Trade List > Baseball > 1996

The following cards are available for trade. If you see anything that interests you, please feel free to drop me an email.

 1996 Bazooka: 5, 37, 41, 53, 66, 68, 112, 122, 125, 127, 128, 131

 1996 Bowman: 15, 47, 83, 118, 124, 133, 166, 177, 178, 193, 206, 218, 219, 240, 250, 264, 266, 276, 288, 305, 321, 326, 339, 357, 368

Foil:
45. Roberto Alomar, Baltimore Orioles
57. David Cone, New York Yankees (2)
114. Scott Rolen, Philadelphia Phillies
137. Jamey Wright, Colorado Rockies
150. Shawn Gallagher, Texas Rangers
196. Brooks Kieschnick, Chicago Cubs
214. Justin Thompson, Detroit Tigers
217. Matt Luke, New York Yankees
248. Bobby Estalella, Philadelphia Phillies
256. Jason Ryan, Chicago Cubs
273. Jacob Cruz, San Francisco Giants
314. Norm Hutchins, California Angels
316. David Doster, Philadelphia Phillies
334. Mike Sweeney, Kansas City Royals
365. Aaron Holbert, St. Louis Cardinals
383. Felix Martinez, Kansas City Royals

Bowman's Best Preview Refractors:
BBP4. Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants

 1996 Bowman's Best: 6, 19, 25, 28 (2), 36, 46, 50, 57, 60, 62, 65, 68, 69, 70, 74 (2), 88, 90, 104, 106, 109, 110, 113, 124, 126, 144, 152, 154, 158, 161, 163, 165, 168, 175, 180

 1996 Circa: 44, 146

 1996 Classic 5-Sport: 115

 1996 Collector's Choice: 211, 406, 412, 418, 420, 421, 423, 426, 453, 457, 468, 472, 483, 484, 507, 519, 531, 535, 552, 556, 557, 560, 577, 582 (2), 595 (2), 610 (2), 612, 616, 625, 647, 650, 654, 661, 675, 691, 710, 720, 722, 740, 746 (2)

Silver Signature:
10. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals "Rookie Class"
411. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals "Team Checklist"
432. Livan Hernandez, Florida Marlins "Rookie Class"
482. Gary DiSarcina, California Angels
515. Bret Boone, Cincinnati Reds
525. Orel Hershiser, Cleveland Indians
613. Yamil Benitez, Montreal Expos
688. Todd Stottlemyre, St. Louis Cardinals
735. Dean Palmer, Texas Rangers

 1996 Denny's: 10, 11, 14, 19, 21

 1996 Donruss: 60, 84, 424

 1996 Finest: 250, 305

 1996 Flair: 87, 185

 1996 Fleer: 28, 83, 232, 264, 308, 379, 432, 459, 469, 479, 521, 566

Tiffany:
2. Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles

Post-Season Glory:
5. Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians

Road Warriors:
10. Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants

Rookie Sensations:
3. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

 1996 Fleer Baseball '96 Team Issue - Dodgers: 16 of 20. Mike Piazza, Los Angeles Dodgers

 1996 Leaf: 4, 82, 88, 92, 210

Bronze Press Proofs:
104. John Jaha, Milwaukee Brewers

 1996 Leaf Limited: 24

Gold:
16. Carlos Delgado, Toronto Blue Jays
24. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

Pennant Craze:
5. Albert Belle, Cleveland Indians 0408/2500 

Leaf Preferred: 30, 34, 97, 139, 147

Gold:
30. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

Steel:
24. Carlos Baerge, Cleveland Indians
65. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

 1996 Leaf Signature Series: 13, 116, 143

Autographs Bronze:
Shane Andrews, Montreal Expos
Jeff Fassero, Montreal Expos
Joey Hamilton, San Diego Padres
Rey Ordonez, New York Mets
Carlos Perez, Montreal Expos
David Segui, Montreal Expos

