By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

The Rally Squirrel has a rookie card.

As seen in the pages of the latest issue of Beckett Baseball arriving on Wednesday — the same day as 2012 Topps baseball — the beloved rabble-rousing rodent who became an icon for the St. Louis Cardinals‘ run to a World Series title now can be found in packs of cards.

It’s one of a few surprise short-printed variation cards to be found in the product — so it’s not really a Rookie Card — but it should be one that commands attention from collectors.  (It’s also an idea that we floated about last October — click here to read that story — when some members of the baseball world were going nutty. Maybe we weren’t alone.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, who is this Rally Squirrel guy? Well, during the bottom of the fifth of the Cardinals’ win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS, he darted across the Busch Stadium field just as Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt delivered a ball to Skip Schumaker — not the rodent’s first appearance in the postseason, but one that got plenty of attention.

It became, for whatever reason, a rallying moment for the eventual champs with t-shirts, Twitter accounts and more on the Internet noting the trivial moment in history — something forever linked to the Cards’ title.

Now, it’s forever immortalized on cardboard.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Andrew Tolentino | Hockey Editor | Commentary

Panini America’s hockey cards just got an instant makeover. Courtesy of Gordie Howe.

For the Texas-based card maker, now in its second year  with an NHL license, this is a real game changer — maybe even game-changier  than video cards.  Since the company started producing hockey cards, one of the biggest  questions among collectors has been something along the lines of, “Okay, the young stars are great, but where are all the autographs and memorabilia from legendary, like Gordie Howe legendary players?”

As of today, that question has been answered.

Panini had previously announced that Mr. Hockey himself is slated to appear at the company’s booth in Ottawa for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend festivities. Pretty cool, if you happen to be in Ottawa with tickets to the event, but the follow-up is important to the whole hobby world.

Panini America CEO Mark Warsop summed it up. “All of our hockey products will benefit greatly from his presence and we can’t wait to share Howe’s legacy and his greatness with fans and collectors across North America.”

To say that the company will benefit from its new, multi-year trading card contract with Howe is almost an understatement. One consistent criticism of its otherwise outstanding Dominion product involved the lack of legends. In comparison to Upper Deck’s The Cup, Dominion was aesthetically there,  but lacking something (or somebody) on the checklist. Now with Howe, the 2011-12 Dominion line — among other Panini brands — is bound  to see a spike in popularity.

This year, the legend is also set to appear in In The Game‘s product lineup, but how does Howe feel about joining the Panini America family?

“I am truly honored to be a part of the Panini America family and I can’t wait to see all of the exciting things they have planned for my trading cards,” Howe said in a company press release. ” Panini America is a pioneering company when it comes to innovation — from their HRX Video Trading Cards to their real 14-karat gold cards. They will no doubt show me a new light and I can’t wait to see it.”

Considering, oh, I don’t know, his four Stanley Cup championships, his six Art Ross Trophies, his six Hart Trophies  AND THE FACT THAT HE IS MR. FREAKING HOCKEY,  collectors will be looking forward to seeing what Panini does with his trading cards as well.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Life down on the farm will be documented on baseball cards once again in 2012.

Topps unveiled its plans for 2012 Pro Debut on Friday, the first if its offerings for the new year under its exclusive deal to produce Minor League Baseball cards.

It will include two autographs and Relics per 24-pack box when it arrives on May 30.

The base set will include 220 cards using the same design as 2012 Topps, each with Gold parallels limited to 50 and printing plates. Also to hunt for will be 50 base card variation cards, which will be short-printed.

The signed offerings in this one will include Pro Debut Autographs — autographs with standard versions as well as Gold parallels numbered to 50, Reds limited to one and printing plates. At least 25 players will be found in this lineup. Also to be found are Side by Side Dual sigs — 10 combos that can also can be found with Gold parallels (/10), Red and printing plate 1/1s.

The game-used lineup will include Material Relics — bat and jersey cards — with Gold parallels limited to 50 and jumbos limited to five. Manufactured Relic cards will include Cap Logos cards, while inserts in the product include MiLB All-Stars. You’ll find eight of those All-Stars cards per box from the 50-card set.

