The Daily: 1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractors Adrian Beltre

The Card: 1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractors Adrian Beltre #182

Touching the top of a baseball player’s head just got a little less fun. Adrian Beltre has called it a career. And while it took a lot of us a long time to notice, what a career it was.

Over the course of 21 seasons, Beltre racked up 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBI, five Gold Gloves and plenty of priceless moments. Beltre’s career is one of productivity, consistency and longevity. Put the three together and you’ve got one of the greatest third basemen of all-time.

Despite this, Beltre’s star power doesn’t match the numbers he put up. He has more Gold Gloves than All-Star appearances. Beltre finished in the top 3 for MVP voting just twice.

So how did he get here? Beltre just kept going and going without showing much signs of slowing down until the very end.

When it comes to Adrian Beltre Rookie Cards, there isn’t much to chase. Of the three RCs out there, 1997 Bowman Chrome is home to the most coveted. It was the first year for the signature brand that endures today. Refractor rainbows were a lot different back then. It was a time when you could count the different versions on one hand.

Of those, the 1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractors Adrian Beltre is the toughest version to find. This was a time when Superfractors didn’t exist. This one doesn’t even have a serial number. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to come by. It’s not. International Refractors land 1:24 packs. With 300 cards in the set, its scarcity is understandable.

The Daily highlights a key player or personality in the world of sports or collecting from the past 24 hours along with one of their key cards.