Mad Max - But Not the Movie

Hey guys, Drew back here! It feels good to have some spending money for the first time in over a year. Regardless, I'm beginning to learn how fast it can all go, and with the summer getting underway I've been attempting to save some cash for when I'll want and need it most. However, I did allocate about $10 to pick up an autograph of who just may be the most effective pitcher in the game.

I was never sure if Max Scherzer was going to stick around at the top of the leaderboards, but I think it can be established by now that he is owns of the most polished arms around. Scherzer began his career rather inconsistently, but always possessed the "stuff" necessary to thrive. In 2013, at the age of 28, he had perhaps his best season; winning 21 games and coming home with the American League Cy Young Award. He followed up his tremendous performance with an impressive 2014, and was rewarded to the tune of a 7 year, $210 million dollar deal with the Washington Nationals. The deal will pay Scherzer over a 14 year time span, so he will be payed far after his time in the nation's capital. While this has all the implications of becoming a train wreck of a contract by the conclusion of the seven years, for now "Mad Max" is taking the National League by storm. He's opened this season with a 6-4 record, a 1.85 ERA (currently leading the league), and 90 strikeouts! If he keeps this up this performance, he will certainly be in consideration for more hardware. 

As previously noted, I was able to find a new 2015 Topps Museum Collection autograph of Scherzer's on eBay for just over $10 shipped. Despite ranking among the likes of Kershaw and King Felix right now, his autographs don't sell for nearly as much as they should. I pulled an Allen & Ginter framed autograph of Scherzer's in 2010, but quickly (and stupidly) flipped it for an autograph from the same set of Chris Young... It's safe to say I've made my share of errors since joining the online community in 2008. I finally redeemed myself with this purchase, and although I've always loved Allen & Ginter autographs; this one is even nicer.

What do you all think? Have you gotten any nice steals lately? Feel free to share in the comments below!

See Ya!

2015 MLB Playoff & World Series Predictions!

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Hey guys, Drew back here! We continue our coverage of the 2015 baseball season, and now things are beginning to get interesting. I recently posted standings predictions for each of the 6 divisions, and although some of my opinions have already changed in part of injury, this will document a loose representation of how I think the year will play out. The best part about baseball at its current state, as I have mentioned several times, is the amazing parity between teams. There hasn't been a time as bright and positive as this in the game, with so many great young stars and a flood of even more coming soon! I may be completely wrong with these choices, but I'm going to give it a shot.

AL East          NL East

AL Central          NL Central

AL West          NL West

American League

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Wild Card Series: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners

The wild card system makes it difficult for teams to beat opponents with fantastic starting pitchers. The entire MLB season contains series' of games, with the lone exception of this one game play in. However, in recent years, teams that have gone on to win this game have had favorable luck further into the playoffs (see: Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants in 2014). The Royals were able to beat the pitcher Oakland traded for that was brought there to win that specific game in Jon Lester. This year in my fantasy world, the Blue Jays, even through losing their young ace Marcus Stroman, will still power their way into a Wild Card spot. Truth be told, I'm very skeptical of this happening, but I'm going to continue to go with my gut even with the injuries they've suffered this Spring. They will take on the best team to not win a division in the league, the Seattle Mariners. But more importantly, they would be going up against Felix Hernandez in his first career playoff start. If this indeed becomes the matchup, there's no way I can bet against King Felix to move the M's into the next round!

Advantage - Mariners

Division Series: Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox

The battle of the Sox will ensue as both revamped teams will challenge for a spot in the Championship Series. In this Best of 5 series, I can see this going both ways. At the end of the day though, I like Chicago more than Boston because of their pitching. Both teams are loaded with talented lineups, and the John Farrell managed Red Sox may have a recent advantage in playoff games, but the trio of Chris Sale/Jeff Samardzija/Jose Quintana along with an improved bullpen should prove to be the difference in this matchup. If the Red Sox were to swing a trade for an ace caliber pitcher, maybe they could stand a better chance, but for now I'd say that will be the cause for their demise.

