Topps to Bring Back Make Your Pro Debut Contest

Almost every baseball fan started with a dream of making it to the pros someday.

While that dream ends too early for most, Topps brought it to life for one lucky fan.

Tim Kane signed a one-day contract in April with the Corpus Christi Hooks, Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, after winning the “Make Your Pro Debut” contest.

Kane got to meet team owner and childhood hero Nolan Ryan, had his own Topps “Pro Debut” trading card included in the 2013 set and lived the life of a professional player for the day.

This included a uniform, personalized equipment and even his own locker in the clubhouse. Kane got to participate in pre-game stretch and batting practice with the team, among countless additional perks.

Kane and his son, Peyton, stopped by the MLB Fan Cave on Tuesday with Billy Ripken for a Topps Pro Debut “Rip Party,” where we tore through boxes of cards, finding all sorts of gems (Mets prospects Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud are my personal favorites). There was even a shot Kane’s card would be in there.

It was amazing hearing about his experience and just seeing the pure elation he and his son shared while recounting it.

Topps is bringing back the “Make Your Pro Debut” contest, and they’ve chosen the Aberdeen IronBirds, Single-A short season affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, as the host team.

The IronBirds are owned by Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. and his brother, Billy, so hanging out with baseball royalty is a cherry on top of getting your own Topps Minor League Baseball trading card and living the life of a pro for a day.

The contest opens up in September with the release of the Topps Heritage set. The winner, chosen in January, relishes in sweet victory in the summer of 2014.

If you’ve ever wanted to see yourself on a baseball card – and a lot of us have – this is the perfect opportunity to achieve that dream.