Joe Mauer first year card set finds

I was thumbing through cards in a dollar box from a seller's table at a card show and started finding some Joe Mauer minor league cards - it was a no brainer to make at least one or two a keeper since it's just cool to have so long ago, formative cards of a player who has been minted as a Hall of Famer.

I do not know if these cards were from a legitimate issue or are particularly valued other than what I paid per card - since it looked like I found all the pieces towards a 10-card set, I put them in my keeper stack.

2016 Topps Holiday Walmart Box break

I had to make a pit stop at a random Walmart to see if any of these were on the shelves - I'd been thinking about these for the past few weeks, so I picked up a couple of boxes to see what these holiday themed cards were all about.

The 200-card base set mirrors selected cards from the Topps flagship set as well as from the Update Series - I don't know if Topps needed another release that parallels their flagship set, but these boxes were probably designed to be a relatively inexpensive [$20] holiday themed trading card product.

I busted one of the boxes I bought and it seemed pretty straightforward - I pulled 94 different base set cards with five Metallic Snowflake parallels and one hit [each box comes with either a relic or an autograph].

Pack one
#HMW143 Adam Wainwright
#HMW166 Roberto Osuna
#HMW6 Starling Marte
#HMW189 Brandon Belt
#HMW105 Dellin Betances

#HMW141 Mookie Betts - Metallic Snowflake parallel
#HMW67 Mallex Smith
#HMW177 Chris Sale
#HMW147 Michael Wacha
#HMW14 Andrelton Simmons

Pack two
#HMW181 Nolan Arenado
#HMW63 Ryan Howard
#HMW133 Michael Brantley
#HMW37 Raisel Iglesias
#HMW103 Jason Hammel
#HMW91 Prince Fielder
#HMW104 Xander Bogaerts
#HMW80 Josh Donaldson
#HMW5 C.C. Sabathia
#HMW125 Gregory Polanco

Pack three
#HMW146 Addison Russell
#HMW109 Russell Martin
#HMW41 Jake Odorizzi
#HMW69 Zack Greinke

#HMW150 Yasiel Puig - Metallic Snowflake parallel
#HMW142 Michael Pineda
#HMW188 Robinson Cano
#HMW31 Corey Kluber
#HMW167 Craig Kimbrel
#HMW2 Jose Berrios

Pack four
#HMW178 Matt Duffy
#HMW117 Trayce Thompson
#HMW101 Eric Hosmer    
#HMW57 Michael Conforto
#HMW99 Miguel Cabrera
#HMW184 Javier Baez
#HMW108 R.A. Dickey
#HMW45 Aaron Nola
#HMW21 Matt Andriese
#HMW32 Adeiny Hechavarria

Pack five
#HMW34 Michael Fulmer
#HMW17 Jacoby Ellsbury
#HMW94 Albert Almora
#HMW112 Bartolo Colon

#HMW62 Aledmys Diaz - Metallic Snowflake parallel
#HMW15 Adam Jones
#HMW92 Elvis Andrus
#HMW196 Kenley Jansen
#HMW19 Joe Panik
#HMW199 Yoenis Cespedes

Pack six
#HMW48 Andrew McCutchen
#HMW122 Joc Pederson
#HMW39 Anthony Rizzo
#HMW148 Francisco Lindor
#HMW54 Melvin Upton Jr. 

#A-MD Matt Duffy - autograph serial #’d 047/200; even if it's just a more common player, finding an autograph was nice since they seem to be harder pulls than the relics.
#HMW28 Jackie Bradley Jr. 
#HMW86 Matt Harvey
#HMW51 Luis Severino
#HMW155 Nomar Mazara

Pack seven
#HMW61 Brandon Crawford
#HMW43 Masahiro Tanaka
#HMW24 Manny Machado
#HMW174 Martin Prado
#HMW29 Nelson Cruz

#HMW192 Joey Votto - Metallic Snowflake parallel
#HMW9 Justin Upton
#HMW3 Paul Goldschmidt
#HMW85 Neil Walker
#HMW98 Jason Kipnis

Pack eight
#HMW153 Adrian Gonzalez
#HMW87 Steven Matz
#HMW84 Ian Desmond
#HMW111 Daniel Murphy
#HMW172 Blake Snell
#HMW66 Marco Estrada
#HMW176 Ryan Braun
#HMW118 Adrian Beltre
#HMW13 Aroldis Chapman
#HMW65 Mark Teixeira

Pack nine
#HMW10 Brett Gardner
#HMW22 Byung-Ho Park
#HMW82 Justin Verlander
#HMW129 Corey Seager

#HMW107 Joe Mauer - Metallic Snowflake parallel
#HMW145 Odubel Herrera
#HMW169 Jed Lowrie
#HMW114 Yu Darvish
#HMW136 Trevor Story
#HMW119 Yunel Escobar

Pack 10
#HMW116 Sonny Gray
#HMW183 Yadier Molina
#HMW25 Noah Syndergaard
#HMW198 David Wright
#HMW100 Carlos Martinez
#HMW140 Yovani Gallardo
#HMW47 Johnny Cueto
#HMW182 Starlin Castro
#HMW76 David Ortiz
#HMW7 George Springer

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Minnesota Twins #24 of 30

The Twins were the epitome of a young scrappy team that managed to contend with some emerging stars in the mid 2000's - while the team has suffered through some lean years lately, Joe Mauer is still Joe Mauer.

