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Happy Friday, everyone! I'm back with another Flashback Friday post - but with a twist! This time around, I'm going to be opening up three packs from 2014 Topps - one Series 1, one Series 2, and one Update Series. Each pack has five cards in it so this should make for a perfect Pack Wars edition!
The scoring rules are simple:
Each card can be worth up to five points. Rules are made up by me as we go, as are the point totals. The highest score at the end of the five cards will be deemed the best pack.
Round 1 - The Wrappers
With only five cards per pack, I figured I should award points for the wrappers as well. A more cynical version of me would take points away from all three packs for only containing five lousy base cards...but not today. Today, I have to say that while all three packs are nicely designed (I especially like the clear color differences in the background), I'm giving 3 points to Series 2 since I feel like Kerhsaw is only slightly less over played than Mike Trout (2 points to Series 1) and sorry Update but putting a Yankee on the pack wrapper gets you nothing.
Series 1: 2 points
Series 2: 3 points
Update: 0 points
Round 2 - Charlie Morton vs. Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Rubb De La Rosa
Well, you already know that Yankees are unlikely to be worth anything. Even worse, Ellsbury should have remained a Red Sox rather than going to the evil empire. 0 points for Series 2. As for Charlie Morton, he's been a great pitcher the last few years but he never seemed all that good when he was with Pittsburgh. Still, he's the best of the three cards in this round so +3 points. Finally, Update series throws out some rookie who I haven't heard of. Now that we are five years after the release of this set, that's not a good thing. Still, a rookie card is worth 1 point I guess.
Series 1: 5 points
Series 2: 3 points
Update: 1 point
Lots of odd numbers in the scoring right now.
Round 3 - Rafael Soriano vs. Brad Ziegler vs. Luis Sardinas
Once again, Series 1 brings the best card to the table - both in terms of player quality and photo quality. I like the Nats patriotic look and the horizontal shot works well here: +3 points. The Brad Ziegler card is perfectly adaquate, I have nothing to say about it either way: +1 point. Finally, Update brings its second rookie and again, it's not a guy who is all that great in the big leagues: +1 points.
Series 1: 8 points
Series 2: 4 points
Update: 2 points
From all odd numbers to all even numbers. I guess that is what happens when each card has been worth an odd number of points thus far. Series 1 is starting to run away with this pack war and we are only halfway done.
Round 4 - Adam LaRoche vs. Miguel Gonzalez vs. Jose Abreu
Another National but it's not an interesting photo for Series 1: +1 point. The Orioles (circa 2014) are a super boring team to get in cardboard form - and that photo doesn't do the pack any favors: +1 point. On the other hand, Update brought its third rookie to play but this time it's actually a player who made an impact at the big league level: +3 points
Series 1: 9 points
Series 2: 5 points
Update: 5 points
Update made a move and now the standings are much closer heading into the final two sets of cards.
Round 5 - Matt Tuiasosopo vs. Adam Dunn vs. David Price
Just when you thought that Series 1 was going to run away with the entire pack war it gets trounced in a late round match-up. Tuiasosopo is only interesting because his name is so difficult to spell: +1 point. Series 2 produces an Adam Dunn card - a guy that I have a PC of at the moment (I may not keep it but for now I have lots of Dunn cards): +4 points. And finally, David Price is a nice pull and the horizontal shot works for me here: +3 points.
Series 1: 10 points
Series 2: 9 points
Update: 8 points
Only a two point spread from first to worst. It will all come down to the final card in each of the three packs!
Round 6 - Henderson Alvarez vs. Carlos Carrasco vs. Kendrys Morales
Series 1 produces a Marlin which is almost as bad as producing a Yankee. 1 point. Series 2 counters with a decent Carlos Carrasco card. Nothing spectacular about it (or even interesting) but it's better than a Marlin: +2 points. Finally, Update gives us a rare action shot where we can see the baseball (even if it looks like Morales is either about to swing and miss or perhaps just hit a grounder). Either way, it's the best card of the round but still not great: +3 points
Series 1: 11 points
Series 2: 11 points
Update: 11 points
How about that? Rather anti-climatic don't you think? Since all three packs ended up with an equal amount of points, I need some way to declare a winner. Let's count up the potential keeper cards for each pack - cards that could possibly end up in my non-Reds Frankenset (since I pulled exactly 0 Reds).
Series 1: Only the Morton and Soriano have a shot at the binder.
Series 2: Dunn goes in the PC pile but none of the other cards have a chance of making the binder.
Update: Price and Abreu both have an outside chance.
