1998 Select: Difference between revisions

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=Description=
=Description=


[[File:1998 Select.jpg]]
1998 Select was a proposed set intended for release in September, 1998 but never officially issued due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy in July/August 1998.  In fact, a bankruptcy judge ordered all unissued trading cards (including cards from this product) to be destroyed; yet, similar to [[1998 Pinnacle Certified]], [[1998 Donruss Limited]], and [[1998 Donruss Crusade|high-numbered Donruss Crusade cards,]] some Select base cards, parallels, and inserts have surfaced since the bankruptcy and were likely "backdoored".  The only cards from this set that were authorized for release was a ten-card promo set of the Selected insert and occurred before the bankruptcy filing.


1998 Select was a 250-card fractured set based on what Pinnacle called the "Quasar System" and was similar to how 1997-1999 Flair Showcase was structured and was intended for release in September, 1998.  The product was never officially released due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy in July/August 1998.  In fact, a bankruptcy judge ordered all unissued trading cards (including cards from this product) to be destroyed; yet, similar to 1998 Pinnacle Certified, Donruss Limited, and high-numbered Donruss Crusade cards, some players had base cards, parallels, or inserts surface since the bankruptcy and were likely "backdoored".  The only cards from this set that were authorized for release were a 10-card promo set of the Selected insert and occurred before the bankruptcy filing.
The product itself was to be a 250-card fractured set based on what Pinnacle called the "Quasar System" and was similar to how 1997-1999 Flair Showcase was structured.


In October of 2017, a horde of base, parallel, and insert cards from this set surfaced on the secondary market, dubbed by some as the "Pinnacle Bankruptcy Find" (PBF).  The appearance of all these cards at once and from the same source marked the largest emergence of cards from this set.  It also marked the first time copies of certain players were confirmed to exist.
In October of 2017, a collection of base, parallel, and insert cards from 1998 Select surfaced on the secondary market, and has been dubbed by some as the "Pinnacle Bankruptcy Find" (PBF).  This find marked the largest emergence of cards from this set from the same source, at the same time.  It also marked the first time copies of certain players were confirmed to exist.


Over the years, one collector has diligently documented cards that have surfaced from this set and can be seen here:
Over the years, one collector has diligently documented cards that have surfaced from this set and can be seen here: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-mFZz6/
 
https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-mFZz6/


=Insertion Ratios=
=Insertion Ratios=
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=Checklist=
=Checklist=


1998 Select was a 250-card base set that represented the "Quasar System", which was the slogan used to describe the structure of the set for advertising and promotion prior to its intended release.   
1998 Select was a 250-card base set that represented the "Quasar System", which was the slogan used to describe the set for advertising and promotion prior to its intended release.   


The base set was fractured into 4 categories (1-Star to 4-Star) that differed in rarity (1-Star was most common and 4-Star was hardest to find within the base set).   
The base set was fractured into 4 categories (1-Star to 4-Star) that differed in rarity (1-Star was most common and 4-Star was hardest to find within the base set).   


To distinguish between the Quasar System categories, each of the base "Star" levels (1-4) had a different card design, photo, and label on the back:
To distinguish between the Quasar System levels/categories, each of the base "Star" levels (1-4) had a different card design, photo, and label on the back:


* 1-Star (1-100): rectangular design
* 1-Star (1-100): rectangular design
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* 4-Star (226-250): diamond design
* 4-Star (226-250): diamond design


Below is the complete checklist as set forth on the product sell sheet. Since Pinnacle's bankruptcy in July/August 1998, many cards from this set have emerged on the secondary market.  Some have estimated that less than 20 copies of each card made their way into the open market.
Below is the complete checklist as set forth on the product sell sheet. Since Pinnacle's bankruptcy in July/August 1998, many cards from this set have emerged on the secondary market and all were confirmed to exist after the PBF of 2017.  Some have estimated that less than 20 copies of each card made their way into the open market.


===1-Star===
===1-Star===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/13/Hideo-Nomo.jpg?id=7d17e294-798a-4451-86e6-dc92966bdc55&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/13/Hideo-Nomo.jpg?id=7d17e294-798a-4451-86e6-dc92966bdc55&size=original&side=back&.jpg
Cards 1-100 in the base set were printed on silver foil stock with a rectangular background design.  These were the most commonly available cards in the base set.  All 1-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.  
Cards 1-100 in the base set were printed on silver foil stock with a rectangular background design.  These were the most commonly available cards in the base set.  All 1-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.  


Line 204: Line 204:
71 Travis Fryman
71 Travis Fryman


72 Ryan Klesko
72 Kerry Wood


73 Magglio Ordonez
73 Magglio Ordonez
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80 Matt Clement
80 Matt Clement


81 Kevin Orie
81 Orlando Hernandez


82 Tom Glavine
82 Tom Glavine
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94 Miguel Tejada
94 Miguel Tejada


95 Kerry Wood
95 Ryan Klesko


96 Mark Grace
96 Mark Grace
Line 263: Line 263:


===2-Star===
===2-Star===
Cards 101-175 in the base set were printed on silver holographic foil stock with a circular background design.  These were the second-hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  All 2-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.  
 
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/159/Gary-Sheffield.jpg?id=24014a89-b20e-4122-b6dd-97b05c89f0a3&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/159/Gary-Sheffield.jpg?id=24014a89-b20e-4122-b6dd-97b05c89f0a3&size=original&side=back&.jpg
 
Cards 101-175 in the base set were printed on silver holographic foil stock with a circular background design.  These were the third-hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  All 2-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.  


101 Jose Cruz, Jr.
101 Jose Cruz, Jr.
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171 Travis Fryman
171 Travis Fryman


172 Ryan Klesko
172 Kerry Wood


173 Magglio Ordonez
173 Magglio Ordonez
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===3-Star===
===3-Star===
Cards 176-225 in the base set were printed on silver prismatic foil stock with a triangular background design.  These were the third-hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  Unlike the other Quasar levels, no 3-Star base cards are confirmed to exist as no copies of any player from this level have surfaced on the secondary market.
Cards 176-225 in the base set were printed on silver prismatic foil stock with a triangular background design.  These were the second-hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  '''Unlike the other Quasar levels, no 3-Star base cards are confirmed to exist as no copies of any player from this level have surfaced on the secondary market.'''