Autographs Silver:
Bobby Ayala, Seattle Mariners

 1996 Leaf Signature Series Extended:

Autographs:
Darren Hall, Los Angeles Dodgers
Bill Hasselman, Boston Red Sox
Craig Shipley, San Diego Padres
Dave Veres, Montreal Expos (2)

 1996 Metal Universe:

Platinum:
68. Ricky Bones, Milwaukee Brewers
243. Stan Javier

Platinum Portraits:
9. Manny Ramirez, Cleveland Indians

 1996 Panini Stickers: 180

 1996 Pinnacle: 4, 39, 79 (2), 87 (5), 229, 234 (2), 245, 277, 293, 319 (2), 388 (2), 399

Starburst:
96. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals
118. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians
170. Will Clark, Texas Rangers "Hardball Heroes"
188. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians "300 Series"
200. Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padres "300 Series"

Essence of the Game:
4. Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants

Team Spirit:
11. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

Team Tomorrow:
2. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

 1996 Pinnacle Aficianado: 128

 1996 Pinnacle Zenith: 12, 31, 130

 1996 Score: 16, 61, 72, 83, 223, 308, 315, 322, 343, 348, 358, 373 (2), 378, 379

Dugout Collection:
14. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians
40. John Jaha, Milwuakee Brewers
103. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

Big Bats:
12. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians

Dream Team:
3. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians

 1996 Select: 8, 9, 105, 108, 122, 155, 248

 1996 SP: 60

 1996 SPx: 4, 5, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 32, 36, 42, 50, 51, 56, 57, 60

Gold:
12. Tim Salmon, California Angels
22. Dante Bichette, Colorado Rockies
26. Cecil Fielder, Detroit Tigers
31. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals
39. Rondell White, Montreal Expos
44. Wade Boggs, New York Yankees
46. Jason Kendall, Pittsburgh Pirates
52. Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants

 1996 Sportflix: 13, 24, 85, 101, 137, 140

 1996 Stadium Club: 6, 26, 31, 98, 102, 145, 163, 257 (SP), 271, 272, 273 (2), 274, 275, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289 (2), 291, 292, 293 (2), 294, 295, 297, 300 (3), 302, 304, 305 (2), 309, 310, 317, 319 (2), 320, 322, 325, 326 (2), 327, 329 (2), 330 (2), 333, 334 (3), 337, 340, 345, 347, 348, 351, 353, 354, 356 (3), 357 (3), 358, 361, 362 (2), 363 (3), 366, 368, 371, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 382, 384, 388, 389, 394, 396, 397, 400, 403, 405, 406, 410, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416 (2), 417, 418 (2), 420, 421, 422, 430 (2), 432 (2), 433, 434, 436, 437, 438, 441, 443, 447, 450 (2),

Virtual Reality:
91. Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs

Extreme Player Bronze:
Tom Candiotti, Los Angeles Dodgers

Extreme Player Gold:
Mike Mussina, Baltimore Orioles

Megaheroes:
MH6. Jack McDowell, New York Yankees

Midsummer Matchup:
M4. Craig Biggio, Houston Astros/Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians

 1996 Stamp: Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians (I'm not sure of this stamp's origins. It's about the size of a Panini sticker and is full licensed. If interested, I can scan.)

 1996 Studio: 4, 12, 19, 25, 26, 28, 31, 35 (2), 36, 40, 50, 54, 59, 61, 62 (2), 63, 71, 73, 81 (2), 82, 86, 98, 99, 100, 107, 109, 112, 119, 120, 121, 125, 127, 130, 131, 132, 138, 139, 143, 148

Bronze Press Proofs:
64. Gary Sheffield, Florida Marlins

 1996 Summit: 124, 180

Foil:
124. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

 1996 Topps: 2, 25, 37, 45 (2), 50, 86, 100 (2), 133, 140 (2), 150, 175, 177, 200, 215, 223, 229, 249, 269, 303 (3), 309, 317, 334 (2), 363 (5), 406

