Derrek Lee, 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter #269

Here comes packs 7 through 12. A few Gint-A-Cuffs pugilists have posted their total scores, and it looks like I'm going to have to pick up the pace.

PACK 7


1 Carlos Gonzalez - I hate the lazy shortened-name monikers so many players have. "CarGo" is no exception.
265 Buster Posey
39 Stephen Drew - Yipes. All three guys are currently injured, the last two on gruesome plays at the plate.

235 Cole Hamels +2 Other Favorite Players. Saved by Dan's Philly fandom.
112 Timothy Shieff
190 Sue Bird - Not much of a WNBA fan, but I've always found her attractive.
123 Rajai Davis Mini Base - Yep, already have two variations of Rajai's mini card. Any Rajai Davis supercollectors out there?

HH20 David Price Hometown Heroes (Murfreesboro, TN) +1
Allen and Ginter Official! Deluxe Binder Offer Card - Interesting. Shades of the old Topps puffy sweatshirt offer cards.

Pack 7 Total = 3 points. Box Total = 60 points. Sensing a trend in the last four packs: 11, 8, 4, 3. No sir, I don't like it.

PACK 8

58 Alcides Escobar
269 Derrek Lee +1 Favorite Team - Hm, I wonder how Derrek played today? 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Still OPSing under .700. But at least I'm getting some use out of him.
212 Aramis Ramirez
276 Desmond Jennings RC - Just got called up this weekend. It's about time.
293 Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate Middleton - OMG OMG OMG Be still my heart.

328 Chris Johnson SP +2 Short Print

SRU8 The Strongman Step Right Up! Mini +3

MMF28 Guglielmo Marconi Minds That Made the Future +2 According to Milhouse Van Houten, the first message Marconi sent on his radio-signaling system was, "I want-a change-a my name-a!".

Pack 8 Total = 8 Points. Box Total = 68 Points. Getting better. If only the Commissioner were a fan of insanely overhyped fairy-tale nuptials.

PACK 9

268 Dallas Braden
89 John Axford - Creative facial hair without all the hype of Brian Wilson. Thumbs up.
243 Mike Nickeas RC - Who?
180 Kyle Drabek

AOM21 Australopithecus Ascent of Man +1 Say that five times fast!

333 Carlos Lee SP +2 Short Print

344 Danny Valencia SP Mini +3 Short Print Mini - Oh, Danny Boy...

HH38 Andre Ethier Hometown Heroes (Phoenix, AZ) +1
Crack the Code Ad Card

Pack 9 Total = 7 points. Box Total = 75 points. At least I'm getting better at avoiding the Yankees.

PACK 10

156 Marlon Byrd - He plays for neither the Marlins nor the Birds. Discuss.
117 Jonathan Sanchez

136 Dick Vitale +1 Personally, I'm tired of "Dukie V" and his shtick, but if the Commissioner deems him point-worthy, I shall not argue.
148 Sanya Richards

AOM18 Homininae Ascent of Man +1 With "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" hitting theatres in a few weeks, I'm keeping an eye on this guy.

340 Ryan Zimmerman SP +2 Short Print

PP1 Antonio Meucci Portraits of Penultimacy Mini +3 As pointed out by dayf, those clowns at Topps don't even know what "penultimate" means!

MMF23 Florence Nightingale Minds That Made the Future +2
Another stinkin' Crack the Code Ad Card


Pack 10 Total = 9 points. Box Total = 84 points. Movin' right along.

PACK 11

192 Carl Pavano
49 Javier Vazquez - It's a tag team of pitchers that make Yankee fans break out in hives!
162 Mat Latos
51 Tim Collins - He's only 4'10". Okay, 5'7". Still tiny.

97 Zach Britton RC +1 Favorite Team - Awesome! Imagine how excited I'd be to pull this card if Zach hadn't succumbed to the wasting virus that has infected all of the Orioles' young pitchers this year.

332 Luke Hochevar SP +2 Short Print - No additional points for his last name sounding like "ho shaver".

305 Justin Morneau SP Mini A&G Ad Back +3 Short Print Mini, +2 A&G Ad Back Mini = +5 total

HH80 Cliff Lee Hometown Heroes (Benton, AR) +1 Apparently "He's in close competition with actor/director Billy Bob Thornton as the most famous 'alum' of the city". However, Thornton is the only one of the pair who makes me nauseous, so that's something.

Pack 11 Total = 9 points. Box Total = 93 points. Back-to-back nines? Makes me nervous about the next pack.

PACK 12

245 Brian McCann

120 Adrian Gonzalez +2 Any Favorite Player
115 Shin-Soo Choo - With an injury-riddled, subpar season, he's been brutal for my fantasy team. Plus he had a DUI, so all in all, a great effort.
106 Jonathan Broxton
7 Mickey Mantle -1 Yankee Player - Thank you, Topps, for your downright embarrassing hagiography of this guy.
107 L. L. Zamenhof - Apparently he invented the Esperanto language. His mini card is worth 2 points, but no dice for the base card. What gives, Commissioner?

WMF5 D. B. Cooper World's Most Mysterious Figures Mini +3

HH3 Brian Wilson Hometown Heroes (Londonderry, NH) +1 This goober's from New Hampshire? Somehow that sounds right.

Pack 12 Total = 5 points. Box Total = 98 points. At the halfway point, I'm still waiting on the big hits, which gives me some optimism for the coming days.