Food Issue Cards For Thought

Topps' modern day Baseball card monopoly has gradually made oddball cards virtually obselete. In the past, numerous companies, from Post cereal to French's mustard, would work with Topps and other card companies to produce their own promotional Baseball card set.

When I try to think of modern food issue sets, Walmart's Marketside pizza cards from a few years ago come to mind, but that's about it. Unfortunately, we rarely see these mini sets anymore, for I fear they've been replaced by over-priced online exclusives like Throwback Thursday cards on Topps.com.

Although I'm not a huge fan of how scarce oddball cards have become, it does make the occasional mini set releases all the more exciting. For instance, the recent collaboration between Topps and Utz snack foods has taken collectors by storm. 

Keep in mind, these cards have the exact same design as Topps Series 1. Okay, there's a small logo in the bottom left corner, but that's the only real difference on the front of these cards.

Admittedly, I joined in on the hunt for these Utz cards when I went to the grocery store on Saturday. For only $4 total, I picked up a 12-pack of potato chip snack bags that included 1 4-card pack of these promotional cards. 

As soon as I got back to the car, I fished through the mini bags of chips until I found the Baseball cards. Then, I saw Ronald Acuña Jr's card at the very top of the see-through pack.

At that moment, it didn't really matter what else I pulled from this pack. Certainly, Acuña is one of the greatest names to pull alongside Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. It also helps that this is Acuña's rookie cup card.

The only other significant difference between the Utz cards and Topps Series 1 is the card numbering. While the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year had card #1 in Topps Flagship, in the Utz set, he has card #36.

I don't consider pulling a rookie card a letdown whatsoever, especially when that rookie is the high-regarded outfielder Kyle Tucker for the Houston Astros. So far, I'm very impressed with the selection of players featured in this promotional product.

My knowledge of Kyle Tucker is quite limited, but I know that he's expected to become a starting outfielder for the Astros along with Michael Brantley and George Springer. Given that Tucker is just 22 years old, this card has the potential to be a sensational pull a number of years from now.

So far, all 3 cards that I've pulled have featured either rookie cups or rookie card logos. In the case of Royals 1st baseman Ryan O'Hearn, his card features both, similar to Rafael Devers' 2018 Topps Series 1 card.

In 2018, O'Hearn hit 12 homers and 30 RBI in just 149 at-bats, so it stands to reason that he'd earn the starting job at 1st base for the Royals in 2019. Although he's struggled with his batting average so far, the 25-year old has managed a respectable .288 OBP. 

The last card might not feature an All-Star rookie cup or rookie card logo, but Edwin Diaz isn't too shabby of a veteran to pull, especially given his success throughout his brief career so far with the New York Mets. After recording a whopping 57 saves for Seattle in 2018, he already has 5 so far this season.

With Edwin Diaz's card, however, comes my only major complaint about these cards. The Mets and Mariners' blockbuster trade was completed quite a long time ago, so I have to critique Topps for not getting Diaz into his new uniform in time. 

Diaz has been shown as a member of the Mets beginning with the release of 2019 Topps Heritage, so there's no real excuse for him to still be shown as a Mariner on his Utz card. 

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see a food issue product for the first time in years, even if the base set is merely a copy of 2019 Topps Flagship. Now, all I have to worry about is how I'm going to eat 12 snack bags of these chips.

2019 Predictions; NL East

In 2018, the American League East was arguably the toughest division in all of Baseball, featuring 3 teams with 90 or more wins and 2 with 100+. Now, in 2019, that title will likely go to the NL East where 4 of the 5 teams are destined for success this time around.

Last season, the Atlanta Braves, much to my surprise, ran away with the NL East division, finishing 90-72 and 8 games ahead of the Washington Nationals. The Phillies ended up in 3rd place after a dismal last few weeks of the season, including a 2-8 record in their final 10 games. The Mets were not too far behind Philadelphia, and the Marlins were in a league of their own with 98 losses.

Although they lost Bryce Harper to free agency, the Nationals boosted their already-strong rotation, making it one of the best in Baseball. Besides signing Patrick Corbin to a 6-year $140 million dollar deal, Washington didn't make too many significant moves this offseason.

The Mets, on the other hand, did the exact opposite as the Nationals by completing a blockbuster trade with the Mariners. After acquiring Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano from Seattle, the Mets are clearly ready to contend in the NL East. 

Even though they've established themselves as a legitimate threat, just wonder if the Mets have what it takes to contend with the Braves and Phillies.

