1995 Fleer Ultra Baseball was released in two series. Series 1 features a 250 card checklist, while the Series 2 base checklist is just 200 cards. As had become customary by this time for Ultra, the set is absolutely loaded with inserts. Like 1994, each pack contains one insert. Brand new for 1995, though, is the full-set Gold Medallion parallel, which are supposed to be one per pack.

Inserts are obviously plentiful in this one, but not all of them are easy finds. Power Plus inserts fall just once in every 37 packs, so there is no guarantee you will find one in every box. Also new in 1995, Ultra features Hot Packs with nothing but insert cards. That’s right, a dozen insert cards in one pack. These Hot Packs are found once in every few boxes. 

1995 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Box Break

Cards per pack: 12
Packs per box: 36
Price paid: $37

Shop for 1995 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball boxes on eBay.

Pack 1 highlights:

Kirby Puckett, Sammy Sosa, Roberto Alomar, Ken Griffey, Jr. & Ivan Rodriguez Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Not off to a hot start. This pack did not have the one-per-pack Gold Medallion. 

Pack 2:

Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Will Clark, Barry Larkin Gold Medallion (one per pack) & Roberto Alomar Award Winners Gold Medallion (1:40 packs)

Pack 3:

Dante Bichette, Rene Arocha Gold Medallion & Raul Mondesi 2nd Year Standouts (1:6 packs)

Pack 4:

Alan Trammell, Raul Mondesi, Lenny Dykstra, Jeff Fassero Gold Medallion & Bill Risley 2nd Year Standouts Gold Medallion (1:60 packs)

Pack 5:

Jim Edmonds, Mo Vaughn, Paul Molitor Gold Medallion & Mark Langston Award Winners (1:4 packs)

In addition to being a really good pitcher, Langston was also a great fielder. He won seven Gold Glove awards, including five straight between 1991 and 1995.

Pack 6:

Wade Boggs, Manny Ramirez, Kevin Foster Gold Medallion & Ivan Rodriguez Award Winners — again (1:4 packs)

Pack 7:

Rafael Palmeiro, Ken Caminiti, Eddie Murray, Curt Schilling, Juan Gonzalez Gold Medallion & Barry Bonds Power Plus (1:37 packs)

Pack 8:

Edgar Martinez, John Smoltz, Bob Hamelin Gold Medallion & Wade Boggs Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Pack 9:

Jeff Bagwell, Ellis Burks, Ken Griffey, Jr. Gold Medallion & yet another Ivan Rodriguez Award Winners insert (1:4 packs)

Pudge Rodriguez had a great glove. I have been reminded of that three times in nine packs. He did win 13 Gold Gloves behind the dish.

Pack 10:

An insert hot pack!

Tony Gwynn League Leaders, John Franco League Leaders, Andy Benes League Leaders, Lee Smith League Leaders Gold Medallion (1:30 packs), Raul Mondesi Award Winners, Bob Hamelin Award Winners, Greg Maddux Award Winners, David Cone Award Winner Gold Medallion (1:40 packs), Manny Ramirez 2nd Year Standouts, Raul Mondesi 2nd Year Standouts, Barry Bonds Home Run Kings & Jeff Bagwell Home Run Kings

That should go down as the longest pack recap in Cheap Wax Wednesday history.

Pack 11:

Paul Molitor, Juan Gonzalez, Ozzie Smith, Jose Rijo Gold Medallion & John Franco League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 12:

Derek Bell, Chris Gomez Gold Medallion & Kenny Lofton League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 13:

Jeff Kent, Mel Rojas Gold Medallion & Jose Canseco Home Run Kings (1:8 packs)

Canseco hit 31 home runs in the strike-shortened 1994 season. He finished 11th in AL MVP voting. 

