Lack of interest in the history of the game

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

There are an endless number of books being published that deal with the history of the game, but I just don't know how many people are reading them.

Well, Barry - I bet I have as extensive a Baseball Library as anyone I know, but I've only read about 10% of the 250 or so books collecting dust on my shelves...and yet there are 3 more on my Amazon wish list...am I a hoarder?
perhaps, but really, I'm just looking for that one thing almost all of us are...no, not a Wagner...or even a '52 Mantle....


A ROUND TUIT!


The last one of my collection I read cover-to-cover was our own Hank Thomas's masterful bio of his grandfather, Walter Johnson...which I once again urge everyone to check out.

,

[Exhibitman]

I do not share your pessimism.



The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

[orly57]

I certainly didn't pick up my love for the history of the game from MLB Network. I grew up well before the Internet, and certainly never saw ruth or Cobb play. I never saw mantle or mays either. Griffey and Ripken were the legends of my era. And yet, despite no MLB Network or Internet, and despite being raised in Miami (as opposed to NYC, Boston or Detroit), I loved the history. My dad didn't care about baseball, and I never played the sport. It's just in us or it's not.
A ty cobb-back sold on heritage last night for over 400k. You think that was some baby-boomer lying on his deathbed placing bids?
I would be willing to bet that more kids today know who Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb were than Woodrow Wilson or Rutherford B Hayes. I'm not sure that's a good thing, but it certainly says a lot about their legacies.

[insidethewrapper]

Will us collectors be replaced ? I don't know. I think there will be less. Let's take a poll in our own families. I will not be replaced in my family. Have 2 sons with no collecting interests. Many collectors on here have already stated that their sons and daughters have no interest in their collections.

[orly57]

I don't think that the replacements necessarily have to come from within our own bloodline. We are a rare breed. As mentioned above, I didn't replace my father in card collection. He never collected. My 7 year old seems to have the gene. It is manifesting itself in Pokémon right now, but that's cool. Garbage Pail kids were my gateway drug.

[2dueces]

Guess after they’re done eating tide pods we’ll find out if they are collectors.

[orly57]

It's amazing how all those acid-eating, free-loving hippies of the 60s started making money and buying cards. It's almost as if life is cyclical.

[Rookiemonster]

Like I said in the money in the hobby thread. We will remember Ruth, Cobb etc but not lower level players in any sport. There will be to many to chase and to remember.

[Topnotchsy]

I'm sure there's some bias on these boards (in the sense that we are all baseball guys so we are definitely more likely to be reading baseball books) but I'v bought at least 10 baseball books over the last year, and none were about baseball that was played after I was born.