FINALLY FOUND A PACK OF 2023 CHRONICLES

 I DON'T GET TO TARGETS VERY OFTEN ANYMORE BUT FOR THE PAST MONTH I'VE BEEN OBSESSIVELY STOPPING BY TO CHECK FOR CHRONICLES PACKS EVERY CHANCE I GET. AN UNEXPECTED TRIP YESTERDAY RESULTED IN A COMPLETLY RESTOCKED CARD AISLE AT A STORE THAT USUALLY NEVER HAS ANYTHING. THEY EVEN HAD UPDATE HANGERS AT A REASONABLE PRICE THAT I PASSED UP ON AGAIN BECAUSE WHAT'S THE POINT ANYMORE. THERE WERE ALSO $4.99 CRAP PACKS BUT IN SOCCER THIS TIME?? I HAVE NEVER SEEN THOSE BEFORE AND WAS TEMPTED BUT ONCE I SAW CHRONICLES RACK PACKS AND BLASTERS AND EVEN A MEGA BOX I SNAPPED OUT OF IT AND CLAIMED THE SPOILS OF MY HUNT. UNLESS THE GUYS WHO CONSISTENTLY WIPE OUT ALL THE BASEBALL PACKS AT THIS TARGET ARE JUST NOT INTO CHRONICLES THIS YEAR (POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PACKS ALWAYS REMAIN UNTOUCHED) THIS MIGHT BE MY ONLY CHRONICLES PACK OF 2023 BECAUSE I'M NOT COUNTING ON ANY OF THE PACKS STILL BEING THERE THE NEXT TIME I HAVE $7.41 IN MY WALLET

HERE ARE THE "ODDS" ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO ODDS THERE OTHER THAN ON AVERAGE YOU'LL GET 3 BASE CARDS AND 12 NOT BASE CARDS PER PACK.YOU THOUGHT 1994 FLEER WAS HOT SHIT WITH ONE INSERT PER PACK? TRY TWELVE, CHUMP. AMAZING PANINI MANAGED TO CONVINCE IDIOTS LIKE ME THAT BASE CARDS WERE NOT BASE CARDS. PURE GENIUS. ALL THAT TINY TEXT IS BASICALLY A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL THE CARDS YOU WON'T GET, MOST SERIAL NUMBERED ANYWHERE FROM 200 TO 1. HERE'S THE CHECKLIST FOR REFERENCE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO MENTION HOW WEIRD IT IS ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES IN THIS POST. LET'S RIP THIS SUCKA

THE FIRST CARD. I PULLED THIS OUT OF THE PACK AND SAW TED AND WENT !!!!! AND THEN SAW LYONS AND WENT LOL. DEFINITELY A CLASSIC PLAYER FOR A CLASSICS CARD. I REALLY DIG THE DESIGN OF THIS ONE WHAT WITH THE PRIMARY COLORS AND THE CLOTH TEXTURE WHICH SORT OF MATCHES THE DESK MAT I USE FOR A PHOTO BACKGROUND. IT'S SUFFICIENTLY RETRO FOR MY TASTES SO THAT I DON'T EVEN MIND THAT IT'S SUPER GLOSSY LIKE THE REST OF THE BASE CARDS IN THE PACK. THE ACTUAL PHOTO SEEMS A BIT EXCESSIVELY PROCESSED THOUGH, I HOPE THE PROSPECT CARDS AREN'T ARTIFICIALLY ANTIQUED LIKE THIS ONE

THE BACKS ARE NOT CLASSIC HOWEVER LOL. TYPICAL PANINI MINIMALISM. I LIKE THAT THE WRITEUP PRAISES TED LYONS' CHAD INNINGS EATER STATUS

