Top 5 Autographs/Relics: Montreal Expos

Once I (eventually) complete my Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs PC inventories, the next and final team I'll likely choose to collect will be the Montreal Expos.

I've always collected Montreal Expos cards, from individual players like Vladimir Guerrero to entire team sets like 1969 Topps (their inaugural season). I've watched documentaries, read articles, and done research all connected to one of the most intriguing teams in the game's history.

The Expos' history was brief, but they experienced multiple eras of Baseball cards, including the vintage and overproduction eras. The wide availability of Expos cards inspires me to consistently add new ones to my collection, even if I don't collect the player.

Because the Expos were around in the late 90s through the mid-2000s, card companies produced a surplus of relics and autographs, and Topps even produces a few to this day (i.e. the Galarraga auto at the top of this post).

Though I wish more than anything that the Expos never relocated to Washington to become the Nationals, I'm glad, if nothing else, that the eras in which they played in allowed for a wide range of Expos cards to be produced.

I've featured a handful of teams in the top 5 autos/relics series, but I figured it was time, thanks to recent additions, to show off the Expos. It might not rival my Red Sox or Cubs countdowns, but I love every one of the cards featured in this top 5.

#5 2019 Topps Archives 50th Anniversary of the Expos Green Foil Autograph Steve Rogers

Aside from the outrageously long name, I like everything about this Steve Rogers autograph, especially the fact that I pulled it myself from a pack earlier this year.

Pedro Martinez spent 5 seasons with the Expos while Rogers was there for 13. Though a case can be made for both, if you take Martinez out of the equation, Rogers' career 3.17 ERA easily cements him as the greatest pitcher in franchise history.

The green foil means that the autograph is serial numbered (43/99), making it even more special of a pull. Topps also did a very nice job replicating the '69 set, something they haven't always done well in the past.

#4 2001 Topps Gold Label MLB Award Ceremony Pedro Martinez

Speaking of Pedro Martinez, I'm ecstatic to have one, glorious relic featuring the 3-time All-Star as a member of the Montreal Expos. In all honesty, the design isn't my favorite, as I could do without whatever's happening on the lefthand side of the card.

That said, there aren't many Pedro Martinez Expos relics out there, and Topps did a respectable job of making the card emulate the Gold Label design. For that, I have no qualms about placing it in the top 5.

#3 2003 Fleer Showcase Thunder Sticks Vladimir Guerrero

If I could choose 1 relic card set to complete, it very well could be the '03 Fleer Showcase Thunder Sticks set. It features some of the greatest sluggers of the early 2000s, and I have 2 of them in my collection, Guerrero and Manny Ramirez.

The sepia(?) filter pairs nicely with the bat relics and the font does so with the Fleer Showcase product as well. The print run of these cards (#/899), although high, is preferable to me than not being numbered whatsoever.

I don't believe the checklist of this relic card set is too high, and while I have higher priorities in my collection, I could scoop up a few of these sometime soon.

#2 2001 Topps Stadium Club Play at the Plate Vladimir Guerrero

As of right now, this Vladimir Guerrero card above is the only game-used dirt relic in my collection. A pickup from the card show dating several years back, the dirt is certified as batter's box dirt "used" by the 2004 AL MVP.

The design is one of my favorites thus far as it perfectly emulates the Stadium Club brand. Because of the creativity behind this card, I prefer it to almost all Expos relics/autographs in my collection.

Except for one.

#1 2003 Upper Deck Authentics Threads of Time Gold Parallel Vladimir Guerrero

The design and the jersey swatch alone from Guerrero's 2003 Upper Deck Authentics Threads of Time Relic are enough to cement this card at the #1 spot on this countdown. The gold border is gorgeous and the design is picturesque for a high-end product like Authentics, I assume, was.

However, there's one other detail that sets this card apart from every single relic that I own.

On the back of the card, Upper Deck reveals that this relic is from an official MLB All-Star game. Not the warmup/event relics from modern-day Update: an actual game-used relic from an All-Star game, though I don't know which.

Yeah, there's no beating that, but if anyone has any clue as to when the National League wore red jerseys in the All-Star game during Vlad Sr's tenure in Montreal, it would be greatly appreciated.

A Retail Calm Before the Card Show Storm

For no real reason other than I wanted to get a look at the brand new 2019 Topps Archives set, I made a small retail purchase at a Target near my house today even though I'm heading to the Mansfield show tomorrow.

To be fair, most of this 4-value pack purchase was covered by a coin cup that I cashed in at one of those Coinstar machines. I had to resort to value packs since the store was out of blasters, though this wasn't a huge deal given the luck I had with last year's set.

Although collectors have mixed emotions when it comes to Archives, it's always been one of my favorite retail releases each year. I don't understand why Topps can't replicate the sets as well in Archives as they do in Heritage, but they typically do a reasonable job.

The autograph checklist, however, prevents me from buying a hobby box of this release every time it comes out. I enjoy pulling the Fan Favorites cards out of retail packs, but it's another story when you're paying $100 for those 2 autographed cards.

