Card-Ola: 2010 Finest

The Video



The Pulls

Base Set: 48 of 165 (29.09%)

short set: 47 of 150 (31.33%)
1 Autographed Rookie Letter Patch (15 "cards", 1:2 mini-boxes): A Big Letter "Z" of Dan Runzler.

Parallels

6 Refractors (numbered to 599): J. Santana, M. Kemp, M. Young, N. Swisher, The Flyin' Hawaiian, K. Phillips
3 Blue Refractors (numbered to 299): J. Verlander, R. Porcello, R. Halladay in a poorly airbrushed Phillies uniform
1 Green Refractor (numbered to 99): J. Reyes
1 Gold Refractor (numbered to 50): N. Cruz
1 Autographed Rookie Letter Patch Refractor (numbered to 75) A Big Letter "S" with J. Francisco's autograph (I think) on it.

Inserts

1 Rookie Redemption: #4

The Review

Remember when pulling a Refractor out of a pack of Finest meant something? I say this, because I ripped a box of 1995 Finest a couple of months ago and got only two Refractors. I pulled 11 out of this Master Box of 2010 Finest. I know the kids want the BIG MOJO HITZ!!!!, but sometime less is more.

And speaking of less is more, can this please, finally, be the last year for letter patches in Finest? Even if you actually like the letter patch concept (all nine of you), you have to agree; they just don't belong in a set like Finest. When you think Finest, you think two things: 1) Chrome-stock cards and 2) Refractors. That, and the autographs on these things are barely legible. (You try signing your name over 1500 times on a narrow and uneven surface.)

As for the base set, the gray backgrounds look drab, almost depressing. But, they make the "colored" Refractors stand out and that may have been what Topps was going for.

Product Rating: 2 Gumsticks (out of five)

...and another thing.

Is there really that much of a difference between an autograph on a sticker and one on a letter patch? Neither of them are "on-card," right?