Tag Archives: jordan

MICHAEL JORDAN UPPER DECK BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The Michael Jordan baseball card storyline is one of the most unique twists in sports card collecting history. After winning three straight NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, the legendary Michael Jordan shocked the sports world in the fall of 1993 by announcing his retirement from professional basketball at the young age of 30. Speculation ran rampant about Jordan’s true motivation for leaving basketball, with many theorizing it had more to do with Jordan’s desire to try his hand at pro baseball rather than simply burnout from basketball. That spring, Jordan began pursuing his childhood dream of playing minor league baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization.

As arguably the most famous athlete in the world made this unexpected career change, Upper Deck seized the opportunity to capture the moment. In 1994, they released two separate Michael Jordan baseball card sets – Jordan’s Return To Baseball and Pro Set Michael Jordan Minor League. These sets focused entirely on Jordan’s attempt to make it in pro baseball rather than his legendary basketball career. At the time, it was uncertain whether Jordan would actually succeed in minor league baseball or if it was merely a publicity stunt before an inevitable NBA return. Nonetheless, collectors snatched up Jordan’s baseball cards, enthralled by the novelty and intrigue of the storyline.

In Jordan’s Return To Baseball, Upper Deck featured a mixture of on-field baseball action shots as well as portraits of Jordan in his White Sox uniform. The set totaled 75 cards with parallel “Bat” and “Jersey” autograph and memorabilia card inserts mixed in. Despite not having played a single professional baseball game yet, Jordan’s name recognition and mystique alone made these sets a huge collector success. Prices climbed rapidly on serial numbered parallels as Jordan mania gripped the hobby. Even basic commons fetched far above normal minor league prices.

The Pro Set Michael Jordan Minor League set took Jordan’s baseball cards to an even greater level. Pro Set produced a whopping 132 cards focused only on Jordan split between three differentParallel sets – Minor League, Minor League Autographs, and Minor League Memorabilia. The base Minor League set included plenty of on-field action shots along with biography and stats cards chronicling Jordan’s athletic background. Serial numbered parallels pushed the excitement and hype around an unknown future for Jordan in pro baseball to a fever pitch. Meanwhile, the autograph and memorabilia cards inserted were considered true prizes for collectors with only a handful produced.

While playing for the Birmingham Barons, Jordan’s baseball skills were put to the test during the 1994 season. As expected for a 31-year-old who hadn’t played competitive baseball in over a decade, Jordan struggled mightily at the plate. In 127 at-bats over the course of the season Jordan managed only a .202 batting average with just 3 home runs and 51 strikeouts. He showed average fielding abilities with decent speed for his age but lacked any real power hitting ability or plate discipline. Questions swirled about whether Jordan was really serious about making a career out of baseball or if it truly was just a publicity stunt before an inevitable NBA return.

That speculation ended abruptly in March 1995 when Jordan shockingly announced he would return to the NBA and the Chicago Bulls. Jordan cited his desire to prove he could still compete at a high level in basketball as his primary motivation rather than a failure in baseball. As one of the most anticipated sporting comebacks of all time, Jordan’s return sent shockwaves through the NBA and inspired fans around the world. It also gave his baseball cards a new dimension of intrigue as physical reminders of Jordan’s brief experiment playing another professional sport. Years later, many of those early baseball rookies from 1994 have grown to rival or surpass Jordan’s comparable rookie basketball cards in value.

While Jordan’s baseball career lasted less than a single season, collectors maintain tremendous interest in chronicling and celebrating this little known chapter of his biography. Many see Jordan’s attempt at baseball as a remarkable display of will, determination and competitive drive rather than a failure. His cards from 1994 served to freeze frame a moment in Jordan’s amazing journey and career that few saw coming. Interest remains strong for parallel and serial numbered autograph and memorabilia versions that push rarity and collectibility to a maximum. Meanwhile, basic commons continue to appeal to Jordan completionists and fans honoring the fact that he was brave enough to fulfill his baseball dreams, even if only for a short time. Overall, Michael Jordan’s baseball cards ensure this brief baseball interlude is not forgotten or overlooked within the context of his legendary athletic career and collectible endeavors.

