2008 Topps Series 2 Box Break - Packs 9-12

Ok, we've had a nice weekend to cool down from all the anger and controversy and fighting and anguish and disappointment. But enough about the DNC rules committee hearing, what about those bastards at Topps sneaking FIVE freaking short prints into this product! What the hell! And I can't even exchange this box for some Upper Deck so I can boycott Topps like all the cool kids! Oh well, time to move on and open my now tarnished box of mediocrity.

Pack 9:
345 Carl Crawford
633 Adam LaRoche
419 Bengie Molina
404 Cecil Cooper
591 Rico Washington RC
653 Endy Chavez
TS4 Josh Beckett Topps Stars
Rookie Cup junk
ToppsTown junk
659 Vincente Padilla
513 Rick VandenHurk
480 Matt Cain

Hey, Rico! I wondered what happened to him. Back in 2000 I bought am opened set of 2000 Topps Traded so I could get the Rico Washington autograph that came with it. I figured with a name like that, he couldn't miss. It took 8 years, but he didn't miss! I'm happy to pull a card of Cecil Cooper after all these years. Coop is doing a pretty good job managing the Astros this year. Topps jinxed Endy Chavez by putting "Endy ... has not made an error since [the Mets] signed him after the '05 season" on the back of his card. Oops. The Beckett insert is shiny and good looking and will end up in a box with all my other half-finished Topps Stars insert sets. If I don't scan and post the Adam LaRoche card, Brian will drive down from Canada just to strangle me, so here it is.

Pack 10:
655 Aaron Rowand
415 Derek Lowe
619 Sergio Mitre
359 Evan Meek RC
614 Rich Hill
366 Jeff Weaver
350 gold Mark Teixeira
Wright Class junk
more Rookie cup junk
592 Matt Morris
555 Josh Beckett
599 Austin Kearns

Well I finally got my Mark Teixeira Topps Braves card where he's not wearing a mu-mu. I am not disappointed either, that's a kick ass card. Of course it's the gold foil version so I still need to chase one down for the set. Derek Lowe is signing a baseball on his card. Don't use a sharpie to sign a baseball Derek! I got two junk cards again in this pack. Speaking of junk - Rich Hill: optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Jeff Weaver: still hasn't been called up to the Brewers' rotation. Matt Morris: dumped by Pittsburgh, now retired. The Topps bump is really screwing up the photography in this set something fierce. Josh Beckett is tiny on his card and Aaron Rowand looks like he's squatting down to avoid bonking his head. This is the first pack with no inserts, odd since there are a ton of insert sets in this product. I guess the gold parallel is technically an insert though. I'll finish up with an Austin Kearns for Joe, wherever you are...

Pack 11:
495 James Shields
397 Brian Wilson
579 Jesse Litsch
411 Jason Kubel
365 Derrek Lee
629 Eric Chavez
TS15 David Ortiz
two girls, one Rookie Cup
Flopps Town
576 Dave Bush
625 Greg Maddux
420 Nick Swisher

Eh, ok pack. I'm getting bored with this box already which is not good. I wonder if the UD Blasters have relics in them again? David Ortiz insert and a Maddux make the pack. I wonder how many trees Topps has killed with their junk cards. I better go to the next pack before a certain Giants pitcher forces me to link to a Barenaked Ladies song. Aw, dammit.

Pack 12:
348 Craig Monroe
463 John McLaren
620 Gary Sheffield
HR-CU Chase Utley jersey relic
AR91 Moises Alou All-Star Rookie
HCM-1908 Taft vs. Bryan Campaign
I'm a big Fathead ad
junk code thingee
556 John Gibbons
483 Mike Jacobs

Here's the big hit in the box! Of course you already knew that because I posted the image at the top and didn't even put a spoiler warning. I'd say this is a pretty damn good jersey card. Chase has 20 homers already, there's a stripe on the jersey and there's even some stitches in there. Aw yeah, this is a premium jersey card! This card and about 5 bucks will get me a small espresso. Too bad this ain't 1998. This card would be worth something. Topps crammed all the inserts in this pack. Moises is still hanging on in New York, not bad for a cup winner from 1992. I got another Campaign card, this time William "Big Daddy" Taft vs. William Jennings "Golden Boy" Bryan. I could write all day about Bryan so I won't. He lost three or four elections so I might get another chance at it later anyway. He had no chance against Taft though for two reasons: One, Taft had an epic mustache. Sure there was peace and prosperity after a wildly popular Roosevelt administration, but seriously, it was the mustache. The second and most important reason though is that Taft absolutely did not want to be president. Aversion to elected office is the most desperately needed quality in every politician and the fact that it is completely ignored by the voting public is why this country is in the state it's in. Basically, Roosevelt wanted to go on a safari, so he said to Taft, hey buddy, will you be president for me for a while? And Taft was his best friend, but he was all like, man, I don't wanna do that crap job. And Teddy was like, dude, I've already bought the tickets to Africa! And Taft reluctantly agreed and TR went on his safari and when he came back he was all like, Dude WTF? You screwed up my country! And Taft was like, I didn't want this job anyway at least don't bug me while I'm doing it! And they had a big slap fight and Roosevelt ran against Taft in the next election and they both lost and Taft because a justice on the Supreme Court which is where he wanted to be in the first place. Sadly their friendship was ruined and there were no more late night Wii parties at Teddy's house after that. Wii parties were much different in 1908. I guess I'd better talk about the base cards a little or else Topps will think they're not important anymore. Oh wait, they already think that! There's a whole lotta cards of players with cool shades in this set. I'm looking at you, Craig Monroe. There are two manager cards in this pack, but John McLaren's card has Ichiro on it so that's cool. And how did Gary Sheffield get so old so fast? Sad. Before I go I have to note that I was right. Topps is taking advertisements in their cards now as we see by the FatHead 10% off ad. I can't wait to rip some 2009 Golden Palace Casino Topps Series BankOne brought to you by Viagra.


The box so far:

Base cards - 95
Checklists - 3
Dupes - 0
Damaged - 1

Parallels:
Gold Foil - 5
Gold Parallel - 2 - Takashi Saito, Ted Lilly

Inserts:
Year In Review - 2 - Wil Ledezma, Chad Gaudin
Trading Card History - 2 - Francisco Rodriguez, Nick Markakis
All-Rookie 50th - 3 - Angel Berroa, Aaron Miles, Moises Alou
Mickey Mantle Story - 1
Topps Stars - 3 - Justin Morneau, Josh Beckett, David Ortiz
Campaign Matchups - 2 - 1872 Grant v. Greeley, 1908 Taft v. Bryan

THE HIT:
HR-CU Chase Utley jersey relic with a stripe and everything!

Junk:
ToppsTown - 7
All-Rookie - 4
David Wright - 2
FatHead - 1