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Wednesday, October, 25, 2023
Completed insert set – 1999 Topps Record Numbers
After completing the Nolan Ryan Finest set from 1999, I started doing my Master Set post – and realized I’d never done a completed set post for 1999 Topps Record Numbers. Not too surprising; this isn’t the most exciting set.
Well, here it is!
Click to view slideshow.Info about the set:
Set description: This set showcased a record reached by 10 different players in 1998. For example, Mark McGwire hit 70 homers, Sammy Sosa hit 20 homers in a month, Griffey became the youngest player to reach 350 homers, Cal Ripken ended his consecutive games streak at a record 2,632 games. These cards have a striking similarity to the 1995 Topps design, but have a fireworks design in the background.
Set composition: 10 cards, 1:8 odds (1999 Topps series 2)
Hall of Famers: 3. Mike Piazza, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr.
How I put the set together:
- 5 cards from my series 2 hobby box
- 1 card from a card show
- 3 cards from Sportlots
- 1 card from a trade
Thoughts on the set: This set has a lot in common with the Record Breakers subsets from some of the 1970’s and 1980’s Topps sets. Those tended to have some sort of newspaper headline-ish info on the front. These cards don’t really celebrate the accomplishment, they list the top 10 of the record that was set. I like the list, but a little blurb on the accomplishment would be cool. And the set feels superfluous.
Card that completed my set: #RN7 – Kerry Wood
I think. But am not sure. I think this was the last card, which I got via trade from a reader back in 2013.
Best card (my opinion): #RN9 – Cal Ripken
I want to say Wood for this one – I think back then Wood getting 20 strikeouts was such a cool thing. The sky was the limit! I thought about Ripken – but this was for the streak coming to an end (and thus setting the final mark) – not for the 1995 season when he broke the record.
My Favorite Reds card: There are none.
Any other tidbits: Here’s a list of the records:
- 1 – McGwire – HR in a season
- 2 – Piazza – Batting Average by a catcher in a season
- 3 – Schilling – Strikeouts by a NL RHP in a season
- 4 – Griffey – Youngest to reach 350 career HR
- 5 – Sosa – HR in a calendar month
- 6 – Garciaparra – Hitting streak by an AL rookie
- 7 – Wood – Strikeouts in a game, rookie
- 8 – Clemens – Strikeouts in a game
- 9 – Ripken – Consecutive games played
- 10 – McGwire – HR in 3 consecutive seasons
