I’ve all the time thought-about the 2004 Topps baseball card set to be one of many best-looking of its period.
For the primary time since 1997, Topps returned to plain white borders.
By itself, that is not all that fascinating.
It was the addition of two extremely cool design options that made these playing cards pop…
The primary might not be so apparent when you aren’t conversant in their classic designs: the large block-lettered crew names throughout the highest.
And when you keep in mind, Topps did the identical factor forty years prior with their 1964 set launch.
For hobbyists who respect refined nods to the previous, this was nice to see.
The second was the foil icons within the decrease left of the cardboard that mirrored the characteristic picture on the entrance.
The 1973 Topps set had comparable icons within the decrease proper, however they have been all generic based mostly on the participant’s place.
These icons have been distinctive…
It was an awesome contact that made 2004 Topps baseball playing cards all of the extra compelling.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 25 Most worthy.
Let’s leap proper in!
2004 Topps #324 Yadier Molina Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $150
Yadier Molina was the mainstay behind the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals for almost 20 years.
And it began with a chance in 2004.
Drafted within the fourth spherical of the 2000 MLB Beginner Draft, Molina labored arduous within the Minors to shake the “nice arm, weak bat” label given to him by scouts.
That included taking notes from Cardinals beginning catcher Mike Matheny and patterning his preparation and method in Matheny’s picture.
So when Matheny went down with a strained rib in ’04, Molina was well-equipped to step in and fill his future supervisor’s sneakers.
Debuting on June third, Molina completed the yr slashing .267/.329/.356 with two residence runs and 15 RBIs in 135 at-bats.
The offensive numbers have been what they have been.
However, it was Molina’s veteran-level savvy behind the plate that finally made Matheny replaceable.
The 21-year-old catcher threw out over 50% of tried base stealers and made two wonderful tags on the dish for outs in a single recreation on August twenty ninth.
Stacked to the brim from 1 to 25 on the roster, the Cardinals ran away with the NL Central with baseball’s greatest file at 105-57.
And though issues ended poorly with the curse-killing World Collection sweep by the hands of the Boston Crimson Sox, the long run was in good fingers with Molina.
2004 Topps #330 Zack Greinke
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $100
The sixth choose of the 2002 MLB Beginner Draft, Zack Greinke had the repertoire and stuff to change into an elite beginning pitcher.
To take action, he’d need to get a deal with on each opposing hitters and his psychological well being.
Dealing with anxiousness points and struggles with despair and social awkwardness, Greinke had a steep hill to climb when he was referred to as up on Could twenty second, 2004.
It was difficult.
Greinke remoted himself from his teammates and struggled to speak on the sphere and within the clubhouse.
Nonetheless, his simple aggressive fireplace pushed him to a formidable rookie season.
In 24 begins for the bottom-feeding Kansas Metropolis Royals, Greinke posted a decent 8-11 file with a 3.97 ERA in 24 begins.
Ending fourth within the league’s Rookie-of-the-12 months balloting, the 6-foot-2 righty surrendered simply 143 hits and 26 walks in 145 innings pitched, posting a 1.166 on par together with his present profession mark.
Maybe the most important measure of Greinke’s impression was that, when he was on the bump, the 58-win Royals weren’t half the mess that their AL-worst file would counsel.
2004 Topps #510 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $45
There’s dangerous harm luck, and there is no matter Ken Griffey Jr. needed to cope with throughout his time in Cincinnati.
After a unbelievable debut with the Reds in 2000, Griffey was repeatedly sidelined by accidents for the rest of his time with the membership.
2004 was simply one other brutal instance of that.
After rehabbing his means again from a torn patella suffered in July of 2003, Griffey needed nothing greater than to place the ache of latest years behind him.
And issues did begin to search for for the 34-year-old outfielder.
He swung the bat nicely, earned his twelfth All-Star Recreation look, and joined the unique 500 Dwelling Run Membership on Father’s Day together with his mother and father in attendance.
The Reds have been six video games over .500 on the All-Star break and, on the very least, have been on the periphery of the playoff chase.
After which, it occurred.
After the Reds light from competition throughout a 1-11 stretch, Griffey tore his hamstring on August 4th throughout a sliding catch, ending his season on the spot.
It was his fourth consecutive season with a major harm.
And it added yet one more “what if” to a Corridor-of-Fame profession stuffed with them.
