Gint-A-Cuffs 15+16: The Relics Are Coming!

OK, I got my red ink auto. Now I've got to really turn up the heat on the Bearded Wonder. This is another abreviated 2 pack edition.

Pack 15:

#248 Colby Rasmus
#142 Lashawn Merritt
#96 Geronimo
#29 Jonathan Papelbon
#AGR-JM Joe Mauer Relic - Favorite Player 8x5 = +40 - Sweet. Joe Mauer, my afore mentioned alternate universe possible favorite player (truth be told, I probably have about 5-7 players who I would confidently declare my "if only" favorite). Good thing is he's on the list so this one is worth a cool 40. Not too shabby, Joe. Not too shabby.


#75 David Wright Mini - Favorite Player +3 - Another favorite player lister. I can't remember. I'm pretty sure that this is Dayf's favorite. Yeah, that sounds right.


#NP63 Carlos Beltran National Pride

Pack Total: +43
Box Total: 195
PBB: 152


Pack 16:

#9 Ryan Theriot
#94 Paul Maholm
#83 Ludwig Van Beethoven
#22 Mariano Rivera -1


#61 Burke Kenny Beard Champion +2 - I was all set to send this off too Beardy to ease his pain on another phenominal come back by yours truly. But, I just noticed on his blog that it is already en rout. So I guess I'll just keep this little masterpiece for myself.


#338 Jason Wong SP +5


#304 Yunel Escobar Mini Sp A&G Back 7+2 = +9



#NP66 Joba Chamberlain -1



Pack Total: +14
Box Total: 209pts
PBB: 138

Cocnlusions: That Mauer Relic is really nice. I love the design on these relics and autos and silks and such. This really is a fabulous set.

8 packs to go and I have my work cut out for me. I have a feeling Beardy is sweating it out a little bit. All I need is for my last hit to be a Sizemore and I'll blow right past him.

Also, this could be one of those boxes like Nachos Grande got with 4 hits. You never know.

Gint-A-Cuffs 13+14: Is That Something Written in Red Ink?

Half way done with the box and things are NOT looking good for the Scratcher. However, things finally start to look up. So much so that I'm doing a 2 pack post to revel in all of the forthcoming glory.

Pack 13:

#52 Aaron Hill
#77 Fransisco Liriano
#114 Hideki Matsui -1


#126 Trevor Crowe +1 - I'm not sure what it means but I didn't know until last year that this was a white guy. I'm not sure why. I never saw a picture of him before I guess. I remember him being our 1st round pick, and I've followed him through his stats when possible. It's just that the picture I developed in my head, for some weird reason, was that of a black guy. I know it doesn't matter at all. I just thought it was kind of strange. If anything I'm a little disappointed only due to the fact that it's one less player with the potential to go all Oscar Gamble/Bake McBride. I still think Granderson could pull that off in fine fasion.


#81 Willie Williams - Negro Leaguer +2


#313 Jeff Francis SP +5 - That was a close one. I thought it said Franceour for a second.


#35 Geovany Soto Mini - A&G Back - Favorite Player 2+5= +5



#NP64 Fransisco Liriano National Pride
## Monopoly Guy Crack The Code

Pack Total: +12
Box Total: 103pts
PBB: 244


Pack 14:

#99 Chris Duncan
#2 Zack Greinke
#153 CC Sabathia -1 - Damn. A Yankee hat. No way out if this one.


#130 Johnny Damon -1 - Oh C'mon.


#AGA-WS Will Simpson/Archie Bunker Red Auto 04/10 +42 - THERE IT IS. How about that? I pulled a red auto! Sure it's some horse guy, but it's a red auto! Sweet. At 1:2,000 or so odds I thought it might be worth more than 42 points but the commish has ruled and he's doing a bang up job so no complaints here. 42 is a lot better than what I've been getting.


#HHB20 Cold Fusion - Worlds Biggest Hoaxes +5


#NP71 Josh Hamilton National Pride - Favorite Player +4



Pack Total: +49
Box Total: 152pts
PBB: 195


Conclusions: I have to admit something here. When I pulled that card I was a little disappointed. Mostly because I'm an idiot. OK, completely because I'm an idiot. I didn't know that the red ink auto was any different than any other auto. Sure, I saw that it was hand numbered to 10 (I love hand numbering), but I figured all of the autos were like that or something. I was disappointed that my auto was the horse guy. I didn't realize the odds to pull it.

