Tag Archives: team

TOPPS TEAM BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

Topps Team Baseball Cards: A Brief History

In 1956, Topps began issuing sets of team cards to supplement their traditional baseball card releases which featured individual players. Initially released as promotional items, Topps Team cards evolved into beloved collectibles that captured snapshots of baseball clubs throughout the decades. Over the following six decades, Topps would produce Team sets covering every Major League franchise at some point in their history.

The inaugural 1956 Topps Team set featured all 16 MLB clubs from that season. The cards measured 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and depicted a single action photo of each team on the front. Players were not named, but uniform numbers helped identify some stars. The backs provided brief summaries of each club’s 1955 season record and roster. They served both as souvenirs for young fans and a fun promotional giveaway at ballparks.

Encouraged by the positive response, Topps issued Team sets almost annually through the 1950s and 60s. Early designs varied little as photography and printing technologies advanced slowly. Sets averaged 16 cards per year, with teams arranged alphabetically by city as baseball rosters fluctuated minimaly in the pre-expansion era. Unlicensed competitor Fleer even briefly produced their own version of Topps Team cards in 1963-64 before Topps regained sole rights.

In the late 1960s, Topps began experimenting with more creative Team card designs. 1968 saw the first season-in-review format, with individual cards chronicling key moments for each club that year. Pictures stretched nearly border-to-border on some “action packed” designs of the early 1970s. Colors gained vibrancy through the last years of the decade as well. Topps became the lone baseball card producer in 1981 after rival Donruss ceased issuing cards.

As Major League Baseball introduced divisional play and two League Championship Series in 1969, Topps expanded Team sets to 24 cards to accomodate the new playoff format. This size held through the rest of the 20th century, though some exception years produced different quantities. In the 1980s, vertical card designs and player stats on the backs became standard. Color photography finally arrived to dazzling effects for the 1987 Topps Team set.

Topps continued issuing annual Team sets into the 1990s as new franchises and stadiums debuted. Finely detailed action photos popped amid modernized layouts. The onset of interleague play in 1997 necessitated the production of separate American and National League Team sets for the first time. With 30 MLB clubs now, 60 total Team cards became the norm. Retro designs paid homage to the early days on occasion as well.

Into the 2000s, Topps kept the tradition alive with innovative twists. Gold parallel versions, ‘field level’ close-ups, and commemorative subsets marked different year’s releases. An experimental “league leader” type experiment in 2005 highlighted each team’s most valuable players. The 2010s saw continuing theme variations. Today, Topps Team sets remain a fun and nostalgic link to baseball’s storied past accessible for collectors of all levels.

Though competitors like Upper Deck and Leaf have since produced the occasional Team set of their own, Topps’ extended multi-decade run makes them the true standard. For over 65 years and counting, their cardboard snapshots of uniforms, ballparks and squads past have brought joy and memories to young and old fans alike. Collectors still enjoy seeking out the teams they root for or recall from eras gone by. Topps Team cards endure as a uniquely fun way to capture and preserve the legacy of America’s favorite pastime one franchise at a time. Their legacy ensures baseball’s rich club histories will live on one in a simple trading card.

BASEBALL CARDS BY TEAM

Leave a reply

Baseball cards have long been collected and treasured by fans everywhere as representations of their favorite players and teams throughout history. While individual cards can be appreciated on their own merits, viewing collections through the lens of specific teams can provide interesting insights. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable and valuable baseball cards when organized by the team depicted on the card.

Boston Red Sox: One of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards featuring a Red Sox player is the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card. Widely considered the “Mona Lisa” of sports cards in its rarity and condition, the Wagner is one of the most sought-after cards in the hobby. For Red Sox specific cards, the 1916 and 1917 Boston Red Sox Team cards are highly valuable as they were produced during the era when the team won 4 World Series titles between 1915-1918. Rare early 20th century Red Sox stars like Babe Ruth, Harry Hooper, and Smoky Joe Wood also have noteworthy rookie and early career cards.

