What I collect - Players
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What’s the point of collecting if you’re not actively, you know, collecting something? So even though I live for the thrill of the bust, I do enjoy hunting the elusive cards of certain players.
I am first and foremost an Ohio State Buckeye fan, in all their sports forms. Football first, obviously, with basketball a distant second. Ohio State isn’t exactly known for its prowess on the baseball diamond, but there are a few Buckeye ball players enjoying success in the major leagues (Nick Swisher comes immediately to mind. And… no one else). But the field is rich for football and, to a lesser extent, basketball, players to collect.
In addition to seeking out OSU-alums, I’m also a big fan of the Cleveland teams (Indians, Browns, Cavs) so I’m always on the prowl for any local stars. It doesn’t hurt that the greatest basketball player of the 21st century plays in Cleveland. I love me some LeBron cards. Pretty much, if they play for my team and don’t make my stomach turn, I have a collection of them.
Which brings up another point — it’s hard to be a die-hard fan of a local professional team when they draft a player from the enemy, which is exactly what the Browns have been doing lately. First they took Kellen Winslow Jr. a few years ago, when I couldn’t stand him. The next year they drafted Braylon Edwards from the loathsome Michigan Wolverines. Both drafts were hard to swallow but I’ve warmed up to them (and they’re really good ball players) so I figure out ways to deal with it.
In addition, I often find an affinity to a player that isn’t a member of a team of mine. The most prominent player I readlly liked was Rickey Henderson (I got a kick when someone linked the Rickey Henderson Collectibles blog). I have hundreds of different Henderson cards. Trading a stack of great cards for his 1980 Topps Rookie card was a highlight of my early collecting adventures. Other players, such as Walter Payton and Dirk Nowitzki have stolen my fancy at different points.
So I’m not a set builder (usually). I’m just after fun pulls. One of these days I should try to build an actual set.
See also:
What I collect - Brands
What I collect - What I’m looking for
6 Responses to “What I collect - Players”
By Fred Sarra on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
My favorite Rickey story ever is when he played with Olerud the second time and told him that he had played with another guy in Toronto who also wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud told him that was him too, to which Rickey replied “Crazy man, crazy”
Gotta love The Rickey.
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By Tony on Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
@Fred - That’s a great Rickey story, I had never heard it. And thanks for the linkage, I appreciate it. I’ll definitely check out your card giveaway!
By Scott on Jan 21, 2008 | Reply
Being a Cleveland collector, what do you think of Ryan Garko? He put up some nice power numbers last year in limited play. Will he improve on those numbers in 2008?
By Tony on Jan 21, 2008 | Reply
@Scott - I like Garko, he reminds a little of Thome — a big lug, very personable. If he continues to play well, he’ll become a fan favorite. That’s a big if. I hope he can put up similar numbers from last year.