The Last Packs I've Seen: 2010 Bowman Hobby Two Pack Break

I was a huge fan of Bowman products. The 2010 base version stoked the old prospecting engine, but I'm typically in it for set completion and having a rookie of everyone...ever.  I do like that the fronts had the team logo on the card,  I like the inclusion of the insert sets, and if this were the only incarnation of Bowman that were released during the season, the numbering would almost make sense. 

I bought a lot of Bowman Chrome Prospects from ebay once and thought it was the chrome prospects from "Bowman" that I was purchasing, but it actually ended up being the Bowman Chrome Prospects from "Bowman Chrome".  I did not get the players I thought I was getting, though it was what I purchased.  It's more than confusing, it makes collecting and keeping track a chore rather than a joy.  All these prospect sets have the same design and numbering and there's no rhyme or reason or logic or cohesiveness. 

In any case, it was exciting to receive these Bowman packs as a gift a few months ago because they were and are extremely difficult to find.  What did the inside of the wrappers reveal?
211 Michael Dunn RC
172 Ichiro

26 Jeff Niemann
181 Naftali Feliz
BT77 Hanley Ramirez

BCP79 Eric Farris: #4 Brewers 2007
BCP 97 Blue Refractor Patrick Schuster:DBacks #13 2009 175/250 1:121 packs

BP27 Craig Clark Giants #14 2007
BP32 Eric Niesen Mets #3 2007

40 Ken Griffey Jr Gold

85 Dan Haren
121 Nate McLouth
BT13 Joe Mauer

BCP57 John Lamb Royals #5 2008

BCP49 Brian Baisley Yankees #24 2006
BP30 Ryan Dent Red Sox #1 2007

BP60 Neil Medchill Yankees #11 2009
Auto: Dusty Coleman

191 John Raynor Gold

Actually, these were probably the best two packs pulled from the box.  A hard to pull refractor and an autograph were great finds (if they were of better prospects, they would be amazing finds).

There is just one question.  Who is Dusty Coleman and what happened to him?  There are no statistics for him for the 2010 season.  Did he retire or get injured and no one report it?  Anyone know?

Weekend Pack Break: 2010 Bowman 2 Pack Break or How many sets does it take to get to the center of a Strasburg?

Bowman during the last five years has been a strange set experience to collect. There's a base set, but that doesn't really matter because there's a parallel set, but that doesn't really matter because there's the prospects set, but that really doesn't matter because there's a chrome prospects set (with the same checklist and inserted at the same ratio as the prospects set). And then there's the other question, are these rookies? Who considers them rookies? There's no logo on them so they're pre-rookies? Jason Heyward, 2007 rookie or 2010 rookie, or all of the above?

In addition, 2010 Bowman had large insert sets to cloud the collation of the sets even further. Bowman Throwbacks.....to 1992? I would say that's a stretch. With the Heritage line gone, there's no reason to commemorate other issues until a silver anniversary or beyond.

I was able to snag these packs before the craze, but I've been sitting on them....just in case. Of course, the urge to rip and sort is strong...too strong for someone like me. Has anything of value to me or others been revealed?


Base cards-most aesthetic design since 2005/
98-David DeJesus
1-Ryan Braun

44-Carlos Lee
3-Jay Bruce
77-Rajai Davis
131-Michael Bourn

Gold Cards-useless,useless,useless parallels. Just eliminate them, please.
18-Martin Prado
211-Michael Dunn RC

Inserts-cool ideas, but is it really necessary in this set. Prospects rule this set.
Bowman Expectations: double-sided inserts vex me, but some, like the Halladay/Drabek card are intriguing because of the circumstances surrounding their careers. Can Drabek be the next Halladay? Is it plausible to think so?
BE50-Roy Halladay/Kyle Drabek


BE27-Jose Lopez/Dustin Ackley

Bowman Throwback
BT9-Justin Morneau

BT76-Jake Peavy

Bowman Prospects-I like the idea of prospects, but is 110 new ones each necessary for Bowman and Bowman Chrome and Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects.
BP58-Adam Wilk, Tigers, 11th round pick in 2009,currently in Lakeland in Florida State League (A+)
BP44-Allan Dykstra, Padres, 1st round pick in 2008, Currently in Lake Elsinore California League (A+)

BP36-Trevor May, Phillies, 4th round pick in 2008, currently in Clearwater in Florida State League (A+)

BP106-Grant Green, Athletics, 1st round pick in 2009, currently in Stockton in California League (A+)

Bowman Chrome Prospects-this is where the set's bread is buttered so to speak. I'm happy received someone I've heard of (Jackson).
BCP11-Logan Watkins, Cubs, 21st round pick in 2008, currently in Peoria in Midwest League (A)
BCP103-Nick Franklin, Mariners, 1st round pick in 2009, currently in Clinton in Midwest League (A)

BCP93-Brett Jackson, Cubs, 1st round pick in 2009, currently in Tennessee in Southern League (AA)

BCP99-Thomas Neal, Giants, 37th round pick in 2005,currently in Richmond in Eastern League (AA), still only 22

Too bad prices have risen to more than $8 per pack. Even with the Strasburg hype, in the end, it's still a decent product at its original price point. It has a large variety of cards to collect (this is both a negative and a positive). I just wish Topps stopped with the RC/not a RC in between nonsense. Give me something identifiable or rebrand Bowman to Bowman Chrome Draft Picks and Prospects and make it a late season release with all the prospects they desire to put in the checklist, plus more chrome is good, right? Right?