2005 Topps Rookie Cup
What I pulled--
Inserts and Parallels:
Red Parallel - Gary Carter (#134/499), Adam Dunn (#211/499), Alex Gonzalez (#152/499), Javy Lopez (#133/499), Bengie
Molina (#131/499), Al Oliver (#355/499), Darryl Strawberry (#496/499), Brandon Webb (#122/499)
Orange Parallel - Don Baylor (#232/399), Bill Madlock (#330/399), Tony Perez (#365/399), Darryl Strawberry (#62/399), Huston
Street (#5/399), Mark Teixeira (#171/399), Larry Walker (#43/399)
Yellow Parallel - Garrett Atkins (#53/299), Miguel Cairo (#126/299), Adam Dunn (#145/299), Paul Molitor (#162/299), Brandon
Webb (#109/299)
Green Parallel - Jermaine Dye (#167/199), Javy Lopez (#83/199), Joe Torre (#155/199)
Blue Parallel - Scott Podsednik (#17/50)
Chrome Refractor box loader - Cal Ripken Jr. (#6/15)
Autogrpahs:
First Year Autograph - Wade Townsend
Veteran Autograph - Ron Santo
Review:
When I first heard about the concept behind Topps Rookie Cup, I got very excited. And when you think
about how simple it is, you wonder why it wasn't done sooner. Now that it is here, I am not disappointed.
The concept, as I said, is very simple. If you have been named to a Topps All-Rookie Team, you are
eligible for this set. But there is more...It is two sets in one! Yes, that is right - Topps does this set twice in
the same pack.
First is the basic set. With the Rookie Cup set logo as a backdrop in the shape of the Topps All-Rookie
Cup, 150 players of the past and present are pictured in their rookie year uniforms. If that isn't enough, the
same 150 players are also present in reproductions of the cards from the set in which they are named to
the All-Rookie team. There are some classic cards reproduced - 1983 Cal Ripken Jr., for one. And for
those who like to look a couple months into the future, the 2006 set is present (Jonny Gomes and Russ
Adams are among those included).
Fans of parallels will be thrilled with a box of Rookie Cup. Every pack has one. 24 packs, 24 parallels,
which both the bang for the buck and the thrill of the break. The parallels come in many levels (see above
for a breakdown - there are also rare silver and very rare gold parallels), although the red and orange
parallels are very close in color and are tough to tell apart. Of course, that is the only negative you will find
in this review.
Autographs are plentiful, as well, with two coming in each box. There are ten First Year Autographs to go
with a sterling list of veteran/retired player and dual autographs (try Tom Seaver, Cal Ripken and Albert
Pujols on for size as examples of who you might find).
The box topper is the wild card for this box, though. There are Chrome Refractors with varied numbering, 1 of 1 printing plates
and unique Rookie Cup relics that come with an actual Rookie Cup as the relic. The Ripken I was lucky enough to pull
immediately became one of the highlights on my collection.
I knew there was a reason for me to be excited to bust open a box of Rookie Cup. And I'll say it again - I was definitely not
disappointed.......................
A
