搶先看:Panini 2014 Classics Baseball

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Early next month, Panini America is calling on a proud part of its past to add a late-season jolt to the baseball card category. In early November, after nine long years away, the venerable Classics Baseball franchise is making an epic comeback — and you can count on 2014 Classics Baseball to deliver a wealthy share of the brand’s tried-and-true staples, a few new twists and an arresting array of history-making memorabilia.

Each master box of 2014 Classics Baseball (two 12-pack mini boxes per master box) will deliver two autographs, two memorabilia cards, two Timeless Tributes, 48 Rookie Cards, six Home Run Heroes, six Legendary Lumberjacks, six October Heroes and six Stars of Summer. What’s more, the product is steeped in the rich insert tradition that has made Classics such a classic from the beginning.


Collector-favorite inserts such as Significant Signatures, Timeless Treasures, Membership and Classic Combos, Triples and Quads return to give 2014 Classics Baseball a familiar feel; meanwhile, the industry’s first memorabilia cards of legends such as Roger Bresnehan, Bob Meusel and Gabby Hartnett deliver requisite doses of barrier-breaking newness.
Among the many highlights of 2014 Classics Baseball . . .

• The Classic Combos insert pairs teammates dating back to 1906 with Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford. The only card in Classic Combos not featuring teammates pairs up two dominant Japanese pitchers — Masahiro Tanaka and Yu Darvish. Find all-time greats and current superstars together on one card, each numbered to 99 or less.

• Membership Materials Signatures features one player, an autograph and three pieces of memorabilia with three custom die-cut swatches. Look for five versions: 500 Home Run Club, 300 Win club, MVP, ROY and HOF. Each card is numbered to 25 or less with a Prime version numbered to 10 or less.

• The 20-card Champion Materials insert features players who have won the championship, including the industry’s first memorabilia cards of Roger Bresnahan and Bob Meusel. Also look for Honus Wagner, Lou Gehrig, Dave Bancroft, Eddie Collins, Frank Chance and Jake Daubert, each numbered to 99 or less.

• Players Collection features one player with four swatches of memorabilia on each card. The 20-card set includes players such as Stan Musial, Derek Jeter, Jim Thorpe, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Nolan Ryan and Tony Gwynn, each numbered to 99 or less.

• Gabby Hartnett was one of the greatest catchers of all time and held the record for catchers in home runs, RBI, hits, doubles and games played by the time he retired. Find his industry-first memorabilia card in the Legendary Players insert along with other legends, including Bob Feller, Enos Slaughter, Joe DiMaggio, Roger Maris, Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson, each numbered to 99 or less.

• Significant Signatures features a 100-card set of top prospects, rookies, veterans and retired greats. Look for Kris Bryant, Jace Peterson, Clayton Kershaw and Stan Musial, each numbered to 299 or less with a Gold version numbered to 25 or less and a Platinum 1/1 version.

• Classic Cuts finds its way into 2014 Classics Baseball with a legendary lineup that includes Ted Williams, Harmon Killebrew, Zack Wheat, Walter Johnson and more; each card numbered to five or less.

• Past and present long-ballers show off their prized memorabilia in the Classics comeback of Home Run Heroes. Find Combo, Auto, Bat and Prime versions numbered to 99 or less.

• Score a swatch from some of the Fall Classic’s greatest performers in October Heroes. Look for Combo, Auto, Bat and Prime versions numbered to 99 or less.

We’ll have plenty more on 2014 Classics Baseball in the coming weeks right here on The Knight’s Lance. Until then, enjoy this first extended sneak peek:

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Rare memorabilia pieces get rides in Classics



Sometimes, the rarities are right in front of you — and it’s got nothing to do with serial-numbering.

That’s the case with a handful of cards that Panini America teased Friday from its forthcoming 2014 Panini Classics baseball set that arrives next Wednesday.

While first-time memorabilia card appearances of Hall of Famers such as Roger Bresnahan and Gabby Hartnett were touted by the company, there were a few other players among its teaser images who are rarely on memorabilia cards at all — added silent bonuses for those who find them. With vintage players, the memorabilia pieces can be much harder to find, leading to far fewer memorabilia cards than collectors might think.



This Classic Lineups card is graced by two obvious Pittsburgh Pirates legends — Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski. Together, they account for 1,376 and 214 different memorabilia cards in the Beckett.com database. But Don Hoak, a four-year player for the team? That’s just his second memorabilia card ever made. His last was in the 2002 Topps Super Teams Relics set, a card limited to only 100 copies.



Collectors who aren’t purely St. Louis Cardinals fans probably know the names Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter as both are Hall of Famers with memorable careers. Billy Southworth is a Hall of Famer, too, as he was inducted by the Veterans Committee in 2008 — but you wouldn’t think that based on his cardboard. He appears on a total of just 41 baseball cards in the Beckett database — of any kind — and appears on just four previous memorabilia cards. He made his debut on memorabilia in 2012 National Treasures.



This last card should be an obvious score for anyone who pulls it with three Hall of Famers – Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Eddie Collins. The reality is that Foxx has 372 mem cards, Simmons has only nine — nine! — and Collins only has 25. Those totals are far fewer than some might expect for two of those players.



Another card from Classics is this Jim Gilliam-Gil Hodges-Roy Campanella creation. Dodgers fans know how big they are for their team, but they may not realize that Gilliam has only five previous memorabilia cards — none since 2003 — while Hodges has 95 and Campanella has 457. The big names you think are rare are — but they have far more game-used cards than lesser names.

There are inevitably other classic players without much cardboard to be seen in Classics. We’ll see more when a checklist arrives and collectors start ripping into packs next week.