Top 5 Cards; Chipper Jones

If you read my 2019 playoff predictions last week, you know that while I predicted the winners of both American League Division Series correctly, I bombed when it came to the NLDS.

Not only did I predict the Dodgers sweeping the Nationals, but I had faith that the Braves would have little to no trouble advancing past the Cardinals and make their way to the NLCS.

5 games later, I ended up getting both series wrong, highlighted by St. Louis' 13-1 annihilation of Atlanta on Tuesday. Now, it's time for the championship series, including a double-header tomorrow at 4:00 and 8:00 pm respectively.

Following Atlanta's crushing defeat, which I never saw coming, Braves legend and 1st ballot Hall of Famer Chipper Jones showed his respect to teammate Brian McCann who retired following Atlanta's NLDS exit.

Though Chipper is one of my largest player collections, I haven't talked about him much on the blog, nor have I created a top 5 cards post for the 1999 NL MVP. I figured, given the events of this week regarding the Braves, that this was the perfect time to pay homage to one of their all-time greats.

Currently sitting at 173 cards, it's only a limited time before Jones reaches the 200-card mark necessary to become a platinum tier player collection. Because of the extensive selection of cards, narrowing the list down to just 5 proved very challenging, but I was able to make it work.

#5 2000 Fleer Focus Focus Pocus

An 8-time All-Star, Jones headlined a talented group of 2000s stars who spent their whole careers with 1 team along with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Joe Mauer (to name a few). There's something to be said for this level of dedication, mainly because we rarely see it nowadays.

Though the late 90s and early 2000s are notorious for shiny inserts from manufacturers like Fleer and Upper Deck, few are as colored and detailed as this Focus Pocus card from Fleer Focus. The abundance of colors and shiny design gave it the edge over the Topps Tek card to make the top 5.

#4 1999 Upper Deck Retro Distant Replay

One of the benefits of there being so many card manufacturers and sets leading up to around 2005 is the huge variety of cards, many of which are now available in the dime bins at shows.

Take the first 2 cards on this countdown, for example. The cards are only 1 year apart in age, yet they truly couldn't be more different. If you want something flashy and vibrant, go for the Focus Pocus insert. If you want something classic and simple, this Distant Replay card is the best choice.

Because I love both retro and modern cards, I don't prefer one over the other, especially when making these lists. I always go case by case to see which card impresses me more.

#3 1996 Upper Deck SP

The scan didn't turn out as well as I would've liked, but the 1996 Upper Deck SP set features a spectacular design, perfect for the action shot of Chipper that takes up most of the card.

While a set like 1987 Topps relies a little too much on wood borders, '96 SP only has a little bit of that design on the card. Most of the space is dominated by a fantastic photo of Jones and while the small headshot is a tad unnecessary, it's the only fault I can find in this otherwise stellar card.

#2 2004 Bowman Heritage

1955 Bowman remains one of me and my dad's favorite Baseball card products ever made, yet we have very few cards from the Bowman Heritage set that replicated this iconic design.

The reprint set, produced in 2004, does an excellent job of replicating the original cards, even using 2 different colored wood borders to stay true to the '55 set. I may not have all that many originals or reprints, but the ones I do have, like the Chipper card above, are outstanding.

#1 1999 Upper Deck HoloGrFX Starview

I don't expect anything to be achieved by constantly repeating this sentence, but Topps, being that they have the Baseball card monopoly, has to start producing more sets with black borders or backgrounds.

Seriously, they need to take notes on how terrific cards like this '99 Upper Deck HoloGrFX insert are. The black and silver background is sleek and spectacular, and a design like this will work for every single MLB team and player, for it allows the image to pop more than usual.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't have a preference when it comes to shiny vs retro cards. There was a balance of the 2 types on this list, so it really just depends on which set executes the style better.

Frankenset Page #42

If I've learned anything during the time I've been collecting Baseball cards and blogging as well, it's that there are both benefits and drawbacks to lacking a central focus of my entire collection.

