It Could Have Been Worse

Back in January I classified myself a jack of all trades when it came to collecting.  I may have been exaggerating just a wee bit when I wrote that post.  Although I've always enjoyed collecting rookie cards to some extent, but prospecting hasn't been my thing since the early 90's.  That's why I don't usually go out of my way to buy products like Bowman Chrome.

However.. back in November, Gavin wrote about purchasing some boxes of 2008 Bowman Chrome over at Blowout for $19.95 each.  I looked over the checklist and quickly realized why these boxes are so affordable.  There aren't a lot of prospects who panned out.  With that knowledge firmly in the back of my mind, I still made the decision to purchase four boxes due to the entertainment factor and the slim chance of pulling a Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, David Price, or Giancarlo Stanton autograph.

Sadly... I didn't hit any of those guys... but like the title suggests... it could have been worse.  

To save us both a lot of time, I'm only going to list the cards of interest... which aren't many.

#1:  2008 Bowman Chrome X-Fractor #194 (#'d 166/250)

This was my favorite card from the break.  I've actually thought about bidding on this card a few times over the years.  It's not Votto's real rookie card, but it's still cool.


#2:  2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP171

Justin Turner has been a rock solid free agent acquisition for the Dodgers the past few seasons.  Pulling this card was a pleasant surprise.


#3:  2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Red Refractor Autograph #BCP282 (#'d 2/5)

This card is the most valuable card from the break.  Melancon is no longer an elite closer, but this is an autographed rookie card of a 3x MLB All-Star numbered to five.  It could have been worse.


#4:  2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Refractor Autograph #BCP264

An autograph of a guy I've actually heard of.  It could have been worse.


#5:  A Variety of Refractors

Here are nine I'm planning on keeping:

Nothing too exciting, but it could have been worse.


#6:  2008 Bowman Chrome #194

Another Votto that technically isn't his rookie card, but it could have been worse.


#7:  2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects X-Fractor Autograph #BCP259

Bard hasn't pitched in an MLB game since April 27th, 2013... and officially retired as a player last year.  But it could have been worse.

Fifteen years ago, Baseball America named Bard the top freshman pitcher in the United States.  Two years later, the Boston Red Sox took him in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft with the 28th pick.  Three years later, he was the Red Sox #3 Top Prospect.  In 2010, he appeared in 73 games for the Sox and had a 1.93 ERA.  In 2011, he set the franchise record when he pitched 25 consecutive scoreless innings.  He didn't allow a single earned run in June or July that season.


#8:  2008 Bowman Chrome #216

This card is no longer sitting on anyone's hot lists like it did ten years ago.  Heck... he's probably no longer a Top 20 third baseman in the league.  But it could have been worse.  He's approaching the 300 home run mark and I don't think I own many (if any) of his rookie cards.

I'll wrap up this box break post with the fourth and final autograph from this break, but before I do... I want to thank Bulldog over at Nothing If Not Random.  He recently wrote about his 2017 Donruss NASCAR box break that he busted two years ago.  When he mentioned that, I remembered that this post was still sitting in my drafts.

Alright here's the final card of significance...


#9:  2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph #BCP242

Never heard of Zink... but it could have been worse.  He was once considered the top prospect in Wisconsin back in 2003 and he's wearing a Yankees jersey, so this will be passed along to a fellow blogger who roots for the Evil Empire.

Eighty bucks could have bought me a few nice autographs or even a graded 1956 Topps hall of famer for my collection, but sometimes this collector needs to scratch that pack busting itch.  And the bottom line is... this break could have been much, much worse.

By the way, I'm hosting my first contest of 2019.  If you're interested in winning a 2015 Pastime Presidential Portraits set, click here. 

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!