Tag Archives: kris

KRIS BENSON BASEBALL CARDS

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Kris Benson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the big leagues from 1996-2008. While his career was relatively short and somewhat inconsistent due to injuries, Benson had some very successful seasons that made him one of the more prominent pitchers of his era. As a result, Benson has amassed quite a collection of baseball cards over the years from the peak of his playing days in the late 1990s through the 2000s. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top Kris Benson baseball cards that collectors search for.

One of Benson’s most noteworthy rookie cards is his 1996 Upper Deck rookie card. As one of the premier baseball card manufacturers of the 1990s, having a standout rookie in the Upper Deck set was quite an honor for any young player. Benson’s card features his first career MLB action with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996. The card has good photo quality and design standards that Upper Deck was known for. It remains one of Benson’s most high profile rookie cards nearly 30 years later. Similarly, his 1996 Fleer Ultra rookie card is also quite popular among collectors. It showcases another nice action shot from his debut season.

In 1998, Benson had his first full season in the majors with the Pirates and really began to establish himself. That year, he appeared in Topps Stadium Club which was one of the premier baseball card inserts of the late 90s known for including today’s stars long before they became household names. His card in that prestigious set highlights another nice photo that collectors appreciate. Also in 1998, Benson rated cards in the base Bowman, Donruss, and Pinnacle sets that remain respectable collector items today.

Benson’s career year came in 1999 as a member of the Pirates. That season, he went 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA and finished 6th in NL Cy Young voting, establishing himself as one of the game’s best young pitchers. Not surprisingly, he had outstanding representation across 1999 baseball card releases. His flagship rookie card in the Topps set from that year is a staple in collections. The photo shows him mid-pitch with the Pirates cap and classic blue and gold uniform. Upper Deck also issued a prominent card of him that year.

Benson was then involved in a notable late season trade in 1999 that sent him from the Pirates to the New York Mets. He made his Mets debut in the playoffs that year and dueled against the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a result, he gained additional coverage in 1999 playoff and World Series inserts sets including Playoff Prestige and World Series Stars. Cards from those exclusive runs remain big chase cards for collectors. In 2000, Benson cracked the opening day roster for the new Mets team and garnered additional great card photos in sets like Finest, Clear Vision and Fleer Authentix.

The best years of Benson’s baseball card collecting came while he was pitching in New York for the Mets from 2000-2003. As a key member of the Mets rotation, he was prominently featured in the biggest card sets each year. His 2000 Topps Traded card as a Met is among the more popular. He appeared in high end releases like Playoff, Triple Crown, and Topps Chrome Autographs during this peak Mets period. The New York card connection helped drive interest among collectors at the time and value for those releases today.

Arm injuries slowed Benson’s career after 2003 and he bounced around to the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox in subsequent seasons with limited playing time. Still, he generated some prospect cards early in his career when joining new franchises like his 2004 Orioles Bowman card. Injuries or not, as a former top pitcher he was included in year-in-review style sets like Topps Total even when not playing regularly. Some collectors seek out the unique photos and uniforms from those later career stops too.

In summary, Kris Benson forged a respectable MLB career across more than a decade that made him a known commodity in the baseball card space. While injuries curtailed his prime, collectors still value the quality cards issued during his best seasons with the Pirates and Mets in the late 90s and early 2000s. Top rookie cards from brands like Upper Deck and flagship issues from great production years stand out. Autograph cards and action images when pitching for contending Mets clubs are also highly popular in the secondary market today. Overall, Benson developed a nice collecting base deserving of the productive career he enjoyed at baseball’s highest level.

KRIS BRYANT BASEBALL CARDS

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Kris Bryant has quickly become one of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball since debuting with the Chicago Cubs in 2015. As a result, Bryant’s rookie cards and other early baseball cards have gained significant value for collectors. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of Bryant’s notable baseball cards from the early part of his MLB career.

