Group Break - Wax Packs

The next item in this month's group break was more of an after thought if I'm going to be honest.  The supplier I got the boxes from doesn't always have the best selection of packs, but he did have some early to mid 80's wax for decent prices and seeing how I didn't start buying/collecting until 1990 some of this wax was still new to me.  I knew there was a slim chance at pulling a RC of a HOF player, but I'm not really expecting to find much in these packs other than the enjoyment of opening the packs.

Pack 1 - 1981 Donruss

#094 Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox)

#090 Gary Carter (Expos)
#092 Fred Norman (Expos)
#096 Dennis Eckersley (Red Sox)
#218 Fred Lynn (Red Sox)
#214 Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox)
#216 Mike Torrez (Red Sox)

#212 Andre Dawson (Expos)
#210 John Tamargo (Expos)
#458 Dwight Evans (Red Sox)
#456 Bob Stanley (Red Sox)
#454 Rick Burleson (Red Sox)
#452 Stan Bahnsen (Expos)
#450 Scott Sanderson (Expos)
#338 Jim Rice (Red Sox)
#330 Steve Rodgers (Expos)
#332 Warren Cromartie (Expos) - gum stuck to card

Anyone else notice a strange trend with this pack?  Only Red Sox and Expos?  Too bad a lot of the cards are horribly off centered.  It was still fun pulling 2 cards of Yaz.

Pack 2 - 1981 Fleer

#113 Burt Hooten (Dodgers) - gum stuck to front of card

#481 Kirk Gibson RC (Tigers)
#159 Woodie Fryman (Expos)
#254 Bill Nahorodny (Braves)
#118 Jerry Reuss (Dodgers)
#318 Alex Trevino (Mets)
#616 Joe Simpson (Mariners)
#258 Mike Lum (Braves)
#338 Jerry Morales (Mets)
#309 Doug Capilla (Braves)
#198 Ray Knight (Reds)
#492 Dave Cash (Padres)
#198 Ray Knight (Reds)
#168 Tony Bernazard (Expos)
#377 Rick Rhoden (Pirates)
#596 Juan Beniquez (Mariners)
#203 Junior Kennedy (Reds)

Clean simple design - I like it.  Kirk Gibson RC...not a bad pack.

Pack 3 - 1982 Donruss
Puzzle Pieces #58, 59, 60
#565 Bob Babcock (Rangers)
#052 Dave Stieb (Blue Jays)
#292 Tito Landrum (Cardinals)
#092 Art Howe (Astros)
#522 Tony Scott (Astros)
#634 Ken Griffey (Reds)
#446 Elias Sosa (Expos)
#246 Lary Sorensen (Cardinals)
#486 Bobby Murcer (Yankees)
#599 John Lowenstein (Orioles)
#149 Matt Sinatro (Braves)
#389 Mike Hargrove (Indians)
#564 Steve Crawford (Red Sox)
#051 Pete Redfern (Twins)
#291 Chet Lemon (White Sox)

Another solid effort by Donruss.  Nothing spectacular in the pack though...

Pack 4 - 1982 Topps

#081 Jim Palmer (Orioles)
#233 Duane Kuiper (Indians)
#116 Jim Wohlford (Giants)
#110 Carlton Fisk (White Sox)
#640 Cesar Cedeno (Astros)
#560 Doug Corbett (Twins)
#563 Ross Baumgarten (White Sox)
#011 Gary Alexander (Pirates)
#153 Roger Erickson (Twins)

#167 '81 ERA Leaders - Nolan Ryan (Astros) & Steve McCatty (A's)
#485 Kent Tekulve (Pirates)
#021 Bruce Benedict (Braves) - Sticker
#044 Britt Burns (White Sox)
#336 Seattle Mariners Team Checklist
#298 Danny Darwin (Rangers)
#022 Jim Beattie (Mariners)

This was the one pack I was most looking forward to opening.  Yeah, I had dreams of pulling that elusive Ripken RC.  Oh well, maybe next time!

Pack 5 - 1983 O-Pee-Chee

#042 Dale Murray (Yankees)

#144 Tommy John (Reds)
#012 Ray Burris (Expos)
#218 Scott McGregor (Orioles)
#017 Kent Tekulve (Pirates)
#319 Tim Foli (Angels)
#115 Chili Davis (Giants)

#035 Rollie Fingers (Brewers)
#151 Bruce Sutter (Cardinals)
#169 Doug Flynn (Expos) - gum stuck to back of card

I love this design - whether it's the Topps or OPC version.  99 cent well spent or wasted?  You tell me.

Pack 6 - 1984 O-Pee-Chee
#077 Bryn Smith (Expos)

#002 Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles)
#203 Matt Keough (Yankees)
#155 Frank White (Royals)
#115 Andre Thornton (Indians)
#040 Dusty Baker (Dodgers)
#067 Gary Ward (Rangers)
#032 Bobby Ramos (Expos)
#255 Bruce Benedict (Braves)
#247 Fred Lynn (Angels)
#220 Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers)
#369 Steve McCatty (A's)

Score!  Well, I thought the Ripken All-Star card was a good pull.

Pack 7 - 1984 Topps
#651 John McNamara (Angels)
#324 Alejandro Pena (Dodgers)
#218 Rick Watts (Brewers)
#473 Jim Dwyer (Orioles)
#277 Eddie Whitson (Orioles)
#390 Tim "Rock" Raines (Expos)
#273 Charlie Puleo (Reds)
#279 Ivan DeJesus (Phillies)
#690 Jack Clark (Giants)
#172 Frank DiPino (Astros)
#689 Mike Fischlin (Indians)

#470 Nolan Ryan (Astros)
#743 Don Hood (Royals)
#118 Charlie Hough (Rangers)
#754 Kent Tekulve (Pirates)

Anytime you pull a Nolan Ryan card out of a pack you know you did good.

Pack 8 - 1985 O-Pee-Chee

#010 Kirby Puckett (Twins)
#266 Juan Samuel (Phillies)
#317 Derrel Thomas (Angels)
#241 Brett Butler (Indians)
#074 Mike Krukow (Giants)
#177 Steve Garvey (Padres)
#101 Jim Acker (Blue Jays)
#314 Ron Oester (Reds)
#164 Dave Collins (A's)
#344 Dave Henderson (Mariners)
Steve Rogers (Expos) - mini poster

This Puckett would look much better if it weren't so off centered!

And there you have a few random wax packs.  2 good RCs (Kirk Gibson & Kirby Puckett) and a few good cards of hall of famers.  Stay tuned everyone as the video break of the 2005 Upper Deck Pro Sigs is coming up next!

Blue Jays & basketball?

On a trip to the local card shop yesterday to pick up some supplies I found something interesting.  I knew of this card's existence, but never have I seen it in person.  The wife helped me browse the large number of monster boxes sitting on the tables full of 'commons' and such and this is where I found this:

1982 Topps RC

Well we all know that Danny Ainge didn't go on to play baseball as he chose a path leading to the NBA.  I know there have been a handful of 2 sport stars, but I've always liked baseball cards of players who went on to excel at another sport.  Crinky Wrappers, this is headed to you along with a few other things I picked up.  In fact there will be several little care packages going out the first of the week to people I have traded with.