2017 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball Longevity box

From what I roughly assume, these were the retail version of the 2017 Panini USA Stars & Stripe product - I picked up a box online for about half of what the hobby versions are going for.

I think these boxes still go for about $50 at Targets, though that doesn't really say much if the boxes haven't flown off the shelves - however, I might as well try one to see if I could pull some USA autographs and/or relics.

Pack one
#55 Cade Doughty - apparently all the base cards have the foil board, 'Longevity' finish.
#57 Nick Gorby

#13 Zach Martinez - certified autograph serial #'d 008/199 ; there is some ink smudging on the back, someone must have stacked these cards quickly after applying the clear hologram sticker.
#32 Quentin Holmes - Ruby parallel serial #'d 176/249
#84 Chris Okey

Pack two

#100 Roger Clemens
#92 Zach Jackson
#68 Bobby Dalbec - Ruby parallel serial #'d 202/249

#56 Ethan Long - quad jersey serial #'d 094/199
#93 Mark McGwire

Pack three
#12 Devin Hairston
#54 Josiah Dickson - Ruby parallel serial #'d 071/249

#15 Isaiah Thomas - certified autograph serial #'d 244/399
#85 Logan Shore

#5 Seth Beer

Pack four
#58 Tony Jacobs
#21 Mike Rivera

#99 Barry Larkin - Emerald parallel serial #'d 4/5

#5 Shane Baz / Brendan McKay / Alex Lange / David Peterson - quad jersey serial #'d 079/199; it's nice having four guys who ended up being first round picks on one card.

#14 Keston Hiura

Pack five
60 Ethan Long

#11 Dalton Guthrie - Ruby parallel serial #'d 135/249

#16 Logan Ott - certified autograph serial #'d 061/399

#31 Hunter Greene

#23 Ricky Tyler Thomas

Featured autograph - Barry Larkin

Barry Larkin - I got the autograph card signed through the mail 'via venue' c/o the Atlanta Braves during the 2000 All-Star break.

I remember writing to Larkin and then Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star catcher Jason Kendall - Larkin responded with my card signed in blue ballpoint pen.

If I had a vote in the 2012 Hall of Fame ballot - I'd only vote for Larkin to be inducted with Ron Santo into the Hall of Fame this year.

While I've assumed he was a very good player, I don't think I've seen him as anything but a borderline Hall of Famer - however, Larkin was a 'one-team' guy who spent his entire 19-years as a MLB player for the Cincinnati Reds.

Looking at the shortstop position, Larkin was as good as you were going to get before guys like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra came onto the scene in the late 1990s - Larkin got on-base, hit for average, hit for some pop, stole bases and play pretty good defense.

Considering the Hall candidates - Barry Larkin and Alan Trammell

Hall of Fame

I don't have a vote, but just like every other baseball fan - I'd like to think my 'simple man' opinion counts for something and I'd like to go through candidates eligible and worthy of consideration.

Barry Larkin

Pro - he was a dynamic player who had the ability to do a variety of things such as hit for average, take a walk, run the bases, hit for power, be a good defender and generally be a good clubhouse influence for his Reds' teams, including the squad that won the World Series in 1990.

Con - in his 19 big league seasons, Larkin only played in 150 more games four times.

Yes/No - I'd lean towards 'no.'

His numbers are generally impressive - but maybe he just wasn't healthy enough, where he may needed a stretch of playing 150 games for at least five or six years to vault his final career totals as a slam dunk Hall of Famer.

Alan Trammell

Pro - there seems to be a lot more endorsement for Barry Larkin, but long-time Detroit Tigers fans are saying, 'wait a minute - what about Trammell?'

Trammell was a productive shortstop who won three Silver Slugger Awards, four Gold Gloves and was a batting title contender in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1990 - he was also the 1984 World Series MVP, going 9-for-20 with two home runs, six RBIs in helping his Tigers win the WS over the San Diego Padres.

Con - like many Major Leaguers, Trammell's peak seemed to be in his late 20s. Once he hit his 30s, he was still a capable player, but the number of games played started to dwindle.

Yes/No - I'd lean towards 'no.'

Trammell's numbers were very good - but he wasn't able to finish stronger than he did.