2013 USA Baseball Champions Gets Cracked in Contest Edition of Panini Unwrapped

Later yesterday afternoon, Panini America's Tracy Hackler and Mike Payne sat down with one shining, 24-pack hobby box of 2013 USA Baseball Champions for another must-see episode of Panini Unwrapped. After the video, in which Payne shares some interesting behind-the-scenes scoop on just how this product came about, be sure to stick around for the complete product checklist.

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Later yesterday afternoon, Panini America’s Tracy Hackler and Mike Payne sat down with one shining, 24-pack hobby box of 2013 USA Baseball Champions for another must-see episode of Panini Unwrapped. After the video, in which Payne shares some interesting behind-the-scenes scoop on just how this product came about, be sure to stick around for the complete product checklist.

Oh, and after that, be sure to give us your feedback on this particular break as well as your overall thoughts on the product in the comments section below for a chance to win one of four boxes of 2013 USA Baseball Champions.

And here’s a link to the complete checklist: 2013 USA Champions CL

Be sure to leave your comments below for a chance to win a box!

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83 Replies to “2013 USA Baseball Champions Gets Cracked in Contest Edition of Panini Unwrapped”

  1. I think this really was a genius way to make a baseball product, take advantage of the licensing you do have and make a unique product. Too much stuff in the market today seems like a re-tread, and this is original finally

  2. Nice looking product and LOVE that you got Big Mac Mark to sign again. Great price too Keep up the great work Panini.

  3. LOVE… I mean LOVE the look of the new USA Baseball Champions… As as A’s fan… First pack I opened had an Addison Russell base! May not be worth much to most… But to me it’s priceless… Love having a product that I can open and get one of my top PC guys. Love the look of the cards, with the deep blue border and a huge American flag behind the player(s). It’s just a nice looking card. I highly recommend this set to any set collector or prospector. Looks like a fun set to chase. Thanks Panini!!! And thanks Mike and “The Hack Man” for showing off the new product!

  4. Awesone product and a great value. Im glad to see the producy packed out it adds more excitement. Great job as usual.

  5. USA BASEBALL RULES!!!! Any time you can represent a sport and the best damn country on earth….ITS A WIN WIN!! kEEP DOIN YOUR THING PANINI!!

  6. I love the mix of past and present USA players. And I like the certified and mirror cards. Looks like it would be a lot of fun to bust a box with all the Autos and Jersey cards in there.

  7. Great photography, cool inserts and a great looking product. Will definitely be picking up some of these.

  8. Love the shimmery shine coat on the card as well as the autos and game used jerseys.Nice work Panini America Inc.

  9. Very sweet set. I especially like the USA legends and the certified cards. I think you did a great job on this product!

  10. Love the mix of prospect, minor league players, and alumni. Some of the old school photos are neat to see in their USA uniforms. Look forward to seeing more breaks!

  11. Fantastic looking cards with a great concept. US Baseball.is second to none just like this product. Although trying to put together a complete autograph set will be difficult that’s why they call it collecting. Great set!

  12. Tracy,

    I love this product. I knew from the moment it was announced it was going to be a great product. The base set and inserts will appease the set builders, and the autos and relics will satisfy the hit chasers. There are high quality names in there, so you won’t be pulling nothing but 16U team member’s jersey swatches. A single box break with 6 hits, for less than $75? Unheard of, Panini strikes gold again with really appeasing collectors of all ages. To me, this set is PERFECT for parents/children to rip and build sets together. Right in time for Father’s Day? Yes please!

    Two small criticisms, no Strausburg or Harper? One or the other would have added even MORE value to the product. I was looking forward to getting (or potentially getting) a card or two of these phenom’s. Alas, I’ll have to resort to a different product for that, I suppose! The second criticism is that the serializations on many of the parallels is simply too high. The blue/red certified parallels being out of 299 and 499… way too high for how beautiful the cards are. Many times, less is better.

  13. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, do you see a Ken Griffey Jr Mirror Gold Die Cut in my box of USA baseball?

    Cool product at a great price! I’m really digging the die cuts that I’ve seen and the Certifieds look absolutely beautiful. As much as I love prospects, the true value lies in the veterans. Nothing beats getting a new Griffey card for the collection. Instead of the green & black, it would’ve been cool to see red, white, & blue auto parallels, but maybe next year.

    Why didn’t Jeter or Harper make it into the product (they had Prizm USA cards)?

    As always, thanks for listening to us and giving us the chance to win cool prizes.

