Trying again on the 1999 Higher Deck baseball set, it is fascinating to see simply how a lot this set had going for it.
Whether or not you want the appear and feel or not, clearly, Higher Deck was making an attempt to push the envelope with the border design.
The gray, etched borders that tilted inwards simply wasn’t one thing you normally noticed.
Aesthetics apart, the 525-card guidelines contained a ton of nice gamers…
Future Corridor-of-Famers like Ken Griffey Jr., Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn and extra have been at all times a welcome sight.
And there have been so many strong rookies on this set.
Adrian Beltre and Roy Halladay ended up in Cooperstown.
However, different big-name gamers like Carlos Beltran, Eric Chavez, Aramis Ramirez, Troy Glaus, and A.J. Burnett actually lived as much as the “Star Rookie” designation on their playing cards.
General, Higher Deck did a terrific job and ended their run within the 90s with a bang.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 15 most beneficial.
Let’s bounce proper in!
1999 Higher Deck #205 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $175
In the course of the 1999 season, the Seattle Mariners and franchise legend Ken Griffey Jr. had the framework for a long-term contract extension.
The brand new deal would maintain Griffey with the M’s for eight extra years at $140 million.
It primarily assured that Junior would play his complete profession within the Pacific Northwest.
Nonetheless, Griffey wasn’t so positive.
The famous person heart fielder had one other improbable 12 months in ’99, notching an All-Star nod, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger trifecta for the fourth consecutive 12 months.
He slashed .285/.384/.576 with an AL-best 48 house runs, 123 runs, 91 walks, and 134 RBIs in 160 video games.
Griffey was simply as transcendent as ever.
But, his connection to the Mariners group was beginning to deteriorate.
He instructed the M’s that his need to remain would hinge on the workforce’s efficiency and his emotions through the season’s final six weeks.
Seattle performed middling ball from mid-August, ending at 79-83, and Griffey was admittedly “depressing” the entire time.
By February 2000, the Mariners traded their franchise hero to his hometown Cincinnati Reds.
1999 Higher Deck #165 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $100
The 1998 season was an odd one for Rickey Henderson for a number of causes.
For starters, it marked his fourth stint with the Oakland Athletics.
Secondly, at 39, Henderson shocked the baseball world by main the Majors with 66 stolen bases.
Everybody knew he may nonetheless run and had a lot left within the tank, however no one noticed that coming.
He additionally led the American League in walks (118) for the primary time since 1989, when he break up time with Oakland and the New York Yankees.
The walks, by themselves, weren’t all that unusual.
It was that he struck out practically as many occasions.
In 542 at-bats, Henderson struck out 114 occasions, the one time he’d ever surpassed 100 strikeouts in a season and simply the worst mark of his profession.
Certain, the 542 at-bats have been far more than he’d had in fairly a while, giving him extra possibilities than ordinary to strike out.
However even through the 80s, when he bought an analogous variety of at-bats, he was placing out someplace between 60-90 occasions.
It did not matter actually.
Rickey was nonetheless producing at a excessive degree.
Regardless of his manufacturing, although, it could be his final time in Oakland inexperienced and yellow as he could be headed to the East Coast in 1999.
Quickly after Collection One was launched in December 1998, Rickey would signal with the New York Mets, touchdown one other card in Collection Two.
1999 Higher Deck #426 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $100
The New York Mets did not care that Rickey Henderson was about to show forty.
They knew they wanted a leadoff hitter, so that they went all-in with the best one to play the sport.
“He was one of the dominating gamers I managed in opposition to,” Mets supervisor Bobby Valentine mentioned. “He may need misplaced a step, however he nonetheless has the flexibility to disrupt minds, in addition to defenses.”
Unable to get the contract he wished again house in Oakland, Henderson signed a one-year, $2.3 million take care of the Mets for the ’99 season (with an choice for 12 months two.)
His numbers had fallen off a cliff over the previous half-decade, however Henderson at 50% appeared a lot better than the sub-replacement degree leadoff choices New York trotted out in ’98.
