2014 Topps Chrome Update box recap

I picked one up for $14.99 even though the way these boxes are put together seems stingy on Topps' part - while the basic Topps Chrome Update set is only 55 cards, maybe at least a couple more Topps Chrome Update packs would make this a more reasonable purchase.

Topps Chrome Update packs

Pack one
#MB-55 Brandon McCarthy
#MB-32 Jason Giambi
#MB-37 Miguel Cabrera - checklist
#MB-26 Bronson Arroyo

Pack two
#MB-25 Tony Sanchez
#MB-16 Adrian Nieto
#MB-28 Raul Ibanez

#MB-4 George Springer - Gold parallel serial #'d 026/250; this seems like a mildly interesting pull but how many similar parallel cards does Springer have out that makes this one less than special?

Regular Topps Update - eight card packs

Pack one
#US-34 Gavin Floyd
#US-218 David Carpenter
#US-226 Chris Coghlan
#US-50 Jacob DeGrom - Gold parallel serial #'d 1412/2014
#WSH-BR Brooks Robinson - World Series Heroes insert
#US-27 Shin-Soo Choo
#US-151 Robinson Cano
#US-190 Jose Altuve

Pack two
#US-194 Hector Santiago
#US-70 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
#US-180 Chris Taylor
#PPA-MTR Mike Trout - Power Players insert
#US-230 Kurt Suzuki
#US-229 Sam Fuld
#US-269 Max Scherzer
#US-255 Jonathan Lucroy

Pack three
#US-244 Daisuke Matsuzaka
#US-73 Francisco Cervelli
#US-168 Austin Jackson
#TM-YD Yu Darvish - 1989 Topps Die-Cut minis insert
#US-200 Masahiro Tanaka
#US-301 Mookie Betts
#US-8 Josh Harrison
#US-9 Francisco Rodriguez

Pack four
#US-83 Brandon Hicks
#US-85 Daniel Descalso
#US-145 A.J. Pierzynski
#US-141 Chris Dickerson
#FN-NC2 Nick Castellanos - The Future is Now insert
#US-12 Brian McCann
#US-320 Koji Uehara
#US-97 Salvador Perez

Pack five
#US-296 Tyler Moore
#US-116 Brett Anderson
#US-130 Tony Watson
#US-286 Brandon Barnes
#FF-PM Paul Molitor - Fond Farewells insert
#US-72 Chris Young
#US-173 Jose Bautista
#US-96 Eugenio Suarez

Mail day - 2014 Topps Update Jorge Posada Strata auto serial #'d 14/25

I thought I'd have to wait for six months or more for this redemption to be fulfilled - but it must have only taken a couple of weeks after I entered the redemption code on the Topps Redemption Web site, when I realized I had a card coming from Topps since I'd missed a Fed-Ex delivery at home.

I checked eBay to see if any Posada Strata autographs were live [there was at least a couple of them] and checked the Topps Web site - sure enough, my redemption was marked as shipped.

I'd missed the Fed-Ex truck once more though and was waiting around impatiently, intent on making the third time the charm - my father, who came home to grab his wallet he'd forgotten, ended up meeting the Fed-Ex guy at the door to sign for my package.

It's a fairly neat card and Posada was the Core Four guy whose autograph I never had a chance to get - so it's actually a nice addition to my PC.

The card was really thick where the layers of other cards used to build up this one thick card was visible - the autograph was signed with a Staedtler Lumocolor pen [as the case for most certified autographs] and while it's not as bold as a Sharpie autograph, it's clean.

I thought there surface area where the autograph / player images would be would be sort of die-cut, serving as a window to the relic swatch - but the area of the swatch is solid and I can't actually feel the relic material.

2014 Topps Update four pack break

I was really looking for loose packs of 2014 Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks since the product just came out - but I didn't immediately see them, yet I was itching to bust some packs.

I really should have just saved the $8 I spent on the packs, but I needed to justify the 20 minutes I spent at the card shop - in addition to trying to find something random in the quarter bins.

Pack one

#US-131 Chris Denorfia

#US-280 Cole Gillespie

#US-135 Jake Odorizzi

#US-242 Javier Lopez

#PPA-CGM Carlos Gomez - Power Players insert

#FN-GP 2 Gregory Polanco - The Future is Now insert

#US-324 Alexi Amarista

#US-258 Matt Carpenter

#US-30 Elian Herrera

#US-224 Jared Burton

Pack two

#US-67 Scott Van Slyke

#US-257 Eduardo Escobar

#US-75 Nick Punto

#US-124 Nick Tepesch

#US-109 David Lough

#US-148 Kyle Parker - Gold parallel serial #'d 1550/2014

#FF-OV Omar Vizquel - Fond Farewell insert

#US-136 Dioner Navarro

#US-154 Yu Darvish

#US-18 Aramis Ramirez

Pack three

#US-36 Vance Worley

#US-40 Stephen Vogt

#US-42 J.D. Martinez

#US-327 Jonny Gomes

#US-261 Rene Rivera

#US-195 Gerald Laird - Sabermetric variation; this doesn't save the break or anything, but after already putting most of the cards away, I was bored and jotted down the possible variations / short prints from the cards I pulled.

