Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Page 4

Page 4 is our first look at anything resembling an article. We get to look at some Short Prints, which as it states are "News and Notes From the Hobby World".

Talkin' Baseball discusses Fleer/Skybox and it's 1998 Sports Illustrated World Series Fever insert Reggie Jackson's Picks and Pacific Trading Cards Firestone on Baseball insert set in 1998 Pacific Crown Royale.

ESPN's Roy Firestone provides the commentary for Pacific and Mr. October does the same for the Fleer/Skybox product.

A picture of a 1998 Pacific Crown Royale Ken Griffey Jr.Firestone on Baseball insert card accompanies the article.

Here is a copy of a 1998 Sports Illustrated World Series Fever Reggie Jackson's Pick insert card of Mike Piazza from my collection.

Below the Talkin' Baseball piece, we have a feature called 10 Under $10 showcasing The Best Hitter Since Ted Williams; Tony Gwynn.

I don't have any of the cards on the list, so let me share my own list with a slight twist. I call it, 10 Under $0.10. These are all cards I could pick up for a dime or less. It doesn't mean they aren't fantastic though.

We finish off page 4 with a Product Preview of 1998 Topps Tek and a partial Product Preview of 1998 Upper Deck Retro, which finishes on page 5.

Product Preview - 1998 Topps Tek

90 different players with 90 different parallels and each parallel has a parallel. The base set is 8,100 cards in size making it the largest card set ever made up to it's printing and it remains the most massive set ever produced to this day.

Here is the checklist.

1 Ben Grieve

2 Kerry Wood

3 Barry Bonds

4 John Olerud

5 Ivan Rodriguez

6 Frank Thomas

7 Bernie Williams

8 Dante Bichette

9 Alex Rodriguez

10 Tom Glavine

11 Eric Karros

12 Craig Biggio

13 Mark McGwire

14 Derek Jeter

15 Nomar Garciaparra

16 Brady Anderson

17 Vladimir Guerrero

18 Dave Justice

19 Chipper Jones

20 Jim Edmonds

21 Roger Clemens

22 Mark Kotsay

23 Tony Gwynn

24 Todd Walker

25 Tino Martinez

26 Andruw Jones

27 Sandy Alomar

28 Sammy Sosa

29 Gary Sheffield

30 Ken Griffey, Jr.

31 Aramis Ramirez

32 Curt Schilling

33 Robin Ventura

34 Larry Walker

35 Darin Erstad

36 Todd Dunwoody

37 Paul O'Neill

38 Vinny Castilla

39 Randy Johnson

40 Rafael Palmeiro

41 Pedro Martinez

42 Derek Bell

43 Carlos Delgado

44 Matt Williams

45 Kenny Lofton

46 Edgar Renteria

47 Albert Belle

48 Jeromy Burnitz

49 Adrian Beltre

50 Greg Maddux

51 Cal Ripken, Jr.

52 Jason Kendall

53 Ellis Burks

54 Paul Molitor

55 Moises Alou

56 Raul Mondesi

57 Barry Larkin

58 Tony Clark

59 Travis Lee

60 Juan Gonzalez

61 Troy Glaus

62 Jose Cruz

63 Paul Konerko

64 Edgar Martinez

65 Javy Lopez

66 Manny Ramirez

67 Roberto Alomar

68 Ken Caminiti

69 Todd Helton

70 Chuck Knoblauch

71 Kevin Brown

72 Tim Salmon

73 Orlando Hernandez

74 Jeff Bagwell

75 Brian Jordan

76 Derrek Lee

77 Brad Fullmer

78 Mark Grace

79 Jeff King

80 Mike Mussina

81 Jay Buhner

82 Quinton McCracken

83 A.J. Hinch

84 Richard Hidalgo

85 Andres Galarraga

86 Mike Piazza

87 Mo Vaughn

88 Scott Rolen

89 Jim Thome

90 Ray Lankford

If you want to see the different patterns, you can take a look at all 90 versions of #78 Mark Grace. These cards are not my own. I got them from a web site devoted to Mark Grace.

The parallel of each parallel are called diffractors and are silver parallels. They were seeded 1 in every 6 packs. The parallels are not numbered and no print run was ever announced, but collectors think that they are limited to between 10-20 copies of each version.

Here are some of the different diffractors for the Mark Grace card, again courtesy of www.MarkGrace.com.

Anyone out there working on a particular player from this set? I have some from the 1999 set, but nothing of note from the 1998 set.

Okay, back to page 4.

Product Preview - 1998 Upper Deck Retro

Beckett was a little off in their numbers, but I think they were given incorrect information from Upper Deck.