AND HERE'S THE BASE CARD. I STILL THIN IT'S HILARIOUS THAT SINCE PANINI ABANDONED THE HEADLINE GIMMICK ON THE BASE CARDS IN 2020, EVERY SET HAS HAD THE DESIGN ELEMENTS SLIGHTLY SWITCHED UP EACH YEAR. THIS TIME CHRONICLES GOT MOVED TO THE TOP, THE LOGO SHIFTED TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND THE UNNECCESSARY SECOND PHOTO FLIPPED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. I EAGERLY AWAIT TO SEE HOW THEY MANAGE TO SHUFFLE EVERYTHING IN NEXT YEAR'S SET, ASSUMING PANINI ISN'T SUED INTO OBLIVION BY THEN

I'M FORCING MYSELF TO SHOW OFF EVERY BACK DESIGN AS PUNISHMENT FOR LOVING THIS DISASTER SET. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT COMPARED TO PREVIOUS BASE CARD BACKS THIS ONE LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. THIS SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE PREVIOUS BACKS. THE LEGENDS SUBJECTS IN THIS SET ARE DELIGHTFULLY ALL OVER THE MAP, FROM BABE RUTH AND WILLIE MAYS TO BEN SHEETS AND VINCE COLEMAN. CONE IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO MIGHT UP THE HALL OF FAMER COUNT IN THE SET IN A FEW YEARS WHEN THE VETERAN COMMITTEE VOTERS FINALLY REALIZE NO ONE'S EVER WINNING 200 GAMES EVER AGAIN LET ALONE 300 AND OVERREACT. A CY YOUNG, FIVE RINGS, 194 WINS AND 121 ERA+ LOOKS PRETTY DANG GOOD RIGHT NOW

WOOO! DOUBLE-X SWINGING THE RUBBER BAT. THIS PICTURE LOOKS A LOT LESS MESSED UP THAN THE TED LYONS ONE. I'M NOW REALIZING THESE CARDS REMIND ME A LITTLE OF THE OLD BATTER UP VINTAGE CARDS FROM THE 30S THANKS TO THE OUTLINE AROUND THEM. I KINDA WISH THE CLASSICS SET WAS ALL RETIRED PLAYERS BUT I KNOW THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE

HERE'S THE LIMITED DESIGN WHICH IS AS BORING AS ITS SUBJECT. I KNOW I CAN'T ALWAYS JUDGE THESE CARDS ON THE SETS THEY ARE BASED ON BUT WHEN I THINK LIMITED, I THINK OF THE SUPER SHINY MID-90S LEAF LIMITED SETS AND THIS LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S NOT EVEN A TERRIBLE DESIGN! IT'S JUST NOT LIMITED TO ME

THE BACK IS AS BORING AS THE FRONT. I YAM DISGRUNTLED BY THIS CARD. I DON'T MIND MORE OBSCURE HALL OF FAMERS BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PULL A CARD OF A SENATOR. WALTER JOHNSON EXCEPTED. THE CHECKLIST FOR THIS "INSERT" IS VERY ODD. HOW THE HECK DID SEIYA SUZUKI GET IN THIS SET?

HERE WE GO! CLASSICS PROSPECT. OH WAIT, I MEAN ROOKIE CARD. THAT RC LOGO MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ANYMORE. WITH PANINI OR FANATOPPS, IT'S ALL NONSENSE NOW. GOTTA SAY I LIKE THE LOOK OF THESE CARDS AND THE CHECKLIST IS PRETTY LEGIT. NOT SURE IF IT'S LEGIT ENOUGH TO COLLECT THE WHOLE THING BUT SINCE CLASSICS ARE ONE OF THE EASIER SETS TO FIND IN PACKS IT MIGHT BE DOABLE. EDOUARD JULIEN PLAYED 109 GAMES FOR THE TWINS THIS SEASON AND KINDA KICKED ASS, KNOCKING 16 DINGERS, A 130 OPS+ AND 2.6 bWAR. SO I GUESS THIS ONE REALLY IS A ROOKIE CARD?? AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW PANINI GETS AWAY WITH THIS

