Mark DiFelice was a major league starting pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1995 to 2002. While he never achieved superstar status, DiFelice had a lengthy MLB career and many baseball card collectors enjoy collecting his rookie cards and cards from his years playing in the major leagues. One of the top sites to find Mark DiFelice cards available for purchase is COMC, or Cardboard Connection. This article will provide a biography of DiFelice’s playing career, an overview of his notable baseball cards, as well as tips for collectors looking to buy his cards on COMC.
DiFelice was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 5th round of the 1991 MLB Draft out of Archbishop Molloy High School in New York. He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 1995 and had some early success, recording a win in his first career start. In 1995 and 1996 with Cincinnati, DiFelice showed promise as a starter and swingman, making 38 total appearances including 25 starts over those two seasons. He posted a 10-9 record and 4.33 ERA during his time with the Reds.
Prior to the 1998 season, DiFelice was traded from Cincinnati to the Boston Red Sox. He became a full time member of the Red Sox starting rotation in 1998 and 1999. In 1998, he set career highs in starts (31), innings pitched (181), and strikeouts (112) while going 11-9 with a 4.30 ERA for Boston. His 1998 Donruss Studio #247 card is one of his more commonly found rookie cards available on COMC. DiFelice remained in Boston’s rotation the following season in 1999 but saw his ERA rise to 5.15 in 31 games started.
After the 1999 season, DiFelice signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he spent his final 3 MLB seasons from 2000-2002. He was used mainly as a swingman and spot starter for Toronto, making 54 total appearances over those 3 years including 30 starts. His production declined but he provided useful innings for the Blue Jays in a middle relief/starter role. DiFelice’s final MLB season was in 2002 at age 31 when he posted a 5.24 ERA in 14 games/8 starts before being released by Toronto in August. He briefly signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays afterward but did not appear in any more big league games, effectively ending his 7-year MLB career.
Over his MLB tenure from 1995-2002, DiFelice had a career record of 48-46 with a 4.71 ERA in 175 total games pitched, 113 of them as a starting pitcher. While never an All-Star, DiFelice demonstrated durability by averaging over 150 innings pitched per season from 1998-2000 as a full time starter. He carved out an impressive 8 year professional career after being drafted in the later rounds out of high school.
When searching for Mark DiFelice baseball cards on COMC, there are several notable rookie and base cards that regularly appear in search results:
1996 Upper Deck #677: One of DiFelice’s flagship rookie cards from his early seasons with the Reds. Generally sells in the $5-10 range on COMC depending on condition.
1998 Donruss Studio #247: As mentioned, his true rookie card and one of his commons from his peak years with the Red Sox. Also around the $5-10 range based on grade.
2000 Topps #662: Comes from DiFelice’s first season with the Blue Jays and shows him in the Toronto uniform. Can be found for under $5.
2002 Upper Deck #358: His final major release card before retiring. Lower print run sets from his later years tend to have fewer copies available.
1999 Stadium Club #238: Popular insert set places DiFelice in 3D Stadium photo style. Can sell for $3-5 depending on condition.
COMC typically has at least several hundred total copies of DiFelice’s common base cards available at any given time across all sport sets from the 1990s-2000s. Condition is crucial – highest grades in NM-MT condition typically sell quickest, while more worn copies may sit unsold for longer periods. Price is also impacted based on the rare parallel or insert cards versus the common base cards. Overall DiFelice doesn’t carry huge collector value, but his cards can make for affordable editions to Reds, Red Sox, and Blue Jays PC’s of the late 90s-early 2000s era.
In summary, Mark DiFelice developed into a serviceable major league pitcher who provided useful innings for three different MLB teams over the course of an eight year professional career. While not a true star, DiFelice’s career featured some notable accomplishments and his more prominent baseball cards remain widely obtainable for collectors on online marketplaces like COMC. From common yearly issues to popular inserts, finding DiFelice cardboard in a variety of price ranges is very possible for those looking to build a collection of this durable 1990s-2000s hurler.