1997 Chicago White Sox SGA Set

Stadium giveaway sets were quietly alive and well in 1997, as is evidenced by this 30-card White Sox issue. Subjects feature active players, coaches, trainers and Sox legend Nellie Fox, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame that year. 

Cards measure the standard 3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inches and are printed on medium-weight white cardboard stock. All cards except for Fox feature color photos on the fronts, and other than white outside borders, have just the player names printed in silver ink across the left side. Backs are printed in black and show MLB statistics, along with a "SOX" logo at the lower left and a Nellie Fox tribute logo at the lower right. Uniform numbers are also listed on the backs, and the cards are not otherwise numbered.

The '97 White Sox fielded a respectable team under skipper Terry Bevington, managing to basically break even with 80 wins versus 81 losses. Pitching seemed to be a problem, with Chicago's top three workhorse pitchers (Navarro, Baldwin and Drabek) each having an ERA above 5.00. Baldwin and Drabek tied for the team lead in wins, with just 12 each. Reliever Roberto Hernandez notched a respectable 27 saves and five wins, with an ERA of 2.44.

Hall of Fame first baseman Frank Thomas is the star of the set, and smacked 35 homers and 125 RBIs that season. Newly-acquired slugger Albert Belle hit 30 home runs with 116 RBIs (and 105 strikeouts), and fan-favorite Harold Baines hit a respectable .305 in 93 games before shipping off to Baltimore. Other notable names include shortstop and future manager Ozzie Guillen, third baseman Robin Ventura and veteran catcher Tony Pena, who was finishing an 18-year career in the Majors. The closest thing to a "prospect" card in the set features 33 year-old pitcher Carlos Castillo, who went on to log just 210.2 innings in four MLB seasons.

This type of SGA set often includes subjects not found in regularly issued card sets. In this case, manager Terry Bevington gets his own card and both trainers share one. All seven coaches also share a card, and their names are only revealed through the answering of several trivia questions found on the back.

Once again, we can chalk up this set within the category of obscure SGAs, with no presence whatsoever on the collecting radar. I'm not sure how many sets were printed, but they don't show up on eBay in large numbers. I'd estimate the value of a set to be in the $5 to $8 range due to the lack of demand and no prospects who went on to have notable careers. Anyone looking to add a set to their collection should be able to find one at a decent price with a little patience.

(2) Nellie Fox

(3) Harold Baines

(5) Ray Durham

(7) Norberto Martin

(8) Albert Belle

(10) Darren Lewis

(12) Jorge Fabregas

(13) Ozzie Guillen

(14) Dave Martinez

(15) Doug Drabek

(18) Terry Bevington

(20) Ron Karkovice

(23) Robin Ventura

(24) Mike Cameron

(26) Chuck McElroy 

(27) Chris Snopek

(28) Lyle Mouton

(29) Tony Pena

(35) Frank Thomas

(37) James Baldwin

(38) Jaime Navarro

(39) Roberto Hernandez

(40) Wilson Alvarez

(41) Bill Simas

(43) Carlos Castillo

(44) Danny Darwin

(47) Matt Karchner

(49) Tony Castillo

(NNO) Trainers (Herm Schneider, Mark Anderson)

(NNO) Coaches (Mark Salas, Bill Buckner, Art Kusnyer, Ron Jackson, Doug Rader, Joe Nossek, Mike Pazik)

2007 Upper Deck Oakland Athletics SGA Set

Many collectors are unaware of Upper Deck's quiet venture into the stadium giveaway card business in the 2000s. We have already profiled two of these, the 2001 Washington Redskins set and the 2004 San Diego Padres set. Because of the local nature of these issues, and the fact they were not packaged for retail sale, stadium giveaway sets have always - and will continue to - fly under the collector radar.

The Oakland Athletics commissioned such a set during the 2007 MLB season (I have not been able to determine the date of the giveaway). Consisting of 25 cards, the set came in a clear plastic wrap. The design of the cards is very similar to Upper Deck's regular 2007 Baseball issue, with one difference being a small "The Mercury News" logo found at the bottom of each card front. Cards are numbered on the backs, but match the player's uniform number. Finally, these giveaway cards are foil-free, whereas the regular cards feature silver foil stamping on card fronts for both the player names and the Upper Deck logo.

Oddball geeks love this type of hybrid set. At first glance, the cards can be easily mistaken for the regular '07s... But additional research reveals a major difference, much more significant than different card numbers, a lack of foil or a Mercury News logo; we're talking about five cards that were not found in the regular set at all. Manager Bob Geren, pitcher Lenny DiNardo, pitcher Santiago Casilla, designated hitter Jack Cust and catcher Kurt Suzuki are unique to the stadium giveaway.

