2017 Topps Bunt value pack recap

It might nice to bust several packs, a blaster or even a full box on the cheap of a current year product like Topps Bunt [or Topps Opening Day] - where I rip a bunch of packs and end up with stacks of cards to sift through without worrying so much about getting hits.

Topps Bunt isn't a bad looking product, though when it comes down to it, do I really need more than one random value pack - to see what these cards are all about and satisfy my curiosity.

#30 Kris Bryant 

#134 Ian Kinsler

#43 Addison Russell

#147 Kenta Maeda

#61 Ryan Braun

#164 Ryan Schimpf

#72 Sonny Gray

#175 Cole Hamels

#83 Brandon Crawford

#100 David Ortiz - Green parallel serial #’d 62/99

Bunt $25 in free coins code card

#115 Hanley Ramirez - Blue parallel

#150 Ichiro - Blue parallel

#10 Joe Musgrove - Blue parallel

#PR-GG Goose Gossage - Bunt Programs insert

#I-RC Robinson Cano - Infinite insert

#P-RK Ralph Kiner - Perspectives insert

#92 Tanner Roark

#103 Jean Segura

#196 Gavin Cecchini

#39 Jackie Bradley Jr.

#143 Eric Hosmer

#29 Corey Seager

#133 Nolan Arenado

2017 Topps Heritage 7-pack break

I'm not exactly a fan of Topps Heritage because it has been played out card product to me - I feel like there should be more effort to come up with something original when it comes to baseball cards as opposed to dipping into your 'heritage' as sort of a crutch to stand on.

I do appreciate some 'old school' elements in baseball cards, so it's not like I don't get what these cards are about - I grabbed 7 random packs from a card shop and also a blaster box from a Target to see if I can get into these new cards for a little bit.

It may not feel authentic, but the thinner card stock is cleaner and the cards look fairly sharp - it seems like there was no effort to make the cards look like the originals, which may not be something people who collect Heritage seriously may like.

I read a little primer on the original 1968 Topps cards - but despite the inconsistent pattern scheme on the borders, I'm okay with the cards looking a little bland and maybe lacking a little imagination [just considering the cards themselves and not the wrinkles and gimmicks that come with a 2017 release].

The card backs are bright and bold - so that makes them easy to read.

I realize 1968 Topps wasn't a set that used facsimile autographs of the players as part of the design - so the fronts of these 2017 Topps Heritage cards look less cluttered.

Pack one
#280 Chase Headley
#283 Pittsburgh Pirates team card
#301 Martin Prado
#358 San Diego Padres team card
#NAP-14 Kyle Hendricks - New Age Performers

#307 Yordano Ventura - R.I.P.
#373 Nolan Arenado - All-Topps subset
#272 Wei-Yin Chen
#336 Colorado Sluggers - feat. LeMahieu/Blackmon

Pack two
#224 Matt Szczur
#58 Tony Watson
#62 Nick Markakis
#144 Ryan Zimmerman

#491 Jason Hammel - SP
#30 Tyler Flowers
#353 Zach Britton
#297 Ezequiel Carrera
#278 Jeurys Familia

Pack three
#286 Dellin Betances
#394 Texas Rangers team card
#225 Francisco Rodriguez
#165 2017 Detroit Tigers Rookie Stars - feat. JaCoby Jones/Dustin Molleken

#412 David Ortiz - SP/Color Swap variation?
#63 Alex Wilson
#42 2017 Miami Marlins Rookie Stars - feat. Austin Brice/Yefri Perez
#124 Chad Qualls
#378 Max Scherzer - All-Topps subset

Pack four
#188 Jedd Gyorko
#51 Derek Norris
#218 Jim Johnson
#111 Tanner Roark

#Topps Tan-10 Juan Marichal/Clayton Kershaw - Then and Now insert
#231 Matt Garza
#241 Travis Jankowski
#388 Yonder Alonso
#181 Corey Kluber

Pack five
#80 Eddie Rosario
#319 Washington National Rookie Stars - feat. Brian Goodwin/Spencer Kieboom
#132 Cheslor Cuthbert

#117 Chicago White Sox Rookie Stars - feat. Carson Fulmer/Yoan Moncada
#497 Kevin Gausman - SP
#243 Byron Buxton
#393 Toronto Blue Jays Rookie Stars - feat. Matt Dermody/Danny Barnes
#35 Anthony DeSclafani

#368 Manny Machado - All-Topps subset; it's totally not obvious who is partially pictured on the back of Machado's card.
Topps info card/Bunt pack code card

Pack six
#201 Martin Maldonado
#219 Pedro Alvarez
#107 Roberto Osuna
#105 Adam Lind

#149 1987 Topps Ray Searage - Rediscover Topps; damn, this is just what I wanted from a pack of 2017 Topps Heritage.

