“Card-collecting buffs can thank Beltran’s father for urging him to concentrate on baseball over volleyball, his once-favorite sport.  Carlos made his first of three straight All-Star Game appearances in 2004, when he played for the Royals and Astros, but his popularity peaked when he joined the Mets in ’05.  A year later, Carlos set career highs in most categories and won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award ®.”

2007 Topps Series 1:

1. #252 John Gibbons (Manager)
2. #266 Joe Maddon (Manager)
3. #272 Jeff Salazar (Rookie Card)
4. #289 Brian Burres (Rookie Card)
5. #141 Rich Aurilia
6. Hobby Masters #HM18 Carlos Beltran
7. Red Back #306 Mike Cameron (Gold Glove)
8. Red Back #258 Mike Hargrove (Manager)
9. #329 Yadier Molina/Albert Pujols (Classic Combo)
10. #108 Wes Helms

5 hobby packs of 1995 Topps Traded and Rookies.  The first two packs show an interesting coincidence:

PACK 1

Carlos Beltran’s rookie card actually shows another guy named Juan LeBron.  It’s an uncorrected error.

1. #18T Carlos Beltran (Uncorrected Error) (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
2. #148T Kevin Brown
3. #131T Tyler Green (Rookie of the Year Candidates)
4. #148T Kevin Brown
5. #14T Kevin Gross
6. #8 Jeff Bagwell (At the Break)
7. #66T Lee Smith
8. #19T Mike Mimbs
9. #138T Scott Cooper
10. #98T Tom Henke
11. #111T Antonio Osuna

PACK 2

Juan LeBron’s rookie card actually shows Carlos Beltran.

1. #90T Dave Gallagher
2. #126T Jim Scharrer (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
3. #12T Juan LeBron (Uncorrected Error) (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
4. #126T Jim Scharrer (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
5. #72T Jose Canseco
6. #52T Mike Perez
7. #45T Marty Cordova (Rookie of the Year Candidates)
8. #79T Brad Radke
9. #123T Bobby Witt
10. #32T Mike Devereaux
11. #70T Tony Fernandez

PACK 3

1. #130T Lyle Mouton/Mariano Rivera (On Deck) (Rookie Card)
2. #103T Dilson Torres
3. #140T Charlie Hayes
4. #116T John Kruk
5. #62T Tim Scott
6. #64T Ken Hill
7. #13T Shawn Green (Rookie of the Year Candidates)
8. #153T Stan Belinda
9. #61T Orel Hershiser
10. #142T Rich Amaral
11. #123T Bobby Witt

PACK 4

1. #156 Frank Thomas/Fred McGriff (Mid All-Star)
2. #68T Felipe Lira
3. #157 Carlos Baerga/Craig Biggio (Mid All-Star)
4. #163 Ivan Rodriguez/Mike Piazza (Mid All-Star)
5. #73T Mark Grudzielanek
6. #10 Matt Williams (At the Break)
7. #2 Ken Griffey Jr. (At the Break)
8. #81T John Wetteland
9. #110 David Cone
10. #114T Mark McLemore
11. #81T John Wetteland

PACK 5

1. #74T Ben Davis (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
2. #76T Roger Bailey
3. #126T Jim Scharrer (Draft Pick) (Rookie Card)
4. #88T Pat Ahearne/Gary Rath/Larry Wimberly/Robbie Bell (Prospects) (Rookie Card)
5. #55T Zane Smith
6. #51T Todd Stottlemyre
7. #128T Chipper Jones (Rookie of the Year Candidates)
8. #85T Ken Caminiti
9. #125T Joey Cora
10. #123T Bobby Witt
11. #34T Benny Santiago

2007 Topps Red Back #176 Alfonso Soriano/Carlos Beltran (Classic Combo)

2007 Topps series 1:

1. #187 Matt Cain
2. #159 Jason Michaels
3. #59 Brent Clevlen
4. #128 Damian Miller
5. Own the Game #OTG25 Roy Halladay
6. Generation Now #GN74 Chase Utley
7. Red Back #255 Brad Penny
8. Red Back #176 Alfonso Soriano/Carlos Beltran (Classic Combo)
9. #36 Gregg Zaun
10. #81 Ian Kinsler

I don’t really understand how these two make a “classic combo”, but it’s got former Washington National Alfonso Soriano in it.

2007 Topps Own the Game archives, to be integrated into my collection:

2007 Topps Own the Game #OTG9 Carlos Beltran

1. #OTG9 Carlos Beltran