New York Yankees: As the most successful franchise in baseball history, the Yankees have no shortage of impressive cards in collectors’ hands. High-dollar items include the 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, and the 1957 Topps Mickey Mantle, which sold for over $5 million in 2021. Other valuable Yankee cards feature legends like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Derek Jeter. Vintage complete team sets from the franchise’s early decades are also highly sought after by collectors.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs’ long-awaited 2016 World Series win after over a century of waiting sparked renewed interest in cards from their championship eras in 1907 and 1908. The T206 series featured stars like Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, Jack Taylor, and Frank Chance. High-grade examples can sell for six figures. Rookie cards of Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux also remain popular Cubs items. The franchise’s history of futility also makes cards of their few superstars over the years more desirable.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Iconic Dodgers cards include the 1955 Sandy Koufax rookie, the 1957 Roy Campanella, and the 1963 Sandy Koufax that sold for over $900,000. Other expensive vintage Dodgers cards picture Hall of Famers like Duke Snider, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton. The franchise’s long history in Brooklyn adds value to early 20th century Dodgers team and player cards prior to their move to LA in 1958. Modern rookies of Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and others continue the Dodgers’ rich card history.

St. Louis Cardinals: As one of baseball’s most storied franchises, the Cardinals have a deep card collection history. The 1909-11 T206 series that includes stars like Rogers Hornsby and Frank Chance are valuable. The 1934 Goudey Dizzy Dean rookie card is highly sought after. The 1942 Play Ball Cardinals team card featuring Stan Musial’s rookie season is another key item. Modern rookies of Ozzie Smith, Albert Pujols, and current stars like Paul Goldschmidt ensure the Cardinals’ popularity with collectors.

San Francisco Giants: The Giants’ long tenure gives them a variety of valuable cards. Willie Mays rookie and early career cards from the 1950s are icons. Juan Marichal and Orlando Cepeda rookie cards also hold value. Post-move cards picture McCovey, Perry, and Marichal. Modern day Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford rookies keep collectors interested. Complete sets from the New York and San Francisco eras have significant appeal as well.

Cincinnati Reds: Big Red Machine stars from the 1970s like Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez have enduring card popularity. The 1910-11 and 1912-14 T206 sets that included Hall of Famers like Edd Roush and Heinie Groh are also desirable. Vintage cards of ERA leaders like Dolf Luque and Bucky Walters hold collector interest. Modern day cards of Joey Votto continue strong Reds card representation.

This covers just a sampling of the most notable baseball cards organized by some of the most historic franchises when considering the players depicted, their era, condition, and significance to each team and its history. The cards and their stories will continue adding new chapters that collectors can appreciate for generations to come.

1989 FLEER ALL STAR TEAM BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The 1989 Fleer All Star Team card set was a special 52-card release by Fleer that featured baseball’s biggest stars from that season. With cards depicting American and National League All-Star players and coaches, the set was a unique way for collectors to commemorate the top talent in Major League Baseball at the time.

Released prior to the 1989 MLB All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium in California, the Fleer All Star Team set provided a snapshot of who the game’s true elite players were as the season reached its midway point. The cards in the set spotlighted the brightest performing stars from each league who were voted into the All-Star Game by fans. Each card featured a player’s picture in their team’s uniform along with their stats and position.

Some of the biggest names included in the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set were Dave Stewart and Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A’s, Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees, Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox, Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Barry Larkin and Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League. On the American League side, Rod Carew of the California Angels, Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins, and Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles were among the superstars highlighted.

In addition to featuring the top all-star players at each position, the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set also included cards showcasing the coaching staffs for both leagues. Future Hall of Famers Joe Torre and Whitey Herzog received cards as the managers of the National League squad. AL manager Tom Kelly of the Twins and his coaches Dick Howser, Jeff Torborg, and Gene Lamont were also given spots in the set.

Collectors appreciated the unique aspect of the 1989 Fleer All Star Team cards focusing entirely on the game’s biggest midseason standouts. While base sets from companies like Topps and Donruss that year contained regular issue cards of the all-stars mixed among other players, Fleer’s release isolated the cream of the crop into one special collection. The sharp photography and bright colors Fleer utilized on the cards also made them very aesthetically pleasing for the time period.

