Playoff Contenders Baseball Set to Debut in Late January

Playoff Contenders Football has a well-deserved reputation for helping autographed rookie cards to explode, and it's one of the most eagerly anticipated football products every year. Now Donruss is hoping to catch some of that same excitement and apply it to baseball cards.

Officially announced by the company this week, 2008 Playoff Contenders Baseball will close out the company's baseball release schedule for the season with 100 autographed cards of recent baseball draftees. In addition to 2008 first-rounders Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham and Buster Posey and 2007 first-rounder Rick Porcello, Contenders will feature the first certified signatures from players like Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo (pictured here).

"This is something we have kicked-around for years," said Donruss Brand Manager Ben Ecklar in a company press release. "As we expand our baseball offerings and look at what brands translate well in baseball, the timing was right to finally release Contenders in baseball."

Basketball collectors may also want to take note, as the first Playoff Contenders Basketball cards will also be on the checklist. And these aren't just any cards, but autographed Rookie Tickets of Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo.

Contenders Baseball will come in five-card packs with a suggested retail price of $6 per pack. It's tentatively scheduled to ship in late January.

Image courtesy of and copyright Donruss Playoff.