Turk-Off Packs 23 & 24 - The Finale

I just saw Motherscratcher's final pack. He was indeed a worthy adversary, and I have to admit that he has me beaten. He got me with a black refractor of my favorite player no less. It would really sting, if he hadn't of already mentioned that he'll be sending it my way shortly. The sting of defeat is definitely dulled by the fact that I know that a card I really want, and have been chasing for a while is heading my way. Here are my packs anyway.

PACK 23:

#95 Derek Jeter base: 1pt (enough with the effin Yankees cards already!)

#126 J.D. Drew base: -1pt (Damn you J.D.!)

#15 Ichiro base: 0pts
#100 Gary Sheffield base: 0pts
#119 Hideki Okajima chrome black refractor #36/99: 10pts (We should have made these worth more points)

#80 Craig Biggio base: 0pts
#167 Mickey Mantle base: 1pt

#161 Trevor Hoffman base: 0pts

Pack 23 total: 11pts

I landed a black refractor of my own. If it were Sizemore, justice would truly have been served. Instead, it's a Red Sox reliever, who isn't even all that great. I'm sure someone will want to trade for this card (anyone?)

PACK 24:

#85: Danny Putnam base: 0pts
#107 Mickey Mantle base: 1pt (yawn)

#38 Tim Hudson base: 0pts
#125 Michael Young base: 0pts
#60 Mariano Rivera base: -1pt (ironic that my last Yankee is the closer)

#TRP11 James K. Polk: +5pts x 2 (Polk) = 10pts (touche, Motherscratcher! I can't believe that we each got one of the only 2 Pres cards on the multiplier list)

#145 Jim Thome base: 0pts
#96 Derrek Lee base: 0pts

Pack 24 total: 10pts

A decent finish, but unfortunately not enough. Even though we're ending this thing tied as far as the pack count goes, Motherscratcher has got me beat in the tiebreaker, which is total point count. This sadly ends the inaugural edition of the mighty Turk-Off, and I want to congratulate the victor. Maybe I got cocky having the lead for so long, and brought this upon myself, but more than likely it is fates way of teaching me a lesson about black refractors. To get the one you truly want, sometimes you have to take a big whiff the foul smell that is defeat.

You can assume from my tone that I did not pull a Dick Perez auto'd cabinet card. My cabinet card is lame. I probably won't even scan it, but I will tell you it's of Michael Young.

Game. Set. Match. Motherscatcher. Justice has been served.

At least my beard still reigns supreme.

Turk-Off Packs 21 & 22

Well wouldn't you know it? We're all tied up. This is really coming down to the wire, and my once comfortable lead has been chipped away. Looks like Fatheritcher may pull this one out after all, but only time will tell. I just might have something for him in the finale.

PACK 20:

#151 Grady Sizemore base: 3pts

#177 Kyle Kendrick base: 0pts
#163 Troy Tulowitzki base: 0pts and another double.
#108 Felix Pie base: 0pts (this guy can go back to Chicago as far as I'm concerned)
#10 Jimmy Rollins base: 0pts
#49 Brandon Inge base: 0pts
#35 Andy Pettitte base: -1pt (Petite, like a little girl)

#168 Hit Streak checklist: 0pts

Pack 21 total: 2pts

That pack was officially a stinker.

PACK 22:

#32 Andruw Jones base: 0pts
#9 Josh Beckett base: 0pts
#66 Chase Utley SP: 8pts (what an ugly SP)

#98 Doug Slaten base: 0pts
#84 Dan Uggla base: 0pts
#156 Travis Hafner base: 1pt

#61 Carlos Delgado base: 0pts
#86 David DeJesus base: 0pts

Pack 22 total: 9pts

Hopefully I can at least take pack 22. Unless my worthy adversary of an opponent really stinks it up with pack 21 he's probably got that one, and a temporary lead. This is really getting exciting!

Well, there's only 2 packs to go. I know everyone is on the edge of their seats anticipating a photo finish. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Turk-Off Packs 19 & 20

We're heading into the homestretch here, and Motherscratcher is running out of options. I'm trying to get this thing over with at this point. 24 packs is exhausting, and this has truly proven to be a battle to the death, or at least exhaustion. Next week I work 12 hour shifts, so it's imperative that the sweet taste of victory is in my mouth by Sunday night.

PACK 19:

#110 Daisuke Matsuzaka base: 0pts (double?)
#33 Kurt Suzuki SP: 8pts. I really like the look of this card. The colors are more subtle, but it still works.

#141 Kevin Kouzmanoff base: 0pts
#186 Yovani Gallardo base: 0pts
#157 Jake Peavy base: 0pts
#75 Tyler Clippard base: -1pt (Another damn Yankee)

#13 Play At The Plate checklist: 0pts
#184 Matt Holliday base: 0pts

Pack 19 total: 7pts

Solid...but not impressive.

PACK 20:

#166 Jose Reyes base: 0pts
#150 Ken Griffey Jr. base: 2pts

#17 Stephen Drew base: 0pts
#81 Juan Pierre base: 0pts
#158 Jeff Kent chrome: 3pts (Jaggoff!)

