What is a rookie card & is it possible to collect R/C's of modern players??

This is what I thought the modern definition of a ROOKIE CARD WAS/IS.
1) the player must have played in at least one major league game.
2) the rookie card must be widely distributed and numbered as part of the main set and must be 99 or more produced (not a parrallel).
If I am leaving anything out let me know. I see now Beckett is listing a players r/c in more than one year....how can that be????? I know Mantles R/C is in both 51 an 52 but what now a players prospect card is a rookie, then his draft card is a rookie, then his majors debut is yet another rookie. I see people listing all sorts of cards as rookies that aren't. I thought Beckett was supposed to weed out the non rookies for us. I had no idea that one player could have a rookie card in more than one year. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?
FRUSTRATED
1) the player must have played in at least one major league game.
2) the rookie card must be widely distributed and numbered as part of the main set and must be 99 or more produced (not a parrallel).
If I am leaving anything out let me know. I see now Beckett is listing a players r/c in more than one year....how can that be????? I know Mantles R/C is in both 51 an 52 but what now a players prospect card is a rookie, then his draft card is a rookie, then his majors debut is yet another rookie. I see people listing all sorts of cards as rookies that aren't. I thought Beckett was supposed to weed out the non rookies for us. I had no idea that one player could have a rookie card in more than one year. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?
FRUSTRATED
0
Comments
According to MLB: A rookie card is the card of a player issued during his rookie year, and branded with the MLB trademarked "Rookie Card" logo.
According to the Hobby: A rookie card is the first mainstream (eg. not minor league) card of a player.
At least for my MVP set, I'd rather have a 2001 Upper Deck Prospect Premiers Ryan Howard than a 2003 Bowman Chrome Draft Ryan Howard.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
D's: 50P,49S,45D+S,43D,41S,40D,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 241,435,610,654 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
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