I told Beardy about the pull and he was excited for me, but he said what I was thinking. "Too bad is the equestrian". Yeah, it is kind of too bad. I didn't want to say that because of the long odds, but a ballplayer would have been infinately more exciting to me.

Does that make me kind of a douche? I mean moreso than already?

Gint-A-Cuffs 9-12: Scratcher's Lament

Here's the third part where I should begin to make my move on his Beardness. So will I start the chase or give him the rope-a-dope? Let's find out together, shall we?

Pack 9:

#134 Jered Weaver
#216 Derek Lowe
#68 Jamie Moyer
#27 Manny Ramirez
#324 Wladimir Balentien SP +5


#AGHS20 CC Sabathia - Sketch +3 - I know he's a Yankee, but not on this card (and not in my heart). I didn't subtract a point. I hope that was proper. I guess the commish can dock me if I'm wrong. Which I'm not.


#210 Johan Santana Mini
#NP62 Ryan Braun Natioan Pride - Favorite Player +4 - Here's Braun looking not so much like Chris Cornell.



Pack Total: +12
Box Total: 72pts
PBB: 275

Pack 10:

#110 Kevin Youklis
#262 Magglio Ordonez
#72 Carlos Lee
#86 Michael Cuddyer
#282 Eric Chavez
#92 Joe Mauer - Favorite Player List +2 - I love Future Yankee Joe Mauer. He would be my favorite player if he was on the Tribe.


#140 Loren Opestedahl Mini - Black Border +3 - This guy can really shave his ass off. Chicks dig that.


#NP61 Mark Teahen National Pride

Pack Total: +5
Box Total: 77pts
PBB: 270


Pack 11:

#267 Melvin Mora
#221 Brandon Webb
#12 Jermaine Dye
#259 Napoleon Bonaparte
#292 Oliver Perez
#334 Pat Burrell SP - Favorite Player List 5+2 = +7


#128 Red Moore Mini - Negro Leaguer +3 (I figured this was worth an extra point for being a mini. Commish can dock me if I'm out of line.)


#NP72 Edgar Gonzalez National Pride

Pack Total: +10
Box Total: 87pts
PBB: 260


Pack 12:

#184 Chris Young
#210 Johan Santana
#107 Bryan Berg
#56 Daniel Murphy
#213 Stephanie Browm Trafton
#136 Mickey Mantle -1


#NH40 Marcus Garvey - National Heroes +5


#NP65 Carlos Delgado National Pride

Pack total: +4
Box Total: 91pts
PBB: 256

Are you freakin' kidding me with this box? I'm halfway done and I have under 100 points? This is getting stupid. Hey, at least I got that sheep shaver guy. That's something.

I guess.

Gint-A-Cuffs 5-8: Comin' Out Swinging... a Fly Swatter

Here's the next instalment of my first Gint-A-Cuffs box. I hit my stride here and maintain my average of about 2 point a pack or so. Watch out El Beardarino. I'm gunnin' for you.

Pack 5:

#193 Khalil Greene
#175 Alfonso Soriano
#140 Loren Opstedahl
#173 Fransisco Rodriguez
#20 Adam Jones
#21 Robinson Cano -1


#44 Freddy Sanchez Mini
#NP73 Carlos Lee National Pride

Pack Total: -1
Box Total: 36pts
PBB: 311


Pack 6:

#286 Matt Kemp
#180 Russell Martin
#265 Paul Konerko
#151 Cole hamels
#247 Jeff Clement -1 - Wasn't this guy supposed to be good or something?


#347 Yovani Gallardo SP +5


#180 Alamo Mini
#NP3 Jason Bay National Pride

Pack Total: +5
Box Total: 41pts
PBB: 306


Pack 7:

#233 John Lackey
#222 Akinori Iwamura
#235 Roy Oswalt
#157 Jason Motte
#188 Chris Davis
#345 Carlos Delgado SP +5


#229 Mark Ellis Mini A&G Back +2



#NP1 Ervin Santana National Pride
## Monopoly Guy Crack the Code

Pack Total: +7
Box Total: 48pts
PBB: 299

Check that out. Only 7 packs into this thing and I'm already less than 300 points behind. This is a lock.

Pack 8:

#236 Edgar Renteria
#230 Torii Hunter
#250 Grady Sizemore - My Favorite Player +3


#202 Conor Jackson
#177 David Freese
#112 Millito Navarro - Negro Leaguer +2


#HHB5 The Turk - World's Biggest Hoaxes and such +5 - The Turk is the name of the chess playing computer that turns into skynet and blows up the world in the now defunct TV show Terminator. It got terrible reviews and I'm about the only one that watched it. I don't know, I liked it a lot. I'm going to miss it. Summer Glau is not to shabby either.


#NP8 Fausto Carmona National Pride - Favorite Team +2 - What the hell happened to this guy?


Pack Total: +12
Box Total: 60pts
PBB: 287

Conclusions: Another far less than steller 4 packs. What the hell does a guy have to do to get some points around here? Hey, at least I got my Sizemore base, which is cool. I'm starting to doubt whether I have it in me to pull this one off.

That Turk card is cool, although thinking about it now, Summer Glau would have been better.

Oh, and another negative pack. I'm starting to feel like Coach Norman Dale playing with less than a full squad. It worked out for him, so I have every confidence in the world that I can pull 350 from 22 packs.

Gint-A-Cuffs: Throwing My Box In The Ring

Here we are, already nearing the end of July, and Gint-A-Cuffs is in full swing. I've finally gotten my first box busted and ready to post. As far as I know Beardy is in the lead with 347 point, which seems pretty ridiculous. Let's see if I can catch him. Who knows, maybe I have a Markakis red auto or something to pull out right at the end for the upset victory.

You'll just have to stay glued to your computers to find out.

Here we go

Cabinet: #CB6 Jefferson/Hancock


Card Value: +8pts
Box Total: 8pts
Points Behind Beardy: 339


Pack 1:

#245 Todd Helton
#131 Rickie Weeks
#276 Michael Phelps
#111 Jason Giambi
#98 Josh Whitesell
#278 Herb Simpson +2 Negro League Player


#NH9 Jon Sigurosson +5 National Heroes


#NP2 Justin Upton National Pride

Pack Total: +7
Box Total: 15pts
PBB: 332


Pack 2:

#283 Mike Aviles
#5 Luke Hochevar
#117 Blake DeWitt
#219 Nate McLouth
#120 Edwin Moreno
#270 Josh Outman
#96 Geronimo Mini - No points. I just wanted to show this card because I didn't want the only card out of this pack to be A-Rod.


#NP75 Alex Rodriguez National Pride -1


Pack Total: -1
Box Total: 14pts
PBB: 333



Pack 3:

#148 Brad Lidge
#127 J.D. Drew
#244 Carlos Beltran
#295 Brett Gardner -1


#87 Aaron Cook
#326 Cameron Maybin SP +5


#133 Roy Halladay Mini
#NP9 Carlos Guillen National Pride

Pack Total: +4
Box Total: 18pts
PBB: 329


Pack 4:

#57 Frank Evans - Negro Leaguer +2


#46 Brian Roberts - Favorite Player List +2


#42 Mark Buehrle
#234 Wyatt Earp
#343 Doc Holliday SP +5


#AGHS22 Ken Griffey - Sketch Card +3


#329 Carlos Gomez Mini SP +7


#NP74 Yadier Molina National Pride

Pack Total: +19
Box Total: 37pts
PBB: 310



Conclusions:

37 points out of the Cabinet card and the first 4 packs is not going to do it. Not even close. One good pack out of the 4. There's one thing that I know for sure about the Gint-A-Cuffs: 1. It's hard to type Gint-A-Cuffs, and B. You don't win very often when you have negative packs. I've been saying that for years.

OK, that was 2 things. Only one has anything to do with anything, and that just barely. But you all get my point. Actually, probably not. I'm not sure there is a point.