176 Jose Cruz, Jr.
176 Jose Cruz, Jr.
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===4-Star===
===4-Star===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/250/Mike-Piazza.jpg?id=05782a54-ad85-49da-b2cc-09533f0cc9cf&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base/250/Mike-Piazza.jpg?id=05782a54-ad85-49da-b2cc-09533f0cc9cf&size=original&side=back&.jpg
Cards 226-250 in the base set were printed on silver dot matrix hologram stock with a diamond background design.  These were the hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  All 4-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.
Cards 226-250 in the base set were printed on silver dot matrix hologram stock with a diamond background design.  These were the hardest cards in the base set to obtain.  All 4-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.


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250 Mike Piazza
250 Mike Piazza


=Parallels=
=Parallels=
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===Jersey Number===
===Jersey Number===


All 250 cards in the base set had a Jersey Number parallel that was numbered to the player's uniform number.  For example, Ken Griffey, Jr. was featured four times in the base set as he appeared once in each of the 4 Quasar levels (1-Star, 2-Star, 3-Star, and 4-Star).  Therefore, he also had four Jersey Number parallels, all of which were numbered to 24.  Thus, the number of Jersey Number parallels each player had depended on how many Quasar levels he was featured in.
All 250 cards in the base set had a Jersey Number parallel that was to be numbered to the player's uniform number.  For example, Ken Griffey, Jr. was featured four times in the base set as he appeared once in each of the 4 Quasar levels (1-Star, 2-Star, 3-Star, and 4-Star).  Therefore, he also had four Jersey Number parallels, all of which were supposed to be numbered to 24.  Thus, the number of Jersey Number parallels each player had depended on how many Quasar levels he was featured in.


Jersey Number parallels had "Jersey Number" printed vertically along the lower left edge of the card and looked different from the base set:
For distinction, Jersey Number parallels had "Jersey Number" printed vertically along the lower left edge of the card and looked different from the base set:


* 1-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold foil stock
* 1-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold foil stock
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* 4-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold dot matrix hologram foil
* 4-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold dot matrix hologram foil


It is not known if these parallels were intended to be serially numbered but no Jersey Number parallels have surfaced with a serial number stamped to that respective player's uniform number.  However, some Jersey Number parallels are stamped, "00/00" on the back, but the majority are not.  Some have surfaced that have been hand-numbered on the back (e.g., __/24 for Ken Griffey Jr.) but many believe hand-numbered versions were numbered by unscrupulous owners to in an attempt to deceive.   
It is not known if these parallels were intended to be serially numbered but no Jersey Number parallels have surfaced with a serial number stamped to that respective player's uniform number.  However, some Jersey Number parallels are stamped, "00/00" on the back, but the majority are not.  Others have surfaced that have been hand-numbered on the back (e.g., __/24 for Ken Griffey Jr.) but some believe hand-numbered versions were numbered by unscrupulous owners.   


Not all 250 Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist.  Interestingly, 3-Star Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist even though no 3-Star base of any player has ever surfaced.  However, parallels of players in the 1, 2, and 4-Star categories have emerged.
Not all 250 Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist.  Interestingly, 3-Star Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist even though no 3-Star base of any player has ever surfaced.  Further, parallels of many players in the 1, 2, and 4-Star categories have also emerged.


===1-Star Jersey Number===
===1-Star Jersey Number===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/1/Jose-Cruz-Jr.jpg?id=616e213d-8880-4558-bf35-bcf4c82b21ef&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/1/Jose-Cruz-Jr.jpg?id=616e213d-8880-4558-bf35-bcf4c82b21ef&size=original&side=back&.jpg
The following 1-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
The following 1-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
1 Jose Cruz, Jr.


2 Greg Maddux
2 Greg Maddux
3 Nomar Garciaparra


4 Mark McGwire  
4 Mark McGwire  
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10 Frank Thomas
10 Frank Thomas
11 Scott Rolen
12 Travis Lee
13 Hideo Nomo


14 Alex Rodriguez
14 Alex Rodriguez
15 Kenny Lofton


16 Ken Griffey Jr.
16 Ken Griffey Jr.


17 Jeff Bagwell
17 Jeff Bagwell
18 Vladimir Guerrero
19 Ivan Rodriguez
20 Mo Vaughn


21 Chipper Jones
21 Chipper Jones
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25 Mike Piazza
25 Mike Piazza
27 Larry Walker


29 Barry Larkin
29 Barry Larkin
30 Chuck Knoblauch


31 Albert Belle
31 Albert Belle
34 Manny Ramirez
35 Wade Boggs
36 Jim Thome


37 Todd Helton
37 Todd Helton
38 Roberto Alomar
40 Chan Ho Park
41 Craig Biggio
42 Ken Caminiti
43 David Justice
44 Andy Pettitte


45 Bernie Williams
45 Bernie Williams
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50 Pedro Martinez
50 Pedro Martinez
51 Todd Greene


52 Matt Williams
52 Matt Williams
53 Rondell White
54 Brady Anderson
55 Tim Salmon
56 Edgar Martinez


57 Jose Guillen
57 Jose Guillen
58 Richard Hidalgo
59 Gary Sheffield
60 Paul Molitor
61 Livan Hernandez
62 Jaret Wright
63 Fernando Tatis


64 Fred McGriff
64 Fred McGriff


65 Will Clark
65 Will Clark
66 John Smoltz
67 Rafael Palmeiro
68 Sammy Sosa
69 Tino Martinez
70 Jim Edmonds


71 Travis Fryman
71 Travis Fryman
72 Kerry Wood
73 Magglio Ordonez
75 Todd Hundley
76 Javier Lopez
77 Vinny Castilla
78 Carl Pavano
79 Aramis Ramirez
80 Matt Clement
81 Orlando Hernandez
82 Tom Glavine
83 Mark Kotsay
84 Todd Walker
86 Sean Casey
87 Frank Catalanotto
88 Neifi Perez
89 Rolando Arrojo
90 David Ortiz
91 Kevin Millwood
92 Moises Alou
93 Masato Yoshii
95 Ryan Klesko


96 Mark Grace
96 Mark Grace
97 David Dellucci
98 Jason Kendall


===2-Star Jersey Number===
===2-Star Jersey Number===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/174/Bobby-Bonilla.jpg?id=15265cf1-6ac6-49ad-942d-02549edece1d&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/174/Bobby-Bonilla.jpg?id=15265cf1-6ac6-49ad-942d-02549edece1d&size=original&side=back&.jpg
The following 2-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
The following 2-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
101 Jose Cruz, Jr.


