all of the stars

it's all-star game time!

this used to be such a highlight for me when i was younger and didn't have the opportunity to see as many games featuring all of the teams as i do these days. i did watch the full game in 2022 since it was at dodger stadium, but i would say that it is no longer "must see tv" for me. 

i still like to see all-star things on cards, however, and was excited about the 2025 topps all-star game release a week or so ago. most of my excitement was in regards to this card

as steve garvey has not been included in some of the more recent all-star themed insert sets, save for having autos in 2024 topps series two's 35th anniversary all-star insert release. there have been "perennial all-stars" inserts and others over the years that have not included one of the few two-time all-star game mvps, so it was nice to see him get a card here.

the card features a more recent photo than 1974, but the back is all about his first all-star game which occurred that year

i don't have any of the parallels or any of the dodger base cards from this set, but i understand that they are, of course, all foiled up. this is a 2024 topps clayton kershaw all-star game card

which i believe was released in complete set form?

with 2025 topps series 2 out, we get the 35th anniversary all-star treatment, and i've added a few to my collection. i'll start with kershaw's silver pack chrome card

and then show the regular insert

regular is a relative term, as that is the red version. here's the blue

which was the national league color back in 1990.

other blue varieties i have added include sandy koufax

and hideo nomo

whose presence was a terrific surprise. i see topps is also making noise about chan ho park signing autographs for future releases. can the return of ismael valdes to cardboard be far behind?

i will be looking forward to chrome update this year, assuming that they continue the tradition of including refractor parallel all-star game inserts, like this one for chris taylor from 2021

and this one of kershaw from 2023

however, i much prefer my all-star designations in the next year's flagship. that doesn't happen anymore outside of heritage which is ok, i suppose.

speaking of heritage and all-star designations, this is as good a time as any to show my real one autographs from 2024 topps heritage high numbers featuring the aforementioned 1974 national league all-star first baseman steve garvey

more blue and red shenanigans.

garvey's 1975 topps card is not my favorite, but at least they referenced his full name (steven patrick garvey) correctly on the back. with the heritage autos, topps went a different direction, twice

good ol' steve patrick. 

anyway, here's hoping for a good game tonight with a nl win and another dodger mvp.

the new team titans

i've posted previously, including an april fool's day post, that i used to read comic books. i particularly read dc releases, although there were a couple of marvel runs that appealed to me. the primary title in my collection was "the new teen titans". our lcs was also a comic book shop, and so we would make weekly pilgramages to pick up comics (with bags and boards, of course) as well as back issues we were missing.

anyway, seeing the 2023 topps chrome "titans" inserts featuring clayton kershaw

and mookie betts (his is from chrome update)

got me thinking about a dodger superhero squad.

first, kudos to topps for using two different views of dodger stadium on these two cards! the betts card, especially. it looks to me like the photo was taken from inside elysian park - perhaps at the helipad. i have doubles of each of those titans cards in my dodger stadium collection.

on to the lineup!

clayton kershaw (2021 topps platinum players insert)

kershaw's most prevalent nickname, as far as i know, is "kersh". according to baseball reference, another nickname for him is "the minotaur". for this group, perhaps he is "the platinum player". or i suppose he could keep "minotaur". that works, too. although his superpower would be along the lines of throwing weapons, so maybe minotaur doesn't make sense after all. 

russell martin (2008 bowman blue parallel)

martin brings an alpha flight element to the team, because, you know, he's canadian. the captain canuck moniker is taken, however. given that he is the field general (think nightwing) here, maybe he's just "dodger" for this squad.

nomar garciaparra (2008 ud premier)

nomar is our first baseman. he unlocks his super power by proceeding through a set series of movements with his hands and feet. once he has checked and re-checked his batting gloves - look out! he's at full power! oh - he goes by "nomah".

max muncy (2019 bowman holiday)

i will take a moment to note that this is a pretty nice card that i've also added to my dodger stadium collection. i really enjoy seeing the unocal/union 76 logo on cards! anyway, muncy is, i guess, just "munce". he has super strength, but poor contact skills, so it's hit or miss as far as his ability to get the bad guy.

justin turner (2020 panini absolute unsung heroes)

what an appropriate card for the post. turner's alter ego would be "redturn". his backstory would be similar to that of jason todd/the red hood, even though i don't care for that sort of revisionist story telling.

pee wee reese (2012 panini golden age mini parallel)

obviously, his alter ego is "pee wee". he would be the guy who was a sidekick but is trying to show his worth on his own. he would also provide the comedy relief, sort of like gar/beast boy/changeling in the ntt.

manny ramirez (2010 topps opening day blue parallel)

ramirez, known as "manny" just does "manny" things. like mash.

matt kemp (2013 panini father's day team pinnacle)

known as "the bison", kemp wouldn't necessarily appropriate other cultures, but his oklahoma roots would result in some sort of native american traditions that he would apply in a shaman-esque manner.

mookie betts (2021 panini donruss livestream insert rapture parallel)

betts is fast, so he's the speed guy in this ensemble. and, mookie is as good a name as anything.

yasiel puig (2013 topps chrome)

if kemp is "the bison", then puig is the "wild horse". he would be the newcomer to the team that is prone to wanting to do things his way to the detriment of the team. he's the guy that the villain would take hostage, thanks to his overzealousness.

kenley jansen (2021 topps significant statistics)

jansen's ability is in evading attackers. they only get a 14% hard hit rate on him, so he can duke it out with most villains. nicknamed "kenleyfornia", he's also the fish out of water of the group.

there are so many possibilities. and then there are other groups that this squad could team up with in crossover fashion. what about team tomorrow?

and the z team?

i'd read those books!

hot purple (not pink) target purchase

i made a target run last week. no, i wasn't there to try to get my hands on the hot pink starbucks stanley tumbler, but i did cruise down the card aisle and was surprised to see it pretty well stocked with baseball product. i saw some sort of 2023 topps update box that i hadn't seen before - the packs were all visible and there was a pack including some sort of coin (i think), but i passed on it. i did pick up a blaster of 2023 topps chrome update as well as one of 2023 topps heritage high number. one of the blasters was way more interesting than the other.

the first heritage high number card i found was robbie grossman's

i suppose that is world series champion robbie grossman these days. i remember him from his time with the twins, but there isn't anything special about the card other than the preponderance of red.

that same pack yielded a high number short print of oscar mercado

and a purple chrome refractor parallel of jhony brito

yes, i had picked up a hot box, and at this point i was pretty interested to see what other refractors i would find.

next pack included a combo card

the image that topps chose doesn't convey a lot of "brotherly love", but maybe their parents had to separate them and put the cooler between them to stop the back seat road trip madness. i don't recall ever having those issues with my brother because our longer road trips were usually taken in our camper/rv and there was enough room and spaces to hang out solo.

i got excited in the next pack when i saw this reynaldo lopez card

because i knew that the "american league" angels cards were super-short prints. unfortunately for me, it's only the regular heritage cards that have been reprinted with the moniker and inserted in high numbers packs that are short prints.

it was another yankee as far as the purple refractor - kyle higashioka

yankee hot box i guess.

next pack had another high number short print - brandon williamson

sporting the alt jersey and the lou gehrig day patch. 

this pack also included the 1974 topps stamps insert of the cubs

some teams featured in this release have two stamp inserts in high numbers, but i am not sure if the cubs do. this one features only current cubs (as of the end of the 2023 season, anyway). 

the third purple refractor of the box was kevin newman

sporting the kroger ad patch. 

not much to report from the fourth pack other than the purple refractor

julien hails from canada although he played college ball at auburn. he garnered some down ballot roy votes this year, and i know a few twin fans here that are pretty excited about this guy. 

fifth pack included this card

which is a flagship heritage base update card. it's number 100 so isn't part of the high numbers set, and fills the space in the flagship checklist that was supposed to be held by kolten wong. wong's card was mistakenly printed as #327 instead of #100, and #327 was already occupied by andrew chafin.

i also found a now & then insert of lourdes gurriel jr

although there is no mention of his name on the front of the card. plenty of room for it, though.

the purple refractor for this pack is david bednar

bednar is one of those guys in high numbers who didn't switch teams, but was rather just not included on the flagship checklist. being the team's closer certainly helped him get a card in high numbers.

sixth pack included the third short print of the pack 

korey lee was a first round pick of the astros who joined the white sox during the 2023 season. not sure if he is in play for the primary catching role in 2024 with the exit of yasmani grandal or not.

the purple refractor in this pack was enmanuel valdez

i was not familiar with valdez, but he appeared in 49 games for the red sox and may be their second baseman next season.

seventh pack was the best of the bunch in my opinion.  this trevor rogers card 

isn't a short print or anything, but i scanned it because it features a photo from pride night at dodger stadium on june 16, 2023. it will go in my dodger stadium mini-collection, and it pairs nicely with the emmet sheehan topps now card that was issued due to him making his debut that same night. both teams wore pride-themed hats that are visible on the cards. i am glad that topps isn't avoiding showing these patches on cards.

the highlight of the pack, and of the blaster, really, was this red parallel of one of the dodgers' 1974 topps stamps inserts

don sutton and tommy john are an odd pairing with miguel vargas and james outman, but i'll take it. we are probably a couple of years away from seeing sutton's perm on heritage cards, but the inclusion of john in this year's high numbers made me smile.

one guy that could have replaced either vargas or outman on that card is bobby miller. this pack did yield a miller purple refractor

so that was fun for me to find.

last pack included an awards winner insert of justin verlander

and an andrew mccutchen purple refractor

between the short prints, update card, inserts, and hot box refractors, this blaster certainly beat the odds. what a fun rip even though the base cards were pretty meh.

as for the chrome update blaster, my guaranteed pink refractors were tanner bibee

and luis guillorme

there were two sepia refractors (not shown), and i found a couple of inserts, too. as for dodgers, i found three base cards - noah syndergaard, miguel vargas, and jason heyward

i did pick up a dodger insert from chrome update a week or two earlier - j.d. martinez

and his all-star game refractor. i'd like to find more of these and plan to dig through some boxes at a card show this weekend. wish me luck!