The cultural value of collecting and a thanks to Gary Ashwill

[Jason19th]

https://agatetype.typepad.com/

The most recent post on Gary Ashwill’s agatetype blog is about a couple of Cuban guides that I lent him. While he is gracious enough to thank me, it is Gary who is doing the hard work of using the box scores to reconstruct the seasons in full. He is going to be able to figure out advance stats and flesh out the players just like today’s stars.

While is sure sounds pretentious, I think that we all need to remember that when we collect we are also preserving. We may stumble upon information that is unique and relevant, and when we do, it is essential to share it. So never feel like something is to niche to post. Put it up and see what happens.

[commishbob]

His blog is just terrific. I forget to check it sometimes because he goes awhile between posts. But what he does post is always worth a read.

[jerseygary]

Well put, Jason 19th. I've been "internet friends" with Gary for many years and his research is top-notch. I collaborated with him a few years ago on a pete hill baseball card set. He was one of the first guys to do research into Hill, at the time a litle-known pre-Negro league slugger. Even the Hall of Fame had the wrong name on his plaque. Anyway, he's always willing to share his research with me for my ventures, and i owe him a lot, and so do many baseball historians.

And thank you to Jason 19th for being one of those collectors willing to share their prized pieces. Your guides will go to good use as Gary reconstructs the Cuban League of the late 40's. His work on the earlier seasons has been truly ground breaking for those of use who care about those things.

Because I encountered the help of people like Gary (and a bunch of others, many on Net54, you know who you are!) I try my best to share my knowledge with other collectors and historians when asked. It all builds up to create a better understanding of the history of this great game.