#127 Ryan Zimmerman base: 0pts
#116 Vladdy Goes Yard checlist: 0pts (a checklist double...)
#14 Ivan Rodriguez base: 0pts (Frickin doubles!)

Pack 20 total: 5pts

Not the strongest of packs, but at least the evil empire was avoided, and I was able to keep all 5 points. I am predicting another split here, but Motherscratcher could easily take both of these, and even things up. That would really make things interesting.

Turk-Off Packs 17 & 18

Well, here we are. I am still winning by 2 packs, and after this there's only 6 to go. We each have a hit remaining in each of our respective boxes, and things could get real interesting at the end of this thing.

PACK 17:

#67 Ramon Hernandez base: 1pt

#25 Albert Pujols base: 2pts. Good start thus far.

#154 Trais Buck base: 0pts
#122 Roy Oswalt base: 0pts (and another double I think)
#185 Vladimir Guerrero chrome refractor: 5pts x 3(STAR) = 15pts. Definitely my best refractor pull of the entire Turk-Off.

#160 Ivan Rodriguez base: 0pts
#109 The Captain checklist: 0pts
#68 Chein-Ming Wang base: -1pt DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!

Pack 17 total: 17pts

PACK 18:

#67 Chase Wright base: -1pt DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!

#120 Manny Ramirez base: 0pts
#55 Josh Hamilton base: 0pts
#TRRRB2 Rocco Baldelli bat relic: 10pts. Gotta be honest, I'm not that thrilled about this card. It's a bat relic, which I don't have many of...but it's of a dude named Rocco.

#79 Curtis Granderson base: 0pts
#118 Hideki Matsui base: -1pt TOO MANY YANKEES!!!

#26 Frank Thomas base: 0pts. It's still weird seeing him in any uniform that's not a White Sox uniform.

Pack 18 total: 8pts

Leave it to those damn Yankees to ruin a pack which held my final hit of the box. It was what I consider to be a crappy hit, but a hit none the less. We'll have to see how Fatheritcher fares with his packs 17 & 18, but I would guess that we'll end up splitting these as well.

Turk-Off Packs 15 & 16

The saga continues.

PACK 15:

#113 Randy Johnson base: 0pts
#76 Nick Markakis base: 3pts (Hello again friend)

#102 Elijah Dukes base: 0pts
#186 Yovani Gallardo chrome refractor: 5pts. This guy might be worthy of a refractor now, but in 2007? Either way it's cool to have a rookie refractor I guess.

#31 Andrew Miller base: 0pts, and a double.
#53 Swiping Second checklist: 0pts and another double.
#57 Miguel Montero base: 0pts
#18 B.J. Upton base: 0pts

Pack 15 total: 8pts

Another solid pack points-wise. Lots of doubles though, including Markakis, who at least scored me some more points. I have not pulled a single Cleveland Indian card throughout the first 15 packs. Is that weird?

PACK 16:

#137 Jason Schmidt base: 0pts (what a disappointment this guy turned out to be)
#34 Mickey Mantle base: +2 (star list) -1 for being a damn Yankee = 1pt

#99 Dustin Mosely base: 0pts
#91 Delmon Young base: 0pts and another double
#111 Francisco Rodriguez chrome: 3pts

#78 Curt Schilling base: 0pts
#65 Mike Cameron base: 0pts
#159 Johan Santana base: 2pts

Pack 16 total: 6pts

Not the greatest pack ever, but certainly not my worst. I've somehow managed to avoid the Yankees (with the exception of Mantle, who is unavoidable in this set) for 2 packs in a row. I think that's the first time this has happened in Turk-Off history.

Just as I was about to push publish, the Orioles closed out their 5th win in a row! Nice going guys, and Luke Scott in particular. Matt Wieters didn't do anything at the plate, but did catch a great game. I'll bet the overrated talk begins in the local papers tomorrow.

Turk-Off Packs 13 & 14

Well, here we are, about to start the second half of the spectacle henceforth forever to be known as the Turk-Off. We finally have a definitive leader, and fortunately, it is yours truly. Karma is definitely on my side, since I apologized to the Commish. Here's hoping the hot streak continues.

Pack 13:

#64 Miguel Tejada base: 1pt. Another O's card I have to say "boo!" to.

#93 Carlos Gomez base: 0pts
#169 Justin Verlander base: 0pts
#172 Kelvin Jimenez base: -1pt (dammit!)

#59 Carlos Beltran chrome: 3pts

#129 Jack Wilson base: 0pts
#69 Nick Swisher base: 0pts
#54 Brian Giles base: 0pts

Pack 13 total: 3pts

PACK 14:

#113 Randy Johnson base: 0pts
#76 Nick Markakis base: 3pts. Took you long enough to show up Nick.

#31 Andrew Miller base: 0pts
#29 Alex Gordon base: 0pts
#181 Mark Teahen chrome: 3pts. Lots of chromes in this box, not enough refractors. This one even has a nice little scratch on it. Thanks Topps!

