The nearby Costco has been carrying Topps’ “super box” sets of baseball cards for the past few months, and I treated myself to one for my birthday. Tempted as I was to open the 12 Series 2 packs of cards plus the three “Flagship Collection” packs at once, I decided to spread the joy over three days.
Although there were none of those pink-cardboard sticks of gum that were a Topps’ wax pack hallmark years ago, I still felt kid-like excitement as I tore the foil to each of the packs I opened Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
I got two different Kyle Schwarber cards, a Trey Yesavage, a Pete Alonso, a Ronald Acuña Jr. and several other stars. The biggest kick came from the one oversized card included: Bryce Harper!
Besides the big names, I pulled several players destined long term for the “common” bin, many of whom I did not recognize.
I was a toddler when baseball expanded to 10 teams in each league, and now there are 32 overall. As a school kid, I could rattle off the starting lineups for most American League teams (the National League was a mystery to us Indians fans). Today, I’m lucky if I can remember the starting fielders for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team I follow the most closely.
Please don’t ask me about relief pitchers. There are so many and they always seem to bounce from team to team that I can’t keep up.
Playing fantasy baseball helps expand my knowledge to a degree. Three cards I got matched what on some days are the starting outfielders on my fantasy team, the Jersey Gigantes: George Springer, Trent Grisham and Julio Rodriguez.
I’m older than the oldest manager manning an MLB dugout these days, the Brewers’ Pat Murphy, 67. Give me a pack of baseball cards, though, and I’m six or seven. 🧢
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