Some of the notable players on the preliminary autograph checklist include Joe Panik, Jake Hager, Matt Lipka, Robbie Grossman and Kyle Waldrop. Duals will include the likes of Cory Spangenberg, Grossman, Jordan Swagerty, Kevin Matthews, Sterling Marte and Matt Adams to name a few.

Lastly, some of the players on Relics include Aaron Hicks, Danny Hultzen, Gerrit Cole, Panik, Jurickson Profar, Matt Harvey, Martin Perez, Michael Choice, Manny Machado, Grant Green and Wil Myers.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

With five days remaining until the arrival of the hobby’s most collected baseball card set, Topps has pulled back the curtain on a set of rather lustrous cards that will be found in packs of 2012 Topps as redemptions.

They are the Solid Golden Greats, 1/1 cards made out of 14-karat gold that have been slabbed in a custom holder by Beckett Grading Services, the grading and card authentication division of Beckett Media.

There are 16 cards — stars from the past and present — to be found in packs of the flagship baseball card line and they can only be found in hobby boxes.

The preliminary checklist:

SGG-HA Hank Aaron
SGG-RC Roberto Clemente
SGG-TC Ty Cobb
SGG-JD Joe DiMaggio
SGG-LG Lou Gehrig
SGG-DJ Derek Jeter
SGG-SK Sandy Koufax
SGG-MM Mickey Mantle
SGG-WM Willie Mays
SGG-AP Albert Pujols
SGG-CR Cal Ripken Jr.
SGG-JR Jackie Robinson
SGG-NR Nolan Ryan
SGG-BR Babe Ruth
SGG-TS Tom Seaver
SGG-ICH Ichiro Suzuki

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Join Beckett Media’s Chris Olds and Bryan Hornbeck as they rip into a pair of 2012 TRISTAR TNA Reflexxions boxes in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

Join Beckett Football’s Dan Hitt and Andrew Tolentino as they rip into a pair of 2011 Topps Supreme boxes in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Topps‘ Prime 9 redemption card program returns once again for 2012 with cards for nine stars from the past and present to be found at participating hobby shops around the country.

Beginning Feb. 13, collectors can take the redemptions that they find in packs of the 2012 Topps flagship set, arriving Wednesday, and exchange them for that week’s card.

The redemptions note which week the card is good for. They can can be found two in every hobby box.

But that’s not all that can be gained out of this one. Collectors can also fill out a form on the backs of the cards for a chance to win a trip to this year’s MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

The nine stars include Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

While the first Topps baseball cards of 2012 are as less than a week away, there’s been another baseball card offering — at retail, no less — that has had message boards and collectors elsewhere a buzzin’ with some big pulls that seem to be consistently busting the odds.

Key word, seem.

These 2011 Topps Value Boxes (above) include five eight-card retail packs of 2011 Topps Update, one hobby pack of 2011 Bowman Chrome, a Diamond Anniversary code card and a bonus card of Bryce Harper for just under $15 at most chain stores, though some have the boxes discounted at 25 percent off to help clear space for 2012 products. The single Chrome packs have seemed to deliver quite well for some — at least three SuperFractors of note and Harper autographs have been reported coming out of the packs among other good cards. One of those Supers? Eric Hosmer.

That got me wondering — and ripping — over the last few weeks. My results?

I’ve landed three Bowman Chrome autographs in my last 10 boxes (10 Bowman Chrome packs total), one of them a Refractor. Odds on pulling a single Chrome autograph? One in 25 packs. A Refractor? One in 88. No Harpers here, but at roughly $10 a box, I’ll take the chance because it seems to be pretty good. (A Chrome hobby box, which includes just one autograph, sells for just under $60 if you do some hunting. You do the math.)

But in the other Value Boxes’ Bowman Chrome packs that did not yield autographs, there was a trend, too. Each of my packs included some sort of insert card.

Every single time.

Some included a Refractor (one in four packs), others included Bowman’s Best inserts (one in eight), some included a diecut Future-Fractor (one in nine). One of my packs took it even further with a diecut Micro-Fractor version of the cards, a one in 2,035 odds-breaker, of Jacob Turner, a card limited to just 25 copies. Then, of course, one included some star power — a card I appreciated as I like its look. One pack of mine yielded a Harper Chrome Throwback card.