Pitcher Jay Marshall did not have a regular Upper Deck card that year card per se, but was included in the "Rookie Exchange" set that was obtained with a redemption card; these 20 cards were inexplicably numbered as part of the regular set. Regardless, the photo used on Marshall's SGA card is different than the one found in the Rookie Exchange set.

I am indeed one of those oddball geeks who like finding cards that feature new photos and additional players. I also like cards that feature players who spent just a short amount of time with a club; in this case, Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza is captured at the end of his career and during his single season with Oakland. Outfielder Shannon Stewart is also featured during his lone year with the club, before moving on to Canada to finish out his MLB career in 2008 with the Blue Jays.

Though the set is everything the oddball collector looks for, it's not an expensive one. The current value is in the $5 to $8 range, possibly because most collectors don't know they want one. 

Click here to find Stadium Giveaway Sets on eBay

3. Eric Chavez

6. Travis Buck

7. Bobby Crosby

14. Mark Ellis

15. Dan Haren

19. Marco Scutaro

20. Huston Street

21. Mark Kotsay

24. Shannon Stewart

25. Estaban Loaiza

28. Kurt Suzuki

29. Dan Johnson

31. Mike Piazza

32. Jack Cust

33. Nick Swisher

37. Joe Kennedy

40. Rich Harden

41. Alan Embree

44. Santiago Casilla

52. Jay Marshall

53. Bob Geren

55. Joe Blanton

56. Lenny DiNardo

57. Chad Gaudin

58. Justin Duchscherer

2004 Upper Deck San Diego Padres SGA Set

Oddball card sets given out at stadiums (commonly referred to as "SGA sets") usually go unnoticed by most collectors. An exception is when an SGA set contains a hot rookie or prospect, like the 2011 DAV Cedar Rapids Kernels set which features a young Mike Trout. Unfortunately, such an exception is not the case with the 2004 Upper Deck San Diego Padres SGA set.

Don't get me wrong; the '04 Padres were actually a solid team, finishing the season with 87 wins versus 75 losses. Skipper Bruce Bochy worked his usual managerial magic, maximizing the performance of a roster that was filled with solid but unheralded players. Though the club played hard and provided fans with entertaining baseball, at season's end their 87 wins would only place them third in the NL West... four games behind the Giants, and six games behind the Dodgers.

In addition to quality on-field baseball, Padres fans were also treated to further festivities with the opening of the new PETCO Park in 2004. A whopping 39 special promotions were undertaken at PETCO that season - representing almost half of the home games played. T-shirts, ball caps, rally towels, picture frames, and even actual player-worn jerseys (after the final home game of the season) were given to appreciative fans. One of the more popular promotions was held on September 26, when specially-designed sets of Upper Deck Padres cards were given to kids.

Featuring 33 cards, sets were distributed sealed in clear plastic bags. Both the card design and player photos within this SGA were different than the regular baseball set issued by Upper Deck that season. Twenty-six players are found in the set, along with six coaches and a team mascot card. Fronts showcase large color photos with a vertical blue border along the left side. The Upper Deck Company logo is found at the top left, while the Padres logo and subject's name are located across the bottom. Backs have a career stats line for active players, and short bios are found on all cards. All cards are numbered.

Padre favorites of the day include pitcher Jake Peavy, who led the league with a 2.27 ERA that season, first baseman Phil Nevin, who led the club with 26 home runs and 105 RBI, and future Hall of Fame reliever Trevor Hoffman, who notched 41 of his 601 career saves in 2004.

Several veterans near the ends of their careers played for the Friars that year. Pitchers Rod Beck and Sterling Hitchcock retired after season's end. Pitcher David Wells was completing his 17th MLB season, while first baseman Dave Hansen was finishing his thirteenth and outfielder Ryan Klesko his twelfth. Young up-and-comers included pitcher Akinori Otsuka and shortsop Khalil Greene, both of whom could never duplicate the success of their 2004 rookie seasons. Greene finished second in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting that season, while Otsuka finished third (Pirates outfielder Jason Bay, who the Padres traded away the year before to get veteran outfielder Brian Giles, won the award).

SGA sets of this nature tend to disappear over time, as many are thrown away or tossed into the proverbial junk drawer. I wouldn't call this a scarce set, but I will say that they can't be found in any large quantities these days. I'd estimate the value of an unopened set to be in the $5 to $8 range, mostly because of the lack of superstar players and demand in general. Consider this set a must-have for hardcore Padres collectors.

