Saturday Night Fever - 2015 Diamond Kings

I've wanted to bust a box for weeks!  Twelve 8-card packs lookin' for a good time!  Who am I to deny them?  Two autos or memorabilia cards; 2 framed parallels with 96 total cards - variation rookie cards possible too - 200 card set.

Shout out to The Card Papoy

Put on your best white suit and crank up the Bee Gees - we're looking inside a box of the brand new 2015 Diamond Kings! 

PACK ONE:

Gorgeous cards!!  Nice mix of veterans and newbies.  The framed Chapman is an unnumbered version.  I wanted a nice Matt Szczur RC.  At 25, this is his time to break out.  Matt made an impression on me when I learned he'd given a life-saving bone marrow donation to a patient on another continent. 

PACK TWO:

Two insert series here: DK Originals - a design I personally don't care for.  This Abreu is a parallel version  numbered 22/25 and  HOF Sluggers - da Babe!  Nice design and a keeper!

PACK THREE:

Another HOF Slugger!  Such a colorful lot, printed on canvas-feel cardboard. I'm still likin' 'em!


PACK FOUR:

DK Originals McCutchen and one of them fancy cards - I haven't picked up a Texas accent but it does show itself at times when writing - a framed Adrian Gonzalez dual patch auto numbered 42/49.   This is a great pack of cards!  Ripken, Feller, Appling and the young Bogaerts.


PACK FIVE:

What have we here?  A traitorous Max $cherzer, at home with the politician$ of Washington. A new insert series Aficianado - Gerald Dempsey Posey.  Buster  it is!  I recently began adding his cards to my collection.  Our first little card, a MINI Mauer!  I'm not sure of the print run except to say minis are definitely not one per pack!

PACK SIX:

Ok - WOW!  My Giants' trade pals are going to want this one, no doubt!  Madison Bumgarner, super thick Studio Portraits holofoil.  This gem is numbered 01/10!  Super nice card!  I'm holding on to it for now but at some point it may be used to fund a nice Tiger exchange. 

We are halfway through our my box and we've pulled the hits.  What could be left but inserts and base cards?  I'd be happy with these of course.  Need to take a potty break?  Shall we continue?

PACK SEVEN:

I've said more times than not - I'm a sucker for the old guys.  This pack has some familiar faces: Lajoie, O'Doul and Gehrig - and dupes from pack five.   I can live with a handful of doubles but 96 cards per box should be 96 different  paper heroes at this price level.  My LCS - $70 cash price.

PACK EIGHT:

Well, I'm not sure what to think - except YESSS!  Another  nice dual patch auto relic!  Deven Marrero is paper framed and numbered 16/49.  Let's not overlook the new insert: Also Known As. This AKA is the Revered Rivera.  Mariano was an amazing closer!  What opponent looked forward to facing the Sandman?  Kevin Millar?  No, not even him.

PACK NINE:

Joe Jackson, you are forgiven and beloved.  A simple pack splashed with color!

PACK TEN:

A mini sighting!  Eric Hosmer.  Bryce Harper - how did I not own a rookie card?  Picked one up this weekend, a nice Chrome.  Nothing fancy but it is MINTy!  One more HOF Slugger Frank Thomas, and an AKA Lou Gehrig!  I've already decided to complete both of these insert sets.

We're down to the last two packs...

PACK ELEVEN:

 Our second framed parallel, an unnumbered Corcino.   Inserts: HOF Slugger Mel Ott and Aficianado Mike Trout. Maris and Crawford are welcome pack mates. Nice cards.

I have to congratulate Panini for an elegant and affordable product. At an average of $6 per pack with boxes selling in a $70 price range,  I'm comfortable with the cards pulled so far.  An extra relic card helped of course.  Let's finish this thang!

THE TWELFTH AND FINAL PACK:

BUTTER MY FREAKIN' BISCUITS!!!  I think we have a hot box!  or a fluke.  I'll take either any day.  Kelly, Goldschmidt and Freeman were a nice finish but who is the attractively framed mini????  Super thick, acrylic backed Robert Refsnyder and patch.  This card is numbered almost as low as they come... 4/5! 

Nachos Grande Chris chose a DK box as part of his five box break coming later this week.  I can't wait to see what he hits!  The box we just opened had some sweet pulls.  None are for trade just yet while I investigate the product a bit more, and then decide what to part with.  Thanks for joining me in the anatomy of 2015 Diamond Kings!

How was your Saturday Night?

That 70's Hoyle

Mark Hoyle is a good friend to many card collecting bloggers.  He contributes through commentary and trades but is not yet, and may never be, a blogger.  Blogging takes time, and who ever has enough?  Even now, I'm three posts behind sharing all the superb cards recently received.  (I'm posting in order though, and you're next.)  

 

Mark sent nothing but Tigers!  How could he have known? There are no clues anywhere, on any of my posts or pages.

 

                                                             1974 Topps                              1973 Topps

       Mike Heath on a lemon-flavored 1990 Classic       Nokes 88 Fleer
                                                      93 Triple Play Tettleton             Hernandez, 89 (yawn) Fleer

I've been stuck in the 70s for a while now. I live in some weird time continuum, leaving the decade just long enough to work.  I can't wait to rush home through my beaded entryway and turn on the Bee Gees. Thank God for ME TV!  The Bionic Man, Emergency, Charlie's Angels.  There's always a good VHS movie at hand too!  Couldn't tell you how many times I've watched Jaws and Grease! The 70s were like any other decade with its own troubles - Vietnam, Watergate and ended as the Iranian Hostage Crisis began.  There were good times too! PONG video game thrilled us for hours on end. The first Star Trek Convention was held in NYC. The cost of a first-class stamp was 8 cents!

                                                           GLORIOUS!                 1972 TOPPS

In 1972, we lost Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente. Among the HOF inductees were Yogi Berra, Early Wynn, Sandy Koufax, Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard.  Hank Aaron became the first baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year.  Tigers shortstop Ed Brinkman played an errorless streak of 72 games with 331 total chances.  The Oakland As won the championship.

In 1972, I was an innocent 8 year old discovering music.  As I recall, my favorite song that year was Brand New Key by Melanie.  (I was eight!)  What I knew about baseball were the Reds and Pete Rose.  For some reason known only to God, I had a crush on Pete.  This was a good year in my young life.

                                                                    Billy, don't be a hero

Mark, thank you for the mini-trip.  I so appreciate these cards and love adding them to my collection!