GAC X Part 6 - The Reckoning

The end is in sight... Also, our last two lousy hits are in here somewhere! I bet they're Yankees.

Running Box Total: +85

Pack 21:

Dallas Keuchel
Brian Dozier - +5 (+4 MY Favorite Player, +1 MY Favorite Team... at least at the time of printing)
Lucas Giolito
Ozzie Albies
Fantasy Gold - Mariano Rivera - +1 (+2 FG, -1 Friggin' Yankee)
Full Sized Relic - Josh Donaldson - +5 (+5 Full Sized Relic)
Mini - Phil Coyne A&G Back - +2 (+2 A&G Back)

Pack Total: +13
Running Box Total: +98

Whoa, what a pack! Dozier's base card is... worth the same as a hit!? Ugh. Worthless hit.

Pack 22:

Byron Buxton - +1 (+1 Favorite Team)
Masahiro Tanaka - +-1 (-1 Yankee...)
Brandon Crawford
Kyle Schwarber
Fantasy Gold - Ichiro - +2 (+2 FG)
Framed Mini Auto - Jackson Stephens - +7 (+7 Framed Mini Autograph)
Mini - Adrian Beltre

Pack Total: +9
Running Box Total: +107

Whelp, we broke 100! Hooray! And our hits are gone! Hooray! How does no one like Jackson Stephens enough to have him as their Favorite Player!? SERIOUSLY!

Pack 23:

Carlos Gonzalez
Anthony Banda
Corey Kluber
Jordan Montgomery - +-1 (-1 Yankee... Grr)
Justin Upton
Sean Doolittle
World Talent - Javier Baez - +2 (+2 WT)
Mini - Hanley Ramirez A&G Back Mini - +2 (+2 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +3
Running Box Total: +110

OK, we're getting there... not really. I'm sure Spankee has already posted a score of like +398. Which I'm sure is totally possible.

Pack 24:

John Smoltz
Felix Hernandez
Samesong Park
Kevin Kiermaier
Jon Lester
Jose Berrios - +1 (+1 Favorite Team!)
Baseball Equipment of the Ages - Vintage Glove - +2 (+2 BEA)
Mini - Jay Bruce SP - +3 (+3 Mini SP)

Pack Total: +6
Final Box Total: +116

So we weren't that far off of our projected total of 120. Not terrible. I still am missing my Cut Signature Dual DNA Relic of George Washington and Pee Wee Herman.

One final picture for proof and we're done! Thanks for reading folks!

GAC X Part 5

Phew, furiously scoring and picture taking now...

Running Box Total: +77

Pack 17:

Jackie Robinson
Franklin Barreto
Ryan Sickler
Aaron Nola
Dominic Smith
Johnny Bench
Fantasy Gold - Frank Thomas - +2 (+2 FG)
Mini - Ozzie Albies

Pack Total: +2
Running Box Total: +79

Well that pack was... underwhelming.

Pack 18:

Tyler Mahle
Babe Ruth - +-1 (-1 For Being A Stinkin' Yankee)
CC Sabathia - +-1 (-1 For Also Being A Stinkin' Yankee)
Rickey Henderson - +-1 (-1 For ALSO Being A Stinkin' Yankee)
Greg Bird -+-1 (-1 For... SERIOUSLY?!)
Jose Ramirez
Baseball Equipment of the Ages - Modern Cleats - +2 (+2 BEA)
Mini - Baseball Superstitions - Baseball Cards - +3 (+3 BS)

Pack Total: +1
Running Box Total: +80

At least we... got into the green? 4 consecutive Yankees. That was a bad, bad pack.

Pack 19:

Cody Bellinger
Wade Boggs
Buster Posey
Matt Kemp
Hideki Matsui - +-1 (-1 For ANOTHER Yankee)
Roger "DIRTBAG" Clemens - Seriously, I want to give myself -108734 for this card because he's a scumbag
World's Greatest Beaches - Bay of Angels - +2 (WGB's)
Mini - The World's Hottest Peppers - Carolina Reaper - +3 (+3 TWHP)

Pack Total: +4
Running Box Total: +84

Pack 20:

Chris Davis
Garrett Cooper
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Andrew McCutchen
Pat Neshek
Roger Maris - +-1 (-1 For Yet Another Yankee)
World Talent - Felix Hernandez - +2 (+2 WT)
Mini - Christopher McDonald

Pack Total: +1
Running Box Total: +85

Well, that was a much more straightforward route to +1 than say Pack 18!

