Rivera would not give up another run in the postseason over his next 23 appearances and 34.1 innings pitched, an MLB record to this day. This performance upped Rickey's trade value considerably and enticed the Anaheim Angels to add him for the stretch run. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Most Expensive 2020 Topps Baseball Cards. While he failed to crack the NL All-Star squad due to a stacked outfield ballot, he still finished 11th in the league's MVP race and helped Atlanta to their eighth consecutive NL East title. Over 3 million fans poured into the Kingdome in 1997 to watch one of the most beloved players in Seattle Mariners' history tear it up in 1997. Combine all that, and it's easy to see how Jones was able to belt 29 home runs and eclipse both the 100 runs scored (108) and 100 RBI (102) plateaus for the final time in his career. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. At 34 years old, Thomas came into the 2002 season looking to bounce back from the personal and physical pain of the year before. The Joe Mauer rookie and second-year cards of Pujols and Ichiro anchor a 718-card checklist with an outstanding design and color scheme. The season marked yet another efficient and productive performance in the future Hall of Famer's storied 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. 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. The back of the card includes player . In the offseason, Atlanta made waves with a blockbuster trade that sent clubhouse leaders Marquis Grissom and David Justice to Cleveland for Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree. With an impressive .396 OBP to his name, Ichiro also proved to be a significant threat on the basepaths as he stole 37 bases and scored 111 runs. He also moved into the third spot in the batting order in May, where he'd remain until he left the Cardinals after the 2001 season. Home Sports Card Sets Baseball Card Sets 2006 Baseball Cards 2006 Topps Baseball Cards, PARALLEL CARDS: Gold #/2006, Black #/55, Platinum #/1, Printing Plates #/1. Given the elite set's hefty out-of-the-gate price, $22K . The odyssey that was the end of Rickey Hendersons 25-year Hall of Fame career took yet another left turn before the 2002 season. Derek Jeter 2000 Topps Gallery Exhibits. An active player no longer, Tony Gwynn helped define the 2002 season andthe Padres' future by simply being Tony Gwynn. In this guide, we cover the 15 most valuable! Prices are updated daily based upon 2023 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. He played in 70 games in total, hitting .264 with a ho-hum .784 OPS, eight home runs, and 23 RBIs in just 197 at-bats. 9 Roger Clemens #530. A little stability went a long way for the 2002 NL MVP race runner-up. 2006 Topps Baseball saw the return of Mickey Mantle to the company's cards. With the acquisition of Mike Bordick in the offseason, Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. officially moved from shortstop to third base. Click Here, Click here to sell your vintage sports card collection. In short, he was a one-man wrecking crew at the plate that year and, despite some controversy in the way he handled negotiations, resulted in a new, ten-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees after the season. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner: $7.25 million. By today's standards, the set also has noticeably fewer inserts. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Making the 1971 Topps Roberto Clemente baseball card, graded PSA 10 gem mint condition, the most valuable baseball card from the 1970s. At one point, it was going for four figures. 5 Gordon did make the team's roster for the 2007 season, making this his official Topps rookie card. Beginning with his rookie campaign in 2001, Pujols took the league by storm as a guy who could hit for both power and average. The 2002 Topps set checklist clocked in at 718 cards divided among two series, 364 cards in Series 1 and 354 cards in Series 2. Notable rookies included Joe Mauer, Rich Harden and Jason Bay. The 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps rookie card, which sold for $5.2 million in February 2021, is the most valued Topps baseball card. To commemorate his first Gold Glove, Topps released this card of the young Mariners superstar jogging in the outfield. The card was designed and produced by the American Tobacco Company from 1909-11. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Prices are updated daily based upon 2006 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. 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. 1976 Topps #148 Walter Payton Rookie Card PSA 10: Sold in March 2021 on Goldin Auctions for $124,230. In the ALDS against Cleveland, Rivera was oddly human. In the playoffs, the 36-year-old Ripken turned back the clock in an epic fashion, hitting .438 with two doubles, two walks, and an RBI to pace the club in a three-games-to-one ALDS triumph over the Seattle Mariners. Griffey was a cut above in a season full of fantastic individual-hitting performances, becoming just the ninth-ever unanimous AL MVP. Ripken played all 162 yet again, slashing .270/.331/.402 with 17 home runs, 30 doubles, and 84 RBIs in 686 plate appearances (615 at-bats). A 1952 Topps #311 Mantle card sold for $12.6 million at auction on Aug. 28. After giving up just one run in his first 18.2 postseason innings, he gave up a run in just two innings against the Indians. 