One of Bryant’s most coveted rookie cards is his 2015 Topps Baseball card. Sporting Bryant swinging a bat in his Cubs uniform on the front, the design is clean and highlights Bryant’s stats from his time in the minor leagues. The back provides an overview of Bryant’s path to the Cubs and previews expectations for his impact at the major league level. This was Bryant’s true rookie card released immediately after he was called up to the Cubs and became one of the most sought after rookie cards of its year as Bryant’s stardom emerged. PSA 10 Gem Mint copies of this card now sell for $500-1000, showing the strong demand for a perfect Bryant rookie.

Another highly valuable Bryant rookie is his 2015 Panini Prizm Silver Prizms card. Featuring Bryant in color photos with refractor-like surfaces, the Prizm set had become extremely popular for its clean, modern designs that highlighted the obvious future stars. Bryant’s card in particular stood out with its photo selection emphasizing his intensity. PSA 10 copies have sold for up to $2000, making this parallel version of Bryant’s rookie among the most costly on the market. Its rarity, alongside Bryant’s breakout rookie campaign, cemented this as an iconic card capturing one of the best young players at the start of his career.

Those looking for an even more exclusive Bryant rookie could pursue his 2015 Bowman Chrome Superfractor card, numbered to just 5 copies in existence. Sporting the same photo as the base Bowman Chrome rookie but with an intense iridescent refractor effect, these are the pinnacle Bryant rookies for collectors prioritizing rarity and condition. They rarely become available, with the last PSA 10 copy selling for over $10,000, reflecting Bryant’s superstar status and the exclusivity of this parallel. It stands as one of the most acclaimed and coveted baseball cards released during Bryant’s early years in MLB.

Bryant’s stardom grew exponentially in 2016 as he led the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908. His performance that season is preserved in highlight cards like his 2016 Topps NOW Moments card (#140) commemorating his 2-homer game against the Diamondbacks during the Cubs’ late season playoff push. Only available for a short while following the game’s occurrence, these now sell for over $100 in high grades as a unique way to own a piece of Bryant’s championship campaign. Upper Deck also released a Bryant World Series Heroes card in its 2016 Allen & Ginter set to honor his NLCS MVP performance against the Dodgers, which can sell for around $50-75 graded.

Bryant’s burgeoning fame got the full treatment from tops brands in 2017 with highly produced cards like his 2017 Topps Five Star card. Featuring a dynamic color photo and embossed textures, these parallel high-end cards run over $150 each in top condition. 2017 also saw the start of high-quality serial numbered parallel products like 2017 Bowman Sterling, which included a Bryant peeking out from under his helmet numbered to just 10 copies. These short print sterlings can sell for thousands to serious Bryant collectors looking for the rarest available.

In the years since, Bryant has continued proving himself as one of baseball’s best all-around players. His early cards preserve that breakout period and growing stardom with the Cubs. PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 copies of his valuable rookies from Topps, Panini, and Bowman remain highly sought after trophies for any baseball card collection, likely to retain and grow in value as Bryant’s Hall of Fame case develops. Collectors awaiting his next team can also find unique cards from his Cubs tenure, showing Bryant was establishing an incredible career and legend from the very start.

So in summary, Kris Bryant’s early baseball cards perfectly captured the rise of one of this generation’s premier third basemen at the dawn of his iconic MLB journey. Rookies like his 2015 Topps, 2015 Panini Prizm, and rare parallels hold incredible significance and command top prices reflective of Bryant’s superstardom. Later Cubs achievements are also preserved in cards like 2016 Topps NOW and World Series cards. Overall, Bryant’s early cards establish him as one of the most collectible young stars of the modern baseball card era.

KRIS KELLER BASEBALL CARDS

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Kris Keller was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in the big leagues from 1992-2001. Though he never achieved stardom on the field, Keller has developed quite a cult following among baseball card collectors interested in his unique story and the errors made on some of his early card issues. Let’s take a deeper look at Kris Keller’s playing career and the circumstances surrounding some of his notable baseball cards.