2004 Topps #559 Joe Mauer
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
The very definition of a prime prospect, Joe Mauer’s 2004 arrival to the Majors had a palpable buzz round it.
Picked first total by the Minnesota Twins within the 2001 Draft, the previous high-school All-American soccer participant was destined for excellent issues together with his new membership.
And that was what 2004 was imagined to be: the start of one thing nice for Mauer and a proficient, contending Twins squad.
A knee harm, nonetheless, threw a wrench into these plans.
Only a handful of video games after Opening Day, the crew’s new beginning catcher injured his left meniscus and was compelled out of motion for over a month.
He returned to Minnesota in June after a brief rehab task, however his knee wasn’t able to shoulder the load.
Only one month after his return, the Twins formally shut Mauer down for the rest of the season.
Mauer was unbelievable in a small pattern measurement for the ’04 AL Central champs, slashing .308/.369/.570 with six residence runs and 17 RBIs in 35 video games performed.
2004 Topps #575 Miguel Cabrera
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
It could not have began any higher for Miguel Cabrera.
Twice the NL Rookie of the Month in 2003 after a mid-season call-up, Cabrera proved himself useful for the Florida Marlins on the highway to the franchise’s second World Collection championship.
And though the 2004 Marlins underachieved at almost each flip in a disappointing 83-79 follow-up, Cabrera blossomed right into a legit star in his first full season on the Main League stage.
In 160 video games, Cabrera slashed .294/.366/.512 with 33 residence runs, 31 doubles, 101 runs scored, 68 walks, and 112 RBIs.
Whereas the Marlins as a collective could not get out of their means because the season went alongside, Cabrera was a significant middle-of-the-order risk that stored them related on the fringes of postseason competition.
If there was a obtrusive weak spot to Cabrera’s recreation, it was his glove.
Spending time in each proper and left discipline, Cabrera’s 9 errors tied him for the worst amongst all Nationwide League outfielders.
His time on the market would not final for much longer, with a everlasting transfer to the infield not far-off.
2004 Topps Traded #T144 Felix Hernandez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
Earlier than he even set foot within the Seattle Mariners clubhouse, the legend of King Felix was already going robust.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002, Felix Hernandez garnered curiosity from a who’s who of baseball golf equipment.
Nonetheless, the Venezuelan-born beginning pitcher circled Seattle as his vacation spot of alternative, partially as a result of his fellow countryman and idol, Freddy Garcia, was on the Mariners’ roster.
From there, Hernandez grew to become the speak of the Mariners group.
His devastating sinker broke minor-league hitters down.
And though he’d chorus from utilizing it a lot till later in his profession, his slider was already a tall story.
Come 2004, the King put your entire baseball neighborhood on discover. Splitting time between the California League and Double-A, Hernandez completed the yr 14-4 with a 2.95 ERA and an eye-popping 172 strikeouts in 149.1 innings pitched.
Named Seattle’s minor league pitcher of the yr, Hernandez was additionally dubbed the sport’s prime pitching prospect by Baseball America in early 2005.
2004 Topps #20 Derek Jeter
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $35
The extra issues modified within the Bronx in 2004, the extra they stayed the identical.
With the arrival of Alex Rodriguez from Texas, there was a second of hesitation amongst Yankees followers and beatwriters.
Finally, Rodriguez moved to 3rd, and Jeter remained the Yankees beginning shortstop for one more decade.
Jeter struggled mightily in April, together with an 0-for-32 stretch from April twentieth to the twenty eighth.
He righted issues over the subsequent 5 months for the 101-win Yankees, ending the common season with a .292/.352/.471 slash line, 23 residence runs, 44 doubles, 23 stolen bases, 111 runs scored, and 78 RBIs in 721 plate appearances (643 at-bats).
The heartbeat of the now seven-time defending AL East champs, Jeter earned his first Gold Glove and his sixth All-Star nod (alongside together with his fair proportion of down-ballot MVP votes.)
Within the playoffs, nonetheless, issues went awry.
Jeter cratered towards Boston within the ALCS, hitting simply .200 with a paltry .567 OPS in 38 plate appearances.
If Jeter had discovered any kind of rhythm, perhaps historical past wouldn’t have bitten the Yankees so arduous.
New York grew to become the primary crew to give up a 3-0 sequence lead in MLB playoff historical past, falling in seven to the hated Boston Crimson Sox in a comeback (or disaster) for the books.