Advantage - White Sox, 3-2

Division Series: Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels

With all the talent the Angels have had over the years, they've always seemed to fall a bit short. Watching Trout, Pujols, and Hamilton all struggle in their 2014 postseason embarrassment by the Royals was telling of their future. I feel like they will play extremely well in the regular season, as Mike Scioscia appears to have managed that portion relatively well. A key for the Mariners in this series is having a strong performance from either Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, or both. Kershaw has had his challenges in the playoffs, but I feel like Hernandez could be much different and dominate the Angels lineup. The Mariners offense isn't overly dynamic, but a healthy, good year from Nelson Cruz could be the deciding factor for all of these predictions coming true. Between he, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, and some other sneaky candidates may also be clutch through this stretch.

Advantage - Mariners, 3-1

Championship Series - Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners

I've been using pitching as a key determinant for most of this post thus far, but at this point these teams are about even in that respect. Felix/Iwakuma/Paxton/Walker plays out well against Sale/Samardzija/Quintana, so there will be more to this decision than simply good pitching. I don't think the Mariners will run the table against the Angels, but I think at this point in October they will be feeling extremely confident. This late in the playoffs, momentum is a huge factor, and those days of a regular season record are long gone. Both teams will feel confident, but I'm anticipating the Wild Card game winner to once again prevail and win the pennant. Is this a flaw in the MLB system that the winners of that game get to stay in the same rhythm as they were in all season? These games have the potential to be even more exciting than any other playoff games outside of tiebreaker elimination games, and I can't even imagine how good the Royals felt after knocking out the A's in extra innings. I don't know if this is something that needs to be fixed, but I think it will be determined by the results of the next few years. Don't get me wrong, these 1 game series' are extremely fun to watch and I look forward to them every year now since the idea started in 2012, but I don't know if it hurts the other teams not to be feeling the same momentum after the intensity those games bring.

Advantage - Mariners, 4-2

National League

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Wild Card Series: Miami Marlins vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Marlins don't have the caliber pitching staff as the Washington Nationals, which will most likely cause them to finish behind them in the NL East. But that's just the regular season, and a little bird told me that a guy named Jose Fernandez will be returning to their staff around midseason. With a healthy, MVP caliber season out of Giancarlo Stanton, along with production from their various improvements up and down the lineup, they can pose a huge threat into the postseason. St. Louis seems to be on the cusp of trending in the opposite direction, although they still do have young players that will develop into stars. I think this year is part will be the beginning of a trend for St. Louis, where they may still win games and make the playoffs, but could continue to fall short of advancing. Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Matt Holliday aren't getting any younger, and until some of their touted prospects and young players improve they will be on the outside looking in during the World Series this year. In a game that could possibly be Fernandez vs. Wainwright, I'll take the fish's upside here.

Advantage - Marlins

Division Series: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

This matchup may be interesting. For all of the money, time, and effort put into the Dodgers organization over the past few years, you would expect more results by now. It seems to be proven by now, however, that most teams dishing out the mega millions fail to reach the chemistry required to win it all. The Pirates have built their organization in the complete opposite way, developing homegrown players such as McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gerrit Cole into excellent big league players. It's sad to think that a team with $157,183,552 less to spend every year stands a chance against this Dodgers team that has struggled immensely in recent history. But this year, things are going to go differently for the boys in blue, because they're not going to be facing their nemesis St. Louis Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw will solidify his position as the best pitcher in the game that Bumgarner attempted to steal last October. It's great to see Pittsburgh succeed, but I have a bad feeling about their playoff luck this year, because Kershaw will be out for blood.