It's going to be another 19 years for 2036 Topps Heritage to come out featuring 'Today's Stars in The 1987 Design' - where pulling a buyback card from 1987 Topps would make sense, though I probably could have pulled any junk wax era card from this latest Topps promotion.

#77 Yadier Molina
#345 Jarred Cosart
#210 Carlos Rodon
#343 Marcus Semien
#104 Carlos Santana

Pack seven
#220 Joe Mauer
#275 2017 Philadelphia Phillies Rookie Stars - feat. Jake Thompson/Roman Quinn
#389 D.J. LeMahieu

#372 Anthony Rizzo - All-Topps subset; it's totally not obvious who the smiling mug on the back of Rizzo's card belongs to.

#26 Gary Sanchez - 1968 Topps Game insert
#221 Toronto Blue Jays team card
#66 Kyle Hendricks
#192 Zack Cosart
#158 Cubs Fly the W

Ranking the 30 MLB teams on my watch - Boston Red Sox #10 of 30

The 2013 World Series was won on the back of MVP David Ortiz and it seems like he has been the one constant in Boston over the last 10-11 years - he maybe have been a PED guy at some point and several years ago his bat had slowed down as he entered his mid 30's.

There have been rumblings and grumblings about whether he is a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate - his postseason performances [in 2004, 2007 and 2013] help his case a lot and if I was betting on it, he's probably going to be in Cooperstown.

I do think he is going to need a couple of more 'nice' seasons to round out his career - being a designated hitter for the majority of his career and other warts [PEDs] probably has him waiting at least three to five years after he is eligible to be voted in.

Card shop finds - 2013 Topps Triple Threads

#56 Albert Belle - Amethyst parallel serial #'d 266/650

#23 David Ortiz - 2013 World Series MVP

#62 Andrew McCutchen - a strong contender for the National League MVP award.

#73 C.J. Wilson - the Angels ace in 2013, he won 17 games.

#83 Jered Weaver - the Angels' ace when healthy.

Featured pickup: 2008 Upper Deck Ballpark Idols Quad Swatch Memorabilia card #237

Don Mattingly - October 4, 2005
3-for-6 RBI with a walk in Game 2 of the 1995 ALDS

Derek Jeter - September 21, 2008
0-for-5 - despite going hitless in the last game at Yankee Stadium, he is the all-time hit leader, surpassing Lou Gehrig.

Manny Ramirez - July 6, 2008
0-for-1 - struck out by Mariano Rivera on three straight pitches in what may have been the deciding game for Boston Red Sox management and their players to come together and say 'we have to trade Manny now.'

David Ortiz - August 24, 2008
0-for-2 with two walks

This was an appropriate card to note the last game played at Yankee Stadium Sunday night - I dug around to look for the featured players' last appearance at Yankee Stadium and to see how they did.

I don't know if the price I paid for the card was a good deal or not - but my standard saying is it is worth the price is what I paid for it, no more and maybe less. My cap is probably $10 on picking-up any 'midlevel' or strictly 'low-end' singles.

I'll look for a 'topper' to my collection - like a card or something once in a while when I have the chance and when I feel like I'm not breaking the bank.

The card is probably more common than I can imagine [it is listed as part of the base set and not an insert] - but features jersey pieces [game-used cards are oversaturated to the point of pissing off collectors looking for something worth more] from Don Mattingly [pinstripe], Derek Jeter [pinstripe], Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

I wanted to find an 'acceptable' player combination featuring Jeter and figured two of the most prominent players [Manny and Big Papi] from the No. 1 rivals would be suitable - I don't see where Mattingly immediately fits in and can see where someone who played in the last five years being a more ideal subject for the quad card.

On the other hand, Donnie Baseball kept the Yankees relevant - through a World Series dry spell in the 1980s and is considered a franchise legend, probably more beloved [particularly by New York Yankees' fans] than many Hall of Famers enshrined in Cooperstown.