Again, I don’t actually have jumbo packs of 2006 Topps Series 1, so instead here are 5 hobby packs of the stuff:

PACK 1

1. #153 Ray King
2. #305 Chuck James (Rookie Card)
3. #24 Jason Marquis
4. #302 Chris Denorfia (Rookie Card)
5. #262 Alex Rodriguez (MVP)
6. #172 Todd Greene
7. Barry Bonds Home Run History #BB682 Barry Bonds
8. #114 Travis Lee
9. #192 Larry Bigbie
10. #235 Cliff Floyd

PACK 2

1. #263 Albert Pujols (MVP)
2. #242 Felix Hernandez
3. #132 Russ Adams (Topps All-Star Rookie)
4. #238 Matt Morris
5. #279 Jim Tracy (Manager)
6. #161 Chris Shelton
7. Hobby Masters #HM14 Vladimir Guerrero
8. #211 Melvin Mora
9. #61 Eric Hinske
10. #216 Russell Branyan

PACK 3

1. #303 Anthony Reyes (Rookie Card)
2. #228 David Eckstein
3. #62 Damaso Marte
4. #249 Vernon Wells (Gold Glove)
5. #259 Bobby Abreu (Gold Glove)
6. #250 Ichiro (Gold Glove)
7. Barry Bonds Home Run History #BB681 Barry Bonds
8. #179 Deivi Cruz
9. #10 Clint Barmes
10. #200 Albert Pujols

PACK 4

1. #231 Chris Capuano
2. #209 Orlando Hudson
3. #204 Miguel Cairo
4. #220 Jason Bay
5. #94 Matt Stairs
6. #111 Erubiel Durazo
7. Mantle Home Run History #MHR1 Mickey Mantle
8. #155 Paul Lo Duca
9. #4 Scott Hatteberg
10. #53 Tomo Ohka

PACK 5

1. #169 Jhonny Peralta
2. #86 Brad Radke
3. #207 Billy Wagner
4. #21 Lance Berkman
5. #9 Damian Miller
6. #84 So Taguchi
7. Declaration of Independence #RTP Robert Treat Paine
8. #115 Adam Dunn
9. #92 Lance Cormier
10. #25 Chipper Jones

2006 Topps Series 2:

1. #502 Morgan Ensberg
2. #421 Brad Halsey
3. #363 Jermaine Dye
4. #452 Jake Westbrook
5. #354 Grady Sizemore
6. #461 Placido Polanco
7. #548 Sean Burroughs
8. #472 Duaner Sanchez
9. #569 Mike Jacobs
10. #654 Travis Lee/Rocco Baldelli (Power Rays)

“A star was born in 2005, as 23-year-old Grady joined Robbie Alomar (’01) as the only Indians players with 20 2Bs, 10 3Bs, 20 HRs and 20 SBs in a season.”

In 2006, Grady did it again, but improved on it, hitting a league-leading 53 Doubles, and 11 Triples, 28 Home Runs, and 22 Stolen Bases.

A knee injury earlier this year will probably cause him to miss most of the 2010 season.

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH60 Marcus Thames
2. #UH72 Ronnie Belliard
3. #UH52 Alex Cintron
4. #UH80 Cesar Izturis
5. #UH64 Todd Walker
6. #UH249 Gary Matthews (All-Star)
7. #UH225 Mark Loretta (All-Star)
8. Rookie Debut #RD-8 Carlos Martinez
9. #UH182 Mark Kotsay (Postseason Highlights)
10. #UH305 Brandon Webb/Chad Tracy (Team Leaders)
11. #UH309 Roy Halladay/Vernon Wells (Team Leaders)
12. #UH207 Johan Santana/Roy Halladay/C.C. Sabathia (League Leaders)

“Carlos has been on a rollercoaster since being signed in 1997.  Hard-throwing but raw, he bounced among levels of the Florida system through 2005, before putting things together and making Big League staff out of ’06 Spring Training.  Just at the point he was pitching well enough to be considered for the closer’s role, he hurt his elbow.  Martinez returned briefly, but underwent season-ending surgery.”

Carlos Martinez, or K-Mart, has been inconsistent and is still trying to bounce back from surgery.  He hasn’t played professionally so far this year, and I can’t seem to find the reason why.  It looks like he did show up for Spring Training earlier in the season after being delayed by visa problems.

