Topps Now: June 3, 2019

I have not been buying too many of the Topps Now cards this season.  I also completely spaced the team set for the first time.  I am still kicking myself for that one.  But this time I decided to pounce on a couple:

Rafael Devers has been having a great season this year, finally achieving the kind of numbers it was hoped he could.  And he was named Player of the Month for May.  Michael Chavis exploded onto the scene when he was called up and was named Rookie of the Month.  

2019 Panini Prizm Blaster #1

I took a chance on this one.  Panini Prizm is an interesting-looking set.  Unfortunately, there are just 24 cards in a blaster, so there was a very real chance I would not pull a single Red Sox card.

But, here we are:

Well, I did not pull any base Red Sox.  Instead, I pulled a Mookie insert and a David Ortiz red parallel.  I am definitely not going to complain about that.

Here are the totals:

NEW YORK METS: 3
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 3
BOSTON RED SOX: 2
NEW YORK YANKEES: 2
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 2
ATLANTA BRAVES: 1
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 1
CHICAGO CUBS: 1
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 1
HOUSTON ASTROS: 1
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 1
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 1
MINNESOTA TWINS: 1
SEATTLE MARINERS: 1
TEXAS RANGERS: 1
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 1
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 0
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 0
CINCINNATI REDS: 0
COLORADO ROCKIES: 0
DETROIT TIGERS: 0
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 0
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 0
MIAMI MARLINS: 0
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 0
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 0
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 0
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 0
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 0
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: 0

Once again, Boston comes near the top, but not quite there.

And the updated totals:
BOSTON RED SOX: 67
ATLANTA BRAVES: 63
HOUSTON ASTROS: 61
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 60
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 54
NEW YORK YANKEES: 51
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 49
NEW YORK METS: 46
WASHINGTON NATIONALS/MONTREAL EXPOS: 46
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 45
CHICAGO CUBS: 44
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 42
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 42
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 41
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 41
DETROIT TIGERS: 40
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 37
COLORADO ROCKIES: 37
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 37
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 37
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 36
SEATTLE MARINERS: 36
MINNESOTA TWINS: 34
TEXAS RANGERS: 34
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 33
MIAMI MARLINS: 33
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 32
CINCINNATI REDS: 32
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 31
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 26
OTHER: 2

The Red Sox continue to expand their lead!

COMC Order

A card emerged on COMC that I had to get.  To make it worthwhile, I decided to add a few other random cards, a couple of which I have wanted for awhile:

1.  1993 Conlon Frank Chance.  I showed this card in my Red Sox in Cooperstown post on Chance.  The longtime Cubs stalwart managed Boston for a year.  I did not have the card so I felt like I needed to add it.  Possibly the only Chance card with the Red Sox after all.

2.  2019 Donruss Highlights Red Brock Holt.  Celebrating Holt hitting for the cycle in the postseason against the Yankees.  Holt is the first to ever do that.

3.  2019 Diamond Kings Joe Wood.  As soon as I get a couple of other books finished, I will be able to dive into my Smoky Joe Wood biography that I got for Christmas.  I wanted to add a card of him to go along with it.

4.  2019 Donruss Highlights Brock Holt.  This is the card that I have wanted most from this year.  Holt's cycle was an incredible moment from last year's postseason.

And now for the card that led to this order:

5.  2018 Bowman Talent Pipeline Green Jay Groome/Michael Chavis/Tzu-Wei Lin.  This is Lin card #106.  As a bonus, it includes this year's Red Sox rookie sensation Michael Chavis.  Hopefully Lin will make it back from his injury soon.

2019 Topps Series 2 Blaster #2

Here is the second blaster of Topps Series 2.

Up first is the one-card commemorative patch card:

That pull makes me very happy.  I have only pulled a couple of Red Sox out of these before.  I do not often seek them out in trades, so getting them in packs is awesome.  Plus, it is David Ortiz.  He sounds like he is recovering from his gunshot wounds.

Here is the rest:

This time I pulled two Mookie inserts.  I also pulled the Ryan Brasier base card, which is my first card of last season's bullpen surprise star.  

And the totals:

SAN DIEGO PADRES: 8
BOSTON RED SOX: 5
COLORADO ROCKIES: 5
DETROIT TIGERS: 5
HOUSTON ASTROS: 5
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 5
ATLANTA BRAVES: 4
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 4
CHICAGO CUBS: 4
CINCINNATI REDS: 4
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 4
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 4
MIAMI MARLINS: 4
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 4
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 4
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 3
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 3
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 3
NEW YORK METS: 3
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 3
SEATTLE MARINERS: 3
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 3
MINNESOTA TWINS: 2
NEW YORK YANKEES: 2
TEXAS RANGERS: 2
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 1
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 1
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 1
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 0
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: 0

The Padres blow everyone out of the water with eight cards.  Huge surprise.

