Eight more packs to go, packs 17-24

Running = 78.6 points

Pack 17:

+2 Numbers Game
+1 Favorite Team
-1 George Lopez
+2 Mini Short Print (Yankee)

4 points

Running = 82.6 points

Pack 18:

+5 FSRB
+2 Numbers Game
+2 Mayors

9 points

Running = 91.6 points

Pack 19:

+2 Natural Wonders
+1 Favorite Team
+2 A&G back mini

5 points

Running = 96.6 points 

Pack 20:

Womp womp.

0 points

Running = 96.6 points 

Pack 21:

+2 Ferocious Felines
-1 Yankee

1 point

Running = 97.6 points 

Pack 22:

+22 Framed Mini Red Autograph!! If only it was of Kyle Schwarber. Or any Cub or FP
+2 Numbers Game
+3 Mini FP List
-1 Yankee

26 points

Running = 123.6 points 

Pack 23:

+1 Falcon 9 Rocket
+2 Subways & Streetcars

3 points

Running = 126.6 points

Pack 24:

Finally, the card I was hoping I would find in my box!

+2 Laureates of Peace

2 points

For a close, but not close enough total of...

128.6 points

Churning another one out tonight, packs 11-16

The kids are asleep, after all. :)

Running = 39.6 points

Pack 11:

George Brett Numbers Game, Brandon Drury base, Dexter Fowler base

+2 Numbers Game
+2 FP List
+1 Favorite Team

5 points

Running = 44.6 points

Pack 12:

Clayton Kershaw base, Cole Hamels base, Roger Clemens base, Victoria Falls Natural Wonder, Melky Cabrera A&G back mini

+2 Natural Wonders
+2 FP List
+2 FP List
+2 A&G back mini
-1 Yankee

7 points

Running = 51.6 points

Pack 13:

Babe Ruth Baseball Legends, Billy Burns A&G back mini

+1 Legends (Yankee)
+2 A&G back mini

3 points

Running = 54.6 points

Pack 14:

Kole Calhoun relic, Billy Williams Numbers Game, John Lackey base, Addison Russell base

+5 FSRA
+3 Numbers Game (Favorite Team)
+1 Favorite Team
+1 Favorite Team

10 points

Running = 64.6 points

Pack 15:

Jackie Robinson Baseball Legends, Steve Schirripa base, Welington Castillo Short Print A&G back mini 

+2 Legends
+1 Schirripa
+5 Short Print A&G back

8 points

Running = 72.6 points

Pack 16:

Evan Longoria Numbers Game, Gary Sanchez base, Pulpit Rock Natural Wonders, Steve Cishek mini short print

+2 Numbers Game
+2 Natural Wonders
+3 Mini Short Print
-1 Yankee

6 points

Running = 78.6 points

We'll just keep right on keeping on here with...

Packs 5-10

Running = 22.6 points

Pack 5:

Mike Piazza Numbers Game, Mark Teixeira base, Cave of the Crystals Natural Wonder

+2 Numbers Game
+2 Natural Wonder
-1 Yankee

3 points

Running = 25.6 points

Pack 6:

Masahiro Tanaka base, Mike Greenburg base

+1 Mike Greenburg
-1 Yankee

0 points

Running = 25.6 points

Pack 7:

Jason Heyward Numbers Game, Nolan Ryan Baseball Legends, Don Mattingly base

+3 Numbers Game Favorite Team
+2 Legends
-1 Yankee

4 points

Running = 29.6 points

Pack 8:

Luke Jackson base, Brett Gardner base, Jake Arrieta mini

+2 FP list
+1 Mini Favorite Team
-1 Yankee

2 points

Running = 31.6 points

Pack 9:

Kenta Maeda base, David Ortiz Numbers Game, Hector Rondon base, Andre Dawson base, Colin Cowherd base, Aroldis Chapman base

+2 Numbers Game
+2 FP list
+1 Favorite Team
+1 Favorite Team
-1 Yankee
-1 Cowherd

4 points

Running = 35.6 points

Pack 10:

George Brett Baseball Legends, Troy Tulowitzki Numbers Game

+2 Numbers Game
+2 Legends

4 points

Running = 39.6 points

Gint-A-Cuffs 2016, packs 1-4

Life as the mother of two young children has gotten the best of me, so I'm going to need to keep my Gint-A-Cuffs posts brief! A quick look at the contents of my box reveals quite a few Yankees, so I'm holding out only the smallest flicker of hope. Here goes nothing.

