A collecting theory: the wife test

[skelly423]

My wife is not a sports fan, and hasn't watched a whole baseball game in her entire life. I've long held the belief that a good way to determine players with long-term staying power is to find players who have crossover fame and are known to the non-sports fan. Putting two and two together, I came up with something I call the wife test. Simply ask your wife to name every baseball player she knows.

Here are the five baseball players my wife could name, presented in order (with her corresponding comments):
1. Jackie Robinson (obviously)
2. Derek Jeter (ugh)
3. Babe Ruth
4. Lou Gehrig (the guy with the disease)
5. That guy who married Marilyn Monroe

It's not a perfect list, but you would probably do better than most by sticking to these five players.

Anyone else want to administer the wife test and report the results?

[swarmee]

My wife could only think of three on short notice:
1) Babe Ruth
2) Jackie Robinson
3) Nolan Ryan

[kmac32]

1. Mr Cub Ernie Banks HOF
2. Lee Smith HOF
3. Fergie Jenkins HOF
4 Ryne Sandberg HOF ( nice butt according to my wife)
5. Bill Buckner (again nice butt according to my wife)
6 Elmer Miller ( Great Great uncle of mine)


Note the cubs theme being married to me also honorable mention, Harry Caray and Pat Hughes.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I would immediately divorce any woman who did not know baseball better than that.

[MR RAREBACK]

Babe Ruth
Ichiro
Matsui
Darvish
Ohtani

[YazFenway08]

i met my beautiful bride at a baseball game…so she was up for the challenge. i asked her to quickly name 5 players

(1) hank aaron
(2) big Papi
(3) yaz
(4) jeter…but she strangely thought his first name was f**kin’, can’t imagine where she got that
(5) Pete Rose

bonus coverage…from my 16 year old daughter…

(1) ty cobb (school project)
(2) mookie betts (tennessee’s own)
(3) albert pujols
(4) mike trout
(5) dansby swanson (crush…and she’s a little bitter about him (a) getting married and (b) leaving the braves…in that order

interesting mix…i’m a little proud

[Tyruscobb]

No Mickey Mantle thus far?

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by Tyruscobb

No Mickey Mantle thus far?

My mom would name Mantle. My wife would not.

[Eric72]

My wife was already a Phillies fan when we met nearly 20 years ago. If I used the “wife test” to shape my collection, it would have a decidedly hometown feel.

[DeanH3]

I got,

Babe Ruth
Jackie Robinson
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey

I was expecting at least Mark McGwire or Jose Canseco since we grew up in the East Bay during the Bash Brother's heyday.

[Aaron Seefeldt]

I asked my wife to name every baseball player she could, these were the names and the order she gave:

1) Sammy Sosa
2) Robin Ventura
3) Frank Thomas
4) Babe Ruth
5) Ty Cobb
6) Hank Aaron
7) Mickey Mantle
8) Anthony Rizzo
9) Lou Gehrig
10) Alex Rodriguez
11) Jason Heyward
12) Ben Zobrist
13) Kris Bryant
14) Schwarber
15) Arietta
16) Kerry Wood
17) Mark Prior
18) Arnoldis Chapman
19) Ryne Sandberg
20) Honus Wagner
21) Cal Ripken

We’re lifelong lost Cub fans… she did really well!

[Johnny630]

Ruth, Jackie, And Mantle. That’s it. Modern for Baseball …..ZERO….the future maybe Soccer in the country …..it’s coming.

[cubman1941]

My wife also is not a sports fan, and although she has been around me and my collecting for over 30 years, she never picked up any "knowledge" of baseball or sports in general. She tolerated me when we lived in Baltimore by going to Oriole games with me, went to a few Brewers games with me and my kids, went to Spring Training with me one year and even went with me to a World Series game in 2016 in Cleveland. Her answer was "Cal Ripken" and "Charlie Justice" (he was from Asheville, N.C., her hometown.