Under "The Steak" it lists 1998 Upper Deck Retro as a 130 card set, but it actually only features 129 cards. Card #82 was supposed to be Stan Musial, but due to licensing issues it was never produced.

Under "The Sizzle" it lists the Sign of the Times as 30 cards and on the next page it identifies Stan Musial as one of the autographs, but his autograph never made it in the set either. The checklist does however list 31 different cards and the quantity.

Sign of the Times

AK Al Kaline /600

BF Bob Feller /600

BGI Bob Gibson /300

BGR Ben Grieve /300

BR Brooks Robinson /300

CF Carlton Fisk /600

EB Ernie Banks /300

EM Eddie Mathews /600

FT Frank Thomas /600

GMJ Gary Matthews Jr. /750

GMS Gary Matthews Sr. /600

GP Gaylord Perry /1000

JC Jose Cruz Jr. /300

KGJ Ken Griffey Jr. /100

KGS Ken Griffey Sr. /600

KP Kirby Puckett /450

KW Kerry Wood /200

LB Lou Brock /300

NR Nolan Ryan /500

PK Paul Konerko /750

RB Russell Branyan /750

RF Rollie Fingers /600

SR Scott Rolen /300

TG Tony Gwynn /200

TLE Travis Lee /300

TP Tony Perez /600

TS Tom Seaver /300

WIS Willie Stargell /600

WM Willie McCovey /600

WS Warren Spahn /600

YB Yogi Berra /150

Here is an example from my personal collection. It's of Travis Lee. You can see that the cards are not actually serial numbered. 

We'll finish the rest of  the Product Preview for 1998 Upper Deck Retro tomorrow on page 5.

Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Page 3

Fitting that page 3 of the November 1998 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly is an advertisement for UD3 baseball cards.

1998 UD3, or UD Cubed as it is known, was a 270 card set featuring 90 players on three different cards. For example, card #1 featured Travis Lee. He was also featured on card #91 and #181.

Each of the three cards was then issued as a die cut numbered parallel; with cards 1-90 being numbered to 2000, cards 91-180 numbered to 1000, and cards 181-270 numbered to 100. Think of it as Upper Deck's response to the Flair set.

UD3 was a hobby exclusive and three card packs came with a MSRP of $3.99.

At first glance, I thought it was interesting that an Upper Deck product didn't feature its spokesman, Ken Griffey Jr., but then I noticed him hiding in green.

I don't have any 1998 UD3 cards in my collection, so let me see yours in the comments.

Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Page 2

Page 2 of the November 1998 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly features a letter written by Jeff Amano, the President of Beckett, about Beckett CEO and Publisher Dr. James Beckett III.

In very small print on the right side of the page is all the publishing and legal information that magazines are required to disclose

The letter discusses Dr. Beckett's recent induction into the National Sports Collectors Convention's Hall of Fame. It gives an in depth look into the humble beginnings of the Beckett empire. 

I've never been to "the National", but I had no idea that there was a NSCC Hall of Fame. I tried searching for information about it online, but wasn't able to come up with anything. I reached out to NSCC on twitter and on their web site, but as of this posting I haven't heard anything back.

Were you aware of the National Sports Collectors Convention Hall of Fame?

Here's a look back and ahead at the locations of the National Sports Collectors Convention.

Who's been to the National before. Comment below. If it ever comes back out west, I'm definitely going.

Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Page 1

Here is the Table of Contents, which Beckett appropriately calls its "Lineup Card", for the November 1998 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly.

The photo used for this page features a shot of Griffey relaxing in the outfield grass, with his trademarked backwards hat flashing a peace sign for all to see. It says, "Kick back with Junior as we review his hobby status, card bargains and complete checklist in the Kid friendly package."

Take a look at this 1995 Select checklist featuring what appears to be, the exact same photo.

Fellow Griffey collectors will probably also recognize this photo as a cropped version of a very similar photo was used for the back of his 1993 Upper Deck card.

To me it looks like these are from the same "event", but possibly from different cameras. To me the angle of the two photos are different. What are your thoughts? Same camera or different?

Can't show the back without showing the front.

Alright, back to the "Starting Lineup".

There are 4 articles, the first of which takes a look at Mark McGwire cards, which is fitting since he's on the cover of the magazine and the other 3 are devoted to Ken Griffey Jr.

We also see the various Departments listed and learn more about the covers.

Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Inside Cover

When I think about Beckett magazines from my youth, one of the first things I think about is the artwork on the inside and back covers. Before recycling most issues they would get dismantled so I could hang up the artwork on my bedroom walls.

The inside cover of the November 1998 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly magazine is an excellent example of the artwork that I remember from my youth.

The focus of the artwork is Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr.