Here is a picture full of Yankees. Yuck.

GAC X Part 4

And we're back for our mad dash to the deadline. On to the start of the last half!

Running Box Total: +58

Pack 13:

Josh Donaldson
Kris Bryant - +2 (+2 Any Favorite Player)
Mookie Betts
H. Jon Benjamin
Walker Buehler
Reggie Jackson - +-1 (-1 For Being A Yankee)
Fantasy Goldmine - Lou Brock - +2 (+2 FG)
Mini - Ted Williams

Pack Total: +3
Running Box Total: +61

Yankee's rear their ugly head. Yuck.

Pack 14:

Cryptocurrency
Luis Castillo
Carlos Martinez
Paige Spiranac
Sandy Koufax
Robinson Cano
Baseball Equipment of the Ages - Vintage Catcher's Mitt - +2 (+2 BEA)
Mini - Black Bordered Gio Gonzalez - +4 (+4 BB Mini)

Pack Total: +6
Running Box Total: +67

Pack 15:

Mark McGwire
Scott Blumstein
Tyler Glasnow
Sonny Frederickson
Yuli Gurriel
Lance McCullers
Magnificent Moons - Io - +2 (+2 MM)
Mini - Lindsey Vonn A&G Back - +3 (+3 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +5
Running Box Total: +72

Boy, I'm probably messing this up big time. Ah well, ONWARD!

Pack 16:

Yonder Alonso
Zach Davies
George Springer
Randal Grichuk
Adam Jones
Gerrit Cole
World's Greatest Beaches - Cozumel - +2 (+2 WGB's)
Mini - Jackie Robinson A&G Back - +3 (+3 A&G Back Mini)

Pack Total: +5
Running Box Total: +77

Well. I had to go back and correct a mistake. At least I caught it now. ONWARD!

Oh, and proof:

GAC X Part 3

Running Box Total: +40

And we're back. As it turns out, this is going to be a giant numbers dump because I waited to the last second. Again. But with time winding down, we're GOING to put it all together. No more slacking for this Ginter Godfather!

Pack 9:

Mike Zunino

Lucas Sims

Kyle Seager

Cal Ripken Jr.

Glyber Torres - +-1 (-1 Yankee)
Chipper Jones
World Talent - Max Kepler - +3 (+2 WT, +1 Favorite Team)
Mini - Jose Berrios - +1 (+1 Mini Favorite Team)

Pack Total: +3
Running Box Total: +43

Two Twins? That's the number Twins ought to come in, you know.

Pack 10:

Manny Machado
Paul DeJong
Greg Maddux
Jesse Winker
Albert Pujols
Chris Taylor
World Talent - Manny Machado - +2 (+2 WT)
Mini - Sonny Frederickson

Pack Total: +2
Running Box Total: +45

More "Twins" if you will... couldn't he have been someone's favorite player? Help a guy out!

Pack 11:

Frank Thomas
Marcell Ozuna
Brandon Crawford
Joe Panik
Max Kepler - +1 (+1 Favorite Team)
Cameron Maybin
World's Greatest Beaches - Bondi Beach - +2 (+2 WGB's)
Mini - Black Bordered Joey Gallo - +7 (+4 BB Mini, +3 Any Favorite Player)

Pack Total: +9
Running Box Total: +54

I mean, black bordered minis are great... I guess.

Pack 12:

Brain McCann
Willie McCovey
Sean Manaea
Justin Verlander
Rougned Odor
Ted Willliams
World Talent - Brycer Harper - +4 (+2 WT, +2 Favorite Player List)
Mini - Khris Davis

Pack Total : +4
Running Box Total: +58

Well, we're halfway through the box. Revised projection is down to +110. If we break a hundred, I'll be amazed.

As required by the rules since I suck at bribes and haven't been excluded from them yet, here's proof, sans the pudding.

GAC X Part 2

We're back with more GAC X. Breaking it up into bite-sized posts should help. Who knows. Maybe we can slow roll it. Only time... will tell...

