1995 Bowman's Best - Rolen and Carpenter

Topps bought Bowman and laid them to rest in 1956. In 1989 Topps released a new Bowman set. These were done somewhat in the style of a tribute to the old Bowmans. They weren't particularly popular, especially since they made them oversized like some of the old Bowmans. But in 1994 they made a set of shiny cards called Bowman's Best. The set was of stars and prospects. The Bowman's Best became the go-to set for premium rookie cards.

The 1995 set contained two future Cardinals legends - Scott Rolen and Chris Carpenter. The scans don't capture the shininess of these cards, so you'll have to use your imagination if you haven't seen the chrome effect before.

Rolen was drafted by and played for the Phillies. He won the Rookie of the Year award and several Gold Gloves. He was traded to the Cardinals in 2002 and became one-third of the infamous MV3 (along with Edmonds and Pujols). a comparable card to the one I posted just sold on ebay for over $100 (to give you an idea of how crazy the card market is right now).

Carpenter came up with the Blue Jays. But after several injuries, the Blue Jays let him go to Free Agency. The Cardinals banked on his talent and signed him (though he was still struggling with injuries). Eventually, he returned and won a Cy Young Award (and finished 2nd and 3rd other seasons) and two World Series rings.