1998 Donruss Signature Series

Description

1998 Donruss Signature Series is a 140-card set released under a temporary license by Playoff, Inc., in January 1999. Like in previous years, each pack contained one on-card autograph.

This product was originally intended for release in October, 1998, but was delayed due to the bankruptcy of Pinnacle Brands. As part of Pinnacle's agreement with the Players Association, those players who signed for this product would NOT be paid for their signatures until AFTER the set's release. To ensure that their members would get paid for their services, MLB and the MLBPA granted Playoff (who had bought the rights to Pinnacle's name and inventory in bankruptcy) a temporary license that allowed them to release Signature Series and 1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars.

Distribution

Four cards plus one autograph per pack (MSRP: $14.99)

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds
Base	140	-	?
Proof	140	150	?
Autographs	98	varies	1:1
Significant Signatures	23	2000	?
Signing Bonus	32	varies	?

Checklist

Parallels

All 140 base cards are also available as a "Proof" parallel. Proofs are limited (but not serial-numbered) to 150 copies.

Autographs & Game-Used

Autographs

Inserted one per pack, this 122-card set features the player's autograph in the lower portion of the card. The numbers following the player's name in our checklist indicate how many cards that player signed.

The first 100 cards signed by each player have a blue background and are designated as "Century Marks." The next 1000 signed have a green background and designated as "Millennium Marks." It should be noted that for those players who signed less than 1100 cards, no Red "base" autograph exists.

• 1 Roberto Alomar 150
• 2 Sandy Alomar, Jr. 700
• 3 Moises Alou 900
• 4 Gabe Alvarez 2900
• 5 Wilson Alvarez 1600
• 6 Jay Bell 1500
• 7 Adrian Beltre 1900
• 8 Andy Benes 2600
• 9 Aaron Boone 3400
• 10 Russell Branyan 1650
• 11 Orlando Cabrera 3100
• 12 Mike Cameron 1150
• 13 Joe Carter 400
• 14 Sean Casey 2275
• 15 Bruce Chen 150
• 16 Tony Clark 2275
• 17 Will Clark 1400
• 18 Matt Clement 1400
• 19 Pat Cline 1400
• 20 Ken Cloude 3400
• 21 Michael Coleman 2800
• 22 David Cone 25
• 23 Jeff Conine 1400
• 24 Jacob Cruz 3200
• 25 Russ Davis 3500
• 26 Jason Dickson 1400
• 27 Todd Dunwoody 3500
• 28 Juan Encarnacion 3400
• 29 Darin Erstad 700
• 30 Bobby Estalella 3400
• 31 Jeff Fassero 3400
• 32 John Franco 1800
• 33 Brad Fullmer 3100
• 34 Jason Giambi 3100
• 35 Derrick Gibson 1200
• 36 Todd Greene 1400
• 37 Ben Grieve 1400
• 38 Mark Grudzielanek 3200
• 39 Vladimir Guerrero 2100
• 40 Wilton Guerrero 1900
• 41 Jose Guillen 2400
• 42 Todd Helton 1300
• 43 Richard Hidalgo 3400
• 44 A.J. Hinch 2900
• 45 Butch Huskey 1900
• 46 Raul Ibanez 3300
• 47 Damian Jackson 900
• 48 Geoff Jenkins 3100
• 49 Eric Karros 650
• 50 Ryan Klesko 400
• 51 Mark Kotsay 3600
• 52 Ricky Ledee 2200
• 53 Derrek Lee 3100
• 54 Travis Lee 150
• 55 Javy Lopez 650
• 56 Mike Lowell 3500
• 57 Greg Maddux 12
• 58 Eli Marrero 3400
• 59 Al Martin 1300
• 60 Rafael Medina 1400
• 61 Scott Morgan 900
• 62 Abraham Nunez 3500
• 63 Paul O'Neill 1000
• 64 Luis Ordaz 2700
• 65 Magglio Ordonez 3200
• 66 Kevin Orie 1350
• 67 David Ortiz 3400
• 68 Rafael Palmeiro 1000
• 69 Carl Pavano 2600
• 70 Neifi Perez 3300
• 71 Dante Powell 3050
• 72 Aramis Ramirez 2800
• 73 Mariano Rivera 900
• 74 Felix Rodriguez 1400
• 75 Henry Rodriguez 3400
• 76 Scott Rolen 1900
• 77 Brian Rose 1400
• 78 Curt Schilling 900
• 79 Richie Sexson 3500
• 80 Randall Simon 3500
• 81 J.T. Snow 400
• 82 Jeff Suppan 1400
• 83 Fernando Tatis 3900
• 84 Miguel Tejada 3800
• 85 Brett Tomko 3400
• 86 Bubba Trammell 3900
• 87 Ismael Valdes 1900
• 88 Robin Ventura 1400
• 89 Billy Wagner 3900
• 90 Todd Walker 1900
• 91 Daryle Ward 400
• 92 Rondell White 3400
• 93 Antone Williamson 3350
• 94 Dan Wilson 2400
• 95 Enrique Wilson 3400
• 96 Preston Wilson 2100
• 97 Tony Womack 3500
• 98 Kerry Wood 3400