2004 Topps #40 Albert Pujols
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $35
On the shortlist of the best right-handed hitters in historical past, Albert Pujols’ first eleven years with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2001-2011 have been a Corridor-of-Fame first-ballot profession all to themselves.
2004 was no exception.
The integral piece of the “MV3” collective alongside Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, Pujols parlayed a $100 million contract extension within the offseason into one other MVP-caliber showcase.
Battling by plantar fasciitis whereas settling into a brand new full-time position at first base, the 24-year-old slugger stood out for the highest run-producing lineup within the Nationwide League.
Pujols slashed a big-time .331/.415/.657 with 46 residence runs, 51 doubles, 84 walks, and 123 RBIs in 592 at-bats.
He additionally led the Majors in runs scored (133) and complete bases (389) for the second consecutive yr.
A 3-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, Pujols completed third within the NL MVP race to affix Stan Musial as the one two Cardinals to submit 4 straight top-five finishes.
(Pujols would finally prolong that streak to 6.)
Pujols continued to rake at an all-time stage within the playoffs, simply capturing the NLCS MVP award with a .500 common, 4 bombs, and 9 RBIs towards the Houston Astros.
And he was one of many solely vivid spots for St. Louis of their World Collection date with the Crimson Sox, hitting .333 within the four-and-out loss.
2004 Topps #10 Ichiro Suzuki
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
After back-to-back 93-win seasons and a slim playoff miss in ‘03, the 2004 Seattle Mariners fell right into a deep swoon.
There wasn’t a lot to like about Seattle’s aimless run to a 63-98 end in ‘04.
That’s, aside from Ichiro Suzuki.
Suzuki slumped (by his requirements) by nearly all of April, hitting simply .255.
When Could rolled round, although, Ichiro began rolling as nicely.
He lifted his batting common over .300 by early June and headed to July at .315.
From there, issues acquired bonkers.
Suzuki blasted by in July, hitting .432.
And in August, he was even farther off the web page, amassing 56 hits for a mind-blowing .456 common.
His two-month spectacular from July 1st to September sixth, during which he hit a molten .458, was the league’s greatest 60-game hitting efficiency since Rogers Hornsby in 1924 (.486).
Now a four-time All-Star, Ichiro ended his 2004 season with a record-shattering flourish, posting 13 hits in a four-game span en path to monitoring down George Sisler’s file for complete hits in a season.
Ichiro completed the yr with 262 base knocks, 5 higher than Sisler’s legendary 1920 marketing campaign.
He led all of baseball with a .372 batting common, pacing the Majors in plate appearances (762) and at-bats (704) whereas main the AL in intentional walks (19).
2004 Topps #67 Mariano Rivera
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Yadier Molina was the mainst
2004 Topps #140 Greg Maddux
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
After cementing his place in Cooperstown with an eleven-year stint in Atlanta, Greg Maddux returned to acquainted, pleasant confines earlier than the 2004 marketing campaign.
Again in a Cubs uniform for the primary time since 1992, the four-time Cy Younger winner appeared to recapture a few of his previous magic with a throwback season at Wrigley.
It did not pan out.
In his nineteenth MLB season, Maddux could not miss bats like he used to.
In 33 begins for the Cubs, the righty completed 16-11 with a 4.02 ERA, his worst earned-run common since his disastrous rookie season in 1987.
The protection was nonetheless there, incomes him his fourteenth Gold Glove.
The pinpoint strike-zone mastery wasn’t.
Maddux surrendered 1.5 residence runs per 9 innings in 2004, by far the worst mark of his Corridor-of-Fame profession.
And with Maddux off his recreation, the 89-win Cubs fell simply brief within the NL Wild Card race, three video games behind the division rival Houston Astros for the league’s ultimate playoff spot.
2004 Topps #368 Sammy Sosa
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Yadier Molina was the mainst
2004 Topps #390 Chipper Jones
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Atlanta appeared extra susceptible in 2004 than they’d in a decade.
And a giant a part of that was Chipper Jones’ early-season issues on the plate.
Beginning in left for the third consecutive season, Jones was slowed by a laundry listing of accidents.
Jones appeared nothing like his former MVP self within the first half of the ’04 marketing campaign, hitting simply .214 and lacking out on the Midsummer Traditional for a 3rd consecutive marketing campaign.