Box Loader:

Anthony Rizzo Box Loader

7.6 (+4 Box Loader Set x1.9 multiplier for FP list + my favorite team)

Running: 7.6 points

Pack 1:

Roger Clemens Numbers Game, Great Barrier Reef Natural Wonders, Betsy Hodges U.S. Mayors

+2 Numbers Game
+2 US Mayors
+2 Natural Wonders

6 points

Running= 13.6 points

Pack 2:

Reggie Jackson Baseball Legends, Randy Johnson Numbers Game, Rick Klein base, Aroldis Chapman mini

+2 Numbers Game
+2 Legends
-1 Rick Klein
-1 Yankee

2 points

Running= 15.6 points

Pack 3:

Dellin Betances base, Cole Hamels black-bordered mini

+6 Mini Black-bordered from FP list
-1 Yankee

5 points

Running = 20.6 points

Pack 4:

Greg Bird base, Brad Boxberger black-bordered mini

+3 Mini Black-bordered
-1 Yankee

2 points

Running = 22.6

Gint-A-Cuffs, 2015! Part II

...and so it does

Pack Thirteen:

Carlos Santana

Michael Wacha

Dalton Pompey

Jorge De La Rosa

Mike Mills Mini

Starting Points Alex Rodriguez (+2 Starting Points)

Mark Teixeira (-1 Yankees)

10^th Anniversary Buy Back Alexander Cartwright (+3 Full-Sized Buy Back)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +63

Pack Fourteen:

Scott Kazmir

Billy Butler

Pedro Alvarez

Starlin Castro Patch (+6 Full-Sized Relic)

What Once Was Believed Alchemy (+2 What Once Was Believed)

Chase Headley (-1 Yankee)

Carlos Beltran Black Bordered Mini (+3 Black Bordered Mini, -1 Yankee)

Pack Total: +10

Running Total: +73

Pack Fifteen:

Nick Markakis

Yovani Gallardo

Evan Gattis

Rocky Balboa

Aaron Hill

Justin Verlander

Ancient Armory Claymore (+2 Ancient Armory)

Jake Lamb A&G Back Mini (+2 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +77

Pack Sixteen:

Aaron Paul

Jose altuve

Austin Jackson

Carlos Gonzalez

Jon Niese

Hunter Pence

Starting Points Jonny Cueto (+2 Starting Points)

Jhonny Peralta A&G Back Mini (+5 SP A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +7

Running Total: +84

Pack Seventeen:

Garrett Richards

Desmond Jennings

Brian Windhorst

Adam Wainwright

Dexter Fowler

Freddie Freeman

Starting Points Stephen Strausburg (+2 Starting Points)

Brian McCann Mini (-1 Yankee)

Pack Total: +1

Running Total: +85

Pack Eighteen:

Matt Harvey

Greg Holland

Lonnie Chisenhall

Jonah Keri

Wade Miley (+1 My Favorite Team)

Didi Gregorious (-1 Yankee)

Ancient Armory Shuriken (+2 Ancient Armory)

Freddie Freeman A&G Back Mini (+2 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +89

Pack Nineteen:

Zack Cozart

Brody Stevens

Jeff Mauro

Jacob DeGrom

Alex Gordon

Wei-Yin Chen

Great Scott! Fingerprints (+2 Great Scott!)

Hunter Pence Black Bordered Mini (+3 Black Bordered Mini)

Pack Total: +5

Running Total: +94

Pack Twenty:

Giancarlo Stanton

Matt Holliday

Will Middlebrooks

Yordano Ventura

Drew Storen

Leonys Martin

Addison Russel Mini

Starting Points Pablo Sandoval (+2 Starting Points)

Pack Total: +2

Running Total: +96

Pack Twenty One:

Fall of the Berlin Wall

George Springer

Fernando Rodney

Brandon Phillips

Shelby Miller

Jose Fernandez

Great Scott! Continental Drift (+2 Great Scott!)

