2011 ITG Heroes & Prospects HITS Box Break

In The Game is a trading card brand generally referred to as ITG. In 2011 they released a baseball product called Heroes and Prospects, which is a small box with only five top loader protected baseball cards inside. However, all five cards are "hits" which means they are autographed or feature a piece of game worn material. I like the clean design of 2011 ITG baseball cards and the bold autographs, so much so that one box was not enough for me. I had the chance to get a second box cheaper than the first I purchased and here is the results of the box break.

Drew Cisco - Full Body - Silver Version - Auto
This baseball card has a print run of 390, meaning only 390 are in existence. Drew Cisco is a pitching prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He is said to have a "high ceiling" as far as potential goes, but he doesn't seem to be pressing to make it into the majors anytime soon. His autograph is nice with elaborate pen strokes, the letters "D" and "C" are big.

Tyler Matzek - Close Up - Silver Version - Auto
The print run for this baseball card is said to be only 190 cards made. The difference between this style of card and the "full body" cards, is this one has a close up photo of the player's face, as opposed to a further back action stance. Tyler Matzek is a pitching prospect in the Colorado Rockies system. He has had some struggles in the minors, but the Rockies seem to retain high hopes for his future as a potential big leaguer. The book value of this card is around $12, however, in Ebay discount selling, unless he hit's the majors with flair, it is a couple of bucks.

Mychal Givens - Lumber graphs - Auto
This card features the autograph across the barrel of a baseball bat, not a real bat, just a picture of one, with the player in his batting stance above. The print run for this card is listed as only 100. Mychal Givens is a shortstop in the minor league system of the Baltimore Orioles. He is considered a great talent with some power potential at the plate, however, the Orioles minor league system has a crowd of talented shortstops going to be vying for a future on the team.

Darrell Ceciliani - Hard Cuts - Silver Version - Auto
The print run on this baseball card is a very limited 24 and features Darrell Ceciliani a centerfield prospect for the New York Mets. This is a thicker baseball card with the autograph featured on a section meant to look somewhat like a check the player signed and then inserted into the display window. Darrell had a good 2010 and has dealt with an injury early in 2011, but he is one to keep an eye on.

Ehire Adrianza - Fully Body - Silver Version - Auto
The print run on this card is 390 and Ehire Adrianza is a shortstop prospect for the San Francisco Giants. The Giants will be in need of a shortstop, but current rumors do not favor a prospect getting the call up, a trade at the big league level may be inevitable and if that happens, Ehire, as well as any other prospect, may be a trading chip at some point.

This second box of 2011 ITG Heroes and Prospects was not as fruitful as my first box. In the price range of $75-80 this is a product that you invest in to hold the cards and wait for these players to make a name for themselves. Of course it is a risky lottery ticket in that many won't. Due to the fact that only Topps has the license to display official baseball team logos, 2011 ITG is snubbed by some collectors, but that is their loss as the cards are very nice, just not something to try and flip for profit right away.