Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 2000 Upper Deck MVP Baseball
It’s here! It is finally here! The 2022 National Sports Collectors Convention starts today in Atlantic City. I haven’t been to a National since 2018 in Cleveland and have been looking forward to this one for quite some time now. So many cards all in one room, it is incredible. Now, while I will certainly buy some cards this week, the highlight for me is the people. Even if I don’t buy anything, it is worth the time to hang out with some hobby friends and also make some new ones. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest trying to work it into your plans at least once. Anyways, let’s get back to what you all came here for, the cheap wax.
Upper Deck retired the Collector’s Choice brand in 1998, replacing it with 1999 UD Choice. The brand only lasted one year, though, with Upper Deck MVP kind of taking the value product slot once held by Collector’s Choice.
2000 Upper Deck MVP Baseball features a 220-card base set. There are three parallels to chase for each base card: Silver Script and Gold Script (/50) and Super Script (/25). There is also an impressive checklist of game-used memorabilia cards to be found in this one. Those are tough pulls, though, and found about once in every five boxes.
2000 Upper Deck MVP Baseball Box Break
Cards per pack: 10
Packs per box: 28
Price paid: $50
Shop for 2000 Upper Deck MVP Baseball boxes on eBay.
Pack 1 highlights:
Mark McGwire, Ken Caminiti, Tim Hudson, Ellis Burks, Ken Griffey, Jr., Sammy Sosa, Babe Ruth bat & Nolan Ryan Draw Your Own Card (1 in every 6 packs)
The Babe Ruth bat card is actually an entry form for the Upper Deck Collection Sweepstakes. These entry forms were found in 15 different products released in 2000 and early 2001. Each amazing memorabilia piece pictured on these cards was given away to a lucky collector.
Pack 2:
Vinny Castilla, A.J. Burnett, Luis Castillo, John Olerud, Don Drysdale jersey, MLB 2001 L, Magglio Ordonez Silver Script (1:2 packs) & Cal Ripken, Jr. Pure Grit (1:6 packs)
Pack 3:
Bobby Abreu, Roger Clemens, Paul Konerko, Vinny Castilla Silver Script (1:2 packs), Juan Marichal jersey, MLB 2001 0 & Scott Rolen Pure Grit (1:6 packs)
I have always appreciated the Silver Script parallels. I just think they are sharp looking with the added silver accents as well. Check out that Vinny signature!
Pack 4:
Moises Alou, Magglio Ordonez, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Kendall, Albert Belle & Ty Cobb jersey
Pack 5:
Mike Hampton, Kevin Brown, Reggie Jackson jersey & Jose Canseco Drawing Power (1:28 packs)
Hampton pitched just one season in New York, going 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA. He also won a Silver Slugger award in 2000, batting .274 with eight RBI.
Pack 6:
Kerry Wood, Mo Vaughn, Marquis Grissom, Omar Vizquel, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Gagne, Babe Ruth bat, MLB 2001 0 & Moises Alou Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Pack 7:
Rickey Henderson, Freddy Garcia, Jason Varitek, Varitek Silver Script (1:2 packs), MLB 2001 0 & Joe DiMaggio glove
A good side-by-side look of the base and Silver Script parallel. These look really good. The tougher two parallels, Gold and Super Script, can be hard to track down these days.
Pack 8:
Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Jeff Kent, Mark McGwire, Matt Williams, Babe Ruth bat, Nomar Garciaparra Second Season Standouts (1:6 packs) & Vernon Wells Scout’s Choice (1:14 packs)
Pack 9:
Vernon Wells, Roy Halladay, Adrian Beltre, Fred McGriff, Mickey Mantle bat & Orlando Hernandez Second Season Standouts (1:6 packs)
Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting following the 1998 season. He went 12-4 with a 3.13 ERA. Ben Grieve won the award that year.
Pack 10:
Bartolo Colon, Greg Vaughn, Paul O’Neill, Rick Ankiel, MLB 2001 M, Juan Marichal jersey & Eric Milton Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Pack 11:
Dante Bichette, Mike Lowell, Miguel Tejada, Barry Larkin, Shannon Stewart Silver Script (1:2 packs), Eric Chavez, Lou Gehrig jersey & MLB 2001 1
Miguel Tejada finished in the top 20 in MVP voting every season between 2000 and 2006, winning the award in 2002.
Pack 12:
Steve Finley, Troy Percival, Nomar Garciaparra Draw Your Own Card (1:6 packs) & Reggie Jackson jersey
Pack 13:
Craig Biggio, Nomar Garciaparra, Sammy Sosa CL, Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, Bernie Williams, Pee Wee Reese jersey & Ivan Rodriguez Draw Your Own Card (1:6 packs)
Pee Wee Reese played just 58 games in 1958, his final major league season.