Significant Signatures

This 18-card set features autographs of some of baseball's all-time great players. Only 2000 sets were produced and each card is serial-numbered.

Sandy Koufax was on the original checklist but his cards were not returned in time for the pack out. Thus, officials at Donruss made the Billy Williams card an exchange card. Each collector that pulled a Billy Williams card could send it in to Donruss for a Koufax card. In addition, the signed Williams card was sent back too.

Special exchange cards were created for Nolan Ryan and Ozzie Smith. The cards were randomly seeded into packs and then redeemed to Donruss for the real autograph cards. The exchange deadline for cards R1-R3 was December 31st, 1999. All three "R-Series" exchange cards (Ryan, Koufax and Smith) feature refractive, shiny fronts whereas the other cards seeded in packs are printed on basic foilboard.

At some point in time after the product's release, non-refractive versions of the Koufax (#'d of 2000), Ozzie (#'[d of 2000) and Ryan (#'d of 1000) cards made their way into the secondary market. Each card features a different card front image than the Refractor versions (most notably with Koufax wearing a Brooklyn cap). Representatives at Donruss-Playoff were unable to provide us with information on this matter given that the company was technically owned by Pinnacle in 1998 and then purchased out of bankruptcy in 2001 by the new Donruss-Playoff Corporation.

The Catfish Hunter card was signed in either blue or blank ink. Only 1000 serial #'d copies of Phil Rizzuto's card were produced.

• 1 Ernie Banks 2000
• 2 Yogi Berra 2000
• 3 George Brett 2000
• 4 Catfish Hunter 2000
• 5 Al Kaline 2000
• 6 Harmon Killebrew 2000
• 7 Ralph Kiner 2000
• 9 Eddie Mathews 2000
• 10 Don Mattingly 2000
• 11 Willie McCovey 2000
• 12 Stan Musial 2000
• 13 Phil Rizzuto 1000
• 14 Nolan Ryan EXCH 2000
• 15 Ozzie Smith EXCH 2000
• 16 Duke Snider 2000
• 17 Don Sutton 2000
• 18 Billy Williams 2000
• 18a Billy Williams Redeemed 2000
• SP Nolan Ryan 1000
• NNO Sandy Koufax (Brooklyn) 2000
• NNO Ozzie Smith 2000
• R1 Nolan Ryan 2000
• R2 Ozzie Smith 2000
• R3 Sandy Koufax (L.A.) 2000

Signing Bonus

This 32-card set features redemption cards that could be redeemed for an autographed baseball signed by player. The baseballs were laser burned with a Donruss stamp to ensure authenticity. Every ball, except for Ben Grieve's, is serial numbered. The blank-backed exchange cards are serial numbered in gold foil on front, but are unnumbered within the context of a complete set and therefore checklisted in alphabetical order. These exchange cards carried an expiration date of December 31st, 1999.

• Roberto Alomar 60
• Sandy Alomar, Jr. 60
• Ernie Banks 12
• Ken Caminiti 60
• Tony Clark 60
• Jacob Cruz 12
• Russ Davis 60
• Juan Encarnacion 60
• Bobby Estalella 60
• Jeff Fassero 60
• Ben Grieve 30
• Mark Grudzielanek 60
• Jose Guillen 120
• Tony Gwynn 60
• Al Kaline 12
• Paul Konerko 100
• Travis Lee 100
• Mike Lowell 60
• Eli Marrero 60
• Eddie Mathews 12
• Paul Molitor 60
• Stan Musial 12
• Abraham Nunez 12
• Luis Ordaz 12
• Magglio Ordonez 12
• Scott Rolen 60
• Bubba Trammell 24
• Robin Ventura 60
• Billy Wagner 60
• Rondell White 60
• Antone Williamson 12
• Tony Womack 60