2022 Bowman Blaster!

 Opened these a little bit ago, but why not do another one? I wonder if I'll get any current Red Sox players in this one.

Let's see how it went!

As always, the box. With some players on it. Apparently I should be on the lookout for green parallel cards. Hopefully they'll be easy to spot.

The packs. More players on them.

Love this action shot of Xander, as current Red Sox...for now. You can definitely see the intensity in his face as he awaits the result of his throw.

Another current Red Sox...kinda sorta. After a demotion, have to wonder what the Sox have in mind for him. I guess that could depend on what the other players who play his positions are up to. It will be interesting to see.

Another current Red Sox for now. What happens to him next year? No earthly idea.

So, all the Red Sox cards I got from Boman packs are currently (or formerly) on the big league roster. That doesn't happen very often at all.

How did you do?

Melody Pierce Visits Section 36!

Photo: Jenn Cady

Section 36 had another visitor! Melody Pierce is passionate about eating disorder awareness, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Arizona. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Melody Pierce visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Arizona crown?

I got straight to work! This opportunity has been a long-time dream for me so even the night I won I started brainstorming and organizing my plan for my year ahead, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep! 

What has been the biggest surprise about your time as Miss Arizona?

So far, it's been the true impact that Miss Arizona has, I think it's challenging to understand the full scope of this job from the outside looking in and now having the opportunity, I witness firsthand the hard work and impact that comes with the job. 

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I'd not really nervous about anything because I have such a strong support system and foundation but I'm more so excited to live out this dream and celebrate every moment, I think it's going to be a really fun experience!

How did you select your social impact initiative, “S.T.E.P.S. Towards Eating Disorder Recovery and Awareness”?

I personally struggled with an eating disorder in my youth and was diagnosed at the age of 10 after the passing of my father. This led to a six-year battle and I am so thankful to be alive today and to be able to share my story so that others can have the resources and confidence to overcome this disease. 

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage?

My talent is a tribute to my late father and I just think about celebrating him on stage the whole time and us dancing together and having fun. 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Oh gosh, this is a hard question- I'm tied between Mary Poppins, Doug from UP and (are we considering Star Wars characters Disney?) because if yes, Padme Amidala! 

You graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in journalism. What drew you to that field?

I love storytelling and helping local businesses get the recognition they deserve through the media. 

If you had an extra ticket to see a Red Sox - Diamondbacks game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my roommate, Kaelyn Buffard, she's a big baseball fan and we actually used to compete together in the Miss America Organization. We are actually headed to the Diamondbacks game tonight! 

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I would love to throw the first pitch! Or in Arizona, the kids do a mustard, ketchup and relish bag race and I think that would be really fun! 

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Yup. That does sound like a lot of fun! 

As always, I want to thank Melody for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Melody continues her time as Miss Arizona, I encourage you to check out her title's Website and Instagram. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be wonderful to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Melody, and good luck!

2015 Topps Update Series Throwback Variation

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the next one.

Let's talk about this card...

I guess I'll start off with a confession. This, apparently, isn't a "gold" card. While it does, to my eyes at least, have a gold border. It is apparently not gold. It's not numbered or anything. It's actually a gold-looking throwback variation of Xander's 2015 Topps update card, and is apparently a shortprint. When I did a quick search of the card because I was blanking on the year, I couldn't find it. I had no idea. Which is the problem, of course, with all the endless variations. I have at least three throwback variations from this set. How was I supposed to know they were rare?

Did you?

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If you are able this month, or any month, to support the Gold Together efforts, I highly recommend you consider a donation. You can follow the the link to the American Cancer Society here.

Support their efforts to be Gold Together!

Jessica Reisinger Visits Section 36!

Photo-Kevin Hedin

Section 36 had another visitor! Jessica Reisinger is passionate about supporting survivors of sexual assault, a talented performer, and the current Miss Alaska. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Jessica Reisinger visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Alaska crown?

I had an exam at 8 AM the morning following Miss Alaska, so I was up until about 2 AM studying the various types of blood cancer after winning the crown! I got to celebrate in the days following with my Miss Alaska pageant family! 

