1996 Bolton-Teague Celebrity Softball Challenge Set

With his distinctive, heartfelt style of crooning, singer Michael Bolton has attracted more than his share of music fans over the years. I'm not one of them (I will admit, however, that the TV and radio commercials he's done these past couple of years are pretty funny). 

At the peak of his popularity in the 1990s, Bolton was also playing more than his share of celebrity softball. For example, one surreal game in 1993 pitted Bolton and his band mates against the Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Evander Holyfield, Tom Selleck and M.C. Hammer (Bolton and his crew won the game, in true softball-shark fashion). These games were held under "The Michael Bolton Charities" banner, an organization that was formed in 1993 to benefit at-risk children and women.

Some time ago, my daily search for the oddball and unusual uncovered an interesting set of cards that was released back in 1996 -- The Bolton-Teague Celebrity Softball Challenge set. Further research would show that the two teams tussled yearly from 1994 through 1998, and additional Bolton-Teague card sets were also released in 1997 and 1998.

The 1996 set featured here contains 34 glossy, borderless photo cards that are of the highest quality (except, perhaps, for some of the photography), and they measure the standard card size of 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. Player names are stamped in gold foil along the front card bottoms, and the cards are not numbered. The game was played on July 13, 1996. I'm unsure of when and how the cards were issued, but the back of one card notes that the game was filmed by The Disney Channel, and highlights were shown during the airing of Bolton's "Coming Home" concert.

Michael Bolton is found on three cards, including one that he shares with rival captain George Teague of the Green Bay Packers. It's actually Teague's team that is of interest to most collectors, as it was packed with sports stars of the past and present. Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount, Football Hall of Famer Reggie White and U.S. gold medalist speed skater Dan Jansen each have cards in the set. Other Green Bay Packers include Robert Brooks, Mike Prior, Gilbert Brown and Mark Chmura. Former Brewer Charlie Moore makes an appearance in the set, though he was unable to play because of a prior injury.

Other Milwaukee-area celebrities represented in the set include Bill Jartz, news anchor for WBAY-TV and current announcer at Lambeau Field; Tom Mulhern, a longtime Wisconsin State Journal sports reporter; and Murphy in the Morning of WIXX 101 Radio. Bruce Meade, arguably the greatest softballer ever to play the sport, is also represented on Teague's team.

I wasn't kidding when I referred to Bolton and his players as a team of sharks... They went on to trounce Teague and crew by a score of 38-18. Three years before this contest was played, Bolton and his teammates filmed a bizarre video titled "Michael Bolton's Winning Softball." The entire 52 minutes of singin' and swingin', in all it's douche-chilling glory, can be found right on YouTube. I personally challenge anyone reading this to make it halfway through the video.

This is easily one of the rarest sets I've mentioned since starting the blog three years ago. I'd put these cards in the same ballpark as the 1985 Chicago Renaissance Society White Sox Set, both in terms of scarcity and the fact that the cards weren't really marketed towards collectors at the time of their release. Unopened sets are all but impossible to find today. My educated guess would put the value of a complete set in the $50 range, but a keen collector can probably add one to the archives for less with a bit of patience.

Random Fact: The '96 Bolton-Teague matchup raised about $30,000 for charity.

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(1) The Michael Bolton Foundation Logo Card

 (2) The Rebecca Fund Logo Card

(3) Michael Bolton, Rebecca Slye, George Teague

(4) Check Presentation Card

(5) George Teague

(6) Robert Brooks

(7) Gilbert Brown

(8) Mark Chmura

(9) Dan Jansen

(10) Bill Jartz

(11) Bruce Meade

(12) Charlie Moore

(13) Tom Mulhern

(14) Murphy in the Morning

(15) Mike Prior

(16) Jimmy Slye

(17) Quinn Teague

(18) Reggie White

(19) Robin Yount

(20) Michael Bolton

(21) Michael Bolton

(22) Mike Bolen

(23) Mugs Cain

(24) Johnny Dodd

(25) Bucky Ford

(26) Phil Higgins

(27) Jerry Mele

(28) Louis Levin

(29) Bobby Olah

(30) Donnie Slye

(31) Rebecca Slye

(32) Kim Turner

(33) Richie Vaughn

(34) Gary Whitefield

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.

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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

1988 World Wide Sports 1933 National League All Stars Set

Legendary sports photographer Charles M. Conlon (1868-1945) snapped thousands of Major League Baseball photos during the first half of the Twentieth Century. Taking quality photos during this time was certainly no small feat, especially before the creation of the first practical reflex cameras in the closing months of the 1920s.

