2008 Upper Deck Heroes Blaster

If Upper Deck hadn't debuted this set as a high priced tin product, I might be more inclined to collect the stuff. This year they deemed us plebes worthy of collecting the set and released it in a 5 cards for 2 bucks version. I just can't understand how UD keeps undercutting their Hobby packs with retail stuff that gives you more cards for less money, especially now that the 'hits' in the hobby box are a dime a dozen thanks to overproduction. Still, the box was bright and shiny, had a stylish dented corner and was only $14.99 so I took a shot at it for a change of pace from my 1888 retro and 1934 retro sets. As much as I hate to admit it, Baseball Heroes have been around for 18 years, and if there are freshmen in college younger than a card it's pretty much time to deem them as 'retro' as well. Oh dear Lord, that means next year Stadium Club will be retro, and that came out when I was a freshman in college. Oy Gevalt. Let's open this box before I start contemplating my mortality.

Nine packs for 15 bucks. Or more accurately, seven packs and TWO BONUS PACKS!! They damn well better provide bonus packs since you could pick out 7 packs loose for 14 bucks. So you're getting one and a half packs free, whoopie! UD appears to be staking out the uncharted $14.99 blaster territory in preparation for the upcoming global depression. Because when the mortgage and banking industries completely collapse and burn we'll all still be inclined to pick up a box or two of cards as long as they are five dollars cheaper. I'd actually prefer if they just did 10 packs and a jersey for twenty bucks to be honest. The jerseys provide valuable roughage for when we are all forced to eat our cards. Geez, maybe I would have been better off contemplating my mortality. Let's open a pack and forget the troubles of the world.

Pack 1:
12 Josh Hamilton
64 Miguel Cabrera
60 Curtis Granderson
89 James Loney
103 Rod Carew black parallel

I love a set with Rod Carew. This appears to be a retail-only black parallel. I didn't get a black bordered card in my lone hobby pack of this stuff and there was one in all nine packs in this box. They sure do look cool, but trying to build a set through retail just became 20% more difficult. I'm happy to pull the Granderson, as it's going straight into a 'to mail' pile.

Pack 2:
126 Dave Winfield
9 Moneybags Teixeira
159 Chris Duncan
5 Big Randy Unit
19 Mike Lowell black

Nice Winfield card. I'm liking pulling a Hall of Famer in every pack.

Pack 3:
108 Johan Santana
41 Ernie Banks
182 Ichiro & Fukudome
130 Rich Harden
82 Vladimir Guerrero black

Banks makes it three for three on the Hall of Famers, and I see Pudge on the top of my next pack. Sweeeeet. The combo card of Japanese stars is neat but awkwardly designed. Photos should always have a larger footprint than logos. I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Oddly enough, I just packed away a duplicate of this card to send off in a trade.

Pack 4:
32 Carton Fisk
198 Papelbon, Man-Ram, Varitek & Ortiz
35 Nolan Ryan
YSL2468 Phil Rizzuto
123 Roger Clemens black

Ryan is keeping the Red Sox and Yankee halves of this pack from brawling. This pretty much has to be the best pack in this box. Pudge, Scooter and the Ryan Express? You gotta be kidding me.

Pack 5:
171 Kevin Kouzmanoff
87 Andruw Flops
127 Joltin' Joe
YSL2493 YOGI!!!!!!!!!1
143 Roberto Clemente black

Ok, I spoke too soon on the 'best pack' declaration. Kooz and Fats aren't great cards but it's damn hard to beat Joe, Yogi and Roberto. Damn, that Clemente card looks good.

Pack 6:
143 Roberto Clemente
82 Vladimir Guerrero
187 Yaz, Pudge & Boggs
37 Kosuke Fukudome RC
168 Luke Scott black

I'm starting to get the regular versions of all my black cards. I think Yaz, Pudge & Boggs beats the hell out of Papelbon, Ramirez, Varitek & Ortiz, don't you? Here's yet another Fukudome card. For you following at home, I have now pulled THIRTEEN Fuku's out of Upper Deck without even a whiff of a Topps Fuku.

Pack 7:
147 Tony Gwynn
90 Matt Kemp
58 Garrett Atkins
88 Brad Penny
59 Todd Helton black

Came back down to earth on this one, but I'm still maintaining my Hall of Fame streak.

Pack 8:
59 Todd Helton
131 Andre Ethier
160 Mark Mulder
193 Ryan, Maddux & Johnson green parallel #393/499
186 Vladdy, Itchy & Manny black

Wooooo! Pretty Green! With Maddux! Numbered yet! Too bad the card is ugly as sin.

Pack 9:
173 Invader Zim
146 Tom Gorzelanny
155 Eric Bedard
191 A buncha lotta Phillies
44 Paul Konerko black

Awww... My HOF streak ends at 8. They should have squeezed Michael Jack in there with Utley, Howard and J-Roll.

Final Tally:

Base cards - 33/200
Black parallel - 9/200
Green parallel - 1
Yankee Stadium Atrocity Freakin' Yogi! - 2

Only 45 cards in the box, no real hits to speak of, 10 parallel cards and two Yankee Thingies. But daaaaaaayum are there some purty cards in this set. Make sure you reflect upon your choices in the baseball card aisle, kiddos. Nostalgia obsessed luddites like me are happy with a box like this, others not so much. Think before you buy, you may end up happier with a nice box of Topps or Upper Deck filled with more cards, inserts and a jersey piece in the long run.