one more take on 2009 o-pee-chee

after two hobby boxes (from atlanta sports cards) and a local blaster, i think the only thing upper deck stole from topps is poor collation. i have a stack of 170 doubles. brutal. virtually the entire blaster was doubles. even the box bottom cards on the two boxes were the same.

as a big fan of the o-pee-chee brand (especially from 1971-1987), i had high hopes for this set, hopes that were not dashed when upper deck pulled the switcheroo with the card design. i was still hoping for some variations, some french translations, maybe some poster inserts and the cardboard stock. i got the cardboard stock, but no variations, posters or francois; instead i was treated to the aforementioned stack of doubles. as a result, this really isn't o-pee-chee in anything but name only.

anyway, here are some of the cards i pulled.

michael young 'moments' celebrating that moment on media day when the photographer catches you just before you sneeze.

gary sheffield. this would have been the perfect opportunity for a 'now with mets' variation. i am willing to bet there are hundreds of better pictures of sheffield in a tigers uniform than this one.

the hubert h. humphrey metrodome. sparsely attended. this is the last year for the dome. next year, the twins join the ranks of the outdoor, corporate sponsored ballpark playing teams.

here's the hit from the first box - jacoby ellsbury/chone figgins/curtis granderson triple relic. about what should be expected.

landon powell. big hands - i know you're the one.

dustin pedroia. this card would fit in the 1971 topps set pretty well. i am pretty sure that pedroia is number 15, the only guy with his back to the camera.

justin morneau midsummer memories. celebrating justin's easily forgotten (meaning n0n-memorable) victory over josh hamilton in the home run derby last year.

torii hunter black border. tor-e hun-ter! clap-clap-clapclapclap.

ryan howard black border.and blank back. same for this oscar salazar black border.
i didn't scan the back. it looks just like howard's. blank.

vladimir guerrero midsummer memories.helping me remember that he hit a home run in the 2006 all star game. thanks, upper deck.

ramon hernandez black border. extreme closeup!

roy halladay insert. i don't know which o-pee-chee hockey set design this is (80-81?), but the back gives me my only taste of french. 'playing record' = 'fiche comme joueur' and 'lifetime' = carriere'. thanks, upper deck.

here's the same insert, this time it's ken griffey jr looks like a current photo of junior which is more than i expected.

asdrubal cabrera this shot also would fit in with the 1971 set. or 1973 topps for that matter.

wilson betemit with juan pierre sliding in, sans helmet. this dodgers/white sox spring training game has also borne a few cards in 2009 topps, as well as 2009 goose joak.

zack greinke. nothing runs like a deere. not even a tarp.

st. louis cardinals team checklist. the floating heads instead of a stadium shot. no fair. only the cubs got this full team treatment in the 70's.

juan pierre black bordera studio shot, like many many many more cards in the set.

carlos beltran new york, new york insert thick for no apparent reason.

here's the hit from the second box - 1971 o-pee-chee bob lemon buyback and here's the legalese: released, re-purchased, re-released. we are missing the initial purchase. where is the chain of custody on this?

ryan sweeney.sweeney takes second billing to derek jeter on his own card. this would also fit with the 1971 set.

casey blake black border mini not mini in the sense of 1975 topps. only slightly mini.

joe mauer 'moments'after reading the back, i am not sure why mauer is considered old-school. he did resurrect the tri-color twins helmet - maybe that's it.

russell martin. a studio pose, but looks like it was taken in the batting cages. better than in front of drapes.

we'll end with the dodgers team checklist. what a view!

i put up a want list of the base cards i need - i am making no differentiation between the regular and black bordered cards. let me know if you have any needs or wants from this set - i may well have it!