2009 Topps Series Two Hobby Packs - Jackie vs. Mickey - Inserts

Here's what you've all been waiting for, the heavyweight match between the inserts in the packs. This is a tough one to judge.........

Jackie Robinson pack card 5:
DUSTIN PEDROIA WBC CLASSIC

Card front: I'm going to catch hell for this, but I actually kind of like the design of this card. I know it's ugly and gaudy and obnoxious, but I like the WBC logo. It looks like a baseball hurricane is about to wipe out Pedroia. There are a lot of things to hate about it though. there's a lot of empty space. The player photo seems to have been an afterthought in the design process. It's a really bad looking card, but I have a soft spot for horribly ugly things.

Card back: Most of the back consists of a biographical paragraph about Dustin. It mentions his two hits in the '09 classic against Venezuela, then segues into his major league career highlights. Very simple and straightforward, unlike the mess of a front.

Mickey Mantle pack card 5:
MARK TEIXEIRA TURKEY RED

Card front: WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE TEX. The guy who dulled Braves fans' pain of the JD Drew trade by being an even worse trade. The card looks so good too, but it's spoiled by that money grabbing mercenary. If I took a Sharpie and drew a mustache on Mark, I could squint and pretend it's actually Jason Giambi. With the new glossy (yet still textured) fronts, I'm afraid the stache would just slide off. Seriously, why did it have to be Tex?

Card back: Pretty much the same as all the other Turkey Red backs, which is to say pretty nice. Like the WBC back three fourths of it is a biographical paragraph. Sadly it mentions the Braves' deadline deals to acquire and ship off the Boras minion. Sigh.

VERDICT:

This one is painful. As much as I loathe to choose anything Mark Teixiera as a winner I can't in good conscience pick a WBC card over a Turkey Red unless the WBC was a Chipper. I'm feeling the agony of the Turk Off contestants quite deeply with all these Damn Yankees. Mickey steals one to take the lead.

Jackie Robinson 2, Mickey Mantle 3