One of the more notable rookie cards included in the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set featured a 23-year old Barry Bonds in his second big league season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Bonds would go on to smash the single season and career home run records over his incredible career. His inclusion in the set as a young, emerging star ended up being very prescient. Other future Hall of Famers like Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken Jr., and Wade Boggs also had some of their earliest high-gloss cards in the release.

While packs of the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set sold moderately well upon initial release, the scarcity and desire for star players has made complete, mint condition sets quite valuable to collectors in recent years. With only 52 cards and spotlighting some of the most storied names in baseball history, demand remains high. Individual premium rookie cards like Barry Bonds have reached five figures at auction. Even common cards of players like Ozzie Smith and Kirby Puckett in top condition can sell for $20-50.

For legions of baseball card collectors and fans of the late 1980s, the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set serves as an enjoyable trip down memory lane. It functions as a time capsule highlighting all the great talent that thrilled audiences during baseball’s prime summer event. Over 30 years later, the bright photographs and highlighting of midseason standouts still makes it a visually striking and historically interesting release for enthusiasts of the sport and its cardboard memorabilia to revisit and reminisce about.

1984 USA BASEBALL TEAM CARDS

Leave a reply

The 1984 USA Baseball team card set showcased the collection of young amateur baseball players representing the United States in international competition that summer. The set included cards for each of the 22 players on the roster as well as managers, coaches, and support staff for a total of 25 cards. While not overly rare or valuable compared to other vintage baseball card sets from the same time period, the 1984 USA Baseball cards provide an interesting snapshot into an important period of development for USA Baseball’s national team program.

USA Baseball was established in 1978 with the goal of identifying and developing the top amateur baseball talent in the United States to compete internationally. In the early 1980s, international competitions like the World Amateur Baseball Championship and Pan American Games were crucial exhibition opportunities for the raw young baseball players to gain experience before embarking on their professional careers. The 1984 team held particular significance as the birth of what became known as the “Dream Team” era of United States domination in international baseball throughout the decade.

Led by manager Ron Polk and featuring future MLB all-stars like Mark McGwire, Oddibe McDowell, and Dave Magadan, the 1984 USA squad crushed the competition in international tournaments that summer. They outscored opponents 130-18 en route to gold medals at both the World Amateur Baseball Championship in Surrey, British Columbia and Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. The team went a perfect 9-0 overall, establishing the talent and coaching foundation for USA Baseball’s continued excellence on the global stage through the 1980s.

The 1984 USA Baseball card set was produced that year to commemorate the national team’s achievements. Card characteristics were basic with a simple white border framing each player’s headshot photo on a blue background. Player statistics and bios focused only on their amateur accomplishments to that point. Notable rookies like McGwire and Will Clark received equal treatment to more experienced collegiate veterans. Backs included each player’s hand-signed autograph as the true differentiating factor from generic team rosters of the time.

Though not endorsed by any major card company, the 1984 USA Baseball cards saw limited distribution through hobby shops and card shows frequented by dedicated collectors. With no massive marketing push and produced in quantity likely under 10,000 sets, they never achieved widespread popularity. For aficionados of vintage amateur and Olympic sports cards, the 1984 USA set offers a fun historical curio. Prices for individual cards range from around $5-10 but key rookie cards of future stars can fetch over $100 in mint condition.

The results and personnel from the 1984 USA Baseball team went on to shape the program for years. In 1985, with nine returners from the ’84 squad, they followed up by winning the Intercontinental Cup in Havana, Cuba. USA Baseball teams would rack up numerous more golds and world championships through the 1980s thanks in large part to the example and leadership set by that pioneering ’84 group. For collectors interested in the roots of USA’s dynastic run, the charming, low-key 1984 cards portray a seminal moment before the players achieved stardom in MLB. They commemorate the first “Dream Team” assembly that sparked two decades of domination for American amateur baseball on the world stage.

While not a particularly expensive set, the 1984 USA Baseball cards hold nostalgic value for those who remember the exciting rise of Team USA in international competition during the 1980s. They represent a pivotal team that helped establish USA Baseball as a perennial gold medal powerhouse. For over 35 years, the humble 25-card set has preserved the names and faces of that breakthrough 1984 squad in the earliest stage of their promising baseball careers.

