1998 Pinnacle Performers Baseball features a 150-card base set. The design prominently featured team colors, which is something I definitely appreciate. Along with the new name for the set, Pinnacle also introduced a parallel called Peak Performers that have foil fronts. Along with the easy-to-find Swing For the Fences inserts, there are three other tougher inserts to chase down. 

Though there are 17 Rookie subset cards on the base checklist, none are considered actual Rookie Cards. 

Pinnacle released Pinnacle X-Press for the first time in 1997. With that, they also introduced an “interactive game” called Swing For the Fences. The game required collectors to match AL and NL home run leader Swing For the Fences player cards to their home run total using Swing For the Fences points cards. One can only assume this game came about after the success of Upper Deck’s Crash the Game. Pinnacle X-Press lasted just one release. The product was rebranded in 1998 as Pinnacle Performers.

1998 Pinnacle Performers Baseball Box Break

Cards per pack: 8
Packs per box: 24
Price paid: $37

Pack 1 highlights:

Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez & Chipper Jones Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Chipper hit 34 home runs in 1998, less than half the total of the NL leader. 

Pack 2:

Carlos Delgado, Mike Mussina, Matt Williams, Tom Glavine & Swing For the Fences Point Card (1:2 packs)

I won’t show all the points cards until the end.

Pack 3:

Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Bobby Abreu, David Ortiz, Mike Piazza Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs) & Moises Alou Peak Performers (1:7 packs)

Piazza hit a total of 32 home runs in 1998 between the Dodgers (9), Marlins (0) and Mets (23). 

Pack 4:

Tino Martinez, Roberto Alomar, Fred McGriff, Edgar Martinez & Bernie Williams

Pack 5:

Kenny Lofton, Kerry Wood, Vinny Castilla, Jeff Bagwell & Fred McGriff Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

McGriff hit just 19 home runs in 1998, his first season in Tampa Bay. 

Pack 6:

Juan Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds, Roger Clemens, Moises Alou, Sammy Sosa & Tim Salmon

Pack 7:

Barry Larkin, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas & Andres Galarraga Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

The Big Cat hit 44 home runs for Atlanta in 1998 after replacing McGriff at first base.

 

Pack 8:

Darin Erstad, Tony Gwynn, Albert Belle, Larry Walker, Rafael Palmeiro & Dante Bichette

Pack 9:

Randy Johnson, Bartolo Colon, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Jr., Alex Rodriguez & Scott Rolen Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Rolen had 31 1998 home runs, the second highest single-season total of his career. 

Pack 10:

Gary Sheffield, Mark McGwire, Will Clark, Omar Vizquel & Kevin Brown

How many cards are out there that feature the player cleaning out their spikes? Probably not many.

Pack 11:

Mo Vaughn, Mark Grace, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Travis Lee Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs) & Bobby Estalella Peak Performers (1:7 packs)

Lee hit 22 home runs in 1998, his first season in the majors. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Kerry Wood earned the honors. 

Pack 12:

Nomar Garciaparra, Raul Mondesi, Ken Caminiti, Jason Giambi & Hideo Nomo

Pack 13:

Randy Johnson, Mike Piazza, Bartolo Colon, Tony Gwynn, Alex Rodriguez, Cal Ripken, Jr. & Todd Helton Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Helton hit 25 home runs in 1998, finishing second in the NL ROY voting. 

Pack 14:

Barry Larkin, Andy Pettitte, Will Clark, Kevin Brown, Omar Vizquel & Bobby Abreu Peak Performers (1:7 packs)

Pack 15:

Gary Sheffield, Albert Belle, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux & Gary Sheffield Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Sheffield hit just 22 long balls in ‘98.

Pack 16:

Mo Vaughn, Mark Grace, Ken Caminiti, Hideo Nomo & Jason Giambi

Pack 17:

Raul Mondesi, Miguel Tejada & Mark McGwire Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Big Mac was the NL long ball leader in 1998, bashing 70 big flies. 

Pack 18:

Vladimir Guerrero, Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, Garret Anderson & Jose Cruz, Jr. Launching Pad (1:9 packs)

Pack 19:

Paul Molitor, Rickey Henderson, Mike Piazza, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs) & Pedro Martinez Peak Performers (1:7 packs)

Thome hit 30 home runs in 1998, finishing 21st in AL MVP voting. He played just 123 games. 

Pack 20:

Jim Edmonds, Craig Biggio, Cal Ripken, Jr., Frank Thomas & Chipper Jones Power Trip (02402/10000) (1:21 packs)

Pack 21:

Manny Ramirez, Andres Galarraga, Ken Griffey, Jr., Todd Helton, Brian Jordan, Swing For the Fences Wild Card (1:2 packs) & Cal Ripken, Jr. Launching Pad (1:7 packs)

Ripken played 21 seasons in the major leagues, hitting 431 home runs. He only broke 30 once with 34 in his 1991 MVP season. 

Pack 22:

Scott Rolen, Alex Rodriguez & Ivan Rodriguez

Pack 23:

Barry Bonds, Frank Thomas & Bernie Williams Swing For the Fences (1:2 packs)

Williams finished in the top 17 in AL MVP voting every season from 1996 to 2000. During that span, he never hit more than 30 home runs. 

Pack 24:

Darin Erstad, Tony Gwynn, Jim Thome, Larry Walker, Rafael Palmeiro & Dante Bichette

Lastly, the Tony Gwynn card back. Strangely, they went with a month-to-month statistics chart and didn’t even list the year the numbers came from. A quick check, and the stats come from 1997.

Oh yes, the Swing For the Fences number cards. McGwire led the NL with 70 home runs in 1998, while Griffey topped the AL with 56. I wouldn’t have been a winner even with the Wild Card player card.

This is another fun Pinnacle product. The inserts are always the highlight of the sets. They were always fun, creative, attractive. It is a shame they went bankrupt in 1998. Some of my favorite ’90s rips have been Pinnacle products.

Shop for 1998 Pinnacle Performers Baseball cards on:

• Beckett Marketplace
• eBay

Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.