Lightning never strikes twice in the same place

I'm back after a much needed couple of days away from the computer at home, and everything associated with it.  I was able to get some rest the last couple of nights, a necessity in order to recover from my 10 day vacation.

"Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" is probably a motto that I should remember when it comes to buying cards.  Especially the repack boxes.

I decided on my last day off, this past Monday, to buy another of the "Best of 2012" repacks at Wal Mart.  While the box wasn't a total bust, I didn't score anything as good as the numbered A&G mini that I pulled at the beginning of the year.

I figured I'll do a quick run down of the packs that were in there.  They consisted of 4 Bowman, 3 GQ, 2 Archives and 2 Heritage.  An interesting find among them were the sealed packs of 3 insert cards you would have found in rack packs of Bowman(purple borders) and GQ(brown framed).  While the Bowman cards were nobody that I recognize (yet), the 3 GQ cards were of Smoltz, Reyes and Utley.  Not bad there.

Let's have a little fun and do a pack by pack run down....been a while since I did a couple of these.

Starting off with 4 packs of Bowman...

Pack 1:

48.  Zach Greinke
161.  Jason Heyward
BCP107.  Joe Ross
BCP70.  Luis Heredia
63. Alex Rodriguez Gold Parallel (wonder if we'll see him doing anything like this in 2013)

38. Paul Konerko Bowman International Parallel

Would definitely not turn away any Blue Jay parallels in the Bowman International series.  I think the Konerko card looks pretty good.

BP23.  Jake Marisnick
BP110.  Daniel Norris (2nd rd pick for Toronto in 2011, not doing too well in the minors right now...)
89.  Brian Wilson...the beard
49.  Albert Pujols---has anyone heard from him this year?

Pack 2:

180.  Michael Young
148.  Rickie Weeks
69. Alexi Ogando
BP34.  Matthew Szczur (say and spell that last name 10 times fast)
BP51.  Brett Krill
118.  Alex Gordon gold parallel
BCP70.  Luis Heredia (yep, same card in the first two packs)
BCP55.  Jose Vinicio
175.  Starlin Castro  (currently holds longest NL active streak for games played)
160.  R.A. Dickey

Pack 3:

101.  Miguel Cabrera

Heaven help the Tigers if this guy gets hurt.  Seems to be trying to prove that last year's Triple Crown wasn't a fluke, leads the AL in batting average (.387) and RBI (52).  Oh, and he's one behind Chris Davis with 13 HR's. 

144.  Salvador Perez
216.  Brad Peacock
96.  Jose Reyes -- was liking the AL to the tune of a .395 average before he got hurt...
BP83.  Jacob Anderson (the packs have been good so far for Blue Jay prospects)
BP12.  Rafael Ortega
130.  Cory Luebke gold parallel.  He's in his camo uniform, gotta show it...

BCP79.  Josh Bell  Pirates 2nd rounder in 2011
BCP77.  Clay Holmes
215.  Joe Benson

Pack 4:

156.  Mark Trumbo  Angels are doing their best to fit him in anywhere in the lineup...10HR and .280 avg helps.
14.  Pablo Sandoval
BP24.  J.R. Graham  (went 12-2 in 2 stops in the Braves minor league system last year...)
BP43.  Rookie Davis 
BBP22.  Will Middlebrooks Bowmans Best parallel.

Middlebrooks seems to be the name I pull a lot so far this year.  I guess I could do worse??

177.  Ubaldo Jimenez gold parallel
BCP13.  Tyler Gagnon  (he's a winner...)
92.  Miguel Montero
107.  Ian Kennedy
204.  Jeff Locke

I will admit it.  Seeing him on the opening day roster for the Pirates this year surprised me.  Locke's time in the bigs in 2011 & 2012 was rocky to say the least.  His first start against the Dodgers he was knocked around the ball park a lot, and winced every time a Dodger hit the ball.  I was worried.  Boy has he turned it around.  4-1  2.73 ERA, and 1.158 WHIP numbers have proved my doubts to be incorrect.  Everyone was high on Charlie Morton in the big deal the Pirates made with the Braves for Nate McLouth.  Looks like Locke may turn out to be the better pitcher.  Time will tell...

Not a whole lot of difference between the 2012 Bowman and the 2013 sets.  Maybe that's why people are tired of it? 

I'll post the other packs tomorrow...not a great deal to speak of  but who knows, there may be something in them that somebody can use.  

Thanks for reading, Robert