Gint-A-Cuffs IV: Packs 7-12

As per my first Gint-A-Cuffs entry, we're starting these packs off with a running total of +82

PACK 7
WIN1 Joe DiMaggio (NYY) -1
110 Heath Bell (FP) +2

118 Carl Yastrzemski
146 Josh Beckett
189 Lance Berkman
194 J.J. Hardy
244 Brett Anderson
Mini258 Doug Fister
PACK TOTAL: +1
RUNNING TOTAL: +83

PACK 8
WIN15 Michael Pineda (NYY) -1
MBF10 Poodle +3
279 Brett Gardner (NYY) -1

56 Jordan Pacheco
90 Roy Halladay
94 Geovany Soto
140 Mike Trout
215 Dan Haren
PACK TOTAL: +1
TOTAL: +84

It seems fitting that the dog mini I get to go with these Yankees is a poodle. Poodles are the Yankees of the dog world. Or the Yankees are the poodles of MLB.

PACK 9

Mini350 Howie Kendrick SP Black +14
MIWC Willow Cove Trainyard +3
130 Madison Bumgarner (Giants) +1
306 Ryan Howard SP +2

128 Andrew McCutchen
156 Trevor Cahill
188 Tom Milone
300 Robeto Clemente
PACK TOTAL: +20
TOTAL: +104

After two consecutive +1 packs, this baby's a shot in the arm. I've read that some think the black border minis this year are a little lacking and I have to agree. I think they'd have been better off to fill the borders with black and have all the little intricate details of the frame be white. It's just a little too gray as it is now.

PACK 10
WTB9 Woolworth Building +3
Mini292 Greg Gumber Black (+3 black border / -1 Greg Gumballs) +2
117 Nick Swisher (NYY) -1
192 Brett Pill (Giants) +1
314 Michael Buffer SP +2

29 Hunter Pence
127 Erick Aybar
180 Tim Federowicz
PACK TOTAL: +7
TOTAL: +111

Well, if I have to get Gumbel'd at least it was a black border so I get a little something out of it. Another good pack for me. The World's Tallest Buildings insert fits in the A&G very well, especially considering the Art Deco feel of this year's design.

PACK 11
WIN16 Miguel Cabrera +2
Mini224 Adam Jones +3
169 Mark Teixeira (NYY) -1

27 Ricky Nolasco
37 James McDonald
114 Johan Santana
187 John Axford
248 Jed Lowrie
PACK TOTAL: +4
TOTAL: +115

PACK 12
MIWC Larry Mudlin +3
Mini177 Stephen Drew A&G +2
33 Chipper Jones (FP) +2
47 Buster Posey (Giants) +1
338 Prince Fielder SP +2

44 Brandon League
247 Hank Aaron
254 Rickey Henderson
PACK TOTAL: +10
TOTAL: +125

Ah, I love that Buster Posey card with all that beautiful orange. It really makes the awkwardness of the Chipper Jones stand out that much more. First off, these horizontal cards really don't look good next to the standard vertical A&G cards. I don't know if there's any rhyme or reason to who gets an action shot versus a nice portrait, but it seems like these have to be plan B cards. And with the aged effect going on, the action gets kind of hard to make out since the colors are pretty much zapped out. Also, it leads to silly stuff like half of Chipper's hat being bitten off into the ether.

Well, halfway done and I've got a pretty good total so far. Hopefully with my hits still to come, I can break the 200 mark.