In the end, I have to give the nod to Series 2 despite not having much in the way of Frankenset worthy cards. Getting the Adam Dunn card was clearly the best card (for me) out of the 15 cards pulled.
The scoring rules are simple:
Each card can be worth up to five points. Rules are made up by me as we go, as are the point totals. The highest score at the end of the five cards will be deemed the best pack.
Round 1 - The Wrappers
With only five cards per pack, I figured I should award points for the wrappers as well. A more cynical version of me would take points away from all three packs for only containing five lousy base cards...but not today. Today, I have to say that while all three packs are nicely designed (I especially like the clear color differences in the background), I'm giving 3 points to Series 2 since I feel like Kerhsaw is only slightly less over played than Mike Trout (2 points to Series 1) and sorry Update but putting a Yankee on the pack wrapper gets you nothing.
Series 1: 2 points
Series 2: 3 points
Update: 0 points
Round 2 - Charlie Morton vs. Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Rubb De La Rosa
Well, you already know that Yankees are unlikely to be worth anything. Even worse, Ellsbury should have remained a Red Sox rather than going to the evil empire. 0 points for Series 2. As for Charlie Morton, he's been a great pitcher the last few years but he never seemed all that good when he was with Pittsburgh. Still, he's the best of the three cards in this round so +3 points. Finally, Update series throws out some rookie who I haven't heard of. Now that we are five years after the release of this set, that's not a good thing. Still, a rookie card is worth 1 point I guess.
Series 1: 5 points
Series 2: 3 points
Update: 1 point
Lots of odd numbers in the scoring right now.
Round 3 - Rafael Soriano vs. Brad Ziegler vs. Luis Sardinas
Once again, Series 1 brings the best card to the table - both in terms of player quality and photo quality. I like the Nats patriotic look and the horizontal shot works well here: +3 points. The Brad Ziegler card is perfectly adaquate, I have nothing to say about it either way: +1 point. Finally, Update brings its second rookie and again, it's not a guy who is all that great in the big leagues: +1 points.
Series 1: 8 points
Series 2: 4 points
Update: 2 points
From all odd numbers to all even numbers. I guess that is what happens when each card has been worth an odd number of points thus far. Series 1 is starting to run away with this pack war and we are only halfway done.
Round 4 - Adam LaRoche vs. Miguel Gonzalez vs. Jose Abreu
Another National but it's not an interesting photo for Series 1: +1 point. The Orioles (circa 2014) are a super boring team to get in cardboard form - and that photo doesn't do the pack any favors: +1 point. On the other hand, Update brought its third rookie to play but this time it's actually a player who made an impact at the big league level: +3 points
Series 1: 9 points
Series 2: 5 points
Update: 5 points
Update made a move and now the standings are much closer heading into the final two sets of cards.
Round 5 - Matt Tuiasosopo vs. Adam Dunn vs. David Price
Just when you thought that Series 1 was going to run away with the entire pack war it gets trounced in a late round match-up. Tuiasosopo is only interesting because his name is so difficult to spell: +1 point. Series 2 produces an Adam Dunn card - a guy that I have a PC of at the moment (I may not keep it but for now I have lots of Dunn cards): +4 points. And finally, David Price is a nice pull and the horizontal shot works for me here: +3 points.
Series 1: 10 points
Series 2: 9 points
Update: 8 points
Only a two point spread from first to worst. It will all come down to the final card in each of the three packs!
Round 6 - Henderson Alvarez vs. Carlos Carrasco vs. Kendrys Morales
Series 1 produces a Marlin which is almost as bad as producing a Yankee. 1 point. Series 2 counters with a decent Carlos Carrasco card. Nothing spectacular about it (or even interesting) but it's better than a Marlin: +2 points. Finally, Update gives us a rare action shot where we can see the baseball (even if it looks like Morales is either about to swing and miss or perhaps just hit a grounder). Either way, it's the best card of the round but still not great: +3 points
Series 1: 11 points
Series 2: 11 points
Update: 11 points
How about that? Rather anti-climatic don't you think? Since all three packs ended up with an equal amount of points, I need some way to declare a winner. Let's count up the potential keeper cards for each pack - cards that could possibly end up in my non-Reds Frankenset (since I pulled exactly 0 Reds).
Series 1: Only the Morton and Soriano have a shot at the binder.
Series 2: Dunn goes in the PC pile but none of the other cards have a chance of making the binder.
Update: Price and Abreu both have an outside chance.
In the end, I have to give the nod to Series 2 despite not having much in the way of Frankenset worthy cards. Getting the Adam Dunn card was clearly the best card (for me) out of the 15 cards pulled.
That was fun! Thanks for the Pack Wars post!
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