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Take Notes Topps!

According to the back of the 1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated pack wrapper, I should be pulling the following in the box:
3 Promising Forecast cards (1:12 packs) - so far ZERO pulled
1 or 2 In the Clutch cards (1:20 packs) - so far ONE pulled
0 Mickey Mantle Monumental Moments cards - so far ZERO pulled
0 Diamond Tributes (1:300 packs) - ZERO pulled
0 Mantle Gold parallel crap things I'll never see - ZERO pulled

So that's 4 - 5 inserts that I ought to get...in a THIRTY-SIX pack box with 10 cards per pack.  If that's not an awesome throwback to days gone by, I don't know what is.  I think it's part of the reason that I love sets like this - the inserts feel special (even if you get a crap player) because they are special.  There's no "two inserts per pack" bogus-ness stuff with Fleer Tradition...and once again that's something that Topps could learn a lesson from!  I'm holding out a glimmer of hope that Topps will return to a similar setup with their flagship in 2015.

Now that I went through that whole thing, it'd be sort of ironic if I end up pulling one of those inserts in the next pair of packs (I write the "intro" to the post before opening the packs typically)...

Pack 15:
359.  Orel Hershiser

I wonder if those are Hershiser's kids?  If they are, this might be one of the COOLEST cards you could ever have as a kid - or as a Dad.  What a great picture - and a great family treasure (if they are indeed his kids).  On the other hand, if those aren't his kids then this card becomes creepy in a hurry.
392.  Mike Lansing

A lot of you out there like pictures of pitchers batting...so I imagine a pitcher in the on-deck circle is of interest to some of you as well.
394.  Geoff Jenkins
398.  Jeff Kent
422.  Bip Roberts
450.  Brian Anderson
494.  Darryl Strawberry

Yet another cool image!
512.  Dave Mlicki
557.  Jose Offerman
Vintage '63:  John Smoltz - Braves
Diamond Ink point (1 point):  Jay Buhner

Pack 16:
366.  Livan Hernandez
402.  Javier Martinez

I love this shot even though it's not terribly unique.  The sky makes the image - plus the blurry background!
448.  F.P. Santangelo

Here's another great shot and it's all because of the third base coach plus Santagelo's eyes!  Great, great card.
449.  Dmitri Young
Finally, another Red out of the box!
482.  Mike Caruso
504.  Hideo Nomo
542.  Jason Varitek
559.  Darrin Fletcher
593.  Unforgettable Moments:  Cal Ripken Jr.
Vintage '63:  86.  Sean Casey - Reds

Now this was a good pack - two Reds plus a couple more great (non-Reds) base cards.  As McDonald's might say, I'm Lovin' It.
Diamond Ink points (1 point):  Roger Clemens

All I can say is:  This is how baseball cards can be done right (if they have to be glossy and foily anyhow).

Comments

  1. I am really enjoying seeing these Fleer Tradition cards, and like the Collector's Choice box, the images have variety, even if they aren't all "action" shots. It's a good mix. As for the inserts, it was just two or three years before this set that Fleer was putting an insert and a parallel in each pack. Tradition was a way of getting back to basics (even if not fully) that hopefully Topps will follow sooner than later.

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  2. I love that Hershiser.

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  3. The leaves in the extreme foreground of that Strawberry are great.

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