102 Greg Maddux
102 Greg Maddux
103 Nomar Garciaparra


104 Mark McGwire
104 Mark McGwire
Line 668: Line 805:


110 Frank Thomas
110 Frank Thomas
111 Scott Rolen
112 Travis Lee


113 Hideo Nomo
113 Hideo Nomo


114 Alex Rodriguez
114 Alex Rodriguez
115 Kenny Lofton


116 Ken Griffey Jr.
116 Ken Griffey Jr.


117 Jeff Bagwell
117 Jeff Bagwell
118 Vladimir Guerrero
119 Ivan Rodriguez
120 Mo Vaughn


121 Chipper Jones
121 Chipper Jones
Line 684: Line 833:


125 Mike Piazza
125 Mike Piazza
126 Tony Clark
127 Larry Walker
128 Juan Encarnacion


129 Barry Larkin
129 Barry Larkin
130 Chuck Knoblauch


131 Albert Belle
131 Albert Belle
134 Manny Ramirez
135 Wade Boggs
136 Jim Thome


137 Todd Helton
137 Todd Helton
138 Roberto Alomar
140 Chan Ho Park
141 Craig Biggio
142 Ken Caminiti
143 David Justice
144 Andy Pettitte


145 Bernie Williams
145 Bernie Williams


147 Darrin Erstad
147 Darrin Erstad
148 Andres Galarraga
149 Raul Mondesi


150 Pedro Martinez
150 Pedro Martinez
151 Todd Greene
152 Matt Williams
153 Rondell White
154 Brady Anderson
155 Tim Salmon
156 Edgar Martinez
157 Jose Guillen
158 Richard Hidalgo
159 Gary Sheffield
160 Paul Molitor
161 Livan Hernandez
162 Jaret Wright
163 Fernando Tatis


164 Fred McGriff
164 Fred McGriff


165 Will Clark
165 Will Clark
166 John Smoltz
167 Rafael Palmeiro
168 Sammy Sosa
169 Tino Martinez
170 Jim Edmonds


171 Travis Fryman
171 Travis Fryman
172 Kerry Wood


173 Magglio Ordonez
173 Magglio Ordonez
174 Bobby Bonilla
175 Todd Hundley


===3-Star Jersey Number===
===3-Star Jersey Number===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/208/Brad-Fullmer.jpg?id=27a12f39-00c2-4b63-bbaa-6ce4bfa7eef7&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/208/Brad-Fullmer.jpg?id=27a12f39-00c2-4b63-bbaa-6ce4bfa7eef7&size=original&side=back&.jpg
The following 3-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
The following 3-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:


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177 Greg Maddux
177 Greg Maddux
178 Nomar Garciaparra


179 Mark McGwire
179 Mark McGwire
Line 725: Line 953:


185 Frank Thomas
185 Frank Thomas
186 Scott Rolen
187 Travis Lee


188 Hideo Nomo
188 Hideo Nomo


189 Alex Rodriguez
189 Alex Rodriguez
190 Kenny Lofton


191 Ken Griffey Jr.
191 Ken Griffey Jr.


192 Jeff Bagwell
192 Jeff Bagwell
193 Vladimir Guerrero
194 Ivan Rodriguez
195 Mo Vaughn


196 Chipper Jones
196 Chipper Jones
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200 Mike Piazza
200 Mike Piazza
201 Tony Clark
202 Larry Walker
203 Juan Encaranacion


204 Barry Larkin
204 Barry Larkin
205 Chuck Knoblauch


206 Albert Belle
206 Albert Belle
208 Brad Fullmer
209 Manny Ramirez
210 Wade Boggs
211 Jim Thome


212 Todd Helton
212 Todd Helton
213 Roberto Alomar
215 Chan Ho Park
216 Craig Biggio
218 David Justice
219 Andy Pettitte


220 Bernie Williams
220 Bernie Williams


222 Darrin Erstad
222 Darrin Erstad
223 Andres Galarraga


225 Pedro Martinez
225 Pedro Martinez


===4-Star Jersey Number===
===4-Star Jersey Number===
The following 4-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:
 
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/247/Ben-Grieve.jpg?id=baadd59c-6003-4603-8dd5-775d0e136d88&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Base---Gold/247/Ben-Grieve.jpg?id=baadd59c-6003-4603-8dd5-775d0e136d88&size=original&side=back&.jpg
 
The following 4-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least two copies have surfaced on the secondary market from the 2017 PBF and two uncut sheets that sold on eBay on 4/15/22.
 
226 Jose Cruz, Jr.


227 Greg Maddux
227 Greg Maddux
228 Nomar Garciaparra


229 Mark McGwire
229 Mark McGwire
Line 774: Line 1,050:


235 Frank Thomas
235 Frank Thomas
236 Scott Rolen
237 Travis Lee


238 Hideo Nomo
238 Hideo Nomo


239 Alex Rodriguez
239 Alex Rodriguez
240 Kenny Lofton


241 Ken Griffey Jr.
241 Ken Griffey Jr.


242 Jeff Bagwell
242 Jeff Bagwell
243 Vladimir Guerrero
244 Ivan Rodriguez
245 Mo Vaughn


246 Chipper Jones
246 Chipper Jones
Line 792: Line 1,080:


250 Mike Piazza
250 Mike Piazza


=Inserts=
=Inserts=
===Five-Star Bonus===
===Five-Star Bonus===


Five-Star Bonus was a 5-card insert that was a quasi-extension of the base set. The design is similar to that of the base set as each is printed on silver, dot matrix hologram stock with a star-design background. There is no Jersey Number parallel of these inserts.
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Bonus/3/Cal-Ripken-Jr.jpg?id=54428de1-d3f6-4da2-8f12-77e900e67dcb&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Bonus/3/Cal-Ripken-Jr.jpg?id=54428de1-d3f6-4da2-8f12-77e900e67dcb&size=original&side=back&.jpg


Each card is serially numbered to 50. Given that cards of different players with low, medium, and high serial numbers (e.g., 4/50, 24/50, 47/50) have all surfaced, many believe that all 50 sets of all 5 players in the set were produced and serially numbered.   
Five-Star Bonus was a five-card insert that was a quasi-extension of the base set. The look is similar to the base set as each card is printed on silver, dot matrix hologram stock but with a star-design backgroundThere is no Jersey Number parallel of these inserts.


Further, each of the five players in the set have multiple copies that have emerged on the secondary market since the bankruptcy in 1998 and in early 2007, a number of these cards were sold (as complete 5-card sets with matching serial-numbers) on eBay.  Before then, singles from this insert set were incredibly rare.
Each card is serially-numbered to 50. Given that cards of different players with low, medium, and high serial numbers (e.g., 4/50, 24/50, 47/50) have all surfaced, many believe that all 50 sets of all 5 players in the set were produced and serially-numbered. 
 