Pack 14:

Tim Salmon, Jim Thome, Kent Mercker Gold Medallion & Tony Gwynn League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 15:

Cecil Fielder, Frank Thomas, Omar Vizquel, Steve Trachsel Gold Medallion & Greg Maddux League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 16:

Roberto Alomar, Sammy Sosa, Kirby Puckett, Ken Griffey, Jr., Bobby Munoz Gold Medallion & Darren Hall 2nd Year Standouts (1:6 packs)

Pack 17:

Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Will Clark, Jack Voigt Gold Medallion & Paul O’Neill League Leaders (1:3 packs)

O’Neill hit a career high .359 during the 1994 season. He only led the AL in two other categories over the course of his career — grounding into double plays in both 1995 and 1998. 

Pack 18:

Dante Bichette, Doug Strange Gold Medallion & Albert Belle Home Run Kings (1:8 packs)

Pack 19:

John Smoltz, Alan Trammell Gold Medallion & Andy Benes League Leaders Gold Medallion (1:30 packs)

Pack 20:

Jeff Bagwell, Ellis Burks, Scott Leius Gold Medallion & another Paul O’Neill League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 21:

Mark McGwire, Mike Mussina Gold Medallion & Albert Belle Home Run Kings (1:8 packs)

Belle had an absolutely monster 1995 season. He led the AL in runs scored (121), doubles (52), home runs (50), RBI (126), slugging (.690) and total bases (377). He finished second in AL MVP balloting. 

Pack 22:

Kenny Lofton, David Cone, Andy Benes Gold Medallion & Lee Smith League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 23:

Roger Clemens, Albert Belle, Steve Reed Gold Medallion & Craig Biggio League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 24:

Darryl Strawberry, Jose Vizcaino Gold Medallion & Andy Benes League Leaders Gold Medallion (1:30 packs)

Pack 25:

Tim Raines, Deion Sanders, Ivan Rodriguez, Doug Drabek Gold Medallion & Andres Galarraga Home Run Kings (1:8 packs)

The Big Cat had his first 30-homer season in 1994, hitting 31. He would clear 30 long balls four more times through 1998.

Pack 26:

Mike Mussina, Greg Maddux, Kirt Manwaring Gold Medallion & Frank Thomas Home Run Kings Gold Medallion (1:80 packs)

Pack 27:

Mark Langston, Barry Larkin, Cecil Fielder Gold Medallion & Randy Johnson League Leaders (1:3 packs)

Pack 28:

Ivan Rodriguez, Tim Raines, Deion Sanders, Deion Gold Medallion & Don Mattingly Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Pack 29:

Mike Mussina, Greg Maddux, Bill Risley Gold Medallion & Wade Boggs Award Winners

Boggs won two Gold Gloves in his career, in back-to-back seasons (1994 and 1995). 

Pack 30:

Moises Alou, Barry Larkin, Dave Stevens Gold Medallion & Manny Ramirez 2nd Year Standouts (1:6 packs)

Pack 31:

Bobby Bonilla, Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent Gold Medallion & Devon White Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Pack 32:

Edgar Martinez, Tony Gwynn, Brian McRae Gold Medallion & Tom Pagnozzi Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Pack 33:

Matt Williams, Jim Eisenreich Gold Medallion & Don Mattingly Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Mattingly won nine Gold Gloves in 10 seasons between 1985 and1994. McGwire won it in 1990. 

Pack 34:

Randy Johnson, Jim Thome Gold Medallion & Roberto Alomar Award Winners Gold Medallion (1:40 packs)

Pack 35:

Juan Gonzalez, Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, Tim Salmon Gold Medallion & my fourth Ivan Rodriguez Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Pack 36:

Derek Bell, Robby Thompson Gold Medallion & Don Mattingly Award Winners (1:4 packs)

Lastly, the Randy Johnson card back. I really like these backs with the extra photos and blue foil. 

It seemed like this box was extremely hot, not just with the hot pack, which obviously added some fun. I also found quite a few tough insert Gold Medallion parallels. If that wasn’t enough, I pulled a Bonds Power Plus, which happens to be my favorite insert from the set — and the toughest!

Yes, football kicked off this past weekend. As always, baseball breaks will continue to be featured through the end of the baseball postseason. At that time, Cheap Wax Wednesday will switch over to football products.

Shop for 1995 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball cards on:

• Beckett Marketplace
• eBay

Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.