Despite his lack of home run power, Mauer is a catcher who is a pure hitter - with a lifetime average of .323 and an on-base percentage of .405.

It might not be so clear cut, but as long as Mauer plays out his hefty contract and sticks behind the plate four or five more seasons with the same level of production - then he will be a Hall of Famer.

Digging through card show bins

A trip to a card show where there are different dime / quarter / $0.50 / dollar boxes to dig through is how I have a little fun putting together my own stack of baseball cards when I'm not angling to pick up anything in particular - though I only get a certain number of cards and it may cost a little more that something a Fairfield repack from Target, I have more control over what I can pick up, depending on my interests at the moment and actual cards seeded in the boxes.

15 for $5
1991 Topps Stadium Club Dome Shawn Green #67
1996 Donruss Press Proof Steve Sparks #3

1998 Skybox Metal Tony Gwynn #19 of 20 - Universal Language die-cut insert
1999 Bowman Tim Hudson rookie card #375 - scan miscut the image of the card
1999 Topps Finest Pat Burrell rookie card #131
2005 Topps Turkey Red Ryne Sandberg #312

2006 Topps Turkey Red Albert Pujols #500
2007 Bowman Sterling Prospects Brandon Hynick #BSP-BWH

2010 Topps Ozzie Smith #CMT 28 - Cards Your Mom Threw Out Original Back insert  
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Matthew Skole #BDPP 15
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Harold Riggins #BDPP 21
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Carl Thomore #BDPP 31

2011 Topps Opening Day Joe Mauer - Opening Day Stars insert
2012 Bowman Draft Chrome Ref Sean McAdams #BDPP 94
2012 Bowman Platinum Yorman Rodriguez #BPP 68 - X-fractor parallel

15 for $1
1991 Upper Deck Final Update Kenny Lofton rookie card 24F
1992 Fleer Tony Gwynn #5 of 10
1992 Fleer Tony Gwynn #9 of 10

1996 Upper Deck SPx Jim Edmonds #11
2005 Fleer Ultra Joe Mauer #5 - Gold Medallion die-cut parallel
2007 Bowman's Best Joe Mauer #6
2007 Topps Allen and Ginter Miguel Cabrera #90

2007 Topps Allen and Ginter David Wright #200
2007 Topps Turkey Red Vladimir Guerrero #185B - Ad back / SP
2008 Topps Allen and Ginter Jered Weaver #234
2010 Topps Heritage Ryan Braun #492 - All-Star subset / SP
2011 Bowman Josh Hamilton BB 9 - Bowman's Best insert
2011 Bowman Joe Mauer BB 22 - Bowman's Best insert
2011 Topps Update Kevin Jepsen #US-101 - Cognac parallel
2011 Topps Update Scott Downs #US-198 - Diamond Anniversary parallel

2010 American League Division Series preview

American League Division Series preview - my Halos are out of it, but I'm still a baseball fan and interested in the playoffs in 2010.

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
The Twins will be facing a tough task in trying to upended the Yankees - a banged up Joe Mauer is going to need to come up big, especially with Twins first baseman Justin Morneau out and when Mauer is viewed as the Twins' franchise guy.

The Yankees' lineup will be too much for the Twins to overcome - the Yankees have Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada, some guy named A-Rod, et al to make up for some of the pitching deficiences the Yankees might have past C.C. Sabathia.

The Yankees outclassed the Twins last year and it will be much of the same this year - the Yankees are not invincible, but their hitters are so much better, even when Derek Jeter suffers through an off-year.

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are solid all-around and they've had some playoff experience - Rays manager Joe Maddon maybe the key as far as making sure the Rays players maintain a one game at a time focus instead of playing ahead of themselves.

Star third baseman Evan Longoria's health may prevent him from having a big series - but the team is solid all-around.

If Vladdy, Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and the rest of the Rangers' hitters are up to the task - the pitching should come on strong.

Starter Cliff Lee basically legitimizes the Rangers' starting pitching staff and gives them a chance in the series - if Lee bests the Rays No. 1 starter David Price.

The Rays won the American League East outright -it will be a massive disappointment to show any let down, now they are in the playoffs. Under Maddon, a choke job isn't going to happen.

American League MVP Award winner Joe Mauer

After winning his first MVP award, what can be said about Joe Mauer that hasn't been uttered already - he is the best player in the Major Leagues not named Albert Pujols.

Because Mauer is behind the plate as a catcher - the numbers he generates is simply more impressive. Mauer is simply a once-in-a-generation talent that can probably win the next 10 MVP awards if his health dicatates it.

What stands out is this past year, Mauer won his third batting title with a .365 batting average - I realized he was a very good young player, but it didn't dawn on me that he was that good of a hitter.

Batting average maybe overrated in some respect, but to battle every day with pitchers, to make enough contact or lay off just enough pitches to have prolonged success - while enduring the bumps and bruises received from being a catcher, must make Mauer some sort of Superman among his peers.

Besides batting average, Mauer's on-base percentage was a whopping .444 - he finally turned the power on, hitting 28 home runs and slugging .587 in 2009.

Admittedly, I'm not much of a Minnesota Twins/Joe Mauer guy - but I'll be paying to watch him play opening week of the 2010 schedule, when the Twins open up in Anaheim.