Remarkably, the Mets bought extra of Rickey than they paid for.
The all-time steals chief earned the Sporting Information Comeback Participant of the 12 months Award, slashing .315/.423/.466 with 12 homers and 37 steals in 121 video games.
With their leadoff star at his finest in years, the 97-win Mets snatched the NL Wild Card for his or her first playoff look since 1988.
1999 Higher Deck #474 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $100
Almost eighteen years and eight batting titles into his extraordinary Corridor-of-Fame profession, San Diego Padres proper fielder Tony Gwynn had earned his place as the best pure hitter of the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties.
August sixth, 1999, was the second all of it appeared to snap into focus.
Someday earlier than, Gwynn had slapped 4 hits to shut inside one knock of becoming a member of the immortal 3,000 Hit Membership.
He did not let the suspense stick with it lengthy, dunking a first-inning single off Expos rookie Dan Smith to seal the deal.
“The reduction that you just really feel is the very first thing that hits you,” Gwynn mentioned. “After which I began to really feel emotional after which all these guys began coming over to me. Once I bought again to the dugout, I couldn’t sit down.”
Just one MLB hitter (Wade Boggs) has reached 3,000 in fewer at-bats.
And just one different participant has performed it in fewer video games (Roberto Clemente). Gwynn’s constant excellence was typically taken with no consideration, however there isn’t a denying how singular his hitting acumen was.
The 39-year-old ended his history-making marketing campaign with a .338 common in 111 video games.
It will have been ok for second within the NL if the injury-struck legend had certified for the league batting title.
1999 Higher Deck #2 Adrian Beltre Star Rookie
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $75
The 1999 season was considered one of controversy and progress for Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre.
On the sphere, the sophomore slugger improved leaps and bounds from his spotty rookie 12 months, slashing .275/.352/.428 with 15 house runs, 27 doubles, 5 triples, 18 stolen bases, 84 runs, and 67 RBIs.
Off the sphere, issues have been far more difficult.
Through the Dodgers’ Spring Coaching keep in Arizona, Beltre revealed to agent Scott Boras that he was truly nineteen as an alternative of his listed age of twenty.
This meant that the Dominican Republic native had been signed by the group at fifteen, not sixteen, a no-no underneath Main League Baseball coverage.
The follow of fudging Dominican prospects’ ages for signing functions is acquainted, and it typically prices gamers tens, if not lots of, of hundreds of {dollars} on a year-by-year pay scale.
Boras wished Beltre to be dominated a free agent to recoup misplaced incomes potential on the open market.
Commissioner Bud Selig finally dominated in opposition to it.
As an alternative, he awarded Beltre the distinction between his signing bonus and the $48,000 he would have made a 12 months later.
Selig additionally suspended two Dodgers scouts and the group’s Dominican baseball presence for a 12 months.
1999 Higher Deck #269 Roy Halladay Star Rookie
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $75
Roy Halladay used brute power to make his rookie season principally profitable, even when it was a harbinger of bother to return.
The 22-year-old right-hander made the Toronto Blue Jays out of camp in 1999 because of his dynamite stuff and uncooked expertise.
Halladay used a gradual, overwhelming eating regimen of excessive fastballs to overwhelm hitters, and it labored like a appeal for many of his debut 12 months.
He appeared in 36 video games as a situational reliever and beginning pitcher, pitching to a 3.92 ERA in 149.1 innings.
Halladay would have completed seventh if he had certified for the AL ERA title.
All of it regarded nice on paper, but there have been undoubtedly some points.
Halladay had loads of fireworks in his arm.
Nonetheless, his lack of management and motion led to a boatload of walks (82).
These free passes raised his WHIP to an unpleasant 1.574.
One 12 months later, the previous first-rounder’s command points earned him a humiliating demotion all the best way right down to Single-A.
1999 Higher Deck #49 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $50
The streak was over, and Cal Ripken’s physique bought the memo.
