Insert card

An insert card is a card that is randomly inserted into packs of a sports card offering. These insert cards are not part of the regular numbering system of a set of sports cards and they tend to have a unique design. Another term for insert cards is chase cards. Insert cards either have their own numbering system (although some insert cards may have no number). Insert cards are found less frequently than base cards. Autographed cards, memorabilia cards and parallel cards are also classified as insert cards. Insert cards are randomly inserted into packs at a specific ratio. A 1:24 ratio specifies that on average one of every 24 packs will contain a card from that insert set.

Non-rare to rare cards that are randomly inserted into packs can be inserted in various ratios like 1 per 24 packs. Not only is an Insert Card often different from the main set, but its numbering tends to be different (examples: numbers on the back can be SP1 or SP2). Issuing these cards would not be possible without the approval of both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

These cards were part of Upper Deck’s "Pieces of History" promotion. Upper Deck extended the concept to bats of all of the members of baseball’s 500 Home Run Club. The set included the 19 members of the elite 500 Home Run Club. Each card had a piece of game used bat on the card and although not serial numbered, each was limited to a print run of 350. This was the true first Game Used Bat set to be created as Upper Deck had already experimented with game used jersey material cards two years earlier in 1997.

There were autographed versions of a few key players. By far the hardest card to find was the Babe Ruth Card. There were two separate Babe Ruth issues, the Piece of History card (Run of 350) and the Piece of History 500 (print run of only 50). These cards were scattered across various Upper Deck 1999 brands and into some year 2000 products. Upper Deck also issued cards of other members that have joined the club over the years. These have included cards of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., Rafael Palmiero, Frank Thomas and Jim Thome.

The Yankee Stadium Legacy set is a 6,500-card compilation chronicling every single game ever played at Yankee Stadium. The card set was manufactured by Upper Deck and made its official debut by being inserted in random packs of Upper Deck's 2008 Series 1 Baseball.

Other cards in the set commemorate some of the most famous sporting events that have taken place at Yankee Stadium. Some of these events include: Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Alive" Speech (July 4, 1939); Babe Ruth's "Final Visit to Yankee Stadium" (June 11, 1948); Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling heavyweight title bout (June 19, 1936, Schmeling won), the 1958 NFL Championship between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts and Muhammad Ali's title defense against Ken Norton (Sept. 28, 1976).

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