The 1997 Pinnacle Xpress Baseball Card set was a unique release from Pinnacle that featured a die-cut design on most of its cards. The set celebrated the rebirth of many MLB franchises who had rebuilt themselves into playoff contenders after a period of struggles in the 1980s and early 1990s. Containing 228 cards total, the 1997 Pinnacle Xpress set highlighted stars of the late 1990s as well as heroes from baseball’s past.
Some key aspects of the 1997 Pinnacle Xpress set include its die-cut designs, focus on franchise turnarounds, star players of the day, and inclusion of retired legends. For die-cuts, most cards in the base set had intricate shapes cut out of the front that were meant to evoke the sport of baseball. Common die-cut shapes included baseballs, bats, gloves, and even stadium designs. This added a creative flair to the otherwise traditional sports card design of the time. Behind these die-cuts were action photos of current players or classic images of baseball icons.
As for spotlighting franchise revivals, Pinnacle used the 1997 Xpress set to celebrate organizations that had risen back to prominence after struggling in the 1970s or 1980s. Teams given this treatment included the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres – all of whom had reached the playoffs or World Series within the previous few seasons. Special “Franchise Turnaround” parallel cards called out these successes. Stars for these teams like Greg Maddux, Jim Thome, Gary Sheffield, and Tony Gwynn were also prominently featured.
Moving to star players of the 1997 MLB season, superstars of the day like Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, Pedro Martinez, and Randy Johnson had nice selections of base cards in the standard set. Future Hall of Famers like Griffey and Ripken were highlighted as the faces of the league as it experienced massive growth in popularity. Power hitters like McGwire, who was chasing Maris’ home run record, received multiple cards as well. The all-star talents of players from this era were perfectly timed with the release of this card set.
In addition to current stars, Pinnacle also included retired legends in the 1997 Xpress set through what they called “Babe Ruth Tribute” parallel cards. Players honored with these included Ruth himself along with Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron. High-quality reproduced classic images of these all-time greats were paired with bios of their career accomplishments. Including baseball history alongside modern play captured both the nostalgia of longtime fans and interest of those newer to the sport.
In total, Pinnacle’s 1997 Xpress Baseball release covered all the key areas collectors enjoyed – creative die-cut design, focus on recent franchise success stories, cards spotlighting the top players of that MLB season, and inclusion of legendary players from baseball’s storied past. While not quite as coveted as other vintage sets today, it provided an excellent snapshot of the game at that moment in time bridging both the traditional and revolutionary elements of the entire baseball card collecting hobby. The innovative die-cuts, parallel cards highlighting both modern breakouts and aging legends, and selection of the dominant stars from 1997 made the Pinnacle Xpress a memorable and worthwhile set for collectors from its year of release to the present day.
