1997 Pinnacle X-Press "Home Plate" box

Description

The 1997 Pinnacle X-Press set was issued in one series totaling 150 cards and is probably best remembered for its unique packaging.

X-Press was available in the standard 24-pack waxbox, but it also came in special home plate-shaped plastic boxes. Each Hobby-exclusive "Home Plate Box" contained one standard eight-card wax pack, an eight-card "master deck" (exclusive to the Home Plate boxes), and one of 20 Bronze Metal Works ingots.

Notable rookies include Jose Cruz, Jr. and Brian Giles.

Distribution

Wax: 24 packs per box, eight cards per pack (MSRP: $1.99)

Home Plate Box: One, eight-card wax pack; one, eight-card "Master Deck;" and one Metal Works ingot. (MSRP: $14.99)

Reviews

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Wax Odds	Master Deck Odds
Base	150	-	?	?
Men of Summer	150	-	1:7	one-per-pack
Swing for the Fences	60	-	1:2	1:2
Far & Away	18	-	1:19	1:5
Melting Pot	20	500	1:288	1:189
Bronze Metal Works	20	-	N/A	one-per-box
Silver Metal Works	20	400	1:470	1:54
Gold Metal Works	20	200	1:950	1:108

Checklist

Base Set

1 Larry Walker
2 Andy Pettitte
3 Matt Williams
4 Juan Gonzalez
5 Frank Thomas
6 Kenny Lofton
7 Ken Griffey, Jr.
8 Andres Galarraga
9 Greg Maddux
10 Hideo Nomo
11 Cecil Fielder
12 Jose Canseco
13 Tony Gwynn
14 Eddie Murray
15 Alex Rodriguez
16 Mike Piazza
17 Ken Hill
18 Chuck Knoblauch
19 Ellis Burks
20 Rafael Palmeiro
21 Vinny Castilla
22 Rusty Greer
23 Chipper Jones
24 Rey Ordonez
25 Mariano Rivera
26 Garret Anderson
27 Edgar Martinez
28 Dante Bichette
29 Todd Hundley
30 Barry Bonds
31 Barry Larkin
32 Derek Jeter
33 Marquis Grissom
34 Dave Justice
35 Ivan Rodriguez
36 Jay Buhner
37 Fred McGriff
38 Brady Anderson
39 Tony Clark
40 Eric Young
41 Charles Nagy
42 Mark McGwire
43 Paul O'Neill
44 Tino Martinez
45 Ryne Sandberg
46 Bernie Williams
47 Albert Belle
48 Jeff Cirillo
49 Tim Salmon
50 Steve Finley
51 Lance Johnson
52 John Smoltz
53 Javy Lopez
54 Roger Clemens
55 Kevin Appier
56 Ken Caminiti
57 Cal Ripken, Jr.
58 Moises Alou
59 Marty Cordova
60 David Cone
61 Manny Ramirez
62 Ray Durham
63 Jermaine Dye
64 Craig Biggio
65 Will Clark
66 Omar Vizquel
67 Bernard Gilkey
68 Greg Vaughn
69 Wade Boggs
70 Dave Nilsson
71 Mark Grace
72 Dean Palmer
73 Sammy Sosa
74 Mike Mussina
75 Alex Fernandez
76 Henry Rodriguez
77 Travis Fryman
78 Jeff Bagwell
79 Pat Hentgen
80 Gary Sheffield
81 Jim Edmonds
82 Darin Erstad
83 Mark Grudzielanek
84 Jim Thome
85 Bob Higginson
86 Al Martin
87 Jason Giambi
88 Mo Vaughn
89 Jeff Conine
90 Edgar Renteria
91 Andy Ashby
92 Ryan Klesko
93 John Jaha
94 Paul Molitor
95 Brian Hunter
96 Randy Johnson
97 Joey Hamilton
98 Billy Wagner
99 John Wetteland
100 Jeff Fassero
101 Rondell White
102 Kevin Brown
103 Andy Benes
104 Raul Mondesi
105 Todd Hollandsworth
106 Alex Ochoa
107 Bobby Bonilla
108 Brian Jordan
109 Tom Glavine
110 Ron Gant
111 Jason Kendall
112 Roberto Alomar
113 Troy Percival
114 Michael Tucker
115 Joe Carter
116 Andruw Jones
117 Nomar Garciaparra
118 Todd Walker
119 Jose Guillen
120 Bubba Trammell RC
121 Wilton Guerrero
122 Bob Abreu
123 Vladimir Guerrero
124 Dmitri Young
125 Kevin Orie
126 Jose Cruz, Jr. RC
127 Brooks Kieschnick
128 Scott Spiezio
129 Brian Giles RC
130 Jason Dickson
131 Damon Mashore
132 Wendell Magee, Jr.
133 Matt Morris
134 Scott Rolen
135 Shannon Stewart
136 Deivi Cruz RC
137 Hideki Irabu RC
138 Larry Walker PP
139 Ken Griffey, Jr. PP
140 Frank Thomas PP
141 Ivan Rodriguez PP
142 Randy Johnson PP
143 Mark McGwire PP
144 Tino Martinez PP
145 Tony Clark PP
146 Mike Piazza PP
147 Alex Rodriguez PP
148 Roger Clemens CL
149 Greg Maddux CL
150 Hideo Nomo CL

Parallels

Men of Summer

Men of Summer is the sole parallel in X-Press. The fronts of each card are printed on foil-board, while the letters "MEN OF SUMMER" are printed on the back.

Inserts

Far & Away

Far & Away is an 18-card set featuring all the usual top long-ball hitting suspects. The cards are printed on etched-foil.

