36 Pack Wax Match: Pack 2

The Stage has been set. The Match is underway. Who will come out on top? There’s only one way to find out.

Keep going, and open that second pack!

As we dive into this pack, the 1990 set has tied the match thanks to its pack one victory. Let's go!

Yankees -2

1988 once again starts itself out in a hole by having a Yankees sticker. Even worse, this was the only scoring "card" in the pack. So, it finishes with a final score of -2.

Red Sox +2

1990 Jumps on the early stumble from 1988, and grabs the lead with a Red Sox card. Pretty nice looking card too, by the way.  Love how the red frames the tightly cropped shot. And, I'm always a sucker for the picture extending over the border.

Not yet...

Luckily for 1990, it didn't need any more points, since this card isn't a Hall of Famer...yet?

The 1990 pack holds its total of +2 to take the second pack match.

It also takes the lead in the overall score two to one in this neck and neck battle.

Box Bottom: 1988 +1 (1-0)

Pack 1: 1990 +6 (1-1)
Pack 2: 1990 +4 (2-1)

What will happen next time?

You Know it's a Dull Off Season When...

You want to run to your keyboard to post about the Sox giving an non-guaranteed contract to a middle reliever.

Yup. When I saw the news that the Sox had signed Carson Smith I was almost giddy. Woohoo! The Sox made a move to help their bullpen! They signed a guy who was hurt most of the last two years. They're on the move now!

Yeah. not exactly signing Manny Ramirez.

But, that's what happens when you're the reigning two-time division champs. You don't have a lot of holes. Certainly not a lot of sexy holes. The Sox needed a first baseman, and they filled that spot. Other than that...the roster is full, right? Full of players who underperformed last year, and still cruised to the division title. So the Red Sox can certainly afford to take things slow. They're in no rush. They could not do another thing, and be in pretty good shape.

Remember, the new manager is good for five wins all on his own. Or, so I've been told. So, we're looking at nearly a 100-win team right now. And that's not counting on players like Devers and 'Tendi continuing to improve. Or David Price having his entire arm for an entire season. Or Porcello not having the worst season possible. The Sox can relax.

Even with that, though, I'm a little surprised that they are. After all, Dombrowski actually said he wanted a power bat. I'm guessing Mitch Moreland isn't who he was talking about. So, is he content to not get what he publicly said he needed most? Is he content to let JD Martinez go elsewhere if he can't get him on his terms? Does he think that adding JD while subtracting elsewhere isn't worth an enormous contract?

And, what is Martinez waiting for? Is his market so low that they'll wait for spring training injuries to create a few holes? Did the Sox offer a DH spot, so they're hoping for someone to let him play the field? What's the plan behind stalling? He's the top dog. He makes first choice, and everyone settles in behind him. Doesn't he run the risk of whichever two or three teams are showing interest give up and find another option? Or does Boras know that there's always another fool out there with deep pockets? I guess he's been doing this for a while now.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad the Sox are waiting right along with him. If he's fine with the contract the Sox offer, great. If not, the Sox have a great team already. It's a good strategy.

Even if it's boring at the moment.

Karla Aponte Roque Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Karla Aponte Roque is a  talented singer, a Red Sox fan, and the current Miss Southington! Since I haven't have many visitors from Connecticut, I wanted to reach out to her and see if she'd visit with us to discuss those topics, and some more. I was thrilled when she agreed. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well!

So, let's see what happens when Karla Aponte Roque visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate being crowned Miss Southington?

After being crowned Miss Southington I hugged my family and made plans for dinner! The Miss Southington pageant was a lot of fun but I was running on low fuel.

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Southington?

I want to use my platform to not only encourage the youth of Southington but all those whom I come into contact with. My favorite part of being a part of the Miss America Organization is that I have the opportunity to come in to contact with children and I can be an example of what hard work and perseverance look like.  

What lessons did you learn at the Miss Southington competition that will help you when you compete for Miss Connecticut?

I learned the value of staying organized and prepared even when you think it is too much. I bought an extension cord and had all of my outfits lined up with their accessories. This type of organization proved to be effective and I will be even more organized for Miss Connecticut.      

What is your platform, and why is it important to you?

My platform is the American Heart Association and it is an organization near and dear to my heart. I have multiple family members who suffer from at least one type of cardiovascular disease and I have seen the way it changes your life. My goal is to raise awareness for the American Heart Association and teach children the way that they can make better choices when choosing what to snack on. The lessons that they learn when they are young will follow them into adulthood.

