Saturday, June 25, 2011

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game 11 pack


A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

BONUS PACK!
2004 MLB Showdown Card Game -
Trading Deadline Edition
(11 card pack)

I first became aware of this series/game when I got a Nick Johnson card (I've got to check that one out to see what his card says you are to do in the game, and to scan it someday). Anyway this is a CCG (Collectible Card Game) or TCG (Trading Card Game). I"m not sure how you play this game, or how long it takes, but I sure like these cards for some reason. I think I'll try to get the base set (how many hundreds of cards that is. I just researched and found they started making cards for this game in 2000 and ran the production each year until 2005 so six years worth. OK so make that 1,000s of cards). Anyway the set mixes in some game Legends and Vintage Hall of Fame players as well. It wasn't until I had scanned the pack wrapper and tried finding some of these cards on sportlots that I noticed I had the "Trading Deadline" Edition. Uh-oh that means it's more and more like Magic The Gathering as I feared. Maybe I won't go for a complete set, maybe just my fave teams, super stars and hall of famers.

There are two card backs since these cards are intended to be used for a game.  The base players backs are plain silver/gray while the "strategy" cards (The ones with the plays on them) are still silver/gray but with a red border.

2004 MLB Showdown Card Game - Player Card Back
 
2004 MLB Showdown Card Game - Play Strategy Card Back

010 Khalil Greene Padres

014 Brian Schneider Expos (Kool)

065 Randy Johnson D'Backs

066 John Burkett Red Sox

097 Jay Payton Padres

115 Roger Clemens Blue Jays
Chromy thing +5 Control card '97 Super Season

117 Luis Aparicio White Sox
(Cooperstown Collection)


118 Lou Brock Cards
(Cooperstown Collection)

S1 Dialed-in Offense Padres

S15 Great Reactions Defense Mets

S21 Feast Or Famine Utility Giants

Player Checklist 5/8

2004 MLB Showdown Game Instructions
(Back of Checklist Card)

Friday, June 24, 2011

2004 Upper Deck Power UP Baseball 9 pack


A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

2004 Upper Deck Power Up Baseball
(9 card pack)

This interesting series I didn't see until a couple of years ago when I got some Orioles cards from a trade or a box break, or team traders group. I got the Jay Gibbons card, and it seems I keep getting this card. I have at least 4 maybe 5 of this card now. Anyway these Power Up cards are part of some kind of online contest or game each card has a code on it and each card has some points that you get while playing this game or entering the contest. The player's heads are big out-of-proportion like the old Goudey "Heads Up" cards At first I thought these cards were stupid, but the big head caricatures of the players are fun. I'm not sure about the lime green color theme though.

The backs have a disembodied headshot and a few personal stats, plus points for the game, contest whatever the thing is. The font used for the card number and the player's name is too unusual. The numbers are sometimes a little hard to figure out, it took me some studying to figure out the 3 (was it a "3" or an "8"?) The chrome Shinning Through insert card(s) give more points and the backs look more like a standard card with the player's stats.

2004 Upper Deck Power Up - Sample Back
2004 Upper Deck Power Up Shining Through -
 Sample Insert Back

2 Rafael Furcal - Braves

3 Larry Walker - Rockies

15 Hank Blalock - Rangers

18 Garret Anderson - Angels

23 Orlando Cabrera - Expos

38 Jay Gibbons - Orioles

15 Phil Nevin - Padres

61 Sammy Sosa - Cubs

ST-66 Daren Erstad - Angels

2004 Upper Deck Power Up
Game Instructions - Front
2004 Upper Deck Power Up
Game Instructions - Back

Thursday, June 23, 2011

2007 Goudey Baseball 8 pack

A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

2007 UD Goudey Baseball
(8 card pack)

2007 Goudey Baseball pack break contents

2007 Goudey: I really like these retro vintage cards. Mostly since I'm a huge fan of vintage stuff. I have always liked the Goudey cards, but I don't think I have any original Goudey vintage, partly because when I was a kid they were too expensive at the time. As an adult they are not too expensive for me, well some of the common ones maybe. When these retro cards first hit the market I saw them but didn't get any because the hobby boxes were too expensive and at the time (and I think even the packs seemed a bit expensive at the time) I didn't want to get into the pack busting of these since I knew I'd have to get a bunch everytime I wanted to bust packs. These cards follow the original design and format idea the cards are smaller than the standard modern size of 2.5" by 3.5".

The card backs have either red or green printing. I think they printed an equal amount of each back, not 100% sure on that though sometimes card manufacturers like to make a short print of one of the styles just to tick off collectors who want to go for a complete set.

2007 Goudey - Sample Green Back
2007 Goudey - Sample Red Back












2007 Goudey - Sample Heads Up Green Back

61 Jimmy Rollins Phillies redback

75 Mark Mulder Cards redback

77 Mark Teixeira Rangers greenback

84 Prince Fielder Brewers greenback

121 Brad Penny Dodgers redback

152 Adam LaRoche Pirates greenback

176 Magglio Ordeonez Tigers greenback

255 Mike Schmidt Phillies HeadsUp greenback

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

2007 Fleer Ultra Baseball 5 card pack

  A while Back  (WOW back on 20 May) I had gotten some packs of cards from Target that I mentioned in this post Target Fairfield Value Pack Box This package consisted of 4 packs of baseball cards, 100 random baseball cards and a bonus of an additional pack of cards. I already mentioned the cards I got, but I decided I would show some of them. The few from the packs anyway, the 100 card deck I might only show a few choice ones. I haven't decided on that yet. I like getting these boxes/packages from time to time but I had forgotten that they "super" glue (it's not really the super-glue brand but the glue is really tough) the packs on the box supporting cardboard, making it nearly impossible to pull the packs off totally intact for those collectors who like to keep the pack wrappers.

2007 Fleer Ultra Baseball
(5 card pack)
2007 Fleer Ultra pack break contents
I like Fleer Ultra most of the time and this one I kind of like. This series I sort of like the no borders full picture, but the tiny silver font for the player name/team/position sucks. The fancy script for the players last name also rubs me a bit wrong. Some names it is OK to read, others it is a little hard (maybe those are not in English).

The backs are pretty standard and are similar to the 2007 Upper Deck cards  with the standard stats and a head shot of the player. These headshots are in full color though. The "Ultra Rookies" cards don't have a headshot.

2007 Fleer Ultra - Sample Back of card
2007 Fleer Ultra - Back of Ultra Rookies card

38 Mark Buehrle - White Sox
"Tip the pitcher over."

83 Mark Grudzielanek - Royals
"Go ball go go "

131 Huston Street - A's
Why am I reminded of Monty Python's Twit Olympics?

150 Chris Carpenter - Cardinals
"Ah there it is"

234 Levale Speigner -  Nats RC
Flashback to 1980s Music Videos