Fill my eyes...there's no disguise...

Why is it that whenever I purchase some retail packs (remind me again, why'd I put myself through this once more?) I always meet the same doom.

Doubles.

And I'm not talking one pair of doubles, I'm talking multiple pairs. It's almost as if the card companies think that I build one set for myself, and another to sell everytime I buy cards. The bastardos.

2009 Upper Deck First Edition

I bought two packs (total of 20 cards) for a grand total of $1.98 + tax at the local Target. Here are the spoils:

DAMN DAMN YOU YOU UPPER UPPER DECK DECK!!

2009 Upper Deck Artifacts

A friend of mine had sent me the link on facebook for the new "music video" from The Lonely Island (oddball brainchild musical group of Saturday Night Live favorite Andy Samberg) entitled "I'm On A Boat" featuring hip-hop artist T-Pain. If you've not seen their work, I encourage you to watch this and this. I'll wait, trust me it's worth it. WARNING: ADULT CONTENT - EXPLICIT LYRICS AND SUGGESTIVE CONTENT.

Also, if you haven't seen the movie "Hot Rod", I recommend that as well. It's from the same guys, except on the big screen and plus Danny McBride - who is badassly funny.

So - what does all of this have to do with BASEBALL??? Well, after watching the music video for "I'm on a Boat", i had to go to the store to pick up their debut CD, which has all of these songs, plus a lot of Adam Sandler-esque comedy skits on it. While I was there, I thought I'd take the opportunity to check out their baseball cards, as I haven't purchased any new cards in quite a while, probably a couple months.

I picked up a few packs of 2009 Upper Deck First Edition, which still confuses me as the most poorly named annual baseball card series, because it comes out AFTER Series 1 does. I don't get it. I'll post those in a couple days. I also picked up a pack of 2009 Upper Deck Artifacts, at $2.99 it was just a retail pack. I wanted to get the blaster, but figured if I just got a taste of it, and a few packs of the First Edition, I could also treat the wife to lunch at our favorite Mexican place for the same price as 1 blaster of the stuff. Turns out, I was right and the Tacos Tijuana I ordered were just amazing. Carne Asada, good stuff.

Here are the modest 5 cards in the $2.99 retail pack of '09 UD Artifacts I bought.

#4 Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn now plays for the Washington Nationals, not the D-backs. WTF, Upper Deck? These cards say "copyright (symbol) 2009" on them. Confusion, perhaps? Maybe they were printed before February 11th, when the Dunn/Nationals deal was announced to the press. My guess is Upper Deck just doesn't take the necessary effort, per the usual.

#37 Dan Uggla (red variation)

I like Dan Uggla - he helped my fantasy team to the playoffs last season, where I lost in the World Series to my sister-in-law. Yes, that's right, the woman that married my brother. I can hear your boos and hisses now. She had the best pitching staff possible, so I was sure to invite her last this year to the fantasy league to insure she'd be in the opposite division as me. I'm a schemer. Anyhow, back to the Uggla card. Like the "red" (pink) variation, I'm sure there's a better shad of "red" that UD could have found. This guy is all business, and he shows it here.

#193 "Voyager 2 Records Neptune" Historical Moments

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I think Heritage does enough for the card collecting public in the areas of History and Nostalgia. Dumb card, and apparently worth $0.60 according to the price of the pack. I could have a soda at work tomorrow for that price. Instead I'm stuck with a "baseball" card of a satellite.

#904 UD 20th Anniversary Retrospective "Dallas Cowboys"

This is a card of a football team. In a pack of baseball cards. I don't collect football cards, I collect baseball cards. Therefore, I only purchase baseball cards and not football cards. I want my money back, Upper Deck.

The fifth card was #20 Rich Harden, but he plays for the team that shall not be named nor pictured in this blog.

