It’s time again for a new Box Break, so why not make it three? Ok so mainly I just got suckered into picking up a couple close-out boxes from my local shop, but what the heck, 2006 can still be exciting right?
On tap we have 1 box of 2007 SP Legendary Cuts (yes I am still chasing my first cut auto despite my good fortune with the Ruth card) and 2 boxes of Fleer Greats of the Game (Damn you Ken Burns you have made me too nostalgic). Being a newly reborn collector I have missed out on any previous issues containing retired jerseys. In fact my first jersey card period was out of this year’s Allen & Ginter, so any chance I have to build my collection is welcome. This is what attracted me to the Greats of the Game product (besides the close out price) as they offer 4 hits per box on average. The actual claim is 2 autos and 2 game used per box, which I proved wrong but that is for later.
At a higher price point, but still much cheaper then the $110 I was paying for them earlier in the year, is the SP Legendary Cuts. For the most part every single one of these boxes I have gotten have been a complete bust, save for the miraculous pulling of the Ruth film card. I can see why the price has dropped given the amount of big hits already pulled from the product. Still, I was willing to try my hand at the elusive cut signature cards.
First up; the 2007 Legendary Cuts. There are supposed to be Two hits per box, but they can be most anything, and I have pulled three a couple times now.
Common Cards: This small set has been deceptively difficult to complete. I still think I am a few cards short of the set as I still can’t remember pulling Josh Gibson.
But…here is Satchel. 
The basic card design is good. The quality control has been pretty solid throughout as well. I can’t remember really damaged or off cut cards in any of my boxes. The red background works better on the black and white cards then the color pictures though. I think all the cards end up looking much too similar in that too much of the cards are devoted to design rather then player. If it were not for the big hits, the looks of these cards would not have drawn me to this product.
Hits: Well I have a knack for pulling Dwight Evans cards apparently. If I was looking to build up my collection of decent Red Sox players, I have done very well recently. I would be thrilled if some of these could end up being Giants, but they don’t make many sets.
Oh look, I guess I am a Paul Molitor pulling fool as well! This is my first autograph out of this product, and it is a HoFer numbered to 100, so this can’t be too bad right? It looks like another rough break overall though. Lets hope the Greats of the Game Turn out better.
With two boxes of Greats of the Game we should be looking at 8 different hits to add to my collection. That’s a pretty big draw when you are building up from scratch. Ultimately I want to be able to look at my collection and see a reflection of myself as a sports fan. Not to many other products out there are going to give you four chances a box at history, for a reduced price tag of about $70. So with that said, I have my expectations tempered, and my hopes high.
Commons: These are nice looking cards. Being Fleer I expect a somewhat cheaper looking product, and they are. They remind me of a Star set of some sort from the 80’s but with the pictures of old ball players it contrasts less then a more modern looking card would. The real highlights to me are the backs which provide nice blurbs about the players and complete careers statistics. They also put the Baseball Hall of Fame logo on each member’s card. This is a handy tool when looking back at some much older players, and also great when looking at the cards with someone new to the history of Baseball. For me this is my Wife who was excited to sort through the cards and separate out the HoFers to see how many we got in comparison to non-members. This same quality would go over well with children who would be able to compare the stats of the members to the non-members. Two thumbs way up from us on this feature, it made the break much more fun. 
Inserts: Bring on the Color! I am a conservative person. I don’t like things that are loud or obnoxious or cheesy. But not everything needs to be BLACK. There are way to many black bordered cards out there, and far too much use of black within card designs. Baseball Jerseys have color, the game has color, life has color. I loved these inserts. They really lit up the packs, and overall look great. The backs look great as well.
Decade Greats
Nickname Greats
Cardinal Greats
Cubs Greats
Red Sox Greats 
Reds Greats
Tiger Greats
Yankees Clippings
Dodger Greats YUCK!
Hits: The hits out of this product will either be game used or autographed versions of the inserts, or autograph versions of the commons. 
Hall of Fame bat piece of a 1930’s Hall of Famer? I’ll take it. Three Autos of decent players, I guess I will take it. Nolan Ryan Jersey card? Hell Yeah! Nice add to the collection. Big Red Machine, Donnie Baseball, Bill Madlock? Check, check, check. Glad to have you boys welcome to the collection. Dodger Cards? I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. As you can see, I did not get 4 autos, but I did get 5 gamers, giving me a grand total of 9 hits so I won’t complain.
Overall, three pretty tough breaks. Nolan highlights the group, but overall pretty rough. These are names I grew up with though, so as for making my collection a better reflection of myself? Mission Accomplished. Now somebody take these Dodger Cards from me before I puke.
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