Grad-a-cuffs

I'm at a point of transition in my life right now.

As of a couple weeks ago, my community college career is officially over. And, although final grades for this semester aren't in yet, it looks like I'll be leaving with a 4.0 GPA.

The great person he is, my ever-generous dad let me pick out something from the shelves of my local Target as a little "graduation" present for my work at school.

In the end, I bypassed the three-pack Heritage and Gypsy Queen rack packs and went straight for the Opening Day blasters. I like what I've seen from the product thus far, and it was certainly better for the pack-busting mood I was in that day.

Ten bucks for 11 packs is hard to beat. To recap my pulls, I thought I'd provide a familiar blogosphere touch to this post. Although I've never participated, I've long wanted to do something "Gint-A-Cuffs" related around here.

So, for clarity, here's how my point system is going to work.

Player collection need -- +2
Mini-collection need -- +2
Insert or parallel -- +2
Cards for other bloggers -- +1
Doubles from past Opening Day breaks -- -1

Other points added or subtracted at my disposal.

Let's see which of these 11 packs reigned supreme.

Pack 1:

#5 Eric Hosmer (+0)
#197 Jhonny Peralta (Card for another blogger, +1)
#73 Ryan Vogelsong Blue Parallel /2013 (Parallel, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#M-1 "Mascots" Mr. Met (Insert, +2)
#60 Carl Crawford (Player collection, +2)
#43 Pedro Alvarez (Card for another blogger, +1)
#51 Elvis Andrus (+0)

+10 total

Pack 2:

#148 Alex Rios (Card for another blogger, +1)
#41 Dustin Pedroia (Player collection, +2..."Throwbacks", +2...+4 total)
#SC-16 "Superstar Celebrations" Mike Olt (Insert, +2..."Throwbacks", +2...+4 total) 
#180 Jason Heyward (Player collection, +2)
#69 Brett Gardner (Card for another blogger, +1)
#16 Jesus Montero (+0)
#219 Troy Tulowitzki (Player collection, +2)

+14 total

Pack 3:

#122 Aaron Hill (Player collection, +2..."Double Dip", +2...+4 total)
#45 Clayton Kershaw (Player collection, +2)
#BC-12 "Ballpark Fun" David Ortiz (Insert, +2...Card for another blogger, +1...+3 total)
#74 Jason Kipnis ("Double Dip", +2)
#98 Paul Goldschmidt (Double, -1)
#201 Ervin Santana (Player collection, +2)
#18 Jemile Weeks (+0)

+12 total

Pack 4:

#48 Ike Davis (Player collection, +2)
#215 Ivan Nova (Card for another blogger, +1)
#PH-2 "Play Hard" Bryce Harper (Insert, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#208 Jimmy Rollins (+0)
#36 Tommy Hanson (+0)
#30 Jayson Werth (+0)
#58 Chris Davis (Card for another blogger, +1)

+8 total

Pack 5:

#104 Tim Lincecum (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)
#68 Barry Zito (Player collection, +2)
#ODS-3 "Opening Day Stars" Miguel Cabrera (Insert, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#91 Adam Wainwright (+0)
#109 Ian Desmond ("Double Dip", +2)
#2 Ricky Romero (Card for another blogger, +1)
#62 Jason Kubel (+0)

+9 total

Pack 6:

#136 Ian Kennedy (Double, -1)
#99 Vernon Wells (Double, -1)
#BF-13 "Ballpark Fun" Albert Pujols (Insert, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#116 Norichika Aoki (Player collection, +2)
#130 Chase Headley ("Throwback", +2)
#183 Fernando Rodney (+1, just an awesome card)
#212 Pablo Sandoval (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)

+9 total

Pack 7:

#95 Daniel Murphy (Card for another blogger, +1)
#125 Bartolo Colon (Double, -1)
#PH-25 "Play Hard" Alex Gordon (Insert, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#127 Edinson Volquez (Card for another blogger, +1)
#46 Zack Greinke (Player collection, +2)
#153 Andre Ethier (Player collection, +2)
#81 Miguel Cabrera (Double, -1)

+8 total

Pack 8:

#53 Addison Reed (Card for another blogger, +1)
#54 Starlin Castro (Player collection, +2)
#SC-14 "Superstar Celebrations" Chipper Jones (Insert, +2...Player collection, +2...+4 total)
#199 Craig Kimbrel (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)
#56 Josh Hamilton (Player collection, +2)
#59 Matt Harvey (Card for another blogger, +1)
#170 Stephen Strasburg (Double, -1)

+9 total

Pack 9:

#37 Jurickson Profar (+0)
#192 Josh Beckett (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)
#142 Jarrod Parker Blue Parallel /2013 (Parallel, +2)
#M-2 "Mascots" Phillie Phanatic (Insert, +2)
#28 Prince Fielder (Player collection, +2)
#179 Wade Miley (+0)
#11 Hanley Ramirez (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)

+6 total

Pack 10:

#101 Adeiny Hechavarria (+0)
#200 Evan Longoria (Player Collection, +2)
#ODS-6 "Opening Day Stars" Robinson Cano (Insert, +2...Card for another blogger, +1...+3 total)
#70 Danny Espinosa ("Double Dip", +2)
#202 Jason Motte (+0)
#152 Brian Wilson (Double, -1...Card for another blogger, +1...+0 total)
#113 Carlos Gonzalez (Card for another blogger, +1)

+8 total

Pack 11:

#71 Victor Martinez (Player collection, +2)
#123 John Danks (Player collection, +2)
#120 Alex Rodriguez Blue Parallel /2013 (A-Rod, -10,000...Parallel, +2...Card for another blogger, +1...-9,997 total)
#M-3 "Mascots" Mariner Moose (Insert double, -2)
#19 Joey Votto (Player collection, +1)
#14 Josh Willingham (Card for another blogger, +1)
#75 Trevor Cahill (+0)

-9,993 total

There you go.

Overall, I'd say I picked a pretty good blaster.

On my "Grad-A-Cuffs" scale, the first trio of packs I opened looked to be the three best of all. The +14 rating of pack #2 came out on top.

As far as singles go, I think the "Play Hard" Bryce Harper was my absolute favorite pull. Incidentally, it came out of one of the lower-rated packs from the bunch.

A-Rod's unfortunate appearance cemented the last pack's place at the bottom of the barrel.

In the end, you could say this little blaster proved to be a bit of a good luck charm. After I got home that afternoon, I found the acceptance letter from my hopeful four-year university waiting in my mailbox.

Not even A-Rod could quell my happiness that day.

Yup, in both hobby and non-hobby matters, things are looking up here in "Dime Boxedonia".

I couldn't be happier.