TOPPS BASEBALL TEAM CARDS

Leave a reply

Topps baseball team cards have been a staple of the hobby since the late 1950s. These multi-player cards provided baseball fans with a fun way to collect entire rosters on single cards through the years.

Topps began experimenting with team cards prior to 1958 but it was that year when they truly took off. The 1958 Topps baseball team cards featured all 16 major league clubs, with eight players shown on each card. Teams were arranged alphabetically with the Baltimore Orioles kicking things off. Each player was identified by their position and uniform number.

These early Topps team cards had a simple yet effective design. The team name was boldly displayed at the top followed by stats for the team from the previous season. Below were the eight player images arranged three across. Photos came from the prior season or spring training and often featured players who were no longer even on that team’s roster anymore.

The 1958 Topps team set was a limited print run inserted in random wax packs. Its high scarcity makes complete 1958 Topps team sets quite valuable today, often requiring five figures to assemble in top-graded condition. Beyond just sheer rarity though, these pioneer issues also hold immense nostalgia and fascination as some of the first-ever true team card releases.

Topps would continue producing major league team cards all the way through the late 1980s. Their basic formula remained similar each year – new stats for the upcoming season replacing the previous year’s numbers and new or updated player photos filling out the eight-man slots. Topps also began including managers starting in the 1960s.

Throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s the design evolved very gradually. Color was first added in 1965 along with a gold team logo overlay. Around 1970 poses changed from static rows to more dynamic action shots which helped breathe new life into a decades-old concept. Additional background patterns and touches were tweaked across different subsets as well over the decades.

One of the most coveted Topps team card releases were the 1968 high numbers issues. With the addition of expansion franchises, Topps printed team cards beyond the standard base set numbering for the newly formed clubs of Kansas City and Seattle. These sought-after late series cards featuring the Royals and Pilots are among the most valuable regular Topps team releases due to their extremely low print runs.

In the 1970s, Topps tried different innovations like three-dimensional lenticular photos and experimental die-cut windows showcasing individual players. Premium sets were also issued such as 1977 Topps Giants team poster cards which heightened details further. But the basic concept remained the same fundamental team checklist that had done well for two decades.

A few hiccups occurred along the way as well. In 1974 many team photos lacked much action or excitement in the static shots chosen. The early 1980s saw a brief switch to horizontal layouts before returning to the traditional vertical format. But Topps’ team cards continued to offer a highly collectible annual record of the major league rosters anytime a new pack was opened.

By the late 1980s, licensing challenges slowed Topps’ momentum. Other brands like Fleer and Donruss began seeking inroads as well. The final true Topps MLB team card release was 1986, as licensing went exclusively to rival brands. However, Topps found renewed enthusiasm for the team card concept with their new non-sport releases of the early 1990s centered on topics like movies and pop culture which kept the spirit alive.

Overall, Topps’ MLB team cards spanned 30+ years from 1958 to 1986, chronicling over three decades’ worth of rosters through memorable photos and graphics. Even as designs evolved, the core appeal endured of encapsulating an entire 25-man club on a single collectible. Whether chasing full rainbow sets, individual player cards or just memories of baseball cards past, Topps team cards rightfully remain celebrated as pioneering cornerstones of the hobby. Their simple yet effective multi-player designs did justice to the grandness of major league baseball lineups through collective representation in collectors’ hands.

1992 PINNACLE TEAM 2000 BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The 1992 Pinnacle Team 2000 baseball card set was unique for its futuristic designs that depicted players in the year 2000. At a time when digital photography and photoshop were still in their infancy, the creative concept behind this 150-card base set embraced a fantasy of what baseball may look like in the not-so-distant future. Unlike traditional baseball cards that featured current photos within a standard card design, the 1992 Pinnacle Team 2000 set pulled out all the stops with radical depictions of players aged into the next millennium.

Released in the summer of 1992 by Pinnacle Brands, the Team 2000 set captured the imagination of collectors with its vision of baseball eight years hence. Each card placed a current MLB star’s head on a drawn body in a futuristic uniform and setting related to their position. For example, sluggers like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire were shown towering over the outfield wall after monstrous home runs from the year 2000, while pitchers like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were depicted mid-delivery on a hi-tech pitching mound. Perhaps the most creative were shortstop-specific cards that pictured Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken Jr. and others diving and flipping among holograms in the infield of the future.