Random Fact: The "Swinging Friar" has been the team mascot since the late 1950s, while the Padres were still a minor league club. The San Diego Chicken makes occasional appearances at local events, but has never been the official mascot of a team.

Click here to hunt for Padres Stadium Sets on eBay

1.Rod Beck, P

2. Adam Eaton, P

3. Trevor Hoffman, P

4. Brian Lawrence, P

5. Scott Linebrink, P

6. Blaine Neal, P

7. Akinori Otsuka, P

8. Jake Peavy, P

9. Ricky Stone, P

10. David Wells, P

11. Jay Witasick, P

12. Ramon Hernandez, C

13. Miguel Ojeda, C

14. Rich Aurilia, SS

15. Sean Burroughs, 3B

16. Brian Buchanan, OF

17. Khalil Greene, SS

18. Dave Hansen, 1B

19. Mark Loretta, 2B

20. Phil Nevin 1B

21. Brian Giles, OF

22. Ryan Klesko, OF

23. Terrence Long, OF

24. Xavier Nady, OF

25. Jay Payton, OF

26. Sterling Hitchcock, P

27. Bruce Bochy, MGR

28. Rob Picciolo, CO

29. Swinging Friar, Mascot

30. Davey Lopes, CO

31. Dave Magadan, CO

32. Tony Muser, CO

33. Darren Balsley, CO

2008 Arizona Diamondbacks SGA Postcard Set

Postcards and baseball go way back. Waaa-aayyy back. A set of "Rotograph" postcards were released circa 1905, and featured at least eight New York baseballers including John McGraw and Clark Griffith (a decent example of these might cost you well over $1,000 each). Other postcard releases may even be older that this.

Fast-forward some 103 years later, to 2008, and a nifty set of eleven postcards were released featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wait... There's a Major League Baseball team in Arizona? Does Clark Griffith know about this? He should, because a downright nasty Hall of Fame pitcher named Randy Johnson is in this set. 

This set of postcards consists of ten individual player cards and a team photo/schedule card. These are large-sized postcards, measuring a hefty 7 x 5 inches. The players are featured in beautiful, color action shots that are borderless and cover the entire fronts of the cards. Backs feature the all-business postcard look, assuming that one would actually consider jotting down someone's physical address and slapping on a stamp. Each player's name and position is found on the back in small font, but the cards are not numbered. The team photo card pictures the 2008 Arizona squad, but the reverse features the 2009 season schedule... This makes sense as the postcards were distributed at the September 27 home game, the next-to-last contest of the 2008 season.

I'm not sure how many sets were printed, but as is usually the case with SGA (stadium giveaway) cards, loads of sets are handed out to non-collectors and most are never seen again -- some probably didn't even survive the seventh inning stretch, thanks to hot dogs, mustard and flying cups of draft beer. Regarding their value, these gems were released long after the card market imploded and might be of interest to maybe a handful of collectors. Putting these in the $5 to $8 price range is probably on the mark.

Click here to find Diamondbacks Postcards on eBay

 

 (1) Arizona Diamonbacks 2008 Team Photo/2009 Schedule

(2) Eric Byrnes, Outfielder

(3) Stephen Drew, Infielder

(4) Dan Haren, Pitcher

(5) Orlando Hudson, Infielder

(6) Connor Jackson, Outfielder

(7) Randy Johnson, Pitcher

(8) Chris Snyder, Catcher

(9) Justin Upton, Outfielder

(10) Brandon Webb, Pitcher

(11) Chris Young, Outfielder

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

1992 Marathon Chicago Cubs

Some oddball sets are cooler than others. They just are. In this case, we'd say the 1992 Marathon Chicago Cubs set is the coolest of the cool.

Marathon Oil sponsored a Cubs set for five consecutive years, from 1989 through 1993. The 1992 issue features 28 cards and was given away at the July 10 game against the Atlanta Braves (John Smoltz pitched a complete-game shutout, out-dueling future teammate Greg Maddux in the process).

The large card size (4 1/2 by 2 7/8 inches) may be a turn-off for some collectors, but the design and large action photos across the fronts seem to work just fine in my opinion. Backs feature full minor league and major league statistics, as well as the player's birth date, height, weight and uniform number. The Cubs and

Marathon logos are found across the bottoms (An American Company Serving America!) The cards are not numbered.

Even casual baseball fans will be impressed by the many names found within this beaut of a set. Hall of Fame players Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux and Ryne Sandberg lead the list of superstars, while retired Hall of Famer Billy Williams makes an appearance on the coaches card. Joe Girardi, Shawon Dunston, Dwight Smith, Jerome Walton, Sammy Sosa and Mark Grace helped to fill a lineup that was truly impressive on paper, but in the end the club would finish with a paltry 78 wins versus 84 losses. The Braves were the biggest "thorn in the side" of the Cubs in 1992, with the Cubs winning just two of the twelve contests played against Atlanta that year.

