Pack 11 Guesses: Willie Randolph, Ron LeFlore, Sweaty Yaz, Dick Davis, Bo Diaz
Pack 11 Actual: Randolph, LeFlore, Yaz, Ben Ogilvie, Bo Diaz
5/5 NEW!

If you were Topps, and had about a hundred photos of Carl Yastrzemski at your disposal for a photo for a sticker, why would you ever pick this one? Did someone at the company have a grudge against Yaz?



Pack 12 Guesses: Carlton Fisk, Amos Otis, Jim Presley, Richard Dotson, Gary Roenicke
Pack 12 Actual: Fisk, Otis, Bruce Bochte, Dotson, Rich Dauer
5/5 NEW!

Great photo of FIsk looking intimidating. Also, great photo of a young Bochte. Hard to recognize without his mustache.



Pack 13 Guesses: Paul Molitor, Rod Carew, Manny Trillo, Bob "Not So Big In Japan" Horner, AL All-Star Rod Carew
Pack 13 Actual: All Correct!
5/5 NEW!

Horner and Trillo are my first two National Leaguers in the last three packs. Also, the Molitor sticker was in the pack backwards and upside down.



Pack 14 Guesses: Hawk Dawson, AL All-Star Goose Gossage, NL All-Star Mike Schmidt, NL All-Star Manny Trillo, Dale Murphy
Pack 14 Actual: All Correct!
5/5 NEW!

Easily the best pack of the day, with 3 big All-Stars, a great shot of Dawson, plus overlooked superstar Dale Murphy.



Pack 15 Guesses: Lou Whitaker, Jose Cruz, Dan Ford, Hosken Powell, Jim Sundberg
Pack 15 Actual: All Correct!
2/5 NEW!

Very similar to Pack 5, where Whitaker, Cruz, and Sundberg are part of the "controlled" sequence, and Ford and Powell are randomized. Also, what information has been denied to my brain to accommodate my ability to recognize Hosken Powell by sight?



Analysis
Packs 11 through 15 yielded 22 new stickers and 3 doubles. Sixteen from the American League; Two AL All-Stars in gold foil & Two NL All-Stars in silver foil; Five from the National League.

Great return from Packs 11 through 15. Finally got a few NL All-Stars, and wound up with just three doubles. I have yet to find any of the League Leaders or the Postseason stickers. It's kind of hard to believe that, for the most part, all of these stickers still stick on their pages, some 28 years after creation. That's a nice shelf life, eh?

This has been fun for me so far, and you have to wonder if a sticker set, complete with album, is something Topps will bring back in the next few years. If they priced it real low, that would be great.

Finally, after 15 packs I have completed roughly 22% of the set (57/260 stickers).

More analysis after Packs 16 through 20.

I love this set. That's why from time to time I'll be adding my own "Custom Cardboard" creations.

Lately I've been helping myself fall asleep by reciting my personal All-time Red Sox 40-man roster. Here's what I've come up with:

Catcher
Carlton Fisk (1969-1980)
Jason Varitek (1997-2008)

First Base
Jimmie Foxx (1936-1942)
Mo Vaughn (1991-1998)

Second Base
Bobby Doerr (1937-1951)

Shortstop
Johnny Pesky (1942-1952)
Rico Petrocelli (1963-1976)
Nomar Garciaparra (1996-2004)
Joe Cronin (1936-1945)

Third Base
Wade Boggs (1982-1992)
Frank Malzone (1955-1965)

Outfield
Ted Williams (1939-1960)
Carl Yastzremski (1961-1983)
Tris Speaker (1907-1915)
Harry Hooper (1909-1920)
Jim Rice (1974-1989)
Dwight Evans (1972-1990)
Manny Ramirez (2000-2008)

Designated Hitter
David Ortiz (2003-2008)

Starting Pitchers
Babe Ruth (1914-1919)
Roger Clemens (1984-1996)
Pedro Martinez (1998-2004)
Cy Young (1903-1908)
Lefty Grove (1934-1941)
Luis Tiant (1971-1978)
Mel Parnell (1947-1956)
Smoky Joe Wood (1908-1915)
Tim Wakefield (1995-2008)
Bill Lee (1969-1978)
Dutch Leonard (1913-1918)

Relievers
Dick Radatz (1962-1966)
Bob Stanley (1977-1989)
Ellis Kinder (1946-1955)
Jonathan Papelbon (2005-2008)

Wild Card Choices
Trot Nixon (OF)
Jackie Jensen (OF)
Fred Lynn (OF)
Bruce Hurst (P)
Oil Can Boyd (P)
Joe Dobson (P)

Hard to Leave Off
Dustin Pedroia (maybe in a few years)
Reggie Smith
George Scott
Rooster Burleson
Wes Ferrell
Big Bill Dinneen
Ernie Shore
Jim Lonborg

Granted, I am out of touch with the outside world most of the time, but is it common knowledge that when 'Yaz' is brought up in conversation amongst ladies, it should be assumed that they might not be talking about the likelihood of someone repeating the Triple Crown?