To this day, Conlon continues to be one of the most famous baseball photographers of all time. Many of his photographs have been used to create new card sets depicting classic players; over a dozen sets featuring Conlon's photos were produced between 1981 and 1995. 

One such set, produced in 1988, is the 1933 National League All-Stars (sets featuring the 1933 American League and Negro League All-Stars were released at the same time; Conlon did not take the Negro League photos). Registering the standard card size of 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, the uncluttered fronts feature sepia-toned photos and a small "1933 National All-Stars" banner in the upper right corner. Twenty-four subjects are featured in the National League set, with the majority of the photos being closer portraits from the chest-up. Three players are shown in baseball poses: Dizzy Dean, John Frederick and Frankie Frisch. 

Cards backs feature fairly length bios, a 1933 stat line and birth/death dates. The listed sponsors of the set are The Sporting News, Baseball Superstars Inc. and World Wide Sports of St. Louis. The cards are not numbered.

Classic cards of this nature are not for everyone. Released well before the retro craze of the 2000s, these types of sets received cool receptions from most collectors, who still prefer to concentrate on the hot prospects and superstars of today.  One would assume that no set is loved by everyone, but this kind of release has always attracted a small but loyal following. As mentioned above, baseball sets featuring Conlon photos would continue to be produced through 1995. Most of them are inexpensive to purchase today, with the '33 N.L. A.S. set being valued in the $10 range.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the Conlon sets can follow this link to Alan's excellent blog, The Conlon Baseball Card Collector.

Random Fact: Four players featured in the set were still alive when the cards were released. Wally Berger and Carl Hubbell both died in November of 1988, right around the time this set was retailing in the market. Bill Terry passed away in January of 1989, and Hal Schumacher passed in April of 1993 at the age of 82.

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(1) Wally Berger, Boston Braves

(2) Guy Bush, Chicago Cubs

(3) Ripper Collins, St. Louis Cardinals

(4) Spud Davis,  Philadelphia Phillies

(5) Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals

(6) Johnny Frederick, Brooklyn Dodgers

(7) Larry French, Pittsburgh Pirates

(8)  Frankie Frisch, St. Louis Cardinals

(9) Chick Fullis, Philadelphia Phillies

(10) Chick Hafey, Cincinnati Reds

(11) Carl Hubbell, New York Giants

(12) Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies

(13) Fred Lindstrom, Pittsburgh Pirates

(14) Pepper Martin, St. Louis Cardinals

(15) Joe Medwick, St. Louis Cardinals

(16) Anthony Piet, Pittsburgh Pirates

(17) Wes Schulmerich, Philadelphia Phillies

(18) Hal Schumacher, New York Giants

(19) Riggs Stephenson, Chicago Cubs

(20) Bill Terry, New York Giants

(21) Pie Traynor, Pittsburgh Pirates

(22) Arky Vaughn, Pittsburgh Pirates

(23) Paul Waner, Pittsburgh Pirates

(24) Lonnie Warneke, Chicago Cubs

1992-93 Charlotte Hornets Burger King Standups Set

Twelve Charlotte Hornets players were the subjects of a unique "standups" promotion issued during the 1992-93 NBA season. 

To summarize, four different envelopes were released by Charlotte-area Burger King restaurants during the course of the promotion. Each envelope contained three player standup cards that were denoted on the envelope fronts. The four set sponsors were also listed on the envelope fronts (Burger King, WJZY 46, Coca-Cola and the Hornets). 

Each standup was printed on medium-weight cardstock and perforated around the general shape of the player it pictured. The half-oval "stand" for each player is also perforated on one of the sides. As you've probably guessed by now, the idea was to display the players on a flat surface by removing the excess card backgrounds along their perforations, then using the stand piece to keep these upright. 

The promotion was released at a good time, as Charlotte was excited about the potential of their hometown ballers in 1992. Rookie center Alonzo Mourning was drafted by the Hornets, being picked second overall after some dude nicknamed Shaq who went to Orlando. Adding Mourning to a roster that already included Larry Johnson (who had been drafted 1st overall the year before) and Muggsy Bogues (an overachiever who had been a Charlotte fan-favorite since the club first played in 1988) caused fans to pour into the Charlotte Coliseum. Kendall Gill and Dell Curry rounded out the five players that played the most minutes that year for Charlotte, and by season's end the Hornets found themselves in the playoffs for the first time in their five year history. Though the Hornets beat a surprised Celtics team in the Eastern Conference First Round, the Knicks would prove to be too much to handle in the Eastern Conference Finals, where Charlotte was downed four games to one.

