Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 21-24-The Finale

And so this journey ends as it begins, with a pile of wrappers staring up at the sky, filled with cards, and taking on the world.  It has been a fun march to mediocrity: there were laughs, tears, and the occasional sportswriter penning odes to the sport.  Join me now as we say farewell to the 7th incarnation of Gint-a-Cuffs.  May you haunt me forevermore.

Pack 21

207-Norris
84-J.Harrison
335-Cowgill
Mini SP 312 Cole +3
Starting Points 87 Beltre +2 +2 FP
203-Wright +2 FP
108-Fielder +2 FP
226-Arenado

This box had more Adrian Beltre cards than of any other player.....
Pack Total: 11

Pack 22


284-Bruce
Full Size Relic Frank Caliendo +6
Mini A&G Back 215 Votto +2 +3 FP
Ancient Armory 11 Claymore +2
190-Bourn
51-Garza
165-Lucroy

I like the non-sport relics, but I like to mix it up in the box......
Pack Total: 13

Pack 23

162-Rizzo +2 FP
340-Feliz
What Once Would Be 9 Vacuum Tube Trains +2
Mini 10 Granderson
116-Freeman
271-Fowler
294-Wainwright
146-Morse

I had a vacuum tube train at my old job; it didn't work......
Pack Total: 4

Pack 24

186-Jennings
192-Rodney
303-Span
Mini 124 Peterson
Starting Points 13 H.Ramirez +2
245-Howard +1 FT +2 FP
64-A.Jackson
140-Altuve

Hanley Ramirez has come full circle in his career as has this competition around the drain......
Pack Total: 5

Total Total: 147

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 17-20

Here we are, reaching the dog days of the competition.  At this point, there is a sort of fatigue as the hot weather wears down even the best on my roster.  They look up at the standings and see that they're barely in the wild card race and can stay in only if they come up with a credible enough musical montage.  With less than 100 points through 2/3 of the box, they may be singing Muddy Waters.  We need a new injection of talent, a new way of thinking in the Gint-a-Cuffs owner's box to get through the season of quirkiness.  Is it possible to get the influence of 19th century players to help out?

Pack 17

293-Ar. Ramirez
216-Lamb
300-Bentz
200-Abreu
Framed Mini Autograph Archie Bradley +7
Mini A&G Back 154 Castillo +2
Great Scott 9 Fingerprints +2

Framed autographs are always a special pull: on-card, nicely presented......

Pack Total: 11

Pack 18

171-Rendon
145-Casilla
301-Morneau
Starting Points 100 Werth +2
Full Size Buyback 2012 Heath Bell +3
Mini 45 C.Owings
257-Sandoval
119-Scheer -1

Jayson Werth started on Toronto, I did not know that.....I also didn't know what a Paul Scheer was....

Pack Total: 4

Pack 19

72-Panik
110-V.Martinez
311-Brantley
Mini 222-Polanco
Menagerie of the Mind 6 Pegasus +2
239-Britton
295-Nathan
113-Braun

Do you know what I miss?  Gint-a-cuffs point inflation?  Why are there no more base set SPs, just for the game....

Pack Total: 2

Pack 20

289-Myers
29-Swisher
250-Tanaka -1
Ancient Armory 12 Shuriken +2
281-Spangenberg
Mini Black Border 185 Malzahn +3
57-Cross
1-Bumgarner +2 FP

Shuriken is not from shuri or ken, discuss amongst yourselves......

Pack Total:6

Pack Total: 114

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 13-16

Gint-a-Cuffs is like the weather.  It can run hot, it can run cold, it can run you ragged.  As each card peeks out from behind the next, its visage taunts you with each recognition that it will not yield you points.  Those smiles are mischievous, ironic, and altogether unwelcome set against the anticipatory joy of ripping open packs.  But sometimes, sometimes, there are moments when you think to yourself that it is all worth it as the points pile up and the personal collection is burgeoning with plenty.  Do not judge me lest Gint-a-cuffs judges us all.

