Though he made his major league debut in 1981, his first certified autographed baseball cards didn’t appear until Donruss and Sports Illustrated incorporated them into products in 1997. One of his earliest signed issues, the 1997 Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Autographs # 3, is a dual autograph card with Alex Rodriguez and commands big money due to its historical significance and the popularity of both players.
Ripken signed cards for Donruss again in 1998, but wouldn’t do so again until 2001. The 1999 SP Authentic Chirography # CR is Ripken’s only widely available autographed card from that year, and the first one produced by Upper Deck.
Cal Ripken Jr. 1997 Autographed Cards
- Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Autographs # 1 - #'d to 150
- Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Autographs # 3 - with Alex Rodriguez autograph, #'d to 150
- Donruss Signature Autographs Century # 104 - #'d to 100
- Donruss Signature Autographs Millenium # 104 - #'d to 400
- Sports Illustrated Autographed Mini-Covers # 2
Cal Ripken Jr. 1998 Autographed Cards
- Donruss Elite Back to the Future Autographs #1B - #'d to 200
- Donruss Signature Autographs Century # 93 - #'d to 100
- Donruss Signature Autographs Millenium # 95 - #'d to 375
Cal Ripken Jr. 1999 Autographed Cards
- SP Authentic Chirography # CR