Drew Storen A&G Back Mini (+2 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +100

Pack Twenty Two:

Dilson Herrera

Micah Johnson

Yunel Escobar

Lakey Peterson Mini

Adrian Beltre (+2 Any Favorite Player)

Menagerie of the Mind Pegasus (+2 Menagerie of the Mind)

David Wright Framed Mini Relic (+8 Framed Mini Relic, x1.7 Modifier for Any Favorite Player)

Pack Total: +17.6

Running Total: +117.6

Pack Twenty Three:

Kurt Suzuki

Chris Tillman

Bartolo Colon

J.D. Martinez

Erick Aybar

Christian Bethancourt

Yasiel Puig Mini

Starting Point Madison Bumgarner (+2 Starting Point, +2 Any Favorite Player)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +121.6

Pack Twenty Four:

Jordan Zimmermann

Trevor Rosenthal

Jason Hammel

Coco Crisp

Yasmani Grandal

Michael Cuddyer

Mini Philae Probe (+1 Commissioner’s Pick Mini)

What Once Would Be Robot Housekeepers (+2 What Once Would Be)

Pack Total: +3

Final Total: +124.6


So, like I said, I'm not sure Gint-a-Cuffs was a good plan this year. This score could very well be considered an abject failure. I didn't even manage to get a card of my sister-in-law, Megan Kalmoe, in my box! Oh well. It was still a thrill to open another box of Ginter all my own!

Happy collecting, all!

Gint-A-Cuffs, 2015! Part I

So, I undertook Gint-A-Cuffs again this year. I'm not sure it was such a good plan. As the mother of a 21 month old little boy, I barely had enough time to open my box, let alone score it before September 30th! But score it I did, with just 24 hours to spare. So let's make this quick and dirty, shall we?

Box Topper:

Rusney Casillo Box Loader (+4 Box Loader, +1 Favorite Team)

Box Topper Total: +5

Running Total: +5

Pack One:

Malala Yousafzai

Adam Jones

Robinson Cano

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Jared Weaver

Torii Hunter

Starting Points Eric Hosmer (+2 Starting Points)

Birds of Prey California Condor Mini (+2 Bird of Prey)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +9

Pack Two:

Mike Olt

Josh Reddick

Jose Abreu

Maikel Franco

Jake Lamb

Gregory Polanco Mini

Starting Points Robinson Cano (+2 Starting Points, -1 Yankee)

Michael Pineda (-1 Yankee)

Pack Total: +0

Running Total: +9

Pack Three:

Michael Morse

Adam LaRoche

Lucas Duda

Henderson Alvarez

Ardolis Chapman

Steven Souza Jr.

Michael Cuddyer Mini

Menagerie of the Mind Zombie (+2 Menagerie of the Mind)

Pack Total: +2

Running Total: +11

Pack Four:

Jake Marisnick

Yu Darvish

Christian Yelich

Matt Cain

Joc Pederson

James Murray

Ian Desmond Mini (+3 Short Print Mini)

Starting Points Sonny Gray (+2 Starting Points)

Pack Total: +5

Running Total: +16

Pack Five:

Alex Cobb

Brandon Crawford

Dustin Ackley

Chase Utley

Jimmy Rollins

Addison Russel

Magnates, Barons, and Tycoons Mini Flagler (+2 Magnates, Barons, and Tycoons Mini)

Menagerie of the Mind Centaur (+2 Menagerie of the Mind)

Pack Total: +4

Running Total: +20

Pack Six:

Trevor May

Sal Vulcano

Joaquin Benoit

Yan Gomes

Francisco Liriano

Magna Carta (+1 Commissioner’s Pick)

Ancient Armory Catapult (+2 Ancient Armory)

A World Beneath Our Feet Green-Striped Dragonfly Mini (+2 A World Beneath Our Feet)

Pack Total: +5

Running Total: +25

Pack Seven:

David Cross

Shin-Shoo Choo

Paul Scheer (-1 Commissioner’s Bane)

Anthony Rizzo (+2 Any Favorite Player Base)

Pablo Sandoval (+1 My Favorite Team)

Bryce Brentz (+1 My Favorite Team)

Great Scott! Large Hadron Collider (+2 Great Scott!)

