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)

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

• 1 Larry Walker
• 2 Andy Pettitte
• 3 Matt Williams
• 4 Juan Gonzalez
• 5 Frank Thomas
• 6 Kenny Lofton
• 7 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 8 Andres Galarraga
• 9 Greg Maddux
• 10 Hideo Nomo
• 11 Cecil Fielder
• 12 Jose Canseco
• 13 Tony Gwynn
• 14 Eddie Murray
• 15 Alex Rodriguez
• 16 Mike Piazza
• 17 Ken Hill
• 18 Chuck Knoblauch
• 19 Ellis Burks
• 20 Rafael Palmeiro
• 21 Vinny Castilla
• 22 Rusty Greer
• 23 Chipper Jones
• 24 Rey Ordonez
• 25 Mariano Rivera
• 26 Garret Anderson
• 27 Edgar Martinez
• 28 Dante Bichette
• 29 Todd Hundley
• 30 Barry Bonds
• 31 Barry Larkin
• 32 Derek Jeter
• 33 Marquis Grissom
• 34 Dave Justice
• 35 Ivan Rodriguez
• 36 Jay Buhner
• 37 Fred McGriff
• 38 Brady Anderson
• 39 Tony Clark
• 40 Eric Young
• 41 Charles Nagy
• 42 Mark McGwire
• 43 Paul O'Neill
• 44 Tino Martinez
• 45 Ryne Sandberg
• 46 Bernie Williams
• 47 Albert Belle
• 48 Jeff Cirillo
• 49 Tim Salmon
• 50 Steve Finley
• 51 Lance Johnson
• 52 John Smoltz
• 53 Javy Lopez
• 54 Roger Clemens
• 55 Kevin Appier
• 56 Ken Caminiti
• 57 Cal Ripken, Jr.
• 58 Moises Alou
• 59 Marty Cordova
• 60 David Cone
• 61 Manny Ramirez
• 62 Ray Durham
• 63 Jermaine Dye
• 64 Craig Biggio
• 65 Will Clark
• 66 Omar Vizquel
• 67 Bernard Gilkey
• 68 Greg Vaughn
• 69 Wade Boggs
• 70 Dave Nilsson
• 71 Mark Grace
• 72 Dean Palmer
• 73 Sammy Sosa
• 74 Mike Mussina
• 75 Alex Fernandez
• 76 Henry Rodriguez
• 77 Travis Fryman
• 78 Jeff Bagwell
• 79 Pat Hentgen
• 80 Gary Sheffield
• 81 Jim Edmonds
• 82 Darin Erstad
• 83 Mark Grudzielanek
• 84 Jim Thome
• 85 Bob Higginson
• 86 Al Martin
• 87 Jason Giambi
• 88 Mo Vaughn
• 89 Jeff Conine
• 90 Edgar Renteria
• 91 Andy Ashby
• 92 Ryan Klesko
• 93 John Jaha
• 94 Paul Molitor
• 95 Brian Hunter
• 96 Randy Johnson
• 97 Joey Hamilton
• 98 Billy Wagner
• 99 John Wetteland
• 100 Jeff Fassero
• 101 Rondell White
• 102 Kevin Brown
• 103 Andy Benes
• 104 Raul Mondesi
• 105 Todd Hollandsworth
• 106 Alex Ochoa
• 107 Bobby Bonilla
• 108 Brian Jordan
• 109 Tom Glavine
• 110 Ron Gant
• 111 Jason Kendall
• 112 Roberto Alomar
• 113 Troy Percival
• 114 Michael Tucker
• 115 Joe Carter

1997 Rookie

• 117 Nomar Garciaparra
• 118 Todd Walker
• 119 Jose Guillen
• 120 Bubba Trammell RC
• 121 Wilton Guerrero
• 122 Bob Abreu
• 123 Vladimir Guerrero
• 124 Dmitri Young
• 125 Kevin Orie
• 126 Jose Cruz, Jr. RC
• 127 Brooks Kieschnick
• 128 Scott Spiezio
• 129 Brian Giles RC
• 130 Jason Dickson
• 131 Damon Mashore
• 132 Wendell Magee, Jr.
• 133 Matt Morris
• 134 Scott Rolen
• 135 Shannon Stewart
• 136 Deivi Cruz RC
• 137 Hideki Irabu RC

Peak Performer

• 138 Larry Walker
• 139 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 140 Frank Thomas
• 141 Ivan Rodriguez
• 142 Randy Johnson
• 143 Mark McGwire
• 144 Tino Martinez
• 145 Tony Clark
• 146 Mike Piazza
• 147 Alex Rodriguez

Checklists

• 148 Roger Clemens
• 149 Greg Maddux
• 150 Hideo Nomo

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 "frosted" foil.

