2009 Topps Updates & Highlights:

1. #UH200 Randy Johnson
2. #UH157 Josh Hamilton (All-Star)
3. #UH231 Josh Bard
4. #UH259 Victor Martinez (All-Star)
5. #UH47 Carlos Beltran (All-Star)
6. #UH243 Jonathan Papelbon (All-Star)
7. Ring of Honor #RH99 Thurman Munson
8. Topps Town #TTT62 Russell Martin
9. #UH313 Jeff Baker
10. #UH5 Brian Fuentes

“Munson, a winner of the highest order, captained the back-to-back Yankees World Series champions of 1977 and ’78.  He pounded eight hits in each, and drove home seven runs against the Dodgers in the latter.”

Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson:

and former Washington National Josh Bard, who is now contracted to play minor league ball in the Seattle Mariners organization:

Opening up a fresh box of 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights to celebrate the new year!

Although the box topper says there is only “one rookie chrome refractor card inside!”, I lucked out and got two!  Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come:

1. Chrome Refractor #CHR41 P.J. Walters
2. Chrome Refractor #CHR42 Jordan Zimmermann

Now on the the first pack:

1. #UH74 Mitch Maier
2. #UH4 David Hernandez (Rookie)
3. #UH216 Mat Latos (Rookie)
4. #UH321 Hunter Pence (All-Star)
5. #UH22 Brett Gardner
6. Legends of the Game #LGU18 Babe Ruth
7. Topps Town #TTT59 Justin Verlander
8. #UH80 Matt Stairs
9. #UH130 Randy Johnson (Season Highlights)
10. #UH288 Jon Garland

Not a bad pack if I might say so myself.

I have never seen 1994 Fleer Ultra before, so today I get a treat in ripping this pack.  If it’s anything like previous releases of Fleer Ultra, then I can expect pretty cards with full-bleed photography.  Let’s see what we got:

1. #161 Mike Harkey
2. #170 Willie Greene (Rookie)
3. #244 Tommy Greene
4. #102 Danny Tartabull
5. #243 Darren Daulton
6. #40 Sandy Alomar Jr.
7. #76 Mike Ignasiak (Rookie)
8. #49 Jim Thome
9. #72 Juan Bell
10. #240 Joe Orsulak
11. #195 Orestes Destrade
12. #169 Willie Wilson
13. #84 Larry Casian
14. League Leaders #5 Randy Johnson

I collect Randy Johnson, but this is honestly the ugliest card of the pack.  I guess this still is, after all, a pack from the tacky 90′s.

“Don’t ask hitters about facing Randy.  It’s all a blur to them.

Johnson is one of the hardest throwers in the game, and not surprisingly he has always struck out a lot of hitters.  But in 1993, he joined the ranks of the all-time great strikeout artists with 308 Ks.  That total was 112 more than his closest pursuer in the American League and 81 more than any National League hurler.  It also was the 10th-highest strikeout total in AL history.“

1992 Upper Deck, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #156 Sandy Alomar Jr.
2. #157 Brian McRae
3. #160 Felix Fermin *x3
4. #161 Leo Gomez
5. #163 Ben McDonald
6. #164 Randy Johnson
7. #168 Greg Gagne
8. #169 Ron Karkovice
9. #170 Charlie Leibrandt
10. #176 Ruben Sierra
11. #180 Kirk Gibson *x2
12. #184 Tony Phillips
13. #187 Gene Larkin
14. #191 Lenny Harris
15. #192 Terry Kennedy
16. #194 Willie McGee
17. #200 Checklist 151-200 (Checklist)
18. #203 Pat Tabler
19. #204 Jose Guzman
20. #205 Jose Lind
21. #207 Joe Orsulak
22. #213 Mike Boddicker
23. #216 David Howard
24. #217 Gary Varsho *x2
25. #218 Mike Harkey
26. #219 Luis Aquino
27. #220 Chuck McElroy
28. #222 Dave Winfield
29. #223 Rafael Palmeiro
30. #225 Bobby Bonilla

