His .327 batting average was as steady as ever, but his power dropped significantly as his slugging percentage fell to .568 versus his career-best .671 the year before. . As usual, Jones brought both power and discipline to the plate, which resulted in the second-best batting average (.337) and third-best OBP (.425), and slugging percentage (.604) in the National League. Ichiro led the Majors in plate appearances (738), at-bats (692), hits (242), and stolen bases (56) while also pacing the American League with a .350 batting average during his rookie 2001 campaign. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 2 Derek Jeter baseball cards are among the most valuable from this era. Card #297 is very scarce and the set is considered complete without it. Rankings are based on data from the Beckett Baseball Card Database and Price Guide. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # In addition to winning his first Cy Young, Martinez became the first right-hander since Walter Johnson in 1912 to throw more than 300 strikeouts (305) with a sub-2.00 ERA (1.90). 10 Most Valuable Topps Allen & Ginter Non-Baseball Autographs. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. New York blew a 2-1 series lead, digging a 4-0 hole in the decisive Game 5 that was too deep to crawl out of. Premium: With the acquisition of Mike Bordick in the offseason, Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. officially moved from shortstop to third base. From 1991-97, Chicago White Sox legend Frank Thomas was arguably the game's most dangerous hitter. The words "1 Time Gold Love Award Winner" stamped along the bottom just above his name seem kind of amusing looking back. And, again, on defense he was incredible, too. With this all in mind, it's easy to consider the 2002 season a letdown for Ichiro and the Mariners. 2010 Topps Baseball Cards - DeansCards Now, baseball cards are a billion-dollar industry. In 2006, the MLBPA and MLB changed how players could appear in sets. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2006 Topps Sean Casey Autographed / Signed 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball Card . Most Valuable Baseball Cards [2023 Update] - Genius Celebs On April 7th versus the Montreal Expos, Griffey ripped his right patella tendon in the middle of a rundown between third base and home plate. 1997 Topps Baseball Cards In Review. 2006 Topps - BaseballCardPedia.com 2006 Topps Baseball has three parallels: Gold (#/2006), Black (#/55) and Platinum (1/1). Certification numbers appear in the lower right of the encapsulated label or on the oval DNA sticker. 2006 Topps is a 659-card set was issued over two series. Need Help? Veteran stars such as Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Vladimir Guerrero are also included among many others stars. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. None of this would have been possible without Gwynn's contributions to the franchise. Regarding rookie cards, this set turned out to be a dud. From 1998-2001, Derek Jeter cemented himself as the face of the New York Yankees franchise, finishing no worse than tenth in the AL MVP race while leading New York to three World Series titles. There just weren't the same number of eyes on this set back then as there are with other sets nowadays. Read our methodology. It would be Ichiro's first and only MVP of his Hall of Fame career and given how phenomenal he was, he'd finish in the top ten just three other times. Although 2006 Topps Baseball has autographs and game-used memorabilia cards, they are not guaranteed hits. While the text changed, the set uses very few photos. However, Topps still decided to produce an Alex Gordon card for Series One of their 2006 flagship release, perhaps assuming he would make the Kansas City Royals roster anyway, given how great he was expected to be. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Topps, the oldest baseball card manufacturer, has sold out 65 sets of the world's most expensive box of baseball cards ever assembled. During the 2007 campaign, Griffey appeared in 144 games, the most since his first season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, when he played in 145 games. (Photo: psacard.com) Miguel Cabrera is another active player on our list. Sandberg re-signed in 1997 with hopes of continuing his late-career resurgence. The card was graded PSA 10 GEM MINT condition and sold in a private sale on Ebay. For a Topps flagship release, 2022 Series 1 was just about as good as it gets. Is The World's Most Expensive Box of Baseball Cards, $22K, A - Forbes He has had 11 All-Star appearances, won 7 Silver Slugger Awards, was named the American League Batting Champion . Beginning with his rookie campaign in 2001, Pujols took the league by storm as a guy who could hit for both power and average. At $10,100, it is by far the most valuable 1997 Topps baseball card. IMHO, they should have just kept #7 in retirement, and left it at that. Yet, despite an impressive 93-69 record, Seattle ended up third in the division, ten games behind the West champion Oakland A's and six games behind the Anaheim Angels in the Wild Card race. But when pack-out came, he still hadn't made the Royals. However, during the offseason leading up to the 2008 season, the Marlins decided to part ways with the young superstar in a multi-player trade that sent him to the Detroit Tigers, where he's been ever since. Jeter's Rookie-of-the-Year season in 1996 was a catalyst for New York's return to the top of the baseball mountain, the Yankees' first World Series title in 18 years. The following offseason was a tricky one. Read our methodology. At just 24 years old during his last year with the Florida Marlins in 2007, Cabrera batted .320 with 34 home runs and 119 RBI, earning his fourth-straight All-Star appearance during the process. The most valuable card in 2006 Topps Baseball wasn't supposed to be in the set. You'll also find several limited parallel versions of the base cards, including red backs, gold, copper, platinum, printing plates, and first editions, but we'll stick with the base cards for this write-up. Compared to his days in the early to mid-1990s, when he routinely put up astronomical numbers with the bat, Frank Thomas wasn't quite as dominant in 2002. buy stuff after clicking links on our site Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # For a guy with five batting titles to his name who was used to hitting well above .300, it was unusual to see his average dip below the .300 mark for just the second time in his career. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Expectations were sky-high for Derek Jeter and the Bronx Bombers heading into the 1997 campaign. It started promisingly enough, including Sandberg's record-breaking 267th home run on April 26th, a bomb that vaulted the 37-year-old ahead of Joe Morgan for the most career homers by a second baseman. 1957 Topps Football #119 Bart Starr Rookie Card PSA 8: Sold in April 2022 on Robert Edward Auctions for $29,400. Each of Mantle's career homers were given their own card in the mirror set. 2006 Topps Baseball can be seen as something of a transition year for the flagship brand. Along with those guys, there are several other big-name players whose cards have held up well if graded in top condition. Standard Cards. It was intended to be 660 cards. It wasn't much money - various sources suggest a player got $250 to $500 a year. In the NLDS against Houston, Chipper was even better, going 4-for-8 with a homer, three runs scored, three walks, two RBIs, and a stolen base in a 3-0 sweep of the Astros. 1 Like Ichiro, Pujols put up one of MLB's most incredible rookie campaigns. With his mentors now out of town, Jones took on the mantles of mentor and captain. Still, this card is one of the strangest Canseco cards, in my opinion. It worked wonders for the Os as Baltimore raced ahead in the AL East early, winning 42 of their first 60 games. I've always liked this set's overall look and feel as the color of the borders makes the cards pop. After missing two-and-a-half months with a wrist fracture in 2001, Ortiz's left knee started to bother him early in the '02 campaign. September 17, 2022 Ryan from Ballcard Genius Best of the Set, Boxes and Packs . Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Here is a look at the baseball cards that have exceeded a million-dollar price tag, including two by one of the sport's top active players: 1. Second-year base cards of Albert Pujols and Ichiro were also big attractions for hobbyists and Topps sprinkled those guys into several subsets as well. The 80-win White Sox lacked the pitching to make a legitimate run, but Thomas' mere presence in the batter's box made them appointment viewing from April through September. Anaheim lost 28 of their last 46 games, falling behind Seattle in the AL West race to stay and missing the playoffs by six games. Fortunately for hobbyists lucky enough to find one of those cards, Jeter exceeded expectations and became a baseball icon. In fact, the most expensive baseball card ever sold went for more than $12 million at an auction on Aug. 22, 2022. Series One was released in February 22nd, 2006 while Series Two was issued four months later. Most Expensive Topps Card - Sports World Cards Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Cincinnati started strong and fell off late as Griffey struggled, losing 29 of their last 46 games to finish at 78-84. Most Expensive Most Expensive, He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Still, he made it to his sixth All-Star Game and finished ninth in the NL MVP race, his lowest finish in the vote during his first round as a Cardinal. Founded in 1993, Flair produced high-end trading cards before changing direction in 2006. 