[Eric72]

“Character” is somewhat important to my collecting habits. For good or ill, I do take into consideration the stories behind the players. Whether it might be the eccentricities of Rube Waddell or the wholesome goodness of Christy Mathewson, the lavish excess of Babe Ruth or the quiet reserve of Lou Gehrig, the passionate (and somewhat questionable, by today’s standards) drive of Ty Cobb or the similarly driven Pete Rose, along with Jackie Robinson’s admirable and hard-fought contributions to the game and Roberto Clemente’s generosity of spirit, these players (and many more) pique my interest in ways that .300 hitters, the 500 Home Run Club (Rafael Palmeiro, anyone?) and 3,000 Strikeout members never will.

As a side note, I agree with Jeff in asking, what is wrong with Eddie Collins?

All the best,

Eric