Bowl Pick 'Em Contest Winnings, Part XXV

College football will be here again before we know it IS HERE, so I've got to get my prize from last season's Bowl Pick 'Em contest at Cards on Cards posted! My prize for a second place tie was a very generously sized box of cards, so I felt a bit overwhelmed even sorting through them. I finally sorted them out by player, and, as usual, I'll plan to post them all eventually, but I might quit halfway through, we'll see.

Part I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X
XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX
XXI XXII XXIII XXIV

With Jaime Garcia getting traded today, I thought I'd play one of Deadspin's favorite games: Let's Remember Some Guys. Except I'll throw in some context about how they left.

2011 Topps Allen and Ginter #303 Jaime Garcia
2011 Topps Lineage #189 Jaime Garcia
2012 Topps Archives #34 Jaime Garcia
2012 Topps Chrome #119 Jaime Garcia
2013 Topps #54 Jaime Garcia
2014 Topps Allen and Ginter #84 Joe Kelly
2014 Topps Allen and Ginter #198 Pete Kozma
2014 Topps Archives #28 Joe Kelly
2015 Topps Heritage Minor League #2 Rob Kaminsky

Jaime Garcia went to the Braves after multiple injury plagued seasons here. I hope for his sake he can make it through a season. On the scale of Braves-Cardinals trades, I just need this one to go better than Jason Heyward, and if we're lucky, as good as Adam Wainwright. The return is all prospects, so we'll see what happens.

Joe Kelly was part of the deal to bring John Lackey to St. Louis. I'd say that trade was a success overall, especially since the Cardinals got his 2015 season very cheaply due to a quirk of his contract triggered by an injury earlier on.

Pete Kozma signed with the Yankees after becoming a free agent at the end of the 2015 season. He played all 4 infield positions and 130 games in 2016, but in AAA only.

Rob Kaminsky hasn't even made it to AAA yet, but was sent to Cleveland for Brandon Moss at the 2015 trade deadline. He lasted through the 2016, but is now a free agent. Moss wore my favorite jersey number, so I'll have to have a new default favorite player in 2016.

2013 Topps Series 2 Jumbo Pack #7

Onward to Pack 7!

2013 Topps
#378 Joe Kelly
#562 Jason Marquis
Gold Parallel #348 Jonny Gomes #0936/2013
Making Their Mark #MM-24 Manny Machado
World Baseball Classic #WBC-9 Carlos Beltran
1972 Topps Mini #TM-86 George Brett

I'm back in the red - which is a good thing in this terrible-pun case - with this pack containing 3 current and former Cardinals. The George Brett mini isn't too shabby either. And the Making Their Mark with Manny Machado makes me want to write an M-based tongue twister, but I'm no writer, as any of my readers can attest.

2013 Topps
Emerald Parallel #456 Pablo Sandoval
Cut to the Chase #CTC-27 Ralph Kiner

All but one of the Emerald Parallels in this box have been horizontal cards. There's your useless fact of the day.

This box once again had the full complement of 42 base cards, and 38 of them were new. I'm hoping my 2 Auto's and 1 Relic are contained in packs 8, 9, and 10, because I haven't seen any in this box yet.

Series 2 Completion: 247/330 (74.8%)

Sixth 2012 Update Hanger Pack

Despite the fact that I show the inserts on my blog, I really buy these for the base cards. I figure with 5 of them, I'll get 360 cards total, but about 50 will be inserts, leaving me with 310. So 6 is a good number, in theory, to try to get enough base cards to complete 1 for 1 trades to complete the base set. In practice it doesn't really work that smoothly, and I bought quite a bit more of 2010 and 2011 Update. I've thought about getting a Hobby box, but at a current price of $57.95 for 36 packs of 10 cards, even perfect collation would leave me short after inserts. So if you're in the same boat as me, check my trade list and want list, and let's complete each other's sets.

2012 Topps Update
#US72 Carlos Beltran
#US242 Joe Kelly
#US251 Kyle McClellan

Beltran in the KC themed All-Star uniform might have been a little painful for Royals fans, who have seen many young prospects leave and become big stars.

2012 Topps Update
#US25 Joe Mather
#US60 Edwin Jackson
#US123 Jamie Moyer/Checklist
#US149 Octavio Dotel
#US227 Mark DeRosa
#US247 Ryan Ludwick

Every single former Cardinal was a duplicate this time. Anyone out there have a Joe Mather PC?

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#518 Jake Peavy #0284/2012
#636 Chris Heisey #1815/2012
#US249 Angel Pagan #1092/2012

Here we have 3 more golds toward my impossible but inevitable quest.

2012 Topps Update
Blockbusters #BB-15 Babe Ruth
Gold Sparkle #US317 Marco Estrada

Babe Ruth to the Yankees, that was kind of a big trade.

2012 Topps Update - WalMart Blue Border
#US170 Jerry Hairston
#US294 Sergio Santos

My curse is finally lifted for good, with a blue-bordered Dodger and Blue Jay.

