Skip to main content

2023 Bowman ... from someone who should not be the first to open 2023 Bowman

 
I mentioned last week that I had the opportunity buy a blaster (or blasters) of 2023 Bowman. They were staring at me from a shelf in Walmart, like five of them.

I ignored their glare because they have no power over me. I haven't bought a pack of Bowman in five years and that was only to find an Ohtani rookie. The time before that was 2013 -- 10 years ago.

So it's very weird that I should be the first blogger, at least I think, to open 2023 Bowman. I guess that's a commentary on the state of card blogs.

I received this pack from Rod of Padrographs. it was part of a wild shipment of items that deserves its own post. I believe Rod has introduced me to the new Bowman in the past, too.

So I opened the pack, and as usual knew about only half the names. Someone else really should be opening this. Here we go:


Excellent. My first Bowman card out of the only Bowman pack I'll open this year is a Dodger.

Miguel Vargas is displaying the same "I'm not really grabbing my crotch" pose as the James Outman card I showed yesterday. Maybe this is a thing coming up through the Dodger system?
 


World Series hero Jeremy Pena presenting the Damar Hamlin heart gesture.
 
I suppose I should recognize the 2023 Bowman design, which looks like every Bowman design for the last dozen years. I won't confuse this with 2016 or 2018 at all.
 
 

Five of the first six cards out of the pack are rookie cards. Yup, this is Bowman.
 
Adley  Rutschmann and Corbin Carroll are not the two guys on the front of the Bowman wrapper. That would be Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Martin. Yes, the Diamondbacks have two players named Corbin. 


Reds prospects I don't know. This is Bowman, too. At least De La Cruz has made it to Triple A.
 


The back of the pack -- reserved for prospects, a slightly altered design, and baffled looks from night owl.

Zach Neto has actually made it to the majors this season. The others are in rookie league ball ... well, I'm not sure about Luciano, his 2023 stats are a bit hazy.

It's good to see I'm still getting confusion out of a pack of Bowman. Thanks, Bowman. Never change.

So I can continue to feel comfortable avoiding you.

Comments

Chris said…
It might be a commentary on the state of card blogs (sadly vacant) or it might be that the shelves in stores around the rest of us aren't stocking Bowman yet? Or that no one is a prospector? I do remember seeing a lot of flagship hype around here.

I didn't know about Elly De la Cruz until writing my Reds post. He's a stud, nearly featured him in the "Looking ahead" segment and might have if I had that card, lol.
Neto! Nice. Same old Bowman design though.
Jimetal7212 said…
The team logo is so misplaced. It really needs to be over in a corner somewhere. Putting it there just potentially distracts from any decent photo.
bryan was here said…
Bowman has been a snooze fest for me since they came back in the late '80s. Good to see some things never change.

I can count on one hand the number of packs of Bowman I've purchased over the years. I usually only pick up singles of Pirates and Cleveland guys and a few others I'm vaguely familiar with.
If you don't like em, I'd trade for the Carroll and Rutschman. If I can find more stuff for you, that is!
Last month in Jax, the dealers had monster box after monster box of that stuff. I guess the broke a whole lot of cases. The Braves have just 4 cards which I have already purchased and are sitting in a cart (somewhere). Spent about a buck. I will buy the complete base set in the coming months by then it will be dirt cheap. Otherwise I am avoiding them like the plague. That was a nice pack you ripped though.
John Bateman said…
Bowman makes no sense its 70 veterans, 30 Rookies and 150 prospect. What kind of set is that.

Like it better when they had 200 veterans, 20 Rookies and about 100 prospects

OMG another Cup grab, what the Hell is going on out there (Lombardi)
Cmcheatle said…
Luciano is the Giants #1 ranked prospect, he's just been hurt to start the season which accounts for the lack of 2023 stats.
Fuji said…
My favorite part of Bowman is tucking them away in a box for a few years, then digging them out to see who panned out. Unfortunately... I never buy packs or boxes either. The only time I purchase them is when my flea market friend busts them open, picks out the hot names, and sells me the leftovers for pennies on the dollar.
CrazieJoe said…
My Bowman collecting is limited to cards that happen to be in bulk lots where they are, at most, pennies each, or through trade, and then it's just my beloved Blue Jays.
Doc Samson said…
Thanks, Mr. Owl. Never been much of a Bowman fan. But 2011 Bowman has a strange kind of hex over me. I absolutely love the black borders from that year. I also love Topps’ 2011 mainline “comet” design, too. Both of them look fantastic in my binders.
Benjamin said…
I don't think it's a card blog statement, I think it's just general apathy about Bowman in general. Hard to get excited about it. If you like base sets, it's meaningless, and even if you like rookies and prospects, there are just way too many. And, like every other sports card set, there are at least a dozen insert sets, a couple of parallels and, of course, the parallel inserts. It's just exhausting and mind-numbing trying to keep up.

Plus, like you said, the design doesn't change much each year, further proving Bowman is little more than a money grab for the rookie-obsessed investor.
Bo said…
I agree with Benjamin, it's only a commentary on the blogs to the extent that none of us care about modern Bowman. Fuji's right, they become a little more interesting after a few years.

The photoshopped major league uniforms look pretty obvious on these cards.
night owl said…
None of us -- WHO ARE LEFT -- care about modern Bowman, so, yes, it's still a commentary on the state of blogs, as compared with 10 years ago.
Jafronius said…
Nice of Rod to send you a pack. Maybe the wrapper is thin enough for him to see a Dodger out in front?

Too bad you didn't cross-post this on A Pack To Be Named Later. Would have saved me a possible pity purchase. :)