A collecting theory: the wife test

[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