1991 Upper Deck - Jeff Bagwell

1991 was Upper Deck's third year of making cards. They were the rare card company that jumped to the front when they entered the ring. They had a higher price point, which was gutsy for a new company, but it worked in their favor because it amplified the bevy of quality improvements they brought to the hobby. It felt like it was worth it to spend the extra cash. The card stock was high quality, the photography was great, the designs were classy, The backs were clear, colorful, and mostly another photo. And they had the hologram. each card had a hologram on it, and each pack came with a hologram sticker. The holograms were not very good the first few years, but they eventually got the hang of it.

Their 1991 design is not very different from their '89 and '90 designs. You'd think it would start to get old, but it didn't at the time. Green grass color and the brown dirt color always works with baseball cards, it seems, and Upper Deck was the one to figure it out.

Jeff was a very good player for a many years. If he were on another team, or if he looked different, never had a mullet, had a different personality, or not played in the steroid era, he'd likely be more renown than he is. But he did have a mullet, did play for the Astros, did have a two cheeks full of chaw look about him, and did play during the steroid era. Nevertheless, he was an all-time top 100 player that baseball fans had the opportunity to watch ply his craft for 15 seasons.