Dependability

As usual, my LCS is far more dependable than Target as it pertains to new releases. In this case, that release was 2019 Topps Stadium Club, a set that I try to open a hobby box of each and every year.

As I explained in yesterday's post, the card aisle at the Target near my house has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. This means that I'll be doing fewer retail box breaks and more hobby openings in the future, for I don't have a dependable Target or Walmart near me.

Though I didn't open them in order, my Dad and I have ripped a box of each of the last 3 Topps Stadium Club sets, dating back to 2016. We haven't hit any major autographs or numbered cards, but we've always had a blast with this set and the beautiful photography within it.

This tradition, combined with the newly-undependable Target card aisle, prompted us to continue this custom and purchase a hobby box of 2019 Topps Stadium Club earlier today. 

The promise of 2 on-card autographs, 1 chrome card, and an over-sized box topper was appealing, but we all know the real reason why anyone buys Stadium Club. The photographs are unmatched by any other sports card release.

Not to mention that all of this year's subjects, even guys like Honus Wagner, are showcased in color. There may be black and white parallels, but you won't find those kinds of pictures in the base set any longer.

At this point, we're about 1/3 of the way through the hobby box, so I won't have a recap post until tomorrow or Monday. Instead, I have 1 pack from the box to open for the blog today, allowing me to share my thoughts on this brand new release.

Each pack contains 8 cards, including 1 insert or parallel, and there are 16 packs in a hobby box. This is one of the most sought after releases year after year, so I'm ecstatic to see what the cards look like in person.

#54 Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron's one of my top 2 favorites players in Baseball history (I consistently go back and forth between him and David Ortiz), so I'd say that this pack is off to a fantastic start. 

Aaron's been included in every Stadium Club set besides 2015 since the product's revival 5 years ago. Even though there are no more black and white base cards, I don't think I'll mind if most of the retired players' cards look like this.

I can't seem to recognize the ballpark in the background no matter how hard I try. I initially thought it was the Polo Grounds, but upon closer inspection, I don't believe that's the case.

Nonetheless, we're starting off this pack and, in fact, the entire box, with one of the best possible base cards.

#7 David Fletcher

One of my favorite things about Stadium Club, year after year, is how Topps can take the same rookies that are featured in a dozen other products and come up with some brilliant cards in this photo-centric release. 

I've already pulled a few different David Fletcher rookies this year, and I barely even know who he is. However, his Stadium Club base card, showing the Angels rookie preparing to bunt, differs completely from the rookie cards of almost any other Topps set.

I'm still not that familiar with the 25-year old rookie, but Stadium Club, if nothing else, has given me a better idea about who he is with just 1 card. That's pretty impressive, to say the least.

#239 Luis Urias

On the other hand, I'm slightly more familiar with Padres rookie Luis Urias, for he was a well-respected prospect for a number of years before being called up by San Diego in 2019.

I've pulled his Bowman prospect cards and his Topps Flagship rookie, and while his Stadium Club rookie may not be my favorite, I appreciate Topps for using an angle rarely showcased on Baseball cards as well as a throwback uniform.

Not every card can be a winner, and Urias' is by no means a bad card. It's just challenging to stand out within a set as diverse and stunning as Stadium Club.

#219 Ryan Zimmerman

I've never been overly fond of the Stadium Club card backs, but I think that's going to change in 2019. In past releases, like 2018, the card backs differed depending on the player and his team colors, but this year, each card back is the same apart from the information about the actual player.

They all feature the same brown ballpark background with glimpses of light around the basic information and player statistics. The player's name uses the same text as it does on the front of the card, and, as a whole, the backs stay true to what we've seen from Stadium Club since 2014.

Although I believe that the "Topps Stadium Club" text at the top of this post is unnecessary, I don't have many problems with this year's card backs. There definitely a step up from years past.

#PZ-4 Aaron Judge Power Zone

For starters, I'm thrilled that Topps went with numbers for their Stadium Club inserts whereas they typically use the first letter of the player's first and last name to distinguish the cards (PZ-AJ, for example).

Second, my first impression of the Stadium Club inserts this year is that they're an improvement from 2018 and beforehand, though that's not saying much. I've never been a fan of the redundant concepts and unoriginal designs, but I love how these Power Zone cards look in 2019.

I've seen autographed versions of these inserts pulled though the odds of landing one are extremely low. The blank space on the lefthand side of the card, nevertheless, is perfect for some ink.

#82 Dansby Swanson

I can't tell if something really positive or negative happened right before the photographer captured this shot of Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson. He could've just dove into home plate and gotten dirt all over his jersey, or he could've been caught stealing.

Regardless, there are a ton of dirt stains all throughout Topps Stadium Club, so I'm not surprised that I stumbled upon some on the 6th card of the first pack. Grass stains, on the other hand, don't show up that much, both on the actual uniforms and in the Stadium Club base set.

#170 Jose Altuve

This Altuve base card becomes the 4th card of a player that I collect out of 7 cards in the pack thus far, the others being Aaron, Zimmerman, and Judge. Even with all the crazy images across this 301-card set (Vlad Jr is an SP), it's nice to have something simple every once in a while.

Altuve's card fits perfectly in a set like Stadium Club, for there's room for any type of picture, simple or complex, in this set. There's something that I love and appreciate about this card, though I can't quite describe it. 

#238 Steven Duggar

Every card in this pack besides Dansby Swanson features either a rookie or a player that I collect, and I believe that perfectly encapsulates what modern Baseball card collecting looks like. 

The 3rd and final rookie, as well as the last card in the pack, is of Giants outfielder Steven Duggar, another rookie who I'm slightly familiar with thanks to previous 2019 releases like Bowman and Flagship.

Here, we see another dugout shot, this time a little more up-close as Duggar is adjusting the glove before taking the field. It's another simple shot, by Stadium Club's standards, but I appreciate the minor details such as the sunglasses on his cap.

The first pack of 2019 Topps Stadium Club was pretty much what I was expecting, and I mean that as a compliment. Stadium Club consistently features top tier photography, so I had an idea as to what I could expect.

1 pack down, 15 to go. I'm ecstatic to see the caliber of photography across the rest of the box.