Further, each of the five players in the set have multiple copies that have emerged on the secondary market since the bankruptcy in 1998 and in early 2007, a number of these cards were sold (as complete five-card sets with matching serial-numbers) on eBay.  Before then, singles from this insert set were incredibly rare.


Originally, Mike Piazza was slated to be card #5 in this set, but was replaced by Derek Jeter.  The players in the set are:
Originally, Mike Piazza was slated to be card #5 in this set, but was replaced by Derek Jeter.  The players in the set are:
Line 815: Line 1,105:
5 Derek Jeter
5 Derek Jeter


===Diamond Dominance===


===Diamond Dominance===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Diamond-Dominance/1/Darin-Erstad.jpg?id=de2509af-e0af-464b-8223-7000b63cb04d&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Diamond-Dominance/1/Darin-Erstad.jpg?id=de2509af-e0af-464b-8223-7000b63cb04d&size=original&side=back&.jpg


Diamond Dominance was a 10-card insert set featuring players that "dominated" on the field.  They had a purple design with a holographic silver finish on triangular sections of the cardfront.  Before the PBF of October 2017, the only cards from the set confirmed to exist were of Andruw Jones, Tony Clark, and Darin Erstad.  However, all cards from this set have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.  
Diamond Dominance was a ten-card insert set featuring players that "dominated" on the field.  They had a purple design with a holographic silver finish on triangular sections of the cardfront.  Before the PBF of October 2017, the only cards from the set confirmed to exist were of Andruw Jones, Tony Clark, and Darin Erstad.  However, all cards from this set have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.  


1 Darin Erstad
1 Darin Erstad
Line 840: Line 1,132:
10 Tony Clark
10 Tony Clark


===Selected===


===Selected===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select-Selected---Samples/6/Alex-Rodriguez.jpg?id=2e1a860c-9400-49b7-a862-0cb94c0aa281&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select-Selected---Samples/6/Alex-Rodriguez.jpg?id=2e1a860c-9400-49b7-a862-0cb94c0aa281&size=original&side=back&.jpg


Selected was a 10-card set featuring future stars of the game that had amazing "natural talent" and was printed on silver holographic stock.   
Selected was a ten-card set featuring future stars of the game that had amazing "natural talent" and was printed on silver holographic stock.   


Sample versions of each card in the set were the only cards from the 1998 Select that were officially released before the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy. A pack of two cards were released to Hobby dealers along with the sell sheets. The word "SAMPLE" was printed on the back of each card.
Sample versions of each card in the set were the only cards from 1998 Select that were officially released before the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy. A pack of two cards were released to Hobby dealers along with the sell sheets. The word "SAMPLE" was printed on the back of each card.


However, non-sample cards from this set slowly emerged after the bankruptcy and after the PBF of 2017, all cards were confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.
However, non-sample cards from this set slowly emerged after the bankruptcy and after the PBF of 2017, all cards were confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.
Line 869: Line 1,163:
10 Jaret Wright
10 Jaret Wright


===Rare Form===


===Rare Form===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select-Rare-Form---Base/2/Roger-Clemens.jpg?id=bba4b5ab-3d04-41d1-8484-5f5943518304&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select-Rare-Form---Base/2/Roger-Clemens.jpg?id=bba4b5ab-3d04-41d1-8484-5f5943518304&size=original&side=back&.jpg
 
Rare Form was a ten-card insert set featuring those who "played the game with unequaled style" and had a unique dot matrix holographic finish.  Prior to 2017, no cards from this insert set had ever been seen before and many believed that this set was never produced.  However, the PBF of 2017 included at least two copies (some players had three copies) of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set.


Rare Form was a 10-card insert set featuring those who "played the game with unequaled style" and was had a unique dot matrix holographic finish.  Prior to 2017, no cards from this insert set had ever been seen before and many believed that this set was never produced.  However, the PBF of 2017 included at least two copies (some players had three copies) of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set.  
On 4/15/22, two uncut sheets featuring a single copy of every player from the 4-Star, Five-Star Bonus, Numbers, and Rare Form sets sold on eBay, upping the publicly confirmed count of these Rare Forms to at least three copies per player.  


1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
Line 894: Line 1,192:
10 Frank Thomas
10 Frank Thomas


===Select Numbers===
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Numbers/10/Kenny-Lofton.jpg?id=725522c8-9a36-4e4a-914b-e989d9b6bd61&size=original&side=front&.jpg
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1998/Select---Numbers/10/Kenny-Lofton.jpg?id=725522c8-9a36-4e4a-914b-e989d9b6bd61&size=original&side=back&.jpg


===Select Numbers===
Select Numbers was a 20-card insert set, serial numbered to a player's statistic across one of four categories:


Select Numbers was a 20-card insert set, serial numbered to a player's statistic across 4 categories:
* Batting Average
* Batting Average
* On Base Percentage
* On Base Percentage
Line 903: Line 1,204:
* Strikeouts
* Strikeouts


For example, Tony Gwynn hit .372 in 1997 and thus his Select Numbers card was to be serial numbered to 372.  These were printed on a silver dot matrix hologram stock with a concentric pattern of numbers in the background and tinted to the player's team colors.   
For example, Tony Gwynn hit .372 in 1997 and thus his Select Numbers card was to be serial numbered to 372.  These were printed on a silver dot matrix hologram stock with a concentric pattern of numbers in the background and was tinted to the player's team colors.   
 
Prior to 2017, only 12 of the 20 cards from this insert set surfaced but were not serial-numbered.  However, the PBF of 2017 contained at least two copies of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set.  However, none of the cards in this collection were serially-numbered either.
 
On 4/15/22, two uncut sheets featuring a single copy of every player from the 4-Star, Five-Star Bonus, Numbers, and Rare Form sets sold on eBay, upping the publicly confirmed count of these Numbers to at least 3 copies per player.