Pack 13


273-Hamels +4 My FP! +1 FT
180-Kazmir
111-Betances -1
126-Al.Ramirez
What Once Was Believed 4 The Four Classical Elements +2
Mini Black Border 176 Niese +3
310-Coghlan
247-Springer

Mixed emotions as the Hamels card made an appearance, but 5 point base card wins the emotionals balance!

Pack Total: 9

Pack 14

251-LaRoche
270-Foltynewicz
6-Duda
Starting Points 30 Price +2
Mini A&G Back 96 Hudson +2
334-Tropeano
131-Reddick
138-Pineda -1

There are some years where I think it would be fun to try my hand at the code and then I read the solutions and realize that I work with liquids (and as my brother would tell me a giant spoon) and not cyphers.

Pack Total: 3

Pack 15

188-S.Miller
12-Cruz
208-Fernandez
Starting Points 39 Kershaw +2
Mini Flag Back 318-Gattis 25/25 +8
243-Segura
343-Pagan
102-Lang

First #/25 mini ever from Allen&Ginter in 9 years of opening boxes!

Pack Total: 10

Pack 16

135-Teixeira -1
115-Pedroia
331-A.Escobar
What Once Would Be 8 Mail Via Parachute +2
112- Buck 65
Mini First Ladies 15 Mary Lincoln +2
174-Mauer
75-Phillips

What ever happened to Joe Mauer?  Didn't he used to be a favorite player of someone?

Pack Total: 3

Total Total: 91

Gint-a-Cuffs VII: Packs 9-12: Halftime

I realize you read the title and probably thought that I would provide a halftime show.  I did contract out a marching band followed by a Beatles cover band, but then I realized that blogs don't have microphones.  I also only have enough instruments at home for a 3 person marching band, and that wouldn't be any fun to watch.  So, instead we get some commentary from "The Other World's Talking Heads" as recorded at the conclusion of this pack opening.

Talking Head 1 (TH1):  After 12 packs of intense opening, sorting, and point checking, Dan is coming up short in many facets of the game.

Talking Head (TH2): I agree with you, TH1, he is clearly struggling, especially in the mini card area.  The points are just not there to be had.

TH1:  Also, where are these so-called hits that he keeps on promising the viewers.  The only hits I see are to his chances as he falls further down the scoreboard. Am I right or am I right?

TH2: You are right, and even moreso, you are right.  What can Dan do to turn this thing around?

TH1:  Well, I see only one recourse.  He must be more accepting of his fate.

I think I should fire these guys........

Pack 9

172-M.Carpenter
317-Strickland
Mini First Ladies 8 Letitia Tyler +2
Starting Points 94 Jose Reyes +2
45-C.Owings
147-Cespedes
144-Belt +2 FP
159-Mesoraco

Letitia Tyler was one of three first ladies to pass away while her husband was President.......

Pack Total: 6

Pack 10

175-LeMahieu
320-Keuchel
Mini 234 Cuddyer
Starting Points 65 Franco +1 FT +2
44-Vulcano
297-Magna Carta +1
240-May
27-Franco +1 FT

Two Franco cards in one pack made me feel like the world is my oyster and Gint-a-Cuffs is my gummy bear....whatever that means.
Pack Total: 5

Pack 11

234-Cuddyer
231-Alvarez
Mini 125-Aoki
Great Scott 1 X-Ray Diffraction +2
Relic Zach Lowe +6
326-Moreland
99-Y.Gomes

That is not at all what X-ray diffraction looks like from what I've experienced.....

Pack Total: 8

Pack 12

220-Grandal
9-Samardzija
13-Uehara
48-Crisp
Starting Points 21 Chapman +2
Mythological Menaces 6 Wisakedjak +2
87-Liriano
136-T.Ross

I was first introduced to Wisakedjak as Whiskey Jack in one of my favorite books ever, American Gods by Neil Gaiman.....
Pack Total: 4

Total Total: 66

Do I get to offer up my gauntlet in submission yet?

