I'm back with another round of pack wars! For this round, I'll pit three packs of Topps Stars against two packs of Fleer Focus. Since Focus has a two card advantage, we'll even things out by saying that the first two cards in each Focus pack will work together to function as a single card. Let's get started! (Fleer Focus will be listed first, Topps Stars second).
2000 Fleer Focus (packs 09 and 10) vs. 2000 Topps Stars (packs 12, 13, and 14):
Mark Grace (Cubs) and Bartolo Colon (Indians) vs. Brett Myers (Phillies)
A good start to the Pack Wars - all three players are quite solid. Unfortunately for Topps Stars, Fleer Focus was able to trot out two solid players to trump Myers. 1-0 Focus.
Shawn Estes (Giants) vs. Mike Piazza (Mets)
This is easy - Piazza is clearly the better player here. All tied up: 1-1.
Tony Clark (Tigers) vs. Nomar Garciaparra (Red Sox)
Another matchup of solid players - this time Topps Stars gets the upper hand by trotting out Nomar. 1-2.
Sterling Hitchcock (Padres) vs. Kenny Lofton (Indians)
I feel like Hitchcock got an inordinate number of cards over the years just based on his famous last name. The guy was 60-56 career by the time Fleer Focus was printed...with an ERA of 4.67. That's simply not good enough to warrant so many cards. Lofton, on the hand, probably deserves more cards than he's been given over the years! 1-3 Stars.
Doug Glanville (Phillies) vs. Curt Schilling (Phillies)
I really grew tired of Schilling opening his mouth just to hear himself speak...and because of that, I have to give the win to the inferior Doug Glanville. 2-3 Stars.
Eric Milton (Twins) vs. Brian Daubach (Red Sox)
I have no idea who Daubach is - nor why he belongs in a set called Topps Stars. However, I'd give the win to almost anyone before I gave a victory to Milton after his disastrous stint with my Reds. 2-4 Stars.
Ivan Rodriguez (Rangers) vs. John Sneed (Blue Jays)
Once again, Topps Stars trots out a guy who is most definitely NOT a star...and this time the opponent isn't the jackwagon named Milton. Focus wins easily. 3-4 now, Topps Stars ahead by one.
Carl Pavano (Expos) vs. Eric Munson (Tigers)
Pavano has been both really good and really bad over the years - luckily for him, he was mostly bad when he was a Yankee...which is good enough to earn the victory here against Munson! Tied at 4.
Tom Goodwin (Rockies) vs. Ben Christensen (Cubs)
I don't mind rookie cards in my baseball card sets, but if you are going to name your set "Stars" you better be d*mned sure your rookies will become stars, otherwise they simply don't belong. Goodwin wins. 5-4 Focus now, heading into the last pack of Focus...
Ray Lankford (Cardinals) and Alex Gonzalez (Blue Jays) vs. Cal Ripken - Walk of Fame (Orioles)
It might have seemed like Fleer Focus would get two automatic wins since they were able to throw two cards against one - however, that is not the case since Focus ran into the buzz saw that was the Ripken Walk of Fame card (seeded 1:8 packs). Tied up at 5 now!
David Cone (Yankees) vs. Pat Burrell (Phillies)
I try to avoid giving wins to Yankees whenever possible - in this case, it is possible since Burrell is a fine player in his own right. Advantage Topps Stars: 5-6.
Travis Lee (Diamondbacks) vs. B.J. Garbe (Twins)
Apparently, Topps Stars didn't listen to me when I said they shouldn't have crap rookies in their set. Point Focus. 6-6.
Shane Reynolds (Astros) vs. Ben Petrick (Rockies)
Not much to say here - other than it's another rookie out of Topps Stars who didn't become a star. 7-6 Focus.
Bill Mueller (Giants) vs. Craig Biggio (Astros)
I've gotta give respect to the guy who played his whole career in Houston... Biggio ties it back up for Topps Stars: 7 all.
Chipper Jones (Braves) vs. Joe Morgan (Reds)
I'm sure most people would give this round to Chipper based on Morgan's unpopular television hosting duties, however, I am not most people. In my eyes, this is a beatdown of epic proportions - Morgan regins victorious: 7-8 Topps Stars with only three matchups left!
Todd Helton (Rockies) vs. Josh Girdley (Expos)
Hahahaha. You don't need any analysis here. Helton wins. 8 all.
Mario Encarnacion - Future Vision (Athletics) vs. Kyle Snyder (Royals)
As per my rules, since the group break didn't fill I'm keeping any of the Focus cards that I didn't have...but wouldn't you know it, I only have two Future Vision insert cards of my own...and one of them happens to be Encarnacion...thus, this card goes directly into the A's pile! While that's good news for whoever claimed the A's, it's bad news for Fleer Focus because I was hoping to get some more cards that I needed for my own set...point to Snyder for not disappointing me. 8-9 Topps Stars with only one card left....
Jose Cruz Jr. (Blue Jays) vs. Josh Hamilton (Rays)
Uh, I've gotta go with Hamilton here! And with that, Topps Stars wins! 8-10.
