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It's time for another Pack War - once again it's Fleer Focus taking on a new challenger - this time 2001 Topps HD. As of now, Topps HD hasn't yet won a battle - and Fleer Focus hasn't yet lost a battle...will this match-up be a one-sided affair or will Topps HD show up swinging for the fences?
I will list the Fleer Focus card first, the Topps HD card second. Let's get it started!
2000 Fleer Focus (packs 07 and 08) vs. 2001 Topps HD (packs 12, 13, 14, and 15):
Note: Each Topps HD pack is advertised to have only 4 cards in it - however, we've already discovered that the Topps HD box had some mutant packs - as it turns out, all four of these packs had five cards in them...which means the numbers work out perfectly - 20 cards per brand!
Darryl Kile (Cardinals) vs. Juan Gonzalez (Tigers)
The Kile card shows him pitching batting practice which is kind of cool, however, he's pictured in full Rockies gear while only the cap on the border says that this is really a Cardinals card. Gonzelez wins for being consistent. 0-1 Topps HD out to an early lead.
Manny Ramirez (Indians) vs. Chad Petty (Tigers)
Rookie cards are fun (I guess) when the depicted player is still a rookie...and rookie cards are certainly great when the pictured player has proven himself...rookie cards stink though when the pictured player never made it. Manny wins easily: 1 - 1 now.
Magglio Ordonez (White Sox) vs. Mike Piazza (Mets)
I'll give this round to Piazza, though both players were quite good in their prime! 1-2 HD.
Troy Percival (Angels) vs. Jorge Posada (Yankees)
Once again, I've got to give the win to the catcher...even though it pains me to pick a Yankee. 1-3 HD.
Delino DeShields (Orioles) vs. Manny Ramirez (Indians)
Once again, Manny is victorious, only this time for Topps HD. 1-4 HD after the first pack...and as of now, Topps HD really brought its A-game! Will that continue through the next three mutant packs?
Travis Fryman (Indians) vs. Jason Kendall (Pirates)
I don't think I ever knew Fryman left Detroit to play for the Indians. I bet that was weird for both Tribe and Tiger fans! On the hand, it's no surprise whatsoever that Kendall left the Pirates...pretty much all decent players bolt the Pirates as soon as they can! Fryman wins, though this was more of a toss-up than you probably think: 2-4 HD still leading.
Royce Clayton (Rangers) vs. Jeff Kent (Giants)
I don't know much about Clayton really, he never played for teams I rooted for - and hardly ever played against them. Kent, on the other hand, is actually more of a villain in my eyes than Bonds... Clayton wins, 3-4 HD clinging to its lead.
John Olerud (Mariners) vs. Jeff Segar (Yankees)
Another rookie who never made it versus a battle-hardened veteran. Olerud wins this easily...and with that, we are all tied up at 4. Clearly this pack of HD was a let-down!
Alfonso Soriano - Prospect #0168/3999 (Yankees) vs. Dean Palmer (Tigers)
Wooo! I needed the Soriano card so that makes this an easy win. Remember, all the Fleer Focus cards that I don't need for my set are being distributed...but since the group break didn't completely fill up, I get to keep the ones that I do need. 5-4 Focus in the lead.
Gabe Kapler (Rangers) vs. Todd Helton (Rockies)
I always thought Helton was an underrated player - he was really, really good for a really long time! I'll give him the respect he deserves and award him the victory this round. And with that, at the halfway point we are knotted up at 5 wins each.
Jose Canseco (Rays) vs. Sammy Sosa - The Game Defined (Cubs)
The Game Defined insert set is seeded 1:24 packs - the parallels are seeded 1:72 packs. I have no idea what differentiates the two, so I don't know for sure which version this card is. Either way, it's better than a knucklehead Canseco card. 5-6 HD back in the lead.
Troy O'Leary (Red Sox) vs. Hank Aaron - Images of Excellence (Braves)
Oh my, this one isn't even close is it? Aaron wins easily: 5-7 HD now. The Images of Excellence cards are seeded 1:8 packs - and I believe this is the non-parallel version...though I already pulled the rarer parallel version of this card earlier in the break!
Jose Rosado (Royals) vs. Craig Biggio (Astros)
As much as I'd love to have a Royals player actually win...there's no way I could justify that in this case. Biggio keeps HD rollin' along. 5-8 now HD leads!
Andy Ashby (Phillies) vs. Jason Kendall (Pirates)
Since I already pulled the Kendall card during this pack war, the victory goes to Ashby. 6-8 HD.
