Description

1998 Donruss Elite is a 150-card set released in March, 1998.

Distribution

18 packs per box, five cards per pack (MSRP: $3.99). Hobby only.

Reviews

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Odds
Base	150	-	?
Aspirations	150	750	?
Status	150	100	?
Back to the Future	8	1400	?
Craftsmen	30	3500	?
Master Craftsmen	30	100	?
Prime Numbers	36	varies	?
Prime Numbers Die-Cut	36	varies	?
Back to the Future Autographs	8	100	?

Checklist

Promos

To promote the upcoming 1998 Donruss Elite set, samples were created for all 36 Prime Numbers inserts and distributed one per dealer order form. The cards are identical to regular Prime Numbers inserts (see below) except for the large "SAMPLE" text running diagonally across the backs and lack of serial numbering.

Base Set

1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
2 Frank Thomas
3 Alex Rodriguez
4 Mike Piazza
5 Greg Maddux
6 Cal Ripken, Jr.
7 Chipper Jones
8 Derek Jeter
9 Tony Gwynn
10 Andruw Jones
11 Juan Gonzalez
12 Jeff Bagwell
13 Mark McGwire
14 Roger Clemens
15 Albert Belle
16 Barry Bonds
17 Kenny Lofton
18 Ivan Rodriguez
19 Manny Ramirez
20 Jim Thome
21 Chuck Knoblauch
22 Paul Molitor
23 Barry Larkin
24 Andy Pettitte
25 John Smoltz
26 Randy Johnson
27 Bernie Williams
28 Larry Walker
29 Mo Vaughn
30 Bob Higginson
31 Edgardo Alfonzo
32 Justin Thompson
33 Jeff Suppan
34 Roberto Alomar
35 Hideo Nomo
36 Rusty Greer
37 Tim Salmon
38 Jim Edmonds
39 Gary Sheffield
40 Ken Caminiti
41 Sammy Sosa
42 Tony Womack
43 Matt Williams
44 Andres Galarraga
45 Garret Anderson
46 Rafael Palmeiro
47 Mike Mussina
48 Craig Biggio
49 Wade Boggs
50 Tom Glavine
51 Jason Giambi
52 Will Clark
53 Dave Justice
54 Sandy Alomar
55 Edgar Martinez
56 Brady Anderson
57 Eric Young
58 Ray Lankford
59 Kevin Brown
60 Raul Mondesi
61 Bobby Bonilla
62 Javy Lopez
63 Fred McGriff
64 Rondell White
65 Todd Hundley
66 Mark Grace
67 Alan Benes
68 Jeff Abbott
69 Bob Abreu
70 Deion Sanders
71 Tino Martinez
72 Shannon Stewart
73 Homer Bush
74 Carlos Delgado
75 Raul Ibanez
76 Hideki Irabu
77 Jose Cruz
78 Tony Clark
79 Wilton Guerrero
80 Vladimir Guerrero
81 Scott Rolen
82 Nomar Garciaparra
83 Darin Erstad
84 Chan Ho Park
85 Mike Cameron
86 Todd Walker
87 Todd Dunwoody
88 Neifi Perez
89 Brett Tomko
90 Jose Guillen
91 Matt Morris
92 Bartolo Colon
93 Jaret Wright
94 Shawn Estes
95 Livan Hernandez
96 Bobby Estalella
97 Ben Grieve
98 Paul Konerko
99 David Ortiz
100 Todd Helton
101 Juan Encarnacion
102 Bubba Trammell
103 Miguel Tejada
104 Jacob Cruz
105 Todd Greene
106 Kevin Orie
107 Mark Kotsay
108 Fernando Tatis
109 Jay Payton
110 Pokey Reese
111 Derrek Lee
112 Richard Hidalgo
113 Ricky Ledee
114 Lou Collier
115 Ruben Rivera
116 Shawn Green
117 Moises Alou
118 Ken Griffey, Jr. GEN
119 Frank Thomas GEN
120 Alex Rodriguez GEN
121 Mike Piazza GEN
122 Greg Maddux GEN
123 Cal Ripken, Jr. GEN
124 Chipper Jones GEN
125 Derek Jeter GEN
126 Tony Gwynn GEN
127 Andruw Jones GEN
128 Juan Gonzalez GEN
129 Jeff Bagwell GEN
130 Mark McGwire GEN
131 Roger Clemens GEN
132 Albert Belle GEN
133 Barry Bonds GEN
134 Kenny Lofton GEN
135 Ivan Rodriguez GEN
136 Manny Ramirez GEN
137 Jim Thome GEN
138 Chuck Knoblauch GEN
139 Paul Molitor GEN
140 Barry Larkin GEN
141 Mo Vaughn GEN
142 Hideki Irabu GEN
143 Jose Cruz GEN
144 Tony Clark GEN
145 Vladimir Guerrero GEN
146 Scott Rolen GEN
147 Nomar Garciaparra GEN
148 Nomar Garciaparra CL
149 Larry Walker CL
150 Tino Martinez CL