VALUE OF MICHAEL JORDAN BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Many people may not realize that for a short period in the early 1990s, Jordan also pursued a career in professional baseball. His attempt to make the switch from basketball to baseball was one of the more intriguing sports stories of that era. While Jordan’s baseball career was ultimately unsuccessful on the field, the baseball cards produced during this time have taken on considerable value in the years since for collectors.

In the summer of 1993, Jordan shockingly announced his retirement from basketball at the height of his career with the Chicago Bulls. At the time, speculation ran rampant about his reasons for leaving the NBA, with some questioning whether he was truly retiring or taking time away from the game. After about a year and a half away from basketball, Jordan decided to embark on a new path and joined the Chicago White Sox organization to try out for their Double-A minor league team, the Birmingham Barons. Jordan spent the entire 1994 season playing in the minors as he attempted this career change into professional baseball.

During Jordan’s time pursuing baseball, card manufacturers like Fleer, Topps, and Upper Deck released sets that included cards featuring Jordan in a White Sox or Barons uniform. These sets released in 1994 and 1995 contain the only basketball cards in existence that show Jordan wearing anything other than a Bulls uniform. At the time, the inclusion of Jordan in baseball card sets generated excitement, but there was no guarantee his baseball career attempt would be successful or that the cards would maintain significant collector value long-term. Now, almost 30 years later, Jordan’s rare baseball cards from this period can be highly coveted by collectors and fetch tremendous prices at auction.

One of the key Jordan baseball cards that retains huge value is the 1994 Upper Deck SP Authentic #47 card. This card features a cleanly photographed image of Jordan in a White Sox batting stance. What makes the card so rare and desirable to collectors is that it carries Jordan’s actual autograph on the front of the card. At the time, Upper Deck produced cards with blank space on the front specifically for autograph opportunities. Only about 100 of these Jordan autograph cards are believed to exist in collectors’ hands today in gem mint condition. In recent years, mint condition copies of this elusive autograph card have sold at auction for over $100,000.

Another hugely valuable Jordan baseball issue is the 1994 Collector’s Choice Gold Signature rookie card #274. Similar to the Upper Deck autograph card, this Collector’s Choice issue contained blank space on the front for an autograph, but Jordan autographed far fewer of these rookie cards compared to Upper Deck at the time. Extremely few mint Collector’s Choice Gold Signatures with Jordan’s auto believed to remain, and one in pristine condition achieved an eye-popping $273,500 at auction in 2021. While not autographed, even the standard Collector’s Choice #274 rookie tops out at over $3,000 today for top grades.

Beyond the ultra-rare autographed parallels, many of Jordan’s mainstream baseball card issues from 1994 and 1995 have appreciated significantly as well. The 1994 Fleer MetalUniverse Advance Photo #249 shows a headshot of Jordan and graded mint examples can reach over $10,000. The 1995 Upper Deck #57 portrays Jordan batting and consistently clears $2,000 for perfect status. And his 1995 Finest #91 rookie that features crisp photography sells graded pristinely for $1,500 on average. Even Jordan’s common cards from this era in high grades are valuable and coveted, unlike his plentiful basketball cards.

The overall scarcity of Michael Jordan’s baseball cards makes them immensely more desirable and valuable compared to his basketball issues. Only a fraction as many sets were produced featuring Jordan donning a White Sox or Barons cap versus his many basketball releases over a Hall of Fame career. The novelty of the Great One stepping outside his element added to the intrigue and increased demand for these unique issues at the time. Now, as we look back on Jordan’s fascinating attempt to play pro baseball nearly 3 decades ago, his rarified cards from that period retain a mystique and are among the most prized possessions in collecting. True mint condition specimens can rival or surpass even Jordan’s rarest basketball rookies in price. The monetary worth may come as no surprise, but the baseball card values trulysymbolize Jordan’s unparalleled popularity that continued even during his brief baseball interlude.