Here are the updated totals:
BOSTON RED SOX: 65
ATLANTA BRAVES: 62
HOUSTON ASTROS: 60
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 59
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 53
NEW YORK YANKEES: 49
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 46
WASHINGTON NATIONALS/MONTREAL EXPOS: 46
CHICAGO CUBS: 43
NEW YORK METS: 43
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 43
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 42
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 41
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 41
DETROIT TIGERS: 40
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 40
COLORADO ROCKIES: 37
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 37
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 37
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 36
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 36
SEATTLE MARINERS: 35
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 33
MIAMI MARLINS: 33
MINNESOTA TWINS: 33
TEXAS RANGERS: 33
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 32
CINCINNATI REDS: 32
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 31
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 26
OTHER: 2

Boston stays in the lead!

2019 Topps Series 2 Blaster #1

I am working towards getting back to a regular posting schedule.  Sorry everyone.  I am also working on updating my tradelist so I can get some deals going again. 

I was very much looking forward to Topps Series 2.  The checklist featured names like Ryan Brasier, Brandon Workman and Bobby Poyner, three guys who have been very underrepresented.  And then there were the Walmart exclusive Mookie Betts inserts.  So I was guaranteed some Red Sox.  So, as soon as it finally hit stores, I grabbed a blaster.

Here are my Red Sox:

I pulled one of the Mookie inserts, which was not the greatest luck, and then four base cards.  None of the guys I really wanted but Brian Johnson and Matt Barnes are two more guys who do not have a ton of cards.  So it was pretty decent.

Here is the breakdown from the blaster:

CLEVELAND INDIANS: 6
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 6
BOSTON RED SOX: 5
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 5
NEW YORK YANKEES: 5
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 5
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 4
CHICAGO CUBS: 4
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 4
HOUSTON ASTROS: 4
NEW YORK METS: 4
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 4
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 4
ATLANTA BRAVES: 3
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 3
DETROIT TIGERS: 3
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 3
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 3
MIAMI MARLINS: 3
MINNESOTA TWINS: 3
TEXAS RANGERS: 3
CINCINNATI REDS: 2
COLORADO ROCKIES: 2
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 2
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 2
SEATTLE MARINERS: 2
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: 2
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 1
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 1
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 1

Boston did well.  Now for the updated totals:
BOSTON RED SOX: 60
ATLANTA BRAVES: 58
HOUSTON ASTROS: 55
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 55
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 50
NEW YORK YANKEES: 47
WASHINGTON NATIONALS/MONTREAL EXPOS: 46
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 42
NEW YORK METS: 40
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 40
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 40
CHICAGO CUBS: 39
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 39
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 38
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 37
DETROIT TIGERS: 35
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 33
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 32
COLORADO ROCKIES: 32
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 32
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 32
SEATTLE MARINERS: 32
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 31
MINNESOTA TWINS: 31
TEXAS RANGERS: 31
MIAMI MARLINS: 29
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 28
CINCINNATI REDS: 28
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 28
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 25
OTHER: 2

And the Red Sox take the lead!

Blue Lin

For some reason, a lot of rare Lin cards have been popping up.  Maybe people are thinking he is not going to be a star, which I never expected him to be, so they are unloading their cards.  No clue, but I am reaping the benefits.

This is the Father's Day Powder Blue parallel from Topps.  Not many of those Topps parallels are left for me to get.  I think there is the Purple parallel, Vintage Stock and of course the Platinum one.  I would not think the Purple and the Vintage Stock would be that tough to find, but here we are.  The Platinum is a 1/1, so that one will be difficult.  I still have the printing plates to go as well, but putting together the Mother's Day, Father's Day and Memorial Day cards is pretty exciting. 

Topps Big League Blaster #4

Let's get caught up here.  I bought another Big League blaster, still with an eye toward pulling that elusive Gorkys Hernandez card, even though he may never appear in a Boston Red Sox game.  

So here are the Red Sox:

Okay, I like the Stat Kings cards, but when four of the five Red Sox cards are Stat Kings cards, it feels a little cheap.  Sure, one of them is a Gold Parallel, but still.  So, my favorite card is the J.D. Martinez Award Winner card that features a Hank Aaron cameo.  Plus, it too is a Gold Parallel.

