2012 Bowman Chrome blaster recaps

2012 Bowman Chrome blaster [$19.99 each at a random Target] - went on a Target / Walmart run for 2012 Bowman Chrome the week it came out, I blew $60 on two blasters and two value packs; my friend's lone blaster purchase had a Trevor Bauer autograph redemption while his boss must have bought 10-15 boxes and at least three hobby boxes.

Xfractor bonus pack
#124 J.P. Arencibia
#BCP 122 Felipe Rivero
#65 Jimmy Rollins

Pack one
#102 Ike Davis
#FG-JSE Jean Segura - Futures Game insert

#BCP 165 Carlos Valenzuela

Pack two
#94 Brandon Phillips
#BCP 176 Aaron Brooks
#99 Jarrod Parker

Pack three
#BCP 111 Rob Rasmussen - refractor parallel

#BCP 182 Gregory Polanco
#93 Hunter Pence

Pack four
#66 Alex Rodriguez
#BCP 191 Danny Winkler
#75 Jemile Weeks

Pack five
#48 B.J. Upton
#LIM-TB Trevor Bauer - Legends in the Making insert

#BCP 199 Gabriel Lino

Pack six
#32 Jayson Werth
#BCP 205 Kenny Faulk
#47 Andrelton Simmons - Bryce Harper cameo

Pack seven
#83 Justin Masterson - refractor parallel

#BCP 2011 Domingo Tapia
#24 Kirk Nieuwenhuis

2012 Bowman Chrome blaster [$19.99 each at another random Target] 

Xfractor bonus pack
#174 Ryan Braun
#BCP 144 Blair Walters
#4 Jeremy Hellickson

Pack one
#BCP 147 Joel Caminero - refractor parallel

#FAS-PJ Buster Posey / Tommy Joseph - Franchise All-Stars insert
#147 Michael Young

Pack two
#206 Justin Morneau
#BCP 139 Lane Adams
#155 Ichiro

Pack three
#21 Brad Peacock
#LIM-TB Trevor Bauer - Legends in the Making insert

#BCP 152 Roberto De La Cruz

Pack four
#34 Chipper Jones
#BCP 168 Willy Garcia
#187 Jeremy Hefner

Pack five
#29 Jose Bautista - refractor parallel

#BCP 179 Narciso Mesa
#199 Wily Peralta

Pack six
#62 Shin-Soo Choo
#BCP 190 Daniel Paolini
#217 Dustin Pedroia

Pack seven
#124 J.P. Arencibia
#BCP Donald Lutz
#BCP 200 Eduardo Rodriguez

Featured autograph - Sergio Romo

I think it was four or five years ago, hanging out in the morning at Scottsdale waiting for the San Francisco Giants players to come in during spring training - where I got Sergio Romo's autograph.

He was a fairly anonymous Giants player back then and maybe I got him maybe once or twice - I remember a young couple getting a photo op with Romo and I thought, 'oh how cute, these guys are getting a pic with a token member of the Giants - it's too bad at times, only the scrubs like Romo who bother to sign.'

Even though Romo was a set-up man for much of the 2012 regular season, the Giants leaned on him to shut the door in the postseason and he ended up closing out the 2012 World Series as a two-time World Series champ - it's kind of safe to say that things have turned out pretty good as Romo has carved out a nice little MLB career for himself.

Vernon Wells oddball card

I ended up going to the Arizona Fall League for a week to get myself autographs of prospects and some other minor league players - I picked this oddball card of Vernon Wells as part of an league promotion to honor an AFL 20th Anniversary Top 20 team.

The card stock is very thin and not as 'durable' as a regular card would be - I don't really care for cards like these because I don't see them as trading cards [they are little larger than a normal card] and more like fliers to throw away.

The oversized cards I ended up with are Wells, Sean Casey, Todd Helton and Jermaine Dye - it looks as if I got the 'meh' part of the giveaway promotion but oh well.

Featured autograph - Yoenis Cespedes

I feel like I've lost my way with this blogging thing, but here is an autograph I got in-person of Oakland A's star rookie Yoenis Cespedes - I thought he was good about signing autographs when there was opportunity for him to do so when the A's visited the Angels this past season, though he shortened his autograph from the beginning of the year.

Obviously Cespedes is starring in the American League Division Series right now - looking to help the A's even things up with the Detroit Tigers.