So Exactly HOW MANY SHORT-PRINTED CARDS are There in This Year's Update Series??!

Prince George, the future King, is a SP subject in 2013 Topps Update Series. Whose card number does he share? Stay tuned.

This is the week Topps baseball card collectors have been waiting for...UPDATE SERIES streets today (or yesterday..or some time soon as the number of auctions on the Bay is starting to grow). Along with all the goodies that come with the set that concludes the 2013 Topps season is word that there will be more short printed cards.

That shouldn't be a big surprise as Topps has been putting in SP's for the last few years, including this one.

However, it's the number of SP's and the way they are numbered that should make a certain cynical soccer fan/baseball card cynic's head explode.

If I counted correctly, there are 50...THAT'S RIGHT...

50...FIFTY...50...

And not only do you get player variations (and there are tons), there are also All-Star card variations (like last year), retired legends (from All-Star Games past), and even a card of the new Prince...George (you can already guess whose card the future king shares a card number with). Case breaker Brent Williams (the guy known as brentandbecca on eBay, Twitter, etc.) has been able to determine the cards that he is calling SP's (the regular short-prints that appear 6-8 per case), and the ones that he's confidently announcing as SSP's (the super short-prints that appear 1-2 per case).

So let's get to it. Before the final checklist comes out (oh wait, it already did...), here are the 50 cards that you will need to be on the lookout for that are not part of the base set. You want to see images? Then after you're done reading the checklist, you can peruse all 50 cards at Cardboard Connection. Before I forget, the cards in bold are your Super Short Prints. Good luck!!!

• US1b Matt Harvey, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, All-Star Workout Day with David Wright)
• US1c Tom Seaver, All-Star 2013 with David Wright (Base card Matt Harvey)
• US7b Yoenis Cespedes, Home Run Derby (Variation: Celebrating with Robinson Cano. I missed it, but was the name on the back of Cano's jersey "Robi"?)
• US7c Yoenis Cespedes, Home Run Derby (Variation: AL Home Run Derby Lineup)
• US16b Bo Jackson, All-Star 1989 (Base card Alex Gordon)
• US35b Andrew McCutchen, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal with Pedro Alvarez)
• US53b Craig Kimbrel, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, in dugout)
  
• US53c Hank Aaron, All-Star 1970 with Willie Mays (Base card Craig Kimbrel)

Found the original picture used for the Aaron card.

• US53d Chipper Jones, All-Star 2000 (Base card Craig Kimbrel)
• US73b Willie Mays, All-Star 1963 with Sandy Koufax (Base card Buster Posey)
• US73c Will Clark, All-Star 1990 with Matt Williams (Base card Buster Posey)
• US79 Yu Darvish, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, with Hisashi Iwakuma)
• US88b Troy Tulowitzki, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, with Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Gonzalez)
• US114b Nomar Garciaparra, All-Star 2000 (Base card Dustin Pedroia)
• US114c Wade Boggs, All-Star 1989 (Base card Dustin Pedroia)
• US119b Ken Griffey Jr., All-Star 1998 (Base card Felix Hernandez)
• US119c Ken Griffey Jr., All-Star 1999 with trophy (Base card Felix Hernandez)
• US134b Justin Verlander, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, All-Star Workout Day with David Wright)
• US140b Tony Gwynn, All-Star 1992 with Ken Griffey, Jr. (Base card Justin Upton)
• US142b Yadier Molina, All-Star (Variation: All-Star Workout Day with Buster Posey)
• US150b Gerrit Cole (Variation: Vertical, wearing black jacket)
• US180b Bryce Harper, All-Star (Variation: NL Home Run Derby Lineup)
• US188b John Kruk, All-Star 1993 (Base card Cliff Lee)
• US193b Max Scherzer, All-Star (Variation: All-Star Workout Day with Miguel Cabrera)
• US200b Wil Myers (Variation: wearing "retro" Rays jersey)
• US205b Prince George of Cambridge (yes, the future King of England. Base card Prince Fielder)
• US216b Cal Ripken Jr., All-Star 2001 with trophy (Base card Manny Machado)
• US216c Cal Ripken Jr., All-Star 2001 signing autographs (Base card Manny Machado)
• US218b Miguel Cabrera, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, with Adam Jones and Mike Trout)
• US250b Yasiel Puig (Variation: Horizontal, raising arms)
• US250c Yasiel Puig (Variation: with a large glove)
• US250d Yasiel Puig (Variation: Horizontal, sliding home preparing for Walk-Off celebration)
• US268b Joey Votto, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, All-Star Game with Brandon Phillips and Aroldis Chapman)
• US268c Teddy Kremer with Dusty Baker (the Reds' batboy who has Down Syndrome, but has been a positive story for the Reds in 2013. Base card Joey Votto)

Feel good story of the year Teddy Kremer has now been immortalized in cardboard.

• US276b Torii Hunter, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, preparing for All-Star Team Photo)
• US285b David Ortiz, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, with Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano)
• US300b Mike Trout, All-Star (Variation: with Robinson Cano)
• US313b Mariano Rivera, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, approaching mound)
• US313c Mariano Rivera, All-Star (Variation: leaving bullpen)
• US316b David Wright, All-Star (Variation: Horizontal, All-Star Workout Day)
• US323b Robinson Cano, All-Star (Variation: Wearing sunglasses and All-Star Game cap)
• US323c Lou Gehrig, All-Star 1939 All-Star with Jimmie Foxx (Base card Robinson Cano)

It takes a bit of digging, but the guy standing next to Gehrig's right is Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez.

• US323d Don Mattingly, All-Star 1989 with Bo Jackson (Base card Robinson Cano)

Now not only did the Update Series cards get the SP treatment, but Topps dove back into the regular set and added SSP cards for the following players. Please note that with the exception of Jeter, each player has an exclusive card found only in the retail factory sets:

• 2b Derek Jeter, All-Star 2000 (Base card in Series 1)
• 270c Manny Machado (Variation: Horizontal, black uniform. Base card in Series 1, exclusive card in Factory set)
• 286c Jurickson Profar (Variation: in dugout. Base card in Series 1, exclusive card in Factory set)
• 305c Shelby Miller (Variation: black cap. Base card in Series 1, exclusive card in Factory set)
• 589c Jose Fernandez (Variation: All-Star Game with Miguel Cabrera. Base card in Series 2, exclusive card in Factory Set)
• 661d Hyun-jin Ryu (Variation: in dugout. Base card in Series 2, also has a shortprint card in Series 2, and an exclusive card in Factory Set)
• 661e Hyun-jin Ryu (Variation: at bat. Base card in Series 2, also has a shortprint card in Series 2, and an exclusive card in Factory Set)

In total, there are 50 cards that are either short-printed or super-short-printed in 2013 Topps Update Series.

My take? At least there are no SSP cards of extremely last minute deals (see the first 7 cards of last year's Update Series). Lots of All-Star variations in both categories, which should make for a very interesting chase for those who are going to do it (good luck by the way).

I would have loved to go after the legends/retired All-Star cards, but since eleven of them are in the SSP category, I think I'll hold off. I still have to get my master set of Update Series to finish out the year. Maybe this weekend.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama