Balls rule!

One of the fun things I did a few months ago was pick up Derek Jeter diecut cards that I found to be visually appealing. While I have cooled on that, I still have an eBay saved search and enjoy taking a peek every now and then.

A few days ago, I won an auction for a very cool 1997 Fleer Ultra Baseball Rules card of Jeter. The card is diecut, cut along the lines of the baseballs. It makes for a very cool, yet oddly shaped card. That's just the type of '90s weirdness I love.

I actually wasn't that sure when I bought the card what the subject matter even was. Just that it looked cool. That's all I need, sometimes.

Once it arrived, I noticed the back actually does have a "baseball rules" tidbit. I'm usually not a huge fan things like rules or trivia on cards but I like how it's done here:

Simple, clear definition of the a somewhat confusing rule around rookie status, and then a topical note on Jeter's current status and that he's on his way to winning ROY (they were right).What's odd is that the card was made in 1996, but it was for the 1997 product. According to baseballcardpedia, 1997 Fleer Ultra Series One was actually released in November of 1996. That's crazy! So they clearly printed the cards well before the conclusion of the '96 season. They were in Topps Update territory.

It also makes sense as to why I got a 1998 Ultra box for Christmas...in 1997.

Collectors would go nuts now if Topps released flagship or some other brand November for the following year. I don't think it was that odd back then though.

Regardless, this card rules and is a great Jeter diecut addition to my collection.