One of the collecting projects I’ve started this year is building what I’m calling an Innovation Collection. These are cards that represent milestones in the evolution of the hobby rather than just great players.

Instead of chasing one player or one team, I’m focusing on cards that introduced something new: the first refractors, early serial-numbered cards, Mirror parallels, PMGs, Crusades, Artist’s Proofs, and other releases that helped shape the modern hobby.

My newest pickup is this 1996 Pinnacle Starburst Hardball Heroes Artist’s Proof Chipper Jones PSA 10 (Pop 3). I specifically targeted the Artist’s Proof cards because I think Pinnacle was doing some incredibly creative things in the mid-90s. The foil stamping, the etched “Artist’s Proof” pattern, and the use of the designation across multiple sets and inserts made them one of the era’s most distinctive premium parallels. They may not get the same attention as PMGs or 1993 Finest Refractors, but I think they deserve a place in any collection celebrating hobby innovation.

I’m curious, if you were building a collection around the biggest innovations of the ‘90s, what card or set would be the first one you’d chase?

Johnny Damon grew up moving from Army base to Army base, which might explain why he always seemed comfortable wherever he landed. Baseball became the one constant, and by the time he reached the majors, he played with the looseness of someone who never looked overwhelmed by a new uniform or a big moment.

He first made his name in Kansas City and Oakland, then became a defining figure in Boston. As the leadoff hitter for the 2004 Red Sox, Damon set the emotional tone for a team that ended an 86-year championship drought. His two homers and six RBIs in Game 7 of the ALCS remain one of the most iconic performances in postseason history. Five years later, he crossed the rivalry line and helped the 2009 Yankees win another World Series, a rare achievement in baseball’s fiercest divide.

Damon finished with 2,769 hits, 235 home runs, and 408 stolen bases, a blend of speed, durability, and longevity that defined his era. He wasn’t just fast. He was always there when the stakes were highest.

Cliff Floyd was supposed to be a star before he ever reached the majors. Drafted 14th overall by the Expos in 1991, he debuted in the big leagues at just 20 years old, carrying enormous expectations and a powerful switch-hitting swing. His career never followed a straight line, but when healthy, few hitters were more dangerous.

Floyd won a World Series with the 1997 Marlins, then later became a central bat for the Mets during their early-2000s revival. In 2000, he hit .300 with a .411 on-base percentage and a .541 slugging, helping drive New York to the World Series. Over 17 seasons with six teams, he finished with 233 home runs, a .278 average, and a reputation as one of the most professional middle-order hitters of his era.

Chili Davis grew up in Jamaica, moved to Los Angeles as a kid, and learned baseball on Southern California sandlots before becoming one of the most reliable switch hitters of his era. He debuted with the Giants as a teenager in 1981 and, remarkably, was already facing Hall of Fame pitchers before he could legally drink. By the late 1980s, he had become a central piece of the Oakland A’s powerhouse lineup, helping them win the 1989 World Series while quietly putting together one of the steadiest offensive careers of his generation.

Davis finished with 350 home runs and nearly 1,400 RBIs, numbers built on patience as much as power. He was famous for his calm at-bats and once joked that wearing down a pitcher with foul balls was just as satisfying as taking him deep. One fun twist: he was famously afraid of flying early in his career and often traveled by bus or train when possible.

After retiring, Davis became one of the most respected hitting coaches in baseball, helping stars like Aaron Judge refine their approach. His influence ended up shaping two eras instead of one.

Orel Hershiser arrived in the majors without the hype that follows most future aces. He had been an undersized kid, a 17th-round pick, and even got cut from his high school team. What he did have was a stubborn sense of self-belief and a willingness to rebuild himself from the ground up. The Dodgers helped him reshape his delivery and his confidence, and by the late 1980s he had become the face of their pitching staff.

Hershiser reached his peak in 1988, a season that still feels almost mythical in Dodgers history. He threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings, a record that has survived every offensive era since. He won the Cy Young Award, then outdueled some of the best lineups of the decade in October. His complete game in the National League Championship Series and his dominant work in the World Series helped deliver the Dodgers their first title since the Koufax era. People in Los Angeles still talk about how calm he looked on the mound during those weeks, almost as if the postseason belonged to him.

His influence was not limited to that one season. Hershiser became known as one of the smartest and most prepared pitchers of his time, a player who kept evolving as velocity around him climbed and hitters changed their approach. Later in his career he served as a steadying veteran presence for Cleveland during their mid-1990s resurgence, reaching two more World Series.

Orel Hershiser’s story is one of persistence, reinvention and competitive poise. He went from overlooked prospect to postseason legend and left behind one of the most memorable pitching seasons the game has ever seen.