2001 Upper Deck Home Run Derby Heroes

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: The fronts feature action photos surrounded by a gold foil border and a blue-tinted border. The bottom of the card contains a gold foil and red logo, the player's name and team.

Back Design: The blue border is repeated around a description of the player's success in a particular home run derby.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:36 packs of 2001 Upper Deck, making it one of the most difficult non-relic/auto pulls in the release.

Thoughts: If this wasn't such a difficult set to obtain, it would be perfect for use in my Home Run Derby winner collection. However, as you can see from the Belle card, the winner isn't always pictured. Albert Belle came in second in 1995, but never won a Derby. Other than the "logo" for the set name being difficult to read due to the foil, the design is acceptable.

1999 SP Top Prospects

Set size: 126 cards

Front Design: A color photo is surrounded by a "dried marker line" border and a thick white border; the player's team name appears at the top; the SP Top Prospects logo, his name, position, and team logo appear across the bottom. The card fronts are foilboard.

Back Design: The player's name and vials appear at the top. A color portrait in a similar "dried marker" border and a short career highlight and team logo fill most of the card. The bottom of the card contains recent and career minor league stats.

Parallels and Similars: A parallel with holofoil instead of standard foil exists, called the President's Edition. These are extremely rare, serial numbered to 10.

Distribution: Cards were issued in 8-card packs for about $5. There are a few insert sets including an autograph set.

Thoughts: I could do without the foil board. It makes the card feel like a failed ancestor of 2010 Bowman Platinum. Otherwise, the design is nice and simple. The border is surprisingly attractive and unique, though there is too much white (foil?) space around the photo. Russell sure looks sexy with that slick hairstyle, though. Maybe he gave Upper Deck his modeling head shots for his card. You know, in case baseball didn't work out. The only thing I really don't like about this set is the lack of team affiliation. The Akron Aeros mean nothing to me if I don't know to whom they belong.

1997 Score Showcase Series Artist Proofs

Set size: 551 cards

Front Design: The cards parallel the 1997 Score base set, which has white borders with the player's name and team appearing at the top and bottom of the card in lowercase letters. The Score logo appears at the bottom of the color photo. The Showcase Series Artist's Proofs are distinguishable by the wavy holographic foil and Artist's Proof "logo" in the corner.

Back Design: The backs are identical to the 1997 Score release. The backs are full of information; after a fading color stripe with the player's name, team, and position, his vitals and career statistics fill the card, with remaining space used for a career highlights biography.

Parallels and Similars: This card is a parallel of the 1997 Score set, differing mostly by the holographic foil. The more readily available Showcase Series featured normal silver foil. There is a second Artist's Proof parallel released in series 1 retail packs, without the silver foil.

Distribution: Cards were inserted into packs of 1997 Score. They were inserted at a rate of 1:35 in series 1 packs, 1:23 in series 2 hobby packs, and 1:35 in series 2 retail packs.

Thoughts: This is one of the most psychedelic card parallels I've ever seen, and really defines the 1990s parallel shiny craze. On that note, it is a fun card to look at if it doesn't make you feel dizzy.

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1998 Bowman's Best Performers

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: A color photo sits over a background that could best be described as an iris or circular baggage carousel. The top of the card contains team logo, Bowman's Best logo, and the set name, while the player's name is centered across the bottom. The cards have a shiny chrome finish.

Back Design: The player's basic vitals and a short biography appear on the left, while a second color photo is on the right over a sunburst-style design similar to the front. The card back borders appear marbleized.

Parallels and Similars: This set was released with two parallels: a refractor version numbered to 200 and an atomic refractor numbered to 50.

Distribution: These cards were randomly inserted into packs of Bowman's Best at a rate of 1 in 6.

Thoughts: Some Bowman's Best inserts are exciting, but the uninspired background on this card means I'll pass on collecting it. The set contains the ten best minor league players of the 1997 season, so in 1998 it would have been quite popular. I have yet to see the refractor and atomic refractor versions in person, which could be stunning.

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1998 Upper Deck Retro Groovy Kind of Glove

Set size: 30 far-out cards, man

Front Design: These trippin' cards have some bitchin' graphics, with a wavy set name on the left side, while the swirly colors and floating flowers would make any stoned flower child flake out. The dude's in full color and his name and team are in a different font that is so fine.

Back Design: An outta sight piss and swampwater swirl and wavy logo ripped off from the hippie age surrounds the player's fielding record and some fielding highlights. The use of straight lines and plain text is a drag though, and makes me want to cut out.

Parallels and Similars: If drawing designs makes you copacetic towards this set, you can hang loose knowing it's going steady.

Distribution: You can score these cards in packs of 1998 Upper Deck Retro, at a rate of 1 in 7 packs.

Thoughts: This set is a gas and is choice with the '60s style. It's bright and trippy, but I like that. The only thing I don't like is the details on the back. Honestly, does an insert need to include when and how the player joined the team, or his vitals? They could have reworded the text to match the card theme, and used some more groovy graphics instead of square tables and boxes. Bonus points for being the only set to ever use the word groovy. This is the first time I spent more time researching language than the card itself. This is also the first card in the trade lot of 14 from Kevin of The Diamond King.

Additional Links: Looking for some 60's slang?

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