I'm nothing if I'm not focused.
This box is the last box of 1993 Stadium Club I need to rip if the possibility of a full set of this is anywhere in my future. And being that I'm trying to complete every Stadium Club set ever made, finishing this one would be a nice start.
1993 Stadium Club is really the last of the "sane" Stadium Club sets. The first three years had a consistency of having similar card fronts, backs, photography, etc. 1994 is where things spiral out of control for a couple years. Once I get this one, I can see if I can work on the rest.
But first, we should thaw this box out. 24 packs. 14 cards for pack. Awful collation.
Let's go.
Pack 1-
Cards I needed: 14/14
Doubles: 0/14
Celebrity Apprentice Contestants: 1/14
Awkwardly posed Indoor shots: 3/14
Highlights include a nice sideways shot of Kevin Gross, a cool action shot of Thomas Howard, a really geeky and awkward shot of Mike LaValliere, and a cooler shot of Terry Pendleton.
If I was ripping this pack in 1993, I'd be ecstatic about pulling Darryl Strawberry card. Then...the season began. Also, these packs are peppered with Marlins and Rockies, seeing as the team photos were juuuust released before the product came out. Benny Santiago and Walt Weiss...I had no idea either of them were on the Marlins.
Pack 2-
Doubles: 0/14
Cards I needed: 14/14
Rookie cards of future hall of famers: 1/14
Amazing Sideways shots: 2/14
I forgot that Ruben Amaro was a player before he was a GM. Hm. Must not have panned out. Darren Daulton did a bit better, I guess, as he was still a great Phillie catcher by the time this set rolled in. John Franco, seen here while the Topps photographers shooshed away the lawyers for Donruss Studio, looks to be pretty content with being a closer for a then-last-place team. And that Scooter Tucker card is absolutely gorgeous. I want to marry it.
These two cards may represent a fraction of the Hall of Fame Class of 2015, unless people don't like Smoltzie. Pedro's is basically a rookie. Which is awesome.
Pack 3-
Doubles: 4/14
Cards I needed: 10/14
Awkward 1990's poses: 2/14
Future Hall of Famers: 1/14
Highlights include a card of Bien Figueroa, who played 12 games in 1992, so naturally, he deserves a major league baseball card. Bien would never play in the majors again. Also present is a nice autograph signing shot of Rusty Meachem, and a good shot of Ruben Sierra.
Our Member's Choice subset is of Ken Griffey Jr., who was absolutely killing it back then.
Pack 4-
Doubles: 0/14
Cards I needed: 14/14
Hall of Famers: 3/14
Juuuust Missed Hall of Fame-rs: 1/14 (sorry, Jack)
Three awesome photos- a nice, focused pitching shot of Mark Langston, a crouching shot of a remarkably-young-looking Arthur Rhodes, an a shot of Andres Gallaraga on his new team, the one that would make him famous.
Two excellent players, though only one is in the hall of fame, and it is not Jack Morris. Sorry, buddy. George Brett, the legend of Kansas City, has an excellent posed dugout shot.
The pack (and the box's) insert is absolutely awesome. It is a Second City Sluggers card. On one side, it features Hall of Famer Frank Thomas....
...And on the other side, it features Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Hell of a card, even if I'm not a Chicago fan. Begs the question- did they do a New York one with Mattingly and Eddie Murray? Or a Los Angeles one with Mike Piazza and Jim Abbott?
Pack 5-
Doubles: 2/14
Cards I needed: 12/14
Soon to be Hall of Famers: 2/14 (if voters can get their heads out of their asses and realize Jeff Bagwell was actually pretty good)
Ryan Thompson had a career full of awesome Stadium Club poses. I don't care if his career was lackluster. Tom Marsh has a nice shot there, as well as Tom McIntosh.
John Smoltz gets a Members' Choice card, because evidently he was the best of the three back before the other two got really good. And Jeff Bagwell is wearing the old fashioned Astros uniforms, before the rest of the 90's came and made the uniforms look awful.
Pack 6-
Doubles: 0/14
Cards I need: 14/14
Now-ironic shots of empty stadium seats: 1/14
Hall of Famers: 1/14
Mike Stanley is so angry that his mask is popping off. Luis Salazar was still playing in 1993, which was unknown to me before this rip (actually, this was a sunset shot). And GEE, CAL ELDRED, ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BREWERS GAMES? (Here's a hint: guess what year Robin Yount retired)
Dennis Eckersley. What a boss.
Pack 7-
Doubles: 11/14
Cards I needed: 3/14
Cards I needed that were Rockies: 3/3
Cards that exemplified my expression after pulling a mostly double-laden pack 1/14 (looking at you, Stanley)
Pack 8-
Doubles: 0/14
Cards I needed: 14/14
Hall of Famers: 1/14
Near-hall-of-famers: 3/14
Rookies of Near-hall-of-famers: 1/14
That shot of Dave Valle is pretty excellent, as is the Paginozzi. The Blauser one is a bit odd, but it's a great posed one, though I have to give the gold to Shane Mack. I think that one is really neat and original.
That Carlos Delgado card is his actual rookie. Like, it says on the back his rookie card is THIS CARD. So that's pretty nice. Also, the Lee Smith card is a nice one. Barry Larkin wins the pack though, because that is a pretty nice double play shot. You can see the smoke rising.
Well, that's a third of the box. Two left to go. A lot more stars in this set than the other ones, really, which is nice. I will post Part 2 tomorrow, most likely.
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