HERE'S A PROSPECT BASE CARD OF PETE HANSEN. PETE IS AN ACTUAL PROSPECT AS HE WAS DRAFTED IN 2022 AND HAS PITCHED EXACTLY ONE INNING ABOVE SINGLE-A BALL. MAYBE HE'LL BE GOOD? WE'LL FIND OUT IN FIVE YEARS I GUESS

LUMINANCE IS USUALLY MY LEAST FAVORITE CHRONICLES DESIGN BUT I REALLY LIKE IT THIS TIME? I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF 1995 PINNACLE FOOTBALL WHICH IS PRETTY GREAT LOOKING. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THE EDGES OF THE PHOTO ARE DARKENED LIKE THAT. WHY WOULD A SET CALLED LUMINANCE BE DARKER THAN NORMAL. JUSTIN CRAWFORD IS ANOTHER 2022 DRAFT PICK WHO IS PHILLY'S #3 PROSPECT AT THE MOMENT. I'M NOW NOTICING THAT THE RC LOGO IS NOT ON THE PROSPECT CARDS THAT HAVE NOT MADE THE BIGS YET. PLEASE IGNORE MY ROOKIE LOGO RANT ABOVE AND INSTEAD DOUBLE DOWN ON MY "HOW IS PANINI GETTING AWAY WITH PRODUCING CARDS OF ACTIVE PLAYERS?!?" RANT INSTEAD

THE BACK! IS BORING. BUT YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY. AND WHY COULDN'T PANINI FIND A PICTURE WHERE JUSTIN'S FACE WASN'T COMPLETELY OBSCURED

WOOOOO! BARVES! I SAW THIS CARD AND GOT VERY HAPPY AND THEN SOMEWHAT UPSET THINKING THAT RITCHIE HAD BEEN TRADED BUT HE HAS NOT. YET. THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO IN THE OFFSEASON AND ANTHOPOULOS NEEDS A STARTING PITCHER. RICHIE ADDS TO THE 2022 DRAFT PICKS IN THIS PACK AND WHILE A TOP PROSPECT HE WAS DRAFTED OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL SO IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE HE SEES THE BIGS. OR HE MIGHT BE IN THE BULLPEN NEXT YEAR, THERE'S BEEN A FEW METEORIC RISES AMONG THE PITCHERS ON THE BRAVES' FARM LATELY. THIS PINNACLE DESIGN LOOKS AWKWARD BUT IT'S A NEW TAKE ON THE 1991-92 PINNACLE HOCKEY SET WHICH ALSO LOOKS AWKWARD

I WAS ABOUT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SHEER AMOUNT OF DEAD SPACE ON THE BACK OF THESE CARDS FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME BUT IT MUST BE HARD DESIGNING CARD BACKS WHEN YOU CAN'T CHEW UP HALF OF IT WITH SOME STATS SO I WILL STIFLE MYSELF

LET ME GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST - I AM SUPER HAPPY WITH A FERGIE JENKINS CARD. NO COMPLAINTS AT ALL ABOUT THAT. THIS IS STILL THE MOST DISAPPOINTING CARD IN THE BACK FROM A DESIGN ASPECT. VERTEX'S ENTIRE SCHTICK FROM THE 2022 SET IS THAT ALL THESE DISTRACTING BACKGROUND SHAPES WERE EMBOSSED AND THERE WAS A NEAT TEXTURE TO THE CARD THAT LOOKED INTERESTING. THIS TIME IT IS ALL SHADING AND TRICKERY AND THIS CARD IS AS FLAT AND GLOSSY AS ALL THE OTHERS. I KNOW EMBOSSING IS EXPENSIVE PANINI BUT YOU CAN'T KILL OFF A DESIGN'S ENTIRE DEAL AND STILL KEEP IT JUST AS UGLY AS BEFORE. ALL THESE LINES ARE COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING POOR FERGIE AND THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. A+ FOR FERGIE, F- FOR VERTEX AS A BRAND