In what has been the toughest division to predict thus far, the NL East's top teams proved challenging to rank. I'm definitely expecting a shake-up in this division in 2019, and I'm hoping to be more accurate than I was with the NL East last year.

1st Place; Philadelphia Phillies

Although they fell off the map towards the end of 2018, I have extremely high hopes for the Phillies in 2019. In addition to signing marquee free agent Bryce Harper to a mega contract worth $330 million dollars, the Phillies have all the pieces for a World Series run.

Beyond the stats he puts up, Harper's going to leave a significant impact on this Phillies team. I can definitely see him aiding in the development of Rhys Hoskins who struggled with his batting average in 2018. Jean Segura will also provide a veteran presence as one of the most underrated players in Baseball.

As far as the pitching goes, they have a former Cy Young award winner in Jake Arrieta and a young stud in Aaron Nola. They don't have the strongest pitching beyond those 2 starters, so hopefully, the new guys like Andrew McCutchen and J.T. Realmuto can help out.

Simply put, if this top-tier roster performs to the best of its abilities, the Phillies will make their way to the top of the NL East division.

2nd Place; Atlanta Braves

Rookie phenom Ronald Acuña Jr was unbelievable in 2018, earning the NL Rookie of the Year award and MVP votes. Up until the 2nd half, Ozzie Albies was also fantastic. However, will this young Braves team remain consistent after exceeding expectations in 2018?

Only time will tell, but resigning All-Star Nick Markakis was a huge step in the right direction for Atlanta. They have the foundation for a strong rotation that includes Julio Teheran and Sean Newcomb. They finished 8th in Baseball last season with a 3.75 ERA, so they definitely have a well-rounded team overall.

In a weaker division, I could see the Braves finishing 1st with over 90 wins. Although they have a strong chance of finishing 2019 with a higher win total than last season, I don't believe it's enough to beat out the Phillies.

3rd Place; New York Mets

Despite a historic performance that included a 1.70 ERA and 269 strikeouts, 2018 NL Cy Young award winner, Jacob DeGrom, managed just 10 wins in 2018. This was thanks to a Mets lineup that failed to provide even 3 runs for DeGrom most times that he pitched.

In an attempt to rectify that and provide a stronger closer to maintain DeGrom's win, the Mets completed the previously-mentioned blockbuster trade with the Mariners to acquire Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. 

Although Diaz is only 25 years of age, Cano is 36 years old, and that's something that worries me. Even though they have a few young hitters in place, New York can't depend on a 36-year old Cano as their primary means of offensive production. 

Alas, if that's their plan in 2019, they won't be able to contend with the Phillies and Braves for the top spot in this division.

4th Place; Washington Nationals

The Nationals may have one of the strongest rotations in Baseball, including Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin, but the departure of Bryce Harper is going to leave a void that's going to take time to fill. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Nationals and the Mets switched spots in the division if Juan Soto continues to develop as one of Baseball's best hitters. His unbelievable performance in 2018 established him as the building block for Washington's future. 

Along with Trea Turner, the Nationals have the young pieces necessary to manage without Bryce Harper. However, I don't see this team returning to the postseason as is, especially in the toughest division in Baseball

5th Place; Miami Marlins

Is this decision even debatable? I seriously doubt that any of the 4 talented teams in the NL East are going to finish below the Miami Marlins, a team that traded away their last star player, J.T. Realmuto, to the Phillies over the offseason.

Besides Starlin Castro, this team has virtually no experience, and it's going to be a few years before all the prospects they traded for are finally MLB-ready. Until then, it's going to be a series of difficult seasons for Miami, all while lacking a true franchise player.

For Derek Jeter's sake, I pray that the prospects Miami traded for develop the way their supposed to or better. Because, if not, all these years of mediocrity will have been for nothing.

Highlights From My Heritage Box

Following a tradition that I've kept since 2016, I purchased a hobby box of the recently-released Topps Heritage set yesterday, the greatest overall product produced by Topps. 

While yesterday's post was devoted to my first pack from the set, I'll be recapping and showing highlights of the entire hobby box today. This includes base cards, SPs, inserts, and any other variation or special card that makes Topps Heritage one of the most highly-anticipated releases every year.

Just in case you didn't know, 2019 Topps Heritage is paying homage to the grey-bordered 1970 Topps set by replicating this memorable Flagship product. Just like the last few years, 2019 Topps Heritage features a 400-card base set, featuring players like Robinson Cano, while the final 100 spots are reserved for short prints which fall at 1:3 packs.

