From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The pack: 2014 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards (hobby)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Heritage MiLB years

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

REMEMBERING HERITAGE ...
The Cards: Max Fried 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League cards
The Buzz On This: Before he was among the stacked rotation of the Atlanta Braves and got himself a World Series ring, Fried was a member of the Fort Wayne TinCaps and the Mississippi Braves and he appeared on cards in the in-pack MiLB sets released under the Topps Heritage line. That meant retro designs here -- 1964, 1965, 1967 and the burlap-inspired 1968 look -- but with clean, modern printing and other touches that put it in the here and now while looking a lot like back then. Fried missed a year (I presume due to his injury/trade) and has some other inserts and parallels in these sets before his Heritage RC in 2018 and all that's come since. I keep talking about doing a run of some players' Heritage cards in slabs and I grabbed all of these since they're all affordable (despite being likely far rarer than anything Heritage MLB) and just might do it for both MiLB and MLB releases. Also: The Heritage MiLB brand apparently died in 2023 ... so pour one out for that one while we're at it.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

GOOD TIMING FOR MY FIRST 3D CARD
The Card: Pete Alonso 2019 Topps 3D #475 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought:  No, I didn't buy this one in the wake of his Home Run Derby dominance -- I grabbed this one in the off-season since the price was right (around $30) for a good rookie from that one. Since the Derby, this one has sold for a lot more raw and then some in higher grades but it's still relatively modest compared to other big rookies in the last few years. I didn't grab this one to flip -- I just grabbed it as a good example card to have from one of these plastic-stock releases. It's my first and I do like the 3D effect that is applied here. In this case, his front arm feels closer compared to everything else.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The pop report is more of the odd modern type with plenty of 10s but there's also nothing below my grade -- so it's a sign that these cards must grade pretty well if you rip packs and find somebody good.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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