[JollyElm]

Here's hoping girlfriends count. I was shocked that she knew 'The Babe,' 'The Mick' and 'The Say Hey Kid' so readily:

1. Joe DiMaggio..."Because of Marilyn. Remember, we saw the church I think they were married at. And we took pics of the plaque outside the place he was born in Martinez."
2. Willie Mays
3. Jose Canseco..."He went out with Madonna."
(Are we sensing a theme?)
4. A-Rod..."He's banging J-Lo."
5. "That Band Aid guy"...referring to my obsession with the 1973 Al Kaline error card.
6. "The steroid guy, the one who got all big and played out here. Barry...Pond or something?"
7. Mickey Mantle
8. Babe Ruth
8. "There's someone else named Willie, too, right?"...referring to the time we took pictures at McCovey Cove, and the fact that 'Stretch' had a restaurant named after him in these parts.

Bummed that there wasn't a single mention of Reg-gie. I gotta do better with her in 2023.

[alaskapaul3]

My wife is from Europe. She only knew Babe Ruth.

My mother is 98 years old. First name she came up with (and came up with immediately) was Carl Hubbel , probably remembering his All Star Game feat

[mrreality68]

I am fortunate my wife supports me(or humors me) on my collection.

And we have talked about the cards often and often the values (since she is interested what I am putting our (HER) money into)

She has no interest in it but can name what I collect and many of the modern players also as a result

[butchie_t]

Too long to list. My wife and I are into baseball and she and I have gone to many of games over the past 30+ years. She even finished the 71 Topps baseball set back in the 90s.

I consider myself very lucky that she enjoys the hobby too. Not as much or to the extent of me but she does.

Cheers,

B. T.

[sb1]

Mine did ok..

Wagner
Cobb
Aaron
Mantle
Ruth

She could have went on, we stopped at five.

[obcbobd]

Was married for 15 years before divorcing in 2016. My wife loved baseball and I'm sure could name quite a few players. We were at Fenway the first day of our honeymoon as we had a late flight. Now, football, I'm sure she knew Brady and that was about it

[nebboy]

List I got

Barry Bonds (she lived in Pittsburgin the late 80s)
Bobby Bonilla (again lived in the PA)
Ted Williams (she knows the frozen head story)
Cal Ripken (said he was best looking player)
And that Perez guy that catches for Kansas City (she had a hard time thinking of a 5th for the list)

[Fred]

My wife knows a lot of the players from the last 30+ years, not the old timers (but I'm sure could name more than I thought she could). She asks how Juan Soto thinks he could turn down a $430M+ contract (ok, I could try and give her reasons, but she'd give me that stare - "really?"). That said, if I were to ask her to pick out a T206 from an N172 or a 1933 Goudey, she'd be scratching her head.

Now there's a question - how many different baseball card sets can your wife identify.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by sb1

Mine did ok..

Wagner
Cobb
Aaron
Mantle
Ruth

She could have went on, we stopped at five.

That's because she deals with your customers when you set up and are making deals all across the show.

[boysblue]

First five in order:

1. Hank Aaron
2. Jackie Robinson
3. Mickey Mantle
4. Babe Ruth
5. "Something" Williams

But she turned the table son me and asked me to name all the fashion designers that I know. Got two!

[cjedmonton]

Fun quiz. My wife named these 4 in order and then drew a blank.

1. Yogi Berra (same birthday)
2. Alex Rodriguez (J-Lo)
3. Mickey Mantle
4. Joe DiMaggio (Mr. Monroe)

80s hockey on the other hand? Would have reeled off an easy 25-30.

Huge Oilers fan during their heyday and knew many others around the league at the time.

[pete zouras]

mickey rooney, snicker, mantle
babe ruth
lou garret, did I say that right?
that guy on sharktank
sammy sosa

[mechanicalman]

My wife’s list, and she’s hot, too.

Babe Ruth
Walter Johnson
Ty Cobb
Lou Gehrig
Hank Aaron

(It helps that we named our puppy Walter Johnson.)