Plus, I've pulled autographs out of retail Archives over the last 2 years, so I don't feel the need to spring for a hobby box.

As has been typical with Archives for many years now, the 300-card checklist pays homage to 3 Topps Flagship design. Though many of us would prefer only for vintage sets to be represented, they represent all the decades equally, and 2019 is no exception.

We haven't seen 1958 Topps since Heritage came out 12 years ago, so it's nice to see these beautiful vintage cards replicated once again. There is a surplus of vintage sets that capture my attention, but the colorful backgrounds from '58 establish this set as one of the greatest of all-time.

I wasn't lucky enough to pull any of the '58 SP All-Stars, but those cards, based off the originals, are also part of the 2019 Topps Archives set. The red and blue backgrounds are flooded with stars, so much so that they are the first thing that comes to mind when I think about All-Star baseball cards.

I may not have landed as many retired players as I would like, but if I choose to, I can pick up some singles from Archives at tomorrow's show. I'm just pleased to pull any cards of players I collect, from HOFers like Duke Snider to active players like Kyle Schwarber.

Another of my favorite Topps Flagship sets ever produced, 1975 made its appearance in 2019 Topps Archives before we see this release again in 2024 Topps Heritage.

I still believe it would be a better idea to recreate this set several years ago to have more than 5 years between when '75 Topps is in Archives versus when it will be in Heritage. However, that doesn't mean I'm not elated to see stars, both past, and present, represented in the most colorful Flagship set of all-time.

The 2-color combinations on each card are one of the main reasons why I collected and, eventually, completed the 1975 Topps set in the first place.

I'm sure any given page of my '75 Topps binder features at least 6 different colors, and if you know what I like when it comes to Baseball cards, it's colorful cards of any kind.

However, there does appear to be some problems with this set as there typically is with Archives. The 2 Giants cards at the top have different color combos as well as different colored names.

My only guess is that Kevin Pillar was photoshopped from a Blue Jays uniform into the Giants, and Topps didn't have the time to alter the rest of the card.

The final of the 3 Flagship sets represented is 1993 Topps. I don't have any strong feelings, positive or negative, about these cards. I'm far more interested in '58 and '75 while '93 seems to be along for the ride.

Although the photography for the 1993 part of the set is superb, this is what I'm talking about when it comes to representation of all decades. They didn't include this set because of how iconic the original cards were. Rather, Topps needs to appeal to fans of all eras.

There seems to be 1 set in Archives each year that I'm not a huge fan of, so I don't care too much about '93 being included. There's plenty else in this set for me to appreciate.

Most of the market for 2019 baseball cards has been dominated by the big 4 rookies (Vlad Jr, Tatis Jr, Alonso, and Jimenez) which is why I was so pleased to see a couple of them show up in my 4-value pack purchase. 

Tatis may be out for the season, but his rookie year numbers speak for himself by showing that he's already one of the most well-rounded players in the game at just 20 years old. Meanwhile, Alonso is on pace to break the single-season rookie home run record set by Aaron Judge 2 years ago.

Though nothing may ever top the historic 2018 rookie class, 2019 is standing its own thanks to those 4 stars along with guys like Austin Riley, Nick Senzel, and Yordan Alvarez.

I'm just waiting for that major rookie hit to come along that'll make all these 2019 Baseball card (retail and hobby) purchases worth it.

The 2 cards above (along with the Lindor at the top of this post) are SPs along with the '58 All-Star cards that alluded me.

I haven't followed Eloy or Kikuchi very closely this year, but I enjoy that Topps took the opportunity to recreate the '93 rookie card design, most famously featuring Derek Jeter, for this year's Archives set.

I was able to continue my autograph luck with retail Archives for the 3rd consecutive year while landing a nice on-card auto for the Cubs PC. A member of the Cubs for 8 seasons, Davis played a role similar to Jason Varitek for the 2000s Red Sox.

He was a terrific defensive catcher and a 2-time All-Star who even earned MVP votes. If that wasn't enough, the autograph is a purple parallel numbered out of 150, not bad for a $6 value pack.

But the autograph fun didn't end there.

Somehow, 2 consecutive value packs on the Target shelf yielded 2 autographs, both of which are on-card and serial numbered. The 2nd hit is an autograph of Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers from an insert set that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

There's a regular insert set that features Expos players in the '69 Topps design, but I was fortunate enough to pull a green foil auto which is far rarer (1 in every ~800 packs).

Steve Rogers isn't the greatest name, but that's not what Archives is about, to begin with. Plus, my Dad and I are major Expos collectors, and he grew up a Cubs fan, so we lucked out big time when it came to the teams.

For about 1/4 the price of an Archives hobby box, we got the same number of autographs that one of those promises, not to mention they're both serial numbered hits.

This is why I've always praised Archives for being such a spectacular retail product. You get beautiful base cards, cool inserts/SPs modeled after previous Topps sets and the chances of pulling an autograph, even if it's not a huge name, are in your favor.

It's hard to believe my weekend is already this exciting when it comes to cards, and I haven't even made it to the Mansfield show yet.