While I haven't directly compared a Heritage base card to a 1970 original side by side, I can't spot any major differences between the 2 sets, proving that, once again, Topps was successful with their replication of a vintage card set, something that hasn't always been the case in a product like Topps Archives.

Although it's become more prominent over the last few years, blue sky backgrounds have always been a staple in a set like Topps Heritage, a product that doesn't feature action shots unless they're variations. 

With that being said, the last 3 years or so of Heritage have resulted in a massive increase in sky blue backgrounds. Although the positioning sometimes varies, the fact that these 4 cards are from the first 14 spots in the checklist definitely speaks volume to the lack of variety when it comes to images.

As soon as I pulled my first All-Star card from a pack, I instantly took notice of the fact that these cards, once again, say "The Sporting News" at the top as opposed to what it's been for a few years now, "The Topps News." 

In addition to featuring the original title, these All-Star cards also include cartoons on the card backs, another detail from the original 1970 Topps set.

While I'm on the topic of these All-Star cards, I suppose I should point out that Bryce Harper just signed a 13-year $330 million dollar deal roughly an hour or 2 ago. Even though I'm not shocked by the signing, I happen to be relieved that all the Machado and Harper free agency rumors can finally come to an end. 

Oh, and FYI, the 2019 MLB regular season starts in exactly a month, making March 28th the motivation I need to get through the rest of this New England winter.

2019 saw the elimination of team cards from the Topps Heritage set, a decision I'm more than happy to see go into effect. In its place, there's room for more players and even championship series playoff cards. 

While past sets honored only the previous years' World Series, 2019 Topps Heritage also includes ALCS and NLCS cards, including Benintendi's phenomenal catch to end the 4th game of the ALCS against Houston.

Besides, this is the final year of Topps Flagship to honor postseason games on cards using black and white images. After 2019, we'll start seeing color photos instead, so I'm definitely going to appreciate the black and white photos while we still have them.

Forget Series 1 or even Topps Now to a certain extent, this is how I want Topps to pay tribute to the World Series winners. Seeing the Red Sox's World Series victory moment captured in black and white as a part of the Topps Heritage set makes me excited for what the 2019 MLB season has to offer.

I'm already a huge fan of many of the vintage Topps World Series designs, but it's an entirely different story to see my favorite team on these cards. Even the card commemorating the 1 game that the Red Sox lost is awesome as it featured Max Muncy's memorable walk-off home run.

A departure from the 2018 set, the 2019 Topps Heritage short prints feature superstars once again, but Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich, the 2 reigning MVPs, remain in the base set for one reason or another.

Because there are 100 total SP cards, semi-stars like Jordan Hicks and Stephen Piscotty are part of the short print checklist as well, leading to somewhat of a mix between short prints that include all superstars and those that feature only semi-star players.

Ever since the flashbacks card insert sets were separated into Baseball and News respectively, the 2 inserts have featured the same style and design, only with different colors. I've never had a major problem with this before, likely because of how in-depth each flashback card goes into the topic, whether it's an MLB legend or a historical event.

Each of the past few years of Topps Heritage has featured some sort of special insert card particular to the year that's being commemorated. 2017 included the '68 Topps game, last year showcased the '69 Deckle Edge cards, and in 2019, we have the Topps scratch-off cards.

I must say, I'm more excited to collect the scratch-off insert set than any other part of the 2019 Topps Heritage set. The 15-card insert set encompasses cards that you can fold-out and boxes you can scratch to play a fantasy Baseball game of sorts, just like the original cards.

I'm slightly disappointed that players like Justin Smoak and Starlin Castro were chosen over any Red Sox stars, but I guess I can't complain all too much given how awesome these cards are. 

The New Age Performers inserts are undeniably the most colorful and beautiful insert cards of the entire product, and I'm thrilled that the pack odds have made it easier to pull these cards that include some of Baseball's biggest names.

It's hard for me to select a favorite out of all 4 of these cards given how vastly different they all are. The Khris Davis card stays somewhat traditional with the Athletics' team colors, but the Juan Soto card, featuring green, red, and orange, would have to be my choice for the greatest of the 4 inserts that I pulled.

While certain inserts have become easier to land, chrome cards of all colors have become more difficult to pull from a pack. Even if the listed pack odds aren't completely accurate, the fact that the chrome refractors (#/570) are 1:101 packs is something worth mentioning. 

Even if I didn't wind up with the biggest name, these cards look absolutely beautiful, especially in person. If I end up springing for another box, I'll hope that it's a purple refractor hot box so that I can end up with even more eye-catching chrome cards.