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by boysblue

But she turned the table son me and asked me to name all the fashion designers that I know. Got two!

Did you at least get Levi Strauss?

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by boysblue

First five in order:

1. Hank Aaron
2. Jackie Robinson
3. Mickey Mantle
4. Babe Ruth
5. "Something" Williams

But she turned the tables on me and asked me to name all the fashion designers that I know. Got two!

Similar here, she got:

Babe Ruth
Jeter "obviously"
A-Rod
Paul O'Neill (she had a crush on him back in the day)

Then she blanked, went on her phone and came up with a list of players she recognized on sight, but couldn't name when put under pressure to come up with names.

Then she asked me to name all the bones in the human body. I gave up after "Tibia".

[Peter_Spaeth]

Remember the scene in Diner?

[knoxcat1983]

Ruth Gehrig arod mays Koufax

[philliesfan]

If I asked my wife, her reply would be.....shut the hell up. Baseball is boring. All I hear is baseball talk from March to November so no baseball talk during the off season.

Bob

[Eggoman]

My wife EASILY came up with:

Ruth,
Mantle,
Clemente - she was born in Pittsburg and grew-up during the GREAT Pirates & Steelers years,
Ted Williams, and
Mays (Always one of my Favorites)

She enjoys "The Hobby" and appreciates how close it keeps me and my 3 collecting brothers.

She is ASTOUNDED at the knowledge on this Site - "How does ANYONE know all that S---?"

And SHE told me to "Bid One More Time" for my T205 Hoblitzell - No Stats after I told her I was out...

She's a GREAT GAL!

[jethrod3]

Accidentally woke my wife up in the middle of the night so some answers could be attributed to being groggy...

Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
That guy that had his head frozen
Honus Wagner
Derek Jeter
Ortega or something like Ortega (turned out to be David Ortiz)
Bob Feller
Carl Erskine
Ohtani
Alex Rodriguez
Jose Canseco

Not bad, really, and she woulda guessed more at a more reasonable hour.

[perezfan]

Rose
Morgan
Bench
Perez
Foster
Griffey Sr.
Griffey Jr.
A-Rod
Ichiro
Felix
Buhner
Olerud
Dan Wilson
Edgar
Randy Johnson
Piniella
Mays
McCovey
Mantle
Babe
Lou
DiMaggio
Ted W.
Cobb
Honus
Jackie
Gwynn
George Brett
Sosa
McGwire
Bonds
Realmuto (friend of a friend)

Comparatively, she did pretty well!

[Trublubrucru]

I said as quick as you can name baseball players....

(1) Mark McGwire
(2) Sammy Sosa (these first two she didn't know why it popped to her)
(3) Cecil Cooper (she knew my favorite)
(4) Paul Molitor
(5) Robin Yount
(6) Rollie Fingers( we're Brewers heavy)

Then I said how bout some Classic Guys....

(1) Babe Ruth
(2) Hank Aaron
(3) Willie Mays
(4) Reggie Jackson
(5) Big Pappi (her words)
(6) Judge (She started to struggle)
(7) Jason Kendall ( Then I said O.K., That'll do)

[brianp-beme]

Babe Ruth
Johnson (Walter?)
Ty Cobb
Mickey (Mantle - she likes the name Mickey)
Williams (Ted)
Willie (Mays?)
Robinson (Jackie)

and then onto the Padres connection:

Macchiato (her nickname for Manny Machado)

Soda (Juan Soto - she knew someone with that nickname when younger)

Kid that doesn't play now (eventually came up with Tatis)

Guy that has statue at San Diego ballpark and has son that is broadcaster (eventually came up with Tony Gwynn's name)

Hernandez or guy with name that starts with an 'H' that made it to HOF (she was thinking Trevor Hoffman)


Pretty good for someone who mostly enjoys going to the the ballpark to watch the crowd and the nice sunsets during night games, and once used her foot to kick a foul ball coming our way (she grew up with soccer, not baseball)

Brian

[donmuth]

Babe Ruth
Cy Young
Cecil Fielder
Mickey Mantle
Joe Dimaggio
Mark McGwire

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I asked my wife (lifelong Cubs fan) to name her five favorite. Here's what I got:

Andre Dawson
Mark Grace
Fred McGriff
Shawon Dunston
Ryne Sandberg

She could have went much further.

