1997 Pinnacle X-Press
Description
The 1997 Pinnacle X-Press set was issued in one series totaling 150 cards and is probably best remembered for its unique packaging.
X-Press was available in the standard 24-pack waxbox, but it also came in special home plate-shaped plastic boxes. Each Hobby-exclusive "Home Plate Box" contained one standard eight-card wax pack, an eight-card "master deck" (exclusive to the Home Plate boxes), and one of 20 Bronze Metal Works ingots.
Notable rookies include Jose Cruz, Jr. and Brian Giles.
Distribution
Wax: 24 packs per box, eight cards per pack (MSRP: $1.99)
Home Plate Box: One, eight-card wax pack; one, eight-card "Master Deck;" and one Metal Works ingot. (MSRP: $14.99)
Reviews
Insertion Ratios
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Wax Odds | Master Deck Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 150 | - | ? | ? |
| Men of Summer | 150 | - | 1:7 | one-per-pack |
| Swing for the Fences | 60 | - | 1:2 | 1:2 |
| Far & Away | 18 | - | 1:19 | 1:5 |
| Melting Pot | 20 | 500 | 1:288 | 1:189 |
| Bronze Metal Works | 20 | - | N/A | one-per-box |
| Silver Metal Works | 20 | 400 | 1:470 | 1:54 |
| Gold Metal Works | 20 | 200 | 1:950 | 1:108 |
Checklist
Base Set
Parallels
Men of Summer
Men of Summer is the sole parallel in X-Press. The fronts of each card are printed on foil-board, while the letters "MEN OF SUMMER" are printed on the back.
Inserts
Far & Away
Far & Away is an 18-card set featuring all the usual top long-ball hitting suspects. The cards are printed on etched-foil.
Melting Pot
This 20-card set tracks the players' national origin on foil board with heliogram raised ink printing. Each card is serial-numbered to 500 copies. Samples of each Melting Pot card were sent out to dealers to promote the product. The word "SAMPLE" is printed in large black ink on both the front and the back. In addition, all the cards are serial-numbered "000/500."
Metal Works
This 20-"card" set of solid metal ingots were available two ways. 1) Each Home Plate box contained one solid bronze ingot. 2) Redemption cards for silver-plated and gold-plated ingots were randomly inserted into packs and Master Decks. Only 400 Silver and 200 Gold Metal Works ingots were produced and each is serial-numbered.
Although the exchange cards indicate the color of the ingot, there is no mention of which player the bearer would receive. (You basically got whomever Pinnacle Brands sent you.)
Swing for the Fences
Swing for the Fences is a game featuring 60 of baseball's top long-distance hitters. The object was to find the 1997 Home Run Champion from either the National or American League and match it with the exact number of home runs hit during the 1997 season by using a combination of Booster Number Point cards and one Base Number Home Run card.
Each eight-card wax pack contained either a Swing for the Fences Player card or a Booster Point card that carried a plus or minus point total that allowed collectors to add or subtract points to get the winning homer total.
The Base Number Home Run Cards were exclusive to Master Deck packs and carried a predetermined number of Home Runs -- anywhere between 20 and 42.
Collectors who turned in the card of either the AL or NL the Home Run King, along with a Base Number Home Run card and enough Booster Points to match the exact number of HRs that player hit in the 1997 season would win a number of prizes.
The first 1000 winners received a special autographed card of Andruw Jones. The next 3000 winners received random 10-card packs of Upgraded Swing For the Fences cards produced on thicker card stock and printed with a special foil prize-winner stamp. Strangely enough, the backs of the Upgraded cards contain the same information (i.e. the guidelines explaining the contest and how to mail in winning cards) as the cards inserted into packs.
All valid entries would then be entered in a drawing for the grand prize: A trip for two to the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver. Five runner-up winners would receive one waxbox of all Pinnacle Trading Cards baseball products released in 1998.
Ken Griffey, Jr. and Larry Walker wound up as the AL and NL Home Run Kings. However, since Mark McGwire (who was traded in mid-season from Oakland to St. Louis) led the Majors in homers, his card was also deemed to be a winner as well.