1992 Stadium Club, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #576 John Habyan
2. #577 Jeffrey McNeely
3. #580 Fred McGriff
4. #584 Rob Dibble *x2
5. #587 Randy Milligan
6. #588 Checklist 301-400 (Checklist)
7. #589 Checklist 401-500 (Checklist) *x2
8. #590 Checklist 501-600 (Checklist) *x2
9. #606 Jeff Bagwell (Members Choice)
10. #613 Troy Afenir (Rookie) *x2
11. #617 Alvin Davis
12. #629 Rico Rossy
13. #630 Royce Clayton
14. #657 Jeff Reardon
15. #674 Wayne Edwards
16. #682 Matt Young
17. #685 Ron Darling *x2
18. #686 Bryan Hickerson
19. #699 Jeff Manto *x2
20. #700 Rick Sutcliffe
21. #707 Paul Sorrento
22. #709 Junior Noboa
23. #720 Randy Johnson

2003 Topps Series 2:

1. #613 Carl Pavano
2. #543 Terry Mulholland
3. #378 Dean Palmer
4. #661 Jeremy Guthrie (Draft Pick)
5. #466 Jason Michaels
6. #704 Randy Johnson (Award Winner)
7. #401 Eric Byrnes
8. #610 Russell Branyan
9. #387 Nick Johnson
10. #452 Julio Lugo

“Johnson’s string of Cy Young Awards is reaching historic proportions.  In 2002, he became the first to win it unanimously and the first to take a fourth straight since Greg Maddux in 1995.  His 24-5 record produced a league-leading .828 winning percentage, and his 2.32 ERA led the league by 0.30.  Randy needs one more Cy to match Roger Clemens as the only pitcher to win a half-dozen.“

1990 Upper Deck, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #375 Joe Carter
2. #393 Lee Smith
3. #404 Randy Ready
4. #431 Mark Davis
5. #432 Nelson Santovenia
6. #434 Jeff Huson
7. #436 Mark Guthrie
8. #453 Von Hayes
9. #455 Greg Briley
10. #494 Mike Jackson
11. #509 Johnny Ray
12. #540 R.J. Reynolds
13. #556 Will Clark
14. #563 Randy Johnson
15. #564 Wally Whitehurst
16. #571 Tom Glavine
17. #572 Rod Nichols
18. #587 Eric Show
19. #588 Jesse Orosco
20. #589 Herm Winningham
21. #590 Andy Allanson
22. #591 Dion James
23. #608 Bob Geren
24. #619 Jamie Moyer
25. #626 Frank Viola
26. #627 Ted Higuera
27. #632 Doug Jones
28. #633 Geno Petralli
29. #635 Bob Milacki
30. #642 Terry Leach
31. #664 Bo Diaz
32. #679 Dave Dravecky
33. #683 Mickey Weston
34. #698 Jeff Montgomery

1990 Score, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #243 Derek Lilliquist (Rookie)
2. #261 Paul Gibson
3. #266 Storm Davis *x2
4. #268 Mike Felder
5. #279 Kevin Bass
6. #301 Kenny Rogers (Rookie)
7. #302 Darrell Evans
8. #303 Greg Briley
9. #317 Rick Honeycutt *x2
10. #321 Felix Jose
11. #359 Mickey Hatcher
12. #360 Rickey Henderson
13. #362 Bill Schroeder
14. #363 Mark Carreon
15. #365 Jeff Montgomery
16. #371 Jeff Brantley
17. #380 Chuck Finley
18. #382 Jim Gantner
19. #384 Mike Marshall
20. #389 Darren Daulton
21. #398 Mike Scioscia
22. #410 Dave Stewart
23. #415 Randy Johnson
24. #417 Rolando Roomes (Rookie)
25. #423 Sid Bream
26. #430 David Cone
27. #433 Ernie Whitt
28. #456 Bill Landrum
29. #457 Bobby Witt
30. #464 Bob Geren *x2
31. #472 Tom Gordon
32. #486 Pascual Perez
33. #501 Tim Teufel
34. #507 Charlie Hayes *x2
35. #510 Mackey Sasser
36. #515 Jim Gott
37. #518 Scott Scudder (Rookie)
38. #533 Curt Young
39. #539 Mark Knudson
40. #547 Brian Fisher