  14. Yet another great product from the people from Panini. I like the mixture of cards of the past USA players and the younger future stars of MLB. I have always collected baseball cards since I was young going to the local penny candy store in the late 60’s. (wish I still had all of those cards today) I am happy to see more baseball product being released that are affordable because I can not justify spending $50 to $100 for one pack of cards when for the same price I can get a box of cards full of great photos and a chance at a great auto or memerablia piece to pass on to future grandsons (my daughter has no interest in my card collection so I am hoping for a grandson or more some day) Keep up the great work in leading the way in the new cutting edge tech in the card collecting world

  15. Once again another solid Home Run from Panini. The more products you guys produce makes me definitely eat crow every time. I look forward to opening a few boxes.

  16. It’s great that McGuire has an auto in this stuff. Just a shot at that will have me busting some boxes. Great looking cards

  17. Nice job – like that you guys went back and got cards from the older USA players from the past

  18. Love the product. The amount of hits that come out as well as the price point is great. There is a good mix of youngster and veteran love in the set. Grats to whoever wins a box!

  19. Love the look of the cards and seeing all of the big names we now know, representing the good ‘ol USA! We’ll probably be able to look back in a decade and see some of these young men being an influantial as the All-Stars. Great assortment of autos and other inserts – all around nice set to collect. Thanks again Panini!

  20. Very nice, Panini has out done themselves again, I love the legends in the set, the Big Mac auto is great…keep up the good work and thanks for the chance to win. The breaks and insights you both give are great, they should think of making a card w/auto of yourself and include it in the set.
    Thanks again,

  21. Any time you can get a Frank Thomas Auto and prospects is awesome but throw in USA and its GOLD!!!!!!!!

  22. Great product to release between Memorial Day and July 4th! Awesome product to introduce the world of prospects in conjunction with the all time greats! Very classy and authentic design, really brings the set together with consistency! Love it!!!

  23. Love the fact is in pack form this year!!!! The inserts are awesome and love all of the alums. Thanks Panini.

  24. Love the product. Looks great! I especially like the legends that are featured. Awesome work, guys!

  25. No shortage of FUN in this GREAT product. Nice looking autos – jersey/patch cards – inserts – bat cards. Good array of Prospects – and Alumni. Can’t wait to bust-a-box or two. Thanks Panini for awesome products and thanks to all that provide the Vids.

  26. I like the history there. I had no idea some of these guys were USA Baseball players. I also like the mix of rookies/future stars and veterans. Some nice HOFers in the mix as well. Definitely an interesting set.

  27. I like the look of the cards, and if there are 3 autos and 3 relics in a 24 pack box at $3 a pack, this is an amazing value. I definitely plan to buy some.
    .

  28. Anytime you can put history on a card it usually leads to great things. And this set is no exception. When you guys put players I grew up with in my early teen years in a set you have my attention. Nothing better to stir memories of my early years of collecting and watching baseball. This is such a super checklist. It’s cards like these that I like to keep taking out of the box to look at over and over. Theres is really something here for everybody. Thanks guys for an outstanding set of cards. You truly keep outdoing yourselves. (Btw I’ve never seen a package spray like that when opened. And you didn’t miss a beat. Did you not notice it? lol! )

  29. Great product and you guys were even able to set it at a great price point. Love all of the retro sigs and that fact you guys got McGwire is icing on the cake. I need to get my hands on some of this stuff!

  30. This is my type of product! You get a great box of cards for a very reasonable price. This is one product that I am surely going to have to be a part of.

  31. I love how you added in the past players too. I was expecting mainly current or future stars so when I saw you had added players from the past, it was a nice surprise. I love this product.

  32. Break: Very shiny cards. Michael Wacha! Diamond Kings looks cool. As does Highlights. Interesting to learn about why the flag appears “backwards”. Never knew that before. Ozzie!!! Product: Absolutely love the alumni cards! Love how the redemptions won’t take long. The color coding of the cards is cool.

  33. Another fantastic episode of unwrapped!! I am into the history of the game so this product is right up my alley!! The certified inserts look amazing. And with autos and memorabila cards this is one I will be busting. I think I would bust a box or two…or more with my father in-law who is also a baseball history nut! Even more than I am! Maybe I will win a box to share with him. Keep the stellar products coming!!!

  34. Great job guys on pulling this historic images together for this product! I love the history spanning set a great mix of all-time greats and future greats! would love to pull a Frank Thomas autograph. if it was from a give away box would be even better! lol
    Tracy Question is there a list of the past winners of giveaways or where can I find out the winners?

  35. Looks great. I’ve always loved USA Baseball. Mark McGwire will always be my favorite ball player to collect. The McGwire Auto is currently my Desktop Background! I can’t wait to see how crazy that card goes for on Ebay. I haven’t seen a current Mcgwire card for a long time. Good Job Panini!

  36. I like the Certified inserts a lot! Great mix of young players and alums. Love seeing many of the greats from the 80s and 90s in there! Nice backgrounds too! Great Diamond Kings inserts!! No real complaints here!

    When does it hit the stores???