After taking himself out of the lineup for what would have been consecutive recreation #2,633 in September 1998, the 38-year-old Baltimore Orioles third baseman was tapped.
Ripken missed 76 video games in the beginning and finish of the season with nagging again points.
The O’s legend performed with a bum again for a lot of the top of his streak, and it zapped his total productiveness on the plate.
In 1999, Ripken listened to his physique and took a conservative strategy to his well being for the primary time in a very long time.
It made sense to take action with the Orioles languishing within the mediocre center of the MLB standings.
Ripken’s numbers mirrored the wanted relaxation.
With a heavy coronary heart over the March twenty fifth passing of his father, Cal Ripken Sr., Junior set new profession highs in batting common (.340), slugging share (.584), and OPS (.952).
The long run Corridor-of-Famer additionally hammered 18 house runs in 332 at-bats after hitting simply 14 in 601 at-bats the 12 months earlier than.
1999 Higher Deck #154 Derek Jeter
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $50
In a profession stuffed with glowing common seasons and clutch October/November performances, Derek Jeter’s 1999 marketing campaign was his pinnacle.
The 25-year-old shortstop set profession bests in house runs (24), hits (an MLB-best 219), triples (9), walks (91), OBP (.438), slugging share (.552), OPS (.989), and RBIs (102), the latter marking the one 100 RBI season of his two-decade profession.
If not for the inflated video-game numbers of the Steroid Period, Jeter would possible have gained the AL MVP going away.
His protection was iffy, however his affect on the 98-win Yankees juggernaut would have made him the prohibitive favourite within the present baseball panorama.
Jeter settled for sixth.
Nonetheless, the true validation for the longer term Captain’s efforts had nothing to do with baseball writers’ votes.
Jeter hit .375 with a .976 OPS and ten runs scored in twelve postseason video games as New York ripped an 11-1 gap by means of the sphere to repeat as World Collection champions.
It was the Yankee’s third title in 4 years.
1999 Higher Deck #287 Carlos Beltran Star Rookie
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
The Kansas Metropolis Royals have been horrible as soon as once more in 1999, lacking the playoffs for the thirteenth consecutive season with a file of 64-97.
It wasn’t all misplaced, although.
The Royals struck gold throughout a gray season with switch-hitting rookie standout Carlos Beltran.
The 22-year-old former second-round choose was one of many lone highlights of Kansas Metropolis’s offense, hitting .293 with 22 house runs, 112 runs, 108 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases in 156 video games.
He grew to become the primary rookie since Fred Lynn (1975) to tally not less than 100 runs and 100 RBIs, and simply the eighth total.
The Puerto Rican native was nonetheless fairly uncooked, as evidenced by his 123 strikeouts in 663 at-bats.
Regardless, he was a godsend on a minimal $200,000 contract for a Royals franchise operating out a paltry $16.6 million payroll.
Beltran was the no-brainer selection for AL Rookie-of-the-12 months, snagging 26 of 28 first-place votes.
He took the information in stride, selecting to give attention to the work to do moderately than his first-year accomplishments.
“I am positive Carlos, in his mentality, would not even perceive the affect,” Royals supervisor Tony Muser mentioned.
1999 Higher Deck #158 Mariano Rivera
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
1999 is the proper proof for Mariano Rivera’s declare as the best nearer in MLB historical past.
The New York Yankees righty was the ultimate boss for the workforce’s dynasty-cementing World Collection run, posting a 1.85 ERA, 0.884 WHIP, and an MLB-leading 45 saves in 66 appearances.
Rivera surrendered simply 43 hits and 18 walks in 69.0 innings.
When former teammate Jorge Posada later remarked, “How ridiculous this man was going by means of folks,” 1999 could very effectively have been what he was speaking about.
Rivera didn’t give an earned run from July twenty first by means of the playoffs, tallying 20 saves in 28 video games whereas holding opponents to a minuscule .136 common.