Advantage - Dodgers, 3-1

Division Series: Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals

These division rivals are going to be a lot of fun to watch if they do get to square off this year. The Marlins will have the momentum in their favor, and the Nationals have not been able to win with their star studded team yet. But even with a staff of Jose Fernandez, Mat Latos, and Henderson Alvarez, nobody in the game can say they have what Washington does with their super staff. Max Scherzer may be able to squeak out victories against Fernandez, and the other starters will be overmatched by either Jordan Zimmermann or Stephen Strasburg (or Fister, Gonzalez, Roark, etc, etc). As exciting as it will be to see Giancarlo Stanton crush a late inning home run against a weak Nats bullpen, I think they will fall just a bit short. Although both the Mariners and Marlins will be in similar positions at this point in time, the Mariners veterans and a weaker AL competition gives them a better opportunity to reach the World Series, whereas the Marlins may fall just short of moving on. If Bryce Harper can continue to hit the way he has in his limited postseason experience, he could be a lethal weapon as well. This will be a great series without a doubt, perhaps the best of my entire mock playoffs, but this will be the year the Nationals and Dodgers will duke it out for a chance at the pennant.

Advantage - Nationals, 3-2

Championship Series: Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The series many of you have been waiting to see is indeed my NL Championship Series. Both of these teams will be on a level playing field; both with high momentum and a mix of veteran stars to help guide the young players to the top. No longer are concerns of "How many innings can Stephen Strasburg throw?" on the top of all fan's minds. Who knows which players will be out with injuries by this point, but assuming fully healthy clubs, I'm picking the Nationals to defeat Kershaw, Greinke, and the Dodgers. And no, this is not only because of their pitching staff. Despite losing Adam LaRoche at first base, the Nats still have Jayson Werth, Denard Span, Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon, and Bryce Harper to worry about on offense. The Dodgers have their assets too, but who knows what will be running through their star player, Yasiel Puig's mind when it matters most. Last year, he was benched during pivotal moments of their series against the Cardinals. I like the Nationals overall team from top to bottom just a bit more than that of the Dodgers, and with that, they're my pick for the National League side of the World Series.

Advantage - Nationals, 4-3

World Series

Seattle Mariners vs. Washington Nationals

I know what you're saying: The Mariners in the World Series? I get the confusion; really, I do. They have actually been a dark horse favorite for the series going into 2015 with a lot of people, although I didn't take other people's opinions into account when I compiled this list myself. A lot will have to go right in Seattle for a chance to make up for their Seahawks' awkward Super Bowl disaster, but I have a strangely positive feeling about them. I'm no Swami, I don't know the answers, but I can say this decision was calculated; crazy as it may seem. The addition of Nelson Cruz to a primarily lefty dominant lineup was critical to the team's success. He may not swat 40 home runs in Safeco Field, but he'll certainly hold his own in the clean up spot of the lineup. Seth Smith, Dustin Ackley, and Austin Jackson will purvey the outfield, while young power hitting catcher Mike Zunino is behind the plate. Future stars James Paxton and Taijuan Walker will take the next step towards reaching their full potential, and that factor could also play huge in their late season run. This team reminds me of a better Kansas City Royals team that we saw in the World Series last year. They won't be making this series easy, especially with the best pitcher in the American League and momentum that will make the entire bleachers a sea of yellow K's.

But if they could beat Kershaw, they can and will beat Felix too. Like many others, the Washington Nationals are my World Series pick for the year. I didn't wish to be cliché with this choice, but I really do feel like if there is any year they will win, it's this one. Dominance isn't as frequent in these relatively even leagues, and the team with the greatest potential to dominate should be the favorite to win it all. Past postseason struggles, injury questions, free agency looming for top players, I don't care what the excuse may be. This is the best team on paper, and outside of Max Scherzer it hasn't changed too much recently. He will help, not hurt, the chemistry of the clubhouse. Recent history has proven that the best teams on paper don't exactly play the way most expect, but this is going to be one of the exceptions. I'm feeling it already.

