2009 Topps Hobby Box Break #3

I want to start off by thanking both Achiever Card Blog and Dinged Corners for their gracious patronage as well as throwing up links on their page to mine. Perhaps more minds will be infected, and if nothing else, more eyes will be looking for Brewers cards for me. Always looking for a trade.

I'm posting from work today (ya, I know, sometimes its a tough job) so I don't bore the wife to death when I get home tonight.I still haven't fully decided which cards to share from the recent trade w/ Spiff, so I'll copout again and give you packs 3-4 of the '09 Topps box.

PACKs 3-4

#71 Mat Gamel
After the departure of prospect Matt LaPorta to Cleveland last summer (among others) as part of the CC Sabathia trade, this young man moved higher to (if not, to) the top of the prospect pool. I mentioned our guy Alcides Escobar last time, but this guy in my mind will be moving up to Milwaukee first. He's got a great bat, great glove, just a stud. He's a 3rd baseman by trade, so expect him to see much more time this summer as we suffer once again through Bill Hall's slumpiness. I love Bill Hall (most enjoyable when said as one word, 'Billhall!') and thank him for being THE guy on the ballclub for a good amount of time, prior to the arrival of Braun and Fielder. Anways, watch for Gamel this season. This card is on it's way to Arizona as we speak for some sweet TTM lovin.

#213 Jeremy Sowers
This is one of my favorite cards so far in the set. I have always been a huge fan of alternate uniforms, but throwbacks are the best. The lighting on this card, with the sunshine coming in, really makes it look as if there is 1950's filter on this camera, absolutely great shot. Could swear this was an older card...except for the Nikes, though.

This card also shares with us the "Six Degrees of Mickey Mantle": Jeremy Sowers plays with
Anthony Reyes who played w/ Cal Eldred who played w/ Robin Yount who played w/ Mike Hegan who played w/ Mickey Mantle. Nice reference to Rockin Robin.

#LG13 Jackie Robinson LOTG
Not a bad subset here. If you've seen the list of players in this line of card, it's easy to see how it will have a decent shelf life.

#104 Brandon Moss
I have a spot in my heart for the Pirates. They have been terrible for a long time, I mean, worse than my Brewers (I'm sure if the Brewers organization went back further than 1970, however, we could probably rank up there with the Bucs). They give us a decent number of wins each season, so that helps offset the games we can't win against the freakin baby bears, or those pesky inter-league games against the former AL rivals, the Twins. Nice action shot, here. Fun fact on the back: he became the first major leaguer to his first career HR in the eastern hemisphere.

#271 Cliff Lee CY
Nobody celebrated CC Sabathia's departure from Cleveland more than Cliff Lee. Not that Sabathia was a having a great season prior to his move to Milwaukee (6-8 record) but he casts a pretty big shadow.No longer 2nd fiddle to the big teddy bear, Lee had an amazing '08 season. I'll leave the speculation to Motherscratcher, he's the resident Tribe afficianado. Here's to you.

#286 Odalis Perez
As I was ripping my way through this box, I kept saying to the wife "Man, they gave EVERYONE a card this year". Kind of like the old days, when everyone got a card. I'm glad those days are back, so guys like Odalis here can show their kids a card w/ their face on it. His cander on the back of the card is absolutely priceless. When asked about his 2008 season, he said "I didn't know if I'd even be part of the team. I'm not going to say I had a great season, but I was there every five days". Indeed you were, sir. Indeed you were.

#33 Jose Guillen
#29 Jerry Hairston
#273 Brian Roberts - last player to ever bat at Yankee Stadium
#266 Todd Wellemeyer
#218 Emmanuel Burriss
#285 Justin Duchscherer
Topps Attax
#96 Dexter Fowler
#114 Chris Dickerson
#86 Kila Ka'aihue
#79 David Eckstein
#328 Doug Mientkiewicz
#210 Geovany Soto