Gint-A-Cuffs V: The Beginning

It's time for Gint-A-Cuffs V!  If you don't know what Gint-a-Cuffs is, basically it is a simple little competition.  The rules?  Well, you open a box of the newest Topps Allen & Ginter set.  You score each pack (based on a series of arbitrary point values) and the highest score at the end of it all wins a free box of cards.  I'd love the opportunity to win a free box of cards - so let's see how my Gint-a-Cuffs entry stacks up.

Box Topper:

Prince Fielder  (8 points)

I've decided to give collecting the oversized box topper sets a try - and happily for me, I still needed this one.  That's good since it isn't worth much in terms of Gint-a-Cuffs.

Pack 1:

139.  Red Schoendienst
187.  Scott Hamilton
227.  Fernando Rodney
250.  John Calipari
278.  Mike McCarthy
347.  Stephen Strasburg  (+2 points - short print)

OLC-MS.  Mars  (+3 - One Little Corner)

FF-KTT.  King Tut's Tomb  (+3 - Famous Finds)

Pack total:  8 points
Running total:  16 points

Pack 2:

53.  Mark Teixeira (-1 Yankee)

75.  Lou Gehrig (-1 more Yankee stink)

81.  Al Kaline
137.  Pedro Alvarez
174.  Nathan Eovaldi
196.  Josh Willingham
ATY-YC.  Yoenis Cespedes  (+2 - Across the Years insert)

Reg. mini:  176.  Abe Vigoda (+1 because the rules say so)

Pack total:  1 point
Running total:  17 points

Well, pack two was certifiably terrible.  The pair of Yankees eliminated any hope of a decent pack - but even without the two pinstriped players this pack would have been quite weak.  At the moment, I'm averaging 4.5 points per pack which would give me 116 points for the box...a total that I doubt would be close to the leader.  Even so, there's plenty of time for things to turn around (not to mention the three hits which should hopefully provide some points).  Stay tuned.