2001 Grandstand Southern League Top Prospects Set

Prospect sets are fun. Lots of fun.

Dozens upon dozens of Minor League Baseball prospects sets have been created over the years, and they always provide years of entertainment, as the players pictured thread their way at varying speeds though the uncertain maze towards the Majors.

The 2001 Southern League Top Prospects set, produced by Grandstand, is one typical example. Consisting of thirty player cards and a header, borderless photos and a glossy surface help to give card fronts a slick new-millennium appeal. Backs are printed in black and give player statistics for the 2000 season, as well as Minor League totals. Surprisingly, the cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.

Being an AA league, a large percentage of these prospects saw time in the Majors. As always, some of the players "missed it by that much," while others went on to enjoy All-Star seasons (Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford and Felipe Lopez each received the latter recognition). 

The volatile up and down price fluctuations of Minor League cards are very similar to those of the rookie cards released in mainstream major League sets. Fickle collectors and speculators are constantly shifting their focus to the "hot" on-field performers of the moment. In the case of older prospect sets such as this, history has already run it's course and the prices always stabilize -- usually at a very reasonable price if no superstars or Hall of Fame-caliber players are found within. 

We'd estimate the current market value of this set in the $10 to $15 range, and think it's a great addition to any baseball fan's collection.

Click here to find 2001 Southern League Cards

(1) Cory Aldridge, Greenville Braves

(2) Luke Allen, Jacksonville Suns

(3) Josh Bard, Carolina Mudcats

(4) Joe Borchard, Birmingham Barons

(5) Mike Bynum, Mobile BayBears

(6) Pasqual Coco, Tennessee Smokies

(7) Carl Crawford, Orlando Rays

(8) Bubba Crosby, Jacksonville Suns

(9) Juan Cruz, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

(10) Adam Dunn, Chattanooga Lookouts

(11) Cam Esslinger, Carolina Mudcats

(12) Kris Foster, Jacksonville Suns

(13) Jose Garcia, Huntsville Stars

(14) Josh Hamilton, Orlando Rays

(15) Bobby Hill, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

(16) Tim Hummel, Birmingham Barons

(17) Josh Kalinowski, Carolina Mudcats

(18) Austin Kearns, Chattanooga Lookouts

(19) David Kelton, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

(20) Joe Kennedy, Orlando Rays

(21) Felipe Lopez, Tennessee Smokies

(22) Aaron McNeal, Mobile BayBears

(23) Jason Middlebrook, Mobile BayBears

(24) Brian Moon, Huntsville Stars

(25) Nick Neugebauer, Huntsville Stars

(26) Josh Phelps, Tennessee Smokies

(27) Brian Reith, Chattanooga Lookouts

(28) Billy Sylvester, Greenville Braves

(29) Dan Wright, Birmingham Barons

(30) A.J. Zapp, Greenville Braves

(31) Header Card/Checklist

2001 Washington Redskins Upper Deck Stadium Giveaway Set

Redskins police sets from the 1980s and early 1990s are about as common as dirt. I'm not kidding. Bring a shovel into your backyard, give it a good scoop, and look to see what you've unearthed. There will be a 1985 Redskins police set, and possibly one from 1988 if your shovel went deep enough. 

The purpose of this anecdote is to illustrate what the 2001 Redskins Upper Deck SGA set isn't; you ain't gonna find one of these sets in your backyard.

The set was released in five-card cello packs during the December 2 home game versus the Dallas Cowboys. (Four cards featured Redskins players, and one featured an Upper Deck "Bucks" discount code.) A complete set consists of ten player cards that are numbered on the backs. Two of the players, quarterback Sage Rosenfels and wide receiver Rod Gardner, are showcased during their rookie seasons. Rosenfels never threw a regular season pass during his one and only year with the Skins, but did manage to stick around the league with a variety of teams as a backup through the end of the 2011 season. Gardner was Washington's first round pick of the 2001 NFL Draft (15th overall), and managed to eek out a 1000-yard receiving season in 2002. Rod's stint with the Redskins lasted four years, with his final two NFL seasons being divided among the Panthers, Packers and Chiefs. The remaining eight cards here feature veterans who enjoyed varying degrees of fame and fortune. Hall of Famers Darrell Green and Bruce Smith lead the Pack... errrr, Skins... with twelve-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey guarding the rear. 

As previously mentioned, the cards were distributed on December 2 during a crucial home game against the Cowboys. Washington lost their first five games of the season, then went on to knock off the Panthers, Giants, Seahawks, Broncos and Eagles to even things up. The contest versus the Cowboys wound up being a close, if not frustrating game that would result in a 14 to 20 Dallas victory. By season's end, Washington would own an 8 and 8 record and narrowly miss the playoffs.

We purchased ten of these cello packs off of eBay, for a total of 40 player cards. Lo and behold, our collation was perfect and yielded four complete sets. I have never claimed to be an expert on 2000's stadium giveaway cards, especially with the random nature of these sets and the lack of references that document such things. I don't know how many of these cards were released in 2001, but do know that they haven't shown up all that often in the years that have followed. If I were forced to guesstimate the value, I'd put a set in the ten dollar range. Upper Deck produced a well-centered, problem-free group of cards here (even the colored borders are chip-free on our cards), so make sure the ones you buy look as nice as ours.

1. Tony Banks, QB

2. Stephen Davis, RB

3. Michael Westbrook, WR

4. Stephen Alexander, TE

5. Champ Bailey, CB

6. Darrell Green, CB

7. Sam Shade, SS

8. Bruce Smith, DE

9. Rod Gardner, WR

10. Sage Rosenfels, QB