OK BACK TO COMPLAINING ABOUT WASTED SPACE. WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS. WHY DOES VERTEX EXIST. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL VERTEX HASN'T BEEN A STANDALONE PRODUCT SINCE 2017 FOOTBALL AND THAT WAS A HIGH END SET AND THE BASE CARDS DIDN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THIS IS AS BAD AS TOPPS RESURRECTING THE FAILED BASKETBALL XPECTATIONS PRODUCT TO CHUCK ONE LAST HIGH END BOX INTO THE MARKET BEFORE CHRISTMAS. LET THE DEAD STAY DEAD ALREADY

JOE GIRARDI CUBS CARD - INTERESTING CHOICE OF TEAM HERE. THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD PLAYERS IN THE LUMINENCE CHECKLIST LIKE SATCHEL PAIGE, I'M GLAD I LIKE THIS DESIGN THIS YEAR. THERE'S ALSO BUD SELIG 😡

HEEEELLL YEAAAAAAH SPAHNNIE. I GOT BOTH BRAVES PINNACLE CARDS IN THE SAME PACK, HOW LUCKY IS THAT. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT BRAVES SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE NUMEROUS CHRONICLES SETS. RETIRED PLAYERS INCLUDE MADDUX, GLAVINE, SMOLTZ, BOTH JONESES, MURPHY AND RAFAEL FURCAL. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE PROSPECTS BUT AJ SMITH-SHAWVER IS THE BIG ONE AND JARED SHUSTER IS THE ONE WE ALREADY TRADED THAT I'M GOING TO FIND A THOUSAND COPIES OF JUST LIKE 2022 KYLE MULLER

I GOT CARRIED AWAY AND TOOK A PIC OF THE BACK. IT'S SPAHN THOUGH, WE COULD ALL USE MORE SPAHN

WELL SHIT. LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PULL ONE OF THOSE CARDS IN SMALL PRINT ON THE BACK OF THE PACK. KYLE MANZARDO GOT TRADED TO THE GUARDIANS THIS PAST SEASON AND THEN WENT NUTS IN THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE. CLEVELAND NEEDS A FIRST BASEMAN AND SOMEONE WHO CAN HIT DINGERS SO I GOT SOMEONE TO WATCH NEXT YEAR. I AM GUESSING THIS IS AN ORIGINS ROOKIE SIGNATURES BLUE CARD FROM WHAT I CAN SUSS OUT ON THE BACK OF THE PACK. I CAN'T FIND IT ON THE CHECKLIST SO IT MIGHT BE A RETAIL ONLY THING. IT'S SERIAL NUMBERED 65/199 SO I'M ROOTING FOR KYLE TO HIT 65 HOMERS NEXT YEAR TO GET ME AN EBAY 1/1. I HAVEN'T BEEN ON EBAY FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS NOW SO I WOULDN'T ACTUALLY SELL IT BUT I'D LIKE TO HAS AN EBAY 1/1

THE BACK IS BORING BUT THAT'S ALLOWED ON SUPER BIG TIME MOJO HITTZ. I WONDER WHY TAMPA TRADED THIS GUY? THEY ARE USUALLY PRETTY SMART WITH THEIR PROSPECTS. THERE IS A BASE ORIGINS CARD ON THE CHECKLIST BUT IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND HAS A HORIZONTAL DESIGN WITH TIGER EYES STARING OUT AT YOU THAT LOOKS COOL AS HELL. THE PLAYER LIST IS INSANE TOO WITH MAYS, MANTLE, RUTH, GRIFFEY AND JACKIE. I'D LOVE TO PICK UP ONE OF THEM BUT I'M GUESSING THEY WILL BE SCARCE AND VERY SPENDY