Parallels

Aspirations

Aspirations is a die-cut parallel of the base set. Each card is limited (but not serial-numbered) to 750 copies.

Status

Status is a die-cut parallel of the base set. Each card is serial-numbered to 100 copies.

Inserts

Back to the Future

Back to the Future is an eight-card, double-sided, set and features a top veteran and a new player. Each card is serial-numbered to 1500 copies with the first 100 autographed (see below).

1 Cal Ripken, Jr. / Paul Konerko
2 Jeff Bagwell / Todd Helton
3 Eddie Mathews / Chipper Jones
4 Juan Gonzalez / Ben Grieve
5 Hank Aaron / Jose Cruz, Jr.
6 Frank Thomas / David Ortiz
7 Nolan Ryan / Greg Maddux
8 Alex Rodriguez / Nomar Garciaparra

Craftsmen

Each Craftsmen insert is serial-numbered to 3500 copies, with a "Master Craftsmen" parallel, serial-numbered to only 100 copies, also available. The Craftsmen cards have a blue-foil background, while the Master Craftsmen are red.

1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
2 Frank Thomas
3 Alex Rodriguez
4 Cal Ripken, Jr.
5 Greg Maddux
6 Mike Piazza
7 Chipper Jones
8 Derek Jeter
9 Tony Gwynn
10 Nomar Garciaparra
11 Scott Rolen
12 Jose Cruz, Jr.
13 Tony Clark
14 Vladimir Guerrero
15 Todd Helton
16 Ben Grieve
17 Andruw Jones
18 Jeff Bagwell
19 Mark McGwire
20 Juan Gonzalez
21 Roger Clemens
22 Albert Belle
23 Barry Bonds
24 Kenny Lofton
25 Ivan Rodriguez
26 Paul Molitor
27 Barry Larkin
28 Mo Vaughn
29 Larry Walker
30 Tino Martinez

Prime Numbers

Prime Numbers is a 36-card set featuring three cards each of 12 top players in the league printed with three different numerical backgrounds (of which form a statistical benchmark when placed together). Each card is serial-numbered to each player's particular statistic, with a die-cut parallel also available.

1A Ken Griffey, Jr. 94
1B Ken Griffey, Jr. 204
1C Ken Griffey, Jr. 290
2A Frank Thomas 56
2B Frank Thomas 406
2C Frank Thomas 450
3A Mark McGwire 87
3B Mark McGwire 307
3C Mark McGwire 380
4A Cal Ripken, Jr. 17
4B Cal Ripken, Jr. 507
4C Cal Ripken, Jr. 510
5A Mike Piazza 76
5B Mike Piazza 506
5C Mike Piazza 570
6A Chipper Jones 89
6B Chipper Jones 409
6C Chipper Jones 480
7A Tony Gwynn 72
7B Tony Gwynn 302
7C Tony Gwynn 370
8A Barry Bonds 74
8B Barry Bonds 304
8C Barry Bonds 370
9A Jeff Bagwell 25
9B Jeff Bagwell 405
9C Jeff Bagwell 420
10A Juan Gonzalez 89
10B Juan Gonzalez 509
10C Juan Gonzalez 580
11A Alex Rodriguez 34
11B Alex Rodriguez 504
11C Alex Rodriguez 530
12A Kenny Lofton 54
12B Kenny Lofton 304
12C Kenny Lofton 350