Beyond the illustrations, each Team 2000 card featured a mock article or statistics from the 2000 MLB season. Bonds’ card touted his chase of 700 career home runs, while Greg Maddux’s noted his quest for his seventh consecutive Cy Young award. While purely fictional, these write-ups brought the fantasy of the millennium to life and made each card seem like a legitimate future report on these all-time great players. Top prospects like Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter and Jason Varitek rounded out the base checklist with their own futuristic rookie cards as emerging stars of the new century.

Collectors and fans ate up the original concept of Team 2000 upon its release in the early 1990s. It tapped into the rising sci-fi and digital boom of the era by projecting baseball ahead a mere eight years. The expressive illustrations by various artists gave each card a unique look and feel compared to the standard static photos common to trading cards at the time. Even seasoned players were depicted in imaginative new ways that sparked debates about what technological influences may change the game by 2000.

While not a premium product, the Team 2000 set nevertheless achieved wider distribution through rack packs, factory sets and coin packs sold in stores, newsstands and card shops. Its creative content and designs caused it to stand out on shelves among traditionally designed releases from Topps, Fleer and Score. Even without official MLB licensing, the cards found an enthusiastic collector base interested in their pioneering take on the future of America’s pastime nearing the new millennium.

Despite projections that never came to full fruition, the Team 2000 set endures today as a favorite novelty issue for collectors with its fearless vision of baseball in 2000. While statistics and records never materialized as illustrated, the creative expressions of beloved players in new contexts remain fascinating artistic works in their own right. Some cards like those of Barry Bonds and Cal Ripken Jr. have taken on added nostalgic value in representing their respective eras. While undeniably a product of its early ’90s creation, the Pinnacle Team 2000 set still intrigues fans with what might have been had its predictions proven truly prophetic.

Even after nearly 30 years, the 1992 Pinnacle Team 2000 baseball card set retains its cult status among collectors for daring to imagine where the game and its biggest stars could have been by the turn of the new millennium. Though the future it depicted never fully materialized, its commitment to creative illustration and mock future reporting broke new ground in the tradition-bound card collecting hobby. Today the Team 2000 checklist endures as a favorite novelty issue celebrated for its outside-the-box vision of baseball in fantastical new forms come the dawn of the year 2000. Its groundbreaking approach helped make the Pinnacle release a unique time capsule from baseball card history still discussed and collected decades after originally hitting the marketplace.

ATLANTA BRAVES BASEBALL CARDS 2023 TEAM SET

Leave a reply

The 2023 Atlanta Braves baseball card team set is one of the most highly anticipated team releases of the upcoming season. As the reigning World Series champions, there is tremendous interest among collectors to obtain cards featuring the key players from the Braves’ title run in 2022.

Topps, the exclusive baseball card license holder, is expected to produce the standard Braves team set in both base card and insert variations. The base set will feature all players on the Braves’ 40-man roster at the start of the 2023 season. Top prospects in the Atlanta farm system may also receive prospect cards to be included as unnumbered variations.

Veteran stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Dansby Swanson will anchor the set as the featured players. Acuña is poised to reclaim his spot as the face of the franchise after missing much of the 2022 season due to injury. His cards from the upcoming set are sure to be hot commodities among collectors.

Riley had a breakout season in 2022 that culminated in his selection as National League Championship Series MVP. After establishing himself as one of MLB’s premier power hitters, Riley’s rising star power makes him another key player card to watch. Olson and Swanson also played vital roles on the championship club and their cards will be popular chase cards.

Rookies and young prospects like Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, and Vaughn Grissom could emerge as the new fan favorites and their rookie cards have potential to gain value if they continue developing their games. Harris II in particular made a huge splash as a 21-year-old rookie, establishing himself as an everyday center fielder – collectors will be eager to obtain his first Topps cards.

Veteran hurlers like Max Fried, Kyle Wright, and Kenley Jansen led the pitching staff’s dominance throughout the playoffs. Their accomplishments elevate the desirability of their cards in the 2023 set. Breakout starter Spencer Strider, who struck out over 200 batters as a rookie, is also poised to be one of the most sought-after pitcher cards after his breakout season.

