Groundhog Day Part 2

Today will be different....today will be different.....today will be.....

Nope. So far, same routine, same day as yesterday.

Same goes for today's post, same-well sorta-post as yesterday.

Yesterday I showcased a bunch of unopened cans and promised to open one today.

I had many to choose from but I like to keep the better ones sealed so I chose the lesser of them and went with Juan Gonzalez.

Not that he was a bad player himself.

Juan was a 3X All-Star, 2X AL MVP, and is in the Texas Rangers Hall Of Fame. But still doesn't get enough hobby respect. So you know what that means, he is the chosen one here.

Inside of each can there is 10 cards with random inserts from easy to hard to find. Cans at the time were roughly $2.99 each.

In order to open one of these, you don't need to fingers, you need two hands and a can opener. Hopefully some soup isn't in here.

Make sure to only open these with Adult Supervision. I made sure my wife, a nurse, was nearby. You just never know.

Here is what you find on the inside. Won't need to make any grilled cheese today.

After pulling out the pack, we find Atlanta Braves catcher Javier Lopez as the top card. I find it interesting to see the stats on the front of the card. I actually don't mind it as the design is solid and makes the stats fit.

Now to carefully open up the pack.....

 

Card 1 was as I stated, Javier Lopez, or Javy Lopez as most of us knew him by played for the Braves for roughly 12 years and was sort of a face of the team alongside their incredible pitching aces.

The base set in 1998 Pinnacle Inside is built up of 150 cards. That included rookies, Inside Tip subset and a couple of checklists. Most of the base set is veterans.

PC HIT! Can't ever go wrong finding a Junior. Pretty sure I have this one but I like looking back at the stats of a man who did it the right way.

I always forget that Chan Ho Park played with the Yankees at one point. I always remember him as a Dodger.  It's probably because most of his career was spent there while he bounced around towards the end of it.

Painting The Corner is a subset. Nothing to special looking about the card other than it featuring one of those Braves aces I spoke about above with Greg Maddux.

And speaking of Braves aces....John Smoltz was my friends favorite pitcher on the Braves back when he was a Braves fan. He moved to Mass a long time ago and became a *gag* Red Sox fan. But I remember playing backyard baseball with him and he loved it when Smotlz came up in his "rotation". I didn't . For some reason or another the days he was Smoltz was the days I couldn't hit. We used to keep stats on all of this. Not sure where those ever went.

Barry Larkin looking pretty cool here. He was a great player who just played for the Reds and was under the radar I think because of it.

Stand Up guys insert. These fall one-per-pack. The top is the front the bottom is the back. This card may look confusing to you, but its a puzzle. You gotta find the second part and slide it into the slot to complete the card that features four players.

Seems like I saw someone who collects Edgardo

Randy Johnson, DA BIG UNIT. If you ever wondered what my father looks like, well Randy in this stage of his career is a good comparison.  The other fun fact about Randy is when I played as him in my backyard battles with my friend Brian, I would dominate. My fastball had some extra spin on it those days.

We do the Hokey Pokey Reese and turn ourselves around....

Here's the inner flyer that I found in the pack as well. If this existed today, I would so join in on Team Pinnacle. Sounded like a lot of fun. Too bad companies don't do something like this today. Once again this is just something that proves why the 90's were the best.

No big insert or parallel finds in this break, but I always enjoy a trip down memory lane.

There is a difference between revisiting a memory time and time again vs living every day the same. I hope the fact that I opened a can today and showed its contents instead of just showing off the cans again, that it will break the worldwide curse of the Groundhog Covid-19 Day.

If not, had fun regardless and wouldn't mind re-living the day again to do another.

Groundhog Day Part 1

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, I feel like my life has been similar to Bill Murray's in Groundhog Day.

Waking up with the same routines, feeling like daily life has stopped and staying home day after day after day after...well, you get the point.

There doesn't simply feel like an end to the madness. Maybe we all need to be better people to put this nightmare to an end sort of like Bill in Groundhog Day. And by being better people, that means to stay home.

Like I have been.

Luckily for now, the mail system is still going strong, but very slow. At least, for now, its there and helping keep my mind off from all of the madness. If the mail was to stop like rumors are saying it will in June, I may go crazy.

I want to at least get my daily bills and junk mail. Cards haven't been coming in at an alarming rate anymore like they once were when I was able to trade but occasionally trickle in. Something is better than nothing.

A couple of weeks ago among this madness a unique mail day arrived that brought me back. Of course I didn't open it right away because of the virus as I usually let my mail sit for a few days now. Though nothing has been proven that mail is a carrier of the virus. It's better not to test fate, let it sit and be patient even though it isn't always easy.

This mail day brought back some great memories. Those memories from 1998.

Much simpler times in my life then.

I was in my freshman year of high school. My father and I were still collecting heavily together and did our weekly check-ins at the local arts and crafts store that carried product for us. As soon as payday hit, we went there.

So it was a Friday in 1998 and we were headed to town to run errands for my mother. And by errands on a pay day, I know what we were really doing so I was more than happy to tag along. As I expected, we had to make a stop at that arts and crafts store. As we looked the shelving unit over that held the cards upfront, we noticed that the middle shelf had a product we recognized from the year before. The one and only card in a can, Pinnacle Inside.

