2008 Topps Chrome Box Break

Welcome to my 2008 Topps Chrome box break. I'm very excited. This is the first set I've decided to try to put together since my glorious return to the hobby. The reasons are these: I like the look of the cards. There is a good checklist with a good mix of stars and rookies. There are some pretty cool inserts and parallels. The price is reasonable. The set is manageable in size. And, there are some of my favorite Indians to get excited about.

I got my box just around the corner from my house at a warehouse card shop that I never knew was there. I found it just by luck on the Topps website. Tom's place is really just a warehouse that deals mostly in boxes and sets. He sells mostly over the interwebs and to other dealers. He won't have many singles, which is OK with me as there isn't much in the way of singles that you can't get on ebay anyway. He seems like a good guy and he has a great selection. His website is Hookedoncardswholesale.com. I really recommend you check him out if you are in the market for boxes or cases.

So here is a breakdown of what is in the 2008 Chrome set:

Base - 170 veterans
50 rookies (allegedly)
35 rookie autos

Heritage Chrome - numbered to 1959
Black - numbered to 59
Refractor - numbered to 599

Inserts - Baseball Card History
All Rookie Team
Mickey Mantle Story
Mickey Mantle Home Run History
Inserts available in:
Super-fractor - 1/1
Red - /25
Copper - /100
Refractor - /500

Parallels - All base cards have to same parallels as the inserts (Super-fractor, Red, Copper, Ref)
Auto rookies also have a blue refractor numbered to 200

There are 2 autos in each box.

OK lets see what we got!


Pack#1 : 205 Brian Bocock (Giants)
37 Tim Hudson (Braves)
C159 Tadihito Iguchi (Padres) Heritage 0038/1959
43 Aaron Hill (Blue Jays)
Call me cynical but I'm not too excited about my Iguchi heritage card. Underwhelming start.

Pack#2 : 130 Bobby Abreu (Yankees)
6 Dice - K (Red Sox)
C144 Chin-Lung Hu (Dodgers) Heritage Rookie 0473/1959
100 Lance Berkman (Astros)
Hu card is kind of cool looking I guess.

Pack#3 : 33 Jeremy Hermida (Marlins)
9 Joe Mauer (Twins)
C176 Ted Lilly (Cubs) Heritage 0158/1959
151 Curtis Granderson (Tigers)
Ted's heritage is pink. Iguchi's is yellow. I have no idea if this means anything. Probably not.

Pack#4 : 217 Kazuo Fulcumori (Rangers)
MHRC450 Mickey Mantle Home Run History
ARC10 Albert Pujols (Cards) - All Star Rookie
171 Luis Castillo (Mets)
I like these cards. They are kind of Old Timey and New at the same time, if that makes any sense.

Pack#5 : 45 Carlos Zambrano (Cubs)
MHRC440 Mickey Mantle Home Run History
3 Scott Kazmir (Rays)
188 Noah Lowry (Giants)
I don't really get all of these Mantle cards. I like the Mick. Obviously one of the all time greats. It seems like Topps is trying to make everyone hate him. I'm all ready getting sick of Mantle and I've only been at this for about a month.

Pack#6 : 2 Barry Zito (Giants)
224 Kevin Hart (Cubs) Rookie auto Blue refractor 100/200
TCHC20 Grady Sizemore (Indians)- Trading Card History
132 Chipper Jones (Braves)
I guess this is supposed to be the big pull of the box. I like the blue and everything, but, I just can't get too excited about Kevin Hart. I looked him up and found out that he's somewhat of a comedian. Looks different in this video, though.

The Sizemore card is awesome, by the way.

Pack#7 : 97 Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies)
229 Clay Buchholz (Red Sox) Rookie Auto
TCH29 Ivan Rodriguez (Tigers) - Trading Card History
87 Mark Teixeira (Braves)
The 2nd rookie auto. I guess if you Get Buchholz you've got no complaints. What the hell is that signature supposed to be? Who the hell does this guy think he is?

Pack#8 : 5 Miguel Cabrera (Tigers)
41 Brandon Webb (D-backs)
32 Johan Santana (Mets)
127 Tom Gorzelanny (Pirates) Webb is having a pretty nice year.

Pack#9 : 113 Ryan Braun (Brewers)
203 Gregor Blanco (Braves)
MMSC47 Mickey Mantle Story
164 Eric Chavez (Athletics)

Thank God...I hadn't pulled a Mantle inset in 3 whole packs. I was starting to get worried I might never get a Mantle Card again. There aren't too many of them out there.

I wondered why Braun's card would have him bunting of all things. This is what I came up with. Braun might never bunt again in his entire career. They got a photo of him bunting and decided it was too rare of an opportunity to pass up. This may end up being the only card ever made with him bunting.

There is no "off" position on the genius switch.

Pack#10 : 161 Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians)

C139 Melky Cabrera (Yankees) - Heritage Refractor 535/599

46 Ben Sheets (Brewers)

63 Roy Oswalt (Astros)

Sorry accidentally deleted Melky's card and don't know how to get it back. No great loss really.