Advantage - Nationals, 4-2

World Series MVP - Bryce Harper

The point of this post, over anything else, is that I can't wait for baseball to return. These picks could be the worst ever made, or maybe I'll look like a genius. I hope for the latter, although I would take a Yankees World Series win over any of my silly picks in a heartbeat.

Have any World Series predictions? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

See Ya!

2015 National League East Preview + Predictions!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I've had a blast with this series so far, and I love hearing what some of you have had to say defending your favorite teams. Remember, this is solely my prediction; I decided to throw some interesting curveballs in my picks to be able to say "I called it" when a team of the Royals caliber makes a deep playoff run next year. With that, if you're interested in checking out my posts regarding the AL East, Central, and West, feel free to click the links! But for now, let's talk about this year's National League East; a division mostly on the rise from being one of the least competitive divisions in the game.

2015 NL East Standings Prediction:

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1 - Washington Nationals
X-Factors: Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Drew Storen

This was probably my easiest pick of all 30 teams. The Nationals have become one of those yearly great regular season teams (similarly to the Angels), but I have a strong feeling that will change in 2015. Their pitching rotation ranks among the best on paper in the modern baseball era: newly acquired Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister, and Gio Gonzalez. Tanner Roark won 15 games with a sub 3.00 ERA and they won't even have room for him on Opening Day! Zimmermann and Fister are in contract years which will give them even more to play for, and the team knows that 2015 could be their only shot with this particular roster. Shortstop Ian Desmond will be a free agent as well next offseason and, considering he already turned down $107 million from the Nats in 2013, I don't see how they would be able to afford him. The biggest concern for Washington is their bullpen, led by closer Drew Storen, who pitched well last season but will have a much bigger role potentially closing out key playoff games. A rebound season from Ryan Zimmerman and the possibility of a major Bryce Harper breakout year could give them an extra boost and push them deep into the pennant race. The sky is the limit for this team.

2 - Miami Marlins
X-Factors: Jose Fernandez, Dee Gordon, Mike Morse

I really like the Marlins this year, I'm not going to lie. Their core young outfield consisting of Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, and Giancarlo Stanton is one of the best in the business, and they made some other key improvements this offseason too. Martin Prado, Dee Gordon, and Mike Morse should help increase offensive production, although I have a hard time seeing Gordon replicate his 2014 statistics. Henderson Alvarez and trade acquisition Mat Latos should be able to shoulder the load until 22 year old phenom Jose Fernandez returns from Tommy John Surgery around early June. On a personal note, I hope to see David Phelps make the rotation or have a key bullpen role at some point; he will be one of my most missed ex-Yankees next year. But, the main focus of this offense is Mr. Moneybags, Giancarlo Stanton. Six foot six and 240 lbs.; this guy can care less about what happened to his face last year. I think he has the best year of his career, and he helps lead Miami to the postseason as one of the biggest wild card contenders.

3 - New York Mets
X-Factors: Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Wilmer Flores

The unofficial "Good Guy" team starring David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and now Michael Cuddyer should continue to improve from their second place finish in 2015. Unfortunately, I believe the Marlins improved even more and will be the division runner ups by the end of September. This is a team I see getting a little bit better every year, with almost an annual tradition of adding a top pitching prospect to the rotation. "The Dark Knight", Matt Harvey is the cream of the crop, and while his Tommy John comeback will be monitored, I can see him returning to form quickly and easily. Just watch his first Spring Training performance; the guy can seriously pitch. Their offense may be prone to injury and slumps throughout the course of the season, but their fantastic young rotation may be able to lead them into the Wild Card hunt as well.

