2013 Triple Play

Panini continues to come up with creative and sensible solutions to get around their lack of licensing. Triple Play was a Donruss brand in the early nineties which was geared towards children. Being a kid at heart, I enjoyed those sets for what they were. Cheap cards that taught the fundamentals of baseball, while showing some great action shots and a good smattering of current players.

The kid aspect has stayed true to the heart of the set, but instead of action shots of today's hottest stars and rookies, those players are now made into cartoons. It's not the most inventive release out there, but it's one that I'm glad was brought back. This set has the potential to hook some kids into collecting and that is something that the hobby has needed for quite some time. I appreciate that there isn't shiny distractions on the cards, like on other companies cards. I have been foiled and sparkled to death by other card companies and this is a good palate cleanser.

The White Sox have two cards in the set.

17 - Chris Sale
18 - Alex Rios

While there is a limited amount of players in Triple Play, the selection for the Sox is refreshing. Instead of Jake Peavy and Paul Konerko taking the two slots, a hot, young pitcher and a forgotten star make it into the mix. Sure, these players have their fair share of cards already, but it is a bit unusual seeing them as the only options in a set. Kudos, Panini.

Triple Play may not be the same set I remember collecting back in the nineties, but I do appreciate what it has turned into. There should always be a few cheap, fun options out there for kids and this fits the bill nicely.