Yaz

Well, we're knee deep into The 792. Hope you're enjoying it. David over at Cardboard Junkie has been doing a great job supplying the scans. If you haven't been over there to see them, do so at once.

You know, it's funny, but I've been relying on my own memory for what these cards look like. Seeing them together reminds me again how well the ten different Topps designs go together, like a well-made mix tape.

As I said at the launch of this checklist, I choose a card based on a number of factors: whether it features a memorable photo, is of a memorable player (or a forgettable player with an unforgettable name or appearance) or is extraordinary overall.

Starting with tonight's portion of the checklist, I will include Checklister's Notes: editorial with some insight as to why I chose that particular card.

Let's get right to it.



101. Porfirio Altamirano, 1984
CN: This was a difficult decision. Super Veterans was one of, if not the cornerstone subset of 1983. Still, because they invariably fall on numbers that end in 1 or 6, they beat out common-level cards on star power alone. That said, Pete Rose's SV card is not really memorable. Porfirio Altamirano beat all comers based on his name alone.

102. Barry Larkin, 1988
103. Rick Aguilera, 1987 (RC)
104. Manny Mota, 1980
105. Kirk Gibson, 1982
106. Blue Jays Leaders, 1987
107. John Butcher, 1987
108. Fred Manrique, 1989
109. Mike Scott, 1981
110. Carl Yastzremski, 1981
CN: I've always felt that this is one of Yaz's great cards. Going in, I knew that there would be few open numbers for Yastzremski, Bench, and other Sixties and Seventies stars who retired early in the decade. Giving him his due, he beats out Fisk's first regular-issue card as a member of the White Sox.

111. Carlton Fisk In Action, 1982
112. Les Lancaster, 1988 (RC)
CN: I believe this card is in the Airbrushed Hall of Fame.

113. Neil Allen, 1987
114. Mike Brown, 1986
115. Rickey Henderson, 1985
116. Mike Stanley, 1987 (RC)
117. Pete Falcone, 1981
118. Expos Future Stars, 1982
119. Sammy Stewart, 1980
120. Kirby Puckett, 1988
121. Garry Templeton, 1989
122. John Denny, 1981
123. John Kruk, 1987 (RC)
124. Damaso Garcia, 1984
125. Andre Dawson, 1981
126. Joe Torre, 1983 (MGR)
CN: I've decided to make a concerted effort to include at least two team-related cards and one manager card per team. Plus, Torre looks so funny on this card that I had to include it.

127. Mark Gubicza, 1985 (RC?)
128. Rick Manning, 1984
129. Art Howe, 1981
130. Ozzie Smith, 1984
131. Batting Leaders, 1984
132. Father/Son Berra, 1985
133. Stolen Base Leaders, 1984
134. Carney Lansford, 1986
135. Dwight Evans, 1983
136. Strikeout Leaders, 1984
137. Chris Bosio, 1988
138. Roy Lee Jackson, 1987
139. Devon White, 1987 (RC)
140. Rich Gossage, 1980
141. Royals Leaders, 1988
CN: This one of Brett and Saberhagen is about as feel-good as you can get on a baseball card.

142. Father/Son Trout, 1985
CN: Familial subsets are great, and Father/Son from 1985 is no exception. I knew going in that I wanted to include the Berra card, simply because the text on the back of the card goes on and on about Yogi, but can't think of one nice thing to say about Dale. This one of Dizzy and Steve Trout gets in because both father and son are shown wearing glasses, and because Dizzy looks like a total nerd with the heavy post-war wireframes and Steve looks like he wandered out of a late Seventies drug party. I kind of half-expect him to be wearing a large astrological medallion around his neck.

143. Steve Boros, 1987 (MGR)
144. Doug Sisk, 1986
145. Dave Stewart, 1989
146. Don Sutton Super Veteran, 1983
CN: Another SV card ending in 6.

147. Terry Puhl, 1980
148. Mickey Klutts, 1982
149. Doug Dascenzo, 1989 (RC)
150. Wade Boggs, 1987
CN: I've committed the cardinal sin of unbiased checklisting: I included this card for sentimental reasons. I've never liked Wade Boggs. Never liked him when he was on the Sox, and really didn't like him when he jumped to the Yankees. He epitomized me-first, selfish baseball (a characteristic in great supply on those mid to late 1980s Red Sox teams). I included this card in The 792 simply because my copy had a gigantic, satisfying crease through the middle.