4 - Atlanta Braves
X-Factors: Nick Markakis, Alex Wood

New Atlanta GM John Hart was awfully busy this past winter, and it became clear that his direction was to throw away last year's team and focus on the future. Poor Freddie Freeman lost the protection of Justin Upton and Jason Heyward in the lineup; who were traded to San Diego and St. Louis, respectively. In addition, power hitting catcher/outfielder Evan Gattis was moved to Houston. Their rotation seems to have improved, led by a solid young trio of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, and Shelby Miller, and the bullpen is again anchored by star closer Craig Kimbrel. This team may have improved in the long run through all of the prospect acquisitions. Their success in 2015, however, may be partially determined by the health of free agent signing Nick Markakis. Markakis was released by the Orioles after they learned of the herniated disk in his neck that required offseason surgery. This Braves team today doesn't appear likely to make the postseason, but their future should be intriguing thanks to Hart's moves.

5 - Philadelphia Phillies
X-Factors: Cliff Lee, Domonic Brown

It's truly sad seeing how much this team has fallen off ever since their 2008 and 2009 World Series appearances. Their supposed star Ryan Howard has not aged gracefully, batting .223 last season in the first year since 2011 that he managed to play almost a full season (although he did manage to drive in an impressive 95 runs given the team's weak offensive season). Chase Utley is still reliable but injury prone for his age, and Cliff Lee was recently given sad news about his elbow that may end his career a bit prematurely. If I were Ruben Amaro Jr., I would be doing anything in my power to move their terrible contracts and start over. Cole Hamels may be worth his team-friendly contract, but he would fetch the most value in return and therefore should be moved as well, because let's face it: the Phillies don't stand much of a chance next year.

Division MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
Division Cy Young: Max Scherzer
Playoff Teams: Washington, Miami (Wild Card)

The NL East seems to be the youngest division in the game, and there will be so many fun players to watch this season. The Cy Young could've honestly went to any of the Nationals starters, but I picked Scherzer to dominate hitters better than anyone. The adjustment should be fine for "Mad Max", and I'm sure he'll be glad to not have to face DH's such as Victor Martinez, David Ortiz, and Chris Carter as often. I also heard that he's been working on adding a cutter to his arsenal, so we will have to wait and see if that elevates his game further. The Marlins may be a debatable playoff team, but I would personally like to see them make a run with all of their young talent. Plus, how cool would it be seeing Stanton up with a tie game in the 9th inning; bases loaded? The youth movement probably makes this division the weakest in the National League, but it could be one of the best throughout baseball a couple of years from now.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments below! For now, I'm signing off.

See Ya!

Mid June TTM Report!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Guess what? My junior year of high school is O.V.E.R., and I could not be any more excited! I completed my final test- the dreaded Chemistry state regents exam, this morning, and I'm now ready for a summer hopefully devoted mostly towards my lovely hobby! So, on that note, here's a look at some of the through the mail successes I've received throughout the first half of June (TTM's 118-120)! Enjoy!

Ed Kranepool: c/o Home, 2/2 in 6 Days

Mr. Kranepool is remembered for being one of the few original, lifelong Mets; which has got to be an accomplishment in itself. All jokes aside, he was a solid contributor to their 1969 World Series team and helped pull the abysmal Casey Stengel-led team out of the ashes. He batted over .300 twice in his career, and his best season was in 1975 when he hit .323 with over 100 hits and 43 runs batted in. He signed a 1968 Topps card fresh from "the binder" along with a 1990 Pacific Baseball Legends card to put towards my ever growing signed set collection. 

Jim Lonborg: c/o Home, 3/3 in 7 Days

Back in January, my dad, my friend Schuyler, and I were at a White Plains card show in which the free signer was none other than the guy above. Schuyler was fortunate enough to get a nice oversized card of his signed, but by the time I was prepared to meet him his signing session was over. I wasn't going to complain since I already got to meet Cal Ripken Jr. and Steve Carlton that day, but I wanted to do something with the card my dad got me to have signed- the 1968 Topps card above. I went home and realized that the 1967 Cy Young winner was a very reliable TTM signer, so I put him on my list and recently got around to mailing to him. He signed my 1990 Pacific card along with the aforementioned 1968 Topps World Series highlight card. He also signed my index card and inscribed his 1967 Cy Young, however his sharpie did appear to be running out of gas. Regardless, these came out great and I'm happy to finally add him to my collection!