The artwork gives two separate looks at Griffey. The first showcases the end of Griffey's sweet swing with him looking at the ball; most likely landing somewhere in the distant bleachers. The second is a head shot featuring him wearing his Mariners batting helmet.

I'm a huge Griffey fan, so I may be a bit biased, but I think the artwork is amazing!

The artwork was done by Tim LaCapra. I found Tim LaCapra on Facebook and LinkedIn that I thought might be the artist and so I reached out to him to see if it was the same person that did this artwork. He responded and was kind enough to do an interview.

Question: "You're an extremely talented artist. Did it come naturally to you? Did you attend school for art?"

Answer: "Thank you for the compliment. I was always a kid that was coloring in coloring books and on paper. I remember form a young age living in Cascade Montana, my mother covering up the kitchen table with white butcher paper and letting me draw. I would draw cars and towns and such to play with my Hot Wheels. I would draw wild life as well, birds and deer that I would often see around me. I got into comic books and started drawing and tracing from comic books and I think that taught me some basic proportions. I didn’t have an actual art class till late in my 8th grade year when I moved to Gresham Oregon. I took art in high school that helped me learn how to use different mediums. When I was 30 I attended Memphis College of Art in pursuit of my Graphic Design degree. I currently reside outside of Nashville Tennessee where I am a Graphic Designer."

Question: "I would assume that you you are a sports fan. Is that correct? If so what are your favorite teams and who are your favorite athletes? Do/did you collect sports cards?"

Answer: "I am a sports fan, have always enjoyed playing and watching my favorite sports. My favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys, since 1976, The Oregon Ducks and any team my 5 children take part in. I guess my favorite athletes would be most of the Cowboys over the years, Dale Earnhardt, Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. I was big into collecting cards in the 70’s and in the 90’s. I collected Nascar, Basketball and Football mainly."

Question: "What do you remember about the Griffey Jr. piece that graced the inside front cover of the November 1998 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly? How long does something of that caliber take to complete? What size was the original? What medium did you use?"

Answer: "The Griffey Jr. piece was my second of six published covers for Beckett. I truly loved the way the light was captured on that piece. I believe it took me about twelve hours or so to complete that piece, working entirely in colored pencil."

Question: "How did you get your artwork published in Beckett magazine? Have you had other artwork featured in Beckett magazines?"

Answer: "I remember reading in Beckett one time about a “call for artists”. So I thought why not submit my work and see what happens. My first piece I submitted was a portrait of Emmitt Smith which the used in a tribute issue about him. from that point on I would work on several pieces and submit them for possible publication. There was one time that they reached out to me seeking a piece with Terry Labonte which I was able to do and send in. My covers include Emmitt Smith, Ken Griffey Jr., Micheal Jordan and the Bulls, Neil Bonnett, Nomar Garciaparra and Terry Labonte."

Question: "What was it like seeing your artwork featured in a publication like Beckett Baseball Card Monthly?"

Answer: "The feeling was so awesome! They would send me a few copies in the mail, but being able to walk into the card shop and pick up a magazine that had your work in it was such a cool feeling."

Question: "Have you ever sold your artwork? Do you accept commissions? If so, what would be the best way for someone interested to get a hold of you?"

Answer: "I have sold my work over the years. There is a bar in Swan Lake Montana that has commissioned 4 pieces from me over the years. I have pieces that I have done in Mississippi, Chicago, Tennessee and Oregon. I do accept commissions for work ranging from watercolor, colored pencil and marker. I can best be reached at tlacapra@gmail.com."

Mr. LaCapra was nice enough to send some photos of his other work at my request. Check out his awesome talent.

I would like to publicly thank Tim for his time and once again compliment him on his amazing artwork!

For part of the 1998 season, it was a three way home run race between McGwire, Sosa, and Griffey. McGwire and Sosa pulled away, but Griffey ended the year with 56 home runs; tying his career high from the previous season and leading the American League in long balls.

The magazine cover indicated an "Exclusive Griffey Checklist" inside and to be honest, the majority of the magazine is dedicated to Griffey. 

Beckett Baseball Card Monthly November 1998 - Cover

I'm going to chronicle past issues of Beckett magazines, page by page, article by article; adding my own commentary and encouraging discussion among other sports card enthusiasts. I used to love reading these magazines and I want to share them with the rest of the blogosphere.

Let's start with the November 1998 copy of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly. Why start with November 1998? Well today is Labor Day and the cover commemorates an event that happened roughly 19 years ago, on Labor Day.

As indicated on the cover, this is Issue #164 and set readers back $3.99 US and $5.50 in Canada.

At the top we learn that this issue features the first pricing for the following sets: Bowman's Best, Pacific Revolution, SI World Series Fever, and UD3. An "Exclusive Griffey Checklist" is also mentioned.