[JustinD]

Here goes (after a long clarification that I was not "trying to make her look stupid"). I think she did pretty good.

Babe Ruth
Ty Cobb
Mickey Mantle
Lance Parrish (this is my fault, we have a lot of Parrish stuff on display in my office. )
Jose Canseco
Roberto Clemente
Miguel Cabrera
Justin Verlander
Curtis Granderson (Those three are remainders of the season tickets of a decade+ ago)
"The J-Lo Yankees Guy"
Jeter
Pete Rose
Joe Jackson

[JustinD]

Double post

[milkit1]

In order:

Mordecai Brown
Joe Tinker
Johnny Evers
Frank Chance
Ty Cobb
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Babe Ruth
Hank Aaron
Mark McGwire
(She started off strong (4 cubs!) but at this point I started getting discouraged)
Sammy Sosa
JOHN Mattingly
(at this point I said ok we are good but she insisted and looked like her brain was going to burst)
Pete Rose
THAT GUY THAT HAS AN EXPENSIVE CARD CAUSE HE DIDNT SMOKE
(I started to walk away)
Honus Wagner
Albert Pujols
THAT GUY THAT HAD THAT REALLY CRAZY PITCH
(I walked back into the room perplexed)
Nolan Ryan

[JohnP0621]

My wife’s answer
Aaron Judge
Derek Jeter
Mickey Mantle
Babe Ruth
Rusty Staub.

The last one had me laughing.

John P

[Peter_Spaeth]

So far, ONE mention of Ken Griffey Jr. And ONE mention of Albert Pujols. Seriously? Not a single woman you guys married can name both? Wow.

[notfast]

It’s weird that a lot of you guys have wives that can’t name modern players.

Do you not watch baseball? Don’t have a local team? Don’t go to games?

[bn2cardz]

My wife knows baseball. There is certainly a home team bias on what she can name, however she can name outside that as well. Really our relationship is built on our love of the game as we first hung out at playoff games.

[Kzoo]

Here's my wife's answers, rattled off in order 3 minutes ago....

Mantle
Ruth
Lajoie
Miguel Cabrera
A-Rod
Trout
Judge

The Lajoie answer caught me a little by surprise, but it makes sense as I sold one of his professional model bats back in 2005 via Mastro to help fund her engagement ring.

[peterb69]

Asked for 5 real quick, she came up with:
Bo Jackson
Curt Schilling
George Brett
Robin Yount
Pete Rose

[lgbbcards]

She had to think about it:

Derek Jeter
Bryce Harper
Ivan Rodriguez
Chase Utley
Cole Hamels

Yes, we are Phillies phans.

[Fred]

Ok, asked my wife if she could name players that started their careers over 50 years ago. To my surprise, the first player she mentioned was Yastrzemski. Then she gave me Wags, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Ruth. I told her that was enough.

As mentioned before, I could show her cards from different sets and she'd have no clue what sets they came from.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

My wife’s list, and she’s hot, too.

Babe Ruth
Walter Johnson
Ty Cobb
Lou Gehrig
Hank Aaron

(It helps that we named our puppy Walter Johnson.)

Cool, our dog is Bubba Chuck(Allen Iverson).

My wife got these 5
Wade Boggs No way she wouldn't get Wade as I have around 40 of his bats displayed in our living room.
Roger Clemens I have a lot of Clemens items and we have traveled to games just to watch him pitch.
Derek Jeter She has been to several Yankees games.
Kirby Puckett He was at some event my wife was on the board of and he signed stuff for all of them.
Bill Ripken I have heard this countless times. "Another one of the exact same cards" then a big sigh. LOL