The 2000 Topps baseball card Series 2 was released in July 2000 as the second series of cards in the Topps flagship set for that year. Series 2 followed the initial Series 1 release in April and carried on Topps’ tradition of chronicling the upcoming Major League Baseball season through card issues released throughout the year.
Some key things to know about the 2000 Topps Series 2 set include:
The set contains 258 total trading cards. Like all Topps flagship releases, the core of the set focused on current MLB players but also included rookie cards, stars from the past, retired greats, and management/team cards.
Roster changes from Opening Day meant several new players made their Series 2 debuts after joining teams later in the season. Notable call-ups included Michael Cuddyer, Jason Marquis, Tomo Ohka, and Rondell White.
Top rookie cards in the set included Bobby Crosby, Russ Ortiz, Justin Morneau, and Matt Lawton among others as they began their MLB careers in 2000. Veteran players like Dave Martinez and John Kruk also appeared in their final Topps cards before retirement.
Past stars highlighted in the retrospective/throwback cards included Willie McCovey, Vida Blue, Luis Tiant, and Boog Powell representing the franchise histories and alumni of current teams.
International player cards featured Cuban baseball star Jose Contreras, who was just starting his pro career in the 2000 season, and Japanese League star Shigetoshi Hasegawa.
The design theme carried forward a clean, photo-centric look with white borders and borders/accents in team colors. Statistics, career highlights and fun facts were included on the back of each card.
Short prints and serially numbered parallel insert cards added to the allure and chase of completing the set. #d parallels included Gold (#/150), Silver (#/75), and Red (#/25) variations for some major stars.
Popular traded/updated player card insert sets like “Topps Total” and “Your Choice” allowed collectors to select and showcase different photos or uniforms for key players throughout the season.
Checklists, team cards, and manager/coaches cards rounded out the non-player content in the set while franchise greats like Jim Palmer, Orlando Cepeda and Billy Williams had their retired numbers honored.
In terms of the market for 2000 Topps Series 2 cards over 20 years later, the set remains very affordable and accessible for collectors. Without huge rookie card pulls, serially numbered parallels have more appeal to high-end collectors now. The stars from this vintage set like Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Sandy Koufax, Rickey Henderson and Nolan Ryan can still generate some collector interest as iconic players from their era, while the rising star rookies have yet to see significant long-term gains.
For the average collector just starting out or looking to complete a vintage set, 2000 Topps Series 2 offers an attainable glimpse into the MLB players and teams at the dawn of the new millennium – from Crosby’s A’s and Ortiz’s Twins to veterans winding down in Jeter’s Yankees, Big Unit’s Diamondbacks and Frank Thomas leading the White Sox. Background information added to cards helped tell the stories of players past and present. The 2000 Topps Series 2 release succeeded in its mission to provide a colorful snapshot of that baseball season through a fun, affordable card set welcoming to collectors both casual and hardcore. With its mix of stars, rookies, and nostalgia, the appeal and collectability of this issue continue over two decades later.