#132 Jamie Vermilyea base: 0pts
#3 Matt Cain base: 0pts
#70 David Wright base: 2pts


Pack 14 total: 8pts

Overall not too shabby. It was definitely nice to see Markakis in pack 14. Now if only he'd bust out of his hitting slump and help my fantasy team, life would be perfect.

My guess is that the 8pts from pack 14 should be enough to eek out another victory. The 3pts from pack 13 however, have me a little concerned. Let's hope Motherscratcher pulls lots of Yankees in his next pack, and a Kenji Johjoma to go along with them.

Matt Wieters Facts

I'm sure some of you have already seen this, and some haven't. Tonight is a very big night in Baltimore, and for the Orioles. The #1 prospect in baseball, and the second coming of catching god Mickey Cochrane makes his Major League debut tonight. Baltimore is abuzz, waiting with baited breath for first pitch @ 7:05pm tonight. In the meantime, here are a few Wieters facts for you to ponder.

Billy Mays Can Sell Anything. Matt Wieters Can Sell Billy Mays.

Matt Wieters Is So Good That Jim Palmer Stopped Talking About Himself.

Matt Wieters Sometimes Impatiently Homers From The On Deck Circle.

Most Ballplayers Talk About Themselves In The First Person. Rickey Henderson Talked About Himself In The Third Person. Matt Wieters Talks About Himself In The Fourth Person.

Chuck Norris Won't Attend Orioles Games Because He's Afraid Of Matt Wieters.

Matt Wieters Drummed For Spinal Tap And Lived To Tell About It.

The full list can be found HERE.

Man, I hope this kid is good. The hype machine has been on the verge of overheating since spring training. You KNOW I'll be watching tonight.

Turk-Off Packs 11 & 12

Well, after 10 packs, we're all knotted up at 5 apiece. Somehow, I managed to defeat Motherscratcher's first relic, AND the pack containing his silk card. Despite all of that, since my packs are either really awesome or really terrible, we are tied. Let's hope both of these packs are awesome.

PACK 11:

#111 Francisco Rodriguez base: 0pts
#117 Mickey Mantle base: +2 star list -1 for being a damn Yankee = 1pt

#72 Chris Carpenter base: 0pts
#133 Jason Bay base: 0pts
#TRP1 George Washington: 5pts. There aren't many Presidents better than this guy, even though he looks like a ghost on this card.

#102 Elijah Dukes base: 0pts
#116 Vladdy Goes Yard checklist: 0pts
#14 Ivan Rodriguez base: 0pts

Total for pack 11: 6pts

PACK 12:

#6 Corey Patterson base: 1pt. My first Oriole of the box. Too bad it's this guy.

#19 Mickey Mantle base: +2pts star list card -1 for being a damn Yankee = 1pt. Off to a good start!

#140 Alfonso Soriano base: 0pts
#155 Alex Rios base: 0pts
#? Cole Hamles Turkey Red Silk #76/99: 20pts. I ripped this pack last night, before MS posted his silk card. It's pretty cool we both got one. This card has a white streak along the bottom right, but it's still a beaut!

#23 Adrian Gonzalez base: 0pts
#77 Mickey Mantle base: +2 star list card -1 for being a damn Yankee = 1pt

#185 Vladimir Guerrero base: 2pts


Pack 12 total: 25pts

That was a damn good pack. There are WAY too many Mantles in this set. What does he have to do with Turkey Red again? Oh, right, NOTHING!

We'll have to see how Motherscratcher does before putting both packs in the W column, but it's at least looking like I could potentially take them both, and a lead.

Turk-Off Packs 9 & 10

Well, now that the Commish and I have put our little snafu behind us, it's time to get back to some good ol' pack rippin.

PACK 9:

#36 Tadahito Iguchi base: 0pts
#173 Roger Clemens base: -1pt. I have an aunt who looks like Mr. Clemens. I'm not joking.

#119 Hideki Okajima base: 0pts
#4 John Maine base: 0pts
#180 Miguel Cabrera Ad Back SP: 8pts x 3 star list multiplier = 24pts!! Hell to the yeah!

#28 Alejandro De Aza base: 0pts
#42 Dice-K checklist: 0pts
#58 Carl Crawford base: 0pts

Total for pack 9: 23 points

That was pretty awesome, and I believe is our highest scoring pack thus far.

PACK 10:

#104 Eric Chavez base: -1pt. Not the best way to start off pack 10.

#46 Billy Wagner base: 0pts
#1 Ryan Howard base: 0pts
#181 Mark Teahen base: 0pts
#173 Roger Clemens Chrome Refractor: 5pts divided by 2 for being a member of the evilest of empires = 2.5pts

#8 Serving Up Strikes checklist: 0pts
#153 Andy LaRoche base: 0pts
#138 Shawn Green base: 0pts

Pack 10 total: 1.5pts

Well what do you know? I got screwed by another dirty cheater with this pack. To add insult to injury, said cheater also resembles my aunt, and plays for the Yankees.

I think Motherscratcher is going to have a tough time beating the 23pts I put up with pack 9, but only time will tell.