1 Albert Belle
2 Mark McGwire
3 Frank Thomas
4 Mo Vaughn
5 Jeff Bagwell
6 Juan Gonzalez
7 Mike Piazza
8 Andruw Jones
9 Chipper Jones
10 Gary Sheffield
11 Sammy Sosa
12 Darin Erstad
13 Jay Buhner
14 Ken Griffey, Jr.
15 Ken Caminiti
16 Brady Anderson
17 Manny Ramirez
18 Alex Rodriguez

Melting Pot

This 20-card set tracks the players' national origin on foil board with heliogram raised ink printing. Each card is serial-numbered to 500 copies. Samples of each Melting Pot card were sent out to dealers to promote the product. The word "SAMPLE" is printed in large black ink on both the front and the back. In addition, all the cards are serial-numbered "000/500."

1 Jose Guillen
2 Vladimir Guerrero
3 Andruw Jones
4 Larry Walker
5 Manny Ramirez
6 Ken Griffey, Jr.
7 Alex Rodriguez
8 Frank Thomas
9 Juan Gonzalez
10 Ivan Rodriguez
11 Hideo Nomo
12 Rafael Palmeiro
13 Dave Nilsson
14 Nomar Garciaparra
15 Wilton Guerrero
16 Sammy Sosa
17 Edgar Renteria
18 Cal Ripken, Jr.
19 Derek Jeter
20 Rey Ordonez

Metal Works

This 20-"card" set of solid metal ingots were available two ways. 1) Each Home Plate box contained one solid bronze ingot. 2) Redemption cards for silver-plated and gold-plated ingots were randomly inserted into packs and Master Decks. Only 400 Silver and 200 Gold Metal Works ingots were produced and each is serial-numbered.

Although the exchange cards indicate the color of the ingot, there is no mention of which player the bearer would receive. (You basically got whomever Pinnacle Brands sent you.)

1 Jose Guillen
2 Vladimir Guerrero
3 Andruw Jones
4 Larry Walker
5 Manny Ramirez
6 Ken Griffey, Jr.
7 Alex Rodriguez
8 Frank Thomas
9 Juan Gonzalez
10 Ivan Rodriguez
11 Hideo Nomo
12 Rafael Palmeiro
13 Dave Nilsson
14 Nomar Garciaparra
15 Wilton Guerrero
16 Sammy Sosa
17 Edgar Renteria
18 Cal Ripken, Jr.
19 Derek Jeter
20 Rey Ordonez

Swing for the Fences

Swing for the Fences is a game featuring 60 of baseball's top long-distance hitters. The object was to find the 1997 Home Run Champion from either the National or American League and match it with the exact number of home runs hit during the 1997 season by using a combination of Booster Number Point cards and one Base Number Home Run card.

Each eight-card wax pack contained either a Swing for the Fences Player card or a Booster Point card that carried a plus or minus point total that allowed collectors to add or subtract points to get the winning homer total.

The Base Number Home Run Cards were exclusive to Master Deck packs and carried a predetermined number of Home Runs -- anywhere between 20 and 42.

Collectors who turned in the card of either the AL or NL the Home Run King, along with a Base Number Home Run card and enough Booster Points to match the exact number of HRs that player hit in the 1997 season would win a number of prizes.

The first 1000 winners received a special autographed card of Andruw Jones. The next 3000 winners received random 10-card packs of Upgraded Swing For the Fences cards produced on thicker card stock and printed with a special foil prize-winner stamp. Strangely enough, the backs of the Upgraded cards contain the same information (i.e. the guidelines explaining the contest and how to mail in winning cards) as the cards inserted into packs.

All valid entries would then be entered in a drawing for the grand prize: A trip for two to the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver. Five runner-up winners would receive one waxbox of all Pinnacle Trading Cards baseball products released in 1998.

Ken Griffey, Jr. and Larry Walker wound up as the AL and NL Home Run Kings. However, since Mark McGwire (who was traded in mid-season from Oakland to St. Louis) led the Majors in homers, his card was also deemed to be a winner as well.

1 Sandy Alomar, Jr.
2 Moises Alou
3 Brady Anderson
4 Jeff Bagwell
5 Derek Bell
6 Jay Bell
7 Albert Belle
8 Geronimo Berroa
9 Dante Bichette
10 Barry Bonds
11 Bobby Bonilla
12 Jay Buhner
13 Ellis Burks
14 Ken Caminiti
15 Jose Canseco
16 Joe Carter
17 Vinny Castilla
18 Tony Clark
19 Carlos Delgado
20 Jim Edmonds
21 Cecil Fielder
22 Andres Galarraga
23 Ron Gant
24 Bernard Gilkey
25 Juan Gonzalez
26 Ken Griffey, Jr. W
27 Vladimir Guerrero
28 Todd Hundley
29 John Jaha
30 Andruw Jones
31 Chipper Jones
32 Dave Justice
33 Jeff Kent
34 Ryan Klesko
35 Barry Larkin
36 Mike Lieberthal
37 Javy Lopez
38 Edgar Martinez
39 Tino Martinez
40 Fred McGriff
41 Mark McGwire W
42 Raul Mondesi
43 Tim Naehring
44 Dave Nilsson
45 Rafael Palmeiro
46 Dean Palmer
47 Mike Piazza
48 Cal Ripken, Jr.
49 Henry Rodriguez
50 Tim Salmon
51 Gary Sheffield
52 Sammy Sosa
53 Terry Steinbach
54 Frank Thomas
55 Jim Thome
56 Mo Vaughn
57 Larry Walker W
58 Rondell White
59 Matt Williams
60 Todd Zeile