• 1 Albert Belle
• 2 Mark McGwire
• 3 Frank Thomas
• 4 Mo Vaughn
• 5 Jeff Bagwell
• 6 Juan Gonzalez
• 7 Mike Piazza
• 8 Andruw Jones
• 9 Chipper Jones
• 10 Gary Sheffield
• 11 Sammy Sosa
• 12 Darin Erstad
• 13 Jay Buhner
• 14 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 15 Ken Caminiti
• 16 Brady Anderson
• 17 Manny Ramirez
• 18 Alex Rodriguez

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 making it one of the tougher insert sets of the era. 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."

• 1 Jose Guillen
• 2 Vladimir Guerrero
• 3 Andruw Jones
• 4 Larry Walker
• 5 Manny Ramirez
• 6 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 7 Alex Rodriguez
• 8 Frank Thomas
• 9 Juan Gonzalez
• 10 Ivan Rodriguez
• 11 Hideo Nomo
• 12 Rafael Palmeiro
• 13 Dave Nilsson
• 14 Nomar Garciaparra
• 15 Wilton Guerrero
• 16 Sammy Sosa
• 17 Edgar Renteria
• 18 Cal Ripken, Jr.
• 19 Derek Jeter
• 20 Rey Ordonez

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.)

• 1 Jose Guillen
• 2 Vladimir Guerrero
• 3 Andruw Jones
• 4 Larry Walker
• 5 Manny Ramirez
• 6 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 7 Alex Rodriguez
• 8 Frank Thomas
• 9 Juan Gonzalez
• 10 Ivan Rodriguez
• 11 Hideo Nomo
• 12 Rafael Palmeiro
• 13 Dave Nilsson
• 14 Nomar Garciaparra
• 15 Wilton Guerrero
• 16 Sammy Sosa
• 17 Edgar Renteria
• 18 Cal Ripken, Jr.
• 19 Derek Jeter
• 20 Rey Ordonez

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.

• 1 Sandy Alomar, Jr.
• 2 Moises Alou
• 3 Brady Anderson
• 4 Jeff Bagwell
• 5 Derek Bell
• 6 Jay Bell
• 7 Albert Belle
• 8 Geronimo Berroa
• 9 Dante Bichette
• 10 Barry Bonds
• 11 Bobby Bonilla
• 12 Jay Buhner
• 13 Ellis Burks
• 14 Ken Caminiti
• 15 Jose Canseco
• 16 Joe Carter
• 17 Vinny Castilla
• 18 Tony Clark
• 19 Carlos Delgado
• 20 Jim Edmonds
• 21 Cecil Fielder
• 22 Andres Galarraga
• 23 Ron Gant
• 24 Bernard Gilkey
• 25 Juan Gonzalez
• 26 Ken Griffey, Jr. W
• 27 Vladimir Guerrero
• 28 Todd Hundley
• 29 John Jaha
• 30 Andruw Jones
• 31 Chipper Jones
• 32 Dave Justice
• 33 Jeff Kent
• 34 Ryan Klesko
• 35 Barry Larkin
• 36 Mike Lieberthal
• 37 Javy Lopez
• 38 Edgar Martinez
• 39 Tino Martinez
• 40 Fred McGriff
• 41 Mark McGwire W
• 42 Raul Mondesi
• 43 Tim Naehring
• 44 Dave Nilsson
• 45 Rafael Palmeiro
• 46 Dean Palmer
• 47 Mike Piazza
• 48 Cal Ripken, Jr.
• 49 Henry Rodriguez
• 50 Tim Salmon
• 51 Gary Sheffield
• 52 Sammy Sosa
• 53 Terry Steinbach
• 54 Frank Thomas
• 55 Jim Thome
• 56 Mo Vaughn
• 57 Larry Walker W
• 58 Rondell White
• 59 Matt Williams
• 60 Todd Zeile