Easter pack

 

Like many people, I went out of town this past weekend to visit family for the holiday.

Unlike many people, I came back with an Easter pack of cards. Back in my youngster days, I received packs of cards in my Easter basket once or twice and it's nice that somebody is continuing that very worthy tradition even though I'm not getting baskets of chocolate anymore.

 

My sister-in-law picked up a fat pack of 2023 Topps for me, along with some Ultra Pro team bags (and graded card sleeves -- because, yeah, I'm always grading cards). I've mentioned on this blog a few times that she finds the best packs, and this was no exception, although don't aim too high, nothing super exciting.

 

My main mission opening this pack was to see if I could continue my streak of absolutely no dupes in my collection of 2023 Topps. This would be my first '23 pack opening since the first opening back in February and I've been mighty proud of no dupes after pulling 134 cards.

 

Let's see how long the streak continues (because you know it's going to end -- collation has not not sucked since the mid-'80s):

 

 #6 - Paul Blackburn, Athletics. NEEDED IT.

 

#169 - Gabriel Moreno, Blue Jays. NEEDED IT.

Shame he's on the Diamondbacks now.

#1 - Juan Soto, Padres. NEEDED IT

OK rant/tangent coming, feel free to skip ahead: I watched three baseball games yesterday, Marlins-Mets, Blue Jays-Angels, Padres-Braves. Guess which game made me feel dumber? If you didn't say "the one broadcast by ESPN," thanks for discovering my blog today!

Among the usual Karl Ravech idiocy (I noted last week that he couldn't help bringing up Taylor Swift repeatedly), he annoyed me by engaging all of his broadcast buddies in a conversation about which players on the Padres and Braves were future Hall of Famers, and they proceeded to talk about no one who had more than 4 years in the league. This is the reason I don't listen to sports talk radio, because of bullshit vacancy like this.

Anyway, in the course of having my ears assaulted inning after inning, there was a continuing pregame interview with Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. Soto was asked what he thought of the pitch clock, and he said he didn't like it because he doesn't want the game to dictate play, he wants to dictate play -- by spending as much time outside of the batter's box as possible, I'm assuming. This conversation made me like the pitch clock even more than I already do and like Soto less. Thanks, ESPN.

 

(Why do I watch ESPN games? I try not to, but sometimes that's all the baseball there is).

 

 

 3 - Bryce Harper, Phillies. NEEDED IT.

#318 - Jerar Encarnacion, Marlins. NEEDED IT

#235 - Robbie Ray, Mariners. NEEDED IT

#167 - Michael Massey, Royals. NEEDED IT

#123 - Zach Davies, Diamondbacks. NEEDED IT

#57 - Ha-Seong Kim, Padres. NEEDED IT

#214 - Graham Ashcraft, Reds. NEEDED IT

Wooo! The Streaks is ALIVE. IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

 

#183 - Seiya Suzuki, Cubs

#269 - Steven Matz, Cardinals

 

DIDN'T NEED IT.

The streak is dead.

I lasted 144 cards without finding a dupe. That's pretty good, I don't know if even 1975 Topps could do that. I don't recall ever coming across a dupe that year -- I didn't open many packs though.

 

 

 

 #182 - Nick Pratto, Royals

 

DIDN'T NEED IT.

#68 - William Contreras, Braves

 

 

DIDN'T NEED IT.

Great, I'm on a streak of dupes now.

 

#66 - Brandon Crawford, Giants. NEEDED IT

#154 - Jonathan Aranda, Rays. NEEDED IT

Back on course.

 

#50 - Mookie Betts, Dodgers, royal blue parallel. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDED IT!

Woo! Royal blues are 1 every 5 fat packs to start, so factor in the chances of getting a Dodger into that and now factor into getting one of the very best Dodgers!

I don't know how the sister-in-law does it.

#T88 - 95 - Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals, 1988 design insert. NEEDED IT. (Or rather, TRADE BAIT)

 

#SMLB-18 - Wander Franco, Rays, Stars of MLB

A lot less excitement pulling a Franco than at this time last year.

#SMLB-14 - Bryce Harper, Phillies, Stars of MLB insert

DIDN'T NEED IT.

Nothing is quite as annoying with modern cards than pulling an insert you already have after opening just 2 hanger boxes and one fat pack.

#329 - Mark Canha, Mets. NEEDED IT.

#137 - Kyle Hendricks, Cubs. NEEDED IT

#81 - Ozzie Albies, Braves. NEEDED IT

The horizontals have begun. Sure to be some dupes here.

#306 - Jesse Winker, Mariners

#69 - Caleb Kilian, Cubs

#219 - Los Angeles Dodgers team card

DIDN'T NEED THEM.

I don't even need an extra Dodgers team card for the team set. That's complete.

#178 - NL Home Run Leaders. NEEDED IT

#303 - Wild West checklist. NEEDED IT

#211 - NL ERA Leaders. NEEDED IT

#191 - Caleb Smith, Diamondbacks. NEEDED IT

That Wild West card is hideous. Even if I was assured it would end up being the last card I needed to finish Series 1 if I put this up for trade on TCDB, I might still do it.

#49 - Mitch Haniger. NEEDED IT.

#41 - Brian Serven, Rockies

#17 - Shohei Ohtani, Angels

#278 - Aaron Nola, Phillies

#90 - Korey Lee, Astros

#290 - Max Fried, Braves

DIDN'T NEED THEM.

These were the first five cards I pulled out of the first cards I opened this year. So you know Topps is up to its old collation tricks.

So I pulled 23 cards I needed out of that pack and 20 cards that go toward the set. I still have no plans to try to finish this set, but it's nice to know that I have around 140 cards from the base set now.

That means I for damn sure am not going to buy any more Series 1 other than those first two hangers back in February. Somebody else is going to have to step up.

 

By somebody else, I mean my sister-in-law, who probably will gift me with the whole set at Christmas ... because she's always in stepping-up mode.