1997 Pinnacle Inside was a product we sought out heavily. We bought so many cans we were able to complete the entire can set opened. Except one can, we kept our Ken Griffey Jr can sealed which I still have sealed today along with the rest of the can set. So we knew what we were in for when we saw the 1998 version.

First can we bought for 1998, was Junior just to keep it sealed. We then grabbed a McGwire and Sosa cans to open. Which led to two problems, one how in the world were we going to sneak these into the house past my mother who hated collecting and us buying cards. Two, how were we going to open them in the car without a can opener? Fortunately, my grandmother lived just a few minutes away so we went there and borrowed her can opener.

Now I know many collectors thought it was a stupid idea and concept. I actually was in support of the idea and enjoyed the uniqueness it brought. The uniqueness that the 90's brought is like no other.

If you haven't picked up on what I am getting at, that mail day I spoke above about is some unopened cans of 1998 Pinnacle Inside. Well, there was also some bonus can as well.

There was 8 unopened 1998 Pinnacle Inside cans overall and one from Pacific. I never knew up until recent that a Upper Deck and Pacific had their own variation of the cans as well. But neither touched what Pinnacle brought forth.

Here was the design of the front of the can. It also gives away what the base card design is as well. Each can came with 10 cards.

This is what I was thought was ingenious about these cans, for ingredients they put "Product Facts" and broke down odds, etc.

The other side of the can.

Here are the other cards that were in the lot,

Mark McGwire...nostalgia overload!

Remember when they arrived?

Cal Ripken jr

Mike Piazza

Greg Maddux

Remember when the Marlins were good? Feels like decades ago.

I should have stuck Clemens next to Piazza....

And the one Pacific can. I believe it is just a set which isn't even as cool as a real product being packed into a can. At least it has Griffey Jr....

Another side of that can.

and another side of it. Really bland in comparison to Pinnacle Inside.

What's next for these cans? Most will be used for display but I will open one. Which is why this is Part 1 of my Groundhog Day.

So don't fret if you see my next post and see something about 1998 Pinnacle Inside cans. It's done on purpose. You aren't reading a repeat and living the same day over. Well, maybe you are if you are me or simply you just clicked the same link to read this again.

Almost At The End

Another cube, another day.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this week full of these wonderful cubes I was sent by Wes from Area 40 blog. I don't have many more to show off. Actually, tomorrow will be the finale.

But, we still have today's to reveal so let's take a look at what mysteries hid within.

Rickey Henderson kicks off the top of this one.

Two new, yes NEW, Ken Griffey Jr cards for my PC!

Wade Boggs rookie. Check.

Three more name rookies in Neon Deion, the guy who shouldn't have won Rookie Of The Year and Mr. Brave, sorry Cubs, Greg Maddux.

George Bush. Everyone knows I love Presidential cards.

Another one for my set of Seasons Best.

A new one for my set of this series of Diamond Kings. Many argue that Bonds should be a HOFer, but I say no and always will. He cheated the game and we know he did. Plain and simple does not belong.

Ryan Anderson autograph.

Woo hoo! Paul O'neill autograph again! And a Jamie Moyer as well. Great finds!

4 more autos including Jimy Williams the manager.

Pretty cool find here. I can't tell if Wes had this signed or it came this way. The autograph placement is odd on the card if Topps did it.

And we finish it off with four more autograph finds.

Well, that does it for the second to last cube. One more to go tomorrow so come back and see how it all ends. What surprises await....

$1 Yard Sale Boxes Breakdown Part 4

I showed off a garbage bag containing some cards a couple weeks ago and said I would break down what was in there, well, here we go.

1 more post to go in this 5 part series for you will see what I found. Of course, I saved the best for last tomorrow.

Today, we still must continue on this time with a box of 1992 Fleer Ultra baseball

Inside the box, there were 4 big stacks of 1992 Fleer Ultra and to my surprise this time, some of the good players were actually in there. A good amount of them.

Here are some rookies. Well, not what I would call rookies but what the card companies call rookies. Yes, I am one of those collectors.

Moose! Not a real rookie or a true rookie as I call it, but still a nice find. The photos on these are really sharp and crystal clear. Something just like Stadium Club was known for.

Ripken Jr! Found 3.

And a bunch of other stars from Jeff Bagwell to Craig Biggio to John Smoltz to Greg Maddux

 

Overall, the best $1 box so far. But, I still saved the best for last so guess you will have to comeback tomorrow and see.

Thoughts on Part 4 are welcomed below!

1997 Upper Deck UD3 Baseball Pack # 8

Pack #8 makes us 1/3rd of the way through the box. Still no insert finds, but I did nail another three cards toward the set putting me 24/60.

The three players I got today aren't too shabby either.

I always kinda liked Gary but once again, he had tie-in's with steroids among other on and off the field antics. But, he was a slugger and played what felt like for every team in MLB.

 

Greg Maddux was so dominant in the 90's. Playing baseball with my buddies in the backyard they would try to imitate him and it sort of intimidated me.

You see me Rolen...alright...all done with that song I promise...

 

Pack #9 coming your way tomorrow!