oh, the monotony! plus a couple other beefs with 2009 topps heritage

i have to admit, i am warming up to heritage this year. i was really excited about 2001 topps heritage, but haven't cared too much about it since. i figured the next time i would really get into it would be when they re-do the 1965 design.

anyway, i have wound up purchasing a blaster and a few more packs. i also cheated and picked up a dodgers set and a couple other cards on ebay. once they arrived, i noticed this:

here's chad billingsley. looking to his right, hands at his sides, multi-colored bleachers in the background. here's andre ethier. the first card in the first pack i opened this year. a good sign. anyway, he's looking to his left, arms at his sides, same bleachers in the background.

now rafael furcal. looking right, hands at his sides, same bleachers.matt kemp. looking left, hands at his sides, same bleachers.hiroki kuroda. looking at the camera! but hands at his sides, bleachers in the background.james loney. looking at the camera, hands at his sides, same bleachers.russell martin. looking right, hands at his sides, same bleachers. juan pierre. looking right, hands at his sides, same bleachers. seriously. my dodgers are like a visual interpretation of bartleby the scrivener.here's jonathan broxton. looking at the camera, glove raised, same bleachers in the background. i guess that's some variety.any other team collector's have a similar experience? thank goodness for manny!

here are a few other random things that irk me.

knuckler & fork. wakefield & papelbon.

in the 1960 set, this card featured hoyt wilhelm (knuckler) and roy face (fork). at least i assume face threw a forkball. this card makes no mention of the forkball. papelbon isn't even gripping the ball correctly. maybe papelbon uses a fork to eat with. i don't get it. why not use wakefield and someone who does throw the fork, even if it's not a red sock - wilhelm and face weren't on the same team. if topps wanted to keep the red sox together, why not use wakefield and matsuzaka - knuckler & gyro?

andy pettitte. oh, sorry. i guess it's pettite now.

looks like his name could use some hgh.

dusty baker.

topps didn't bother to alternate the coloring of his name, which takes most of the charm out of the card. as far as i can tell, he is the only manager to get this sort of treatment. i guess he shouldn't have given russ ortiz the ball in game 6.

josh willingham. a short print. on the marlins. the back of the card says he's on the nationals. i could go for some consistency - i don't care about the uniform, but don't give him different team affiliations on the front and back.

next, i think the kevin millar short print is a candidate for worst card of the year. i don't know what they did to his eyes, but it's all wrong.

and this aramis thing is dumb. i think it's sad that ichiro gets the one name treatment, let alone this guy. what i really would have liked is to see someone with three names, a la bobby gene smith in the actual 1960 set. can't you see the beauty of a larry wayne jones card?

oh well. i'm still gonna go for the base set i suppose. plus derek lowe. want list will be up soon.