Breaking Wax After Midnight... Pack 31 of 1997 Pinnacle X Press

Okay, I am really cruising here. Not sure if anyone is reading, but I am psyched to be making headway… I still haven’t heard from 4 people from this first box break. If you had the Phillies, White Sox, Rockies or Tigers in the first box break, PLEASE get in touch. I would like to be mailing stuff out beginning on Wednesday morning. My house was already overcome with cards, but an extra 2000 of them in 30 different piles isn’t helping… I will post team by team totals before I ship everyone’s cards out. In the beginning it looked the Braves were running away with everything, but it has got much closer. The Braves, Marlins, Rockies, Mariners and Yankees are all about the same height. The Rangers and Blue Jays are not too far behind. Anyway, here we go with the 31st pack of 1997 Pinnacle X Press!
#112 Roberto Alomar Baltimore Orioles (Alomar was an All Star at second base EVERY year from 1990-2001, representing 4 different teams and both leagues-the Orioles were his third)
#72 Dean Palmer Texas Rangers (After putting up monstrous power numbers in ’96-38 homers and 107 RBI, Palmer was traded to Kansas City for Tom Goodwin in July of 1997)
#79 Pat Hentgen MEN OF SUMMER Toronto Blue Jays (The 1996 Cy Young Award winner in Gold!)
#15 Alex Rodriguez Seattle Mariners (A-Roid won his first (and only) batting title in 1996 at 20 years of age, just 3 years after the Mariners made him the first overall pick in the draft. He also paced the AL in doubles with 54 and runs scored with 141. He had 215 hits in ’96 which is still his career best. Thirteen years later and that was his ONLY batting title and doubles crown)
#??? Swing for the Fences Game Card Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants
#97 Joey Hamilton San Diego Padres
#146 Mike Piazza Peak Performers Los Angeles Dodgers
#101 Rondell White Montreal Expos
Okay, just five more left to go… It has been a really long day. I am work till 7 and then have class at 8. I don’t think I will post anymore tonight. I am WIPED OUT! Go Rays! Troll out.

An Update Plus Pack #26 of 1997 Pinnacle X Press!

There are 12 teams left for the next break. If all the slots fill up, like last time, all 118 packs featured HERE will be divided up for it (and probably a few more). The slots don’t have a monetary value, you can trade your way in with Rays jerseys, autographs, cards off of my want list, 2009 Topps Heritage SPs, cards from the 50’s or 60’s-anything you think I will like, just email me an offer…
Trying to finish up this break, so here we go with pack #26 of 1997 Pinnacle X Press:
#2 Andy Pettitte New York Yankees (It is a shocker to pull a pitcher out of this product… I think there is one pitcher to 12 hitters. I looked up Pettitte’s career numbers as soon as I yanked this one. The first surprise was not only has AP never sniffed a Cy Young, he has only been an All Star twice. He won 21 games in 1996, in the thick of the juiced ball/juiced player era… His record in the postseason is more than an entire season for most. He is 18-9 in 40 starts including 8 World Series. Wow. His 229 wins are 63rd All Time and his .629 winning percentage is 53rd All Time. He won 14 games for the Yankees last year in the regular season and he was 4-0 in the postseason. At 37 years old, I think he still has a few good years in him)
#20 Rafael Palmeiro Baltimore Orioles (A lot of people have a lot of opinions about Palmeiro-mine is that dude could MASH! 39 bombs and 142 ribs in ’96. You can say the juice bought him all the long balls, but you don’t get 3000 hits in a needle… Question: Are all left handed first basemen required to have a porn star mustache? Are they still or did that rule apply from the 70’s to the 90’s?)
#115 Joe Carter Toronto Blue Jays (I have searched and searched and I can’t find the 1984 Donruss Carter that I was sure I had-anybody got an extra? Carter joined the power party in ’96 himself with 30 bombs and 107 RBI)
#46 Bernie Williams New York Yankees (Did anyone in the AL NOT drive in 100 runs in ’96? Bernie brought home 102… When he hung up his cleats, he picked up a guitar. I saw him perform in Sarasota in November, the guy can pick it!)
#101 Rondell White Montreal Expos (Finally a human! Rondell had a respectable 15 year career, topped 20 homers a few times, was an All Star, but he never put up those sick and crazy triple crown numbers that nearly everyone else in this pack did)
#??? Swing for the Fences Game Card -4
#125 Kevin Orie Chicago Cubs (Orie was the Cubs first rounder in 1993… He made it to the Show in 1997 and had the best year of his short MLB career. He batted .275 with 8 homers and 44 RBI-all career bests. He was named on a ballot for Rookie of the Year, finishing 11th the year that Scott Rolen won it. He broke in with the Cubs, went to the Marlins and returned to the Cubs. He would actually go to the Marlins organization once more and return to the Cubs again. He spent 12 years in the minors with 10 different organizations… He made it back to Chicago briefly in 2002 and finally gave up in ’06)
#143 Mark McGwire Oakland A’s Peak Performers (Perhaps “Peak Performance Enhancer” would be a more appropriate subset title for this card…)
Another pack down… If you haven’t signed up for the next rip yet, please think about doing so. There are about 12 open spots. The break will be 50 packs UNLESS every spot is filled, then it will be around 130 packs. If you are already in and paid up, then turn on your salesperson charm and get these last slots filled up. If you are interested, please email me at bacontowne at yahoo dot com. Stay tuned, I aint gonna sleep until I finish at least one box today… Go Rays! Troll out.