I was 0-for-5 until I dug the Laird out of my loose stash of A-Z cards - looked at the back and saw all the fancy, non-traditional baseball stats.

I still have #135 Jake Odorizzi to check [for another Sabermetric variation] - but I think the Laird was my pull.

#US-72 Chris Young

#US-17 Yangervis Solarte

#US-330 Daniel Webb

#US-52 Chase Anderson

Pack four

#US-211 Jordan Schafer

#US-29 Tyler Skaggs

#US-60 David Ross

#US-89 Stephen Drew

#US-279 Kevin Frandsen - Gold parallel serial #'d 1835/2014

#US-TM-JE Jacoby Ellsbury - 1989 Topps Die-Cut minis insert

#US-12 Brian McCann

#US-174 Jace Peterson

#US-267 Jonathan Diaz

#US-237 Jorge Polanco

2014 Topps Update jumbo pack recap

I figure I'll end up busting at least one loose hobby jumbo pack of the latest Topps / Bowman offerings - whether or not the odds are in my favor picking up only one lone pack, I assume there is still a better chance to pull anything of note in hobby.

As I flipped through the boring base cards and thought who would want another card of some of these guys - I pull a redemption card for a Jorge Posada Strata autograph.

I don't know what relevance a Posada insert of any sorts has in 2014 Topps Update - but it sure made me feel better about my little 'do or die' gamble.

#US-63 David Murphy
#US-37 Leury Garcia
#US-33 Grady Sizemore
#US-59 Brandon McCarthy
#US-58 Raul Ibanez - Angels cut him when he was hitting .150 and even though he's not on the active roster, he is the one at the 2014 World Series.
#US-69 Dellin Betances
#US-319 Ricky Nolasco
#US-127 David Phelps
#US-251 Ike Davis
#US-3 Tom Wilhemsen
#US-134 Tony Cruz
#US-302 Tom Gorzelanny
#US-165 Justin Morneau
#US-248 Brayan Pena
#US-180 Chris Taylor
#US-168 Austin Jackson
#US-145 A.J. Pierzynski
#US-141 Chris Dickerson
#US-130 Tony Watson
#US-286 Brandon Barnes
#US-142 Jon Lester
#US-74 Antonio Bastardo
#US-12 Brian McCann - gold parallel serial #'d 0765/2014
#PPA-AW Adam Wainwright - Power Players insert
#US-57 Jacob DeGrom - Red Hot foil parallel
#FF-MM Mark McGwire - Fond Farewells insert
#TM-RA Roberto Alomar - 1989 Topps Die-Cut minis insert
Jorge Posada Strata Signature Relic redemption card 
#US-324 Alexi Amarista
#US-225 Luis Avilan
#US-274 Chris Withrow
#US-117 John Lackey 
#US-35 Marcus Stroman
#US-113 Oscar Taveras
#US-268 Matt Shoemaker
#US-153 Kurt Suzuki
#US-103 Starlin Castro
#US-283 Tyson Ross
#US-11 Robbie Ross Jr.
#US-252 Adrian Nieto
#US-95 Vidal Nuno
#US-24 Tony Sanchez
#US-150 Jon Singleton
#US-263 Kyle Seager
#US-282 Glen Perkins
#US-155 Devin Mesoraco
#US-238 Giancarlo Stanton
#US-156 Ronald Belisario
#US-179 John Baker
#FN-GP 2 Gregory Polanco - The Future is Now insert

2014 Topps Update blaster recap

Commemorative patch card 
#WSP-RF Rollie Fingers - manufactured 1974 World Series patch; I can't complain about these cards when they are pretty sharp.

Pack one
#US-296 Tyler Moore
#US-46 Jake Marisnick
#US-84 Brandon Maurer - Red Hot Foil parallel
#US-64 LaTroy Hawkins - Target Red parallel
#US-231 Brendan Ryan - Target Red parallel
#US-7 David Price
#US-24 Tony Sanchez
#US-150 Jon Singleton

Pack two
#US-83 Brandon Hicks
#US-85 Daniel Descalso
#US-164 Joe Kelly
#FF-OV Omar Vizquel - Fond Farewells insert / do I really need a flipping Omar Vizquel card in a 2014 product?
#US-20 Gregory Polanco - Target Red parallel
#US-100 Jose Abreu - Target Red parallel
#US-252 Adrian Nieto
#US-95 Vidal Nuno

Pack three
#US-244 Daisuke Matsuzaka
#US-73 Francisco Cervelli
#US-86 Cesar Ramos
#TM-PF Prince Fielder - 1989 Topps Die-Cut minis insert
#US-266 Drew Smyly - Target Red parallel
#US-221 Gregory Polanco - Target Red parallel

#US-49 Willie Bloomquist
#US-11 Robbie Ross Jr.

