eBay Announces the Inaugural Class of the eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame

Legends Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the 10 players elected, as eBay celebrates those who top trading card sales and searches

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eBay Inc.

Jun 13, 2019, 08:00 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- eBay, one of the world's most dynamic and diverse marketplaces, announced today the inaugural class of the eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame. The list includes 10 legends whose trading cards have held the highest value and had the greatest influence on baseball's cards and collectibles world. Inductees were selected based on more than a decade's worth of proprietary sales and search data, and represent every era of the last century of baseball, from Babe Ruth to Pete Rose, and beyond. Fans can explore the entire eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame at eBay.com/BaseballCardHOF.

eBay announced the inaugural class of its Baseball Card Hall of Fame and an exclusive Mariano Rivera Collection.

Steve Wymer, eBay’s Chief Communications Officer, presents Mariano Rivera with the “Diamond Award” at eBay’s inaugural Baseball Card Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Crown Shy in New York City on June 11. The award recognizes Rivera's work on and off the field with the Mariano Rivera Foundation.

eBay inducted 10 baseball legends into its Baseball Card Hall of Fame on June 11 at Crown Shy in New York City, from Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Jr. and more.

eBay’s Baseball Card Hall of Fame celebrates the players whose trading cards have held the highest value and had the greatest influence on baseball’s cards and collectibles world.

Meet the 2019 eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame class of ten legends and five hopefuls.

Steve Wymer, eBay’s Chief Communications Officer and Mariano Rivera peruse items from the new “eBay x Mariano Rivera” collection, exclusively available on eBay.

An authentic Yankees jersey and hat, signed by Mariano Rivera, are among the many items available for purchase on eBay.

Fans can shop the “eBay x Mariano Rivera” collection of exclusive signed merchandise and one-of-a-kind memorabilia at eBay.com/MarianoRivera. The collection includes hand-signed official baseballs, jerseys and hats, autographed photographs of epic moments, flashy framed signs and wall art, 2019 Hall of Fame memorabilia. Fans can also donate to win a chance to meet "The Closer" himself in New York.

"Baseball card collecting is viewed by many as America's second-favorite pastime, and every fan remembers the thrill of finding the most sought-after cards of their day. We created the Baseball Card Hall of Fame to recognize those who have shaped the collecting experience across their respective generations," said Sam Bright, vice president of merchandising, eBay North America. "These players' cards have become an iconic part of baseball culture, prized by collectors around the world for their history and value."

Meet the Baseball Card Hall of Fame: Class of 2019

Mariano Rivera:
The Closer

Ken Griffey, Jr.:

The Fan

Favorite

Nolan Ryan:

The "K"ING

Stan Musial:

The Midsummer

MVP

Cal Ripken, Jr.:
The Fielder's

Choice

Babe Ruth:

The Godfather

Ted Williams:
The King

Without A Ring

Pete Rose:
The Hustler

Ozzie Smith:

The Golden

Glove

Mickey Mantle:
The MVP

On Deck: Hall of Fame Hopefuls

Derek Jeter:

The Postseason

Prince

Mike Trout:

The Looming

Legend

Aaron Judge:
The Riser

Bryce Harper:

The Powerhouse

Albert Pujols:

The First-Ballot

Bat

New York City Class Induction Ceremony
Elected players were formally inducted on June 11 in New York City. In a ceremony precluded with opening remarks by Steve Wymer, eBay's Chief Communications Officer, an honorary 'Home Plate' plaque recognized the career accomplishments of each Hall of Famer's influence on trading card culture.

As part of the ceremony, Mariano Rivera received the "Diamond Award," which names a standout player for their achievements, service on and off the field, and their performance on eBay. Beyond being one of the greatest closers of all time, Rivera and his work through the Mariano Rivera Foundation have had profound impacts on impoverished youth through education.

eBay x Mariano Rivera Collection
To celebrate Mariano Rivera's induction into eBay's Hall of Fame and his achievement as the first player in history to be unanimously inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, eBay announced that, beginning today, fans can shop the "eBay x Mariano Rivera" collection of exclusive signed merchandise and one-of-a-kind memorabilia at eBay.com/MarianoRivera. The collection includes hand-signed official baseballs, jerseys and hats, autographed photographs of epic moments, flashy framed signs and wall art, 2019 Hall of Fame memorabilia and more. Additionally, 42 special items – including game-worn jerseys, signed and game-used MLB bases, signed Yankees baseball hats and a personalized video recorded by Mariano Rivera – will be auctioned, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the Mariano Rivera Foundation through June 16.

"I love that eBay started the Baseball Card Hall of Fame. As a player, you have fans who come out to the games and they're incredible, then you have collectors who bring the game home with their distinct passion," said Rivera. "The exclusive merchandise we've put together with eBay is for real fans, whether they're Yankee die-hards or just genuine collectors. Most importantly, this collection creates incredible resources for underprivileged youth and their families."

Fans can explore the entire eBay Baseball Card Hall of Fame, including the 2019 class and five Hopefuls at eBay.com/BaseballCardHOF. Visit eBay.com/MarianoRiveraFoundation to donate for a chance to meet Rivera in New York and shop the exclusive collection at eBay.com/MarianoRivera.

eBay By the Numbers

eBay has 1.2 billion plus listings
eBay has 180 million active buyers worldwide
70% of items ship for free in U.S., UK and DE
2/3 of eBay packages in the U.S. are delivered within three business days or less
79% of all merchandise sold on eBay is new, and our wide selection keeps growing
80% of items sold on eBay are Buy It Now – no bidding necessary
62% of the eBay platform involves a mobile touchpoint
459 million downloads of eBay Inc. apps across the globe

About eBay
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2018, eBay enabled $95 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

SOURCE eBay Inc.