What's new last year?

In the midst of all these trade posts, I haven't posted much about the cards I ordered from Dave & Adam's Card World a few months ago. I've opened everything by now, but haven't sorted through it all just yet. Part of that shipment was a blaster of 2013 Topps Update, and there was quite a bit of interesting photography to be found.

First off, a Coors Field Card! The forest behind center field which I've written about before is visible here, along with a section of the Wells Fargo banner in right center above the bullpens.

2013 Topps Update #US118 Joe Blanton

I figured that it would be pretty easy to pinpoint which game this was from, as the Angels rarely make interleague appearances in Denver. However, research shows that the Angels didn't play the Rockies at all in 2013, nor was Blanton an Angel prior to that, which can only mean that this is a Photoshop job on Topps' part. Blanton pitched for the Dodgers in 2012, and made a start in Coors Field that August. I am guessing this photo was taken while Blanton was playing for LA's National League team, rather than their Anaheim rivals as pictured.

Detective work is fun!

Continuing to examine these photos with a fine-toothed comb, this checklist card of Mariano Rivera shows a vehicle of some kind in the middle infield area. Which is an unusual location for vehicles, to say the least.

2013 Topps Update #US237 Mariano Rivera

Rather than some lame pickup truck like Madison Bumgarner drove away with for earning MVP honors in this year's World Series, Mr. Sandman was the recipient of a shiny new C7 Corvette Stingray for his performance in the 2013 All-Star Game. The Chevy guys would probably not like to hear that I initially thought this was a Dodge Viper until I remembered that Chevrolet has been a major sponsor of MLB for quite some time.

Another interesting photograph came on this horizontal card of A.J. Pollock with his exuberant teammates exiting the dugout.

2013 Topps Update #US34 A.J. Pollock

An imminent play at the plate! This looks to be against the Dodgers, possibly even in walk-off fashion.

Of course, there were more than just base cards in this box. Topps Update always seems to be heavy on content from the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby, so this short-printed variant card of Bo Jackson at the '89 All-Star Game fits with the Update theme quite nicely.

2013 Topps Update #US16b Bo Jackson SP

Though this card doesn't mention it, Bo was the MVP of that All-Star Game in Anaheim. Regrettably, injuries plagued him and derailed his promising career, leaving him as one of the best players that "might have been," in two sports, no less.

I know I've posted cards from Topps Emerald before, but I just can't get over how striking they are.

2013 Topps Update Emerald #US187 Wilson Betemit

Don't expect me to pass up an opportunity to show off a little green.

I missed most of the buzz about the Chasing History inserts, which seems to be quite a well-liked and frequently collected set. That's not surprising, given that there is a great mix of old-time legends and current stars to be collected.

2013 Topps Chasing History #CH-147 Bob Feller

This is the base card, but there are silver- and gold-foil parallels to be found as well. Parallels of insert cards. This can be a confusing hobby, indeed.

Finally, I thought it was very appropriate to find two cards in particular from the Postseason Heroes insert set—one that is exclusive to 2013 Update, unlike the above, which was found in all series of 2013 Topps.

2013 Topps Update Postseason Heroes #PH-3 George Brett

2013 Topps Update Postseason Heroes #PH-11 Buster Posey

Think back just a few weeks to the World Series, when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in seven games. George Brett had the TV cameras trained on him quite frequently throughout the postseason, and Posey performed well on-field. The way these photos are positioned, Fox could have done some clever graphics and used these two cards to illustrate the matchup, perhaps something like the animation of two colliding helmets that precedes many football games.

Even though Topps Emerald was a one-year treat, I'll still look for a deal on 2014 Topps Update next year.