The regular season has officially come to an end. No more Phillies games this year. My Phillies ended with a record of 80-82. Much better when compared to 2017 where they finished 66-96. Although they improved quite a bit, its disappointing to know that at the All-Star break they jumped into first only to lose it a month later. They completely fell apart. At one time they were (15) games above .500 and 2.5 games ahead of the Braves. It’ll be interesting to see what moves they make in the off season. Their first regular game of the 2019 season takes place on March 28 at 3:05 p.m. at home against Atlanta.
Just because your team didn’t make it to the playoffs doesn’t mean the box ripping has to stop. In fact, with the release of 2018 Bowman Chrome you might pickup some new prospects that one day could help your team win the Fall Classic.
Bowman Chrome is the second wave of big prospect-based products released by Topps. The first is Bowman and the third is Bowman Draft. There are two ways you can enjoy Bowman Chrome this year. A hobby box comes with (2) mini-boxes. Packed inside each mini-box are (6) packs and (1) autograph. For those looking for a quick-thrill and willing to spend a little more, there is the HTA option. An HTA box contains (1) pack with (3) encased autographs. I like the HTA option as it gets straight to the hits, and you don’t have the leftover base cards. But if you’re someone who wants a lot of base, hobby boxes are there too.
(100) veterans and rookies make up the base set. An additional (100) prospects can be found as well. The inclusion of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is cool. He was drafted by the Rockies in 2010, and even has cards in Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects and Topps Pro Debut. Despite his main job playing professional football, he’s played in some minor league/spring training games. He was last seen in a Yankees uniform back in March pinch-hitting for Aaron Judge.
(15) players have photo variations. These are easy to spot as the CMP codes differ. The base card CMP code ends in #370, whereas photo variations end in #393. (13) photo variations have autograph counterparts #’ed/25. Superfractor autograph photo variations are in there too.
Among all of the autographs, relics, and parallels there are (4) types of inserts. These are 2017 AFL Fall Stars, 2017 AFL Fall Stars MVP, 2018 Bowman Sterling Continuity, and Peaks Of Potential. I like the 2018 Bowman Sterling Continuity cards. They make me wish that brand still existed as a standalone product. I use to buy a lot of that.
While opening my box, I did come across something a little odd. The Purple Shimmer Refractors are #’ed/655. Usually basic refractors are the highest serial numbered parallels you’ll pull. This time around they’re #’ed/499. Its unusual to see something like a Purple Shimmer Refractor numbered higher. You’ed think it would be the other way around.
Bowman Chrome is a prospector’s paradise.
Here is what I pulled:
Autos
- James Nelson
- Jorge Guzman
Parallels
- Luiz Gohara RC Blue Refractor #’ed/150
- Darwinzon Hernandez Refractor #’ed/499
- Taylor Trammell Purple Shimmer Refractor #’ed/655
Inserts
- Estevan Florial 2018 Bowman Sterling Continuity
- Sandy Alcantara 2017 AFL Fall Stars
- Adbert Alzolay 2017 AFL Fall Stars
- Aramis Ademan Peaks Of Potential
- Keibert Ruiz Peaks Of Potential
- Andres Gimenez Peaks Of Potential
- Luis Robert Peaks Of Potential
Filed under: Reviews | Tagged: 2018, baseball, bowman, box, break, chrome, hobby, review | 1 Comment »