Running Box Total: +26

Pack 5:

Jake Lamb
Paul Blackburn
Ichiro
Austin Rogers
Aaron Judge - +-1 (-1 Yankee)
World Talent - Freddie Freeman - +2 WT, Eh?
Home Run Hero - Manny Machado - +1 Home Run Challenge
Mini - Andrew Stevenson

Pack Total: +2
Running Box Total: +28

Canada, eh?

Pack 6:

Jay Bruce
Micky Delmonico
J.D. Martinez
Jackson Stephens
Biz Markie
Fernando Rodney - +1 Favorite Team
Magnificent Moons - Enceladus - +2 MM's
Mini - Folio of Fears - Claustrophobia - +3 FoF

Pack Total: +6
Running Box Total: +34

I swear, I didn't think these packs were remotely this decent. But if they're decent for me, they're more decent for other contestants.

Pack 7:

Mike Moustakas
Ryne Sandberg
Phil Coyne
Taijuan Walker
Yadier Molina
Dexter Fowler
Fantasy Gold - Don Mattingly - +1 (-1 Yankee, +2 FG)
Mini - Luiz Gohara A&G Back - +2 A&G Back

Pack Total: +3
Running Box Total: +37

That's more like it... Yankees!

Pack 8:

Trey Mancini
A.J. Pollock
Method Man
Gregory Polanco
Todd Frazier - +-1 (-1 Yankee)
Michael Rappaport
Magnificient Moons - Ganymede - +2 MM's
Mini - Carlos Martinez - +2 SP Mini

So. Funny story about Michael Rappaport. When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I was an extra in a movie starring him called The Naked Man. It's about a wrestler who's schtick is he wears a body suit that has no skin, hence the naked part. He was sick and shared his peanut M&M's with me. And my picture was taken and was in the paper. True story. I did not get the sickness from the M&M's though. Fun times.

Pack Total: +3
Running Box Total: +40

We're what, 1/3rd of the way through an at +40? Projecting out a total of +120!? That'as amaaaazing!

Here's the proof, which is allegedly in the pudding?

Oh the futility... GAC X!

Once upon a time, there was a box of 2018 Ginter. It was awful. The end.

If only it were that easy. After utterly failing to score the entirety of my box LAST year, I did vow to actually score it this year. Despite it being awful. I'm not even kidding how awful it is. I may be going to a new GAC record for lowest score ever. Yankees seemed plentiful, hits seems... not good. On the plus side, I am fairly proficient in the art of diagnostic x-ray generation and stuff. Yay for residency! To quote the major motion picture The Martian with a slight adaptation, "We're going to <math> the <explitive> out of this." Onward to failure!

So, this year we selected Brian Dozier as our favorite player. Literally as he was traded. I had already selected Brian Dozier as my favorite player but didn't post it, then he got traded, and I just opted to stick to my guns. Then the Twins sucked horribly this year. Welcome to professional sports in Minnesota not named the Lynx! That summarizes our choices at the start of GAC X. Lets get to the scoring!

Boxloader:

BL-12 - Mark "I didn't use PEDs, I swear!" McGwuire - +4 pts

"Pack" Total: +4
Running Box Total: +4

Well, I can think of literally one box loader that could be worse. You may be thinking, "NO WAY JOSE!" and you'd be very literally correct. Jose would be worse. At least McGwuire isn't a jerkwad.

Pack 1:

Will Myers
Joey Votto
Christian Yelich
FSRA-RO - Full Sized Relic - Rougned Odor - +5
Fantasy Goldmine - Hideki Matsui - +1 (+2 FG, -1 Yankee)
Honus Wagner
Mini - Wil Meyer

Pack Total: +6
Running Box Total: +10

Eh. One hit down, two to go. First Yankee. This is an omen.

Pack 2:

Josh Bell
Mariano Riveria - +-1 (-1 Yankee)
Justin Blackmon
Magnificient Moons - Miranda - +2 MM's
Michael Brantley
Trevor Story
Nomar Mazara
Mini - BB John Smoltz - +4 BB Mini

Pack Total: +5
Running Box Total: +15

Eh. More Yankees. It's like my box is mooning me. Taunting, isn't that a personal foul? 15 yards? Maybe +15 points? Automatic first place? Nah? Ah well.

