2017 PENNANT BOX BREAK - PACK 22

252. Dexter Fowler

140. Kolten Wong

229. Joc Pederson

136. John Jaso

98. Christian Yelich

122. Jerad Eickhoff

1. Jose Altuve

190. Masahiro Tanaka

113. Sam Dyson

TI10. Justin Verlander - The Incumbents

Welp, that Incumbents card is pretty wrong now. It sitting next to the Sam Dyson card really highlights how behind schedule I’ve been with this box. Maybe I should cut Topps some slack. (Nah.)

2017 SPIRIT BOX BREAK - PACK 11

239. Chris Stewart

140. Junior Guerra

287. D.J. LeMahieu

48. Danny Salazar

291. Masahiro Tanaka

116. Eugenio Suarez

139. Keon Broxton

196. Brad Hand

148. Aaron Judge (RC)

G219. Francisco Cervelli

K5. Jon Gray - Kings

Pretty good pack for Yankee collectors here. The Judge RC easily the best in the pack, though that Broxton pic is pretty cool.

2015 Clubhouse

Time to check in with Spirit's "low-end" set, Clubhouse. This is traditionally a bright and colorful design and this year is no different.

I seem to be alternating between horizontal and vertical each year so I guess we're back upright following the 2014 design. The front of the card has solid team-color stripes along the top and bottom with team-colored baseball close-up in the center. The players are cut out and overlapping the stripe at the top which also is an anchor for the team logo. The last names are big and spaced out with the player first name running off-center above it.

On the back, the color stripes return to house the player name and vitals. There's a circle bleeding over from the edge for an additional player photo with the position following that curve below. Right in the middle is an even bigger team logo with a pretty full stat box below. Underneath that middle section is a screened-back version of the baseball from the front. For some of the younger players, there's plenty of room below the stats for a few lines of more information.

Unlike last year, I decided to keep these parallel-free so hopefully they'll be more inserts to fill out the packs. I already have the annual All-Star design done and ready to write once I get around to it, so it looks like I'm well ahead of last year's pace.

2014 Spirit Base: 461-470

#461 - Dallas Keuchel
I didn't realize Keuchel is from Tulsa and went to the University of Arkansas (where my wife currently works) until making this card. I'll probably take a special interest in him going forward.

#462 - Jason Vargas
Not a lot of pitcher fielding shots so far. So here's one.

#463 - Collin Cowgill
Is it better to just write something stupid like this or to have nothing written at all?

#464 - Hanley Ramirez
It's saying a lot that he's one of the least-detestable Dodgers.

#465 - Henderson Alvarez
I hope Alvarez throws another no-hitter on the final day of the season again and starts making it an annual thing.

#466 - Martin Maldonado
I really hate the lighting inside Miller Park. Every shot there looks kind of dead and lifeless.

#467 - Danny Santana
I had zero knowledge of his existence until making this card. I needed to replace Pedro Florimon after noticing he was released by the Twins in May.

#468 - Jacob deGrom
I'm guessing it'll be either deGrom or Billy Hamilton to win the NL Rookie of the Year. Could be another Puig/Jose Fernandez situation, though at about half the volume.

#469 - Masahrio Tanaka
Speaking of ROY debates, I wonder if it'll be Tanaka or Abreu in the AL. There's obviously the Yankee factor to contend with, but since Tanaka spent a good chunk of time on the DL, maybe Abreu edges him out. THIS is your Puig/Fernandez for 2014.

#470 - Craig Gentry
More bunting!