Glenallen Hill had a long professional baseball career spanning from 1990 to 2003, playing for numerous major league teams. As a result, he has baseball cards from several different seasons and card companies. Hill broke into the major leagues in 1990 with the Chicago Cubs and went on to also play for the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Anaheim Angels, and Houston Astros before retiring. His best seasons came early in his career in the mid-1990s when he showed both power and speed. Due to having nearly a 15 year MLB career, Glenallen Hill has baseball cards from many different sets issued by the major card manufacturers.
One of Hill’s earliest cards comes from 1991 Donruss. This was just his second season in the majors after breaking in with the Cubs in 1990. The photo on the card captures Hill in a Cubs uniform from that 1991 season. Statistics listed on the back of the card include his numbers from his rookie season in 1990 as well as 1991. He hit .207 with 9 home runs and 28 RBI in his rookie season of 1990 according to the stats on the back of this card. The 1991 Donruss Glenallen Hill card in near mint condition now sells for around $5.
Upper Deck released Hill’s rookie card in 1992. This was Upper Deck’s first season producing baseball cards and they did rookie or “star rookie” style cards for numerous young impact players. The Hill card features a colorful action photo of him batting from his 1991 season with the Cubs. Statistics from both 1990 and 1991 are listed on the back. The 1992 Upper Deck Glenallen Hill rookie card in near mint condition is considerably more valuable than his 1990 Donruss or 1991 Donruss cards, currently selling in the $25 range.
After being traded from the Cubs to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992, Hill’s 1993 cards featured him in a Blue Jays uniform. Both the 1993 Score set and the 1993 Fleer Ultra Traded set have cards of Hill as a member of the Blue Jays. The Fleer Ultra Traded issue that year focused exclusively on players who had been traded and had cards in new uniforms. Hill’s statistics from 1992 with both the Cubs and Blue Jays are listed on the back of these 1993 issues. The Score and Fleer Ultra Traded cards from Hill’s 1993 Blue Jays season sell for around $10 each in near mint condition presently.
The 1994 season saw Hill play for three different teams – starting with the Blue Jays before getting traded mid-season first to the Seattle Mariners and then to the St. Louis Cardinals before season’s end. This made for interesting variations in the cards issued of Hill that year. The mainline 1994 Fleer, Score, and Pinnacle sets all featured Hill in a Blue Jays uniform even though he only played part of the season there before the trades. Then 1994 Fleer Update and Stadium Club Traded had Hill in a Mariners uniform. And finally 1994 Leaf Limited and Ultra had him appearing as a member of the Cardinals, reflecting his uniform from the end of that season. Collectors aiming to get all the variations of Hill’s 1994 cards across multiple teams would have to track down each of those different uniform variations.
Perhaps the most notable of Glenallen Hill’s baseball cards comes from 1995 when he played for the New York Mets. That season was one of his best statistically as he hit .259 with 27 home runs and 75 RBI in only 123 games. Upper Deck captured Hill in all his 1995 Mets glory with their insert chase card called “Power Places.” This parallel insert set featured players in powerful slugging poses and Hill’s card portrayed him mid-power swing. Only available one per hobby box on average, the 1995 Upper Deck “Power Places” Glenallen Hill card has gained notable value among collectors of the famously power hitter. Graded mint condition examples can reach into the $100+ range depending on market conditions.
Hill’s continued his MLB career with the Anaheim Angels in 1998 and Houston Astros from 2000-2002. Cards were subsequently issued of him over those seasons in uniforms of both those clubs. By that point in his career Hill was more just a role player and part-time starter rather than an everyday player. As such, his late career uniform change cards from the late 1990s and early 2000s hold less collector value and interest compared to his earlier high production years depicted in Cubs, Blue Jays, and Mets cards from the first half of the 1990s. Even still, devoted Glenallen Hill collectors aim to accumulate all the variations across his entire playing tenure in the major leagues.
In summary, Glenallen Hill had a lengthy MLB career spanning from 1990 to 2003 that allowed for numerous baseball card releases over several seasons with many teams. His early rookie and stars cards hold the most value, especially from flagship sets during his best statistical years with the Cubs and Mets in the early-mid 1990s. Upper Deck rookie and “Power Places” insert stand out as particularly desirable issues. Later uniform change cards capture Hill’s tenure with additional clubs but bring less excitement. For diehard PC collectors of Hill or fans of 1990s cards in general, seeking out all the variations across manufacturers and years makes for an interesting collecting challenge given his numerous stops over a long 14-year playing career.