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. Topps, the oldest baseball card manufacturer, has sold out 65 sets of the world's most expensive box of baseball cards ever assembled. Fifty years later, it was time to honor his legacy with a special cardboard salute. It was quite an entrance to the big leagues and arguably one of the most outstanding debut campaigns of all time. By the end of the '04 season, Mauer was a Twin to stay and would go on to define a generation of Minnesota baseball. Shortcuts: $32.00. After a chat with manager Joe Torre in which Torre pushed Rivera to loosen up, the young closer turned it around. It was intended to be 660 cards. As for Griffey, he was at the peak of his baseball powers. Cleveland won, 4-3, en route to their second AL pennant in three years. And an important hobby icon returned to the company to not only fill a spot on the base set checklist but plenty of inserts as well. Cleveland was still too much for the upstart Orioles, ousting Baltimore and ending their dream season in six. The Most Expensive Sneakers. Bonds was a non-factor in his first playoff trip with the Giants, hitting .250 with two doubles, no walks, three strikeouts, and an uncharacteristic .647 OPS, nearly 400 points lower than his regular-season mark. Cheapest, Topps Update Jon Lester Rc #uh149. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. After retiring from the game for nearly two seasons to get his personal life in order, Chicago Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg returned with a bang in 1996, hitting .244 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in a triumphant return. He'd wear six more jerseys in total before calling it quits in 2003 at the tender age of 44. For Jeter and a budding Yankee dynasty, 1997 was a rare sour note. Hearkening back to the years 1909 through 1911, the T206 cards were a series of baseball cards printed by tobacco companies and . Like Ichiro, Pujols put up one of MLB's most incredible rookie campaigns. 1978 TOPPS #707 Paul Molitor Alan Trammell Rookie RC PSA 9 MINT. It was one of his most productive seasons with the Reds but far from one of his trademark seasons with the Seattle Mariners during the 1990s. He was also coming off a streak of twelve-straight All-Star appearances. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! He made the Padres relevant even during the lean years and helped garner the public support necessary to greenlight the Petco Park project. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, it marked a turning point for Major League Baseball and the entire country. Most Valuable Baseball Cards From the 1960s Read More . After rounding the bases, a video of Hank Aaron congratulating Bonds played on the screen while Willie Mays joined him on the field before he addressed the crowd with a short speech. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Ken spent most of his career playing as an . 10. Even in his forties, his veteran presence and ability to put pressure on opposing pitchers with his legs made him a commodity. Series One was released in February 22nd, 2006 while Series Two was issued four months later. National Baseball Card Day Inserts 3 Cards Set. 2006 Topps card list & price guide. Each of those stats turned out to be career bests for A-Rod, and when the season wrapped up, he earned his ninth Silver Slugger and third MVP awards. The cards feature a bold colorful picture of the subject surrounded by a white border. One looks completely normal. 3. 100-. The Giants ran into a buzzsaw in the NL Wild Card Florida Marlins, losing back-to-back one-run games to start the best-of-5 NLDS before falling 6-2 at home in Game 3 to complete the sweep. Better photos could have been used for select players. 2000 Topps Traded Miguel Cabrera. With a potent offense led by Jones, Briann McCann, Andruw Jones, Jeff Francoeur and even Mark Teixeira, thanks to a mid-season trade with the Rangers, the Braves finished the season 84-78. Thankfully, they didn't play in the same league as deciding on who to vote for Rookie of the Year would've been one of the toughest calls ever. He still finished third in the American League in runs scored (124), seventh in hits (191), and second in total plate appearances (730). In that year, 90 cards were put into the base sets and separated into Rows. However, his production was secondary to his essential learning experience while adjusting to professional baseball competition. Rivera finished the year with a 6-4 record and a stellar 1.88 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched (66 appearances). He has had 11 All-Star appearances, won 7 Silver Slugger Awards, was named the American League Batting Champion . | Compare vs. So, you can see why he was slow to warm to the idea of moving to left field before the 2002 campaign. The 29-year-old slugger also paced the Majors in on-base percentage (.456) and led the AL in both OPS+ (181) and OPS (1.067). Many felt that his popularity and the fact that he was the face of the Yankees played more of a role in the decision than it should have. Standard Cards. Soon after, Sandberg started to slump and things snapped into focus. Tony Gwynns consistency, however, was never in question. | Compare vs. While Barry Bonds was finishing off his chase of Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, the baseball world watched and wondered if Albert Pujols might be the next guy to make a run at it in the future. Free shipping. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc. Get free collecting news from leading hobby professionals, in-depth articles, breaking news, insightful videos & more! 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. Eddie Murray's Hall of Fame playing career came to a full-circle close in 1997, making this his last of many Topps base cards. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2008-2023 The Cardboard Connection. 