The Braves weren’t in significantly better form, getting into the break at simply three video games over .500.
Fortunately for Atlanta, a mid-season place shift revitalized Jones and Atlanta’s playoff hopes.
With Mark DeRosa unable to successfully deal with the beginning third baseman’s job, supervisor Bobby Cox moved Jones again to his former place on the diamond.
It labored like a attraction.
The Braves went off within the second half, ending the yr with a 51-24 stretch to take residence yet one more division title.
Jones hit over .280 after the All-Star Recreation, slugging 11 residence runs in August to assist Atlanta separate themselves from the AL East pack.
General, Jones slashed .248/.362/.485 with 30 homers and 96 RBIs.
He gave all he needed to give within the common season, although, going simply 4-for-20 in Atlanta’s five-game NLDS loss to the Houston Astros.
2004 Topps #405 Pedro Martinez
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
It is virtually laughable that the one yr Pedro Martinez wasn’t his dominant self in a Crimson Sox uniform was the yr they received the entire rattling factor.
In his first six years in Boston, Pedro received two Cy Youngs, led the Majors in ERA 4 occasions, and by no means posted an ERA underneath 2.89.
Martinez simply wasn’t as electrical in 2004, ending at 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA in 33 begins.
He gave up a career-worst 193 hits in 217 innings pitched, walked over 47 batters for the primary time since 1998 (61), and posted his worst WHIP since 1996 (1.171).
Sure, he fanned 227 and was nonetheless spectacular sufficient to earn a fourth-place end within the league’s Cy Younger voting.
But, it was clear Martinez simply wasn’t firing on all cylinders.
That grew to become particularly obvious within the ALCS as Pedro pitched to a 6.23 ERA, giving up 9 earned runs in 13 innings towards the Yankees.
All’s nicely that ends nicely, and Pedro completed robust, shutting out the Cardinals for seven innings for a Recreation 3 World Collection win.
Regardless, his ultimate yr in a Sox uniform was undoubtedly uncharacteristic.
2004 Topps #468 Chase Utley
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Regardless of strain from followers and media members alike in the course of the ‘04 season, the Philadelphia Phillies remained dedicated to Placido Polanco over Chase Utley at second base.
Chosen within the first spherical of the 2000 MLB Draft, Utley had already change into a fan favourite with restricted reps on the big-league stage.
And regardless of sound bytes on the contrary, your entire Phillies administration employees knew it was solely a matter of time earlier than Utley can be the crew’s on a regular basis second baseman.
Nonetheless, the crew stayed loyal to Polanco, for yet one more yr not less than.
Utley performed in simply 94 video games, with 13 of these coming at first.
He hit .266 in a restricted position with 13 residence runs, 11 doubles, 36 runs scored, and 57 RBIs in 287 plate appearances (267 at-bats).
The crew would lastly let Utley free in 2005, finally dealing Polanco to the Tigers to completely clear the best way.
2004 Topps #512 Larry Walker
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Yadier Molina was the mainst
2004 Topps Traded #221 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
In 2002, San Francisco Giants celebrity Barry Bonds shattered Willie McCovey’s file for intentional walks in a season (45) with an eyebrow-raising 68.
In 2004, issues went from absurd to downright lunacy.
In maybe essentially the most unparalleled particular person season in baseball historical past, Barry Bonds did issues in ’04 that may be baffling in a online game.
For one, he completely destroyed his personal intentional walks file, receiving a charity go for 120 of his 232 walks.
All in all, Bonds reached base 376 occasions for the NL West runner-ups to land simply three shy of Babe Ruth’s file.
The remainder of the 39-year-old’s stat line stays awe-inspiring to this very day.
Bonds received the Nationwide League batting title with a .362 common.
He additionally set a brand new file for on-base share (.6094), surpassing his personal mark from two years prior.
And, he led the Majors in slugging share (.812), OPS (1.422), and OPS+ (263) whereas hitting 45 residence runs, scoring 129 occasions, and driving in 101.
Bonds broke the very idea of baseball in ’04, hindsight however.
2004 Topps #1 Jim Thome
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
Jim Thome’s first yr with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003 was an authorized banger.
He crushed an NL-best 47 residence runs, completed third within the league with 131 RBIs, and posted a sterling .997 fielding share at first.
His ’04 encore wasn’t half dangerous, both.
