Willson Contreras
Buzz 12 in 12: Busting a 2016 Topps Heritage High Number baseball blaster box (Hour 9)
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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 9.
The box: 2016 Topps Heritage High Number blaster box
The cost now: $19.99 -- or less
The cost then: $19.99 (at retail)
What's inside this box? Keep reading ...
Surprises in 2017 Topps include MLB Network, Stephen Colbert's first pitch, Cubs World Series cards
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Although the MLB Network has its share of Hall of Famers like John Smoltz, "Rookie Cards" for some of the other names who bring you the highlights begin arriving on Feb. 1 in packs of 2017 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.
A 10-card release begins a set that will continue in Series 2 and Update later this year and this series will include Lauren Shehadi (RC), Kevin Millar, Mike Lowell, Greg Amsinger (RC), Ryan Dempster, Sean Casey, Harold Reynolds, Dan Plesac and Smoltz as well as an MLB Tonight card.
A number of that crew's members already have cards as players (click to view a Buzz archives piece) -- but there will be several debuts in the forthcoming releases. Meanwhile, a number of them haven't had many autographs and all nine found in Series 1 will have ink.
Gallery: 2016 Bowman's Best baseball cards (updated)
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The final Bowman brand of the year arrives in hobby shops today with autographs from notable players of the past, the present and potentially the future.
You know, guys like No. 1 draft pick Mickey Moniak.
He's not alone in packs of 2016 Bowman's Best -- keep reading for more info and a gallery of what's been found so far.
Buzz Poll: Would a Chicago Cubs World Series win be the biggest thing ever for cardboard?
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We're just a few hours away from Game 7 of the World Series where the Chicago Cubs will end more than a century of futility -- or the Cleveland Indians will make them once again wait for next year.
On cardboard and in the hobby, there's no comparison between the two teams as the Cubs are largely stocked with young players (several homegrown) who are well-established and readily available on cardboard -- for now -- compared to the Indians, who have a few young notables but nobody who'll truly break the bank. Among the Cubbies' notables are Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Jake Arrieta, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo ... and that's not all on a list that's meaty and the cardboard is boldly available for nearly all of them.
That got Buzz wondering ... if the Cubs win it all, is their victory bigger than the Boston Red Sox' 2004 World Series win when it comes to the hobby and collecting? Is it bigger than Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens -- you know, all those historic super-human performances that ultimately turned out to be, well, a bit questionable? They all sold plenty of cardboard in the past -- plenty -- but that team and those players were mostly established veterans. The Cubs are largely kids with plenty of potential for future successes -- dare we say dynasty -- for years to come being a real possibility.
And that would all start with a ring tonight and pay off for collectors for years to come.
I'd argue that demand for the Cubs' key players autographs and key players could be the biggest thing seen in years once it's all said and done. Once The Curse of the Billy Goat is dead and buried alongside that of The Bambino there's all kinds of potential for now in the short-term, later in the weeks and months to come and, ultimately, for future seasons.
It could be like nothing we've ever seen before.
Agree? Disagree? Tell Buzz what you think in the poll below ...
[polldaddy poll=9568991]
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
Buzz Break: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby box)
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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 356
Base set completion: 300 of 300 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 19Notables on base cards – Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Buster Posey, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, Kris Bryant, Aroldis Chapman, Jake Arrieta, Ichiro Suzuki
Rookie Cards (95; includes duplicates) – Notables include Aledmys Diaz, Michael Fulmer, Julio Urias, Willson Contreras, Tyler Naquin, Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda, Nomar Mazara, Trevor Story
Kris Bryant autos, Aroldis Chapman Relics commemorate Chicago Cubs' win in Game 5 of World Series
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The Chicago Cubs are still alive after a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the World Series Sunday night and today we have the Topps Now cards that commemorate that first Series win in Wrigley Field since 1945.
A total of 16 cards -- with a mix of Kris Bryant autographs and Aroldis Chapman game-used base Relics -- are available today and for no more than 24 hours via Topps.com.
Bowman Platinum's powerful return should impress with checklist alone
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Big names, big ink and a smaller than normal distribution is a recipe for a hot product with longer-term potential.
Some of the names on the autographed checklist should reinforce that potential -- Alex Bregman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Brendan Rodgers, Daz Cameron, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ, Lucas Giolito, Willson Contreras, Yoan Moncada, Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Julio Urias, Kris Bryant, Kenta Maeda, Mike Trout and Trevor Story. (And that's just two of the checklists in this one.)
That product is 2016 Bowman Platinum, and it's initially billed as a Walmart-only brand doing well enough that it's now also available with 20-pack boxes on hand from Blowout.
Willson Contreras makes bid for Next Big Thing status in Chicago
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With the first pitch he saw as a big-leaguer, Willson Contreras delivered and that might spark more future deliveries for collectors as he's not got that much cardboard just yet unlike all of those other young Chicago Cubs stars.
His first pitch resulted in a pinch-hit two-run homer -- and that's resulted in his first MLB Rookie Card, a Topps Now card available right now and only for the next 20-plus hours.
But it's not his only card -- or his only card to come.