2015 Topps Series I blaster recap

I still have to pick up my share of loose hobby packs and an obligatory hobby jumbo pack - but I think I got my initial retail samplings of this year's Topps flagship brand out of the way.

Commemorative patch pack
#FHRM-MM Mike Moustakas - first home run medallion card; even if they aren't going to worth much, these cards are pretty nice to have in-hand; I do wonder if the medallions are going to rust over time and it's just too bad I got a guy who killed the Angels in the Division Series last October.

Pack one
#40 Joakim Soria
#79 Starling Marte
#227 Madison Bumgarner
#277 Cincinnati Reds team card
#325 Felix Hernandez
#298 Rymer Liriano
#R-2 Alexi Amarista - Robbed in Center insert
#FHR-39 Dustin Pedroia - First Home Run insert
#191 Yimi Garcia
#267 Zack Greinke
#67 Hunter Pence

Pack two
#77 Edwin Escobar
#246 Chris Carter
#287 Everth Cabrera
#60 Michael Wacha
#271 Pittsburgh Pirates team card
#42 Todd Frazier
#215 Alejandro De Aza
#H-16 Catfish Hunter - Highlight of the Year insert
#72 Jordan Lyles
#121 Garrett Jones
#131 Edward Mujica

Pack three
#241 Dilson Herrera
#182 Devin Mesoraco
#61 Johnny Cueto / Clayton Kershaw / Adam Wainwright - 2014 National League ERA Leaders
#21 Brett Gardner
#38 Jordan Zimmerman
#7B Hank Aaron - Baseball History insert
#FHR-21 Jose Bautista - First Home Run insert
#173 Carlos Torres
#89 Michael Choice
#266 Brandon Phillips

Pack four
#183 Craig Gentry
#65 Alexei Ramirez
#342 San Diego Padres team card
#319 Derek Jeter
#317 Clayton Kershaw
#48 John Axford
#96 Sergio Santos - Rainbow Foil parallel
#I-12 Frank Thomas / Jose Abreu - Inspired Play insert
#233 Carlos Ruiz
#274 Ryan Zimmerman
#62 Nolan Arenado

Pack five
#44 Gio Gonzalez
#83 David Wright
#43 Starlin Castro
#314 Jackie Bradley Jr.
#297 Scott Kazmir
#A-5 Yasiel Puig - Archetypes insert
#FHR-22 Josh Hamilton - First Home Run insert
#55 Trevor May
#162 Drew Pomeranz
#114 Mike Zunino

Pack six
#112 Daniel Nava
#149 Daniel Murphy
#341 Felix Hernandez / Chris Sale / Corey Kluber - American League ERA Leaders
#88 Madison Bumgarner
#49 Dominic Leone
#H-7 New York Giants Shot Heard 'Round the World' - Highlight of the Year insert
#JR-4 Jackie Robinson - The Jackie Robinson Story insert
#216 Greg Holland
#91 Corey Dickerson
#218 David Buchanan

Pack seven
#82 Nick Tepesch
#201 Tommy LaStella
#200 Miguel Cabrera
#5 Josh Donaldson
#167 Matt Cain

#FHR-40 Deion Sanders - all things considered [i.e. with all the non-baseball subjects Topps' Allen and Ginter sets and even subjects in this year's First Pitch inserts], Sanders is my pick for the least likeliest guy whose card I'd expect to pull from a 2015 pack of baseball cards.

I realize he was a 'two-sport' player whose accomplishments in the NFL have him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - but this isn't the early 1990's [the height of Prime Time] and no one cares about his pro baseball career in 2015.

#FP-09 Tom Willis - First Pitch insert
#99 Yonder Alonso
#240 Anthony Ranaudo
#339 Austin Jackson

Pack eight
#328 Adrian Gonzalez
#36 Julio Teheran
#120 Yoenis Cespedes
#129 Jacob DeGrom
#205 Josh Harrison
#300 Mike Trout - Gold parallel serial #'d 2011/2015
#F40-9 Alex Rodriguez - Free Agent 40 insert
#335 Matt Barnes
#292 Neil Walker
#309 Maikel Franco

Pack nine
#151 C.J. Cron
#116 Vidal Nuno
#25 Jose Bautista
#206 Rick Porcello
#R-7 Ryan Ludwick - Robbed in Left insert
#FHR-03 David Wright - First Home Run insert
#39 Salvador Perez
#110 Tony Sipp
#66 Vance Worley
#310 Jake Lamb

Pack 10
#340 Carlos Gomez
#286 Trevor Rosenthal
#9 Hunter Pence
#219 Kennys Vargas
#343 Shane Greene
#H-27 Cal Ripken Jr. - Highlight of the Year insert
#JR-6 Jackie Robinson - The Jackie Robinson Story insert
#231 Andrew Cashner
#78 Yordano Ventura
#253 Gregory Polanco

My cool story bro time with Mike Moustakas

I remember trying to get Moustakas' autograph as a Surprise Rafters player in the Arizona Fall League - I think it was after a day game in Mesa and I remember him storming across the field, maybe with his headphones on headed to the team bus.

I kept calling out to him but he just flat out ignored me - he might have had a bad game, wanted to get to the team bus ASAP and didn't want to sign anything.

One of his teammates caught up with him and kind of gestured towards my direction - but Moustakas was oblivious.

No, I wasn't about to freak out or anything, but I was perplexed - I must have gotten him to eventually sign, but I want to always remember my 'non-moment' with Moustakas, who turned around another miserable season by emerging as a postseason hero for the upstart Kansas City Royals this year.

I haven't had problems with getting things signed by Moustakas when he comes home to So. Cal with the Royals to play the Angels - he pretty good about signing, even though he can be a Sharpie killer [someone who presses hard and deliberate when he signs, so the tip of the pen dulls / wears out real quick] and his autograph can be messy.