Bowl Pick 'Em Contest Winnings, Part XXX

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 XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX

I'm not sure I've ever done a 30 part post before. Oh well, let's keep rolling! Today I've got Kyle Lohse, Matt Holliday, a Matt Carpenter, Trever Miller, and Mark Ellis, and a pair of team cards.

2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars #77 Matt Holliday
2011 Topps - Factory Set Diamond Anniversary #373 Trever Miller
2012 Topps - Gold Sparkle #26 Kyle Lohse
2013 Topps Archives #125 Kyle Lohse
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen #343 Kyle Lohse
2014 Topps - Blue Parallel #44 Matt Carpenter
2014 Topps - Red Hot Foil Parallel #329 Matt Holliday

I'm still a little bummed Matt Holliday won't finish his career in St. Louis, but that's sort of the nature of the game when players who are much better hitters than defenders can go to the American League and squeeze in another season or two.

2012 Topps #233 St. Louis Cardinals
2012 Topps - Gold Sparkle #233 St. Louis Cardinals
2014 Topps Update #US272 Mark Ellis
2016 Topps #254 Matt Holliday

I know Mark Ellis played for the Cardinals, but it felt like I never actually saw him play during his one season in St. Louis. He only started 46 games and played in 73 total, so that may be part of the reason. The team cards here commemorate the game that clinched a World Series appearance for the Cardinals, which they ultimately went on to win for the 11th World Championship.

2013 Topps Series 2 Jumbo Pack #10

I'm at the end of the box. Did I finish the set? First, let's see the Cardinals and inserts.

2013 Topps
#465 Placido Polanco
#615 Mark Ellis
Chasing History #CH-65 Gary Carter
Gold Parallel #485 Ruben Tejada #1544/2013
Making Their Mark #MM-19 Bryce Harper
1972 Topps Mini #TM-91 Stephen Strasburg

Both Polanco and Ellis were missing from my set so far, so I was glad to see them turn up. I also got a card of each of the Nationals wonder-kids, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.

2013 Topps
#520 Peter Bourjos
Chase It Down #CD-8 Chase Headley
Emerald Parallel #534 Alberto Cabrera
Making Their Mark Relics #MMR-WR Wilin Rosario

I also needed the Peter Bourjos card. Along with Ellis, both of those represent future Cardinals in this weird time-shifted scenario. I also found the promised relic of the box, a nice purple pinstripe jersey from Wilin Rosario.

With the relic insert, this pack had 2 less base cards than most of the rest, at only 40. I needed 38 of them to be new, and Topps' collation came through again. I've successfully completed Series 1 and 2 from their respective jumbo boxes. I may take a break before I break open my 2013 Update box, or I might get bored in an hour and start on it. After all, 2013 isn't quite complete, since Update is a de facto Series 3.

Series 1 Completion: 330/330 (100.0%)
Series 2 Completion: 330/330 (100.0%)