I've never had the greatest luck as far as box toppers go which made pulling this recreated Topp Super Ronald Acuña Jr card all the more surprising. I was expecting something more along the lines of an ad panel or, if I'm lucky, a 1970 buyback of a marginal player.

To my knowledge, the Topps Super box toppers are a new addition to the 2019 Topps Heritage product, and I haven't even glanced at the checklist for these cards. It marks the first time I didn't wind up with a buyback or an ad panel, something that definitely makes this box topper one of the high points of the time I've been collecting Topps Heritage.

The odds also increased for the action image variations, making it harder to pull action cards that could formally be found at around 1 per hobby box. However, this change did not stop me from landing my first and the only variation from 2019 Topps Heritage thus far; an Alex Bregman action image card.

Not only do I believe that this image was taken at Fenway Park, but Bregman's one of the better names to pull after his breakout 2018 season. After finishing top 5 in AL MVP voting, Bregman established himself as one of the Astros' best players, an impressive feat indeed.

Out of all the Topps Heritage hobby boxes that I've ever opened, I was only able to land 1 autograph card, and even though I've accumulated some awesome hits, I only have 1 autograph compared to numerous relics.

Needless to say, the odds are rarely in your favor to land an autograph when purchasing Topps Heritage.

With that being said, I'm incredibly pleased to say that my 1 hit from this box of 2019 Topps Heritage was a real one autograph of Cardinals' shortstop Paul DeJong. Only my 2nd autograph ever out of Heritage, it absolutely beats a standard Clubhouse Collection, non-numbered jersey relic.

DeJong isn't coming off a fabulous season, but he was 2nd to Cody Bellinger in the 2017 NL ROY race, and he's only 25-years old. Not to mention, autographed cards and Topps Heritage are a superb combination and one that I don't get the opportunity to see all too often.

Yes, I've had better luck before with Heritage, but by no means was this a bad box. After all, I pulled a bunch of stellar inserts and beat the odds on numerous occasions. I even ended up with an autograph, further proving that there's something for everyone in Topps Heritage, no matter what your collecting style is.

Thank You, eBay

Before the New Year even began, I had already become dedicated to selling certain cards on eBay and using the profits to pay for various Baseball card purchases online. Now, almost 2 months into the year, I'm beginning to reap the benefits of listing these items.

Originally, I intended to save the money I earned for a case of 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter, but I soon realized that I would be unsuccessful in this endeavor. Sales began to gradually decline towards the beginning of February, and the eBay seller's fees affected the profits that I was making. 

Ultimately, I talked myself out of saving for an A&G case and instead, decided to spend the available money one of the craziest and most entertaining sets I've ever opened before in my life. Consisting of over 15 different products all rolled up into 1, I'm talking about 2018 Panini Chronicles.

Back when the product was first released, I opened a couple of blaster boxes that I was fortunate to find at my local Target, and it immediately captured my attention. Some packs consisted of all rookies, others delivered fantastic parallels. 

For likely the first time ever, I was unphased by the logoless cards across the entire set. I thoroughly enjoyed almost every product within the Chronicles set, and my interest in the product was revived after I opened a few hobby packs at Monday's trip to the Baseball card show. 

After my success with those 3 hobby packs, I made a decision regarding what to do with the money I earned on eBay. Instead of dedicating all the funds to one cause, I discovered it would be better to spend as I please on both supplies and cards. 

Therefore, the first of these purchases with the money I earned off of eBay would be a hobby box of 2018 Panini Chronicles.

In addition to a plethora of other products, the Chronicles set, oddly enough, also consists of a 60-card subset featuring the Chronicles base design. Like all the other insert sets, the Chronicles cards include a ton of different parallels, including, but not limited to, the teal parallel of Red Sox ace Chris Sale above, numbered out of 199.

From what I know, the products featured in Chronicles, besides Donruss and Optic, include sets that Panini produces for Football and Basketball, but not Baseball. Included in this discussion are highly-desired products like Prizm and Select, both of which are sought after by NBA and NFL fans alike. 

In the case of many of the designs, especially Status (top right), there's too much going on for me to truly notice the fact that no team logos are present.

But don't worry, there's far more where this came from.

The 9 sets I've shown so far are only about half of what Panini Chronicles has to offer, but that doesn't make the creative Crusade product or the elegant Studio set any bit less impressive. 

Even though some of the subsets seem to feature almost an almost identical selection of players, the vastly different styles of cards and the wide variety of parallels are what make Panini Chronicles the incredible product that it is.

