Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Triple Threads Patch Autograph Daisuke Matsuzaka

Topps has released some initial information about 2008 Topps Triple Threads including a scan of a Daisuke Matsuzaka patch/autograph numbered to five.

Here is some of the info Topps provided:

This year’s installment of Triple Threads Baseball (releasing late July) will feature an array of all-new AUTOGRAPH and RELIC cards. Collectors loved 2006 and 2007, but 2008 will be the best yet. Some highlights…

-All-New Presidential Cut Above Autographs including 3 relic pieces
-All-New XXIV Relic card. Features a minimum of 24 different relic die-cuts on a book card. The most ever!
-17 All-New legendary subjects from Topps exclusive deal with CMG featured throughout the product. Includes Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner, Jackie Robinson and more.
-Daisuke Matsuzaka Autographs (image attached)
-All-New Letter Plus and Jumbo Plus Relics… book cards featuring nice big pieces of jersey patch.
-Rookies and Rising Stars Autographed Duals
-Autographed Relic Double Combos…book cards with 6 autographs and 6 relic pieces

Every 2 Pack Box has:

-1 Autographed Triple Relic #’d to 99 or less
-1 Triple Relic #’d to 36 or less
-4 Parallels #’d to 525 or less
-6 Base cards #’d to 1350

Every 18-box Case Guarantees:

-A 1 of 1 Autographed Relic
-1 Autographed Triple Relic #’d to 36 or less

And now that I have you all excited for Triple Threads, I am going to tell you why it is bad for the hobby.

First off, there is only a finite number of people who can afford to spend the kind of money that Triple Threads will cost.

Secondly, a middle of the line collector may not be able to take that big of a gamble on a two pack box that guarantees just two hits that could both be no-namers.

Another reason is that certain people see products like Triple Threads, and then completely blow-off lower end sets like Topps, Upper Deck and Bowman among others. Thus, companies put less effort into these sets because they don't make as much money as high end sets.

I'm very hopeful that these types of releases don't make the hobby a high-end only place.