  37. Growing up playing baseball, this is a great product with great looking cards! Love the inserts, especially the pride cards with the backwards flags, great touch! The authentic USA Baseball photos for the cards is a great touch!

  38. This is the best product I’ve seen for USA Baseball since I started buying USA Baseball products. The history angle provides a lot of variation with age groups, coaches, past years players, and autos from top to bottom. Many of the autos are from some who haven’t signed much throughout the years. (Robin Ventura, Barry Larkin, Jim Abbott, etc.) It looks like there are lots of hits per box, and at a price that is affordable. The USA Baseball Bat Knob cards are awesome too. I will definitely be collecting this set. It’s the most excited I’ve been since I was buying like crazy during Mike Trout and Bryce Harper’s rookie year. Keep up the good work Panini.

  39. Hackler, I am stoked! I’m one of the “people who love USA Baseball in a cult-like way” and will never forget watching Team USA Baseball play in the Atlanta Olympics. What a privilege.
    The product is steeped in modern baseball history, replete with patches and autos from Team USA stars of yesterday and tomorrow? What a win @ $3 pack! This is the kind of product that can lure young collectors back to the hobby. Cannot wait to get my mitts on a box.
    Great job re-inventing the product, and packing it out instead of finding a slew of loose cards in a box is a huge improvement of itself.

  40. I am a young collector and relish each and every card I see, I do not just like a card for the value it holds but for the details and style put into a card. I love the history behind the oldest of cards, and the greatest of players, and the rookies of the game! What set holds it all??? USA BASEBALL OF COURSE!!! I really think this product looks great, I am on a super small budget and have never broke a hobby box, let alone a great product like this, but I am itching to bust some of this USA baseball!! I love to watch Tracy and his guests bust boxes of cards! It’s the fun that draws me to collecting, and there is nothing more fun than beautiful parallel sets, gorgeous die cuts, and lots of hits! Thanks for another Fantastic product guys!!! Keep it up!!!

  41. geat way to add collectablity to what could have easily been marketed to kids with no hits at all…great look design to it, thanks for the contest

  42. Love the new look of the USA cards. I’ve always liked following Team USA and for $3 a pack it’s a great deal. Like the combination of new and old players, autos, and memorabilia cards and the checklist covers everyone. Great set, well done!

  43. The overall design of the whole set is amazing. The autos and mem cards are so cool and the product is one of the most unique.

  44. Good Day to you Sir Tracy! And to you also Mike! I like the look of this product 🙂 I always like different colored variations and short prints of new players as well as veterans. The designs are great! The photography is exceptional of players when they were younger 🙂 It’s always great to “Look” Back on those years 🙂 Nice to see that Frank Thomas has also signed for this years USA Baseball 🙂 that’s pretty cool in itself as he doesn’t sign a lot! The price point is great and being a disabled Viet Nam Veteran,and money being tight, I think I can get a box or maybe 2 of these 🙂 I would give this years USA Baseball a SOLID A+ from what I’ve seen! Thanks guys! Have a GREAT DAY!
    Dave

  45. Good looking product, I wish my guy Huddy had been on a USA team to make it into this stuff. I like the newer look to the newer guys and the classic look to the older guys, a subtle yet notable difference within the product imo. Thanks Tracy!

  46. Love the look of the cards. Great mix of todays and yesteryears players. 6 hits per box for the price is unheard of and I’m so happy to see Big Mac signing. Would liked to have seen Strasburg in this though. No reason to make him exclusive if you’re not going to have him sign for a product in which he clearly should be in. That’s the only thing I don’t like. Overall, great job.

  47. Very nice job of making a nice classy product with a solid checklist. It reminds me of the old hoops USA basketball series from the 90s. It is nice to have an affordable product that has mem and autos in it. Overall good product. Thanks for the preview

  48. Definitely digging USA Baseball. I think they have a great look and love that the legends are in it. And it is a great price.

  49. Im not the biggest baseball fan, as far as a collecting stand point, but this set is really neat. It provides a cool balance of past, present and future of USA and MLB baseball. It is also really neat to see all the past greats in their younger years and see kinda what they looked like before the normal fan probably heard of them. Plus, anything to do with guys playing and representing this great country is also very neat. Good job Mike and the baseball team up there and thanks again Tracy for the cool video and contest!

  50. I don’t normally follow USA Baseball, but after seeing this box break, I feel that if I were to open a box, I would be shown the history of the USA teams as well as the bright spots towards the future. The mix of propsects and MLB fan favorites definitely showcase the team and all the talent this country has produced for baseball. The designs I feel are great overall, especially the listing of what team the player represented the U.S.A., but I am not feeling the gold for the legends and blue for the prospect players. From the video I understand the checklist had to be changed, but I would prefer all of the base cards to be the same type of design.
    I look forward to seeing this cards in my local card shops and I will definitely be purchasing these cards to not only add to my collection but to learn more about the history of Team U.S.A. baseball! Great looking product!

