Unassisted Triple Play: One Man, One Box & One Unbelievably Good Time (Gallery)

July 28, 2012

Kids (of all ages), buckle up. Baseball cards are about to get a whole lot more fun . . . and informative . . . and sticky . . . and puzzling . . . and practical . . . and colorful . . . and affordable . . . and focused. Trust me. I speak from the unique experience that only several joy-filled hours with an early box of Panini America’s 2012 Triple Play Baseball can provide.

I started my weekend late Friday night by sitting down with a hot-off-the-presses box of the uniquely entertaining product that began shipping earlier this week. My plan was to rip through it quickly, take a few notes, take a few pictures and be done. But well after 2 a.m. on Saturday, I had to force the fun-loving contents of that box from my own hands so I could get some sleep. Clearly, 2012 Triple Play Baseball knows how to make an impression.

Boasting colorful illustrations of the MLBPA’s top superstars commissioned specifically for this set, Triple Play packs a punch in every pack. If it’s not the arresting artwork that grabs you, it’s the stickers, or the temporary tattoos, or the puzzle pieces, or the usable eye black, or the Focus, Hall of Fame, When I Was a Kid and Baseball 101 subsets, or the 99-cent pack price.

Whether you’re a kid, or a kid at heart, Triple Play has something for you. It’s a special product that deserves a special preview. So instead of showing you just some of the highlights from one box, I’m going to show you almost all of them in the massive 108-image gallery that follows.

It’s unlike anything you’ve seen in the sports card arena in quite a while. And when it begins hitting shelves some time next week, here’s hoping you buy at least one box — and that your one box gleefully keeps you up way past your bedtime.

After you’ve had the chance to take it all in, be sure to leave your thoughts on the product in the comments section. Let me know if I’m on target here or if my gushing praise is the result of sleep deprivation.