After an injury-plagued 2001 season, Ken Griffey Jr. was determined to lead the Cincinnati Reds back to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. The Flair showcase legacy collection is from the 1996-97 season. Now expected to contend, the Padres laid an egg. Larger cards, a bigger checklist and other things like stats and team logos were all made important parts of baseball cards with the set. Pete Rose, 1963 Topps - $717,000. 1997 Topps Finest Embossed Gold Die-Cut Refractor Derek Jeter PSA 10 Price: $5655 . PriceIt Game | The most valuable card in 2006 Topps Baseball wasn't supposed to be in the set. And Bonds was the catalyst for San Franciscos storybook postseason return. As usual, Jones brought both power and discipline to the plate, which resulted in the second-best batting average (.337) and third-best OBP (.425), and slugging percentage (.604) in the National League. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. It started promisingly enough, including Sandberg's record-breaking 267th home run on April 26th, a bomb that vaulted the 37-year-old ahead of Joe Morgan for the most career homers by a second baseman. That should paint a pretty clear picture of just how incredibly dominant Pujols was at that point in his career. By the end of the '04 season, Mauer was a Twin to stay and would go on to define a generation of Minnesota baseball. Come October, though, Jeter was exemplary, slashing .333/.417/.667 with two homers, three walks, six runs scored, and two RBIs against Cleveland in a best-of-five ALDS matchup. The key rookie cards for this set include #641 Justin Verlander, #355 Jonathan Papelbon, #617 Ryan Zimmerman, and #639 Prince Fielder. | Compare vs. Fortunately for hobbyists lucky enough to find one of those cards, Jeter exceeded expectations and became a baseball icon. The 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner, the most valuable baseball card with SGC 3 graded, sold in August 2021 for $6.6 million. However, Jeter was uncharacteristically bad during the postseason, as he went just 3-17 with one RBI and zero runs scored during the Yankees' 3-1 ALDS loss to the Cleveland Indians. The season marked yet another efficient and productive performance in the future Hall of Famer's storied career. Baseball cards started with humble beginnings. Standard Cards. The 22-year-old future Hall-of-Famer fouled a ball off his left foot in late March, breaking a bone. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Expectations were sky-high for Derek Jeter and the Bronx Bombers heading into the 1997 campaign. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. By today's standards, the set also has noticeably fewer inserts. "I used to spend so much mental preparation on defense, either working on it or worrying about it," Jones said. The Most Expensive Cars. Bonds stretching with a bat in an empty stadium isnt a good one. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. When you ask collectors in this hobby what their favorite baseball set from the 1990s is, it's unlikely that many would pick the 1997 Topps baseball cards set. Compared to his days in the early to mid-1990s, when he routinely put up astronomical numbers with the bat, Frank Thomas wasn't quite as dominant in 2002. One of the most memorable cards in the '91 Topps set, this horizontal stunner shows Clemens posing in front of Fenway Park's famed scoreboard. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2006 Topps Premium: Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. OK, so 1991 Score baseball cards were never popular in the way that 1952 Topps or 1989 Upper Deck or even 1991 Topps baseball cards were popular.. National Baseball Card Day Inserts 3 Cards Set. Cheapest, New York blew a 2-1 series lead, digging a 4-0 hole in the decisive Game 5 that was too deep to crawl out of. . Premium: Many anticipated that Topps would eventually correct the error, and prices soared as collectors scrambled to get their hands on this perceived "rarity.". Bonds would eventually hit six more long balls to finish the 2007 season with 762 career home runs. San Diegos lack of consistency doomed them in the end in 1997. After missing two-and-a-half months with a wrist fracture in 2001, Ortiz's left knee started to bother him early in the '02 campaign. In an attempt at humor, or perhaps just a stunt to build additional hype for their Series One release, Topps inserted an image of Mickey Mantle in the dugout and President George W. Bush in the stands on Derek Jeter's card. Contact him at [emailprotected]. With Albert Belle protecting him in the middle of the order, Thomas ripped through AL pitching all year long, winning his first and only batting title with a .347 average. The Twins made good on the promise of their 85-win season in 2001, capturing the AL Central at 94-67 and earning the franchise's first playoff berth since winning the World Series in 1991. There is also a 1996-style card as Mantle appeared in 1996 Topps Baseball on a special tribute card. At one point, it was going for four figures. In 103 games, Boggs slashed .292/.373/.397 with four home runs, 55 runs scored and 28 RBIs. The 1997 Topps checklist wasn't nearly as extensive as some of the sets of the early 1990s, as it contained 495 cards printed across two series. In the NLDS against Houston, Chipper was even better, going 4-for-8 with a homer, three runs scored, three walks, two RBIs, and a stolen base in a 3-0 sweep of the Astros. Despite his incredible defensive stats, he lost the Gold Glove to Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Yadier Molina 2003 Topps First Year Rookie Card #324 St. Louis Cardinals Surf. Henderson struggled in 31 games with the Halos, hitting just .183 with 16 stolen bases and a paltry .604 OPS. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Amazingly enough, he still had one more MLB stop left to go before he called it a career. The card was graded PSA 10 GEM MINT condition and sold in a private sale on Ebay. Fifty years later, it was time to honor his legacy with a special cardboard salute. The Most Expensive Watches. Only in factory sets were collectors able to find a version of the card without Mantle and Bush. Despite a career-best 32 stolen bases, '02 was a down year for Jeter as he hit under .300 (.297) and posted an OPS under .800 (.794) for the first time since 1997. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 435 items The 80-win White Sox lacked the pitching to make a legitimate run, but Thomas' mere presence in the batter's box made them appointment viewing from April through September. The most valuable baseball card from the 1960s is the 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card #537, graded PSA 10 gem mint condition. He looks out of place in a Montreal Expos uniform, given that he never played in the National League, even ignoring that he didn't bother tucking in his shirt. No More Secrets Puzzle Game. Ken spent most of his career playing as an . When he returned, however, Junior wasnt himself. At 34 years old, Thomas came into the 2002 season looking to bounce back from the personal and physical pain of the year before. While Barry Bonds was finishing off his chase of Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, the baseball world watched and wondered if Albert Pujols might be the next guy to make a run at it in the future. 2006 marked the first year of new rookie card rules. This was good looking set. During his 2007 campaign, Tulowitzki did not disappoint as he finished with a .291 batting average, 24 home runs, 104 runs scored and 99 RBI to finish just two points behind Milwaukee's Ryan Braun for second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote. Release Date: Feb 22 2006; Sport: Baseball; Publisher: Topps; Year: 2006; Base/Insert: 39; Cards in Collection: 2615; Includes: . With this all in mind, it's easy to consider the 2002 season a letdown for Ichiro and the Mariners. However, the Marlins took his best punches and delivered the knockout blow, breaking a 2-2 series tie with back-to-back wins to close the series out in six. Bonds later filed a grievance with MLB in 2015, stating that teams had colluded to not sign him after 2007, but the league ruled against him. His 26 home runs and 95 RBI weren't the monster numbers he had steadily produced during the 1990s but that level of output was some of his highest of the 2000s. Regardless of everyone's opinions, Derek Jeter still won the award, and Topps included him in their Gold Glove Winners subset along with the rest of the winners in 2006. Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. 1982 Topps Traded #98T: Everybody wants to make such a big fuss about a 2,632-game playing streak when the real awe lies with the steadiness of this card's value. 100-. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 12 most valuable. We are user supported. Read our methodology. Wasnt too excited about the 2006 Topps cards I obtained. Though he may not have lived up to the lofty expectations MLB had for him, Gordon still turned in a fine career that saw him become a three-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glover, two-time Platinum Glover, and 2015 World Series champion. The card was designed and produced by the American Tobacco Company from 1909-11. Roberto Clemente, 1955 Topps. Read our methodology. Found a few in a Legends LLC buyback package from Bam! Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. . Further examination revealed bone chips in the joint, leading to surgery and a 22-game absence for the 26-year-old slugger. In the offseason, Atlanta made waves with a blockbuster trade that sent clubhouse leaders Marquis Grissom and David Justice to Cleveland for Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree. bookstore after rediscovering my love for this hobby after a 15 year hiatus. 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt Rookie Card. And although Thomas finished third in 1997 behind Ken Griffey Jr. and Tino Martinez, his 1997 season stacks up nicely against his award-winning campaigns. A 1952 Topps #311 Mantle card sold for $12.6 million at auction on Aug. 28. Then a highly touted prospect, Alex Gordon had his card all ready to go. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. At 37 years of age, Gwynn was still at the very top of his game, earning his 13th All-Star selection, seventh Silver Slugger Award, and a sixth-place finish in the National Leagues MVP race. Regarding rookie cards, this set turned out to be a dud. Unfortunately, they fell five games short of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. And just like that, Murray's playing career was over. #10. Making the 1971 Topps Roberto Clemente baseball card, graded PSA 10 gem mint condition, the most valuable baseball card from the 1970s. MM1999 also omitted the MVP award stars that were printed alongside the years in the original 1999 card style that year. Sandberg re-signed in 1997 with hopes of continuing his late-career resurgence. Jones went 5-for-17 (.294) with five walks, three runs scored, and two RBIs in Atlanta's five-game NLDS tilt against the Giants. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Like Ichiro, Pujols put up one of MLB's most incredible rookie campaigns. In hopes of returning at some point during the seasons second half, Junior opted for rehab instead of season-ending surgery. Yet, despite an impressive 93-69 record, Seattle ended up third in the division, ten games behind the West champion Oakland A's and six games behind the Anaheim Angels in the Wild Card race. Considering he was the oldest active player in the American League, it made sense. A bit of bad luck, though, delayed Guerrero's regular-season debut by over a month. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With Gwynn out of the picture, the Padres embraced a full-scale rebuild. But, even though the 2002 Topps set didn't end up seeing quite as much love in the end, it still held its own as a fantastic overall set. 2006 eTopps HONUS WAGNER T206 Reprint /749 *PSA 10 Pop 6* Gem Mint & Rarely Seen Honus Wagner is known as "The Flying Dutchman" of the baseball era and one of the best baseball players. Despite those drawbacks, some desirable inserts and base cards can fetch decent prices in top condition in today's market. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $200. Ortiz laced a ninth-inning RBI double off Oakland A's closer Billy Koch in the deciding Game 5 of the ALDS, extending Minnesota's lead to 5-1. #9. And an important hobby icon returned to the company to not only fill a spot on the base set checklist but plenty of inserts as well. Soon after, Sandberg started to slump and things snapped into focus. "I truly lived my field of dreams right here at Wrigley," he told a raucous sellout crowd during the Ryne Sandberg Day pregame festivities. As you can imagine, it sells for much less than his 2006 Topps card since there is nothing erroneous or special about it. Ichiro would start his career with ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards, the last of them coming during the 2010 season when he was 36 years old. To make the cut in a major league base set, a player actually had to make it to the majors. Chipper Jones chose the aforementioned Ozzy Osborne classic, which became synonymous with him from then on. 1975 Topps Robin Yount Rookie Card #223. . National Baseball Card Day 5 Cards Set. 1 Nolan Ryan #400: By the time this card came out, Ryan was in . Read our methodology. . After giving up just one run in his first 18.2 postseason innings, he gave up a run in just two innings against the Indians. Most Expensive, The 38-year-old outfielder started the year in San Diego and ended about 100 miles north in Anaheim by the season's end. Read our methodology. He was also coming off a streak of twelve-straight All-Star appearances. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Not that he would've had a hard time getting in without 3,000 hits anyway, seeing as how he is an eleven-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, two-time MVP, four-time batting champion, 2003 World Series champion and Triple Crown winner (2012). 10 Bo Jackson #600. 2006 Topps Baseball can be seen as something of a transition year for the flagship brand. $32.00. However, his production was secondary to his essential learning experience while adjusting to professional baseball competition. Cheapest, Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? That means the card needs to be flawless. Image Credit: ebay. A slump in the season's second half dropped his batting average from the high .300s to .321 for the season, good for fourth in the AL after he'd captured the league's batting title the year before (.350). Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc. Get free collecting news from leading hobby professionals, in-depth articles, breaking news, insightful videos & more! Topps Chrome is here, being ripped, and contents making their way to eBay and other online card shops and platforms. With just one playoff appearance from 1988-2010 (2006), the Detroit Tigers' comedy of errors was a running punchline for two-plus . For Barry Bonds, the 2007 season was all about trying to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record. Yet, by 1996, Martinez began to show the world he could be one of the best starting pitchers in the game when he earned his first of eight career trips to the All-Star Game. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. Surprisingly, Derek Jeter didn't rank among the top shortstops in any of the major defensive categories in 2006 but still brought home his third of five career Gold Gloves. 2006 marked the first year of new rookie card rules. 1957 Topps Football #119 Bart Starr Rookie Card PSA 8: Sold in April 2022 on Robert Edward Auctions for $29,400. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million. Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps - $2.8 Million. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2006 Topps The 2007 season turned out to be a career year for Alex Rodriguez, and much of that was due to his physical preparation and some adjustments he made to his batting approach. 2. Regarding rookie cards, this set turned out to be a dud. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . But with age finally creeping up on Boggs in his sixteenth season, he began to share time at the hot corner with Charlie Hayes and saw an uptick in usage as a DH. . Recently discussed in "The 30 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time (2023 Update)" article online . Still, he made it to his sixth All-Star Game and finished ninth in the NL MVP race, his lowest finish in the vote during his first round as a Cardinal. