Card Spotlight: 5-7-10

1995 Upper Deck Special Edition #22 - Roberto Hernandez

It is very difficult to tell from the scan, but the background is actually a bright and vibrant looking mirrored foil. The scanner just doesn't want to pick up foiled objects very well. Roberto Hernandez, however, pops out as the only part of the card front that doesn't have that effect.

When these cards originally came out, I was disillusioned with baseball cards and baseball in general. I wasn't collecting. I paid attention to baseball, more out of habit than an enjoyable necessity. The '94 strike took a lot of enthusiasm out of the sport for me. I still watched, but I had better things to occupy my time.

I still followed my favorite players and I still followed my favorite team. It wouldn't be until 1997, when I went back to a game. I was still a bit hesitant, but the atmosphere soon overcame me again. I found myself enjoying the game again. Then the White Flag trade came and soured that experience. One of my favorite players on the Sox was traded away and the Sox, who were so close when the trade happened, never recovered. It wouldn't be until midway through the 1998 season, where I started listening again. Baseball needed to earn my trust back. It eventually did, but it was a long process with many ups and downs.

I didn't actually see a 1995 Upper Deck Special Edition card until this year. I had heard about them, but I never knew what they were. I figured they were some parallel with a slightly different color or a foil signature, like the Collector's Choice parallels. I was quite shocked when I stared down at a few of these cards and wondered what they were. That's one of the dangers of leaving the hobby for a long stretch of time. You are always playing catch up.