Pack 3:

Jose Abreu
Ameo Rosario
Bill James
Dansby Swanson
Lorenzo Cain
Andrew Stevenson
World's Greatest Beaches - Trunk Bay - +2 WGB
Mini - Gregory Polanco - +2 SP Mini

Pack Total: +4
Running Box Total: +19

Pack 4:

Addison Russell
Marcus Stroman
Claire Smith - +1 Commish's Awesomeness
Ender Inciarte
Raisel Iglesias
Eddie Rosario - +1 Favorite Team
BEA-30 - Vintage Uniform - +2 BEA
Mini - Flags of Lost Nations - Ottoman Empire - +3 FLN

Pack Total: +7
Running Box Total: +26

Wow, a pack better than one with a hit. What the heck? And no Yankees...

Time for a picture! To save on taking pictures because my photographer is expensive...

Time to Engineer a W...

So, there are a few simple joys in life. Coffee. Being a parent. Making up African countries. Engineering. And you know who is the biggest, baddest, most awesome engineer of the present day? This guy:

Number 90! Yes, Mr. Suh is a mechanical engineer, and his son, Ndamukong, holds a degree in construction management. I know, it isn't "technically" engineering, but look, construction and engineering go hand in hand. So he's an engineer in my book. He knows how to stomp the competition.

All jokes aside, I legitimately admire Suh and while disappointed he left the Lions, and very much feel he got a bad reputation that is entirely unwarranted.

On to the shenanigans! By my calculations, I have about 9 days to actually score my GAC 9 box and all that jazz. So, I shall do just that. But a quick life update, I PASSED PART 1 OF THE BOARD EXAMS I TOOK UPON MY LAST POST! WOO HOO!

Alright, celebration aside, lets get to work. Due to the Great Hobby Priceout of 2017, we opted to get only a single box of Ginter this year (our only hobby box this year...) and my lovely wife opened 12 packs and I opened 12 packs. It'll score as one box, but we'll have a Spousal Subscore to see who "wins" this year. (Hint: Me.)

On to the packs!

Pack 1 (wife's):
Ben Zorbist
Jorge Soler
Xander Boegarts
Chad Pinder
WAD - Derek Jeter (+2 WAD, -1 Yankee?)
Mini - Randy Johnson
Stephen Vogt (+1 SP)
Ken Griffey Jr.

Now, I'm no GAC Lawyer, but it would almost read as though the Yankee's Bane Modifier applies to base cards, minis, and hit cards only!? Hmmm... that can't be right. I must dock points anyways. Sorry wife.

Pack Total: +2
Wife Running Sub Total: +2
My Running Sub Total: +0
Box Running Total: +2

Pack 2 (Mine):

Rediscover Topps 1988 Pete O'Brien (+1 UCG)
Alex Reyes
Hunter Pence
Jacoby Jones
Willie Stargell (+1 SP)
Andy Katz
Troy Tulowitz
WAD - Buster Posey (+2 WAD, +2 Other Favorite Player)
Mini - World's Dudes - Newsboy Dude (+2 WD)

Now we're talkin'...

Pack Total: +8
WRST: +2
MRST: +8
Box Running Total: +10

Pack 3 (Wife's):

Garrett McNamara
Juan Segura
Hank Aaron
Matt Olson
Jesse Winker
Ardolis Chapman (-1 Yankee Scum)
Revolutionary Battles - Battle of Lexington (+2 RB)
Mini - Didi 'Freaking' Gregorious (-1 Yankee Dirtbag)

Well, she's batting 100% on opening a Yankee in each pack... so there's that?

Pack Total: +0
WRST: +2
MRST: +8
Box Running Total: +10

Pack 4 (Mine):

Johnny Damon
Salvador Perez
Noah Snydergaard
Daniel Murphy
Luke Weaver
Garrett Richards
World's Fair - Monorail (+2 WF)
Mini - Magicians & Illusionists Harry Kellar (+2 M&I's)

Pack Total: +4
WRST: +2
MRST: +12
Box Running Total: +14

So, 4 packs in and we're at 14. That's an alright start, I suppose. No Marlins yet. I think our favorite team this year is the Marlins. I random'd it after removing the Yankees. Like you do. Going to go build with some Legos I think now. Until tomorrow, I hope!

-GG