Description

1998 Team Best is a 100-card set released in two series of fifty. The first half was issued in the "Team Best Player of the Year" product, while cards #51-100 were part of the "Team Best Signature Series."

Distribution

Signature Series: 18 packs plus one box topper per box, six cards per pack.

Reviews

Insertion Ratios

Player of the Year Series

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Retail Odds	Hobby Odds
Base	50	-	?	?
Diamond Best	10	-	N/A	1:19
Possibilities	5	-	N/A	1:19
Paul Konerko: Player of the Year	6	-	N/A	1:36
Young Guns	10	-	1:90	N/A
Contenders	10	400	N/A	1:90
Player of the Year Autographs	22	-	N/A	1:19
Paul Konerko: Player of the Year Autographs	6	-	N/A	?
Diamond Best Autographs	8	250	N/A	1:180

Signature Series

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Retail Odds	Hobby Odds
Base	50	-	?	?
Diamond Best	10	-	N/A	1:19
Bets	12	-	1:90	N/A
Cornerstone	12	-	N/A	1:90
Autographs	?	-	5:18

Checklist

Base Set

Player of the Year Series

1 Ryan Anderson
2 Lorenzo Barcelo
3 Hiram Bocachica
4 Dave Borkowski
5 Russell Branyan
6 Dermal Brown
7 Brent Butler
8 Enrique Calero
9 Bruce Chen
10 Ryan Christenson
11 Pat Cline
12 Scott Elarton
13 Mario Encarnacion
14 Mark Fischer
15 Troy Glaus
16 Alex Hernandez
17 Norm Hutchins
18 Geoff Jenkins
19 Adam Kennedy
20 Corey Koskie
21 Mark Kotsay
22 Ricky Ledee
23 Carlos Lee
24 Corey Lee
25 Mike Lowell
26 T.R. Marcinczyk
27 Willie Martinez
28 Darnell McDonald
29 Jackson Melian
30 Chad Meyers
31 Ryan Minor
32 Kenderick Moore
33 Julio Moreno
34 Rod Myers
35 Abraham Nunez
36 Vladimir Nunez
37 Ramon Ortiz
38 Chan Perry
39 Ben Petrick
40 Aramis Ramirez
41 Grant Roberts
42 Alex Sanchez
43 Jared Sandberg
44 Scott Schoeneweis
45 Steve Shoemaker
46 Matt White
47 Paul Wilder
48 Preston Wilson
49 Kevin Witt
50 Jay Yennaco

Signature Series

51 Matt Anderson
52 Rick Ankiel
53 Tony Armas
54 John Barnes
55 Robbie Bell
56 Kris Benson
57 Lance Berkman
58 Russell Branyan
59 Brent Butler
60 Troy Cameron
61 Eric Chavez
62 Bruce Chen
63 Matt Clement
64 Ben Davis
65 J.D. Drew
66 Tim Drew
67 Derrick Gibson
68 Troy Glaus
69 Chad Hermansen
70 Ramon Hernandez
71 Gabe Kapler
72 Mike Kinkade
73 Scott Krause
74 Mike Lowell
75 Willie Martinez
76 Donzell McDonald
77 Gil Meche
78 Juan Melo
79 Wade Miller
80 Ryan Minor
81 Abraham Nunez
82 Pablo Ozuna
83 John Patterson
84 Josh Paul
85 Ben Petrick
86 Calvin Pickering
87 Placido Polanco
88 Aramis Ramirez
89 Julio Ramirez
90 Luis Rivas
91 Luis Rivera
92 Ruben Rivera
93 Grant Roberts
94 Jimmy Rollins
95 Bobby Seay
96 Jason Standridge
97 Dernell Stenson
98 Vernon Wells
99 Matt White
100 Ed Yarnall

Inserts

Diamond Best

The first ten cards are exclusive to Player of the Year series packs, while cards #11-20 are in Signature Series.

1 Darnell McDonald
2 Adrian Beltre
3 Derrick Gibson
4 Mark Kotsay
5 Braden Looper
6 Carl Pavano
7 Brian Rose
8 Jared Sandberg
9 Vernon Wells
10 Sean Casey
11 Rick Ankiel
12 Michael Barrett
13 Matt Clement
14 J.D. Drew
15 Bobby Estalella
16 Troy Glaus
17 Alex Gonzalez
18 George Lombard
19 Mike Lowell
20 Dernell Stenson

Possibilities

This five-card set, exclusive to Player of the Year series packs, features a pitcher on the front and a hitter on the back.

1 Kris Benson / Mark Kotsay
2 Braden Looper / Sean Casey
3 Brian Rose / Dee Brown
4 Matt White / Ben Grieve
5 Kerry Wood / Todd Helton

Paul Konerko: Player of the Year

1 Paul Konerko
2 Paul Konerko
3 Paul Konerko
4 Paul Konerko
5 Paul Konerko
6 Paul Konerko

Young Guns/Contenders

Young Guns/Contenders feature the same checklist and (largely) the same designs. Young Guns are exclusive to Player of the Year series retail packs, while Contenders are exclusive to Player of the Year series Hobby and are hand-numbered to 400 copies.

