At this point in the box, I'm really looking more and more for cards to stand out and surprise me. 4 packs or 1/5 of the way into my 2002 Topps 206 hobby box and I must say that even though there has certainly been some fabulous art so far, it's starting to get a little repetitive.
In the case of a set like Topps Gallery, the cards never fail to impress and excite me, even if I've already opened multiple packs and seen a lot of those cards. It's mainly because of how innovative of a set Gallery is. Thus far, I'm still trying to figure out if Topps 206 has that same level of innovation that is possessed by Gallery.
It also doesn't really help that you know exactly what you're getting in each pack. 6 base cards, 1 mini, and 1 Team 206 card, but that's not the end of the world. After all, there's still that hope of getting a hit whether it be an autograph, relic card, or even a T206 original.
I guess it's time to pick up where I left off. Time for the 5th and 6th packs of the box to get underway. Don't worry, I'm going to be pausing the break for a day tomorrow and resuming the pack breaks on Thursday, just in case any of you wanted a quick break from non-stop packs of the same product.
Pack #5
#39 Nomar Garciaparra
I'm a bit mixed whenever I pull a card of Nomar Garciaparra (shown at the top of the post). On one hand, I can definitely appreciate what he's done as a Red Sox player. However, as well liked as he was by the fans, he was definitely not incredibly popular as a teammate.
#70 Paul O'Neill
With the first card being a Red Sox player and the next being a Yankee, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the vital game taking place later today. Moved from 1:00 to 7:00 due to rain, tonight's Red Sox vs Yankees game is a big one. If the Red Sox win, they will take home the AL East title for the 3rd year in a row.
#58 Barry Zito
I can't say having identical backgrounds for the first 3 cards of the pack makes me all that excited for what's to come. Granted, I'm sure this streak won't be continuing and it's just a coincidence, but the standard light blue backgrounds don't do much for me in a set like this which is designed to be full of color.
#112 Jason Giambi
#174 Johnny Evers
In the 2nd pack of the break, I pulled Frank Chance's card, one of the 3 members of the historic Tinker-Evers-Chance infield for the World Champion Chicago Cubs in 1907 and 1908. I stated back then that I would love to pull a base card of each of the 3 members of the Hall of Fame trio. Now that I've pulled the card of Frank Chance, only Joe Tinker remains.
#148 Michael Hill
#145 Chris Tritle Mini Polar Bear Back
#T206-16 Cristian Guzman Team 206
A respectable player for the Twins and Nationals over the course of his 11-year career, Guzman made for some excellent cards, especially while in Minnesota. Even though the level of realism isn't where I want it for a set like this, the thought behind the details and colors cannot be denied.
Pack #6
#86 Joel Pinero
Even though I'm not fond of solid color backgrounds in this set, I must say I appreciate the gold color background used on a couple of the cards I've pulled so far. The combination of that and the navy blue Mariners jersey is one that works very well, much better than any light blue background could work in any other color combo.
#26 Tino Martinez
#41 Scott Rolen
As is evident with the various backgrounds, the 2002 Topps 206 set alternates from realism to abstract art quite often. You constantly see the set switching from solid color backgrounds to more natural backgrounds showing sky, a ballpark fence, and even smaller realistic details such as trees in the background.
#99 Mike Sweeney
I have to say, in a set like this with all sorts of different backgrounds depending on the card, my favorite of the group would have to be the blurred colors background that I've seen on a couple cards, most notably on Mike Sweeney's card shown above.
#123 Pat Burrell
#151 Bill Hall
Bill Hall's base card signifies the return of the gold background, making its 2nd appearance of the pack. While I think the color is intriguing and a very good choice, I really hope that Topps didn't end up overdoing it and putting gold backgrounds on too many cards in the set.
#25 Shawn Green Mini Polar Bear Back
#T206-14 Randy Johnson Team 206
For the 6th pack and 3rd post in a row, the Team 206 insert card of the pack was able to end everything on a bang. With well-chosen colors and an interesting yet simple border, the insert cards have impressed me once again.
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