All in all, I'd say this 5-card offering from Upper Deck Artifacts was quite weak, but it's just a small cross section of the set that I'm not afforded enough of an experience to come up with an offical decision. I like the cards, The look is very regal and official, and forced me to order the Ryan Braun card on eBay already. I like this set a lot, just bummed about the pack I came away with. That $2.99 could have paid for the 3 beers I had today while watching the Brewers lose to the Astros - the 3 beers that helped me come even closer to trading Rickie Weeks myself, saving the Brewers organization the embarassment of having wasted so many years on a horrible second baseman.

Calling All Readers!

I need your help! I've got a great idea for a new thread on the blog, but I need YOUR help. Here's the deal. I need some folks (I think 5 would do) to dig through their cards, or just find pictures online, of their 10 FAVORITE BASEBALL CARDS. These are your ALL-TIME favorites. Not necessarily the team or the player on the card, but the design, photo, writing, etc.

• Step 1: Comment on this post, letting me know you're in!
• Step 2: Pick out your 10 favorite cards
  
• Step 3: Email me at eodnatfrat@hotmail.com with the list (including year, brand, player and #)
• Step 4: Include photos for all ten cards (try to make them all the same size, about 250x350)

That's it! I think I keep in regular contact with with at least 5 folks off hand, so please get on blogger today, read this, and submit your list to me today. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. The sooner I get the entries in, the sooner I can get this new thread going. I might be slightly naive in saying this, but the first 5 entries will be used in the contest (assuming 5 people want to participate).

"Always Read the Fine Print"

This school of thought applies to many aspects of life. Whether one is purchasing a new car, signing the paperwork for a new house, or even reading through their new life insurance policy. I now have first-hand knowledge that it applies, too, to baseball cards.

Sometimes (usually around payday) I give myself a little bit of leeway and try to take care of some more Robin Yount or Ryan Braun cards from my list via the wonderful world of eBay. Yes, the internet has truly made baseball card collecting much easier. I always think of the line from Cable Guy - "...or play Mortal Kombat with a friend from Vietnam."

So back to the point - a few weeks ago I was picking out some more Ryan Braun cards to add to my collection, when I saw a listing for "2007 SP Rookie Edition #115 Ryan Braun". Sweet! With its $0.99 Buy-it-Now price, and free shipping, this card would be mine! Having already done about 10 or 12 purchases that session, my mind was just looking for pictures of cards that weren't in my binder, and I was clicking ont he purchase button.

This, my friends, is why one must always read the fine print...

I am now the PROUD owner of THREE 2007 SP Rookie Edition #115 Ryan Z. Braun cards. That's right - Ryan Z. Braun.

Apparently, there are two MLB players of the same name, so the pitcher for the Royals, the one nobody knows about was forced to use his middle initial. This method of self distinguishment never commands much respect. John Q. Adams was nothing like his father, John Adams. George W. Bush was nothing like his father, George Bush. Likely, none of George Foreman's children will be as much of a prize fighter as their father. And Ryan Z. Braun is nothing like THE Ryan Braun, 2007 Rookie of the Year and 2008 All-Star. Oh well.

Needless to say, I still need the 2007 SP Rookie Edition Ryan Braun card, #153, though, not #115. That pesky fine print.

Anybody want to trade for these beauties?

2009 Topps Heritage

After two weeks of searching all the usual outlets around town that provide me my fix (gotta chase the dragon, you know?) I finally was able to get my hands on 5 packs of some '09 Heritage cards. To celebrate the occasion (and my day off of work) here are all 65 cards from the five packs (minus the two Cubs cards, because nobody wants to see those. In case you care, they were Ryan Theriot, and the Team Checklist).

PACK 1












PACK 2














PACK 3













PACK 4














PACK 5












I am pretty pleased with the outcome of this 5-pack "Snatch-and-run". The Hardy and Parra cards went directly into my Brewers binder, the Mayo Pujols card should claim a bit of cash on the eBay, perhaps along with the Chrome K-Rod card. Perhaps the profits from those two cards will help subsidize my addiction to Yount and Braun cards.

Time to go, now -Big Ten Conference Tourney on ESPN...GO BADGERS!