What is your talent, and how does it feel when you’re performing it on stage?

My talent is singing and it is such an incredible feeling being on stage performing. Our world is filled with so much noise but when I sing it feels like the world went silent and it is just me.   

As a big fan of superhero movies, which superhero do you feel is most like you?

Out of all of the superheroes that I love, I believe I am most like Captain America. He stands for truth, justice, and an underlying belief that freedom overrules blind loyalty. Our values correlate and we both have learned that in life we have to stand up for what we believe in.   

Who is your favorite current Red Sox player?

Currently, my favorite Red Sox player is Xander Bogaerts, The X-man. He is a very humble man who supports his community here in the U.S. and in Aruba.  

What is your favorite part about watching a game in Fenway Park?

I think anyone who has ever watched a game in Fenway Park can agree that there is something magical that occurs. For me, it is standing up to sing Sweet Caroline in the middle of the eighth inning.

What is your favorite memory from the 2017 Red Sox season?

I had the opportunity to go see batting practice and someone in my party got tossed a ball. But, my favorite part was going all the way up and sitting on the Green Monster for a bit.  

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I think that would be one of my favorite parts as well. You get a great view of Section 36 from up there!

As always, I want to give a huge thank you to Karla for agreeing to visit with us. It's always such fun, and I'm glad to add another visitor from the Nutmeg State! Another thank you to her for providing the  pictures to go along with the interview. I absolutely love that carousel shot!

As Karla continues her time as Miss Southington, be sure to keep track of her on the official Miss Southington Facebook page! That way you won't miss a thing.

I also want to wish Karla luck at the upcoming Miss Connecticut competition. It would be so fantastic to have the first member of the Section 36 family bring home that crown!

Thanks again for the visit Karla!

36 Pack Wax Match: Pack 1

The Stage has been set. The Match is ready to begin. Who will come out on top? There’s only one way to find out.

Open that first pack!

As we start, the 1988 Set has the lead, thanks to its play-in victory in the box bottom round.

Yankeees -2

I hadn’t considered what to do about the stickers. Would they count, or not? Then in my very first pack I get a Yankees sticker. I decided, what the hay, they’ll count. Or in this case, count negatively.

Red Sox +2

Back in the day, a Todd Benzinger RC would have been a nice pull.

Yankees -2

A card of Mattingly would also have been a nice pull for a kid in 1988.

That wraps up the 1988 pack, with a combined score of -2. That shouldn’t be too tough for 1990 to overcome.

Red Sox +2

1990 takes advantage of the opportunity with a great Red Sox pull.

Hall of Famer +1

The lead is extended with the match’s first Hall of Famer.

Hall of Famer +1

And the title is cemented by adding the second Hall of Famer in the pack.

The 1990 pack reaches a total of +4 to take the first pack match.

It also ties the overall score at one in this neck and neck battle.

Box Bottom: 1988 +1 (1-0)

Pack 1: 1990 +6 (1-1)

What will happen next time?

Wax From Santa

People who follow Section 36 on twitter already know this, but I found something unexpected under my tree this year. Two wax boxes of junk wax. See?

Two boxes of Fleer products. 1988 and 1990. Each of them full of their full 36 packs each.

The funny part is that back in the day, I didn't get much 1988 Fleer. This is probably the most I've ever had in my hand at one time. So, I'm excited to dive into these and see what's inside. 

But, I decided that the fact that both boxes hold 36 packs was a coincidence that I couldn't pass up. These boxes needed to be blogged about. So, I felt that the best way to go about it was a simple "Wax Wars" feature. Once a week, I'll open a pack of each. Using a scoring system, I'll decide which of the two had the best pack. At the end of the two boxes, I'll see which box came put on top, in a match-play style competition. Sound like fun? I hope so. What will the scoring system be? Really simple.

Red Sox card: 2 points
Hall of Famer card: 1 point
Yankees card: -2 points

So, this Wax War Wednesday, expect my first post! But, to start off, I thought I'd try a little pre-competition. After all, I should have an odd number just in case. As luck would have it, both boxes have cards on the bottom, so let's get this started!

1988 Fleer

Well, there you go. 1988 jumps to an early lead with a Hall-of-Famer on the box bottom. How's the competition?

1990 Fleer

Zilch. 

So, 1988 holds onto the lead. 

Next post, we'll actually open some packs, and see what comes out. Hope you'll follow along.

Oh, and if you're collecting these cards for some reason, let me know. I imagine that most of these will be available when they're all opened.

This should be fun!

Box Bottom: 1988 1, 1990 0