What I mean by this statement is that although I'm able to narrow down my focus to areas that I'm most interested in, I continuously collect a wide variety of different cards, ranging from my Craig Kimbrel collection to Topps Heritage. At some points, I definitely feel all over the place.

In addition to feeling frazzled with all the different aspects of my collection that I'm attempting to focus on, collecting a wide range of different players, products, and eras of Baseball cards prevents me from completing sets in a timely manner. My vintage Topps sets are a prime example of this.

However, it's the craziness of my collecting habits and the fact that I branch out in so many different directions that allows me to truly enjoy and make the most out of Baseball card collecting. I prefer to collect precisely what I'm interested in at a particular moment in time with a complete understanding that my interests could change at any moment in time.

It's my willingness and curiosity regarding various aspects of card collecting that has boosted my love for this hobby. Whether you collect only 1 specific thing, or you branch out in a hundred different directions, everyone should focus on exactly what they want to collect.

I wouldn't have my frankenset if my card collecting habits didn't expand in multiple different directions, and I truly enjoy both looking through the pages and writing the posts for this set. 

Today, I have the 42nd page ready to go. Included on it are cards #370-378.

#370 2004 Topps Gary Sheffield

Sheffield's inclusion in the infamous 2007 Mitchell Report has likely ended any chance of the 9-time All-Star gaining a spot in Cooperstown. A member of the 500 home run club, Sheffield received just 13.6% of votes during his 5th year on the ballot. With only 5 years remaining and no huge increase in percentage expected, his candidacy is in major jeopardy.

#371 2016 Topps Heritage Yasmany Tomas

I'll take any opportunity I can to mention that 2019 Topps Heritage is being released this Wednesday, only 2 days from now. After all, it's continuously been my favorite release for over a decade now, even if the Topps set that's being recreated isn't a favorite of mine. 

Like I've done for the last 3 years, I fully intend to purchase a hobby box of this stuff to see exactly what 2019 Topps Heritage has to offer.

#372 1984 Fleer Darrell Evans

Because it's sandwiched in between 2 of the greatest Fleer base sets of all-time, 1984 Fleer fails to thoroughly impress me. The set just appears underwhelming, featuring an uninteresting set design and unnecessarily large photographs. Not to mention, 1984 delivered a colorful Donruss set and an iconic Topps design as well.

#373 1998 Bowman International parallel Jason Halper

Without a doubt, the Bowman Chrome version of this very card is multitudes more appealing. Although neither the chrome nor the foil parallels from the late 90s were as high-quality as they are today, the sheer appearance of the chrome card is far more visually appealing than the same card as a dull foil parallel.

#374 1992 Fleer Ultra Kevin McReynolds

You can expect respectable photo quality, especially for the 1990s, in the 1992 Fleer Ultra set, but the product doesn't feature an incredibly stimulating base design. The photography is likely the reason why I included these cards in my frankenset in the first place. However, I'm not sure what that black slash at the bottom of the page is supposed to be.

#375 1993 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr.

Like '92 Fleer Ultra, the 1993 Bowman base set isn't necessarily what one would call "exciting." The set design is definitely on the simple side, but it's hard to dislike a card of Ken Griffey Jr, especially from the beginning of his 22-year MLB career.

#376 2015 Topps Joc Pederson

Pederson has consistently proven himself to be a power threat throughout his big league career thus far, but when it comes to batting average, the 26-year old falls into some trouble. A career .228 hitter, he reminds me a bit of Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks, who cashed in on a 7-year $70 million dollar extension within the last few days.

#377 2015 Topps Heritage Nick Swisher

This is likely one of Nick Swisher's final Topps cards, for he retired soon after the 2015 season despite an attempted comeback with the New York Yankees the following year. Swisher definitely achieved the most success in New York. The best season of his career came in 2010 during his prime with the Yankees.

#378 1983 Topps Lee May

It was interesting to see these super veteran cards from 1983 Topps recreated in Topps Archives a number of years ago, but nothing will truly compare to the original cards. Luis Tiant, Bobby Murcer, and Lee May are just a few of the players included in this iconic subset that honors veteran players from the beginning to the near end of their careers.