Prior to 2017, only 12 of the 20 cards from this insert set surfaced but were not serial-numbered. However, the PBF of 2017 contained at least two copies of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set.  The information in the parentheses indicates the statistic and number the card was supposed to be serially numbered to:
The information in the parentheses indicates the statistic and number the card was supposed to be serially numbered to:


1 Mark McGwire (HRs - 58)
1 Mark McGwire (HRs - 58)
Line 947: Line 1,252:
20 Greg Maddux (Ks - 177)
20 Greg Maddux (Ks - 177)


 
{{Select}}
[[Category:Pinnacle]]
[[Category:Pinnacle Brands]]
[[Category:Bankruptcy Issues]]
[[Category:1998]]
[[Category:1998]]

Latest revision as of 14:37, 18 April 2022

Description

1998 Select was a proposed set intended for release in September, 1998 but never officially issued due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy in July/August 1998. In fact, a bankruptcy judge ordered all unissued trading cards (including cards from this product) to be destroyed; yet, similar to 1998 Pinnacle Certified, 1998 Donruss Limited, and high-numbered Donruss Crusade cards, some Select base cards, parallels, and inserts have surfaced since the bankruptcy and were likely "backdoored". The only cards from this set that were authorized for release was a ten-card promo set of the Selected insert and occurred before the bankruptcy filing.

The product itself was to be a 250-card fractured set based on what Pinnacle called the "Quasar System" and was similar to how 1997-1999 Flair Showcase was structured.

In October of 2017, a collection of base, parallel, and insert cards from 1998 Select surfaced on the secondary market, and has been dubbed by some as the "Pinnacle Bankruptcy Find" (PBF). This find marked the largest emergence of cards from this set from the same source, at the same time. It also marked the first time copies of certain players were confirmed to exist.

Over the years, one collector has diligently documented cards that have surfaced from this set and can be seen here: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-mFZz6/

Insertion Ratios

Cards Total Cards Numbered To Hobby Odds
Base 250 - varies
One-Star 100 - 3 per pack
Two-Star 75 - 2 per pack
Three-Star 50 - 1:7
Four-Star 25 - 1:23
Jersey Number Parallel 250 varies
Five-Star Bonus 5 50 ?
Diamond Dominance 10 - 1:23
Selected 10 - 1:23
Rare Form 10 - 1:99
Select Numbers 20 varies ?

Checklist

1998 Select was a 250-card base set that represented the "Quasar System", which was the slogan used to describe the set for advertising and promotion prior to its intended release.

The base set was fractured into 4 categories (1-Star to 4-Star) that differed in rarity (1-Star was most common and 4-Star was hardest to find within the base set).

To distinguish between the Quasar System levels/categories, each of the base "Star" levels (1-4) had a different card design, photo, and label on the back:

  • 1-Star (1-100): rectangular design
  • 2-Star (101-175): circular design
  • 3-Star (176-225): triangular design
  • 4-Star (226-250): diamond design

Below is the complete checklist as set forth on the product sell sheet. Since Pinnacle's bankruptcy in July/August 1998, many cards from this set have emerged on the secondary market and all were confirmed to exist after the PBF of 2017. Some have estimated that less than 20 copies of each card made their way into the open market.

1-Star

Hideo-Nomo.jpg?id=7d17e294-798a-4451-86e6-dc92966bdc55&size=original&side=front&.jpg Hideo-Nomo.jpg?id=7d17e294-798a-4451-86e6-dc92966bdc55&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Cards 1-100 in the base set were printed on silver foil stock with a rectangular background design. These were the most commonly available cards in the base set. All 1-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.

1 Jose Cruz, Jr.

2 Greg Maddux

3 Nomar Garciaparra

4 Mark McGwire

5 Juan Gonzalez

6 Barry Bonds

7 Cal Ripken, Jr.

8 Andruw Jones

9 Tony Gwynn

10 Frank Thomas

11 Scott Rolen

12 Travis Lee

13 Hideo Nomo

14 Alex Rodriguez

15 Kenny Lofton

16 Ken Griffey, Jr.

17 Jeff Bagwell

18 Vladimir Guerrero

19 Ivan Rodriguez

20 Mo Vaughn

21 Chipper Jones

22 Ben Grieve

23 Roger Clemens

24 Derek Jeter

25 Mike Piazza

26 Tony Clark

27 Larry Walker

28 Juan Encarnacion

29 Barry Larkin

30 Chuck Knoblauch

31 Albert Belle

32 Randy Johnson

33 Brad Fullmer

34 Manny Ramirez

35 Wade Boggs

36 Jim Thome

37 Todd Helton

38 Roberto Alomar

39 Paul Konerko

40 Chan Ho Park

41 Craig Biggio

42 Ken Caminiti

43 David Justice

44 Andy Pettitte

45 Bernie Williams

46 Mike Mussina

47 Darin Erstad

48 Andres Galarraga

49 Raul Mondesi

50 Pedro Martinez

51 Todd Greene

52 Matt Williams

53 Rondell White

54 Brady Anderson

55 Tim Salmon

56 Edgar Martinez

57 Jose Guillen

58 Richard Hidalgo

59 Gary Sheffield

60 Paul Molitor

61 Livan Hernandez

62 Jaret Wright

63 Fernando Tatis

64 Fred McGriff

65 Will Clark

66 John Smoltz

67 Rafael Palmeiro

68 Sammy Sosa

69 Tino Martinez

70 Jim Edmonds

71 Travis Fryman

72 Kerry Wood

73 Magglio Ordonez

74 Bobby Bonilla

75 Todd Hundley

76 Javy Lopez

77 Vinny Castilla

78 Carl Pavano

79 Jay Buhner

80 Matt Clement

81 Orlando Hernandez

82 Tom Glavine

83 Mark Kotsay

84 Todd Walker

85 Bobby Higginson

86 Sean Casey

87 Frank Catalanotto

88 Neifi Perez

89 Derrek Lee

90 David Ortiz

91 Kevin Millwood

92 Moises Alou

93 Brian Rose

94 Miguel Tejada

95 Ryan Klesko

96 Mark Grace

97 Bobby Estalella

98 Jason Kendall

99 Rusty Greer

100 Charles Johnson

2-Star

Gary-Sheffield.jpg?id=24014a89-b20e-4122-b6dd-97b05c89f0a3&size=original&side=front&.jpg Gary-Sheffield.jpg?id=24014a89-b20e-4122-b6dd-97b05c89f0a3&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Cards 101-175 in the base set were printed on silver holographic foil stock with a circular background design. These were the third-hardest cards in the base set to obtain. All 2-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.