Opening Day:
5. John Jaha, Milwaukee Brewers

Profiles:
AL-02. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians

 1996 Topps Chrome: 13, 63, 121

Refractors:
66. Carlos Baerga, Cleveland Indians

1996 Topps Laser: 2, 7, 8, 12 (2), 13, 14, 16, 18 (2), 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36 (2), 37, 38, 39, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63

 1996 Ultra: 224, 301, 587

Gold Medallion:
343. Charles Nagy, Cleveland Indians
368. Matt Mieske, Milwauee Brewers
449. Robin Jennings, Chicago Cubs
539. Luis Alicea, St. Louis Cardinals

Golden Prospects:
4. Johnny Damon, Kansas City Royals

Rawhide:
7. Raul Mondesi, Los Angeles Dodgers

Rising Star:
7. Ryan Klesko, Atlanta Braves

 1996 Upper Deck: 90, 100, 131, 132, 145, 146, 239, 266 (2), 391, 392 (2), 393, 394, 395

V.J. Lovero Showcase:
VJ13. Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

Baseball Card Hall of Bad: 1996 Stadium Club Baseball Megaheroes

As a collector, I love cards that have unique designs. I'm game for something different. Risks can change the game. But sometimes, they're complete and utter failures. Case in point: 1996 Stadium Club Baseball Megaheroes.

The 10-card insert set gave different players superhero personas that matched their nicknames. While I'm a big fan of art and cards sharing the same canvas, these cards are about as attractive as fresh dog crap on the bottom of your new pair of runners.

The concept of making athletes heroes, although cheesy, could work. But the drawings look like they were done by a Rob Liefeld wannabe playing with the blur option in Photoshop. Here's the results:

Megaheroes were inserted 1:48 Series One hobby packs and 1:24 retail packs. 

Here's the checklist:

MH1. Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox

MH2. Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners

MH3. Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles Dodgers

MH4. Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Cardinals

MH5. Will Clark, Texas Rangers

MH6. Jack McDowell, New York Yankees

MH7. Andres Galarraga, Colorado Rockies

MH8. Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

MH9 Deion Sanders, San Francisco Giants

MH10. Mo Vaughn, Boston Red Sox

If you want to see athletes as superheroes where cheesy can mean good (at least in the "so-bad-it's-good" sense), let me draw your attention to Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky in the Saturday morning classic, ProStars:

 

Upper Deck Brings Back the Hologram

Even though Upper Deck is still holding back on their double top secret designs for their MLB-less line, I came across something today that's got me excited: holograms are making are making a comeback. Scouring over the initial info for 2009-10 SP Authentic Hockey, I noticed that the Holo FX line has been brought back from the dead. The throwback insert set will stay true to its roots offering a large checklist of 42 cards and a much rarer die-cut version that will act as a case hit in the product.

Basic Holo FX cards will fall 1:12 packs, while the die-cuts will be 1:288 packs.

While the return of holograms makes me giddy, seeing the mock-ups shows that they're not the same FX-branded cards I fell in love with more than a decade ago:

2009-10 SP Authentic Hockey Holo FX

1996 SP Authentic Baseball Special FX

A big part of what I liked back then was the holographic face, many of which turned and even winked as the card was turned. The new cards have a generic background. Sure, it's a hologram but it's not the same. So while I appreciate that Upper Deck is reaching back into their archives to bring something spectacular back, there's still some work to be done.

Griffey Eats Cake and Squishes Alex Rodriguez

Something about this card makes me think of Alice in Wonderland. Either that or some recently fed baby sitting in his playpen. But it's been a long time since one could look at Ken Griffey Jr. and really think of him as "The Kid."

The card in question comes from 1996 Pinnacle Summit Baseball. I'd actually forgotten that the Summit brand made it past its first year. Although 1995 Pinnacle Summit had a clean design, it wasn't exactly memorable. But at least I remember how they looked. I can't say the same for the 1996 follow-up off the top of my head.

Ballparks is an 18-card insert set that I'd assume would be used to showcase various stadiums. But then you have the Godzilla-looking ballplayers doing their thing and scaring the bahooey out of everyone in attendance (except for the Gwynn below who appears to be playing to only a handful in San Diego).