Pack four
#US-70 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
#US-93 Troy Patton
#FN-MW1 Michael Wacha - The Future is Now insert
#US-293 Troy Patton - Target Red parallel
#US-272 Mark Ellis - Target Red parallel
#US-206 Chris Perez
#US-103 Starlin Castro
#US-283 Tyson Ross

Pack five

#US-218 David Carpenter

#US-194 Hector Santiago
#US-237 Jorge Polanco - Gold parallel serial #'d 1781/2014
#PPA-JB Jose Bautista - Power Players insert
#US-13 Andrew Heaney - Target Red parallel
#US-14 Justin Grimm - Target Red parallel
#US-250 Yu Darvish

#US-153 Kurt Suzuki

Pack six
#US-248 Brayan Pena
#US-34 Gavin Floyd
#US-107 Josh Collmenter
#WSH-SC Steve Carlton - World Series Heroes insert
#US-7 David Price - Target Red parallel
#US-325 Jose Abreu - Target Red parallel / I pull two Abreu cards and neither one is the actual rookie card, even though both have a MLB rookie card logo [his actual rookie card appeared in Topps Series II, btw]; why does he need two different debut cards?
#US-57 Jacob DeGrom
#US-191 Yoenis Cespedes

Pack seven
#US-302 Tom Gorzelanny
#US-165 Justin Morneau
#US-78 Reid Brignac
#US-206 Chris Perez - Target Red parallel
#US-49 Willie Bloomquist - Target Red parallel
#US-94 Tuffy Gosewisch
#US-177 Dee Gordon
#US-55 Jon Lester

Pack eight
#US-3 Tom Wilhelmsen
#US-134 Tony Cruz
#US-323 Chase Headley
#FN-MB1 Mookie Betts - The Future is Now insert
#US-57 Jacob DeGrom - Target Red parallel
#US-250 Yu Darvish - Target Red parallel

#US-54 Mike Trout
#US-288 Aroldis Chapman

Pack nine

#US-127 David Phelps
#US-251 Ike Davis
#US-138 Asdrubal Cabrera
#US-326 Joaquin Benoit - Red Hot Foil parallel
#US-212 Randy Choate - Target Red parallel
#US-94 Tuffy Gosewisch - Target Red parallel
#US-212 Randy Choate
#US-48 Scott Hairston

Pack 10
#US-319 Ricky Nolasco
#US-117 Bryan Holaday
#FF-RH Roy Halladay - Fond Farewell insert
#US-300 Miguel Cabrera - Target Red parallel
#US-169 Chone Figgins - Target Red parallel

#US-169 Chone Figgins - looks like there are some Dodgers lurking as bonus babies but they are too blurry to make out / I assume the guy on the dugout railing is manager Don Mattingly.
#US-276 Rougned Odor
#US-284 Robbie Ray

2014 Topps Update Value Pack recap

I wanted to get my initial fix out of the way, so I impulsively grabbed a blaster box and a value pack about a week ago - not that it matters, but this pack configuration was 36 cards in single hanger pack as opposed to a two section rack pack.

#US-244 Daisuke Matsuzaka
#US-73 Francisco Cervelli
#US-83 Brandon Hicks
#US-84 Daniel Descalso
#US-296 Tyler Moore
#US-116 Brett Anderson
#US-112 Aflredo Simon
#US-111 Emilio Bonifacio
#US-287 Mike Bolsinger
#US-19 Bronson Arroyo
#US-38 Jason Giambi
#US-107 Josh Collmenter
#US-93 Troy Patton
#US-86 Cesar Ramos
#US-164 Joe Kelly
#US-46 Jake Marisnick
#US-2 Derek Jeter - Gold parallel serial #'d 0005/2014
#US-280 Cole Gillespie - Red Hot Foil parallel
#FN-NC 2 Nick Castellanos - The Future is Now insert
#WSH-BSA Bret Saberhagen - World Series Heroes insert
#US-7 David Price
#US-325 Jose Abreu
#US-13 Andrew Heaney
#US-14 Justin Grimm
#US-293 Tom Koehler
#US-174 Jace Peterson
#US-267 Jonathan Diaz
#US-237 Jorge Polanco
#US-17 Yangervis Solarte
#US-330 Daniel Webb
#US-52 Chase Anderson
#US-154 Yu Darvish
#US-18 Aramis Ramirez
#US-258 Matt Carpenter
#US-30 Elian Herrera
#US-224 Jared Burton
Security card