Jimmy Key: c/o Home, 1/1 in 8 Days

Key was well, a key piece in the Yankees' World Series win in 1996 to say the least. Over his three season stint with the team, he compiled a 49-23 record, and in the strike shortened 1994 season he was leading the league in wins with 17. His last start as a Yankee came in the 1996 World Series, where he battled to defeat Braves legend Greg Maddux en route to John Wetteland's closing and securing of the Yankees first title since 1978. To say I was excited to get his autograph on this 1996 Score was an understatement, and I'm really glad I took the time out to give him a try. He's a great signer, but keep in mind he only allows 1 autograph per request.

Max Scherzer: c/o Detroit Tigers, 0/1 in 51 Days FAILURE

Max Scherzer just won his 10th game of the season yesterday, and is well on his way to Citi Field for the All Star game. He used to be a phenomenal TTM signer, but now that he's become a pivotal part of the Tigers contending roster, the team requests a $10 donation to their team foundation in order for the card to be signed. $10 isn't bad compared to the apparent $40 they ask for Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, but he isn't quite that caliber of a player yet so it's understandable. I don't believe I'll take part in this, but I figured it could be helpful in case anyone else wanted to send him (or any of the Tigers for that matter) a request.

What do you guys think of my recent haul? Happy Summer!

See Ya!

2010 Allen & Ginter Box Break Review Part 2

Hey guys, Drew back here, with the grading time of 2010 Allen & Ginter. Here we go!

Design: 2010 Allen & Ginter's new design looks better than ever, with a new green tint in the background with the usual tan color used as a border. The cards remind me of a fresh piece of spearmint gum, not only due to the green tint but also because they have a nice feel to them. I was skeptical at first when the product first came out, because I didn't know how they would look. That happens every year it seems for me, but it looks better than in my opinion, it ever did before. All the insert designs look nice too, but the one part of the set that wins most improved for me, is without a doubt, the relics/autos. The border is so bright and colorful, so no doubt, this is the best Hawaiian border to date in this product. Design Grade: A+

Price: Too much. My only complaint with Allen & Ginter year after year is the price. Sure, there is a chance you can get back what you paid for the box, but, more often than not, you normally don't. The cards sure are high quality and excellent looking, but spending $80-100 on a box with 3 hits, typically all relics and maybe 1 auto, is ridiculous. My love for this product is the only reason I keep going back and buying boxes. Price Grade: C

Hits: I already started to talk about the look of the hits this year, but I will continue here. Again, I'm lovin the Red Border that Topps used for the border for the autos and relics this year. My 3 hits in the box were pretty good, Kemp jersey, Dunn bat, and Scherzer auto, but nothing spectacular. But, I don't care. Why? Because they look amazing! Thats why. Hits Grade: A

Overall: Well.. 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter was a definite hit in this house. I definitely enjoyed opening the box, so did my dad, my mom liked some of the cards of the oddballs, and so did my sister. I was very impressed with the product this year though, but would I buy another box? Last year I bought 2, but only bought the second at the card show because I won a $50 gift certificate to any vendor and I bought it for $25. So, unless I get lucky again, I'm going to try and trade for the rest of the set that I'm missing. In my opinion, this is the product of the year, followed by Topps flagship. Great job Topps! Overall Grade: A

Not bad.... leave your thoughts in the comments! See Ya!

2010 Allen & Ginter Box Break Review Part 1

Hey guys, Drew back here, with the second of four box break reviews, my box of 2010 Allen & Ginter! Here's the product information:

PRODUCT CONTENT
24 Packs Per Box
8 Cards Per Pack
192 Cards Per Box
1 N43 or Cabinet Card Boxtopper per box
1 Mini Card Per Pack
1 This Day In History Insert Per Pack
3 Baseball Sketches Per Box
3 Hits Per Box (Relic, Auto, Plate, Rip, Cut)

Alright, now that we got that out of the way, let's see what I pulled!

