2015 Topps Heritage blaster recap

2015 Topps Heritage blaster box [$19.99 each at the Target] - I used my $5 off coupon from my Topps coupon book available in Topps Series I blasters from Target.

Pack one
#246 Kyle Gibson
#213 Joakim Soria
#77 Casey Janssen

#224 Corey Kluber / Max Scherzer / Jered Weaver - 2014 American League Pitching Leaders; wins
#458 Jon Lester
#326 Braves 2nd Place NL East Division - checklist
#82 Scott Kazmir
#39 Marcus Stroman
#132 Travis Ishikawa

Pack two
#45 Mookie Betts
#109 Didi Gregorious
#295 Jayson Werth
#207 Chase Headley
#87 Torii Hunter

#Topps THC-470 Nelson Cruz - Chrome parallel serial #'d 128/999
#9 Jenrry Mejia
#268 Nick Castellanos
#194 Nationals 1st Place NL East Division - checklist

Pack three
#114 Josh Reddick
#1 Buster posey
#126 Chris Tillman
#120 Brian Dozier
#500 Mike Trout - SP
#375 Josh Harrison
#170 Chase Utley
#272 Wei-Yin Chen

#83 Matt Shoemaker

Pack four
#336 Fernando Rodney
#24 Wil Myers
#342 Tyler Matzek
#14 Kyle Lohse
#Topps TN-4 Lou Brock / Dee Gordon - Then and Now insert
#228 Yonder Alonso
#145 Ben Zobrist
#210 Neil Walker
#68 George Springer

Pack five
#215 Justin Morneau / Josh Harrison / Andrew McCutchen - 2014 National League Batting Leaders; average
#401 Hector Neris / Chris Heston
#57 Carlos Ruiz
#108 James Loney
#36 Sean Doolittle
#NAP-12 Felix Hernandez - New Age Performers insert
#103 Drew Storen
#242 Kendrys Morales
#71 Mark Buehrle

Pack six
#279 John Gibbons
#388 Dellin Betances
#139 Javier Baez / Jorge Soler 

#249 Mike Scioscia
#273 Adam Wainwright / Clayton Kershaw - NL Aces
#491 Victor Martinez - SP
#209 Kyle Lobstein / Buck Farmer
#238 Dodgers 1st Place NL West Division
#146 Guilder Rodriguez / Lisaverto Bonilla

Pack seven
#95 Scooter Gennett
#161 Adeiny Hechavarria
#163 Dexter Fowler
#282 Tanner Roark

#NF-9 Marvin Miller - News Flashbacks insert
#386 Matt Williams
#329 Michael Saunders
#420 Matt Cain
#248 Wade Miley

Pack eight
#350 Masahiro Tanaka
#167 Bud Norris
#122 John Danks

#340 Garrett Richards
#345 Scott Van Slyke
#72 Nolan Arenado
#214 Allen Craig
#162 Brad Miller
#181 Gio Gonzalez

2015 Topps Target $9.99 hanger box break

With the multicolored borders, I think this year's flagship Topps cards are a little more playful, so they may appeal to kids more - as opposed to a set of cards that is dissected by older, more serious card connoisseurs.

I've had no problems with Topps card designs from the last five years - though I think the designs have been a little too conservative and bland.

#197 Glen Perkins
#289 Matt Joyce
#255 James Russell
#166 Jenrry Mejia
#134 Brett Lawrie
#344 Manny Parra
#279 Coco Crisp
#1 Derek Jeter
#122 Corey Kluber
#269 Jordy Mercer
#10 Cole Hamels
#136 Manny Machado
#126 Detroit Tigers team card
#283 Chris Johnson
#123 Ben Revere
#190 Zach Britton
#288 Chris Parmelee
#50 Yu Darvish
#111 Trevor Bauer
#312 Kyle Lobstein - Rainbow Foil parallel
#A-18 Ted Williams - Archetypes insert
#H-4 Bob Feller - Highlight of the Year insert
#JR-10 Jackie Robinson - The Jackie Robinson Story insert
#R-7 Ryan Ludwick - Robbed in Left insert
Babe Ruth's Call Your Shot Game card - $0.50 off coupon
#I-15 Willie Stargell / Andrew McCutchen - Inspired Play insert

#FP-06 Agnes McKee - First Pitch insert
#337 Jedd Gyorko
#224 Bryan Mitchell
#179 Jason Vargas
#145 Jesse Hahn
#95 Junior Lake
#236 Zack Wheeler
#249 Jose Reyes
#157 Ubaldo Jimenez
#41 Chris Colabello
#324 Chris Archer
#202 Mike Minor
#185 Ricky Nolasco
#230 Jean Segura
#195 Garrett Richards
#284 Brandon League
#159 Brandon Crawford
#333 Billy Hamilton
#302 Martin Prado
#178 Christian Yelich
#52 Fernando Rodney
#37 Arismendy Alcantara
#169 Adam Jones
#127 Justin Morneau / Josh Harrison / Andrew McCutchen - National League Batting Average Leaders

#285 Nelson Cruz / Chris Carter / Mike Trout - American League Home Run Leaders
#163 Chase Utley
#265 Arizona Diamondbacks team card
#320 Shin-Soo Choo
#70 Charlie Furbush
#239 Jose Iglesias
#245 Tyler Colvin
#294 Aaron Sanchez
#281 Elvis Andrus
#14 Kendall Graveman
#235 Jeremy Guthrie
#309 Maikel Franco
#110 Tony Sipp
#66 Vance Worley
#310 Jake Lamb
#78 Yordano Ventura
#253 Gregory Polanco
#209 Daniel Corcino
#307 Mark Teixeira
#6 Jayson Werth
#FHR-06 Bryce Harper - First Home Run insert

#FHR-28 Don Mattingly - First Home Run insert; while it may not be possible to find suitable [to put on a baseball card] images from a MLB player's first home run, the picture of Mattingly could be from any point in the 1980's.

2010 World Series preview - Texas Rangers

I have no rooting interest in this World Series, though I'll say what has been said countless times recently - I'm glad the Philadelphia Phillies and/or the New York Yankees are not one of the representatives to chase after a World Series title.

The New York Yankees can spend $125 million on Cliff Lee this upcoming off-season and might as well be in the World Series again in 2011 - while the Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to steam roll the San Francisco Giants in the National League Championship Series.

However the Phillies were outhustled by the upstarts from the Bay Area - perhaps there is less luster associated with a team that was supposed to be a juggernaut.

It will take a big effort from mashers like Nelson Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton to lead the Rangers to a World Series title - the most important qualities to their team is the ability to pitch, play defense and run the bases.

I think the narrative fits, where it took Nolan Ryan's vision to make pitching more of a priority with the Rangers - however the pitching was only part of the equation, where Ron Washington's vision was to make sure the Rangers played 'small ball' the right way.

The man-love for Hamilton would elevate him to iconic status if the Texas Rangers won the World Series - if he has a monster series [think Barry Bonds circa 2002], then he can do whatever, wherever he wants with everyone on their knees to service him.

It seems like the Rangers have the perfect mix of talent - that they should walk over the Giants regardless of any obstacles and win their first World Series in franchise history.