Box(es) Break Recap: 1993 Leaf Update and 2000 Pacific Aurora

I'm back with some more box recaps from my latest Breaker's Club!  To start, here's some of the highlights from the final few packs out of the 1993 Leaf Update box:

That's a Cal Ripken, Jr. / Barry Larkin All-Star card.  Each All-Star card is double-sided with one side featuring an NL player and the other side the corresponding AL player for each position on the diamond.  Since I already own this card in my Larkin collection, there was no need to employ the "randomizer" dice during the live break - I will simply add this one to the Orioles' stack!

Next, a rather nice Mike Piazza rookie insert:

I gotta imagine that's one of the better pulls out of 1993 Leaf Update!

And, speaking of nice pulls, each box of 1993 Leaf Update comes with a box topper bottom-er?  (the card was on the very bottom underneath all the packs, rather than on top like you would find such a thing in modern boxes of cards).  Anyhow, it's an oversized Frank Thomas card!

This one is serially numbered 5041/7500 and I have to think that this must be one of the earliest serial numbering in a "regular" card release!

Cool stuff and a fun way to finish off the 1993 Leaf Update box for sure!

Next up, our (retail) box of 2000 Pacific Aurora.

The 2000 Aurora base set is a nice looking set - plenty of vibrant (team specific) colors for backgrounds coupled with a pair of photographs on each card (one headshot and one action shot).  I was particularly pleased to see we pulled both versions of card #133 - Ken Griffey, Jr. as both a Mariner and as a Red!  The card featuring Griffey as a member of the Cincinnati Reds was actually the first such card released!

In addition to regular base cards, there are pinstripe "short prints."  This isn't a full parallel set but rather Pacific designated (mostly) star players to get the alternate pinstripe treatment.  In total, there are 50 different pinstripe cards to track down (or about 1/3 of the base set).  

Collecting everything - the 150 base cards plus the 50 pinstripe cards makes this a 200 card set...and the extra Griffey, Jr. pushes that total to 201 if you want the full enchilada.  As for our box, we ended up finding nine different pinstripe cards.

As far as inserts go, we found four of the Pennant Fever cards - including a pair of Yankees and a nice Ken Griffey, Jr.!

I think the large team logo is the best part of the design here - but I have to say that at least these inserts are immediately different and noteworthy when you are ripping packs...they have a completely different aesthetic as compared to the base set.

Speaking of being different, Pacific is loved (and I suppose loathed by others) for having plenty of "different" things in their card sets.  For the 2000 Pacific Aurora set, one of the neatest gimmick inserts is the Dugout View37 Net-Fusions set.  Seeded 1:37 packs, we weren't guaranteed to get one but I was hopeful...and wouldn't you know it, once again the cardboard gods smiled upon us!

That's a really cool looking Jeff Bagwell card, complete with a die-cut window filled with netting!  I think the design is super cool - and this is a great card for the Astros (and for Jason Williams who claimed Houston in Breaker's Club #4)!

That does it for the two boxes.  I still have two more to recap which I hope to get to in the near future!  For now, if you think you might want to get involved in my group breaks I'd invite you to join my Facebook group.  Generally speaking, I try to keep most of my group break sign-ups and information over there (or certainly I post over there first usually which gives members of the group first dibs at my various group breaks)!