Ripping a jumbo pack of 2011 Topps Series 1:

1. #252 Michael Saunders
2. #140 Brett Anderson
3. #102 CC Sabathia
4. #255 Torii Hunter
5. #164 Koji Uehara
6. #47 Kevin Correia
7. #261 Alexei Ramirez
8. #131 Kevin Kouzmanoff
9. #121 Brandon Inge
10. #35 Shin-Soo Choo
11. #260 Freddy Sanchez
12. #197 Aaron Hill
13. #36 Ted Lilly
14. #8 Julio Borbon
15. #128 Manny Ramirez
16. #104 Ian Stewart
17. #156 Josh Thole
18. #20 Hanley Ramirez
19. #2 Jake Westbrook
20. #310 Alex Gonzalez
21. #295 Jon Jay
22. #60 Andrew McCutchen
23. #247 Starlin Castro
24. #136 Jason Marquis
25. #256 Tyler Colvin
26. #58 Edgar Renteria
27. #66 R.A. Dickey
28. Diamond Giveaway #TDG-1 Mickey Mantle
29. 60 Years of Topps #60YOT-28 Eddie Murray
30. Diamond Duos #DD-RS Hanley Ramirez/Mike Stanton
31. 60 #T60-44 Duke Snider
32. Diamond #49 Angels (Team Card)
33. Kimball Champions #KC-6 Clay Buchholz
34. Lost Cards #60YOTLC-3 Mickey Mantle
35. #322 Brent Morel (Rookie Card)
36. #183 Stephen Strasburg (Topps All-Star Rookie)
37. #141 Ubaldo Jimenez (Checklist)
38. #65 Chris Sale (Rookie Card)
39. #57 Mark Trumbo (Rookie Card)
40. #309 Chicago Cubs (Team Card)
41. #59 Gaby Sanchez (Topps All-Star Rookie)
42. #88 Brian Bogusevic (Rookie Card)
43. #80 Desmond Jennings (Rookie Card)
44. #68 Cleveland Indians (Team Card)
45. #318 Albert Pujols/Adam Dunn/Joey Votto (League Leaders)
46. #204 Oakland Athletics (Team Card)
47. #12 Carlos Marmol
48. #158 Casey Blake
49. #279 Nick Swisher
50. Topps Town #TT-14 Shin-Soo Choo

As for the spoils of the Diamond Giveaway card-grab:

1967 Topps #2 Jack Hamilton

2010 Topps Series 1:

1. #57 CC Sabathia
2. #18 Tim Stauffer
3. #160 Miguel Tejada
4. #284 Ross Ohlendorf
5. #119 Wilkin Ramirez
6. #259 Daniel Hudson (Rookie)
7. Million Card Giveaway #TMC-10 Carl Yastrzemski
8. Legendary Lineage #LL3 Babe Ruth/Alex Rodriguez
9. Topps Town #TTT21 Adam Dunn
10. #165 Brandon Phillips

“Just as Ruth exhibited unprecedented power in the early 20th Century, Rodriguez is tearing down barriers seemingly on an annual basis.  In 2008, a year after becoming the youngest to reach 500 home runs, Alex became the first player in Major League history to post 12 seasons with at least 35 homers and 100 RBI.  That broke a tie with none other than “The Bambino.””

Unlike A-Rod however, the source of The Bambino’s power was steak and eggs… for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

a Big Donkey:

I’m sure everyone’s wondering what card I got from the Million Card Giveaway.

Here we go:

…

2009 Topps #120 Mark Teixeira…

…a very surprised Mark Teixeira.

I was kinda hoping for something say, 30 years older, but I guess it could have been much worse.

2009 Topps Series 2:

1. #611 Jeremy Hermida
2. #652 Doug Davis
3. #583 Brett Anderson (Rookie)
4. #587 Adam Dunn
5. Turkey Red #TR86 Magglio Ordonez
6. Topps Town #TTT32 David Wright
7. #482 Jason Jaramillo (Rookie)
8. #603 Jose Reyes
9. #625 Jim Thome
10. #595 Vernon Wells

I got what appears to be a Magglio Ordonez bobble-head…

“The White Sox signed Magglio out of Venezuela in 1991 and, after struggling for a few years in the Minors, he blossomed.  He debuted in Chicago in 1997, then made the Topps All-Rookie Team the next year.  In 1999, Ordonez landed the first of six MLB All-Star Game bids and finished with his first of four .300-30-100 seasons in a row.  The three-time Silver Slugger Award recipient suffered a major knee injury in 2004, signed with Detroit a year later, then has come all the way back by averaging .326-24-115 over the past three campaigns.  That includes a 2007 AL batting title with his .363 average.”

Adam Dunn has been quietly amassing an impressive career home run total.  He has averaged about 40 home runs per season for the past 6 seasons and now has 316 career homers.  He should have no problem joining the 500 home run club before the age of 35.  Playing for the lowly Nationals and never actually leading the league in any major statistical category will probably keep him under the radar for a few more years.