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. And his .402 OBP, .610 slugging percentage and 1.013 were equally as impressive. . As you can imagine, it sells for much less than his 2006 Topps card since there is nothing erroneous or special about it. His 26 home runs and 95 RBI weren't the monster numbers he had steadily produced during the 1990s but that level of output was some of his highest of the 2000s. However, Pujols "struggled" in 2007 as he put up arguably the worst of the first eleven seasons of his career as a St. Louis Cardinal. Although 2006 Topps Baseball has autographs and game-used memorabilia cards, they are not guaranteed hits. But this is a huge set, and it's also a fun set, loaded with rookie cards and funky (but cool) subsets and a bevy of superstars who would someday go on to be enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame.. Sean Casey Autographed / Signed 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball Card . Unfortunately, Gordon didn't make the Royals' roster and Topps had to pull his card from production. Gwynn retired after his age-41 season in 2001, a part-time gig in which he hit .324. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC. The 2006 Topps Baseball Card Set was released in two 330 card series with cards #1-330 released in February and cards #331-660 released later in the year. Speaking of autographs, the most significant thing this set is notorious for is the Derek Jeter commemorative Rookie of the Year autograph that collectors could chase in series two packs. And the Derek Jeter card with Mantle and Bush in the background is, without a doubt, the face of this set in the absence of any blockbuster rookie cards. Frank Thomas entered the 2007 season on a two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays looking to continue playing at a high-level during his age-39 season. Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. 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. Ungraded & graded values for all '06 Topps Baseball Cards. At that point, if it wasn't clear to the Dodgers that they'd made a huge mistake, it was immediately clear the following season in 1997. Within the 661-card checklist, you'll find plenty of stars and Hall of Famers as well as a few decent rookie cards, most notably anchored by that of Alex Gordon. He wasnt nearly as fast on the basepaths or quick with his bat. Cheapest, Yet, as you can see, there are still plenty of big-name stars and Hall of Famers of the era to be found inside. If nothing else, you can find plenty of Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones scattered throughout the checklist. 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). No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Many often criticized Jeter as being a below-average shortstop and argued that he did not deserve this Gold Glove or any of them. As usual, there were of course many other big-name Hall of Famers such as Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr. and others that can go for decent money in top condition these days. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. However, the good vibes didn't carry over to the postseason. The cross-brand, multi-year Mickey Mantle Home Run History set kicks off. 2006 Topps Chrome card list & price guide. Track your collection for free. of 622 products. The Most Expensive Cars. Most Expensive 2023 Topps card list & price guide. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. Perhaps most notable were Thomas's two significant milestones that he achieved during the year. Showing 1 The Angels used Murray in a part-time DH role, hoping for a bevy of clutch hits from baseball's all-time leader in RBIs by a switch hitter. A slump in the season's second half dropped his batting average from the high .300s to .321 for the season, good for fourth in the AL after he'd captured the league's batting title the year before (.350). MM1999 also omitted the MVP award stars that were printed alongside the years in the original 1999 card style that year. Still, Boggs was very much an integral part of a Yankees team that finished second in the AL East at 96-66 but ultimately lost a heartbreaking ALCS in five games to the Cleveland Indians. . Read on to learn about that card and the other most expensive cards in the world. Many anticipated that Topps would eventually correct the error, and prices soared as collectors scrambled to get their hands on this perceived "rarity.". Further examination revealed bone chips in the joint, leading to surgery and a 22-game absence for the 26-year-old slugger. Baseball Cards. For Barry Bonds, the 2007 season was all about trying to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record. A day later, the Cubs star was honored with his own day at Wrigley Field. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 2006 Topps Chrome After he was released by Anaheim later in the year, Murray signed on with the Dodgers for one last hurrah. Most Expensive, Now expected to contend, the Padres laid an egg. PSA 10s in the card have commanded more than $40,000, but since '78 Topps has a notorious history of off-centered printing, there are so few gem mints out there. The most valuable baseball card from the 1960s is the 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card #537, graded PSA 10 gem mint condition. Of those four cards, one was purchased by a private collector for $1.7 million and another was bought by an anonymous . Despite his incredible defensive stats, he lost the Gold Glove to Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins. Like the 1997 Bowman, Donruss, Fleer, Leaf, Score and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Jones went 5-for-17 (.294) with five walks, three runs scored, and two RBIs in Atlanta's five-game NLDS tilt against the Giants. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 12 most valuable. 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.