Nostalgic Box Break: 1999 Topps Stadium Club Series 2 (Part One)

So, we've got a few days before more definite content is set to hit the blog. So I figured we'd get this box break out of the way. And it's a cool one.

1999 Stadium Club catches the beloved set a few years out of its more collectible era, where the emphasis was more on inserts, rookies, and 'mojo'. There were no relics quite yet, but there was an increasing subtext that collecting the entire set wasn't the main point anymore. Subsequently, boxes like these, which would yield 180 cards, counting inserts, which, while very near the 185 card set for this series, would also be buffered by collation issues. Collecting a full set of 1999 SC Series 2 would be more difficult than any previous stadium club set.

Still, this set isn't without its highlights, including some insert staples, some cool technology, and, this should go without saying, some amazing photography.

We've got 12 packs of 15, so let's see if we can get through 6 today, and I'll post the remaining six tomorrow. Besides, we've got a more important box break coming later this week, and I want to make sure y'all are ready for that.

Pack 1-

Dupes: 0/15

Needs: 15/15

Future Managers: 1/15

Borderline Hall of Famers: 2/15

 So, these are your standard base cards. They're cool. They're also a bit more reliant on the glossy stock than previous SC sets. Still, normal-looking photos, like Stairs and Zeile, do pop here, while the perspective can make mundane shots, like Fernando Vina's, look impressive.

 Equally impressive are the horizontal issues in the set. A.) because pitchers can look even more incredible thanks to overhead shots, and B.) because there's a TON of what GCRL would refer to as a 'Tatooine shot', where everything in the background is sand. Also...correct me if I'm wrong, but the Steinbach and Cordova must have come NOT ONLY from the same game...but the same photographer. Both are plays at the plate from Sandy Alomar at Progressive Field (or Jacobs as it may have been known back then). It had to be pretty recent between the two photos.

 This set would feature two large subsets- one for 1999 Transactions, such as Rafael Palmeiro returning to Arlington and Jose Offerman heading to Boston, and one for rookies, like failed Seattle prospect Ryan Anderson and future Philly manager Gabe Kapler. These would make up the majority of the back half of the checklist.

And we end the pack on a great infield shot from Omar Vizquel.

 Pack 2-
Needs: 14/15
Chrome: 1/15
Guys Who Stuck With Teams For The Better Part of Their Careers: 2/15
Guys Who Played Into Their 40s: 3/15
Borderline Hall of Famers: 2/15

 We start with some cool sideways shots. One is a reminder that Phil Kevin A.) used to play for Anaheim, and B.) used to catch. The other is a reminder that Brad Radke was just a solid, consistent Twins pitcher for over a decade.

 Some fairly good photography details, like the pointing motif, and the little bit of motion on Garret Anderson's bat.

 Guillen's shot is a great avoided DP one, while Reyes' is a reminder of the cool red-and-white Reds uniforms.

 Here are some subsets, one of which, Bruce Chen, being a Chrome insert, which were seeded 1 in 6 for these Jumbo Boxes. And the other being a cool Todd Stottlemyre Transactions subset, as a way of showing off the cool 90s D-Backs alternates.

 A duo of stars who are sure to confuse HOF voters for years to come.

I love this card. I absolutely adore this card. I'm sure Larry Walker does too.

 Pack 3-
Needs: 14/15
Inserts: 1/15
Pirates: 3/15
HOFers: 1/15

 Some players in motion, including a great multi-focus shot of Ryan Klesko.

 A trio of Pirates. Abraham Nunez' is the most subtle, but Jason Kendall's slide makes for the best photo, especially with the helmet in the air.

A trio of hard-hitting stars- the Delgado is a standard base card, but the Alomar and Belle are Transactions cards. Alomar came from Baltimore, while Belle came from Chicago. 

This is what NEVER COMPROMISE looked like in 1999. I don't know how evident this is in the photo capture, but Wood's outline is a bit lifted off the card, and his outline is glossier than the rest of the card, which has a different texture. I don't know what they're going for, maybe it made sense in 1999.

This card is also a hint at Topps' 1999 obsession with Kerry Wood after his stellar rookie year, in which he had his 20-K game at 21. They really hyped that angle up. Wood spent 1999 on the DL, and while plenty of issues of his rolled in, he didn't really generate any immediate stats to warrant them. Not until 2000, that is.

 Pack 4-
Dupes: 1/15
Needs: 13/15
Borderline HOFers: 1/15

 Bobby Jones and Counting Crows are forever intertwined in Queens. Matt Williams' swing is forever remember by Diamondbacks fans.

 Speaking of players whose consequences are still felt in Queens, Bobby Bonilla is back with the Mets in this issue, and Bret Boone spends one season in Atlanta before making some career years in Seattle. And Bernie's just doing what he always does.

 Again, the amount of dirt in these shots is pretty cool, and the Alomar is ANOTHER instance of multiple shots being taken from the same game, and possibly the same play. It's not as evident as the other multi-shot cards in this era, but it's worthy of investigating.

One of the more intriguing innovations of this Stadium Club set was the Video Replay insert set, which was essentially SportFlix on steroids (HEH). You turn this from left to right, and, in effect, replay this highlight real of A-Rod clinging to a base. It's pretty cool, though I imagine Topps figured it'd age a little better than it did.

 Pack 5-
Needs: 14/15
Super Cool Inserts: 1/15
Boston Borderline HOFers: 2/15
HOFers: 1/15

 YES TO DIRT.
Also, another routinely excellent Kirt Manwaring shot, a rare shot of Mike Sweeney catching, and Eric Milton looking masterful in Minnesota.

 The Houston shots here are awesome. I love the dramatic effect of Hampton's, and the sheer fun on Carl Everett's one (with a Jeff Bagwell cameo). Bret Saberhagen's is just a reminder that A.) he was still playing in 1999, and B.) he played for Boston.

 Three team heroes: Andy Pettite batting in New York, Scott Rolen early in his career, and Manny Ramirez plowing another shot forward (in the DIRT), in Boston.

 Todd Hundley's represents his umpteenth trade of the late 90s. I don't think this one had anything to do with Mike Piazza, but I could be wrong. And Bagwell's is an impressive fielding shot for the more bat-prone HOFer.

Ah yes, one of the best parts of 90's SC- the Triumvirate insert, this one the Luminous counterpart, featuring Nomar Garciaparra. If I had a guess, I'd say the other two are Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez.

 Pack 6-
Needs: 15/15
Team Legends: 3/15
HOFers: 1/15
Future HOFers: 1/15

 Carlos Hernandez's amusing all-treys, plus some standard shots from Mark Grace and Jeff Kent, he of 'cursing out a president while being voted off of Survivor' fame.

 SO MUCH GOOD STUFF HERE. Regardless of star power, or lack thereof. A lot of the joy from these comes from zooming out wide enough to get detail, like Tatis' card, or the first-baseman on Cirillo's.

 Unconventional pitcher shots. Wakefield looks out of place beating a runner to first, while Omar Daal looks otherworldly dealing a pitch toward the mound. The overhead shots in this set are magical.

 Kevin Brown's trade to LA was still a big deal in 1999, and David Justice was still struggling to stay healthy after leaving Atlanta. Luis Gonzalez, meanwhile, as a 1999 Transaction, landing in the city that'd give him legendary status in only a few short years.

Two Red Sox legends. Pedro doing his usual mound business, and David Ortiz, in a rare Minnesota shot, and an even rarer sliding shot. Fantastic stuff either way.

Expect the second half of this to go up tomorrow night. This is a pretty cool box, so far, as well.