Also, the first Indian base card I pull is now in AAA. Fantastic.

Pack#11 : 162 Gary Sheffield (Tigers)

90 David Ortiz (Red Sox)

29 Ryan Howard (Phillies)

136 Jeff Francis (Rockies)

Anyone calls me Francis...I'll kill ya.

Settle Down Francis

Pack#12 : 89 Brian Roberts (Orioles)

129 Geovany Soto (Cubs)

107 Alex Gordon (Royals)

147 Josh Beckett (RedSox)

I picked Gordon's card to scan because he has an awsome swing. I still think he will be a star. Also, it wa either him or Josh Beckett. And fuck Josh Beckett.

Pack#13 : 61 Gil Meche (Royals)

121 Derek Jeter (Yankees)

111 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

3 Scott Kazmir (Rays)

Fuck Jeter too

Pack#14 : 210 Randor Bierd (Orioles)

146 Curt Schilling (Red Sox)

TCHC19 Ichiro (Mariners) - Trading Card History

28 John Lackey (Angels)

I think this Ichiro card is my favorite so far. I just like the look of it and the colors. The Japanese writing makes it look unique and special. (To me anyway)

Pack#15 : 117 Pedro Martinez (Mets)

13 Dontrelle Willis (Tigers)

TCHC28 Chase Utley (Phillies) - Trading Card History

168 Frank Thomas (Blue Jays, sort of)

Is Utley doing anything this year? I haven't heard.

Pack#16 : 169 Aaron Rowand (Giants)

65 Hunter Pence (Astros)

34 Anrew Jones (Dodgers)

91 Derrek Lee (Cubs)

Boring Pack

Pack#17 : 25 Alex Rios (Blue Jays)

MMSC51 Mickey Mantle Story

18 Chris Young (Padres)

111 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

Take my word for it...keep your eye on this Ramirez kid. He might turn out to be half way decent. No really. You heard it here first.

Pack#18 : 126 Rocco Baldelli (Rays)

MMSC52 Mickey Mantle Story

ARC5 - Chipper Jones (Braves) - All Star Rookie

8 Jimmy Rollins (Phillies)

Bad news. I think my Baldelli card may have to go on the 15 day disabled list. To bad. That card has a lot of potential.

Pack#19 : 93 Fausto Carmona (Indians)

125 Freddie Sanchez (Pirates)

ARC9 Jimmy Rollins (Phillies) - All Star Rookie

140 Raul Ibanez (Mariners)

It's about time I got another Indian. Faust too. Good Times. Here's hoping he can make it back soon and pick up where he left off last season.

Is there any way that Freddie Sanchez's nickname isn't "dirty"? I say no way.

Pack#20 : 196 Joey Votto (Reds)

153 Kazuo Matsui (Astros)

TCHC30 Josh Beckett (Red Sox) - Trading Card History

31 Justin Moneau (Twins)

Nice! Joey Votto. Good Times! Here's hoping that In a few seasons Joey changes his name to Albert. You know, for old time sake.

Pack#21 : 209 Fernando Hernandez (Athletics)

105 Travis Hafner (Indians)

TCHC27 Manny Ramirez (Red Sox) Trading Card History

175 Richie Weeks (Brewers)

Travis! My Man! I haven't given up on you dude.

Pack#22 : 82 Carlos Delgado (Mets)

219 Denard Span (Twins)

197 Josh Beckett (Red Sox) Copper Refractor 005/599

184 Adam Laroche (Pirates)

Nice Refractor card. I guess the baseball card gods have decided that I'm a big Josh Beckett fan. I did not know that.

Pack#23 : 197 Nick Blackburn (Twins)

149 Ronnie Belliard (Nationals)

29 Ryan Howard (Phillies) Copper Refractor 335/599

64 Mark Buehrle (White Sox)

Two Copper Refractor's in a row. It's all commin' together. Plus Ronnie Belliard! So there's that too!

Pack#24 : 157 Carlos Beltran (Mets)

109 Nick Swisher (White Sox)

C108 Kei Igawa (Yankees) - Heritage 1819/1959

71 Dan Haren (D-backs) Anytime I pull a Buckeye he gets scanned. This list consists of Nick Swisher (that I know of)

OK, that about does it. Wraps her all up. Things seem to have worked out pretty well for the dude. Made me laugh to beat the band. Parts anyway.

Let's look at the stats:

base cards: 71/220 32%

rookie auto: 2/35 (although there are only 19 according to the checklist. I don't really understand that)

Heritage: 5

Trading Card History: 5

All Rookie Team: 3

Mickey Mantle Inserts: 5 (Seems like 5,000)

Indians: 4

I figure 3 more boxes will give me most of the base set leaving only a few to fill in.Maybe in one of them I can pull one of those fancy-schmancy superduper-fractors.

Sorry, for some reason the blogger is jamming everything together in the 2nd half of this post. I don't know why and I don't know what to do about it. Oh well.