MLB Properties and TRISTAR Productions, Inc. Sign Exclusive Deal to Vend Minor League Trading Cards

MLN Newswire - Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP), licensing agent for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and its member Clubs, and TRISTAR Productions Inc., one of the premier producers of sports collectibles and memorabilia, have reached a multi-year exclusive licensing agreement making TRISTAR the only trading card manufacturer licensed by MLBP to produce nationally-distributed trading cards of top draft picks and prospects within Minor League Baseball.

This new agreement, which introduces TRISTAR into the revamped Minor League Baseball trading card market, designates TRISTAR as the exclusive MLBP national trading card licensee with national distribution rights to produce the first professional base set cards of amateur players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as well as prospects signed as undrafted free agents.

The first TRISTAR Minor League Baseball card set, titled TRISTAR Prospects Plus, will debut in the fall of 2006 and will include the first pro baseball trading cards of players selected in the June 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft. This set will also mark the introduction of Minor League Baseball's "Pro Debut" firstcard identification program. The "Pro Debut" logo will identify a MiLB player's first professional baseball trading card with his first MiLB team. A special "Pro Debut" logo will be featured on cards depicting Minor League players with their introductory team. The "Pro Debut" program will complement the new MLBP Rookie Card program by helping card collectors seek and identify a MLB player's very first professional trading card before he makes the jump to the Major Leagues.

"We are thrilled to welcome TRISTAR Productions as the exclusive Minor League trading card resource," said Howard Smith, Senior Vice President, Licensing, Major League Baseball Properties. "TRISTAR is a leader in the memorabilia industry and their commitment and experience will help to create excitement and exposure within the Minor League Baseball trading card category."

"We are extremely excited and honored to have been selected by Major League Baseball Properties as the exclusive producer of Minor League Baseball trading cards," said Jeff Rosenberg, President and CEO, TRISTAR Productions, Inc. "We have a team at TRISTAR with vast experience in the creation, production and collectability of baseball cards, and we look forward to working with Minor League Baseball to create excitement within the Minor League Baseball trading card category."

Special features in the upcoming TRISTAR card sets will include autographed cards signed by top prospects and game-used memorabilia cards. In addition, collectors will have the opportunity to collect cards of their favorite baseball greats in their Minor League uniforms. An example of a special card in the inaugural TRISTAR Fall 2006 release will be a special dual-signed Roger and Koby Clemens autographed card.