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH53 Clete Thomas
2. #UH176 Diory Hernandez (Rookie)
3. #UH223 Jack Hannahan
4. #UH138 Ryan Church
5. #UH295 Miguel Tejada (All-Star)
6. Gold Border #UH330 Ken Griffey Jr. (Serial#0220/2009)
7. Turkey Red #TR120 Adam Dunn
8. Topps Town #TTT54 Adam Jones
9. #UH155 Andrew McCutchen (Rookie)
10. #UH91 Anderson Hernandez

Ken Griffey Jr. is about he best gold border card I could ever hope to get out of a hobby box.  Awesome!  Now time to chase for that Albert Pujols gold card!

Then a couple Nats.  Just so happens these are the first cards I have of Adam Dunn and Anderson Hernandez in Nationals uniforms:

Adam says “hi”

“Adam, considered one of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation, planned to make football his top sport at U. of Texas.  He redshirted for one year on the Longhorns football team before deciding to pursue baseball.  Showing prodigious power and a knack for driving in runs, he anchored the Reds lineup from 2001 to ’08, hitting 46 home runs in ’04 and exactly 40 in each of the four subsequent campaigns.  Dunn signed with the Nationals in ’09, and blasted his 300th career home run.  Just 29 at the time, he became the 13th player in history to reach the 300-homer club before his 30th birthday.”

SAAAAAAAAAFE!

“Anderson developed mostly in the Tigers organization, then received several Major League trials with the Mets, who dealt him to Washington in 2008.  In ’09, at the end of his first decade as a professional, his diligence paid off as he won the Nationals second base post.  On June 16, Hernandez belted his first home run — off CC Sabathia at Yankee Stadium.”

It was a battle between the best team in the league and the worst team in the league.  Last night however, Goliath won.  Not only did Goliath give David a sound thrashing, but he also beat him with a baseball bat while he was down.  It was kind of painful to watch, as the Washington Nationals were defeated on their home field 14-2.  And I was there…

It seemed like most of the audience consisted of Los Angeles Dodgers fans.  It’s a long way from California, so they were here looking for a dramatic display of power, and that’s exactly what they got.  The Dodgers scored 7 runs in the 4th inning and 6 in the 7th.  I stopped keeping count of their runs after the 4th inning.

The Nationals were already eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago, so I was at the game mainly to see the Dodgers in person before they go into the playoffs.  The Adam Dunn home run, coupled with the fireworks display that followed, was an awesome experience.  It was also pretty cool to see Chin-Lung Hu (胡金龍), the first Taiwanese infielder ever to play in the Major Leagues, make a plate appearance (and strike out).  Future Hall of Fame contender and 500-HR clubber Jim Thome also made a surprise appearance (and grounded out).  Then of course, there was Manny Being Manny, who drew boos at every plate appearance.

The box score for the game can be found here.  As I write this, the Nationals and Dodgers are playing game 2 of their 3-game series at Nationals Park and the score is tied 3-3 in the 8th inning.  Whether the Nationals win or lose tonight, I’ll look forward to seeing the Dodgers play in the playoffs next month on TV.

2006 Topps #617 Ryan Zimmerman (Rookie)

2006 Topps archives, to be integrated with my main collection:

1. #602 Philadelphia Phillies (Team Card)
2. #603 New York Mets (Team Card)
3. #606 Houston Astros (Team Card)
4. #607 Chicago Cubs (Team Card)
5. #608 St. Louis Cardinals (Team Card)
6. #609 Pittsburgh Pirates (Team Card)
7. #610 Cincinnati Reds (Team Card)
8. #611 Colorado Rockies (Team Card)
9. #612 Los Angeles Dodgers (Team Card)
10. #613 San Francisco Giants (Team Card)
11. #617 Ryan Zimmerman (Rookie)
12. #619 Joey Devine (Rookie)
13. #620 Hanley Ramirez (Rookie)
14. #625 Jeremy Accardo (Rookie)
15. #626 Mark Woodyard (Rookie)
16. #627 Matt Capps (Rookie)
17. #628 Tim Corcoran (Rookie)
18. #629 Ryan Jorgensen (Rookie)
19. #630 Ronny Paulino (Rookie)
20. #632 Ian Kinsler (Rookie)


2006 Topps #649 Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey Jr.

21. #639 Prince Fielder (Rookie)
22. #641 Justin Verlander (Rookie)
23. #642 Brian Bannister (Rookie)
24. #643 Willie Eyre (Rookie)
25. #644 Ricky Nolasco (Rookie)
26. #645 Paul Maholm (Rookie)
27. #649 Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey Jr.
28. #650 Pat Burrell/Mike Lieberthal
29. #651 Jose Reyes/Kaz Matsui
30. #652 Hank Blalock/Michael Young
31. #655 Derrek Lee/Aramis Ramirez
32. #657 Luis Gonzalez/Shawn Green/Koyie Hill
33. #658 Ivan Rodriguez/Carlos Guillen *x2
34. #660 Ervin Santana/Francisco Rodriguez