Now that I've given somewhat of an overview, let's move on to the cards I was able to pull from my hobby box of this stellar product. 

Each hobby box promises 3 autographs and 1 memorabilia card per box on average along with 2 hobby-exclusive Spectra cards. Out of all 18 or so products within this larger set (if that makes any sense), the Spectra cards have the largest checklist at 100 cards. 

Given that they fall at only 2 per hobby box and have parallels, it's a safe bet that it's nearly impossible to complete the entire Chronicles set with every single subset included.

The Spectra cards, although unnecessarily thick, are one of my favorite sets within the Chronicles product. The larger checklist actually works towards Panini's favor as it allows them to feature a wider variety of players and even different uniforms. 

Pulling a Rhys Hoskins is already a plus, but the powder blue Phillies uniform elevates this card to another level.

This is what I meant when I previously mentioned Spectra parallels. Seriously, this product is insane, and I cannot fathom how anyone, given the checklist and all the big-name rookies, would be able to complete the entire 545-card Chronicles product. 

My 2nd and final Spectra base card of the pack was a neon blue parallel of (likely) future Hall of Famer, Max Scherzer, numbered to 99 on the back. The parallel looks just as crazy in-person as it does when scanned, and after pulling this card as well as the Hoskins, I'm dying to see what Rhys' Spectra card would look like as a neon blue parallel.

And as long as I'm talking about parallels, it's a good idea for me to show a couple of the many, many different colored parallels across the Chronicles product. Whether the cards are on paper or chrome cardstock, every different insert set features at least 5 different parallels, almost all of which are serial numbered.

One of the chrome stock sets, Phoenix, features a different selection of parallels than Crusade, another shiny subset. The Alex Verdugo card is a red parallel, serial numbered out of 99. 

On the other hand, the Dominic Smith card features a parallel, hyper (numbered out of 299), that can be found across numerous Chronicles subsets, including Contenders Optic and Prizm.

All the different subsets and parallels throughout Panini Chronicles can become somewhat baffling so it can be nice to take a step back to something that's, by this sets' standards, a bit more simple. Even with the 4 hits that I pulled, the Contenders Optic green parallel above of Ronald Acuña Jr could possibly be the highlight of the box. 

On the left, there's the base version which I also pulled in this hobby box, but the card on the right is serial numbered out of 50 and despite my best efforts, I haven't spotted another one of these Acuna cards online, so I'm unsure of the true value of this card.

Going into this box break, I repeatedly convinced myself that this was about more than just the hits as is shown through the serial numbered Acuña. With that being said, it doesn't make it any more enjoyable to pull 2 rather uninspiring autographs that make up half of the box's hits. 

In addition to neither one of them being rookie autographs, both cards feature sticker autos, both of which are noticeable in-person and when scanned. The Chris Flexen autograph, at the very least, is serial numbered out of 99, making it slightly more appealing towards potential buyers.

As for the Chad Pinder Chronicles autograph, the whopping $1.92 that it's currently going for on eBay is all that really needs to be said.

While I didn't expect the relic card to be better than 2 of the 3 autographs that I pulled, I was pleased when this Ryan McMahon Spectra Triple Threat Materials neon blue relic card (that's a mouthful), came out of one of the final packs of the box. 

Even though he's still not a huge name, the card is pretty gorgeous, and 2018 was McMahon's rookie season as well. Like the Scherzer neon blue, it's numbered out of 99 on the back. 

Besides, if I'm going to pull a card of a lesser name for one of my hits, I'm at least pleased that the card is a low-numbered parallel as stunning as this McMahon relic.

I've saved the best hit for last and unsurprisingly, it's another Spectra card, this time a neon pink rookie jersey autograph of Amed Rosario, featuring an awesome tri-color patch and the only on-card autograph of the entire box. 

Admittedly, Rosario is far from the best name I could land, especially given the surplus of rookies in this Spectra autograph relic subset. Still, this card provides me with my very first look at the neon pink parallels. 

The regular Spectra parallels are numbered out of 75, but because this one's an autograph relic, it's out of 49 instead, making this Rosario card, by far, the best hit of the entire box.

It's pretty difficult to be disappointed in a box of Panini Chronicles. I mean, what other product will deliver 10 serial numbered cards in a 48-card box? Plus, like I mentioned earlier, with a set like Chronicles, the hits don't matter quite as much as the endless parallels you can pull.

Sure, the 2 Spectra hits were pretty awesome, but it's hard to beat that Acuña card. That card alone could go for over half of what I paid for this box in the first place.