2012 Topps Update
Golden Moments #GM-U11 Yu Darvish
1987 Topps Minis #TM-102 Reggie Jackson

This Reggie Jackson is another good-looking mini, with a great classic Orioles logo.

That's it for the big hanger packs. I did buy a rack pack as well, which I'll post in a few days, then it'll be time to start filling in the gaps in the set.

The Fourth 2012 Update Hanger Pack

I was going to title this "2012 Update Hanger Pack The Fourth" (I know, infinitely more clever, right?), but it sounded a bit like Yoda grammar.

2012 Topps Update
#US179 Matt Adams
#US242 Joe Kelly
#US273 Yadier Molina
#US301 Carlos Beltran

I'm starting to get more duplicate Cardinals, but there are still a few new ones in this pack. That's also my first ever Matt Adams card. He may be poised to be our first baseman for a long time if he can keep up his offense.

2012 Topps Update #US329 Jason Isringhausen

This pack had just one former Cardinal base card, our once-dominant closer Jason Isringhausen.

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#2Trevor Cahill #1367/2012
#37 Mike Napoli #0177/2012
#171 Koji Uehara #0182/2012
#US4 Matt Treanor #0207/2012

This is the first time I've pulled 4 Gold Border cards in one of these packs. I was short a Golden Greats though, so I think it's about even. I can't decide if I would know who Matt Treanor is if not for his wife, Misty May-Treanor. 3 consecutive gold medals in any sport is pretty impressive, making her and Kerri Walsh the reigning champs for 12 years running.

2012 Topps Update - Target Red Border
#US92 Chone Figgins
#US203 Fernando Rodney

This time it's red borders on Navy and Green/Blue teams. I might be cursed. A mildly annoying, not dangerous at all, curse.

2012 Topps Update
Golden Moments #GM-U47 George Brett
1987 Topps Minis #TM-105 Ichiro

George Brett makes me, and probably Topps, wish that card companies put out cards of assistant coaches. He took over as hitting coach for the Royals in mid-season, in case you haven't kept up with Missouri's other team.

2012 Topps Update
Blockbusters #BB-6 Jay Buhner
Gold Sparkle #US324 Jamey Wright

Jamey Wright was a waiver trading deadline pickup for the Cardinals in late August, 2002. He only played 4 games before the end of the season. He's been quite a journeyman, and has moved on from the Dodgers to Tampa Bay this year. As for Jay Buhner, I can't resist a chance to post this video again.

2012 Update Hanger Pack #3

I'm moving on to my 3rd 72-card hanger pack.

2012 Topps Update
#US242 Joe Kelly
#US251 Kyle McClellan

Here are two Cardinals I didn't have yet, Joe Kelly, and Kyle McClellan. Kyle left us for Texas this year, but Joe's made his way into the rotation. And with those glasses, he reminds me of a cross between Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn and Bill Hader recently of SNL.

2012 Topps Update
#US60 Edwin Jackson
#US227 Mark DeRosa
#US247 Ryan Ludwick

With the Red and/or Navy uniforms, I can almost pretend these guys are still Cardinals. Unfortunately all 3 are duplicates.

2012 Topps Update
#US25 Joe Mather
#US149 Octavio Dotel

Two more former Cardinals. If everyone collected like me, demand for Octavio Dotel cards would skyrocket, since he's played for 13 teams.

2012 Topps Update
Blockbusters #BB-12 Tom Seaver
Golden Greats #GG-89 Lou Brock
Gold Sparkle #US321 David Carpenter

The 70s pinstriped helmets make an appearance on the Lou Brock card. Also, it's Lou Brock! I don't have many of his playing-days cards, so I'm always glad to see him included in insert sets.

2012 Topps Update - WalMart Blue Border
#US99 Chris Johnson
#US321 David Carpenter

If you believe in Fate, Karma, or getting what's coming to you, this is my punishment for complaining about red borders for blue teams. Blue borders for red teams! This box came from Walmart, obviously, hence the blue parallels. Along with the Gold Sparkle above, I can give someone a good start on a David Carpeter rainbow. He's pitched 1/3 of an inning this year and has a 108.00 ERA. But that one out was a strikeout, so there's potential, right?

2012 Topps Update
Golden Moments #GM-U4 Josh Hamilton
1987 Topps Minis #TM-144 Mark Trumbo

Here we have 2 more Angels, one's just in Rangers clothing. I still like those 1987 Minis, and I really didn't think I would when I first saw them.

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#131 Ian Desmond #1812/2012
#304 Brandon Morrow #1217/2012
#US199 Nate Schierholtz #1204/2012

Three more gold parallels. I want to not want to attempt this set, but the gold is so...gold. I don't really like the Stars and Stripes program MLB runs with the red/white/blue/camouflage hats/jerseys each Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Canada Day for Toronto, but I do appreciate Topps documenting such events by getting that image of Brandon Morrow. In case you haven't seen it, and can't make it out in the scan, Toronto usually gets the red and white treatment, like the Canadian flag, so there's a red hat with a white front panel, and all-red Blue Jays logo.

As I've said before, my inserts are generally available for trade, though probably not the Lou Brock this time.