Here's the breakdown:

BOSTON RED SOX: 5
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 5
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: 5
ATLANTA BRAVES: 4
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 4
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 3
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 3
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 3
TEXAS RANGERS: 3
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 3
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 2
COLORADO ROCKIES: 2
DETROIT TIGERS: 2
HOUSTON ASTROS: 2
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 2
MIAMI MARLINS: 2
NEW YORK METS: 2
NEW YORK YANKEES: 2
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 2
SEATTLE MARINERS: 2
CHICAGO CUBS: 1
CINCINNATI REDS: 1
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 1
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 1
MINNESOTA TWINS: 1
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 1
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 1
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 0
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 0
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 0

In a three-way tie with the Indians and Nationals, the Red Sox come out on top.  Of course if not for those Stat Kings cards, it would have been much different.

ATLANTA BRAVES: 55
BOSTON RED SOX: 55
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 52
HOUSTON ASTROS: 51
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 44
WASHINGTON NATIONALS/MONTREAL EXPOS: 44
NEW YORK YANKEES: 42
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 38
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 38
NEW YORK METS: 36
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 36
CHICAGO CUBS: 35
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 35
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 34
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 33
DETROIT TIGERS: 32
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 32
COLORADO ROCKIES: 30
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 30
SEATTLE MARINERS: 30
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 29
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 29
MINNESOTA TWINS: 28
TEXAS RANGERS: 28
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 27
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 27
CINCINNATI REDS: 26
MIAMI MARLINS: 26
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 24
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 20
OTHER: 2

And the Red Sox are now in a tie for first place with the Braves.  That is interesting.  Quite a bit of movement occurred in the totals.  The most notable is the Angels falling back and the Yankees falling out of the top five.  That is kind of odd. 

Lin Update

Here is Tzu-Wei Lin card #104.  This is the 2017 Topps On Demand Mini Update Orange parallel, serial-numbered to 25.  With this addition, I need just the Blue and Gold parallels from this set.  Easier said than done unfortunately.  The Blue is numbered to ten and the Gold is a 1/1.  On the plus side, I already have the Red which was numbered to five, so anything is possible.

2019 Topps Big League Blaster #3

I am still trying to pull that elusive Gorkys Hernandez card.  I also have a large number of other Red Sox cards to pull.  So, here we go:  

Well, two cards is not bad, but I cannot imagine a more uninspiring couple cards to get.  I don't mind these Stat Kings cards, they certainly fit in my collection, but they are not my preference.  Oh well.

Here is the breakdown:

HOUSTON ASTROS: 5
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 5
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 4
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 4
WASHINGTON NATIONALS: 4
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 3
SEATTLE MARINERS: 3
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 2
BOSTON RED SOX: 2
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 2
DETROIT TIGERS: 2
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 2
MINNESOTA TWINS: 2
NEW YORK METS: 2
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 2
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 2
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 2
TEXAS RANGERS: 2
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 2
ATLANTA BRAVES: 1
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 1
CINCINNATI REDS: 1
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 1
MIAMI MARLINS: 1
NEW YORK YANKEES: 1
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 1
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 0
CHICAGO CUBS: 0
COLORADO ROCKIES: 0
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 0

The Astros are not shocking, but the Pirates at the top certainly is.  Boston is middle of the road again, but hey, at least they beat the Yankees.

Here's the update:
ATLANTA BRAVES: 51
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 51
BOSTON RED SOX: 50
HOUSTON ASTROS: 49
NEW YORK YANKEES: 40
CLEVELAND INDIANS: 39
WASHINGTON NATIONALS/MONTREAL EXPOS: 39
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: 35
CHICAGO CUBS: 34
NEW YORK METS: 34
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: 34
TAMPA BAY RAYS: 33
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 33
PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 32
DETROIT TIGERS: 30
KANSAS CITY ROYALS: 30
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 30
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: 30
COLORADO ROCKIES: 28
LOS ANGELES DODGERS: 28
SEATTLE MARINERS: 28
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: 27
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: 27
MINNESOTA TWINS: 27
CINCINNATI REDS: 25
SAN DIEGO PADRES: 25
TEXAS RANGERS: 25
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 24
MIAMI MARLINS: 24
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: 19
OTHER: 2

There is now a tie at the top between Atlanta and the Angels.  The Red Sox are just one card down now.