1 Derrick Gibson
2 Ben Grieve
3 Ben Grieve
4 Todd Helton
5 Todd Helton
6 Mark Kotsay
7 Mark Kotsay
8 Carl Pavano
9 Brian Rose
10 Brian Rose

Bets/Cornerstones

Bets/Cornerstones feature the same checklist and (largely) the same designs. Bets are exclusive to Signature Series retail packs, while Cornerstones are exclusive to Signature Series Hobby.

1 Matt Anderson
2 Lance Berkman
3 Eric Chavez
4 Bruce Chen
5 Matt Clement
6 J.D. Drew
7 Troy Glaus
8 George Lombard
9 Ryan Minor
10 Dernell Stenson
11 Jayson Werth
12 Ed Yarnall

Number One Pick

This set features all 42 players selected in the first round of the 1997 MLB Draft. One card was randomly inserted into Signature Series Hobby boxes as a boxtopper. Each card is serial-numbered to 900 copies.

1 Aaron Akin
2 Matt Anderson
3 Ryan Anderson
5 Michael Barrett
6 Kris Benson
7 Lance Berkman
8 Rocky Biddle
9 Ryan Bradley
10 Dermal Brown
11 Troy Cameron
12 Brett Caradonna
13 Eric Chavez
14 Michael Cuddyer
15 John Curtice
16 Glenn Davis
17 J.J. Davis
18 Jason Dellaero
19 J.D. Drew
20 Tim Drew
21 Eric DuBose
22 Mark Fischer
23 Troy Glaus
24 Geoff Goetz
25 Jason Grilli
26 Nathan Haynes
27 Bryan Hebson
28 Geoff Jenkins
29 Adam Kennedy
30 Billy Koch
31 Matt LeCroy
32 Mark Mangum
33 Darnell McDonald
34 Kevin Nicholson
35 John Patterson
36 Danny Peoples
37 Dan Reichert
38 Jason Romano
39 Jason Standridge
40 Vernon Wells
41 Jayson Werth
42 Matt White
4 Shane Arthurs

Autographs

Player of the Year Series

1 Kris Benson
2 Dermal Brown
3 Eric Chavez
4 Adam Eaton
5 Chad Green
6 Seth Greisinger
7 Ben Grieve
8 Chad Hermansen
9 Billy Koch
10 Braden Looper
11 Gil Meche
12 Eric Milton
13 John Patterson
14 Carl Pavano
15 Danny Peoples
16 Sidney Ponson
17 Brian Rose
18 Bubba Trammell
19 Jake Westbrook
20 Paul Wilder
21 Kerry Wood
22 A.J. Zapp

Autographs

Signature Series

1 John Bale
2 Kevin Barker
3 Todd Belitz
5 A.J. Burnett
6 Brent Butler
7 Buddy Carlyle
8 Ramon Castro
9 Frank Catalanotto
10 Giuseppe Chiaramonte
11 Alex Cora
12 Francisco Cordero
13 David Cortes
14 Dean Crow
15 Doug Davis
16 Glenn Davis
17 Gookie Dawkins
18 Matt DeWitt
19 Octavio Dotel
20 Mike Duvall
21 Troy Glaus
22 Geoff Goetz
23 Jason Grilli
24 Al Hawkins
25 Bryan Hebson
26 Alex Hernandez
27 Doug Johnston
28 Juan LeBron
29 John LeRoy
31 Sam Marsonek
32 Ramon E. Martinez
33 Ruben Mateo
34 Joe Mays
36 Justin Miller
37 Ryan Minor
38 Warren Morris
39 Pablo Ozuna
41 Santiago Perez
42 Marc Pisciotta
43 Rob Ramsay
44 Grant Roberts
45 John Roskos
46 Luis de los Santos
47 Brian Simmons
48 Reggie Taylor
49 Andy Thompson
51 Jose Vidro
52 Jayson Werth
53 Ed Yarnall
NNO Brian Rose
4 Aaron Bond
30 Randi Mallard
35 David Melendez
40 Brian Passini
50 Chris Tynan

Paul Konerko Player of the Year Autographs

1 Paul Konerko
2 Paul Konerko
3 Paul Konerko
4 Paul Konerko
5 Paul Konerko
6 Paul Konerko

Diamond Best Autographs

Each Diamond Best Autograph is exclusive to Player of the Year Series Hobby packs, and is hand-numbered to 250 copies.

1 Kris Benson
2 Dermal Brown
3 Eric Chavez
4 Todd Helton
7 Braden Looper
8 Juan Melo
9 Kerry Wood
10 A.J. Zapp