2003 Topps Heritage Baseball Cards
2003 Topps Heritage baseball was chosen as set of the year as voted on by hobby dealers. The base set for 2003 contains 350 cards, unless you include the short prints (SP's) which would bring the total to 450 cards.
Following the order of the previous Topps Heritage baseball years, 2003 is patterned in the image of 1954 Topps, which was the first year that Topps used two player pictures on the fronts of their cards, with a portrait and an action shot. The clean design is very popular among baseball card collectors.
The ever-popular Topps Heritage insert cards return in 2003, with the addition of a new "Refractor" chrome card that parallels the regular chrome set. Also, some neat variations exist in the SP's. Some cards can be found with either an "old" team logo or a modern team logo.
Short Prints
SP's or "short prints" are base cards that were printed in less quantity than the other base cards, causing them to be more difficult to find. Some cards are just plain short printed, while other cards come in 2 variations, one of which might be an SP while the other is common. In 2003 Topps Heritage, some cards were issued with black backgrounds, and those are considered to be short prints. Likewise, some cards were issued with the 1954 team logo on the front and also with the current day team logos. The "old logo" cards are the SP's.
Card #'s 364-430 are all Short Prints
#1 Alex Rodriguez (black)
#3 Ichiro Suzuki
#6 Brian Giles (old logo)
#7 Albert Pujols (black)
#10 Derek Jeter (old logo)
#11 Pat Burrell (vintage logo)
#18 Lance Burkman (black)
#20 Todd Helton (black)
#27 Rodrigo Lopez (old logo)
#30 Sammy Sosa (old logo)
#50 Kazuhisa Ishii (black)
#80 Randy Johnson (black)
#85 Manuel Ramirez (SP)
#94 Jason Perry (SP)
#100 Nomar Garciaparra (old logo)
#128 Adam LaRoche (SP)
#132 Craig Brazell (SP)
#139 Joe & Jake Mauer (black)
#141 Trey Hodges (SP)
#150 Mike Piazza (black)
#156 Randall Simon (old logo)
#170 Andy Marte (SP)
#175 Bernie Castro (SP)
#190 Jim Thome (old logo)
#200 Vladimir Guerrero (SP)
#201 Walter Young (SP)
#239 Jeff Clark (SP)
#250 Alex Rodriguez (SP)
#260 Miguel Tejada (black)
#302 Magglio Ordonez (old logo)
#325 Adam Dunn (old logo)
#340 Alfonso Soriano (black)
Card #'s 364-430 are all SP's.
Chrome
There are 2 different chrome sets that are parallel to the base set this year. Each Chrome set is made up of 100 different cards:
Chrome (Limited and #'d to 1954)
Refractor (Limited and #'d to 554)
The only difference in the "Chrome" and "Refractor" cards is that the refractors give off a sort of rainbow effect when the light hits them just right. They are more obvious when compared to the regular "chrome" cards. Another way of distinguishing between them is to simply look at the serial # on the back of the cards, the Chromes are numbered to 1954, and the Refractors are numbered to 554. Both of these Chrome sets continue to maintain their popularity amongst Heritage fans.
"Real One" Autographs
The "Real One" autograph set for 2003 Topps Heritage contains 45 cards. Again this year Topps had players sign cards in both red and blue ink, with the red ink autographs being the rarer of the two colors. Only 54 of each card was signed in red ink and they are each individually numbered on the front.
- RO-JR ROLLINS, JIMMY
- RO-JS SAIN, JOHNNY
- RO-JV VIDRO, JOSE
- RO-JW WILLIS, JIM
- RO-LB BERKMAN, LANCE
- RO-LJ JANSEN, LARRY
- RO-LW WHEAT, LEROY
- RO-MB BATTS, MATT
- RO-MBL BLYZKA, MIKE
- RO-MI IRVIN, MONTE
- RO-MM MICELOTTA, MICKEY
- RO-MS SANDLOCK, MIKE
- RO-PP PENSON, PAUL
- RO-PR RIZZUTO, PHIL
- RO-PRO ROE, PREACHER
- RO-RF FACE, ROY
- RO-RM MURRAY, RAY
- RO-TL LASORDA, TOM
- RO-VL LAW, VERN
- RO-WF FORD, WHITEY
- RO-WM MAYS, WILLIE
- RO-YB BERRA, YOGI
- RO-AK KALINE, AL
- RO-AP PAFKO, ANDY
- RO-BR ROSS, BOB
- RO-BS SKOWRON, BILL
- RO-BSH SHANTZ, BOBBY
- RO-BT TALBOT, BOB
- RO-BWE WERLE, BILL
- RO-CH HOGUE, CAL
- RO-CK KRESS, CHARLIE
- RO-CS SCHEIB, CARL
- RO-DG GROAT, DICK
- RO-DK KRYHOSKI, DICK
- RO-DL LENHARDT, DON
- RO-DLU LUND, DON
- RO-DS SNIDER, DUKE
- RO-EB BANKS, ERNIE
- RO-EM MAYO, EDDIE
- RO-GH HERMANSKI, GENE
- RO-HA AARON, HENRY
- RO-HB BAUER, HANK
- RO-JC CRUZ, JOSE
- RO-JP PRESKO, JOE
- RO-JPO PODRES, JOHNNY
"Clubhouse Collection" Autographed relic cards
Each card contains a piece of "Game Used" equipment and is also autographed. A limited edition of only 25 of each card was produced, and each card is numbered to only 25.