101 Jose Cruz, Jr.

102 Greg Maddux

103 Nomar Garciaparra

104 Mark McGwire

105 Juan Gonzalez

106 Barry Bonds

107 Cal Ripken, Jr.

108 Andruw Jones

109 Tony Gwynn

110 Frank Thomas

111 Scott Rolen

112 Travis Lee

113 Hideo Nomo

114 Alex Rodriguez

115 Kenny Lofton

116 Ken Griffey, Jr.

117 Jeff Bagwell

118 Vladimir Guerrero

119 Ivan Rodriguez

120 Mo Vaughn

121 Chipper Jones

122 Ben Grieve

123 Roger Clemens

124 Derek Jeter

125 Mike Piazza

126 Tony Clark

127 Larry Walker

128 Juan Encarnacion

129 Barry Larkin

130 Chuck Knoblauch

131 Albert Belle

132 Randy Johnson

133 Brad Fullmer

134 Manny Ramirez

135 Wade Boggs

136 Jim Thome

137 Todd Helton

138 Roberto Alomar

139 Paul Konerko

140 Chan Ho Park

141 Craig Biggio

142 Ken Caminiti

143 David Justice

144 Andy Pettitte

145 Bernie Williams

146 Mike Mussina

147 Darin Erstad

148 Andres Galarraga

149 Raul Mondesi

150 Pedro Martinez

151 Todd Greene

152 Matt Williams

153 Rondell White

154 Brady Anderson

155 Tim Salmon

156 Edgar Martinez

157 Jose Guillen

158 Richard Hidalgo

159 Gary Sheffield

160 Paul Molitor

161 Livan Hernandez

162 Jaret Wright

163 Fernando Tatis

164 Fred McGriff

165 Will Clark

166 John Smoltz

167 Rafael Palmeiro

168 Sammy Sosa

169 Tino Martinez

170 Jim Edmonds

171 Travis Fryman

172 Kerry Wood

173 Magglio Ordonez

174 Bobby Bonilla

175 Todd Hundley

3-Star

Cards 176-225 in the base set were printed on silver prismatic foil stock with a triangular background design. These were the second-hardest cards in the base set to obtain. Unlike the other Quasar levels, no 3-Star base cards are confirmed to exist as no copies of any player from this level have surfaced on the secondary market.

176 Jose Cruz, Jr.

177 Greg Maddux

178 Nomar Garciaparra

179 Mark McGwire

180 Juan Gonzalez

181 Barry Bonds

182 Cal Ripken, Jr.

183 Andruw Jones

184 Tony Gwynn

185 Frank Thomas

186 Scott Rolen

187 Travis Lee

188 Hideo Nomo

189 Alex Rodriguez

190 Kenny Lofton

191 Ken Griffey, Jr.

192 Jeff Bagwell

193 Vladimir Guerrero

194 Ivan Rodriguez

195 Mo Vaughn

196 Chipper Jones

197 Ben Grieve

198 Roger Clemens

199 Derek Jeter

200 Mike Piazza

201 Tony Clark

202 Larry Walker

203 Juan Encarnacion

204 Barry Larkin

205 Chuck Knoblauch

206 Albert Belle

207 Randy Johnson

208 Brad Fullmer

209 Manny Ramirez

210 Wade Boggs

211 Jim Thome

212 Todd Helton

213 Roberto Alomar

214 Paul Konerko

215 Chan Ho Park

216 Craig Biggio

217 Ken Caminiti

218 David Justice

219 Andy Pettitte

220 Bernie Williams

221 Mike Mussina

222 Darin Erstad

223 Andres Galarraga

224 Raul Mondesi

225 Pedro Martinez

4-Star

Mike-Piazza.jpg?id=05782a54-ad85-49da-b2cc-09533f0cc9cf&size=original&side=front&.jpg Mike-Piazza.jpg?id=05782a54-ad85-49da-b2cc-09533f0cc9cf&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Cards 226-250 in the base set were printed on silver dot matrix hologram stock with a diamond background design. These were the hardest cards in the base set to obtain. All 4-Star base cards are confirmed to exist and at least one copy of each player from this level has surfaced on the secondary market.

226 Jose Cruz, Jr.

227 Greg Maddux

228 Nomar Garciaparra

229 Mark McGwire

230 Juan Gonzalez

231 Barry Bonds

232 Cal Ripken, Jr.

233 Andruw Jones

234 Tony Gwynn

235 Frank Thomas

236 Scott Rolen

237 Travis Lee

238 Hideo Nomo

239 Alex Rodriguez

240 Kenny Lofton

241 Ken Griffey, Jr.

242 Jeff Bagwell

243 Vladimir Guerrero

244 Ivan Rodriguez

245 Mo Vaughn

246 Chipper Jones

247 Ben Grieve

248 Roger Clemens

249 Derek Jeter

250 Mike Piazza

Parallels

Jersey Number

All 250 cards in the base set had a Jersey Number parallel that was to be numbered to the player's uniform number. For example, Ken Griffey, Jr. was featured four times in the base set as he appeared once in each of the 4 Quasar levels (1-Star, 2-Star, 3-Star, and 4-Star). Therefore, he also had four Jersey Number parallels, all of which were supposed to be numbered to 24. Thus, the number of Jersey Number parallels each player had depended on how many Quasar levels he was featured in.

For distinction, Jersey Number parallels had "Jersey Number" printed vertically along the lower left edge of the card and looked different from the base set:

  • 1-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold foil stock
  • 2-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold holographic foil
  • 3-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold prismatic foil
  • 4-Star Jersey Numbers: printed on gold dot matrix hologram foil

It is not known if these parallels were intended to be serially numbered but no Jersey Number parallels have surfaced with a serial number stamped to that respective player's uniform number. However, some Jersey Number parallels are stamped, "00/00" on the back, but the majority are not. Others have surfaced that have been hand-numbered on the back (e.g., __/24 for Ken Griffey Jr.) but some believe hand-numbered versions were numbered by unscrupulous owners.

Not all 250 Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist. Interestingly, 3-Star Jersey Number parallels have been confirmed to exist even though no 3-Star base of any player has ever surfaced. Further, parallels of many players in the 1, 2, and 4-Star categories have also emerged.

