Upper Deck's SPx products have become staples of the company's lines in all four major sports. The brand is known for its futuristic designs and for its autographed memorabilia rookie cards in football, basketball and hockey.

The baseball version of SPx has had a little more trouble finding a memorable hook, so Upper Deck continues to tinker with it. Last year it went to a format that offered one memorabilia or autographed card per pack, and this year it adds a unique, all die-cut base card design.

The 2008 edition also pays tribute to two players who have always been popular with baseball collectors: longtime company spokesman Ken Griffey Jr. and Yankee legend Babe Ruth. Along with special low-numbered memorabilia and autograph cards for Junior, both players are featured in insert sets that consist of one-of-one cards (like the one pictured here) with a box score and game date for each game of their careers.

It remains to be seen how popular these kinds of large, expansive insert sets will be in the long term, but they are definitely becoming more prominent in the hobby. It's hard to go wrong with Ruth and Griffey, so it's pretty safe to say a certain segment of the collecting public will find them intriguing.

Look for 2008 SPx Baseball to go on sale the week of May 19, and follow the link below to get more information on the rest of the product highlights.

• Press Release: 2008 SPX Baseball

Image courtesy of and copyright Upper Deck.