Prime Numbers Die-Cut

The number of die-cuts depends on the card. For card "A" in each three-card sequence, the number of cards die-cut is equal to the value of the first digit multiplied by 100. "B" is equal to the middle-digit times ten. "C" die-cuts are equal to the value of the third digit.

1A Ken Griffey, Jr. 200
1B Ken Griffey, Jr. 90
1C Ken Griffey, Jr. 4
2A Frank Thomas 400
2B Frank Thomas 50
2C Frank Thomas 6
3A Mark McGwire 300
3B Mark McGwire 80
3C Mark McGwire 7
4A Cal Ripken, Jr. 500
4B Cal Ripken, Jr. 10
4C Cal Ripken, Jr. 7
5A Mike Piazza 500
5B Mike Piazza 70
5C Mike Piazza 6
6A Chipper Jones 400
6B Chipper Jones 80
6C Chipper Jones 9
7A Tony Gwynn 300
7B Tony Gwynn 70
7C Tony Gwynn 2
8A Barry Bonds 300
8B Barry Bonds 70
8C Barry Bonds 4
9A Jeff Bagwell 400
9B Jeff Bagwell 20
9C Jeff Bagwell 5
10A Juan Gonzalez 500
10B Juan Gonzalez 80
10C Juan Gonzalez 90
11A Alex Rodriguez 500
11B Alex Rodriguez 30
11C Alex Rodriguez 4
12A Kenny Lofton 300
12B Kenny Lofton 50
12C Kenny Lofton 4

Autographs & Game-Used

Back to the Future Autograph

This seven-card set is a parallel version of the the regular 1998 Donruss Elite Back to the Future insert set. The first 100 serial-numbered copies of each card were autographed by both players.

Cal Ripken, Jr. refused to sign card #1 with Paul Konerko. As a compromise, Ripken eventually signed 200 cards. One hundred special redemptions (rather bland black and white text-based cards) were issued for the Ripken card and randomly seeded into packs. In addition, lucky collectors that pulled one of the first 100 serial-numbered Back to the Future Konerko autograph cards could exchange it for a Ripken autograph AND still receive their Konerko autograph back, unmarked. The Ripken autograph is serial-numbered "XXX/200."

Card #6 does not exist in this set. Due to problems in obtaining Frank Thomas' autograph prior to the shipping deadline, the manufacturer was forced to insert into packs the first 100 serial-numbered cards of card #6 unsigned. It was then announced that any collector who pulled an unsigned 1-100 #6 could trade it for a special Frank Thomas autographed card (a basic 1998 Donruss Elite Thomas card, embossed with a special stamp and signed by Thomas on front). David Ortiz did not sign for this set.

Due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy, the exchange program was abruptly halted in late 1998. Prior to this, the serial-numbered 1-100 Thomas/Ortiz cards traded for as much as $300. After this date, the premiums disappeared entirely.

AU2 Frank Thomas (base card) 100
1a Paul Konerko 100
1b Cal Ripken, Jr. 200
2 Jeff Bagwell / Todd Helton 100
3 Eddie Mathews / Chipper Jones 100
4 Juan Gonzalez / Ben Grieve 100
5 Hank Aaron / Jose Cruz, Jr. 100
7 Nolan Ryan / Greg Maddux 100
8 Alex Rodriguez / Nomar Garciaparra 100