Keller was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 1990 amateur draft out of the University of Texas. He made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 1992 but was traded midway through the 1995 season to the Kansas City Royals. Keller bounced around as a journeyman reliever for several teams over the next few years, including stops with the Royals, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Phillies. His most productive season came in 1998 as a member of the Cubs when he appeared in 55 games and posted a solid 3.15 ERA.

Throughout his career, Keller displayed decent stuff on the mound but never seemed to stick long term with any one club. He remained a capable middle reliever and finished his 10-year MLB career in 2001 with a record of 30-37 along with a 4.39 ERA and 325 strikeouts in 588 innings pitched. Keller’s journeyman playing path and lack of superstar credentials are what make some of the errors on his early baseball cards so memorable to collectors today.

One of the more notorious mistakes involving Kris Keller’s name occurred on his 1992 Upper Deck rookie card. When the cards were initially printed, Keller’s first name was misspelled as “Chris” rather than the correct “Kris.” This error sent shockwaves through the baseball card collecting community upon discovery. Upper Deck acknowledged the mistake and subsequently issued correction sticker sheets for collectors to place over the misspelled first name on the affected cards. According to Beckett Publications, the misprinted “Chris Keller” rookie cards with the name correction stickers applied are now worth significantly more than the cards without the stickers.

A similarly eyebrow-raising error shows up on Kris Keller’s 1995 Fleer Ultra card issued during his half-season with the Royals. In what is presumed to simply be a layout mistake, Keller is shown in a White Sox uniform even though he had been traded to Kansas City months prior. The anomalous Cardinals road jersey only adds to the bizarre nature of the visual boo-boo. Like the Upper Deck screw-up, flecks of these anomalous Kansas City/White Sox combo Keller cards have developed a cult following online among collectors amused by the mishap.

Perhaps the most financially noteworthy mistake comes from an error that was caught and fixed before some of Kris Keller’s 1997 Topps cards ever made it to packs. That year, Topps initially printed Keller’s cards with the team listed as the “Chicago Cubs” even though he was by then playing for the Detroit Tigers. Topps caught their error and removed the affected Keller cards before widespread distribution. As a result, the uncorrected “Chicago Cubs” 1997 Topps Keller rookie cards are now among the most valuable issues in the obscure player’s collection despite their small printing numbers.

Amidst the errors, Keller does have more conventionally released baseball cards as well. He appeared in many mainstream issues throughout the 1990s and 2000s from manufacturers like Fleer, Bowman, Leaf, and Score. It is the uniqueness of the name spelling glitches and team/uniform mix-ups that seem to hold the strongest appeal for today’s collectors interested in oddities and mistakes from the early digital card era. While Kris Keller didn’t have a remarkable playing career statistically, his name continues to live on in the memorabilia marketplace thanks to the unintentional but amusing flaws made in bringing his early cardboard likenesses to the masses.

For the niche collector who finds enjoyment in oddball areas of the hobby, Kris Keller’s story serves as a fun reminder of the imperfect nature of baseball cards, especially those crafted in the early days of computer-guided digital design. The technological growing pains led to mistakes that now enhance appreciation for the long-ago efforts of the manufacturing companies. Although some consider such errors to diminish the historic authenticity of the issues, most modern fans are simply amused that a journeyman player like Keller was able to achieve his own sort of legacy through the quirks of fate surrounding his misprinted baseball cards. They remain a whimsical conversation piece nearly 30 years later for devotees seeking curiosities and anomalies in the collecting world.

In summarizing, while Kris Keller did not deliver greatness between the lines, his playing tenure was weirdly commemorated by name mix-ups and uniform/team discrepancies on some of his early cardboard issues. Those quirks have bestowed strange yet lasting notoriety upon his collection in hobby circles today. For admirers of unusual trivia from the earliest digital card era, Keller’s story serves as a fun reminder that not every production process moves flawlessly – and the resulting slip-ups can develop cult followings all their own over time.