Each of the cards in the set are serial numbered /8000 copies and were inserted 1:18 packs.

Here's the complete checklist:

1. Cal Ripken Jr.

2. Albert Belle

3. Dante Bichette

4. Mo Vaughn

5. Ken Griffey Jr.

6. Derek Jeter

7. Juan Gonzalez

8. Greg Maddux

9. Frank Thomas

10. Ryne Sandberg

11. Mike Piazza

12. Johnny Damon

13. Barry Bonds

14. Jeff Bagwell

15. Paul Wilson

16. Tim Salmon

17. Kirby Puckett

18. Tony Gwynn

The Many Faces of Moises Alou

This post was inspired by some cards sent to me recently by John from The Pursuit of 80's(ness). Another awesome batch of cards came across from the UK and whilst going through them I was reminded of the solid but rarely flashy career of Moises Alou.

Drafted second overall in the 1986 draft by the Pirates, Alou was the "player to be named later" in a 1990 trade that saw Zane Smith pack for Pittsburgh. It wasn't long before he became one of Montreal's outfield cornerstones dependable for above-average stats in both average and power. He might not have been as flashy as Larry Walker or as speedy as Marquis Grissom but he got the job done. With his father Felipe managing him, Alou finished second behind Eric Karros in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1992 and was an All-Star two years later.

As good as the Expos got, the team suffered from a lack of commitment from ownership and the team was soon dismantled following the strike that ended the 1994 season. He stuck around for a couple more years but signed on as a free agent with the Marlins for the 1997 season and made an immediate impact hitting .292, knocking in 115 runs and smacking 23 home runs. Oh yeah, he was also the winner of the Babe Ruth Award, which is similar to World Series MVP, in that it's given for the best World Series performance as voted by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, leading an unlikely team to their first World Championship.

Alou's stay with the Marlins wasn't meant to last. Florida owner Wayne Huizenga promptly dismantled his championship squad in a firesale that looked a lot like the ongoing deals that Alou would have become accustomed to seeing in Montreal. Off to Houston.

Different team, same plucky player. In his four years playing with Houston (he missed all of 1999 due to a psychopathic treadmill so I'm not counting it), Alou was an All Star twice and finished third in NL MVP voting in 1998 where he set a career high for RBIs, driving in 124 runs for a dangerous team that included Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

As Alou approached and surpassed 40 years of age, he continued to put play a solid game yet never managed to find a place to really call his baseball home. After leaving the Astros via free agency following the 2001 season, Alou got a ripe three-year deal with the Cubs. In 2004, at the age of 37, he set a career high in home runs with 39. But that would be all for his days in the Windy City.

Although his power numbers were starting to taper off, Alou continued to hit for average in his final four seasons (spending two each with the Giants and Mets). Between 2005 and 2008 the Atlanta-born outfielder never hit below .300.

Last year marked the end of Alou's playing career. He'll likely never get any Hall of Fame career, nor does he necessarily deserve it. He was, however, one of the more overlooked players of a generation, quietly playing contently in the shadows of some of the game's bigger stars. Superstars might make those around them look better than they actually are but it's guys like Moises Alou that enable superstars to rise to the top of their game.

Thanks again, John for the awesome cards and for reminding me of an Expos great.

My New Pet Rock

Over the years of collecting Montreal Expos, I've always enjoyed getting autographs. I've scaled back somewhat since the team moved to Washington and no longer actively go after autographs of guys I've already got. That being said I made an exception a few weeks back when I snagged this:

 

I know I've already got a couple of Tim Raines autographs but this one caught my attention. Sure it has a white swatch and it's numbered out of 30, but what I'm digging is the addition of his nickname "Rock." It's a simple thing that makes this card much more unique than a lot of the other generic signatures I've got.

Raines was a beast on the base paths 25 years ago. I'm convinced that if Rickey Henderson wasn't a bigger beast, we'd see Rock in Cooperstown eventually. But like his former teammate Andre Dawson, I don't think there's going to be an Expo in the Hall of Fame to join Gary Carter anytime soon.