2018 Topps Big League - Red

And after Christmas here we are getting ready to shut down 2018 and start 2019. I have a couple of retail boxes 'under my eye' so I might go and lose my head next year and get a couple to start the best way the year.

But for now, the last colour in my rainbow retail 2018 Big League box, we go red!


Pack 1.

Always good to get a catcher's card with them wearing the mask.

Cron and the players with only letters names. But he also counts me +3 for the bat outside the frame (and my scanner likes those, because it cuts them off).

Two horizontal cards in a row! Already got better ones but these two are cool too. The Lindor card I've seen in sites that is one of those in the error cards list, but here I got the correct one, with no up-side-down effect.

For landscape party I get +4 plus +4

And also two Ballpark Landmarks right next to each other and both for the Cubs!

The Ivy wall and Green Monster are two of the most icon walls I know..(don't let those people that like to marry walls know about them or it will get weird!)

For both beauties I get +7 plus +7

Ahhhhh My type of card! Yankees! =D

Drury also likes to get off the picture and besides counting me +10 also counts +3 for the bat.

Is Harper still a big thing!?

Nice card. Still have my doubts about the Mash inserts..it's just a normal base card with a funny and intrusive frame =\

But ohhhhhhh well. Adding +7 and +3 for the outside the frame bat.

For a long time I mixed both, the one with two 'nn' and the one with only one 'n'. So I started collecting both! And for that I get +7 and +1 for the gold.


Result: 56



Pack 2.

Moreland to start and already taking me -5 but adding +3 for the bat outside the frame.

Nice two cards here!

Longoria looks soooooooooooo strange in a Giants uniform..

Game day and an other Ballpark Landmark this time around for the Cardinals' Stan Musial Statue. Count me some +7

Those splashes of paint..really Topps..this design is a mess.. But I get +7

I had to read, and read once more, to be sure this was not A-Rod. And I still can't believe Sanchez is not A-Rod because in this photo he sure looks like him! None the less, it's a Yankee so I get +10 and also +3 for the bat almost all gone.

Moustakas to end the pack in a golden note and adding to the count +3 for the bat and +1.


Result: 29

2018 Topps Big League - Yellow

Yo-ho-ho my friends!

Before Christmas let me end the yellow presents I got a few months ago.



Pack 5.

Jason Vargas look like he had one of those bad photoshop-jobs performed by Topps..

And what about this Pitcher thing with the sideways neck!? Not only they have jelly arms but also jelly necks.

And scores! My beloved Markakis! It's weird seeing him in a BRaves uniform but ok.. I can deal with any thing Markakis.

Nick scores me +7.

For a moment Haniger reminded me of Dustin Ackley...

I love the BL logo placement because in many photos it looks like the real ball. Like in this, Martinez looks like he's looking at it lile he's looking at the ball he jsut hit. And he gets me -5...

And right after losing points with Boton I get a Houston Astros. Nice to me I get +5.

Davis with the bat right in the BL logo. See!? That's what I meant.

I cannot quite remember if I already got this card. In the end I need to go back and re-order them and see if I got dups. But besides being a cool card for the AL ERA Leaders Stat-Kings counting me +5 I also get +10 for Severino being a Yankee and +7 for Chris Sale but also lose -5 for him insisting to be a Red Sox.

And stop right now! What do I have here!

I got a signed card by Cory Spangenberg! Spongebob for friends.

And not only is a signed card but also one of the parallel ones in gold!

So I looked for the odds and stuff and found that there are 34 cards 1:114 packs being the golden ones numbered #/99 (and the odds are like 1:670 hobby packs and I got a retail box..).

So nice!

But while checking the list I found that the next card is:

BLA-CSP Cory Spangenberg - San Diego Padres
BLA-DJ Derek Jeter - New York Yankees

So..one to the left and I could have get a Jeter one.. ohhhhh well.

Just saying that Cory hase a really small signature..

And since I wasn't expecting AT ALL to get a signed card, even more a parallel one, I'm setting this pack as the best one. No matter the count I get in the end.

And to prove this is really a good pack I also get, to end it, a Jim Palmer All-Time Greats gold card. What a beauty.. So finishing the counts with +7 and +1.


Result: 32 +∞



Pack 6.

I got Toronto bullpen. And poor Happ got the famous no-eyebrows-photoshop-job Topps love to do..