MICHAEL JORDAN BASEBALL CARDS PRICES

Leave a reply

Michael Jordan’s brief baseball career in the early 1990s marked one of the most unexpected career moves in sports history. After winning three consecutive NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan surprisingly retired from basketball in 1993 at the young age of 30 to pursue a career in Minor League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox organization. While Jordan struggled mightily on the baseball field, hitting just .202 in 127 games in the minors, his move to baseball created a lot of excitement and intrigue from fans and collectors. As a result, Michael Jordan’s baseball cards from his time in the minors in 1994 are still some of the most sought after and valuable cards in the hobby.

Jordan only played one season of minor league baseball in 1994 before returning to the NBA the following year, but the rookie cards released of him during that time period have stood the test of time. Starting with the most coveted and valuable, one of the true “holy grails” for any sports card collector is the 1994 Upper Deck SP Authenticated rookie card of Michael Jordan in a Chicago White Sox uniform. Only 23 of these cards were produced with Jordan’s authentic autograph on the front of the card and each one is numbered. In near-mint condition, PSA-graded 10 gem mint examples of this Jordan baseball autograph card have sold at auction for over $350,000 in recent years, making it arguably the most valuable baseball card ever created. Even raw copies in excellent shape can sell for well into the six-figure range.

Another tremendously rare and desirable Jordan baseball issue is the 1994 Collector’s Choice Gold Signature rookie card. Like the Upper Deck above, each copy was hand-signed by Jordan and uniquely numbered out of 100 total cards produced. High-grade examples with a PSA/DNA grade of 10 have sold for over $200,000 each. Raw near-mint examples still command prices typically above $100K due to the extreme scarcity and coveted on-card autograph of His Airness during his short-lived baseball playing days. Far more attainable but still pricey are PSA 10 specimens of Jordan’s 1994 Topps Finest Refractor rookie card, with values around $10,000 each for the true gem mint quality cards.

In terms of Jordan’s primary 1994 baseball rookie cards issued in series like Upper Deck, Score, and Donruss, PSA 10 specimens typically vary in the $3,000-$6,000 price range depending on specific parallel or serial number variations. High-grade copies in PSA 9 condition often sell in the $1,000-$2,000 range as well, still superb examples for most collectors’ budgets. Moving down in condition, most PSA 8 Jordan baseball rookies trade hands between $500-$1,000 while EX-MT+/PSA 7 quality cards are available for under $500 usually.

Jordan’s 1994 Donruss Preferred Gold parallel rookie card, with only 98 produced, has also gained a strong cult following and investable status with PSA 10s now worth over $3,000 each after originally being shortprinted into factory sets. Even the multi-thousand print run base rookie variations from 1994 Donruss, Topps, Upper Deck, and Score series have maintained strong pricing, with raw near-mint copies attainable from $100-300 depending on specific parallels. Collectors should also be on the lookout for lesser known regional variations like the 1994 Tennessee Sports Card Ianomics Jordan rookie, which had an even more limited production run than mainstream issues.

One of the most attainable yet still highly collectible aspects of Jordan’s 1994 baseball card hobby is the staggering number of minor league team sets, factory sets, and oddball issue cards featuring rookie variations. Sets like 1994 Bowman’s Best White Sox Team Set, Pacific Baseball Cards Minors Set, and Upper Deck SP minors parallel showcase beautiful on-card photography of His Airness taking cuts in the cages or warming up between innings. Examples from such regional minor league team issues can often be obtained in NM-MT condition for under $50 despite their tangible Michael Jordan baseball connection. Even broken, these more budget-friendly oddballs are popular with collectors seeking to deep dive into Jordan’s baseball memorabilia.

Michael Jordan’s brief yet landmark baseball career in 1994 resulted in a treasure trove of coveted rookie cards that remain among the most prized possessions in the modern sports collecting universe. From six-figure autographed gems down to affordable minor league parallels, the variety of Jordan baseball issues ensures that all budget levels can participate in preserving this unusual left turn the global icon took between his iconic NBA championship runs. Whether acquired purely as investments, sports nostalgia, or historically significant pop culture documents, Jordan’s baseball card offerings continue to captivate collectors worldwide decades after his time playing in the White Sox system.