Todd Hundley (Dodgers) vs. Luis Cotto (Royals)
Once again, how can I justify having the Royal win the battle? I simply can't. Hundley adds another victory for Fleer Focus as they pull within one point. 7-8 now!
Shannon Stewart (Blue Jays) vs. Pat Burrell (Phillies)
I don't have much of an opinion on either of these guys - however, Burrell did his part to have the Reds win in the playoffs by striking out approximately eighty-bazillion times. Just for that, I'll give him the win. 7-9 HD.
Jay Buhner (Mariners) vs. Roberto Alomar (Indians)
Once you spit in an umpires face, it's difficult for me to call you a winner ever again. Buhner takes it. 8-9 HD with only three cards remaining. Can HD hold on and secure their first ever win?
Bobby Higginson (Tigers) vs. Tim Salmon (Angels)
Two solid players, though I think Salmon was quite a bit better over time. He gets the win...which is enough to ensure at least a tie for HD. 8-10.
Frank Thomas - Focal Points (White Sox) vs. Josh Hamilton (Rays)
Normally I'd give the win to Hamilton, despite the Thomas card being an insert. However, I needed the Thomas card so that pushes the Big Hurt over the top. 9-10 now, it all comes down to the final card!
Rico Brogna (Phillies) vs. Stuart McFarland (Blue Jays)
Eesh, what a dud of a finale...two players who don't deserve the win. I guess I'll give it to McFarland since this is his rookie, making it a slightly better card than Brogna's...though neither are anything special except to their respective mothers. 9-11, Topps HD wins for the first time (and Focus loses for the first time)!
Final tally:
Fleer Focus 9
Topps HD 11
Overall Records:
Stadium Club: 2 - 1 - 0
Focus: 1 - 1 - 0
Pinnacle: 1 - 2 - 1
HD: 1 - 1 - 2
Topps Stars: 1 - 1 - 1
Individual card win percentage with actual Win/Loss (for tie breakers)
0.524 Stadium Club: 22 - 20
0.500 Focus: 18 - 18
0.500 Pinnacle: 31 - 31
0.500 HD: 25 - 25
0.476 Topps Stars: 20 - 22
Interesting results this time - three of the five boxes are at .500 exactly in total individual card wins. The other two sets are either +2 or -2...so basically, everything is a toss-up as to which pack may have the better card at this point!
I will list the Fleer Focus card first, the Topps HD card second. Let's get it started!
2000 Fleer Focus (packs 07 and 08) vs. 2001 Topps HD (packs 12, 13, 14, and 15):
Note: Each Topps HD pack is advertised to have only 4 cards in it - however, we've already discovered that the Topps HD box had some mutant packs - as it turns out, all four of these packs had five cards in them...which means the numbers work out perfectly - 20 cards per brand!
Darryl Kile (Cardinals) vs. Juan Gonzalez (Tigers)
The Kile card shows him pitching batting practice which is kind of cool, however, he's pictured in full Rockies gear while only the cap on the border says that this is really a Cardinals card. Gonzelez wins for being consistent. 0-1 Topps HD out to an early lead.
Manny Ramirez (Indians) vs. Chad Petty (Tigers)
Rookie cards are fun (I guess) when the depicted player is still a rookie...and rookie cards are certainly great when the pictured player has proven himself...rookie cards stink though when the pictured player never made it. Manny wins easily: 1 - 1 now.
Magglio Ordonez (White Sox) vs. Mike Piazza (Mets)
I'll give this round to Piazza, though both players were quite good in their prime! 1-2 HD.
Troy Percival (Angels) vs. Jorge Posada (Yankees)
Once again, I've got to give the win to the catcher...even though it pains me to pick a Yankee. 1-3 HD.
Delino DeShields (Orioles) vs. Manny Ramirez (Indians)
Once again, Manny is victorious, only this time for Topps HD. 1-4 HD after the first pack...and as of now, Topps HD really brought its A-game! Will that continue through the next three mutant packs?
Travis Fryman (Indians) vs. Jason Kendall (Pirates)
I don't think I ever knew Fryman left Detroit to play for the Indians. I bet that was weird for both Tribe and Tiger fans! On the hand, it's no surprise whatsoever that Kendall left the Pirates...pretty much all decent players bolt the Pirates as soon as they can! Fryman wins, though this was more of a toss-up than you probably think: 2-4 HD still leading.