All five players mentioned above are included in the standups set, with the rookie-year Mourning being the most valuable by far. This type of perforated card had been released before in past years and in other places, typically for promotions just as obscure as this one. Due to these being a regional oddball offering, and with cards a size much larger than the standard issue (these standups measure a whopping 4 inches across by 8 7/8 inches tall), the set was pretty much destined to be off the radar of most basketball collectors from the beginning.

While I don't believe these cards to be truly scarce, they do seem to have gone into hiding; one doesn't find these all too often on the internet auction sites. When looking for a set, it would be advisable to find the cards still in their original envelopes and the perforations need to be fully intact to maintain their value. I believe a complete set with envelopes should be valued in the $20 range today, and this oddball gem provides an interesting alternative to the millions of mainstream cards that were produced during the peak of the basketball junk wax era. 

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Envelope 1

Alonzo Mourning

Dell Curry

Tony Bennett

Envelope 2

Muggsy Bogues

 Johnny Newman

Mike Gminski

Envelope 3

 Kendall Gill

Kenny Gattison

David Wingate

Envelope 4

Larry Johnson

Sidney Green

Kevin Lynch

1983 Minnesota Vikings Police Set

The Minnesota Vikings, in conjunction with several local Twin Cities area law enforcement agencies, released their first "police" card set during the 1983 NFL season. 

Consisting of 17 cards total, the set follows the general format used by other NFL police sets since 1979; e.g., large color action photos on the fronts and a taller card size than the standard national issues. These police cards measure approx. 4 1/8 inches tall by 2 5/8 inches wide, and were printed on soft white cardstock. 

The cards were distributed throughout the '83 football season by local Minnesota police officers and sheriff's deputies. According to the card backs, the set was sponsored by the state Neighborhood Watch (M.C.P.O.A.), Pillsbury and Burger King. Their respective logos are found on the backs, along with player biographies and a crime prevention tip. Each card is also numbered on the back.

Let's compare this police set to the Topps football set released during the same season. In their 1983 football release, which contains a total of 396 cards, The Topps Company featured just 12 Vikings cards within the set. To make matters worse, each of these cards featured the typical 1980s Topps "bench shot" photos that were unappealing to young collectors. An action packed Vikings police set was just what the doctor ordered, and several notable names emerged as an added bonus. Hall of Fame head coach Bud Grant, who had never been featured on a mainstream card, makes an overdue appearance at the end of his career with the club (he would coach the Vikings one final season in 1985). Guard Jim Hough played nine seasons with Minnesota and was never featured on a Topps card.

Topps really dropped the ball with two other Vikings legends. Defensive back Joey Browner was drafted by Minnesota in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, and went on to play in six Pro Bowls; in addition, he was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. While he appears in the '83 Vikings police set (in an early training camp photo), Topps would not issue Browner's true rookie card until the release of their 1986 set. Perhaps even worse was Topps' treatment of linebacker Scott Studwell, who was drafted by the Vikings back in 1977 and became a starter in 1980. Incredibly, Studwell would not be given a Topps rookie card until 1988, his twelfth season in the league! His '83 police card pays him his due respect by showing him in action against Eagles lineman Petey Perot, and even mentions his winning the NFL arm wrestling championship on the back of the card. Both Browner and Studwell are members of the Vikings Ring of Honor, as well as the 50 Greatest Vikings team chosen in 2010.

The club continued to release yearly police sets into the new millennium, though the old method of police officers giving away a couple of cards at a time eventually fell by the wayside. The inaugural 1983 set isn't too awfully hard to find and has a current value in the $7 to $10 range.

For a comparison, here's a peek at how the Dallas Cowboys police card set looked in 1983.

Random Fact: The last card of every Vikings police set released from 1983 through 1989 features an "All Time Great" player. Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton occupies the slot in the 1983 issue, and at the time held the NFL all-time records for attempts, completions, career passing yards and touchdown throws.

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1. Minnesota Vikings Art Card/Checklist

2. Tommy Kramer, QB

3. Ted Brown, RB

4. Joe Senser, TE

5. Sammy White, WR

6. Doug Martin, DE

7. Matt Blair, LB

8. Bud Grant, Head Coach

9. Scott Studwell, LB

10. Greg Coleman, P

11. John Turner, CB

12. Jim Hough, G

13. Joey Browner, DB

14. Dennis Swilley, C

15. Darrin Nelson, RB

16. Mark Mullaney, DE

17. Fran Tarkenton, QB (All Time Great)