Parallels and short prints are standard insert variations produced within Topps baseball sets that add to the excitement of the chase. Topps Chrome, Topps Fire, and other refractors highlight players with flashy foil textures. Numbered parallels on card stocks like gold, silver, and black tend to hold premium value. Ultra-short print variations like 1-of-1 autographs or relic cards create a special chase for elite collectors.

Autograph and memorabilia cards “hit” at extremely low odds but offer a tangible piece of history from championship players when pulled. Autographed rookie cards of players like Harris II or Strider could gain immense long-term value. Swatch or bat relic cards from stars of the title run such as Riley would be true prizes from the 2023 Braves set.

Secondary market interest from collectors will fuel card prices for star players and short prints. The mainstream popularity from winning it all in such dramatic fashion all but guarantees the 2023 Atlanta Braves team set will be one of the hottest selling releases of the year. For dedicated Braves fans and team collectors, finding chase cards from this commemorative set will be a top priority early in the 2023 season.

With baseball’s traditional long-term collecting culture, cards from championship clubs tend to retain value and desirability for decades. The 2022 Braves snapped a 26-year title drought for the franchise and city of Atlanta – their accomplishment enhances the historical significance of any cards featuring members of that club. For dedicated collectors, completing the 2023 Topps Braves team set could become a long-term investment in commemorating a special team and season.

Between the on-field success of rising young stars, proven veterans, and pitching dominance that led to a title, the 2023 Atlanta Braves have all the makings of a truly memorable team for the history books. Their upcoming baseball cards from Topps are certain to be a highly sought-after release documenting players from a championship era. For fans and collectors alike, finding cards from this set will be a must to preserve memories from the 2022 season forever in cardboard form.

ATLANTA BRAVES TEAM BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The Atlanta Braves are one of the most historic franchises in Major League Baseball. Founded in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings, the team has called three different cities home throughout its long history. When the franchise relocated from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966, it introduced Braves baseball cards to a new generation of fans in the South. Since their arrival in Georgia, the Braves have been featured on numerous team sets issued by the major card companies.

Some of the earliest Braves team cards after the move to Atlanta came in the late 1960s from Topps. In 1967, Topps issued its first Atlanta Braves team card as part of the regular baseball card release. This marked the first time the franchise had been pictured as the Braves on a team card rather than as the Milwaukee Braves. Topps would continue producing Atlanta Braves team cards almost annually for the next several decades. Many of these sets from the late 1960s and 1970s featured simple designs with a group photo of the players on the front and roster or stats on the back.

In 1971, Topps broke the mold by issuing a Braves team card with individual player photos rather than a group shot. This set showed each member of the roster with their picture and stats. Topps released similar team sets in subsequent years, sometimes varying the front design between a collage of players or single photos with a team logo overlay. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Braves were a mainstay in the annual Topps team card offerings. These issues helped Braves fans in Atlanta and beyond collect photos and information on their favorite players and teams.

While Topps dominated the baseball card market for much of the 20th century, other companies also produced Atlanta Braves team sets over the years. In 1975 and 1976, Fleer issued Braves cards as part of their team leader and All-Star subsets. These featured some of the Braves’ top players at the time like Hank Aaron and Dusty Baker. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Donruss started including Atlanta Braves cards in many of its team sets as well. Donruss often took creative liberties with its designs, sometimes featuring action shots, headshots on a team color background, or collages of multiple players.

When the baseball card boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s heated up, numerous companies entered the market with new Braves team cards. Score issued numerous sets in the late 1980s and 1990s showing the Braves’ star players and World Series teams of that era like Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones. Upper Deck also got in on the action when they debuted in 1989, producing high-quality Braves cards through the 1990s. Other short-lived companies like Stadium Club and Leaf produced beautiful Braves cards during the height of the junk wax era. Pinnacle Brands issued memorable refractors and parallels of Braves stars in the mid-1990s as well.

Entering the modern era, the Braves have continued to be featured prominently in team sets from the leading card manufacturers. Starting in the 2000s, Topps Heritage has paid homage to classic designs with retro-style Atlanta Braves cards showing players like Greg Maddux and Andruw Jones. Upper Deck has produced autographed memorabilia cards of franchise icons like Hank Aaron. Panini has issued prizm parallels and Donruss optics parallels of current Braves stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley in their modern on-card autograph and memorabilia formats.

Throughout their history in Atlanta spanning over 50 years, the Braves franchise has been a staple in the team sets produced by baseball card companies. Collectors can trace the evolution of the team’s designs and players over the decades by assembling a complete run of Braves cards. With a rich tradition and passionate fanbase, the Atlanta Braves will surely continue to be featured prominently on team cards for years to come as one of baseball’s most storied franchises.

ILLINOIS SWAT TEAM BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The year was 1995 when Chris Zises, a rookie police officer with the Kankakee Police Department SWAT team in Illinois, had a funny idea for team-building. Inspired by baseball cards kids collected and traded, Zises thought it would be fun to design parody baseball cards featuring photos and stats of each member of the SWAT team. He had them printed as a novelty for team members. Little did Zises know at the time his silly idea would spark a viral phenomenon that has now spread across the country.

Zises simply intended the baseball cards as an inside joke and morale booster for his fellow SWAT members. But word quickly spread to other police departments across Illinois about the amusing cards. Soon, SWAT teams from other cities were requesting their own sets of custom baseball cards. Within a couple years, Illinois SWAT teams were regularly creating new baseball card designs each year to showcase their unit.

The concept caught on for a few key reasons. For one, Illinois has a large number of medium to large cities with active SWAT presences due to higher rates of violent crime compared to other states. This meant there was a sizable population of teams interested in the idea. The cards cleverly blended two iconic American pastimes – police work and baseball collecting. They added humor and levity to an otherwise serious and dangerous job. And they fostered healthy competition and rivalry between departments.

A standardized baseball card template emerged that has endured to this day. The front of each card features a portrait photo of the officer, their name, rank, and department logo watermark. Statistics are listed on the back such as years on the force, number of deployments, special skills/certifications, and occasional funny made-up stats like “home runs hit in the field.” Cards were initially printed on basic trading card stock but evolved to premium cardstock and glossy photo-quality prints over the years.

Today, an estimated 80% or more of SWAT teams across Illinois annually produce new sets of custom baseball cards as a staple part of their operations. While the cards are produced primarily as memorabilia for team members, they have gained wider recognition beyond just policing circles. Cards from the largest metro departments in Chicago, Rockford, Springfield and Peoria regularly pop up on eBay and trading card forums online as collectors items. Enthusiasts have even organized regional swap meets for procuring rare older cards.

Some police departments take the baseball card theme very seriously. Wealthier suburban squads have been known to hire professional graphic designers and photographers to ensure high production values matching the glossy sports cards kids collect. One annual tradition is the statewide “SWATderby” tournament where departments compete against each other in team-building exercises and skills challenges, with the winning squad receiving a trophy and title of “SWAT World Series Champions” to tout on future baseball cards.

The idea has also spread outside Illinois to SWAT teams in other Midwestern states inspired by the trend. The majority of customized police baseball card production still remains centered in the Land of Lincoln where the goofy fun concept first got its start over 25 years ago. It’s proven an unexpectedly popular and enduring team-building tradition, adding some levity to a highly stressful job while also building camaraderie between departments. The oddball cards also help demystify police special teams and spread awareness of the dangers officers face to keep communities safe on a daily basis.

In the digital age where physical cards have declined for sports leagues, police baseball cards represent an analog holdout of the collection hobby. In Illinois and beyond, they continue serving as a quirky point of pride and source of friendly competition between special response teams. Even as officers have long since retired, their baseball cards live on as a novelty token commemorating service and sacrifice from the law enforcement “rookies” of yesteryear. And all because one officer had a crazy idea to immortalize his colleagues in card form never dreaming it would take on a life of its own.

TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS TEAM SETS

Leave a reply

Topps is well known as the premier producer of baseball cards, dating back to their introduction of modern plastic embedded cards in the 1950s. Ever since, they have issued annual sets each year to commemorated that season’s major league players and teams. A staple of their offerings have been team sets that focus specifically on a single club. These special Topps team sets provide an in-depth and comprehensive look at each organization for devoted fans to collect.

