Since bursting upon the scene in 1989, Ken Griffey Jr. has actually changed the way a lot of people think about baseball players. His boyish grin, backwards cap and moon-shot home runs helped make his MLB entrance a memorable one. In 20 major league seasons, “Junior” has earned 10 “Gold Glove” awards, been selected to the American League All-Star team 13 times and currently ranks fifth in career home runs (611).

By the same token, Upper Deck – which also debuted in 1989 – changed the way people thought about baseball cards. It also featured Griffey as card No. 1 in its inaugural set. Through innovative concepts and cutting-edge technology, Upper Deck has continued to revolutionize the trading card industry. In twenty years, Upper Deck has introduced anti-counterfeit holograms on trading cards, randomly inserted autograph and game-used memorabilia cards into packs, debuted concepts like cut autograph cards that feature signatures of deceased personalities and much, much more.

So, to honor the card that started it all, Upper Deck had Ken Griffey Jr. sign 89 of his 1989 rookie cards and include the inscription “20 years.” These cards will be randomly inserted into 2009 Upper Deck Series One Baseball which releases in early February. To add heightened rarity with these signed cards, Junior signed the first 13 cards in black ink and the remaining 76 cards in blue ink.

“We have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Ken Griffey Jr. since our company’s inception,” said Gabriel Garcia, Upper Deck’s associate brand manager for baseball. “This is the perfect way to help celebrate our 20th anniversary and the enduring partnership that Upper Deck has enjoyed with one of baseball’s greatest stars. Griffey’s 1989 Upper Deck rookie card is beloved by sports card collectors and those who find these signed versions will truly have a special collectible to add to their collections.”