World Champs Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera Sign Autograph Deal With Upper Deck
With Upper Deck's baseball products soon to be bereft of MLB team logos and trademarks, it's been natural to wonder what the company would come up with to attract collectors to its 2010 baseball line. One thing UD does have going for it is a strong lineup of players signed to autograph contracts, and that roster was bolstered Tuesday with an announcement that should make fans of the New York Yankees very interested.
Fresh off their fifth World Series title as teammates, pitchers Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera will have autographed cards appearing in 2010 Upper Deck baseball card products. The deal is non-exclusive, meaning both players can have signed cards in Topps products as well.
"We are thrilled to be able to bring signature cards of these two iconic players to collectors with our 2010 Upper Deck Baseball releases," Upper Deck baseball brand manager Gabriel Garcia said in a press release. "Their achievements are legendary and we know it will mean a lot to bring the New York faithful closer to their heroes."
Collectors don't usually go gonzo for relief pitchers, but Rivera is turning out to be a bit of an exception because he's been a lifelong Yankee and been so good for so long. He doesn't sign many cards each year, and the vast majority he's done during this decade have been for Topps and Donruss.
Pettitte's signature is even rarer, and he hasn't had any certified autograph cards at all for the last four years. He's flown somewhat under the hobby radar for most of his career, but he stands out as the type of layer whose accomplishments may be appreciated more once he finally walks away from the game.
Upper Deck mentioned the possibility of doing multi-signed cards with both pitchers and company spokesman Derek Jeter. The first place to look for the fruits of this deal should be in 2010 Upper Deck Series 1 Baseball, currently slated for release in the first week of February.
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 2004 Donruss Mariano Rivera Auto Dual Jersey d 4 5 US $289.99 |
