[Julz24]

I know a guy at work who does not collect baseball cards. But he does have an 89 Upper Deck Griffey that he won't soon part with. My buddy grew up in San Bernardino, and as a kid in the late 1980's his Dad took him to see the Spirit play every Thirsty Thursday. He saw Griffey play at least a dozen games and fell in love with "The Kid" back when he really was just a kid.

When I first told him I was a baseball card collector and my favorite player was Junior, he immediately told me about his UD rookie card. I guess his Mom still has the card at her house and he is hoping to get it and bring it home to his apartment before something happens to it. I asked him what other Griffey cards he has and he said none, just the Upper Deck rookie card.

That card really is the defining baseball card of the modern collecting generation. It might not be the golden ticket that we all thought it would be - but its still an OG rookie card of a future HOF. It's one of the few modern cards known by non-collectors, and it played a key part in changing the hobby forever. I've even got a few copies myself...