  51. Great looking cards. I really like the Diamond Kings and the nice On Card Autos. I’m not that big of a fan though of the look of the new GU cards.

  52. Love these USA baseball cards. My favorite inclusion into the set has to be Ken Griffey Jr. Always wanted to have an auto of his. Plus having the up and coming guys alongside legends is always a great thing. Great job on this set Panini!!

  53. AWESOME. Have been checking out all of Tracy’s emails. I LOVE the flashes of old and new mixed together to make an incredible product. Had forgotten some of the players who were USA participants. Appreciated the history lesson in the cards. USA USA PANINI PANINI. THANKS

  54. As we are just a few days removed from memorial day weekend the timing is impeccable for this release. I love our team USA products. To represent our national pastime with our national team is outstanding. As Mike noted in the video these are some of baseballs top prospects. Couple that with the fact they have the team USA jersey on and that just doubles the collect-ability for me. Its the rich history of the game i love. Over the years many of the legends on the field have also been heroes by serving and or representing their country. Including the past alum is great. Its like a timeline of players that have passed the game down to the future stars of tomorrow. With the hit factor firmly intact, this is a beautifully designed set. Hats of to Panini and the Stars and Strips. Only one thing left to do. Break a box as i chant U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.

  55. Panini and USA!!! What can go wrong with these 2 powerhouses???? Nothing. This years cards are great both for the heavy hitters and those that like to build sets. Its a win win for this product. Great job Panini!!!! USA USA USA!!!!

  56. Fun break. For someone that collected in the 1990’s I love seeing the Diamond Kings and Legends die-cuts. A great mix of prospects and legends that make this product unique on the market. Another great job example of Panini working with licenses they have to make a fun, collectible baseball product that hits the hobby standards while providing fresh content.

  57. Gotta love a set containing legends as well as up and coming prospects…The Legends and the Diamond Kings take me back to my early 90’s collecting days. I still have those cards! Now that there are autos and memorabilia,this will be a really fun product to bust. Love the color too!

  58. Very much enjoyed opening the 2 boxes I purchased today but I do have one question. I can see that there are a couple of cards that don’t exist (#107 and #124), but I also see that card #29 and card #41 seem to be the same card. Each has the same picture of Ken Griffey Jr. and each has the same information on the back. Just an error or is there something different between these 2 cards that I don’t see?

  59. Very nice break with a mix of past and present. I love the blue parallels, on card autos, and the game used. I think it is a very nicely done product. I think alot of collectors will be surprised with how many greats played for USA teams. I know it would interest me. Thanks for the chance of winning a box of this.

  60. It looks like a great product that any baseball fan would enjoy busting with the inclusion of past legends and current future legends! Plus autos and game used with a great price point–KUDOS Panini on a fine product!

  61. 2013 USA Baseball Champions WOW! Hands down a great mix of “summer games” players past and present. Great autographs and a good amount per box for the money. I love the photography really captured the feeling of a great time and place in the USA team games. You truly feel the USA history with this new product. I was surprised to see some of the top prospects and some very rare players signing with Panini USA baseball. One player that stands out that you don’t see in other products is Mark McGwire. I love this idea for a product and you truly see the excitement and dedication these USA teams and players have for this great American game. Panini I have to say you created another superb product and you never disappoint. Thanks Again your devoted collector -Andrew

  62. I really love the history of USA baseball shown through the cards, how the jerseys change from year to year. The old Alumni who made it as successful big leaguers and those who did not.

  63. Thanks to everyone who participated with great comments and constructive criticism. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. We’re going to give away five boxes instead of the originally announced four. Congratulations to our winners: Jamey, Seth M. Murphy, Ryan K., fatcatt and Carl Burke. We’ll be in touch to get your mailing addresses.

    Thanks again.

    1. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Tracy, Scott, & those who I and The Knight’s Lance bloggership aren’t familiar with, but who have developed eye-popping new products & re-defined “what’s possible.”
      Winning a box of the USA Championship Baseball is such a treat for me, given my passion for Team USA Baseball.
      I was thrilled when Panini was awarded the contract for USA Baseball, and the re-invention of the product hasn’t disappointed. Under the previous manufacturer, the product had grown stale, entirely predictable, and made no effort to recognize those athletes who made Team USA so very formidable in years past. The new USA product has clearly received a great deal of thought & creative energy, and I’m so excited to receive my box.

      Tracy & Panini…. Thank you again! Congratulations to the other winners!!!

  64. Absolutely floored to be selected to recieve a box, Tracy! Thank you so very much! As I stated above and in previous Knight’s Lance posts, this product is a winner hands down and I can only anticipate that future renditions are going to build off this success and we’ll have another one of those products people really look forward to each year! Congratulations to the other winners as well!

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