Do you have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Alaska?

I have two main goals as Miss Alaska, the first being growing our program. This year, we had 9 Miss and 5 Teen candidates, I’d like to work to double that number for the 2023 competition. In regards to my SII, I’d love to partner with the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) to continue to promote the importance of resources for survivors of sexual assault and what it means to small and rural communities. 

Back-to-back Korean-American Alaskans Miss Americas would be pretty cool, too.

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I am so excited and beyond grateful to represent the Last Frontier at Miss America. I’m most nervous about talent, I’m working with a new routine and limited time to practice but I am so excited to share this story through dance on the Miss America stage. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Supporting Survivors: Increasing Access to Sexual Assault Response Resources”?

Before medical school, I worked in the emergency room which is an extremely harrowing job at times. It really brought to light the limited access to medical care that plagues Alaskan communities. After volunteering as a sexual assault crisis line responder for over two years, I know this was the issue I needed to bring to the forefront of conversation. I will never forget the time I signed onto my crisis line shift and was told there would not be any forensic nurses available for sexual assault exams for nearly 10 hours and anyone who needed an exam in that time frame would need to wait until morning. 

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage?

I have always loved story telling and I grew up as a competitive gymnast so I’ve always loved performing. Learning how to transform my past as a gymnast into a stage-ready talent was a very unique experience. I had to learn how to dance in a way that wasn’t just executing skills, but connecting with an audience and telling a story. 

You’re currently attending medical school at the UW School of Medicine. What drew you to that field?

I say a lot that I never had a “lightbulb” moment that drew me to medicine. I just always knew it was what I was meant to do. I loved the science of the human body and as I grew older, realized that medicine is so much more than that. I grew to love the human connection that comes from being a physician. So, nothing in particular drew me to medicine, I just always knew it was for me, but many incredible physician mentors have kept me here. They’re my go-to people when I have a negative experience with a patient or have put in so many 12 hour days studying that I want to quit. I know I have these people in my corner for life and I am so grateful for that. 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Photo-Kevin Hedin

Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon! Honestly, I’ve never been a huge Disney fan, but a friend of mine sat me down to watch that movie last year and I instantly fell in love. She’s quite a complex character for a children movie and I think it makes her seem more real. I’ve watched it probably 10 times in the last year. 

If you had an extra ticket to see an Alaska Baseball League game, who would you take with you? Why?

My dad! My family has always been huge baseball fans and I basically grew up on the Little League fields watching my older brother play sitting next to my dad on the bleachers. He’d always take us to the Tacoma Rainers games when I was little and those are some of my favorite memories. 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

More so a specific game I’d love to attend! I’d love to attend a Seattle Mariners game again. They’re the closest thing Alaska has to a home team. I attended a game when I was 10 and feel like I didn’t appreciate it as much as I would now!

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I definitely hope she gets to a game soon! 

As always, I want to thank Jessica for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Jessica continues her time as Miss Alaska, I encourage you to check out her title's Website and Instagram. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be wonderful to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Jessica, and good luck!

1992 Topps Gold Winner Roger Clemens

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the first one.

Let's talk about this card...

The 1992 Topps Gold Roger Clemens. If memory serves, the gold cards from Topps were the first ever parallel inserts. Thanks for the craziness that ensued, Topps. The regular gold cards were relatively rare. These guys, less so. When it became apparent that winning a scratch contest for regular gold cards became easy to scam, Topps decided to award these beauties as a compromise. Or, that was the plan all along and created a little bit of publicity for themselves.

Really enjoy the look of the card. Fresh off another Cy Young award winning season in 1991, this card perfectly captures Rocket. The tight crop brings to focus on Clemens. The green backdrop makes the white uniform rally stand out, and you can see the snarl on his face. That's probably not something batters enjoyed seeing.

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If you are able this month, or any month, to support the Gold Together efforts, I highly recommend you consider a donation. You can follow the the link to the American Cancer Society here.

Support their efforts to be Gold Together!