We'd estimate the value of the set in the $5 to $8 range. Whatever you pay, consider it money well-spent... The "cool factor" of your collection will have just gone up substantially.

Click here to find Cubs SGA Sets on eBay

(1) Doug Strange, IF

(5) Jim Lefebvre, MGR

(6) Rey Sanchez, IF

(7) Joe Girardi, C

(8) Andre Dawson, OF

(10) Luis Salazar, IF

(12) Shawon Dunston, IF

(16) Jose Vizcaino, IF

(17) Mark Grace, IF

(18) Dwight Smith, OF

(19) Hector Villanueva, C

(20) Jerome Walton, OF

(21) Sammy Sosa, OF

(23) Ryne Sandberg, IF

(27) Derrick May, OF

(29) Doug Dascenzo, OF

(30) Bob Scanlan, P

(31) Greg Maddux, P

(32) Danny Jackson, P

(34) Ken Patterson, P

(35) Chuck McElroy, P

(36) Mike Morgan, P

(38) Jeff Robinson, P

(42) Dave Smith, P

(45) Paul Assenmacher, P

(47) Shawn Boskie, P

(49) Frank Castillo, P

Coaches Card

(41) Tom Trebelhorn, Bench Coach

(5) Chuck Cottier, Third Base Coach

(3) Jose Martinez, First Base Coach

(4) Billy Connors, Pitching Coordinator

(46) Sammy Ellis, Bullpen Coach

(26) Billy Williams, Hitting Instructor

1989 Cleveland Indians Team Issue

 

The Indians issued a 28-card team set during the 1989 season. A bit larger than the standard card size, these measure approx. 2 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches. Fronts feature color photos, with the player's uniform number, name and position across the bottom. A large "Tribe" logo is found at the top left of each card. Backs have the Cleveland Indians name printed in red, with the player's minor/major league statistics and facsimile autograph printed in blue. The cards are not numbered. We are guessing that the cards were given away at a home game sometime during the 1989 season.

The most interesting thing (in my opinion) about the set is the large number of players playing their first year with the Indians. After a mediocre 1988 season where the club won 78 games and lost 84, a major overhaul was undertaken to make the '89 team more competitive. The new roster was unsuccessful, however, as the Indians took a step backwards and finished the 1989 season with just 73 wins versus 89 losses. 

The "big five" card companies would not picture these new players with Cleveland until the release of their update sets later in the year (if at all). We counted a whopping ten players in this team-issued set that were playing their first season with the Tribe.

This obscure issue isn't for everyone. There are no superstars to be found, with outfielder Joe Carter being the biggest star in the bunch, and the larger card size isn't a plus for some collectors. On the positive side, most of the photos are quite nice and the look of the set is simple and appealing. Sets of this nature tend to include at least a couple of obscure players, and this is no exception. Serious collectors will be happy to add a card of unknown infielder Pat Keedy, who played just nine games with the Indians in 1989. Young pitcher Joe Skalski tossed just 6.2 innings in 1989, enduring two losses in the process, and never pitched in the Majors again.

A bit of searching will uncover a set, which usually sells in the $4 to $6 range.

Click here to find Indians Team Issues on eBay

(6) Andy Allanson, C

(9) Pete O'Brien, 1B (from the Rangers)

(11) Doug Jones, RHP 

(13) Joel Skinner, C (from the Yankees)

(14) Jerry Browne, 2B (from the Rangers)

(16) Felix Fermin, SS (from the Pirates)

(20) Oddibe McDowell, OF (from the Rangers)

(21) Greg Swindell, LHP 

(22) Brad Havens, LHP

(23) Luis Aguayo, IF (from the Yankees)

(25) Dave Clark, OF

(26) Brook Jacoby, 3B

(27) Joe Skalski, RHP

(28) Cory Snyder, OF

(29) Luis Medina, OF

(30) Joe Carter, OF

(32) Doc Edwards, MGR

(33) Pat Keedy, IF (from the Astros)

(38) Keith Atherton, RHP (from the Twins)

(40) Bud Black, LHP 

(42) Rich Yett, RHP 

(43) Scott Bailes, LHP

(45) Brad Komminsk, OF (from the Brewers)

(47) Jesse Orosco, LHP (from the Dodgers)

(49) Tom Candiotti, RHP

(52) John Farrell, RHP

(54) Rod Nichols, RHP 

1989 Tribe Coaches