2011 Topps Series 2 Box Break

This time around I didn't get a jumbo box, just the regular 36-pack Hobby box.  But I still managed to get 2 hits, or at least 1 and a half!

First off, the basics:

278 base cards out of 330, with only 4 duplicates.  Not too shabby.

Next, the expected hit:

Ehn, nothing too exciting for me.  If I'm gonna get a Yankee I would hope to at least get a pinstripe and not a plain gray patch!

I also pulled this as at least a semi-hit (I say "semi" because I'm not sure what the odds of pulling these are):

A nice platinum diamond short print!  I'm torn on these - obviously I'm a huge fan of the platinum diamonds, so this gives me more of them to collect.  But the problem is now I have that many more to collect for a truly complete set, and these are going to be expensive.

Speaking of giving me more cards to collect:

I love these just as much as the regular PDs, but dammit, that's like 25 more I have to get...you're killing me Topps!!

As far as the regular PDs I pulled, I was worried that I might get some duplicates since I already owned a third of the Series 2 parallels before I bought this box.  Thankfully, I needed 8 out of the 9 I got from the box, highlighted by these 2 cards:

My other favorite card was one of the Kimball minis.  I think they're cool and all, but since they are so popular among other collectors I've been using them as trade bait for platinum diamonds.  This one I'll be keeping however:

Hammerin' Hank, and as a Brewer!  w00t~!

I cashed in my 6 diamond giveaway code cards, and while I didn't get anything too exciting I think all 6 cards were from the early to mid 70s, so that was cool at least.  I'm trying to trade them for some 70s Brewers, so we'll see if anything comes of that.

Previous Trivia Question:

Ty Cobb made himself famous as a member of the Detroit Tigers, but with what team did he finish out his career?

A:  Cobb spent his final 2 seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics.

Today's Trivia Question:

What pitcher famously struck out 5 consecutive future Hall of Famers in the 1934 All-Star Game?

THEY'RE BACK!!

A normal trip to Target turned into a trip back in time to my childhood this week:

THEY BROUGHT BACK BASEBALL STICKER BOOKS!!

Finding this in the baseball card section made me so inappropriately happy for someone who is turning 30 this year.  I may or may not have reacted like Ned Flanders when he saw purple drapes....  ;)

Things aren't exactly the same as they were since Topps is in charge instead of Panini. For one, the stickers come in a small pack that is more like regular baseball cards....

... instead of the classic paper packs of yore:

Note to Topps:  THIS is what a pack of stickers looks like.

But that's a minor quibble.  More importantly, do they still have the silver foil team logos and star players?

You bet your ass they do!!!

The foil players are 9 of the all time greats of the game.  I seem to recall in past years that it used to be every team had a foil of their star player.  Oh well, maybe next year I can get a foil Ryan Braun.  But what a fun trip down memory lane!

Previous Trivia Question:

 

How many stitches are there on a regulation baseball?

 

Answer:  There are 108 stitches on a baseball.

 

Today's Trivia Question:

 

Ty Cobb made himself famous as a member of the Detroit Tigers, but with what team did he finish out his career?