The bruising, bashing centerpiece of the league’s third-best offensive assault, Thome slashed .274/.396/.581 with 42 residence runs, 28 doubles, 97 runs scored, 105 RBIs, and 104 walks in 618 plate appearances (508 at-bats).
Thome’s strikeouts remained an issue, following up an MLB-worst 182 Ks in 2003 with 144 in ’04.
However, the Phillies have been glad to stay with the whiffs to benefit from the spoils of what occurred when the 33-year-old slugger related.
With Thome obliterating baseballs from April by September, the Phillies posted a second consecutive 86-76 season (and third in 4 years), good for second within the NL East, ten video games behind the ten-time defending division champion Atlanta Braves.
2004 Topps #28 Fred McGriff
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
Yadier Molina was the mainst
2004 Topps #49 Frank Thomas
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
In 2005, Frank Thomas was compelled right into a spectator’s position as his Chicago White Sox teammates bulldozed by the playoffs for the franchise’s first World Collection title in 88 years.
The rationale for this may be traced again to the 2004 season.
On June fifteenth, the burly White Sox first baseman/DH was struck by a tough floor ball within the left leg.
Group medical doctors have been initially optimistic, and Thomas remained within the lineup for 3 extra weeks.
By July seventh, Thomas was shut down with what was termed as a left ankle harm, with no fracture.
On the time, he was on tempo for yet one more 30-homer season and led the American League in on-base share (.434).
Here is the place the story will get complicated.
Thomas underwent low season surgical procedure and returned to the crew in late Could 2005.
He performed simply 34 video games earlier than he was shelved once more for the yr, this time with a fracture.
After leaving Chicago for Oakland in 2006, Thomas sued two White Sox medical doctors for negligence and misdiagnosing his preliminary harm in 2004.
The case was later settled confidentially in 2011, and Thomas would by no means play in a World Collection.
2004 Topps #220 Manny Ramirez
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
After a tumultuous offseason that included commerce calls for and the Boston Crimson Sox putting him on waivers (with no takers), Manny Ramirez returned to Beantown for the ’04 season and returned to being Manny.
This included incomes his American citizenship in mid-Could and operating out to left with a tiny flag in hand, later joking that they now could not kick him overseas.
Theatrics apart, Manny Ramirez was essentially the most harmful hitter for one of the iconic groups in fashionable baseball historical past.
Ending up third in a deep AL MVP race, Ramirez led the league in residence runs (43), slugging share (.613), and OPS (1.009).
An All-Star for a seventh straight yr and a Silver Slugger winner for six seasons operating, Ramirez hit over .300 (.308), scored over 100 runs (108), and drove in 130 for the AL’s Wild Card winner.
And within the postseason to finish all Crimson Sox postseasons, Manny was just about unstoppable.
He registered a success in all 14 playoff video games and received World Collection MVP honors with a .412 common, a homer, and 4 RBIs within the franchise’s first Fall Traditional triumph in 86 years.
2004 Topps #623 David Ortiz
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
The nightmares of a brutal seven-game defeat within the 2003 ALCS haunted David Ortiz all offseason lengthy.
“The Recreation 7 loss to the Yankees had torn me up, understanding that we have been simply 5 outs away from going to the World Collection,” Ortiz admitted later. “Anytime I acquired near contentment, I might really feel the sting of that loss.”
Somewhat than letting it rip him aside, although, Ortiz rededicated himself to his hitting craft.
Now sure of his beginning standing, whether or not at DH or first, Ortiz posted a strong .301/.380/.603 slash line with 41 residence runs, 47 doubles, 94 runs scored, 75 walks, and 139 RBIs.
Alongside Manny Ramirez within the coronary heart of the Boston order, the first-time All-Star and Silver Slugger was a power of nature in ’04.
Within the playoffs, the league’s fourth-place MVP finisher continued to show heads and switch fastballs into souvenirs.
He slashed .400/.515/764 in 14 postseason video games with three residence runs, 10 RBIs, 14 walks, and 16 runs scored.
Ortiz additionally received ALCS MVP honors going away and have become the primary participant in MLB historical past to hit two walk-off residence runs in the identical postseason, ending each Recreation 3 of the ALDS and Recreation 4 of the ALCS with prodigious blasts.
2004 Topps #636 Barry Larkin
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $25
One of many highest shortstops of the late Eighties and Nineties, Barry Larkin couldn’t catch a break from 2000 on.
