2 Packs Topps Pristine Go Head To Head.

Hey Buffet readers. Today I have 2 packs of Topps Pristine 2004 Edition and I decided to have a little fun and have them compete side by side for your vote of the better pack. Check out all the cards and vote for your favorite. Feel free to be bias toward your team, player, card color, or anything else that catches your eye. Lets get started. As usuall there are several layers to get through.

The outer shells

Lets peel the first inner layer........................

The two uncirculated refractor cards and another pack each. A closer look............

Akinori Otsuka #155 refractor sn'd 799/999

vs

Connor Jackson #132 refractor sn'd 015/399

For me I have to go with the Connor Jackson in this battle. A better player, I like the D-backs a little more then the Padres, and the lower serial number run seals it.

From here on each pack will be based on these cards.

Score:

Team Otsuka ~ 0

Team Jackson ~ 1

Next layers up

A game used in each. Both from the Fantasy Favorites subset. A closer look................

Mark Grudzielanek #FF-MG

vs

Rafael Furcal #FF-RF

Two nice looking cards of players I have no favortism towards. Grudzielanek played 14 seasons to Furcal's 10 with a little better career numbers. Furcal has won a couple more awards and is still playing. I give this a draw. A point for each.

Score:

Team Otsuka ~ 1

Team Jackson ~ 2

On to the next layers

Six cards in each, five base and one sn'd first year. A closer look......................

Team Otsuka

Bobby Brownlie #113

Paul Maholm #136 rare first year sn'd 494/499

Mark Prior#17

Team Otsuka

Sammy Sosa #20

Miguel Cabrera #14

Brett Boone #42

Team Jackson

Jim Edmonds #63

Lastings Milledge #139 rare first year sn'd 409/499

Connor Jackson #131

Team Jackson

Larry Walker #15

Mike Mussina #85

Billy Wagner #7

Here are the matchups:
First year Milledge vs Maholm. No contest, Mets will win 99% of the time. I do like the design on these cards. As is the case most of the time, my camera skills don't do any of these cards justice but I gotta work with what I have.

Score:
Team Otsuka ~ 1

Team Jackson ~ 3

The rest of these matchups come purely from my personal opinion and have very little statistical backing. Your feelings may be quite different and that is what makes this such a great hobby.

Larry Walker vs Brett Boone. up to this point in 04 Boone was a good offensive second baseman but Walker's power numbers just over power him. Walker wins.

 Score:
Team Otsuka ~ 1
Team Jackson ~ 4

Sammy Sosa vs Jim Edmonds. Jim Edmonds is another classic power hitter with more then just home runs on his resume and quite frankly I just do not like Sosa at all.  No contest for Edmonds.

Score:

Team Otsuka ~ 1
Team Jackson ~ 5

Mark Prior vs Billy Wagner. Prior showed so much promise early on and had sucess with the Cubs while Wagner showed signs of greatness as a closer but then went quietly into the tank plus he annoyed   me greatly in his time with the Mets. Prior wins.

Score:

Team Otsuka ~ 2

Team Jackson ~ 5

Miguel Cabrera vs Connor Jackson. Jackso scores points for a cool card color and the fact that it goes with the uncirculated refractor but Cabrera's on field performances give him a slight edge. Cabrera by a nose.

Score:

Team Otsuka ~ 3
Team Jackson ~ 5

Bobby Brownlie vs Mike Mussina. Mussina had a borderline HOF career while Brownlie (who?) wasn't a blip on my radar. Mussina in a landslide.

Final Score:
Team Otsuka ~ 3
Team Jackson ~ 6


As you can see I liked the Team Walker pack better and quite honestly I tried to make the matchups even but 3 is all I could muster for team Otsuka. Let me know how you would score it and vote on your favorite pack on the side bar.

Thanks for Reading!