MY BOX BREAK:

Cabinet Card: Great Engineering Achievements- Mount Rushmore

Wow, sweet looking card. Now, what do I do with it?

Base Set: 123/300

This was my first experience with 2010 Allen & Ginter, and I must say, I really like the new design. The greenish tint behind the photos make it different and fresh looking. There's a ton of interesting inclusions into the base set, including Leonardo da Vinci, Jordin Sparks, Tom Knapp, the Warwa fire eater guy, and Regis. Of course, Area 51 and Betelgeuse have cards, as Allen & Ginter keeps up it's odd and distinct popularity.

SP's: 12/50

I pulled 12 shortprints, which I'm pretty sure is double what others have been getting. I got Adrian Beltre, Trevor Cahill, Austin Jackson, Brad Lidge, Bobby Abreu, Joe Nathan, Brandon Phillips, Roy Oswalt, Stephen Drew, Alcides Escobar, Gaby Sanchez, and Casey McGehee (last 4 not pictured). It's a lot less work now thanks to this, got pretty lucky on that part.

Base Set + SP's: 135/350 (38%)

This Day In History Inserts: 24/50 (48%)

A very unique idea by Topps to use this idea for an insert set. If you don't know, each card represents an event that occurred on a player's birthday with a picture of the player. The random newspaper guy got boring, but the concept is awesome. I'm definitely gonna try to build this set if I can.

Regular Back Minis: 7/350

I've always liked the minis in Allen & Ginter, but my selection of regular backed minis was not special. We did get 2 SP minis in Daric Barton and Hiroki Kuroda, and a paper airplance world champion. This was a great box based on SP's.

A&G Back Minis: 6/350
Black Border Minis: 2/350 (Nelson Cruz, Mariano Rivera)

Wow, 6 A&G Backs? I don't get the point of these, they should just have the regular and black border. Another SP popped up in Roy Oswalt, and we got a King Tut! The black borders look as good as ever, especially the Mariano Rivera, which is taking a seat in the Yankee Collection box.

Monsters of the Mesozoic: 2/25 (Protarchaeopteryx, Protoceratops)
Lords of Olympus: 2/25 (Apollo, Aphrodite)
World's Wordsmiths: 1/15 (Marcus Aurelius)
Sailors of the Seven Seas: 1/10 (Sir Walter Raleigh)
National Animals: 3/50 (Honduras, Italy, Colombia)

Lots of nice historical inserts in this set this year, with some dinosaurs I've never heard of and don't know how to say, some Greek Gods, a writer, a sailer, and some National Animals. This is part of the fun of Allen & Ginter, you don't know whats gonna show up in your box.

Baseball Sketches: 3/15 (Ethier, Teixeira, Wise)

A well designed insert set, the Teixeira and Wise are nice, but Night Owl has a candidate for Worst Card of the Year with the Ethier. That face looks nothing like his!

Relic Cards: 2 (Matt Kemp, Adam Dunn)

Speaking of Night Owl, here's a hit he may want. I kinda wanna keep the card unless there's something nice to get in return. That goes for everyone that may want it. It's actually not a bad card, a jersey of a pretty good player.

The Yankees are closing in on Lance Berkman, which leaves this poor guy in the dust. He's a great player hoping to get out of Strasburg land, and go to a contender, something he's never experienced in his life. I like Adam Dunn, so for now, I don't know if I'll trade this, again, unless you make a good offer.

Autographs: 1 (Max Scherzer)

Not bad, I guess. At least it's a baseball auto, and it beats Rich Hill from last year that I pulled. Scherzer isn't bad though. It's for trade but only for another 2010 Allen & Ginter auto (I like the Nolasco and Chris Young autos).

I guess it was a pretty good box, hit some nice cards and had a lot of fun opening it! Part 2 of the review is coming soon! See Ya!