Ah, collecting the classic Topps baseball cards as a kid in the 1980's. That was me. Coming home from the drug store with 3-4 packs in my pocket. I was looking for Chicago Cubs players: Ryne Sandberg, Ron Cey, Leon Durham, and others. My friends and I would trade, but we would always end up with doubles of players we didn't know or care about. So, we would slap a clothespin on the back forks of our bike, slide that baseball card double in the clip and stick it through the spokes. We would cruise up and down the street with our bike-cycle buzzing. Base cards of a set are like that; you end up with a whole bunch. But they are a great way to get a good look at who these players are. Some card pictures are staged and profile-like. Some cards are position players up to bat, and the pitchers often get a mid- throw shot. All of them are pretty cool when flipping through the cards and checking career stats on the back of the card.
In Topps Bunt digital card trading app, there are 450 series 1 base cards, and while I haven't checked recently, I would bet I have dupes of most of them if not all. The other day I decided to flip through the base cards, since I don't really take a good look at them after the initial release. Who are the names? Who has had a good season? Are there any rookie sensation base cards? It is fun; it's why we collect.
Here are my Top 5 Bunt 2024 Base Cards with a comment about the style of each one:
5. Brandon Lowe, 2024 Bunt Base Series - White
Classic shot of the backswing of a hitter while catching most of his face so fans can recognize him. Also does a nice job of showing the "battle worn" helmet. Super cool.
4. Andrew Abbott, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White
If I were a pitcher, this mid-pitch action shot is definitely what I would want on my base card!
3. Ezequiel Tovar, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White
The action shots get my attention, and what better way to capture a short stop than on a throw over to first base. This is a great mid-motion shot for Tovar.
2. Kyle Hendricks, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White
I love this "in the stretch" position for a pitcher's card. This card also gives a good sense of background. A good card will also place you in the game like you are there watching. This card, blurred, has lots of fan space. That is a good quality for a card.
1. Francisco Alvarez, 2024 BUNT Base Series 1 - White
I love this in-game action of Alvarez lifting his mask and his colorful chest pad popping on this card. It also has the background factor too.
I want to take a second to discuss the boarder features. The boarder has a modern look all the way around with the right side multilayered. Pretty coo. I like the team logo in the bottom right. It is clear, but it doesn't dominate the picture/card. The name of the players is clearly found at the bottom of the card. The only criticism is the that the player's position does blend in at the bottom. I don't mind the placement, but maybe a bit larger font. Still, I really liked this set. How about a bonus card?
Bonus: Austin Gomber, 2024 BUNT Base Series 1 - White
What's up the the bonus? It is my list and I couldn't leave this one off. As the top 5, this card has good action in mid pitch, but what I really like about this card is it shows rain falling. The drops are all around him. Once again, anything that makes me, the collector, feel like I was there to take the picture myself is awesome.