Michael Pineda Black Bordered Mini (+3 Black Bordered Mini, -1 Yankee)

Pack Total: +7

Running Total: +32

Pack Eight:

Mike Foltynewicz

Carlos Rodon

Koji Uehara (+1 My Favorite Team)

Shane Victorino (+1 My Favorite Team)

Starting Points Adrian Gonzalez (+2 Starting Points)

10^th Anniversary Framed Mini Buyback Scott Hatteberg (+4 Framed Mini Buyback)

First Lady Barbara Bush Mini (+2 First Lady Mini)

Pack Total: +10

Running Total: +42

Pack Nine:

Glen Perkins

Mike Moustakas

David Price

Kyle Seager

What Once Would Be Mail By Parachute (+2 What Once Would Be)

Zach Lowe Patch (+6 Full-Sized Relic)

First Ladies Harriet Lane Mini (+2 First Lady Mini)

Pack Total: +10

Running Total: +52

Pack Ten:

Darren Rovell

Julie Foudy

J.J. Hardy

Kole Calhoun

Thunderlips

Cliff Lee

Albert Pujols Mini

Starting Points Adam Wainwright (+2 Starting Points)

Pack Total: +2

Running Total: +54

Pack Eleven:

Jeff Samardzija

Alexei Ramirez

Todd Frazier

Rick Porcello (+1 My Favorite Team)

Joe Buck (-1 Commissioner’s Bane)

Dellin Bentances (-1 Yankee)

Starting Point Yoenis Cespedes (+2 Starting Point)

James Shields A&G Back Mini (+2 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +3

Running Total: +57

Pack Twelve:

Joe Mauer

Buck 65

Nelson Cruz

Gerrit Cole

Tyson Ross

Starting Points Edwin Encarnacion (+2 Starting Points)

10^th Anniversary Buy Back Reggie Jackson (+3 Full-Sized Buy Back, -1 Yankee)

Stephen Drew Mini (+3 SP Mini, -1 Yankee)

Pack Total: +6

Running Total: +63

To be continued...

Sweet Relief: Packs 21-25

My last five packs held my third relic, a People on Bicycles mini, and an Ad Back Favorite Player that pushed me over the top for my goal. I was so excited to pull that Quadracycle for Two. Ryan tells me that the Bicycles set is a lot rarer than the other mini sets, and, as he collects all of them, I was pleased as punch to make this contribution to his collection for 2013.

Pack 21:

Ted Williams
Manny Machado
Mike Minor
Justin Upton
Jered Weaver
Tommy Hanson SP (#301) +2
Martial Mastery: Vikings +3
(Mini) Chase Headley SP (#336) +3

Pack Total: 8

Running Total: 167

Pack 22:

Bobby Doerr
Eddie Murray
John Smoltz
Paul Goldschmidt
Albert Pujols
Jackie Robinson
Dester Fowler
Across the Years: Bryce Harper +4 (+2 ATY, +2 FP)
People on Bicycles Mini: Quadracycle For Two +5

Pack Total: 9

Running Total: 176

Pack 23:

Prince Fielder
C.J. Wilson
Tyler Skaggs
Dylan Bundy
Across the Years: Aroldis Chapman +2
Relic: McKayla Maroney +10

(Mini) Andrew McCutchen SP (#335) +3

Pack Total: 15

That is one sparkly looking relic!

Running Total: 191

Pack 24:

Mike Olt
Ben Zobrist
Jayson Werth
Panama Canal
Olivia Culpo +1
R.A. Dickey FP +2
Across the Years: Chris Medlen +2
A&G Ad Back Mini: Hiroki Kuroda +1 (+2 Mini, -1 Yankee)

Pack Total: 6

Running Total: 197

Pack 25:

Jason Motte
Bob Gibson
Yasiel Puig
Brian Kelly
Shawn Nadelen
Carlton Fisk SP (#306) +2
One Little Corner: Centaur +3
A&G Ad Back Mini: R.A. Dickey + 5 (+2 Mini, +3 FP)

Pack Total: 10

Running Total: 207 + 4 for the Printing Plate ruling.

Box Total: 211!

That puts me ahead of Ryan's score this year by 37 points, for those keeping track. We'll have to wait and see what The Commissioner makes of my box' score, but I'm happy to have achieved my stated goal. Cheers!