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # Before the season, Reds manager Jerry Narron made Ryan Freel the team's center fielder while moving Griffey to right, which could have helped Griffey's durability. The set was originally to be issued at the more common 660 card set count, but Topps was forced to pull card #297 Alex Gordon very early in production due to new requirements put in place by the MLBPA regarding qualifications for releasing rookie cards. As a result, Topps couldn't include him in the set. Click Here, Click here to sell your vintage sports card collection. At 39 years old, Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs suited up for the New York Yankees for the fifth and final season after helping the Bronx Bombers to a World Series the year before. AsBaseball America's #2 prospect heading into the 1997 season (behind Atlanta's Andruw Jones), Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero was the cornerstone of yet another rebuilding project for the beleaguered franchise. Jeter went down with a heck of a fight, hitting .500 (8-for-16) with two home runs, six runs scored, 3 RBIs, and a 1.401 OPS. At that point, if it wasn't clear to the Dodgers that they'd made a huge mistake, it was immediately clear the following season in 1997. Table of Contents. After the season, Ichiro placed eighth in the MVP race while earning his seventh-straight Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger. In that year, 90 cards were put into the base sets and separated into Rows. The cross-brand, multi-year Mickey Mantle Home Run History set kicks off. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. He finished the year slashing .302/.350/.483 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs in 90 games for a 78-84 Expos squad that finished fourth in the NL East. As you can see, there aren't really any big-time cards in this set but, if graded in PSA 10 condition, there are several that can command a decent price tag. Subsets for the 2005 Topps baseball cards include First year cards, Prospects, Managers, League Leaders, AL All-Stars, NL All-Stars, Post-Season, Award Winners, Team Cards and World Series Cards. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Basketball Cards. The Padres won just 66 games in 2002 and 64 in 2003, languishing at the bottom of the NL West standings while building their prospect base. $22.00. He entered the Expos lineup for the first time on May 3rd, going hitless in two at-bats against the San Diego Padres. Derek Jeter baseball cards are among the most valuable from this era. Out of all the. Tulowitzki also showed off his incredible glove on defense as he led all NL shortstops in fielding percentage (.987), putouts (262), total chances (834), assists (561), double plays turned (114), and range factor (5.39). Year after year, Pujols was capable of putting up 40+ home runs, scoring 120+ runs, and driving in 120+ runs while competing for the batting title. Shortcuts: Read our methodology. A second trip to the disabled list in the middle of the year tanked Guerrero's Rookie of the Year considerations, dropping him to sixth in the NL vote. San Diego stumbled hard out of the gate and never recovered, losing 30 of their first 50 games and ending the year in the division cellar at 76-86. Gordon batted a paltry .247 with 15 home runs, 60 runs scored and 60 RBI during his 2007 rookie campaign and from that point on, the hype surrounding him slowly wained. 2013 Topps Update Baseball Gerrit Cole Yellow Hat RC Rookie #US 150 PSA 10 $140.00 2013 Topps Baseball Didi Gregorius Rookie Emerald Cincinnati Reds #296 PSA . The most expensive Topps card of all time was a Mickey Mantle baseball rookie card. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. Apparently, the company did what they could to pull the Gordon cards but some still made their way into packs. 2006 Topps Update Jon Lester RC #UH149. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. The result is a very expensive short print. One looks completely normal. Unfortunately, after testing positive for amphetamines before the season started, Bonds' entire legacy rested under a cloud of doubt and distrust from that point on. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 853 items With the departure of closer John Wetteland in free agency, the Mariano Rivera era officially began in the Bronx in 1997. Veteran stars such as Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Vladimir Guerrero are also included among many others stars. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Estimates are less than 500 of the cards were released (known as Gordon's FULL rookie card) and perhaps up to 5000 cards made it into packs as a CUT OUT variation. It worked wonders for the Os as Baltimore raced ahead in the AL East early, winning 42 of their first 60 games. A remarkable all-around . LeBron James 2003-04 Topps #1 Draft Pick Rookie #221 RC SCORING KING! He made just nine plate appearances as a pinch hitter for Los Angeles, going 2-for-7 with a couple of walks. As a result, a complete set is considered to be 659 cards, without a card 297. He finished in the National League's top ten in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (34, 10th), hits (185, 4th), batting average (.314, 7th), doubles (40, 8th), RBIs (127, 2nd), and runs scored (118, 2nd).