The crescendo got here within the World Collection when the 29-year-old blew the doorways off the Atlanta Braves in a four-game sweep.
Rivera logged 4.2 scoreless innings and two saves in three appearances to change into the fifth reliever to win World Collection MVP.
And to prime it off in the best way solely legends do, the first-ballot Corridor-of-Famer broke slugger Ryan Klesko’s bat on three consecutive pitches.
Identical to a last boss would.
1999 Higher Deck #328 Pedro Martinez
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Pedro Martinez was the exception in an period the place offense reigned, and pitching was a thankless job.
The Boston Purple Sox hurler did not sweat hulking hitters, (allegedly) juiced balls, and a recreation tailor-made for high-scoring slugfests.
Martinez was a freak of nature with a patently unfair fastball/changeup combo.
His misleading arm slot and launch on each pitches have been a pure antidote to the high-scoring offense of the day.
Martinez was on the peak of his appreciable powers in 1999.
The 27-year-old Dominican Republic native paced the American League in practically each main pitching class, together with wins (23) and WHIP (0.923).
His league-leading 2.07 ERA was a outstanding 137 factors decrease than second-place finisher David Cone.
Martinez’s AL-best 313 strikeouts set a brand new Purple Sox franchise file, and his 243 ERA+ stays the fifth-best mark of the post-strike period. (1995-present).
It was an train in utter dominance and a simple recipe for a second Cy Younger.
Martinez’s unanimous award triumph made him and 1999 NL Cy Younger winner Randy Johnson the second and third pitchers in MLB historical past to safe the respect in each leagues.
1999 Higher Deck #337 Frank Thomas
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
When is a .300 season with a .400-plus on-base share not sufficient.
It isn’t typically, however that was the case for Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas through the 1999 season.
The 31-year-old Huge Damage was in a precarious spot with the retooling White Sox group.
Chicago’s lineup was completely ripped aside by the departures of Robin Ventura and Albert Belle to free company, and Thomas was left to sulk within the wreckage.
What’s worse, the longer term Corridor-of-Famer’s relationship with supervisor Jerry Manuel was on the outs.
Manuel and Thomas bickered all season lengthy over whether or not or not Thomas ought to play within the discipline.
Manuel wished to fit Thomas in at first, not less than part-time, whereas the slugger wished to function a DH solely.
“Frank would not assume he is satisfactory on the market,” Manuel instructed the media. “He would not need to be embarrassed in public.”
It was all a headache, and Thomas’ accidents solely exacerbated issues.
The “Huge Damage” hit simply 15 house runs in 590 plate appearances, his worst full-season output to this point.
Even his .305 batting common and 414 on-base share weren’t sufficient to maintain the critics from chirping.
1999 Higher Deck Baseball Playing cards In Overview
Whereas it might be a bit missed in at this time’s market, I believe this set presents loads of cause to take a re-assessment.
If nothing else, the inserts (which we’ll get to later) have been nice.
Nonetheless, the bottom set presents an superior stability of design, big-name stars, and strong rookies.
Apparently, you may discover that the guidelines runs to #535 regardless that it solely comprises 525 playing cards.
For some cause, ten playing cards have been unnoticed of the set, and it’s believed they have been all a part of a sure subset that Higher Deck determined to omit.
Talking of subsets, there have been a number of within the guidelines, together with:
- Star Rookies (#1 – 18; 266 – 292)
- International Focus (#229 – 246)
- Checklists (#247 – 255; 527 – 535)
- Arms Race ’99 (#518 – 526)
Higher Deck hit a house run with the inserts on this set, together with outsized reprints of Ken Griffey Jr.’s earlier UD playing cards, foil-stamped and numbered “jumbo” reprints of his ’89 rookie, and several other completely different autographed and game-used playing cards.
It was a heck of a option to promote and have a good time their tenth anniversary within the pastime.
So, even when the bottom set would not encourage you all that a lot, these inserts supply loads of causes to open packs nonetheless at this time.
Trending Merchandise
