Top 5 Cards: Derek Jeter

I don't know what's caused my irregular posting schedule over the last couple of weeks and, really, the past few months.

Part of it, I presume, stems from a lack of material. I, shockingly, haven't purchased cards in a month, and the period between frankensets that took up most of December left me without a go-to post to fall back on.

Other times, my decision not to post for a day or 2 stems, honestly, from a lack of motivation. Yesterday was the most severe case of this situation.

As I was debating what kind of post I wanted to write, news broke about the shocking and tragic death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.

"Shocking" and "tragic" don't even begin to describe the emotions of sports fans and athletes worldwide, but truthfully, no words can encapsulate how I felt when the ESPN notification popped up on my phone.

I don't really collect Basketball cards (I've only purchased them a handful of times in my life), and I don't follow the sport nearly as close as I do Baseball. But I do, however, remember watching Kobe, specifically towards the end of the 2000s when his Los Angeles Lakers were the rival to the Boston Celtics.

I remember the NBA finals in 2008 and 2010; one championship went to Boston, the other to LA. Now, that rivalry seems unbelievably insignificant.

It's also important to note that 8 others died on the helicopter crash along with Bryant, including his 13-year old daughter Gianna. The false news reports that circulated afterward and TMZ's reporting the tragedy before Bryant's family could be notified are truly despicable.

Like I said, I've barely collected Basketball cards and don't follow the sport, so I don't have a proper tribute post for Kobe with photos and stories to tell. I did, however, wanted to take some time to discuss the events of yesterday before today's top 5 cards post of the almost unanimous Baseball HOF inductee from last Tuesday.

From 1 sports icon in his respective city to another, let me tell you all about my 5 favorite Derek Jeter cards.

#5 1999 Bowman's Best

Like many chrome/shiny cards that I scan and feature on the blog, Jeter's 1999 Bowman's Best looks a lot better in-person. The set design is more of a vibrant shade of gold that compliments the Yankee pinstripes much more.

Aside from the fact that his first name is spelled using a different font than his last name, I don't have any real complaints about the set design or this specific card. It does a nice job of defining the late 1990s, arguably the most successful period of Jeter's Hall of Fame career.

#4 2001 Upper Deck Vintage Retro Rules

I'm pretty certain this card is saying that the retro era of Baseball rules rather than laying out the rules of the period in MLB history, but regardless of how one interprets the name, the actual card is pretty spectacular.

Upon closer inspection, you discover that the card is literally just 3 colors: black, white, and red. Few designs can claim that they only feature 3 colors, as many have hidden details that bring the total number up.

This card clearly doesn't need to be changed whatsoever; its simplicity is what garners a spot on the countdown.

#3 2019 Topps Stadium Club

I feel like I could choose almost any Stadium Club card from one of my PCs for their respective top 5 cards post, but Jeter's from the 2019 release stood out to me among all the others.

The sky blue background at Yankee stadium is a perfect match for the iconic home pinstripes, and the angle of the shot gives us a good look at both the foreground and the background.

Sometimes, I wonder if Topps Stadium Club has lost its unique elements and is becoming repetitive, but when I see cards like the one above, I'm reminded of just how fabulous the product is.

#2 2006 Topps Heritage

I had 106 different Derek Jeter cards to choose from when deciding the top 5 for this list, yet I don't think I could've chosen one more simple than his 2006 Topps Heritage card, styled after 1957 Topps.

In addition to the incredibly minimalistic design, the photograph, taken at Spring Training, fits with the overall basic theme. It's a classic batter's stance with the bat taking up more space than the card allows, and Jeter is, once again, wearing the Yankee pinstripes.

Simple as it may be, it's easily one of my favorites.

#1 1993 Topps

As if any other card could claim the #1 spot on this list.

Purchased in a factory sealed 1993 Topps set at the card show several years back, Jeter's rookie ranks as one of the most iconic cards in Baseball history. It's no wonder we've seen a million different reprints of it over the years.

It was almost an automatic decision for me to rank this card at #1. It may not be worth as much as other rookie cards of big-name Hall of Famers, but no other Jeter card rivals his rookie from '93 Topps.