Whose rookie card was the first baseball card printed by Upper Deck in 1989?
Rookie card despite its arrival five years after the SI Kids release, sparking controversy. The market, it appears, gives far greater credence and value to the 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids release which sells for exponentially more. As it remains, there is no formal definition of a "rookie card," though some players do have cards that are considered "rookies" by all. In the 1989 Upper Deck baseball set, Ken Griffey, Jr. was selected to be featured on card number one. At press time, Griffey had not yet played a major league game, so Upper Deck used an image of Griffey in a
Rookie card San Bernardino Spirit uniform. Competitors such as Score and Topps neglected to include a card of Griffey in its 1989 base set, but later included him in their traded issues. Such neglect helped Upper Deck gain exposure due to the popularity of Griffey in the 1989 MLB season. Donruss and Fleer included Griffey rookie cards in their respective base sets, but they were never as popular as the Upper Deck issue. Also an afterthought was Griffey's 1989 Bowman Rookie Card. Despite the popularity of the Griffey card, it was not a scarce card. The card was situated in the top