Base Set The base set is small and not-unspectacular, but really nothing to write home about. I think that they're bland, but when in hand the cards are perfectly nice. Big action photos and non-offensive color scheme are the norm here. There is a red parallel set that is only available in retail packages. They look like this, which is actually an over-reflective downgrade if you ask me. The regular cards line up thusly:
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#27 Curtis Granderson | #67 Justin Verlander | #73 Magglio Ordonez |
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#80 Miguel Cabrera | #102 Rick Porcello RC (#/999) | #129 Ryan Perry RC (#/999) |
Inserts There's a straightforward "Icons" insert set that also suffers from mirrorboarditis. Too shiny. Too hard to see even in the right light. If somehow you are a scanner whiz and can make it look like Justin Verlander here, then they are a sight to behold. Unfortunately, they don't really look that good in person. The four cards are numbered to 999, with a nicer, green parallel version numbered to 125.
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#IC-CA Miguel Cabrera (#/999) | #IC-GU Carlos Guillen (#/999) | #IC-VE Justin Verlander (#/999) |
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#IC-JZ Joel Zumaya (#/999) |
Relics Ugh. These cards aren't bad, but they sure do look familiar. Yep, they are exactly the same as the regular insert cards, just with a jersey piece where the team logo once was. That's a net downgrade in my eyes, but oh well. Regular versions aren't numbered, but there are Gold Parallel Jersey Cards that are numbered to a cool 25 copies.
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#IC-CA Miguel Cabrera | #IC-GU Carlos Guillen | #IC-VE Justin Verlander |
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#IC-JZ Joel Zumaya |
Autographs Only one true autograph in the set. Remember this? That's from back when this set first came out and was a big ol' OOPS on Upper Deck. Sure enough, the only autograph in the set is of uber-rookie Rick Porcello, beautifully signed on-card, and featuring a picture of...Ryan Perry, the Tigers' other rookie pitcher. Ouch. That would have been the first Autographed RC for Porcello too. Sadness. Here it is again to refresh your memory.
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#154 Rick Porcello (#/100) |
Manufactured "Lettermen" Patches: I tend to not like manufactured patches. I'll admit that the cards can actually look quite nice in person, so I see their appeal, but I would much prefer that they not exist instead of spelling out things like nicknames or "Rookie" or what have you. The Al Kaline manufactured patches in this set spell out "MR TIGER," which is all well and good, but really pointless and kind of dumb. Patch letters are numbered to 60 versions each, except for the autographed versions, which are only numbered to 4 and look mighty fine. This particular one ("M") came from one of I Am Joe Collector's Group Breaks (I didn't get it, but it is still an excellent pull).
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#IL-AK Al Kaline "M" Auto (#/4) | #IL-AK Al Kaline "R" Auto (#/4) | |
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#IL-AK Al Kaline "T" (#/60) | #IL-AK Al Kaline "I" Auto (#/4) | #IL-AK Al Kaline "G" (#/60) |
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#IL-AK Al Kaline "E" (#/60) | #IL-AK Al Kaline "R" (#/60) |
