Top Cards From 2001 Topps Chrome Traded & Rookie Baseball Set
By the time that 2001 Topps Traded & Rookies baseball came out in October of 2001 (per baseballcardpedia.com), the baseball world was already in a frenzy. The American League had a player the whole world was watching, and in the National League was a player that resembled a legend in Stan Musial.
For the first time in years, you were able to find Topps Traded exclusively in pack form, in both retail and hobby boxes. With every pack opened, you would find 8 Topps Traded cards, and 2 Topps Traded Chrome cards. Fast forward almost 25 years, and hobby boxes are selling for over $900 a box.
Today we will uncover the top 3 most iconic Topps Chrome cards of this set. But first, lets give credit to a couple of rookies that went on to having really good careers.
Honorable Mention: Justin Morneau and Jose Reyes
Justin Morneau was the 2006 AL MVP, and followed that season up with 4 consecutive All-Star nods. A fan favorite with the Minnesota Twins, Morneau would help the Twins reach the playoffs in 2004 and 2006.
Jose Reyes would enjoy a 16 year career that saw him steal over 500 bases, and collect over 2,000 hits. He would hit double digits for triples 7 times, leading the league in this category 3 times. The 4x All-Star was also a batting champ in 2011.
Now onto the top 3 cards:
The man known as just Ichiro came onto the MLB scene just blazing. Playing in the Japanese Pacific League since he was 18, he didnt put on an MLB uniform until he was 27 years old. However once the uniform was on his back, he acted like he had ground to make up. His first year in the league, he led the league in hits with 242, batting average (.350), and stolen bases with 56. He would go on to taking home the Rookie of the Year honors, the MVP, a Gold Glove award, and a Silver Slugger. His 242 hits would be his first of 10 season in a row over 200. Ichiro would end up with 10 Gold Gloves, to go along with 10 All-Star selections.
Because Ichiro amassed over 4,300 hits between the Japanese league and MLB, some consider him the greatest hitter of all time.
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An Ichiro Topps Traded Chrome PSA 10 typically runs between $1,000 and $1,300. A PSA 9 of the same card is around $200-$225.
Albert Pujols just may be the greatest first baseman to ever play the game. Pujols was one of the most feared hitters to come up to bat, especially his first 11 years with the Cardinals. During this time he would finish in the Top 10 in MVP's every year, bringing home the award 3 times. He would finish his career with 3,384 hits, and smashed 703 home runs (4th all-time). His 2,218 career RBI's only trail Hank Aaron. Albert Pujols was truly a unicorn.
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A Topps Chrome Albert Pujols PSA 10 will put you back around $1,400. If you patient, a PSA 9 can be bought for close to $300.
1. Ichiro Suzuki/Albert Pujols
How can this card not be number 1? Literally the worlds aligned by having arguably the greatest hitter of all time, with the greatest first baseman of all time, both rookies, and both on the same card. Both players were loved by their home teams. Both players played the game with respect and integrity. This card is truly an iconic piece to have in any collection.
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With only 252 PSA 10's in the wild, they dont become for sale too often. The last couple of PSA 10's will tighten up the purse strings, selling for around $1,450 to $1,500
