2013 Topps Series 2 Box Break

I'm not great with money. As a freelance writer and a part-time tour guide, I earn it in stops and starts and tend to view expenditures through the work needed to make it. Last week, I splurged on three boxes of Topps from 2013 and 2014. It was more than I should have spent on cards this week (or month), but I looked at it as an even swap for some short article that took me a couple hours to complete. Nevermind that it's also a certain percentage of my rent, or several days of food, or whatever else. Like I said, I'm not great with money. 

But who cares? I've got wax to break!

First up is 2013 Series two. I've completed most of the first series already, but had nothing from series two. I ended with 293 of the 330 base cards (88%) with ZERO duplicates. Shockingly, I actually went through all three boxes without a single repeat. Stunning job on the collation, Topps. A few of the base card highlights:

Derek Norris. From these boxes, I think the A's cards are my favorites. There are a ton of celebration pics and other fun stuff. Does anyone know who that tiny person is in the middle of the scrum? Looks kinda small to be a bat boy.

 

Erik Kratz. I had never heard of this guy before even though he's spent parts of seven seasons in the majors. If someone showed this to me and said it was a custom with a card blogger's face photoshopped into a real image, I would have totally believed it. 

Juan Pierre. Pierre played for two seasons with the Manitowoc Skunks, a summer collegiate league team in my hometown. 

Johan Santana. He really needs some consideration for the Hall of Fame when he comes up. I'm dead serious. Compare him to Sandy Koufax. If Koufax is in your upper tier of the Hall, Santana at least gets a foot in the door. 

Corey Hart, card back. I really like the look of these 2013s. It's a clean design with a good use of color and the backsides are readable and well-organized. But that little blurb on each about "CAREER CHASE" is beyond dumb. Oh WOW, Corey Hart is only 608 homers away from the all-time record? He only needs to play another 90 years and he's there! Also, I honestly do not remember Hart playing as much 1B as he did - 103 games in 2012!

Jose Fernandez RC. A sad story all around and a great-looking rookie card of an incredibly talented pitcher who leaves behind a complicated legacy. 

INSERTS:

If anything, this set had TOO many inserts, usually two in each pack. And with 10-card hobby packs, that is a big bite. 

"Chase it Down" They sure like to use the word CHASE a lot, eh? Anyway, I really do like the look of these. It's got a kind of Stadium Club feel to it. Anyway, its a decent concept - to show diving catches - and they look alright. Not bad. 

I got: Trout (1), Zimmerman (3), Moustakas (6), Jay (10), Gordon (11). All for grabs. 

"Chasing History" I'm surprised they didn't use CHASE Headly as their box cover boy for this. Anyway, these recount some record these guys set or some shit. I dunno, they look OK, but what's the point?

I got: Ripken (57), Henderson (58), Jeter (60), Jordan Zimmerman (63), Trout (64), Carter (65), Aaron (79), Fielder (90), Niekro (100). I want the Aaron and Henderson, rest are up. 

"Emerald" Parallels. Pretty self-explanatory. They look pretty sharp, actually. Although I'm not into parallels for their own sake. They're all up: Dempster (401), Loney (593), Carrasco (599), De Vries (636), Cashner (638), De La Rosa (657).

Gold Parallels. Number out of 2013, these are pretty ugs, IMO. It just doesn't work with that sickish gold color. Have at 'em. Pierre (407), Cahill (471), Bonifacio (482), Santiago (620), Napoli (659). 

World Baseball Classic Stars. I like this idea, but as a stand-alone set. Wouldn't it be great to check out the Israeli team or the Italian team or check in on some up-and-coming Japanese guy? This is just MLBers in different clothes. I got Reyes (1), Miggy (10), Panda (11), and the corpse of David Wright (14). 

"Making Their Mark" Augh. Who cares? Cespedes (1), Trout (2), Matt Moore (13), Profar (21), Machado (24), Stras (25).

1972 Minis. Finally! Something to talk about. Some people lose their heads over minis. I'm not opposed to them, but I'm too much a slave to the 9-pockets to ever really get on board. And I've become such a goddamn old man now that I can't read the numbers on the back and it really bothers me. I have to hold it up and squint like I'm looking for a hanging chad. I've got Wright (56), Shelby Miller (59), Reggie! (71), Phillips (720), Dickey (78), Howard (84), Matt Williams (85), Stras (91), and Heyward (96). 

"The Elite" Kind of a tougher pull, these cards are honestly gorgeous.My only beef is that they are thick as hell, counting as five cards in each pack they are found. Sure are pretty though. I got the Banks and the Ozzie Smith. Want neither.

 "Cut to the Chase" Yeah, more chasing. Imagine a refactor hit with a lawnmower and you've got these. I got Banks, Belle, and Cespedes. Guess how many of them I want to keep?

THE PARALLEL HIT - A camo border of David Price, #'d 56/99. A nice pull. Any Price fans out there?

THE BOX HIT - Some garbage-ass "relic" of Gary Sheffield. I'd actually be pretty into this if it showed him as a Brewer, but this is just beyond boring to me. Also, the text on the back mentions that Sheffield got his 1,500th RBI with "one swing in the fourth inning." How many swings does it usually take to get an RBI? 

I also have a stack of expired Million Dollar (wait for it) CHASE code cards. Are they worth anything to anyone? 

So that's my run down of the 2013 S2 box. Got me pretty close to the set (see my updated want lists if you can help) and left me with a bunch to trade. I'll have posts on the 2014 boxes SOON.