Royce Clayton (Rangers) vs. Jeff Kent (Giants)
I don't know much about Clayton really, he never played for teams I rooted for - and hardly ever played against them. Kent, on the other hand, is actually more of a villain in my eyes than Bonds... Clayton wins, 3-4 HD clinging to its lead.
John Olerud (Mariners) vs. Jeff Segar (Yankees)
Another rookie who never made it versus a battle-hardened veteran. Olerud wins this easily...and with that, we are all tied up at 4. Clearly this pack of HD was a let-down!
Alfonso Soriano - Prospect #0168/3999 (Yankees) vs. Dean Palmer (Tigers)
Wooo! I needed the Soriano card so that makes this an easy win. Remember, all the Fleer Focus cards that I don't need for my set are being distributed...but since the group break didn't completely fill up, I get to keep the ones that I do need. 5-4 Focus in the lead.
Gabe Kapler (Rangers) vs. Todd Helton (Rockies)
I always thought Helton was an underrated player - he was really, really good for a really long time! I'll give him the respect he deserves and award him the victory this round. And with that, at the halfway point we are knotted up at 5 wins each.
Jose Canseco (Rays) vs. Sammy Sosa - The Game Defined (Cubs)
The Game Defined insert set is seeded 1:24 packs - the parallels are seeded 1:72 packs. I have no idea what differentiates the two, so I don't know for sure which version this card is. Either way, it's better than a knucklehead Canseco card. 5-6 HD back in the lead.
Troy O'Leary (Red Sox) vs. Hank Aaron - Images of Excellence (Braves)
Oh my, this one isn't even close is it? Aaron wins easily: 5-7 HD now. The Images of Excellence cards are seeded 1:8 packs - and I believe this is the non-parallel version...though I already pulled the rarer parallel version of this card earlier in the break!
Jose Rosado (Royals) vs. Craig Biggio (Astros)
As much as I'd love to have a Royals player actually win...there's no way I could justify that in this case. Biggio keeps HD rollin' along. 5-8 now HD leads!
Andy Ashby (Phillies) vs. Jason Kendall (Pirates)
Since I already pulled the Kendall card during this pack war, the victory goes to Ashby. 6-8 HD.
Todd Hundley (Dodgers) vs. Luis Cotto (Royals)
Once again, how can I justify having the Royal win the battle? I simply can't. Hundley adds another victory for Fleer Focus as they pull within one point. 7-8 now!
Shannon Stewart (Blue Jays) vs. Pat Burrell (Phillies)
I don't have much of an opinion on either of these guys - however, Burrell did his part to have the Reds win in the playoffs by striking out approximately eighty-bazillion times. Just for that, I'll give him the win. 7-9 HD.
Jay Buhner (Mariners) vs. Roberto Alomar (Indians)
Once you spit in an umpires face, it's difficult for me to call you a winner ever again. Buhner takes it. 8-9 HD with only three cards remaining. Can HD hold on and secure their first ever win?
Bobby Higginson (Tigers) vs. Tim Salmon (Angels)
Two solid players, though I think Salmon was quite a bit better over time. He gets the win...which is enough to ensure at least a tie for HD. 8-10.
Frank Thomas - Focal Points (White Sox) vs. Josh Hamilton (Rays)
Normally I'd give the win to Hamilton, despite the Thomas card being an insert. However, I needed the Thomas card so that pushes the Big Hurt over the top. 9-10 now, it all comes down to the final card!
Rico Brogna (Phillies) vs. Stuart McFarland (Blue Jays)
Eesh, what a dud of a finale...two players who don't deserve the win. I guess I'll give it to McFarland since this is his rookie, making it a slightly better card than Brogna's...though neither are anything special except to their respective mothers. 9-11, Topps HD wins for the first time (and Focus loses for the first time)!
Final tally:
Fleer Focus 9
Topps HD 11
Overall Records:
Stadium Club: 2 - 1 - 0
Focus: 1 - 1 - 0
Pinnacle: 1 - 2 - 1
HD: 1 - 1 - 2
Topps Stars: 1 - 1 - 1
Individual card win percentage with actual Win/Loss (for tie breakers)
0.524 Stadium Club: 22 - 20
0.500 Focus: 18 - 18
0.500 Pinnacle: 31 - 31
0.500 HD: 25 - 25
0.476 Topps Stars: 20 - 22
Interesting results this time - three of the five boxes are at .500 exactly in total individual card wins. The other two sets are either +2 or -2...so basically, everything is a toss-up as to which pack may have the better card at this point!
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