Here’s my last jumbo pack of 2010 Topps Update Series:

And the big hit… Matt Capps workout jersey… I’m slightly disappointed, but at least Matt Capps is an All-Star closer and not some 32-year-old middle reliever who will be spending this season in AAA…

1. #US-85 Starlin Castro (Rookie Card)
2. #US-68 John Danks
3. #US-114 Kenley Jansen (Rookie Card)
4. #US-133 Javier Vazquez
5. #US-119 Adam LaRoche
6. #US-189 Derrek Lee
7. #US-19 Russell Branyan
8. #US-193 Ryan Theriot
9. #US-171 Cristian Guzman
10. #US-197 Sean Marshall
11. #US-96 John Bowker
12. #US-277 Micah Owings
13. #US-180 David Wright (All-Star)
14. #US-46 Colby Lewis
15. #US-316 Rod Barajas
16. #US-323 Ryan Kalish (Rookie Card)
17. #US-304 Kris Medlen
18. #US-330 Carlos Santana (Rookie Card)
19. #US-285 Jaime Garcia
20. #US-4 Alex Cora
21. #US-150 Hanley Ramirez (All-Star)
22. #US-35 Ryan Braun (All-Star)
23. #US-260 Andre Ethier (All-Star)
24. #US-241 Joey Votto (All-Star)
25. Gold #US-155 Ivan Rodriguez (Serial#0031/2010)
26. Attax Code Card #CS Carlos Santana
27. Million Card Giveaway #TMC-22 Gary Carter
28. The Cards Your Mom Threw Out #CMT173 Joey Votto
29. More Tales of the Game #MTOG-1 Joel Youngblood
30. Turkey Red #TR139 Johnny Mize
31. Vintage Legends #VLC-47 Jimmie Foxx
32. Peak Performance #PP-101 Stephen Strasburg
33. All-Star Stitches #AS-MCA Matt Capps (Jersey Relic)
34. #US-187 Phil Hughes/David Price (Checklist)
35. #US-156 Matt Thornton (All-Star)
36. #US-194 Vernon Wells (All-Star)
37. #US-104 Paul Konerko (All-Star)
38. #US-158 CC Sabathia/Carl Crawford (Checklist)
39. #US-325 Ian Kinsler (All-Star)
40. #US-305 Cliff Lee (All-Star)
41. #US-184 Blake DeWitt
42. #US-81 Rich Harden
43. #US-190 John Lackey
44. #US-298 David Freese
45. #US-143 Jonathan Lucroy (Rookie Card)
46. #US-255 Kevin Millwood
47. #US-307 Carlos Santana (Rookie Debut)

Finally getting back to ripping my 2010 Topps Update Series jumbo packs:

1. #US-135 Starlin Castro (Rookie Debut)
2. #US-137 Austin Kearns
3. #US-22 Ty Wigginton (All-Star)
4. #US-208 Jeff Keppinger
5. #US-217 Yorvit Torrealba
6. #US-202 Mitch Moreland (Rookie Card)
7. #US-83 Jeff Suppan
8. #US-176 Felipe Lopez
9. #US-112 Chad Qualls
10. #US-32 Doug Davis
11. #US-64 Jose Valverde
12. #US-315 Edwin Jackson
13. #US-2 Dayan Viciedo (Rookie Card)
14. #US-117 Martin Prado (All-Star)
15. #US-286 Arthur Rhodes
16. #US-43 Brennan Boesch (Rookie Debut)
17. #US-29 Livan Hernandez
18. #US-318 Domonic Brown (Rookie Card)
19. #US-278 Brad Penny
20. #US-129 Gregor Blanco
21. #US-288 Jonny Venters (Rookie Card)
22. #US-246 LaTroy Hawkins
23. #US-239 Gabe Gross
24. #US-293 Pat Burrell
25. #US-253 Mike Minor (Rookie Card)
26. #US-292 Kelly Shoppach
27. #US-272 Brian Stokes
28. Gold #US-41 Anthony Slama (Serial#0375/2010) (Rookie Card)
29. Attax Code Card #CK Clayton Kershaw
30. Million Card Giveaway #TMC-26 Roger Maris
31. The Cards Your Mom Threw Out #CMT128 Willie McCovey
32. More Tales of the Game #MTOG-12 There’s No Tying in Baseball
33. Turkey Red #TR138 Christy Mathewson
34. Vintage Legends #VLC-26 Johnny Mize
35. Legendary Lineage #LL-67 Hank Greenberg/Ike Davis
36. #US-220b Boston Americans (Short Print) (Team Card)
37. #US-305 Cliff Lee (All-Star)
38. #US-265 Ryan Howard (All-Star)
39. #US-326 Miguel Cabrera (Home Run Derby)
40. #US-274 Stephen Strasburg/Ivan Rodriguez (Checklist)
41. #US-45 David Price (All-Star)
42. #US-124 Chris Young (All-Star)
43. #US-243 Michael Bourn (All-Star)
44. #US-307 Carlos Santana (Rookie Debut)
45. #US-105 Chone Figgins
46. #US-84 Melvin Mora
47. #US-206 Garret Anderson
48. #US-182 Randy Wolf
49. #US-1 Vladimir Guerrero
50. #US-144 Eric Patterson

1962 Topps #21 Jim Kaat

2005 Topps Series 1:

1. #76 Jimmy Rollins
2. #31 Craig Biggio
3. #135 Casey Blake
4. #267 Mike Scioscia (Manager)
5. #151 Alex Cintron
6. #132 Kyle Farnsworth
7. #363 Ivan Rodriguez (Sporting News All-Stars)
8. #246 Stephen Randolph
9. #125 Vernon Wells
10. #238 Eric Gagne

“Playing for the Tigers, Rodriguez moved back to the American League in 2004 while again setting the standard for catching excellence.  Even as his veteran savvy helped mentor an improving Detroit pitching staff, he led all backstops with a torrid .334 batting average.  He also was the only catcher to rank in the top four at the position in RBI, runs, hits, doubles, home runs and stolen bases.”

Fast-forward 6 years and we have pretty much the same thing happening again…

Playing for the Nationals, Rodriguez moved back to the National League in 2010 while again setting the standard for catching excellence.  Even as his veteran savvy helped mentor an improving Washington pitching staff, he led all backstops with a torrid .334 batting average…

Well, maybe he doesn’t quite have a .334 batting average anymore since he’s fallen into a slump recently, but Pudge was hot at the beginning of the season and I’m glad he decided to come to DC.  Our treasured Stephen Strasburg is in good hands.

2009 Topps Series 1:

1. #160 Evan Longoria
2. #305 Ivan Rodriguez
3. Legends of the Game Nickname Letter Patch #LGCP-MM Mickey Mantle (Serial#33/50) (Manufactured Patch)
4. Topps Town #TTT23 Josh Hamilton
5. #55 J.J. Hardy
6. #294 Brandon Boggs

I guess I share the same sentiment about these manufactured patch cards as I’ve read in other blogs.  I don’t like how they’re basically “fake relics”, but it’s pretty cool to actually have one and see it in person.  I actually kind of prefer a manufactured patch over a real relic card of a player I don’t give a damn about.

This card goes into my display case as my most prized card, right next to the Gordon Beckham Red Hot Rookie Auto that I have for sale on eBay right now.

And I got another I-Rod to go into my Future Hall of Famers binder:

He’s on a tear right now, leading the league with a .449 Batting Average!

