2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Box Review

I got a great deal on a hobby box of 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights on ebay in hopes of completing the set. I could have purchased the complete set for $20, but I figured I'd spend an extra $15 to have some fun opening packs. The box contained 36 packs with 10 cards per pack. Each pack contained one Topps Town card, none of which are worth mentioning here.

Here's what I got:

• Topps Chrome Refractor (Box Topper): Josh Reddick
• Turkey Red: Ryan Dempster, Randy Johnson, Jake Peavy, Jermaine Dye, Jorge Posada, Koji Uehara RC, David Price RC, Rick Porcello RC, Gordon Beckham RC
  
• Ring of Honor: Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, Johnny Mize, Miguel Cabrera, Christy Mathewson, Pee Wee Reese
• Gold Parallel: Randy Wells, Neftali Feliz RC, Nolan Reimold RC, Brad Bergesen RC, Matt Stairs, Brian Moehler, Chris Getz, Scott Rolen, Sean West, Mark Teixeira, Jeremy Reed, Ortiz/Rodriguez "Dominican Dandies"
• Black Parallel: Ivan Rodriguez #10/50
• Propaganda Poster: Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez, Manny Ramirez, Hunter Pence, Zack Greinke, Carlos Quentin
• Legends of the Game Updates: Juan Marichal, Frank Robinson, Paul Molitor, Rogers Hornsby, Johnny Mize
• Base Card SP Variation: Jimmie Foxx
• Topps Silk Collection: Brad Penny #26/50
  
• All-Star Jersey Card: Jayson Werth #1/50

I don't buy boxes very often, but I'm very pleased with how this one turned out. Who knew that Juan Marichal played for the Red Sox? As a Sox fan, it was nice to get the Reddick, Mize, and Penny cards all in one box. The silk cards are really cool, regardless of the player.

I'll work on putting the cards in order later tonight, hopefully I'll have a complete set when I add them to my other cards from the series.

Twins @ Red Sox, 5/20

I went to the game on the 19th and got shut out for the first time this season. I took a chance by standing alongside the Red Sox dugout, and a combination of rain and getting kicked out of the area early by the Fenway staff meant no autographs. Not to be discouraged, I went for the Twins outside the stadium today, and had a pretty good day for my Topps set.

• Brian Duensing- '09 Topps

• Jesse Crain- '09 Upper Deck

• Jason Kubel- '09 Topps
  

• Michael Cuddyer- '09 Topps, this guy has a really nice signature

• Jeff Manship- Twins 2010 Schedule, it pays to send out for the fan packs during the offseason in case somebody's signing that you don't have a card for!
  

• Denard Span- '09 Topps
  

Blue Jays @ Red Sox, 5/12

• Lou Lucier- The featured guest at Fenway's Autograph Alley, Lou is still signing at the ripe old age of 92. He pitched in the majors for the Sox during World War II.

• Jason Frasor- Blue Jays pitcher, signed my game ticket

• Josh Roenicke- Rookie pitcher for the Jays also signed my game ticket

• Daniel Bard- Signed my gold parallel T206, and made a comment about how goofy he looks on the card.

• Clay Buchholz- Clay signed my 2008 Topps card. I was definitely excited about this, because it's my favorite card of the set with a great shot of the Green Monster scoreboard in the background during his no-hitter.
  

Picture Update

Spring Training Return: Gordon Beckham

• Gordon Beckham 1/2- The rookie star of the White Sox signed a 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights from Spring Training in just over 2 months. Sent 3/3 (64 days)
  

Angels @ Red Sox, 5/3

This game was an absolute slugfest. The Sox scored 17 runs on about 20 hits, so there was plenty to cheer about on a night when the Bruins and Celtics also won playoff games.

• Mike Cameron signed a 2007 Topps card by the dugout. He signed for at least 20 minutes and had a good system going, with people rolling balls down to him across the top of the dugout. I've always heard how great of a signer he can be, and especially since he's on the DL it was good to see him signing for so long.

• Monday night's Autograph Alley guest was Jeff Plympton, who pitched for the Red Sox in 1991. Even though he spent very little time in the majors, he seemed like a really nice guy that was happy to still be involved with the team in some capacity. I like his signature because the end of it looks like a moose antler.

• After leaving Autograph Alley, I stopped by the bathrooms on the 3rd base Grandstand level and found a surprising guest washing his hands next to me. Duff Goldman, the star of Food Network's "Ace of Cakes", was at the game to throw out the first pitch. The show takes place in Baltimore, so I followed it closely while I lived in Maryland and even saw his band and some of the other show's cast play a show at a club down there. He laughed when I asked for his autograph on a blank card in the bathroom, but obliged. Duff makes some awesome cakes, but his pitching abilities are less than stellar.