Why We Love Collecting Pre-War Baseball Cards.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Perhaps I was feeling a bit philosophical this morning, but while perusing a few cards, I began to think about what draws us to pre-war cards.

1. The game itself and how it has morphed over the years and how these changes came about; DH, steroids. middler reliever and closer, medical attention, money etc.
2. The players themselves, who over time seem bigger in life than today's heroes. The Babe is the obvious example but also the tragedy of Lou Gehrig, the battles of Grover Alexander, the travesty of segregated baseball, leaving out players like Gibson and Paige. Modern players, besides being highly paid, are pampered. Players we like are tough, hard men, like Johnny Evers.
3. The historical interest in a period in which America industrialized, consumerism rose, large groups of new immigrants absorbed, and fought in World War I.

Just a couple of meanderings. Love to hear others.

You know that I agree with you 120%.

Add to it, guys like Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Stan Musial, Al Simmons and literally countless others lived in the same neighborhoods as the fans, and actually worked jobs in the off season. Pampered you say? How about totally out of touch.

I don't watch baseball today because 1) completely different game today with all the (what I consider to be) stupid rules changes, 2) cannot stand the commercials, 3) cannot stand the announcers, 4) cannot believe the insane amount of money. Thus, I am totally uninterested.

However, I LOVE the old game, the players, and the announcers who, even on TV, described what was happening in a way I find better than today. No constant production team telling them what to say, and the TV screen wasn't cluttered with banners and boxes of endless, meaningless stats.

I love my old cards, and just as importantly, the stories behind the players, who actually had personality and even, God forbid, light hearted humor. It seems that virtually all the players whose cards we love had colorful nicknames.

Am I an old fogey? You bet, and proud to be.