One More Subset Complete: 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9 – Home Run Legends’ YES!!!

One More Subset Complete: 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9 – Home Run Legends’  YES!!!

This set was a lot of fun to put together.  I really enjoyed digging into each of these guy’s career home run accomplishments.  And I learned quite a bit through that process.

The set features just 9 cards, but it fills an album page perfectly.

Here is a look at the complete set:

The cards are sharp.  They are shiny.  And they really stand out.

I wish that Topps continued this set past just the 2011 and 2012 seasons, I could easily think of 5-6 more themes that I would love for them to share with us that follow the same format.

Thankfully, they did give us one more.  Their ‘Prime 9 – Players Of The Week’ subset that was also issued in 2011 is on my radar!!

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Babe Ruth

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Babe Ruth

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Babe Ruth card from the set:

 

Some interesting Babe Ruth Home Run facts:

• 499 versus right-handers, 215 versus lefties
• 367 on the road, 347 at home
• 123 against Detroit is most versus any single team
• 85 most at visiting ballpark
• only 70 games with 2 home runs and just 2 with 3 in the same game
• 349 solo home runs
• 133 came in first inning of a game, most of any inning

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Reggie Jackson

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Reggie Jackson

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Reggie Jackson card from the set:

 

Some interesting Reggie Jackson Home Run facts:

• 384 came against right-handers, 179 against lefties
• 283 at home, 280 on the road
• Most against a single team – 63 (Milwaukee)
• Most against a single pitcher – 8 (Wilbur Wood)
• 4 inside the park home runs
• 239 HR’s from the clean-up position in batting order
• 308 solo home runs
• 11 Grand Slams
• Most in specific inning – 97 in 1st inning

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Hank Aaron

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Hank Aaron

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Hank Aaron card from the set:

 

Some interesting Hank Aaron Home Run facts:

• 534 of career 755 came against right-handed pitchers
• 385 came at home, 370 came on the road
• most against single team is 97 against Cincinnati
• most against any pitcher is 17 against Don Drysdale
• most at road ballpark is 50 at Wrigley Field
• 61 games with 2 home runs; 1 game with 3
• most home runs came in 1st inning – 124
• 399 of 755 were solo home runs

 

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Mickey Mantle

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Mickey Mantle

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Mickey Mantle card from the set:

 

Some interesting Mickey Mantle Home Run facts:

• 536 career home runs
• Most on the road – 42, Tigers Stadium
• 5 inside the park home runs
• most off a pitcher – 13, Early Wynn
• most off a team – 77, Athletics (Oak.KC.Phil)
• 373 vs right-hand pitchers, 163 vs lefties
• 45 games with 2 home runs, 1 game with 3
• 103 of 536 came in 1st inning

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Ernie Banks

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Ernie Banks

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Ernie Banks card from the set:

 

Some interesting Ernie Banks Home Run facts:

• 512 career home runs
• 372 VS right-handers; 140 VS left-handers
• 82 versus Phillies is highest against any team
• 15 off of Robin Roberts is highest against any pitcher
• 4 games with 3 HR’s; 38 games with 2 HR’s
• 73 home runs came in 4th inning
• 214 home runs came when Cubs were trailing in the game

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Willie Mays

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Willie Mays

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Willie Mays card from the set:

 

Some interesting Willie Mays Home Run facts:

• Hit home runs in 22 ballparks; 203 at Candlestick Park
• Highest tally off one pitcher: Warren Spahn, 18
• Highest tall off one team: 98, Dodgers
• Multi-HR games – 63
• 123 in 1st inning of games
• 365 Solo Home Runs
• 207 tie-breaking Home Runs

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Alex Rodriguez

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9′ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Alex Rodriguez

Normally, I would go into a long diatribe about my excitement of bringing this baseball card home and into my collection.  I am building this set of cards, and I would normally hype up the addition of Alex Rodriguez into the set.

But, I am just not feeling it.

Yes, I am happy to be one step closer to completing this set.  I just wish that the card featured a different player – one worth celebrating…  I wish it was of Ken Griffey Jr. or Harmon Killebrew or Mike Schmidt.

But this one has me just ready to move on to the next…

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Albert Pujols

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Albert Pujols

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Albert Pujols card from the set:

 

A few Albert Pujols home run facts:
* 475 career home runs at beginning of 2013 baseball season
* 1st major league HR off of Armando Reynoso
* Most home runs on the road – Pittsburgh
* Most against pitchers – Ryan Dempster (8)

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Frank Robinson

2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ Home Run Legends Redemption Set – Frank Robinson

The 2012 Topps ‘Prime 9’ sets were issued through redemption cards that were inserted into hobby boxes of the Topps 2012 flagship baseball card set.  The cards were numbered and each card represented a specific card it could be redeemed for.

These special insert cards were redeemable only through hobby shops and Topps made these cards available for redemption on a very limited basis.

The card’s design is great, and I have been a fan ever since seeing them.  The high-gloss finish is unlike any that I have seen before and I like the fact that Topps rewards the baseball card business owner with such a nice, exclusive offer.

This is the Frank Robinson card from the set:

A few Frank Robinson Home Run facts:
– 586 career home runs
– 34 home run per season average
– career high 49 home runs in 1966
– 10 post-season home runs including 8 in World Series play