Friday, June 13, 2008

Random Pack Break: 2008 Bowman Baseball

I used to buy boxes of Bowman baseball to build the set. I fell in love with the rookie card in 1997 and went out of my way to go after the base sets. This wasn't easy living in hockey-crazy Canada but I forked over my bucks and bought a box or two of each series. I even remember Topps offering a guarantee that if you paid five dollars to register your set, they'd buy them back some years later for a guaranteed $125. I didn't bother, although in retrospect it might've been a good idea.

Eventually I moved on from Bowman - partially due to rising costs, partially due to boring designs and partially because I could find other rookies elsewhere. This is my first pack of Bowman Baseball since the new rookie card rules have come into affect so I know they won't get the coveted "RC" notation in Beckett but I still look at them somewhat as rookies or sort of rookies (wasn't the new logo supposed to make it all easier) seeing as how you've got the player in a MLB uniform.

So what's Bowman like in 2008? Let's take a random sampling.

20. Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
I still have a hard time thinking of this guy as one of the game's best starters.

105. Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies
The same with Holliday, only at the plate instead of the mound.

129. Yunel Escobar, Atlanta Braves

31. Javier Vazquez, Chicago White Sox
One of the last remaining great Expos to be packaged off.

183. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Probably the feel-good story of baseball. I just think the picture is kind of interesting.

BP46. Javier Castillo, Chicago White Sox
"Hey, Mom, I just got my first baseball card."
Javier's mom's head shrinks in shame as she realizes her son's shot at fame has forever been tainted by the dreaded smirk and Fonz-esque thumbs up.

BP82. Daniel Cortes, Kansas City Royals
BCP41. Eli Tintor, Minnesota Twins
Eli batted a combined .235 in 2007 in the minors. I wouldn't expect to see him on another baseball card anytime soon.


Autographed Refractor BCP111. David Price, Tampa Bay Rays (388/500)
This pack sucks! I thought I was buying a pack of Bowman, not Bowman Chrome. What's with this rainbow-stuff with autographs right on the card crap? Just kidding. Should I decide not to trade this baby off, I might try my hand at cardboard prospecting and see how this super-hyped pitcher pans out.


Gold 100. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
How often is an ARod card anticlimactic? Not very.


Let's just say I was happy with my pack. I can't say I'm going to rush out and buy a box. I just have to accept the fact that luck was with me this day. If I went with a box, it probably wouldn't come close to the goodness of this single pack (and it would set me back a whole lot more).

1 comment:

Captain Canuck said...

sweet! any pack with Yunel Escobar is a good pack!