2003 Donruss Champions - Press Release

April 2003 - Donruss officials announced on Tuesday that heavy-hitting and highly publicized Japanese import Hideki Matsui has been added to 2003 Donruss Champions, due out April 9.

Matsui, who was the subject of international headlines when he signed with the New York Yankees in the off-season, made his major league debut Monday night in the Yankees' 8-4 season-opening victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

He wasted little time in beginning his MLB career auspiciously, recording his first career hit and RBI during his first career at-bat with a first-inning single. Just hours later, Donruss had expanded its Donruss Champions set to 301 cards, with Matsui's first Donruss RC gracing card No. 301.

"This announcement should provide quite a boost to what already was a stellar new product," says Donruss spokesman Tracy Hackler. "Collectors the world over are watching Matsui's every move, and they're expecting big things from him. To know that one of the first Matsui RCs they'll be chasing is a Donruss RC is quite exciting."

Donruss officials will include one Matsui RC in every hobby box of Donruss Champions, while randomly inserting the cards at the retail level. In addition, there will be two parallel versions of the card randomly inserted in the product: a Metallized version sequentially numbered to 100 and a Holofoil version sequentially numbered to 25.

Here is a summary of the 2003 Diamond Kings original paintings auctions that are going on right now on eBay:

The first lot of 20 original 2003 Diamond Kings paintings closed, headlined by the sale of Braves icon Dale Murphy's masterpiece for a relatively astounding sum of $3,049.09.

Murphy's mark shatters the previous Donruss record of $2,275 paid for Michael Vick's original artwork during the first round of the Donruss Gridiron Kings eBay auction last fall. The previous high for a Donruss Diamond Kings painting was $2,050.02, realized by Ichiro's original artwork from 2002.

Other highlights of the first lot, which kicked off March 7 in conjunction with the release of the trading card set, included Babe Ruth ($1,035.01) and Sammy Sosa ($899.99).

The second lot of 20 original Diamond Kings paintings, live now, includes a bevy of big hitters, including Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Barry Bonds, Ichiro, Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez.

For more information, visit www.donruss.com and click on the eBay auction logo.