 I know I get -5 with this card for Benintendi playing for the Red Sox, but what a beautiful card this is! Horizontal card with lots of action at home plate. You can see the ball on the bat and the catcher's eye on the ball..and the umpire's hand on the catchers shoulder..

BEAUTIFUL!

And for being a landscape beauty I get +4.

If I'd do what Santana is doing I'd pull my back so bad I wouldn't be able to move for the next 5 weeks..

And take a second to appreciate how I get two of the most beautiful cards in this set, both landscape giving me +4 but taking -5 because Boston blarghhhh.

Mookie got this ball abd also an incredible card where he's surround by the public and their faces because of the play.

Topps..please..keep on doing THESE cards.

(Detail: Betts doesn't have the feet on the ground yet..this card keeps on getting better)

And an other Stat-Kings. Picturing the great Chris Sale who won the AL SO Leadership. Count me +5 and +7 and take me -5.

What is this trend of great cards for teams I don't like? Because this is an other great card in my opinion. Not at the same level as the previous two but it's a great batter card. Franco got a good one here. And I also get +4. And it's 3 horizontal cards in one pack!

And again stop right there! What do I have here!?

It's a black & white Urena base card parallel numbered #/50!

The odds are like 1:60 hobby packs which looks easier to get than the golden signature I got on the previous pack, but again.. I got a retail box! This is awesome!

And again, I wasn't expecting this AT ALL! So once again, I don't know how to count this. But I think this is a step back from the golden sign so this pack is like the second best no matter the result at the end.

And To finish the pack a gold Lucas Duda (funny name to say. Try saying it pretty fast!). Add +1 to the count plus +3 for the bat outside the frame.


Result: 13 and-almost +∞



3 colours done. One more to go. Don't know if this can get any better, but lets see.


Meanwhile, to all of you, have a nice Christmas and get ready to have a good New Year!

2018 Topps Big League - Yellow

Yellow again my friends! I had to make this pun...

But fear not! I'll sprint for the next 2 yellow packs with no further talk.


Pack 3.

And after there you go. Well, more like I go. Because I get 2 D-Backs with one strike. And even more because one of them is the cute Goldy.

I just don't get a thing...Paul has a nice running card, and the shirt numbers outlined in red, which makes sense because Arizona is red and grey, mainly. But Lamb has baby blue numbers on his shirt. Was that a special thing? Because that colour, along with the blue stripe on the pants has nothing to do with Arizona, but ok........................

And other funny thing. Lamb is #22 and Paul #44. Double and half ^_^

So counting on it's +5 double, not half.

Verlander an Astro..that's too much orange. But I count +5 and +4 for being landscape style.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my!

Make some room because I got a x3 combo!

Yankees.

Mariano Rivera.

All-Time Greats.

But I have to notice, that the Yankees logo here is the same as the one in the base set nowadays cards =(

Never the less, add me some +10 and +7

Mazara here looks like he's pushing the ball further with his eyes. That and getting outside of the frame. And I thank the +3.

This card has a natural attraction thing going on. It pulls us to it. Maybe it's just because it's such a nice insert card of a so young 2017 WS Champ wearing a once in a season uniform or because it looks like Bregman is in Frozen mode.

I think I better start collecting 'ice-in-the-air' cards instead of dust ones.

A-Breg homes for +5 and +7

And the final gold touch of the pack goes to Cordero RC card that gives me +1 plus +3 and +3 for hiding his bat outside of the frame.


Result: 58



Pack 4.

Two RCs to start the pack. Robles for the Nationals and Peters for the Marlins. Start counting +3 * 2

Sorry...but they look a like! =O

Hey! What did I tell you? I'm getting closer to get all the All-Time Greats cards.

Jim Palmer with a quite nice card. And has expected, the Orioles logo is different.

This is one of those cards I just like to spend lots of time just looking at it.

Palmer strikes me a +7

Baez is going for the flying ball and is making the \m/ signal.

I already had the Gold Cole Hamels, but the normal base card is gorgeous none the same...maybe it's because it's an Hamels card... Adding +7 for the baby.

I don't collect Buster, but always like to have him on my fantasy team. But who names 'Buster' their kid? Oh well... +7 for being a cool insert.

Iglesias ends the pack with a touch of pure +1 gold.


Result: 28