The cover features St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire and mentions that "Big Mac's Rookie Card Hits Uncharted Territory"and showcases his 1985 Topps Olympic RC.

Why McGwire? Well with the 1998 season coming to a close in October with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series a Yankee might have been a natural choice for the November cover, but Derek Jeter had just graced the cover of the October issue, so McGwire was chosen.

I remember the 1998 season well. It was the Diamondbacks inaugural season and I was getting my first look at Major League Baseball up close and in person.

A look at the D-Backs home schedule shows that they only played the Cardinals for one three game set in mid June. I went to one of the games. McGwire had homered the day before against the D-Backs, but at the game I attended he went 1-2 with a single and two walks; one intentional.

Travis Lee of the Diamondbacks homered twice and Matt Williams also went yard.

Here is my ticket stub from that game.

On September 8, 1998 I went ot watch the Diamondbacks take on the Los Angeles Dodgers and had gone early to watch batting practice and when McGwire came up to bat in the Cardinals vs. Cubs the Diamondbacks showed it live on the jumbo tron and I watched the ball just barely clear the left-field fence to give McGwire the record.

In case you haven't seen it; or it's been a while, here is video of the historic home run.

McGwire and fellow slugger Sammy Sosa, captured the attention of the entire sports world during the 1998 season. Much can be said about the means they used to do it, but there is no doubt that Big Mac and Slammin Sammy helped restore baseball as the National Pastime since many fans had left after the strike shortened 1994 season.

Here are four cards that I have in my collection that commemorate Mark's 62nd home run of 1998.

          

Let's get back to the Beckett cover.

The picture on Beckett cover is of Mark celebrating after hitting #62. It was taken by Tom DiPace.

Tom is a well known sports photographer. From his web site Tom DiPace Photography:

"Tom DiPace is an internationally recognized sports photographer. His work has been printed in notable publications such as Time, Newsweek, ESP Magazine, ESPN Deportes Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Athletes Quarterly (AQ), Tennis Magazine, and USA Today. In addition to other prestigious magazines, newspapers, and books around the world.
Tom's commercial clients include Powerade,Vitamin Water, 2KSports,Rawlings Sporting Goods, Monavie,Wheaties,EA Sports,Nike,New Era Caps DIY Network and more.

He has covered 25 Superbowls,10 World Series,AllStar games and NBA Finals His 30 years of photography seamlessly bring together his unrivaled experience and distinguished reputation.  He looks forward to aiding the innovation of photography,capturing iconic history one frame at a time."

I'd encourage everyone to check out his web site to take a look at some of his amazing work. I did reach out to Tom about the photo on the cover of the 1998 Beckett Baseball Card Monthly magazine and his experience being there when McGwire broke the single season home run record, but as of me posting this he has not responded.

McGwire hit home run #62 off of Steve Trachsel. The ball traveled just 341 feet; the shortest home run that McGwire hit during the 1998 season.

Trachsel had a nice career. He spent his first 8 seasons in Chicago with the Cubs and was an All-Star in 1996. After leaving the Cubs after the 1999 season, Steve spent time with the Devil Rays, Blue Jays, Mets, Orioles, the Cubs again, and then finished with the Orioles in 2008.

Trachsel is a good ttm signer. These two cards have been sent to see if I can get him to sign them.

McGwire has been known to sign from time to time via ttm. I've never sent to him, but I just sent to him at the same time as Trachsel. Let's see who I get back first.

Alright, so there it is, a detailed look at the cover of the September 1998 Beckett Baseball Card Monthly magazine. Let me know what you think.

Every Day's A Holiday - September

Another month, another look at the Every Day's A Holiday calendar. Here's September.

Here's a breakdown of September.

1 - Letter Writing Day
2 - V-J Day
3 - Skyscraper Day
4 - Newspaper Carrier Day
5 - Cheese Pizza Day
6 - Read a Book Day
7 - Salami Day
8 - Literacy Day
9 - Wonderful Weirdos Day
10 - Swap Ideas Day
11 - Make Your Bed Day
12 - Chocolate Milkshake Day
13 - Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
14 - Eat a Hoagie Day
15 - Felt Hat Day
16 - World Ozone Day
17 - Apple Dumpling Day
18 - Cheeseburger Day
19 - Talk Like a Pirate Day
20 - Punch Day
21 - Miniature Golf Day
22 - Hobbit Day
23 - Checkers Day
24 - Punctuation Day
25 - Psychotherapy Day
26 - Lumberjack Day
27 - Crush a Can Day
28 - Drink Beer Day
29 - World Heart Day
30 - Mud Pack Day

I'm not even sure what all of these are, but that won't stop me from trying to add a card for each day to my Every Day's A Holiday card binder.