13 Most Valuable 1997 Topps Baseball Cards - Blockchain Sports World However, he still had a nose for the home run and RBI, finishing with 28 home runs and 92 RBIs, proving he was still very much an offensive asset for the White Sox. As you can imagine, it sells for much less than his 2006 Topps card since there is nothing erroneous or special about it. The player that defined the franchise was now coaching the San Diego State Aztecs of the NCAA's Mountain West Conference. His 504th and last home run came in an Angels uni off Minnesota Twins hurler Bob Tewksbury on May 30th, 1997. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . . Despite his incredible defensive stats, he lost the Gold Glove to Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins. By Sheng Peng, updated on October 28, 2022. "I'm sure it took away from my offense.". One of the greatest hitters to play the game, Tony Gwynn's absence loomed large during the 2002 MLB season. That would turn out to be the third-highest total of his nineteen years in the Majors and it was all thanks, in large part, to his .351 batting average, which was also the third-highest of his career. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. In the very same week in 2001, after his father passed away, Thomas announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery after just 20 games because of a triceps tear. Yet, as you can see, there are still plenty of big-name stars and Hall of Famers of the era to be found inside. His 289 vote points were enough to seal the deal, but Jason Giambi of the division rival Oakland A's was right behind him with 281 vote points, while his teammate Bret Boone landed 259 vote points of his own. . The 22-year-old future Hall-of-Famer fouled a ball off his left foot in late March, breaking a bone. #7. The Mickey Mantle Collection creates cards in the years he was missing from the base set. We may earn an affiliate commission if you In an attempt at humor, or perhaps just a stunt to build additional hype for their Series One release, Topps inserted an image of Mickey Mantle in the dugout and President George W. Bush in the stands on Derek Jeter's card. After he was released by Anaheim later in the year, Murray signed on with the Dodgers for one last hurrah. The set size dropped to 659 cards split between two series. 3 15 Most Valuable 2002 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Of his first six save chances, the 27-year-old righty blew three. The set was originally to be issued at the more common 660 card set count, but Topps was forced to pull card #297 Alex Gordon very early in production due to new requirements put in place by the MLBPA regarding qualifications for releasing rookie cards. Read our methodology. He looks out of place in a Montreal Expos uniform, given that he never played in the National League, even ignoring that he didn't bother tucking in his shirt. The odyssey that was the end of Rickey Hendersons 25-year Hall of Fame career took yet another left turn before the 2002 season. Expectations were sky-high for Ichiro in 2002, following an electric debut campaign that saw him become the second player in MLB history to earn league MVP and Rookie-of-the-Year honors for the same season (Fred Lynn, 1975). Shortcuts: Most Expensive . Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps Chrome listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. PriceIt Game | After finishing the 2006 season with his career home run count resting at 734, Bonds entered the year needing to hit 21 to tie Aaron's record of 755 and 22 to break it. 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt Rookie Card. Although the Gordon card exists, most consider that a set doesn't require one. 2011 Topps baseball cards are some of the most beloved of the modern era. 2006 Topps Chrome Card Prices | PSA & Ungraded Values - SportsCardsPro An active player no longer, Tony Gwynn helped define the 2002 season andthe Padres' future by simply being Tony Gwynn. Basic inserts include Hit Parade, Hobby Masters, Opening Day, Trading Places, and Own the Game. The result is a very expensive short print. Sponsored Affiliates. This site contains links to affiliate websites, and we may receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made on the affiliate website using such links. In 2006, Topps printed -- and then hastily un-printed, altered, and otherwise attempted to destroy -- what would've been the rookie card for Alex Gordon. Best & Most Valuable 2022 Topps Chrome Cards. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 853 items #9. In 690 plate appearances (532 at-bats), the 32-year-old superstar slashed .291/.446/.585 with 40 home runs, 123 runs scored, and 101 RBIs. 25 Most Valuable Baseball Cards 2000 In The World - Jacqueline Stallone 2006 Topps card list & price guide. While Jeter's peripheral numbers were good to great, his 125 strikeouts marked the highest single-season total of his 20-year career. And that's why the Los Angeles Dodgers, especially manager Tommy Lasorda, were willing to trade Martinez to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields to solve a short-term gap at second base.