Memorabilia Box

Damn the Fairfield Company, the purveyor of these repack boxes.  Last time I was at Target I noticed they now had boxes that came with 1 memorabilia or autograph card and three unopened packs.  At $10 a pop I wasn't ready to take the gamble.  Thought after a successful night at the casino on the slot machines I was feeling lucky again.  I had to return a shirt from the Sports Authority (which doesn't have any liquidation sales yet at my store) and the Target is right next door, well technically right above it.  I also picked up of box of 2016 Score football and one pack of 2015-16 Donruss Basketball.

#76 - 2001 Pacific Private Stock - Game Gear
How do they get the bat piece in there? How do they make a round bat, flat?

I'll start with the memorabilia piece: a game-used bat from Alex Gonzalez.  This isn't a spectacular card by any means.  The card design is trying too hard to be futuristic.  Notice all the 1s and 0s in the background? I think that's Pacific's attempt at designing a 21st century card.  The black and white lines surrounding the game gear are also out of place with the rest of the card design.  Gonzalez is also not a noteworthy player.  He was an all-star in 1999 and a World Series Champion with the Marlins in 2013.  That's the extent of his accomplishments.  Not that those are nothing to be proud of but he was not a particularly good shortstop.  The year this card came out he committed 26 errors, which led the major league.  He routinely put up double digit error numbers.  He was a lifetime .246 batter with a slightly better .290 on-base percentage.  Gonzalez's Wins Above Replacement during the 8 years he spent with the Marlins was only 1.6.  Not a great player, not a great card, not a great pull.

The unopened packs, however, were an improvement.  I had a Topps 2015 Series 2 and Opening Day.  There was also a 2015 Allen & Ginter.

2015 Topps Opening Day

I got some nice cards in the Adam Jones and Adrian Gonzalez.  Jones is a player that's hard to watch for me.  He used to play for the Mariners until our inept management traded him away for abject garbage.  Jones of course turned out to be a high caliber player for the Orioles while the Mariners' outfield languished.  It is quite possible that the Mariners organization would have crushed his ability to play baseball so perhaps it was best he left.  Former Mariners typically play better once they leave the Mariners. This year is a little different as Leonys Martin is absolutely crushing it as a Mariner versus when he was with the Texas Rangers.

Fuck Mike Trout

Tout is a good baseball player.  Trout plays for Los Angeles Angels.  The Angels play in the AL West.  Ergo: Fuck Mike Trout.  I don't really hate Trout, it's more of an ongoing inside joke with the Mariners subreddit.  Trout has a hit well against the Mariners and always finds a way to make them lose.  Thus, "Fuck Mike Trout."

2015 Topps Series 2

The Topps pack was not that exciting.  The majority were NL players who I'm not familiar with.  I do like the 'Til It's Over insert as it talks about a specific come from behind victory.  Yet in Mays' case it's about him more generally helping the Giants win the 1951 NL Pennant.  I'm always a fan of inserts about baseball history.

2015 Topps Allen & Ginter

My first ever Allen & Ginter cards.  At first I thought I didn't like these cards so I never bothered with packs but now I think I like them.  A very classy look.  The non-sports inserts are also a nice change of pace.

Mini Joe

Broadcasters don't get enough love from baseball cards.  Whatever your opinion might be about Joe Buck, I think he's biased against the Seahawks, it's nice to see a broadcaster on a card.  I wish the Mariners' broadcaster would get their own cards.

2015-16 Donruss

Although not part of the memorabilia box, I also picked up a pack of Donruss seeing as how these packs will likely be gone from stores soon.  I pulled a few good cards in the Giffin and Lowry cards.  I kept my streak alive of not getting any Oklahoma City Thunder cards.  Owning any OKC cards would taint my whole collection (I'm still upset that the Sonics were swept out of town).