Here's my video box break, courtesy of the one and only Dr. Wax Battle.
One Hobby Box of 2008 Upper Deck Series Two (paid $69 + tax)
16 packs per box, 20 cards per pack
The Details
Base Set: 400 cards (no SPs)
Parallels
Gold (numbered to 99)
Inserts
25 USA National Team (1:4)
20 USA Junior National Team (1:4)
12 Presidential Predictors (1:8)
Yankee Stadium Legacy Buybacks
Mirrors
Yankee Stadium Legacy (1:4)
Autogamers
45 USA Baseball Autographs* (numbered to 375 or less)
45 USA Baseball Jersey Autographs* (numbered to 199 or less)
45 USA Baseball Patch Autographs* (numbered to 99 of less)
10 1997 Game Jersey#
10 1998 Game Jersey#
10 1999 Game Jersey#
70 UD Game Jersey#
10 Throwback 1997 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel#
10 Throwback 1998 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel#
10 Throwback 1999 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel#
70 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel#
45 USA Baseball Jersey#
45 USA Baseball Patch#
Yankee Stadium Legacy Memorabilia Cards#
* = Stated odds: Two-per-box
# = Stated odds: One-per-box
The Pulls
Base Set: 299 of 400 (74.75%)
3 Doubles
Parallels
1 Gold: A. Marte
Inserts
4 USA National Team: B. Wallace, D. Espinosa, J. Smoak, T. Ross
4 USA Junior National Team: J. P. Ramirez, M. Purke, R. Torrez, T. Melville
2 Presidential Predictors: Clinton vs. McCain: Iraq, Obama vs. McCain: Healthcare
Mirrors
4 Yankee Stadium Legacy: #s 6024 (P. O'Neill), 6049 (T. Martinez), 6074 (D. Jeter), 6099 (T. Martinez)
Autogamers
1 USA Baseball Jersey Autographed: T. Hibbs (# to 392)
1 USA Baseball Autographed: K. Skipworth (# to 200)
1 USA Baseball Jersey: T. Medica
The Review
It's the most anticipated rookie card to hit The Hobby in seven years. And thanks to Topps' hubris, 2008 Upper Deck Series Two will have the only Kosuke Fukudome RC on the market for a while.
The rest of the set consists of 300 regular player cards (401-700) arranged alphabetically by team, thirty "Rookie Cards" (701-730), a batch of Season Highlights (731-750), thirty Team Checklists (751-780), and then, yet another score of Season Highlights (781-800). Once again, the Team Checklists -- at least their fronts -- are virtually indistinguishable from the regular player cards.
The main insert -- and timed just in time for the 2008 MLB Draft -- is the return of Team USA. 45 members of last year's National and Junior National teams are represented on inserts and autogamers. This is the first time the Junior National Team has been included in a Major League set, and I have to be honest with you, I'm not sure I'm all that comfortable with cards of high schoolers.
The Bottom Line
This box yielded three-quarters of a full base set with three doubles and all inserts ran as promised. I pulled three Team USA autogamers, and not knowing who the heck these kids (and they are kids) are, I did some research.
I pulled an autographed jersey card (numbered to 392 copies) of Junior National Team pitcher Tyler Hibbs. Hibbs was the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro High School Player of the Year for 2006, and was offered a scholarship by Florida State. Then this past February he was arrested for marijuana possession, and FSU revoked their offer. Hibbs be attending Tallahassee Community College in the fall.
The second autogamer was an autograph (numbered to 200) of Kyle Skipworth, a catcher from Patriot HS in Riverside, CA. Skipworth hit .543 this past year and was named California high school player of the year. Skipworth is expected to be a top-10 pick in this year's draft.
The third and final autogamer is a jersey card of another catcher: Santa Clara University's Tommy Medica. Medica is a sophomore, and as such, is not draft eligible until next year.
I also pulled eight non-gamer USA cards, three of whom (Justin Smoak, Brett Wallace, and Tim Melville) are projected to go in the top-half of the Draft.
Product Rating: 3 1/2 Gumsticks (out of five)
... and another thing.
I think it says something about the state of The Hobby in 2008 that, of the 18 inserts, parallels, mirrors, and autogamers I pulled in this box, only five feature actual Major League players.
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3 comments:
You're not the only one who feels weird about pulling cards of 17 year old kids in a pack. The Hobby inserts from Upper Deck have completely bored me this year. If I could have UD's base set combined with Topps' inserts, I wouldn't need to collect anything else.
I would much rather get a nice insert of Granderson, Magglio, or some other established major leaguer, than one of some kid that may not ever sniff a MLB clubhouse.
Notice that all the autos you got were of non-players, thus royalties are much lower. Just another example of how UD sucks the life and dollars out of the industry.
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