2006 Topps Series 1:

1. #50 Manny Ramirez
2. #98 Geoff Blum
3. #27 Ryan Dempster
4. #225 Ichiro
5. #69 Braden Looper
6. #23 Jonny Gomes (Topps All-Star Rookie)
7. Mantle Home Run History #MHR1 Mickey Mantle
8. #32 Mike MacDougal
9. #1 Alex Rodriguez
10. #194 Torii Hunter

“Each new season brings with it a major achievement for Ichiro.  After setting the record for hits in a season in 2004, he became, on June 14, 2005, the third-quickest (696 games) to reach 1,000.  No less than Commissioner Bud Selig has cited him as a player who may one day bat .400, saying, “I can’t tell you what a great thing that would be for our sport.””

If Ichiro can play 4 more seasons with the consistency he has shown over the past decade, he likely reach 3,000 MLB hits by age 40.  He already has 3,000 hits if you count the 1,278 he had while playing for Nippon Professional Baseball.

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH49 Kelly Shoppach
2. #UH69 Kyle Lohse
3. #UH57 Kip Wells
4. #UH41 Shawn Green
5. #UH65 Greg Maddux
6. #UH165 Chad Billingsley (Rookie Card)
7. #UH236 Derrick Turnbow (All-Star)
8. Rookie Debut #RD-44 Joe Saunders
9. #UH199 Chris Carpenter (Postseason Highlights)
10. #UH278 Trevor Hoffman (All-Star)
11. #UH288 Miguel Tejada (Home Run Derby)
12. #UH296 Albert Pujols/Chris Carpenter (Team Leaders)

Pujols ended the 2006 season with a career-best 137 RBIs (it still stands today as his career best).  Carpenter finished 2006 with a record of 15-8, leading the team in wins.  Both Pujols and Carpenter are still playing for the Cardinals, and both are All-Stars this season.

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH62 Cory Sullivan
2. #UH50 Brandon Phillips
3. #UH70 Carlos Lee
4. #UH58 Adrian Gonzalez
5. #UH42 Kazuo Matsui
6. #UH173 Cory Sullivan (Season Highlights)
7. #UH171 Alex Rodriguez (Season Highlights)
8. Mantle Home Run History #MHR146 Mickey Mantle
9. #UH194 Craig Monroe (Postseason Highlights)
10. #UH209 Francisco Rodriguez/Bobby Jenks/B.J. Ryan (League Leaders)
11. #UH329 Stephen Drew/J.D. Drew (Classic Duos)
12. #UH214 Derek Lowe/Brandon Webb/Carlos Zambrano (League Leaders)

“Throughout his career, Alex Rodriguez has always seemed to be one step ahead of history, as he was on July 21, 2006, when he became the youngest player to reach the 450-home run milestone.  Six days shy of his 31st birthday, he connected in Toronto — his 450th bomb also being the 2,000th hit of his career.  A-Rod was also the youngest ever to hit his 300th and 400th homers.”

A-Rod is six home runs shy of 600, and he’s only 34.

2006 Topps Series 2:

1. #460 Randy Johnson
2. #403 Brandon Webb
3. #448 Bobby Crosby
4. #529 Kris Benson
5. #434 Frank Catalanotto
6. United States Constitution #SC-CP Charles Pinckney
7. #622 Jason Bergmann (Rookie)
8. #430 Octavio Dotel
9. #353 Claudio Vargas
10. #649 Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey Jr. (Big Reds)

I’m starting to hate these non-baseball cards.  I just don’t see how they can possibly fit into my collection.

The Randy Johnson card on the other hand is going into my Future Hall of Famers binder:

And Jason Bergmann to my Nationals binder:

2006 Topps Series 1:

1. #89 Glendon Rusch
2. #283 Willie Randolph (Manager)
3. #160 Travis Hafner
4. #157 Carlos Zambrano
5. #64 Juan Encarnacion
6. #93 Alex Gonzalez
7. Declaration of Independence #RS Roger Sherman
8. #100 Barry Bonds
9. #117 Troy Percival
10. #70 Carlos Lee

“Bonds picked up a record 7th NL MVP Award in 2004”

It’s another one for my Future Hall of Famers binder… that is, unless they shut out known steroid users from The Hall.