- #CCA-WM Willie Mays SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
- #CCA-AK Al Kaline DETROIT TIGERS
- #CCA-DS Duke Snider LOS ANGELES DODGERS
- #CCA-EB Ernie Banks CHICAGO CUBS
"Flashbacks" Autographed baseball card.
#FA-WM Willie Mays SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
"Flashbacks" (non-autographed)
- #F1 MAYS, WILLIE
- #F2 BERRA, YOGI
- #F3 KLUSZEWSKI, TED
- #F4 MUSIAL, STAN
- #F5 AARON, HANK
- #F6 SNIDER, DUKE
- #F7 ASHBURN, RICHIE
- #F8 ROBERTS, ROBIN
- #F9 VERNON, MICKEY
- #F10 LARSEN, DON
"Clubhouse Collection" relic cards (non-autographed)
- CC-AK Al Kaline
- CC-DS Duke Snider
- CC-EB Ernie Banks
- CC-JG Jim Gilliam
- CC-WM Willie Mays
- CC-EM Eddie Mathews
- CC-AP Albert Pujols
- CC-SG Shawn Green
- CC-KW Kerry Wood
- CC-CJ Chipper Jones
- CC-AR Alex Rodriguez
- CC-AD Adam Dunn
"Clubhouse Collection" dual relics (non-autographed)
- CCD-SG DUKE SNIDER / SHAWN GREEN
- CCD-BW ERNIE BANKS / KERRY WOOD
- CCD-MJ EDDIE MATHEWS / CHIPPER JONES
"Then and Now"
- TN1 KLUSZEWSKI, TED RODRIGUEZ, ALEX
- TN2 KLUSZEWSKI, TED RODRIGUEZ, ALEX
- TN3 MAYS, WILLIE BONDS, BARRY
- TN4 MUELLER, DON SORIANO, ALFONSO
- TN5 MUSIAL, STAN ANDERSON, GARRET
- TN6 MINOSO, MINNIE DAMON, JOHNNY
- TN7 MAYS, WILLIE BONDS, BARRY
- TN8 SNIDER, DUKE RODRIGUEZ, ALEX
- TN9 ROBERTS, ROBIN JOHNSON, RANDY
- TN10 ANTONELLI, JOHNNY MARTINEZ, PEDRO
"New Age Performers" insert set
- NA1 Mike Piazza
- NA2 Ichiro Suzuki
- NA3 Derek Jeter
- NA4 Alex Rodriguez
- NA5 Sammy Sosa
- NA6 Jason Giambi
- NA7 Vladimir Guerrerro
- NA8 Albert Pujols
- NA9 Todd Helton
- NA10 Nomar Garciaparra
- NA11 Randy Johnson
- NA12 Jim Thome
- NA13 Barry Bonds
- NA14 Miguel Tejada
- NA15 Alfonso Soriano
"Grandstand Glory" game used seat / stadium relic cards.
- #GG-AK Al Kaline DETROIT TIGERS
- #GG-AP Andy Pafko MILWAUKEE BRAVES
- #GG-DG Dick Groat PITTSBURGH PIRATES
- #GG-DS Duke Snider BROOKLYN DODGERS
- #GG-EB Ernie Banks CHICAGO CUBS
- #GG-EM Eddie Mathews MILWAUKEE BRAVES
- #GG-PR Phil Rizzuto NEW YORK YANKEES
- #GG-RA Richie Ashburn PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
- #GG-TK Ted Kluzsewski CINCINNATI REDS
- #GG-WM Willie Mays NEW YORK GIANTS
- #GG-WS Warren Spahn MILWAUKEE BRAVES
- #GG-YB Yogi Berra NEW YORK YANKEES
