SCF Official Review: 2009 Bowman Baseball

**Enigma** · 05-28-2009, 04:50 AM

First and foremost, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsor, Topps, for providing us with this box.

24 packs per box
10 cards per pack

MSRP: $49.99 - $59.99

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

2009 Bowman Baseball - Home of the Rookie Card! - displays the top new talent in the game by offering 90 top Prospects along with 20 World Baseball Classic stars making their first appearance on a Bowman card in their Major League or WBC uniforms! Combined with 220 Veteran stars and 30 must-have Rookies, it's easy to see how Bowman Baseball consistently delivers top young player selection that's unequaled in the sports card market.

- NEW! Topps Exclusive World Baseball Classic Bowman Chrome Cards!
- 110 EXCLUSIVE Bowman Chrome Prospect Cards only in Bowman!
- 1 Bowman Chrome Autographed Prospect Card per Hobby Box!

WHAT WE PULLED

Base - 103/190
Dupes - 3
Rookies - 16/30
Dupes - 1

Prospects - 39/90
Dupes - 0
WBC - 7/20
Dupes - 0

Gold Base - 14
Gold Rookies - 2
Gold Prospects - 6
Gold WBC - 1

Bowman Chrome Prospects - 36/90
Dupes - 3
Bowman Chrome WBC - 5/20
Dupes - 0

Prospects Blue Refractors #/500 (2) - Matt Rigoli, Ben Lasater

Bowman Chrome Prospects Refractor #/599 (1) - Justin Greene
Bowman Chrome Prospects Orange Refractor #/25 (1) - Tyler Yockey

Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto (1) - Javier Rodriguez

Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set: 2/5
Fun: 3.5/5
Overall design: 3.5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5

Overall: 19/25 (76%)

Bowman is usually the first release of the year to appeal to prospectors due to the refractor levels as well as the autos. This year's release offers basically the same package as in previous years, so the appeal should continue.

When opening the first few packs, I noticed how amazingly thin the base cards were. What was even more noticeable were that some cards already has corner wear coming out of the pack. Though it carries a low price point, collectors are not happy to pay for cards that are already damaged before opening. This can really leave a sour taste in the mouth of collectors.

Normally, you would see me complain about the percentage of the set completed out of one box. However, this is a product you expect to buy multiple boxes. Therefore, receiving around half the set really cuts down on the number of leftover cards you will have when all is said and done.

The infusion of Bowman Chrome cards into the packs is always a nice touch. This adds variety to each pack as we receive up to 2 in each pack. This goes along nicely with the regular Prospect cards that are found in each pack.

Another welcomed addition was the 20-card insert set devoted to prospects at the World Baseball Classic. With baseball as a world-wide sport, it's nice to see these players and countries get the recognition they deserve.

Once again, I'd like to thank Topps for giving us the opportunity to open and review this box. If you would like more information on this release or any others, be sure to check them out at topps.com.