A new title for Tony

So far on this blog, Tony has been a Diamond King a few times. Topps decided to take that a step further and in 1999 hailed him as a 'Lord of the Diamond'. 

Card Number 568: Topps, 1999; #LD12

This card is a die-cut and super-shiny. It scanned reasonably well on the flatbed. The die-cut points at the top of the card are actually a bit sharp. 

With some (badly applied) illumination for the overhead scan the card really explodes with light.

One the back we have yet another euphemism for hitting the ball. Tony was "rapping" a batting average of .368 over a five year period. 

That half decade was the best by a batter since the Great Depression - yet another way of showing how Tony was literally the best batter in baseball not just in his generation but probably for three generations of players. No wonder he's smiling in the photo on the back.

NB -  this is one of those annoying cards that has a copyright year on the back which is different to the release year. But it is most definitely from Topps's 1999 set.

Total: 568 cards