoulder-shruggers or annoying. Please, please bring back historical figures, A&G!!!

 

I set one aside as Malika Andrews is this year's Allen & Ginter "Babe of the Year". I used to recognize the BOTY annually with this set but those posts faded away as my interest in A&G faded. I'll probably look through the previous years to compile the complete-and-authoritative chauvinistic list. So look forward to that ... or not, if you're annoyed by that sort of thing.

I don't know much about Andrews as I don't watch ESPN when it's not baseball season and I watch zero NBA, which is her main gig. By the way, do not look her up on the internet if toxic arguing about race and politics is not your thing. Wow.

But this is the card of A&G as far as I'm concerned. I have been hollering about including more '70s players in Topps' legends checklists for years, other than the usual suspects. Finally -- out of the blue -- comes ... Amos Otis???

Now, I could talk about Amos Otis for an hour. I know all about his career, Otis was the favorite player of one of my childhood friends (he was from Kansas), and he was a legitimate star for those '70s Royals teams, known for his glove. Even just his connection to the Mets will get a '70s fan going. However ... I never expected to see him in A&G ever.

I'm very happy about it and it does seem like the best example of a bit of a '70s push by A&G this year.

I know a lot of these '70s guys are regular customers in Topps sets and some have worn out their welcome, but I still like seeing them and I especially appreciate when someone like Nolan Ryan shows up in his '70s uniform. Those Rangers Ryan cards get a blank stare.

 

While I'm on A&G legends, I did a post on those players about four years ago and figured out that since the ramp-up of legends in Allen & Ginter in 2012, only four legends players had appeared in every set since. That still held true through 2021.

But this year, A&G dropped Don Mattingly from the set, so only Brooks Robinson, Rickey Henderson and Roberto Clemente has appeared in the last 11 A&G sets.

I also received a Mookie Betts box-topper, which means I can make immediate use of the oddball-size pages Angus gave me! (Although actually I've already started using them).

I should've expected something like this when I saw that Nachos had pulled two Betts box-toppers.

Weirdly, this was my first look at Allen & Ginter in hand.

So my impressions are: it's pretty much A&G of the past seven years or so. The design is all right, nothing great. Some of the images look washed out to me, making them a bit dull. I've already discussed what I think of the checklist.

Santa Nachos didn't stop with A&G though as he sent me three 2008 Heritage High Number short-prints for my completion quest.

I'd been after Chris for these guys so this is very welcome! I still need to get a few more though and who knows when that will happen. Still not a big priority as I'm just relieved to have the main set done.

Chris also sent a couple of Dodgers and this 1997 Donruss Press Proof Piazza stuck. Makes up for Piazza showing up as a  Met in A&G this year.

So that's what I received for my Unsecret Santa gift. I'm a bit behind on a return gift -- the holidays, you know. It's probably not gonna get shipped until next week and you know how the mail goes that week. Chris may have to settle for a Not-So-Secret Baby New Year gift.

Anyway, that was my First Look at Allen & Ginter this year, long after others have forgotten about it already.

And just to emphasize how fashionably late I am, I have another A&G first look slated for tomorrow. Nachos Grande figures into this one a little bit, too.