1-Star Jersey Number

Jose-Cruz-Jr.jpg?id=616e213d-8880-4558-bf35-bcf4c82b21ef&size=original&side=front&.jpg Jose-Cruz-Jr.jpg?id=616e213d-8880-4558-bf35-bcf4c82b21ef&size=original&side=back&.jpg

The following 1-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:

1 Jose Cruz, Jr.

2 Greg Maddux

3 Nomar Garciaparra

4 Mark McGwire

5 Juan Gonzalez

6 Barry Bonds

7 Cal Ripken Jr.

8 Andruw Jones

9 Tony Gwynn

10 Frank Thomas

11 Scott Rolen

12 Travis Lee

13 Hideo Nomo

14 Alex Rodriguez

15 Kenny Lofton

16 Ken Griffey Jr.

17 Jeff Bagwell

18 Vladimir Guerrero

19 Ivan Rodriguez

20 Mo Vaughn

21 Chipper Jones

23 Roger Clemens

24 Derek Jeter

25 Mike Piazza

27 Larry Walker

29 Barry Larkin

30 Chuck Knoblauch

31 Albert Belle

34 Manny Ramirez

35 Wade Boggs

36 Jim Thome

37 Todd Helton

38 Roberto Alomar

40 Chan Ho Park

41 Craig Biggio

42 Ken Caminiti

43 David Justice

44 Andy Pettitte

45 Bernie Williams

47 Darin Erstad

48 Andres Galarraga

49 Raul Mondesi

50 Pedro Martinez

51 Todd Greene

52 Matt Williams

53 Rondell White

54 Brady Anderson

55 Tim Salmon

56 Edgar Martinez

57 Jose Guillen

58 Richard Hidalgo

59 Gary Sheffield

60 Paul Molitor

61 Livan Hernandez

62 Jaret Wright

63 Fernando Tatis

64 Fred McGriff

65 Will Clark

66 John Smoltz

67 Rafael Palmeiro

68 Sammy Sosa

69 Tino Martinez

70 Jim Edmonds

71 Travis Fryman

72 Kerry Wood

73 Magglio Ordonez

75 Todd Hundley

76 Javier Lopez

77 Vinny Castilla

78 Carl Pavano

79 Aramis Ramirez

80 Matt Clement

81 Orlando Hernandez

82 Tom Glavine

83 Mark Kotsay

84 Todd Walker

86 Sean Casey

87 Frank Catalanotto

88 Neifi Perez

89 Rolando Arrojo

90 David Ortiz

91 Kevin Millwood

92 Moises Alou

93 Masato Yoshii

95 Ryan Klesko

96 Mark Grace

97 David Dellucci

98 Jason Kendall

2-Star Jersey Number

Bobby-Bonilla.jpg?id=15265cf1-6ac6-49ad-942d-02549edece1d&size=original&side=front&.jpg Bobby-Bonilla.jpg?id=15265cf1-6ac6-49ad-942d-02549edece1d&size=original&side=back&.jpg

The following 2-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:

101 Jose Cruz, Jr.

102 Greg Maddux

103 Nomar Garciaparra

104 Mark McGwire

105 Juan Gonzalez

106 Barry Bonds

107 Cal Ripken Jr.

108 Andruw Jones

109 Tony Gwynn

110 Frank Thomas

111 Scott Rolen

112 Travis Lee

113 Hideo Nomo

114 Alex Rodriguez

115 Kenny Lofton

116 Ken Griffey Jr.

117 Jeff Bagwell

118 Vladimir Guerrero

119 Ivan Rodriguez

120 Mo Vaughn

121 Chipper Jones

123 Roger Clemens

124 Derek Jeter

125 Mike Piazza

126 Tony Clark

127 Larry Walker

128 Juan Encarnacion

129 Barry Larkin

130 Chuck Knoblauch

131 Albert Belle

134 Manny Ramirez

135 Wade Boggs

136 Jim Thome

137 Todd Helton

138 Roberto Alomar

140 Chan Ho Park

141 Craig Biggio

142 Ken Caminiti

143 David Justice

144 Andy Pettitte

145 Bernie Williams

147 Darrin Erstad

148 Andres Galarraga

149 Raul Mondesi

150 Pedro Martinez

151 Todd Greene

152 Matt Williams

153 Rondell White

154 Brady Anderson

155 Tim Salmon

156 Edgar Martinez

157 Jose Guillen

158 Richard Hidalgo

159 Gary Sheffield

160 Paul Molitor

161 Livan Hernandez

162 Jaret Wright

163 Fernando Tatis

164 Fred McGriff

165 Will Clark

166 John Smoltz

167 Rafael Palmeiro

168 Sammy Sosa

169 Tino Martinez

170 Jim Edmonds

171 Travis Fryman

172 Kerry Wood

173 Magglio Ordonez

174 Bobby Bonilla

175 Todd Hundley

3-Star Jersey Number

Brad-Fullmer.jpg?id=27a12f39-00c2-4b63-bbaa-6ce4bfa7eef7&size=original&side=front&.jpg Brad-Fullmer.jpg?id=27a12f39-00c2-4b63-bbaa-6ce4bfa7eef7&size=original&side=back&.jpg

The following 3-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market:

176 Jose Cruz, Jr.

177 Greg Maddux

178 Nomar Garciaparra

179 Mark McGwire

180 Juan Gonzalez

181 Barry Bonds

182 Cal Ripken Jr.

183 Andruw Jones

184 Tony Gwynn

185 Frank Thomas

186 Scott Rolen

187 Travis Lee

188 Hideo Nomo

189 Alex Rodriguez

190 Kenny Lofton

191 Ken Griffey Jr.

192 Jeff Bagwell

193 Vladimir Guerrero

194 Ivan Rodriguez

195 Mo Vaughn

196 Chipper Jones

197 Ben Grieve

198 Roger Clemens

199 Derek Jeter

200 Mike Piazza

201 Tony Clark

202 Larry Walker

203 Juan Encaranacion

204 Barry Larkin

205 Chuck Knoblauch

206 Albert Belle

208 Brad Fullmer

209 Manny Ramirez

210 Wade Boggs

211 Jim Thome

212 Todd Helton

213 Roberto Alomar

215 Chan Ho Park

216 Craig Biggio

218 David Justice

219 Andy Pettitte

220 Bernie Williams

222 Darrin Erstad

223 Andres Galarraga

225 Pedro Martinez

4-Star Jersey Number

Ben-Grieve.jpg?id=baadd59c-6003-4603-8dd5-775d0e136d88&size=original&side=front&.jpg Ben-Grieve.jpg?id=baadd59c-6003-4603-8dd5-775d0e136d88&size=original&side=back&.jpg

The following 4-Star Jersey Number parallels below have been confirmed to exist as at least two copies have surfaced on the secondary market from the 2017 PBF and two uncut sheets that sold on eBay on 4/15/22.

