Collectors who have been around the hobby for a while will remember Stadium Club as one of Topps' first attempts at an upscale brand, combining eye-catching photographs with fancier than normal stock. Since many products have at least one of those elements in 2008, the most recent take on Stadium Club loads up on autographs to the tune of one per hobby pack.
Hobby boxes of 2008 Stadium Club Baseball hold 12 packs of five cards each. Expect at least six of the 12 autographs per box to be rookie autographs.
Base Cards and Parallels
True to the spirit of the original Stadium Club sets, this new incarnation has base cards that utilize sharp, full-bleed photographs of some of the top players in Major League Baseball. Only a small colored bar at the bottom intrudes to provide player and team information. Many of the cards use a horizontal layout to good effect.
The base set goes 150 cards deep, with 100 veterans and retired players followed by 50 MLB Rookie Cards. It's especially nice to see some of the older players in this set, as even photos that are several decades old look good on these cards. However, it's not an easy base set to complete by opening packs, as I pulled just 21 base cards from a random hobby box.
Parallels begin with a one-per-pack level numbered to 999. The brand's original mirror sets also reappear: First Day Issue cards (on extra thick stock) numbered to 599, and Photographer's Proof cards numbered to 99 or 59.
When all 12 packs in my box were opened, I ended up with 12 parallels numbered to 999, 10 First Day Issue and three Photographer's Proofs.
Autographed Cards
Autograph-per-pack products are fairly uncommon in baseball, but Topps makes it work here with a whole bunch of rookie autographs interspersed with some signatures from veterans. At least half of the autographs in each box come from 2008 rookies, on cards numbered as part of the base set.
That's not to say that all of these cards will be considered "official" rookie cards by the hobby, as some of the players appear on non-signed cards earlier in the set, while others (like Jay Bruce) appeared on rookie cards several seasons back. Still, the cards provide a way to grab autographs of many of the season's top newcomers, including Bruce, Evan Longoria and Clayton Kershaw.
The rookie autos come in Photographer's Proof levels just like the other base cards. My sample box provided me with six regular rookie autographs plus a Photographer's Proof Brandon Boggs.
Other signatures come courtesy of Beam Team Autographs, with just over 50 players on a checklist that ranges from rookies to retired stars. Separating them from other sticker autographs is the simulated stained glass effect they contain, giving them a unique look and allowing them to be looked through from either side. The About.com box produced four regular Beam Team autos and a Black and White parallel numbered to 99.
Relic Cards
Though they aren't a focus of Stadium Club, relic cards (Topps' name for memorabilia cards) can be found in each box, most of them paying tribute to the final season of baseball at Yankee Stadium. Stadium Slices are numbered to 299 and feature players who played at the historic ballpark alongside a piece of the outfield wall or a dugout bench. The card in my review box pictured Red Sox hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Ceremonial Cuts show off pieces of the bunting used at Yankee Stadium on special occasions over the years, such as Opening Day and the World Series. Players featured include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.
The final set of relics can be found about one per case and pulls autographs and game-used pieces together. Triumvirate Autographed Triple Relics place an autographed sticker above three swatches of game-used material. I lucked out and pulled a Derrek Lee Triumvirate card, numbered to 99 and showing off four colors.
The Last Word
This new incarnation of Stadium Club stays true to its roots with stellar photography and some elements that will be recognizable to anyone who collected the original sets. It has obvious appeal to autograph collectors, who will appreciate the quantity more than the potential for high-dollar pulls.
All of this doesn't come cheap, but Stadium Club was originally conceived as a premium brand and the bar has raised considerably in that area over the last ten years. All in all, this is a very nice modern take on a former favorite that looks like it will be welcomed back with open arms.