1998 Pinnacle Performers

Description

1998 Pinnacle Performers was a 150 card set, that like most Pinnacle Brands releases of the era, following the same formula. The set contains 120 veterans, 17 "Rookies," a ten-card Far and Away subset and three Checklists.

Performers replaced the similarly structured Pinnacle X-Press, and like '97 X-Press, each pack contained a "Swing for the Fences" game card.

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds	Retail Odds
Base	150	-	8:1	?
Swing for the Fences	50	-	1:2	?
Peak Performers Parallel	150	-	1:7	?
Launching Pad	20	-	1:9	?
Power Trip	10	-	1:21	?
Big Bang	20	-	1:45	?
Big Bang Seasonal Outburst	20	-	?	?

Checklist

Inserts

Big Bang

Each card is serial-numbered to 2500 copies. Promotional samples of this set were distributed within wholesale dealer order forms prior to the products release (one card per order). The Samples parallel the regular Big Bang inserts except for the bold "SAMPLE" text running diagonally across the back of the card. In addition, Sample cards are NOT serial-numbered.

Seasonal Outburst

Seasonal Outburst is a red-foiled parallel of the Big Bang set. Each card is serial-numbered to the player's 1997 home run total (noted below). However, a number of non-numbered cards have emerged on the market; which may have been "backdoored" after Pinnacle Brands' 1998 bankruptcy. It is believed that there are more non-numbered Seasonal Outburst cards in circulation than there are serial-numbered ones.

1 Ken Griffey Jr. /56

2 Frank Thomas /35

3 Mike Piazza /40

4 Chipper Jones /21

5 Alex Rodriguez /23

6 Nomar Garciaparra /30

7 Jeff Bagwell /43

8 Cal Ripken /17

9 Albert Belle /30

10 Mark McGwire /58

11 Juan Gonzalez /42

12 Larry Walker /49

13 Tino Martinez /44

14 Jim Thome /40

15 Manny Ramirez /26

16 Barry Bonds /40

17 Mo Vaughn /35

18 Jose Cruz Jr. /26

19 Tony Clark /32

20 Andruw Jones /18

Swing for the Fences

Similar to the promotion in 1997 Pinnacle X-Press, Swing for the Fences was a 75-card game, consisting of 50 players and 25 "point" cards. Collectors who found the player cards of the 1998 AL and NL home run champs, and collected enough point cards to match their respective player's league-leading HR total could then exchange their cards and receive a special 10-pack of "upgraded" Swing for the Fences cards. The first 1000 entries would also receive a special autographed Swing for the Fences Upgrade card of Texas Rangers star Juan Gonzalez. All winners would also be entered into a drawing for a trip for two to the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston.

Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy in the Fall of 1998 wiped away the Upgrade redemption program, and unlike other Pinnacle Brands cards of the era, it does not appear that any of the Upgrades or Juan Gonzalez Autographed Upgrades were "backdoored."

Swing for the Fences All-Star Game

This 12-card set was created as a promotional tie-in for hobby shop owners, and was released at the 1998 All-Star Game FanFest (which was sponsored by Pinnacle). Cards were subsequently distributed to shop owners, nationwide, in 10-card packs.

Collectors could then exchange three 1998 Pinnacle Performers wrappers for one card or purchase an entire box and receive a 10-card cello pack. The cards parallel the standard Swing for the Fences inserts found in packs, except for the upgraded 20 pt. stock, silver foil-board background and lack of numbering on the card back.

Autographs & Game-Used

Juan Gonzalez Swing for the Fences Autographed Ball

Randomly inserted into packs, in lieu of a Swing for the Fences card, was a coupon good for a Major League Baseball autographed by Texas Rangers star Juan Gonzalez. Due to the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy later that summer, the Juan Gonzalez balls were never redeemed. It is unclear is Gonzalez ever signed any baseballs for this promotion.