226 Jose Cruz, Jr.

227 Greg Maddux

228 Nomar Garciaparra

229 Mark McGwire

230 Juan Gonzalez

231 Barry Bonds

232 Cal Ripken Jr.

233 Andruw Jones

234 Tony Gwynn

235 Frank Thomas

236 Scott Rolen

237 Travis Lee

238 Hideo Nomo

239 Alex Rodriguez

240 Kenny Lofton

241 Ken Griffey Jr.

242 Jeff Bagwell

243 Vladimir Guerrero

244 Ivan Rodriguez

245 Mo Vaughn

246 Chipper Jones

247 Ben Grieve

248 Roger Clemens

249 Derek Jeter

250 Mike Piazza

Inserts

Five-Star Bonus

Cal-Ripken-Jr.jpg?id=54428de1-d3f6-4da2-8f12-77e900e67dcb&size=original&side=front&.jpg Cal-Ripken-Jr.jpg?id=54428de1-d3f6-4da2-8f12-77e900e67dcb&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Five-Star Bonus was a five-card insert that was a quasi-extension of the base set. The look is similar to the base set as each card is printed on silver, dot matrix hologram stock but with a star-design background. There is no Jersey Number parallel of these inserts.

Each card is serially-numbered to 50. Given that cards of different players with low, medium, and high serial numbers (e.g., 4/50, 24/50, 47/50) have all surfaced, many believe that all 50 sets of all 5 players in the set were produced and serially-numbered.

Further, each of the five players in the set have multiple copies that have emerged on the secondary market since the bankruptcy in 1998 and in early 2007, a number of these cards were sold (as complete five-card sets with matching serial-numbers) on eBay. Before then, singles from this insert set were incredibly rare.

Originally, Mike Piazza was slated to be card #5 in this set, but was replaced by Derek Jeter. The players in the set are:

1 Ken Griffey Jr.

2 Frank Thomas

3 Cal Ripken Jr.

4 Greg Maddux

5 Derek Jeter

Diamond Dominance

Darin-Erstad.jpg?id=de2509af-e0af-464b-8223-7000b63cb04d&size=original&side=front&.jpg Darin-Erstad.jpg?id=de2509af-e0af-464b-8223-7000b63cb04d&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Diamond Dominance was a ten-card insert set featuring players that "dominated" on the field. They had a purple design with a holographic silver finish on triangular sections of the cardfront. Before the PBF of October 2017, the only cards from the set confirmed to exist were of Andruw Jones, Tony Clark, and Darin Erstad. However, all cards from this set have been confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.

1 Darin Erstad

2 Paul Molitor

3 Andruw Jones

4 Barry Larkin

5 Manny Ramirez

6 Mo Vaughn

7 Barry Bonds

8 Albert Belle

9 Ivan Rodriguez

10 Tony Clark

Selected

Alex-Rodriguez.jpg?id=2e1a860c-9400-49b7-a862-0cb94c0aa281&size=original&side=front&.jpg Alex-Rodriguez.jpg?id=2e1a860c-9400-49b7-a862-0cb94c0aa281&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Selected was a ten-card set featuring future stars of the game that had amazing "natural talent" and was printed on silver holographic stock.

Sample versions of each card in the set were the only cards from 1998 Select that were officially released before the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy. A pack of two cards were released to Hobby dealers along with the sell sheets. The word "SAMPLE" was printed on the back of each card.

However, non-sample cards from this set slowly emerged after the bankruptcy and after the PBF of 2017, all cards were confirmed to exist as at least one copy has surfaced on the secondary market.

1 Vladimir Guerrero

2 Nomar Garciaparra

3 Ben Grieve

4 Travis Lee

5 Jose Cruz, Jr.

6 Alex Rodriguez

7 Todd Helton

8 Derek Jeter

9 Scott Rolen

10 Jaret Wright

Rare Form

Roger-Clemens.jpg?id=bba4b5ab-3d04-41d1-8484-5f5943518304&size=original&side=front&.jpg Roger-Clemens.jpg?id=bba4b5ab-3d04-41d1-8484-5f5943518304&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Rare Form was a ten-card insert set featuring those who "played the game with unequaled style" and had a unique dot matrix holographic finish. Prior to 2017, no cards from this insert set had ever been seen before and many believed that this set was never produced. However, the PBF of 2017 included at least two copies (some players had three copies) of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set.

On 4/15/22, two uncut sheets featuring a single copy of every player from the 4-Star, Five-Star Bonus, Numbers, and Rare Form sets sold on eBay, upping the publicly confirmed count of these Rare Forms to at least three copies per player.

1 Ken Griffey, Jr.

2 Roger Clemens

3 Cal Ripken, Jr.

4 Juan Gonzalez

5 Nomar Garciaparra

6 Alex Rodriguez

7 Chipper Jones

8 Mike Piazza

9 Greg Maddux

10 Frank Thomas

Select Numbers

Kenny-Lofton.jpg?id=725522c8-9a36-4e4a-914b-e989d9b6bd61&size=original&side=front&.jpg Kenny-Lofton.jpg?id=725522c8-9a36-4e4a-914b-e989d9b6bd61&size=original&side=back&.jpg

Select Numbers was a 20-card insert set, serial numbered to a player's statistic across one of four categories:

  • Batting Average
  • On Base Percentage
  • Home Runs
  • Strikeouts

For example, Tony Gwynn hit .372 in 1997 and thus his Select Numbers card was to be serial numbered to 372. These were printed on a silver dot matrix hologram stock with a concentric pattern of numbers in the background and was tinted to the player's team colors.

Prior to 2017, only 12 of the 20 cards from this insert set surfaced but were not serial-numbered. However, the PBF of 2017 contained at least two copies of every player, confirming the existence of all cards in the set. However, none of the cards in this collection were serially-numbered either.

On 4/15/22, two uncut sheets featuring a single copy of every player from the 4-Star, Five-Star Bonus, Numbers, and Rare Form sets sold on eBay, upping the publicly confirmed count of these Numbers to at least 3 copies per player.

The information in the parentheses indicates the statistic and number the card was supposed to be serially numbered to:

1 Mark McGwire (HRs - 58)

2 Juan Gonzalez (HRs - 42)

3 Ken Griffey, Jr. (HRs - 56)

4 Jeff Bagwell (HRs - 43)

5 Andres Galarraga (HRs - 41)

6 Frank Thomas (AVG - 347)

7 Mike Piazza (AVG - 362)

8 Tony Gwynn (AVG - 372)

9 Larry Walker (AVG - 366)

10 Kenny Lofton (AVG - 333)

11 Barry Bonds (OBP - 446)

12 Chuck Knoblauch (OBP - 390)

13 Derek Jeter (OBP - 370)

14 Nomar Garciaparra (OBP - 342)

15 Chipper Jones (OBP - 371)

16 Pedro Martinez (Ks - 305)

17 Hideo Nomo (Ks - 233)

18 Randy Johnson (Ks - 291)

19 Roger Clemens (Ks - 292)

20 Greg Maddux (Ks - 177)