Red Barn Battle - 1991 Topps Vs 1992 Stadium Club

In a previous post, I mentioned how I went to a flea market and picked up 5 packs of cards for $1. I thought it would be fun to take two packs, open them up, and see which card would win in a side by side competition. As luck would have it, two packs I got contain the same number of cards, making them the ideal competitors!

I've always liked 1991 Topps. The simple border and 40th Anniversary logo are well-done. Stadium Club has the sharp photography and the awesome rookie card representations on the back. I'm hedging that Stadium Club's overall photography will give them an edge in this contest, but we'll see!

Victory goes to the card I like best, whether it's due to the player, the team, the photography, or if I find something interesting/annoying.

Let's get ready to rumble!

#381 Jim Leyland vs #611 Esteban Beltre

Jim Leyland is a potential Hall of Famer, and manager cards are just cool. Belte's is just a slight angle adjustment away from looking like a Panini product.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (1-0)

#273 Johnny Ray vs #765 Kevin Mitchell

Ray's glove gives his action shot an almost 3D effect. Mitchell is a former MVP whose practice swings still manage to look mighty.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (2-0)

#430 Gary Gaetti vs #603 Ken Griffey Jr.

Yeah, no contest here.
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (2-1)

#304 Kevin Reimer vs #688 Kirk McCaskill

Hmm...this is a tough one actually. Reimer is your run-of-the-mill bat on shoulder pose. The McCaskill bothers me slightly because both the background and the foreground are blurred, leaving just the player in the middle. It makes the ball look like a giant circle in the outfield. I guess I'll take the action shot over the posed one.
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (2-2)

#31 Colby Ward vs #807 Zane Smith

Two fairly similar pictures, showing two pitchers after a throw. It's a toss-up, but I'm picking Zane for no other reason than Ward's uniform piping doesn't seamlessly transition from pants to shirt. Don't judge me.
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (2-3)

#122 Paul O'Neill vs #859 Jose Lind

As a Red Sox fan, I'm not allowed to like Yankee Paul O'Neill. I can like Reds Paul O'Neill though.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (3-3)

#526 Moises Alou vs #659 Eric Bullock

Teammate fight! Alou is the better player, and has the better uniform.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (4-3)

#698 Mark Guthrie vs #658 Wayne Rosenthal

Hard to argue against a high leg kick!
Advantage: Tops 1991 (5-3)

#50 Bob Welch vs #702 Donnie Hill

I'm not a Welch fan since he beat out Roger Clemens for the Cy Young award. However, his card is better Donnie Hill's.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (6-3)

#565 Craig Biggio vs #640 Jack Morris

Hall of Fame battle! Wow, do I go with a great photo of a young Biggio, or the awesome moustache of Morris? I may flip-flop on this one here, but for now I'm going with my gut instinct.
Advantage: Topps 1991 (7-3)  

Yikes, this is turning into a bigger blowout than I would have thought!

#55 Jeffrey Leonard vs #828 Brook Jacoby

Stadium Club stops the bleeding with a great angled photo! I do wish the guy behind him wasn't blurred though.
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (7-4)

#424 Calvin Schiraldi vs #773 Denis Boucher

Here's the windup, and the pitch! Former Red Sox Schiraldi was the losing pitcher for both the infamous Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, as well as the equally crushing Game 7. He can add this loss to his resume as well.
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (7-5)

#547 Mike Pagliarulo vs #791 Jack Armstrong

Is it me, or does the Armstrong card look like a still from the movie "Major League"? I love that movie...
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (7-6)

#234 Scott Erickson vs #777 Scott Ruskin

Once again, when in doubt, take the action shot!
Advantage: Stadium Club 1992 (7-7)

Stadium Club comes back from behind to tie things up! This was closer to what I was hoping for! We're down to the last two cards. Winner takes all!

#490 Kirk Gibson vs #798 Mike Perez

It's fitting Gibson hits the walk-off!
Advantage: Topps 1991 (8-7)

Topps wins the pack war!

Congratulations to Topps. Stadium Club can take solace in the fact that all these Topps cards will end up in the double box. What say you? Who wins this battle if you were the judge?

Who's #100 Contest

Thanks to everyone who has made guesses so far! It's been great reading all the different answers. Has anyone guessed correctly yet? Time will tell. Until then, here's the clues you have so far:

Clue #1: He's a former All-Star.
Clue #2: He was once traded for a former Cy Young Award winner.
Clue #3: He was almost traded for a Hall of Famer.
Clue #4: He was drafted by Texas Rangers. 
Clue #5: He has never played for the Boston Red Sox.

The sixth clue is worth 5 points. You can earn an additional 3 points for guessing the year, as well as another 3 for the brand.

Clue #6:  He has played in both the American and National Leagues.

Comment below with your educated guesses! Good luck!