2010 Topps Series 1:

1. #94 Ivan Rodriguez
2. #30 Victor Martinez
3. #261 Matt Carson (Rookie)
4. #300 Chase Utley
5. #102 Minnesota Twins (Team Card)
6. History of the Game #HOTG19 Johnny Bench
7. Turkey Red #TR37 Chase Utley
8. Topps Town #FCTTT4 Adrian Gonzalez
9. #16 Johnny Cueto
10. #45 David Hernandez

“Since winning the Phillies second base job in 2005, Chase has proven to be one of the best-hitting middle infielders in the Majors, as well as one of the most respected leaders.  He has made MLB All-Star Game trips in each year since then, and is a regular winner of the NL Silver Slugger Award at second base.  Utley paced the circuit in runs in 2006, when he hit .300 for the first time.  He lifted his average to .332 in 2007 (third in the NL), and in 2008, he helped the Phillies claim a World Series championship with his fourth consecutive 100-RBI season.  Last year, he topped 30 homers for the third time.”

Chase Utley is batting .368 with 6 home runs so far this season.  At that pace he’d hit close to 100 home runs this season!  Of course he’s not going to keep that pace, but it’s a sign that it might be a monster home run season for him.

For my Future Hall of Famers binder, Ivan Rodriguez still in his former team’s colors:

He’s hitting .407 as a part-time catcher for the Nats.  Not bad for a 38-year-old.

2010 Topps Series 1:

1. #283 Adam Kennedy
2. #168 Brad Kilby (Rookie)
3. #108 Erick Aybar
4. #65 Nick Swisher
5. The Cards Your Mom Threw Out #CMT-48 Ivan Rodriguez
6. When They Were Young #WTWY-RN Ricky Nolasco
7. Topps Town #TTT10 Tim Lincecum
8. #164 Carlos Carrasco (Rookie)
9. #240 Ricky Romero
10. #185 Hideki Matsui

“Although Rodriguez was an established star, it was in 1999 that he produced by far his biggest season and won the AL MVP Award.  The card notes his new record for most AL Gold Gloves by a catcher, yet “Pudge” would go on to a half-dozen more.”

Can’t wait to see him playing at Nationals Park when the season starts!  I always make it a point to see future Hall of Famers play before they retire.

2008 Topps Series 1:

1. #275 C.C. Sabathia (Cy Young Award)
2. #76 Ivan Rodriguez
3. #264 Byung-hyun Kim
4. #195 Todd Helton
5. #198 Shannon Stewart
6. #167 Jason Hirsh
7. Campaign 2008 #C08-BR Bill Richardson
8. #111 Ubaldo Jimenez
9. #95 John Lackey
10. #290 Edgar Renteria

Here’s Democrat Bill Richardson, trying to look as creepy and intimidating as possible.

“Nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize, appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President Clinton in 1997, and a man with a long resume in the area of international diplomacy, Gov. Richardson appeals to a wide range of citizens.  He was born to immigrant parents in California (his mother is of Mexican descent), and he served as a U.S. Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Energy before winning election as the popular governor of New Mexico.”

And we got some Pudge:

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH1 Ivan Rodriguez
2. #UH8 Lance Broadway
3. #UH194 Ty Wigginton
4. #UH221 Adrian Gonzalez (Home Run Derby)
5. #UH117 Alex Rios
6. Gold Border #UH319 Ramon Castro (Serial#1000/2009)
7. Legends of the Game #LGU24 Paul Molitor
8. Topps Town Gold #FCTTT62 Russell Martin
9. #UH73 Sean West (Rookie)
10. #UH115 Jeff Weaver

The Ramon Castro gold card is #1000 out of 2009!

And a Legends of the Game card celebrating Paul Molitor’s 225-hit season in 1996:

“Moving back home to the Twin Cities, Molitor put together one last brilliant season for Minnesota in 1996.  He stroked 225 hits — his career high and the third-most in franchise history.  At age 40, Paul also became the oldest player ever to achieve a 200-hit season.  His 211th of the year — a triple against the Kansas City Royals on September 16 — was No. 3,000 for his career.”

And Pudge about to body-slam someone in the crotch with a baseball.  ouch!