Now, the question remains — are these boxes loaded? Guess that depends on your definition — some collectors feel that anything not “the worst” or not theirs is somehow better. Good boxes do happen. But, again, are they loaded? Depends who you ask — or which side of the streakiness that your boxes might hold. You know, good or bad. I also bought a few more here and there before that last 10 … and didn’t get much to show for it. (Not sure if the insert-per-pack line held up, but I think it was close.)

These boxes definitely are streaky — or so it seems to me — and that’s the best way to put it along with the fact that they do seem to be over-delivering. One four-box haul from one chain store delivered two of my autographs back-to-back. A four-box raid of a different chain store? An auto and the Micro-Fractor.

The inserts and volume of cards inside the Topps Update packs themselves are a bit streaky, too. Sometimes you’ll get the same insert cards in the same box and a veteran variation to boot. Other times you’ll get less than you did the last time around. (Example: One four-box haul included 10 total code cards. Another? Just five — with one guaranteed per box.) Then again, that was just my run of boxes.

Keep in mind that collation is not an exact science — it’s an approximation based on an overall production run. It’s also a process that can have mistakes happen along the way. No process is perfect.

Did something happen in this case? It’s fair to speculate based on Internet chatter and results, though one should consider that great boxes tend to get talked about more than duds — we love to tout our victories and forget our failures as collectors.

My answer would be, well, it seems that way — at least for me.

Why does it matter? Big-picture, it might not, but it’s fun to wonder whether some of those still un-seen other big-dollar SuperFractors — cough, Bryce Harper cough — might be hiding inside a Value Box right now since they have not publicly surfaced.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

Legendary hockey star Gordie Howe is making his rounds as of late.

Next up, he will be found at Panini America‘s booth at the NHL All-Star Fan Fair at the Ottawa Convention Center on Friday.

Howe will be interacting with fans at the booth from 3-4:30 p.m., and signing special over-sized Panini cards.

This coincides with a wrapper redemption program the company will be hosting the whole weekend. Read more about that here.

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

Presidents of the United States have romantic, polarizing pasts. We remember some as great men and others have simply been forgotten.

But to rise to President is a great achievement, one that will be recorded and taught to children everywhere. Presidents and those associated with the White House have their own group of collectors, chasing after rare products and coins that depict their images.

Famous Fabrics is releasing a set that should appeal to a broad group of collectors on Presidents, Vice Presidents, First Ladies and respective associates – aptly named 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The product is scheduled to be released mid-February.

Each box bearing the street address of the White House will have six cards: two cut signatures, one will be a Presidential Cut (single or dual), and four limited base cards. The second cut autograph will be from one of the following subsets: Cabinet Members, Vice-Presidents, White House Kids, First Lady, White House Visitor and Camelot.

Some of the themes for the Presidential cut cards are Presidential Couples, Running Mates, Presidential Opponents and Forever Linked. The base card subsets include Presidents, Presidential Couples and Presidential Pets. Each base card is numbered to just /10.

Famous Fabrics is keeping the set limited. Just 240 boxes will be produced. But the small amount means collectors will be able to get prime cards in each box.

Cards that should get the most interest are in the Forever Linked subset.

Just think, you could own a card with John F. Kennedy‘s and Marilyn Monroe’s signatures together or Richard Nixon’s and Carl Bernstein’s. Looking for something a little more current, there is the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky cut card lurking in one of the boxes.

There is also a Forever Linked cut card of Ronald Reagan and John Hinckley, the man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan in 1981 and injured Reagan along with three others.

The Presidential cuts include some of the most well-known Presidents, the ones we always did our book reports on in school: John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and others.

Of the Presidential couples Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, William and Helen Taft, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, John and Jacqueline Kennedy and Rutherford and Lucy Hayes can be found.

And the Presidential opponents offers some interesting cards with John Kennedy/Richard Nixon, Harry Truman/Thomas Dewey, Ronald Reagan/Walter Mondale, William McKinley/William Jennings Bryan and more.

Here’s the checklist for the base cards.

There is no available checklist for the cut signatures or a suggested retail price yet.

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.