Final tally:
Fleer Focus 8
Topps Stars 10
Overall Records:
Stadium Club: 2 - 1 - 0
Topps Stars: 2 - 1 - 1Pinnacle: 1 - 2 - 1
Focus: 1 - 2 - 0
HD: 1 - 1 - 2
Individual card win percentage with actual Win/Loss (for tie breakers)
0.524 Stadium Club: 22 - 20
0.500 Pinnacle: 31 - 31
0.500 HD: 25 - 25
0.500 Topps Stars: 30 - 30
0.481 Focus: 26 - 28
2000 Fleer Focus (packs 09 and 10) vs. 2000 Topps Stars (packs 12, 13, and 14):
Mark Grace (Cubs) and Bartolo Colon (Indians) vs. Brett Myers (Phillies)
A good start to the Pack Wars - all three players are quite solid. Unfortunately for Topps Stars, Fleer Focus was able to trot out two solid players to trump Myers. 1-0 Focus.
Shawn Estes (Giants) vs. Mike Piazza (Mets)
This is easy - Piazza is clearly the better player here. All tied up: 1-1.
Tony Clark (Tigers) vs. Nomar Garciaparra (Red Sox)
Another matchup of solid players - this time Topps Stars gets the upper hand by trotting out Nomar. 1-2.
Sterling Hitchcock (Padres) vs. Kenny Lofton (Indians)
I feel like Hitchcock got an inordinate number of cards over the years just based on his famous last name. The guy was 60-56 career by the time Fleer Focus was printed...with an ERA of 4.67. That's simply not good enough to warrant so many cards. Lofton, on the hand, probably deserves more cards than he's been given over the years! 1-3 Stars.
Doug Glanville (Phillies) vs. Curt Schilling (Phillies)
I really grew tired of Schilling opening his mouth just to hear himself speak...and because of that, I have to give the win to the inferior Doug Glanville. 2-3 Stars.
Eric Milton (Twins) vs. Brian Daubach (Red Sox)
I have no idea who Daubach is - nor why he belongs in a set called Topps Stars. However, I'd give the win to almost anyone before I gave a victory to Milton after his disastrous stint with my Reds. 2-4 Stars.
Ivan Rodriguez (Rangers) vs. John Sneed (Blue Jays)
Once again, Topps Stars trots out a guy who is most definitely NOT a star...and this time the opponent isn't the jackwagon named Milton. Focus wins easily. 3-4 now, Topps Stars ahead by one.
Carl Pavano (Expos) vs. Eric Munson (Tigers)
Pavano has been both really good and really bad over the years - luckily for him, he was mostly bad when he was a Yankee...which is good enough to earn the victory here against Munson! Tied at 4.
Tom Goodwin (Rockies) vs. Ben Christensen (Cubs)
I don't mind rookie cards in my baseball card sets, but if you are going to name your set "Stars" you better be d*mned sure your rookies will become stars, otherwise they simply don't belong. Goodwin wins. 5-4 Focus now, heading into the last pack of Focus...
Ray Lankford (Cardinals) and Alex Gonzalez (Blue Jays) vs. Cal Ripken - Walk of Fame (Orioles)
It might have seemed like Fleer Focus would get two automatic wins since they were able to throw two cards against one - however, that is not the case since Focus ran into the buzz saw that was the Ripken Walk of Fame card (seeded 1:8 packs). Tied up at 5 now!
David Cone (Yankees) vs. Pat Burrell (Phillies)
I try to avoid giving wins to Yankees whenever possible - in this case, it is possible since Burrell is a fine player in his own right. Advantage Topps Stars: 5-6.
Travis Lee (Diamondbacks) vs. B.J. Garbe (Twins)
Apparently, Topps Stars didn't listen to me when I said they shouldn't have crap rookies in their set. Point Focus. 6-6.
Shane Reynolds (Astros) vs. Ben Petrick (Rockies)
Not much to say here - other than it's another rookie out of Topps Stars who didn't become a star. 7-6 Focus.
Bill Mueller (Giants) vs. Craig Biggio (Astros)
I've gotta give respect to the guy who played his whole career in Houston... Biggio ties it back up for Topps Stars: 7 all.
Chipper Jones (Braves) vs. Joe Morgan (Reds)
I'm sure most people would give this round to Chipper based on Morgan's unpopular television hosting duties, however, I am not most people. In my eyes, this is a beatdown of epic proportions - Morgan regins victorious: 7-8 Topps Stars with only three matchups left!
Todd Helton (Rockies) vs. Josh Girdley (Expos)
Hahahaha. You don't need any analysis here. Helton wins. 8 all.
Mario Encarnacion - Future Vision (Athletics) vs. Kyle Snyder (Royals)
As per my rules, since the group break didn't fill I'm keeping any of the Focus cards that I didn't have...but wouldn't you know it, I only have two Future Vision insert cards of my own...and one of them happens to be Encarnacion...thus, this card goes directly into the A's pile! While that's good news for whoever claimed the A's, it's bad news for Fleer Focus because I was hoping to get some more cards that I needed for my own set...point to Snyder for not disappointing me. 8-9 Topps Stars with only one card left....
Jose Cruz Jr. (Blue Jays) vs. Josh Hamilton (Rays)
Uh, I've gotta go with Hamilton here! And with that, Topps Stars wins! 8-10.
Final tally:
Fleer Focus 8
Topps Stars 10
Overall Records:
Stadium Club: 2 - 1 - 0
Topps Stars: 2 - 1 - 1Pinnacle: 1 - 2 - 1
Focus: 1 - 2 - 0
HD: 1 - 1 - 2
Individual card win percentage with actual Win/Loss (for tie breakers)
0.524 Stadium Club: 22 - 20
0.500 Pinnacle: 31 - 31
0.500 HD: 25 - 25
0.500 Topps Stars: 30 - 30
0.481 Focus: 26 - 28
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