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The box: 1999 Team Best Baseball America‘s Top Prospects minor league cards
Where to buy: Check eBay
Packs per box: 18
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 109
Base set completion:
97 of 100 (97 percent)
Duplicates: 6
Base cards of note – Rick Ankiel, Bronson Arroyo, Lance Berkman, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Michael Cuddyer, Aubrey Huff, Chad Hutchinson, Carlos Lee, Mark Mulder, Corey Patterson, Carlos Pena, Brad Penny, Jayson Werth, Randy Wolf
Insert/short-print cards: 4 (all in gallery below)
Scout’s Choice (1) – Ruben Mateo
Best Possibilities (1) – Lance Berkman & John Patterson
League MVPs (1) – Marcus Giles
Silver parallel (box-topper) (1) – Tim Drew (/150)
Autographs: 2
Team Best Autographs (2) – Corey Lee, Mark Fischer
What’s Buzz-worthy: Take a look at those notable names from the base set and you’ll see that this one hasn’t aged all that well. Sure, there are some MLB mainstays on that list but there’s nobody who’ll break the bank there — or on the autograph checklist. It’s the autograph lineup that helps this brand — a number of those bigger names can be found with ink here but only two per box. That makes boxes hit and miss — and this box was a miss. Lee pitched a single inning in a single MLB game, giving up an 11th-inning game-losing three-run homer to the New York Yankees’ Tino Martinez on Aug. 24, 1999. He played 10 more years but never made it back. (His story actually makes this kind of a fun card.) Meanwhile, Fischer never made it to the majors. The box also delivered well with a 1:90-pack Scout’s Choice card but, well, you know … it’s Ruben Mateo. … The design of this set showcases Baseball America very well and it showcases the crop of players at the time — and it also shows you how talents aren’t guaranteed successes. The best news here? This box was just $7 — so it’s clear that others realize that, well, not much is guaranteed for us collectors, either.
Product Grade: B-
Box Grade: C+
Fun Grade: C
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