Pack 14:
Curt Schilling, Tino Martinez, Cal Ripken, Jr., Scott Rolen, Edgar Martinez, Babe Ruth bat, MLB 2001 0, Mark McGwire Silver Script (1:2 packs) & Kevin Brown Pure Grit (1:6 packs)
Pack 15:
Vladimir Guerrero, Andres Galarraga, Ryan Klesko, Rondell White, Derek Bell & Mickey Mantle bat
Why do I like Rondell White? I have no idea. But he did hit .307 during the 2000 season.
Pack 16:
Trevor Hoffman, Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson, Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran, Tony Gwynn, Juan Marichal jersey, MLB 2001 0 & Daryle Ward Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Pack 17:
Jason Giambi, Kazuhiro Sasaki RC, Jose Canseco, Todd Helton, Frank Thomas, Lou Gehrig jersey, MLB 2001 1 & Bartolo Colon Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Sasaki burst onto the MLB scene as a 32-year-old rookie in 2000. He would save 37 games for Seattle while posting a 3.16 ERA. He edged out Terrence Long to win the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Pack 18:
Shawn Green, Carlos Delgado, Mariano Rivera, Jeff Bagwell, Troy Glaus, Derek Jeter, Reggie Jackson jersey & Derek Jeter Second Season Standouts (1:6 packs)
Pack 19:
J.D. Drew, Mark Grace, Ken Griffey, Jr., Robin Ventura, Don Drysdale jersey, Cal Ripken, Jr. Prolifics (1:28 packs) & Kevin Millwood Second Season Standouts (1:6 packs)
Sweet-swinging Mark Grace was a very steady, but not spectacular, MLB player. He finished his career with 2,445 hits while posting a .303 batting average and .383 career OBP.
Pack 20:
Tim Salmon, Raul Mondesi, Brian Jordan, Mike Mussina, Babe Ruth bat, MLB 2001 L & Todd Walker Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Pack 21:
Greg Maddux, Cliff Floyd, Pedro Martinez, Mike Cameron, Barry Bonds, MLB 2001 B, Pee Wee Reese jersey & Kip Wells Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Martinez won his second straight AL Cy Young following the 2000 season. He finished the year with an aoutrageous 1.74 ERA. He also set a career low for WHIP (walks & hits per inning pitched) with a 0.737 mark.
Pack 22:
Manny Ramirez, Luis Gonzalez, Sammy Sosa, Ellis Burks, Mark McGwire, Mickey Mantle bat, Joe DiMaggio Draw Your Own Card (1:6 packs) & Adam Everett Scout’s Choice (1:14 packs)
Pack 23:
Ben Grieve, Rafael Palmeiro, Bret Saberhagen, Carlos Lee, David Cone, Darin Erstad, Ty Cobb jersey & Mark McGwire Draw Your Own Card (1:6 packs)
David Cone is pictured here celebrating his Perfect Game on July 18,1999. Cone recorded 10 strikeouts in the ballgame.
Pack 24:
Garret Anderson, Roberto Alomar, Javy Lopez, Johnny Damon, David Wells, Joe DiMaggio glove, MLB 2001 0, Ken Griffey, Jr. Pure Grit (1:6 packs) & Steve Finley Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Pack 25:
Al Leiter, Mike Piazza, Larry Walker & Babe Ruth bat
Piazza won 10 straight Silver Slugger awards 1993-2002. During that time, he hit .322 with an average of 35 home runs and 107 RBI per season.
Pack 26:
Ken Griffey, Jr., Paul Konerko, Roger Clemens, Pee Wee Reese jersey, MLB 2001 1, Tino Martinez Silver Script (1:2 packs) & Ivan Rodriguez Pure Grit (1:6 packs)
Pack 27:
Bobby Abreu, Mike Hampton, Ken Caminiti & Don Drysdale jersey
Though Caminiti was known mostly for his bat, he did win three straight Gold Glove awards at third base from 1995-1997.
Pack 28:
Kerry Wood, Mo Vaughn, Omar Vizquel, Eric Gagne, Juan Gonzalez, Lou Gehrig jersey, MLB 2001 0 & Troy O’Leary Silver Script (1:2 packs)
Lastly, the Juan Gonzalez card back. Juan-Gone was an absolute beast during the ’90s.
This was about a $45 box when it was released back in 2000. As a kid, that was probably pretty pricey, but looking at where products are priced these days, this would have been an absolute steal. It is a fun break, with a good mix of parallels and inserts. The game-used checklist is fairly short and features some big names. That chance alone might be enough for me to give this one another shot if I find it at a dealer table this week.
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Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.