Gint-a-Cuffs VII Packs 5-8

You know that poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?  I think opening a box for Gint-a-Cuffs is just like that.  Two paths can be chosen, a good pack or a bad pack.  If you choose the bad pack, the only thing to blame is yourself as superstitious circumstances are dictated by the way you choose. The pack itself is not of its own mind and can only have contents that are finalized upon the opening.  Of course, if you think about it, it's really all about being in a yellow wood in the first place.  Then, there would be no packs at all.  The poem may not reference this at all, I think I had too much coffee. It's time to stop dawdling and choose a path....

Pack 5
33-Wacha
106-Escobar
11-C.Santana
164-Beltre +2 FP
Menagerie of the Mind 9 Hydra +2
Mini 82- Pompey
342-Donaldson
66-Butler

I already feel like I should be changing my favorite team to the Blue Jays for this competition.....

Pack Total: 4

Pack 6
266-Storen
15-Verlander
169-Ventura
Ancient Armory 17 Trident +2
World Beneath Our Feet 6 Monarch Butterfly +2
315-Cishek
22-Rosenthal
77-Hammel

Two deposed closers in one pack=win......

Pack Total: 4

Pack 7
20-Martin
53-Crawford
205-Ackley
Full Size Buyback 2011 Weaver +3
Starting Points 5 Freeman +2
Mini 311 Brantley +3
308 Freese
218 Rodon

Full-size buybacks look weird and out of place, especially 2011....

Pack Total: 8

Pack 8
26-Souza
8-Richards
348-A.Sanchez
Mini A&G Back 238 Gordon +2
Ancient Armory 10 Flanged Mace +2
78-C.Gonzalez
263-Alvarez
262-Cobb

Carlos Gonzalez has had the largest jump in OPS from the 1st to 2nd half that I remember since 2014.....

Pack Total: 4

Total Total: 43

Gint-a-Cuffs VII: Packs 1-4+Box Topper

This is going to be my 7th consecutive time participating in the theater of opening up an Allen&Ginter hobby box for points and lack of glory.  As of this writing, I've only opened half the box, and there are a few things that stand out over the years.

1. The box itself is getting smaller and smaller each year.  It used to be a sturdy construction, now it feels like a mid-90s Score box in size and shape.
2.  The cards themselves feel thinner this year also.  The first box of A&G I opened was in 2007, they were thick and weighty and protected me from a hurricane-force wind once.
3. If there's one thing I learned is that Gint-a-Cuffs is a ruthless game that leaves me drained from tension each and every year.  Please keep out of the reach of children under 3.

On with the show, this is it.....

Box Topper

Box Loader Insert B-10 Evan Longoria +4

Pack 1
237-Ryu
217-Miley
267-Weaver
Mini 181-Hutchinson
What Once Would Be 2 Jetpacks +2
346-Choo
260-Pence
250-Rollins

Alas, no points for ex-favorite team members.....
Pack Total: 2

Pack 2
83-Harvey
52-Marisnick
195-Hunter
100-Holland
Starting Points 77 Cano +2, -1
Mini A World Beneath Our Feet 5 Seven Spotted Ladybug +2
133- Russell
107-Stanton

Torii Hunter's card with a less funny funny face this year.....
Pack Total: 3

Pack 3
2-Markakis
232-Holliday
129-Gallardo
Mini 164-Beltre (FP +3)
Starting Points 60 Sabathia +2
329 Gardner -1
182 Frazier
86-Porcello

Sabathia looking svelte.....
Pack Total: 4

Pack 4
288-Cano
123-M.Johnson
Starting Points 73 Brandon Belt +2, +2 FP
Mini A&G Back 4-Flores +2
Mini Buyback 2009 Porcello +4
349-Tuivailala
176-Niese

Most complicated athlete's name since Matt Tuiasosopo.....
Pack Total: 10

Total Total: 23