A number of accidents to a number of physique elements hampered him for 4 consecutive years to begin the millennium, costing him almost half of Cincinnati’s video games from 2000 to 2003.
Approaching his age-40 season, Larkin tried one thing completely different and hoped for the very best.
“This previous yr, I form of took it straightforward,” Larkin stated of his offseason coaching. “I’ve an 11-year-old son. With him, I performed basketball and did a whole lot of operating, and this is likely one of the most injury-free years I’ve had.”
Treating his physique with kindness allowed Larkin to deal with Cincinnati’s trustworthy with a fond ultimate hurrah.
Named to his twelfth All-Star crew, Larkin hit .289 with eight residence runs, 15 doubles, 44 RBIs, and 55 runs scored in 111 video games for the 76-win Reds.
A couple of months later, Larkin referred to as it a profession, shutting the doorways on 19 Corridor-of-Fame years in a single uniform.
2004 Topps #209 Roy Halladay
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $20
2004 was a misplaced season for each Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays as a collective.
After mowing down the AL recreation by recreation in a masterful ’03 Cy Younger efficiency, Halladay missed almost half of the ’04 season because of issues together with his proper throwing shoulder.
After feeling soreness throughout his Could twenty seventh win over the Angels, Halladay was shut down for 2 weeks.
He returned for simply over a month earlier than touchdown on the DL for 2 extra months with shoulder fatigue.
With Halladay dealing in historic kind, the ’03 Blue Jays completed with the franchise’s greatest file in a half-decade (86-76).
With Halladay damage and off the bump for lengthy stretches, he ended the ’04 marketing campaign at 67-94, the crew’s worst file since 1995.
The 27-year-old began simply 21 video games in ’04, pitching to a 4.20 ERA with a telltale 1.346 WHIP and 140 hits surrendered in 133 innings.
2004 Topps #380 Vladimir Guerrero
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $20
In 2004, Vladimir Guerrero grew to become simply the fifth participant in MLB historical past to win an MVP award in his first yr after switching leagues.
He additionally launched himself to a wider baseball viewers after enjoying in relative obscurity with the Montreal Expos.
Guerrero slashed .337/.391/.598 in his brand-new Anaheim Angels uni, including 39 residence runs, 126 RBIs, 39 doubles, and 15 stolen bases.
The now five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger additionally led the league in runs scored (124) and complete bases (366).
The 29-year-old proper fielder immediately made good on the Angels’ five-year, $70 million offseason funding, lifting the Halos from disappointments to division champs in only one yr.
A yr earlier than, the Angels squandered the goodwill from their ’02 World Collection run with a dismal 77-85 marketing campaign.
Now with the very best bad-ball hitter of the trendy period of their nook, the Angels have been contenders once more.
A 3-game ALDS loss to the Yankees introduced the AL West champs right down to Earth in October.
But, Guerrero’s mere presence made them a risk for years to come back.
2004 Topps Baseball Playing cards In Evaluation
For those who scan by the 732-card guidelines, you will quickly notice that Topps packed so much into the 2004 Topps baseball set.
The design components I discussed within the intro are a number of the extra apparent sights.
Sure, the rookie class might have been a disappointment outdoors of the large Yadier Molina rookie.
However, the star energy and the imagery that captured them in the midst of the motion was excellent.
The guidelines can also be loaded with subsets, together with:
- Managers (#268 – 296)
- First 12 months Playing cards (#297 – 326)
- Future Stars (#327 – 331)
- Season Highlights (#332 – 336)
- League Leaders (#337 – 348)
- Postseason Highlights (#349 – 355)
- American League All-Stars (#356 – 367)
- Group Playing cards (#638 – 667)
- Draft Picks (#668 – 687)
- Prospects (#688 – 692)
- Combo Participant Playing cards (#693 – 695)
- Award Winners (#696 – 718)
- Nationwide League All-Stars (#719 – 729)
- World Collection Highlights (#730 – 733)
And there have been so many nice inserts from swatches, autographs, World Collection highlights (2004 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the Fall Traditional), Phrase Collection relics, to a lot extra.
There was loads to maintain collectors busy.
Once more, this set does endure a bit from the dearth of any big-name rookies outdoors of Yadier Molina, however by way of design, subsets, and inerts, you’ll be able to’t go flawed with 2004 Topps.
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