why the long faces?

so, the cardinals are off to the world series.  again.  i'm disappointed - there hasn't been a national league team in the world series that i have been rooting for since the phillies played the yankees in 2009, and even then i wished the two teams would both lose.

the national league pennant winners in each of the last four seasons are represented on this 2013 topps update yadier molina short print card that i pulled from another hanger box yesterday.

contrast their glum looks with yasiel puig on his regular base update card

it would have been nice to lead with that card, which i would have done had the dodgers not lost game 6.  and, let me be clear that i am opposed to the multitude of puig cards in the set, especially three short print variations.  that it ridiculous.

here's the other dodger i pulled - ricky nolasco

i wonder if he will be back in 2014.

on the double play front, the box was good to me.  there is a matt carpenter double play card that i still need, but i wound up with the other ones in the set (that i knew of - plus a couple that i hadn't seen), like this brandon phillips gold parallel

complete with a lurking tulowitzki.

here's ryan roberts

and eric sogard

and tulo himself

all turning two.

not much else of note (another target red parallel of juan uribe), but i did like the look of this austin romine card, thanks to the lurking mariano rivera

it reminds me a bit of the aj ellis card from this year's flagship.  anyway, i mentioned the other day that i hope rivera gets a card in 2014 topps.  i hope the same for todd helton and andy pettitte and really any other veteran that chooses to retire.  complete career stats on the back are a good thing for everybody.