One of the earliest Topps team sets came in 1962, covering the defending world champion New York Yankees. This pioneer 22 card set included all members of that year’s championship squad along with manager Ralph Houk and general manager Roy Hamey. Some of the stars featured included Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Bill Skowron. The colorful graphic design showed action shots of the players against a backdrop of Yankee Stadium. This established the precedent for Topps to periodically pay tribute to notable teams through dedicated team sets in future years.

In the late 1960s, Topps began releasing multi-year team sets that spanned several seasons of a franchise. One of the most acclaimed of these was the 1968-1970 Baltimore Orioles team set. With 45 total cards over those three years, it provided coverage of the famous “Birdland” era when the Orioles ruled baseball under manager Earl Weaver. Superstar players like Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Boog Powell, and Jim Palmer were heavily featured. The photos showed the team’s trademark orange and black colors as they won the 1970 World Series. Such extended runs made these sets even more valuable for obsessive team collectors.

The decade of the 1970s saw Topps ramp up production of team sets at various points each year. These often corresponded to postseason contenders to ride fan interest. Among the highly popular offerings was the 1974 Oakland A’s champions set that paid tribute to the three-peat world title team. Featuring 25 cards of stars like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and manager Alvin Dark, it delivered a commemorative snapshot of that dynastic ballclub. Additionally, Topps issued dedicated team sets for the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and 1976 New York Yankees pennant winners that same year.

By the 1980s, Topps was celebrating individual club centennial anniversaries with special retrospective team sets. A prime example came in 1983 with their 100 Years of Phillies issue containing 34 cards and noting the Philadelphia franchise’s centennial. Icons like Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and manager Danny Ozark were spotlighted from the franchise’s storied history. That same decade also saw the release of 1985 and 1986 multi-year Chicago Cubs sets honoring two of the club’s beloved eras. Spanning 30 and 50 cards respectively across multiple seasons, these were comprehensive looks at “The North Siders” most popular squads.

The 1990s maintained Topps tradition of team sets with commemoratives for playoff contenders. A fan favorite was the 1992 Atlanta Braves edition released as the club made their first of 14 straight division titles. Featuring 25 cards highlighting young stars like David Justice, Jeff Blauser, and Tom Glavine, it encapsulated the start of their dominance phase. And in 1998, Topps dropped a millennium set paying tribute to the Boston Red Sox’s rich 100-year history filled with legendary players. Packed with recollections, it was a best-selling souvenir for celebrating their century mark achievement.

Since 2000, Topps annual team sets have expanded in both subject matter covered and deluxe production quality. Sets marking notable anniversaries remained prominent, such as the 2001 franchise leader edition for the St. Louis Cardinals golden anniversary. Modern championship sets have also thrived, with the 2004 edition commemorating the Boston Red Sox’s first World Series title in 86 years among the most popular. Newer innovations incorporate autographs, memorabilia cards, and intricate parallel variations to super-charge collector demand. Deluxe sets have focused on covering entire eras, like the 2011 30 card Topps Golden Anniversary retrospective celebrating the San Francisco Giants rich history.

Topps remains committed to producing high quality, premium team sets celebrating baseball’s most storied franchises. Recent examples include the 2020 World Series winner releases for the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2021 Atlanta Braves Victory sets. Multi-year chroniclers of the resurgent Cleveland Guardians franchise from 2020-2021 have also been popular. No team is too small for Topps, as evidenced by their dedication sets for clubs like the 2022 Baltimore Orioles that same year. Team sets will continue on as cherished items allowing fans to obsessively document and recall the greatest moments from their favorite ballclubs.

In summary, Topps baseball cards team sets have long been a staple of the hobby. Spanning over half a century, they have commemorated championship squads, pennant winners, anniversaries, and provided in-depth coverage of franchises. From vintage 1960s editions to modern parallels, Topps continues crafting elaborate dedications that baseball fans eagerly collect. Their extensive archival of ballclubs through visual medium will surely remain a treasured tradition for generations to come as devoted followers of America’s pastime.