YES! WE ARE FIRMLY INTO THE SHINYASS PORTION OF THE PACK. THIS IS AN ESSENTIALS CARD AND YOU DON'T GET ANY MORE ESSENTIAL THAN ICHIRO. THE HOLOFOIL IS DOING SOME EXTREMELY HEAVY LIFTING ON THIS DESIGN AS THE COLOR PALETTE CONSISTS OF EXCLUSIVELY GRAY AND NAVY BUT IT STILL LOOKS PRETTY DAMN GOOD. THIS CARD IS SUPER EXTRA THICK AND HAS A MASHED CORNER, WHICH IS SOMEHOW THE ONLY DAMAGE ON ANY OF THE CARDS IN THE PACK. WHO CARES IT'S ICHIRO, I'M NOT GOING TO BE GETTING RID OF THIS CARD ANYWAY

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS WAY MORE COLOR ON THE BACK THAN ON THE FRONT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES ON OVER AT PANINI SOMETIMES

THE ELITE DESIGN IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE VERTEX DESIGN, JUST ON FOILBOARD. LOTS OF ODD SHAPES AND ANGLES EVERYWHERE. IT WORKS A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER THAN VERTEX THOUGH, THE FOIL HELPS THE PLAYER TO POP ON THE CARD AND ALL THOSE ANGLES DON'T OVERPOWER THE PHOTO ON HERE.IT ALSO HELPS THAT I KNOW WHAT AN ELITE CARD IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE AND IT LOOKS KINDA LIKE THIS. FOIL CARDS AREN'T USUALLY MY FAVORITE BUT THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. COBY MAYO IS YET ANOTHER TOP ORIOLES PROSPECT AND THEY'VE HAD A LOT LATELY. HE'S CURRENTLY RANKED #4 IN THEIR ORGANIZATION AND MIGHT GET A SHOT AT THE BIGS IN '24 AFTER A GOOD SHOWING IN TRIPLE-A WITH A TON OF DINGERS. I'M HAPPY TO GET A BUNCH OF PROSPECTS WHO CAN MASH IN THIS PACK

AT THIS POINT I WAS SO DAZZLED BY AUTOGRAPHS AND ICHIRO I FORGOT THE TAKE PICTURES OF THE BACKS. YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH GUESS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE ANYWAY

HOORAY! CRUSADE! THIS YEAR THE DESIGN HAS DRAGONS!!! HELLS YEAH! I PRETTY MUCH LOVE CRUSADE EVERY YEAR, I JUST WISH PANINI PUT MORE COLOR ON THE CARDS. THESE LOOK SO GOOD WHEN THEY HAVE LOTS OF BRIGHT COLORS BUT PANINI KEEPS DOING THAT MINIMALISTIC SILVER AND GRAY AND ONE TEAM COLOR THING ON THE CHRONICLES CRUSADES AND IF THAT COLOR IS NAVY OR BLACK THEN TOO BAD. IS BRIGHT INK REALLY EXPENSIVE OR SOMETHING?? THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY IS HEARTBREAKING. JUNIOR CAMINERO IS NOT ONLY THE RAYS' #1 PROSPECT BUT IS CURRENTLY THE #6 OVERALL PROSPECT IN BASEBALL. HE MADE HIS DEBUT FOR TAMPA THIS YEAR BUT I GUESS IT WAS TOO LATE IN THE SEASON TO GET HIS RC LOGO ON HERE. JUNIOR PLAYS SHORTSTOP SO HE'LL PROBABLY GET SOME PLAYING TIME NEXT YEAR UNLESS WANDER HAS A REALLY GOOD LAWYER

LAST CARD IN THE PACK. GOOD THING I DIDN'T TRY FOR THE FIVE FINGER DISCOUNT EH. I GOTTA SAY THIS PACK WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT. TWO BRAVES, LOTS OF HALL OF FAMERS, SOME REALLY GOOD PROSPECTS AND A FRIGGIN AUTOGRAPH. COMPLETELY FANTASTIC PACK AND I DIDN'T EVEN PULL ANY CARDS FROM MY FAVORITE SETS! NO OBSDIAN, NO REVOLUTION, NO TITAN, NO ZENITH. I'M ITCHING TO PICK UP SOME MORE PACKS BUT I'M PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. HOPEFULLY SOME PACKS SURVIVE THE CHRISTMAS RUSH