How Big of A fan Are You?

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Posted By: Mike Ellis

I am a fan! I admit it. I have been a fan for most of my 64 years. I was born in Detroit and the Tigers remain my "default" team. However, I am a majority owner of a minor league team here in Missoula where I live. My family has been involved with minor league baseball since the early 1980s when my wife went to work cooking hamburgers for the Lodi Crushers (an old Chicago Cubs Affiliate) of the California League. I am very involved in the business, my son has been in the business for about 18 years and my daugter-in-law has worked in the business almost as long. My 12 year old grandson knows everything about running a minor league team from the business side. We are the rookie level affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Therefore I am a Diamondback fan. I have collected cards since I was a young child in the late 1940s. I love vintage cards and I have no cards other than my team's cards newer than 1975. 99% are pre-war. Most are pre-1920.

I view my progression as a fanatic something like this: Baseball cards with bubblegum, memorabilia, vintage cards and then a minor league team (actually used to be involved in three - now just two). I am not a card investor, hardly ever sell, and cherish my vintage cards and my vintage glove collection. Most of what I own is tied up in baseball. I retired two years ago from my day job in order to spend more time with my family and not miss the baseball season here in Montana. That is how I describe fanatic!

We (oops - sounds familiar- in this instance I am refering to my family) love being involved in Rookie level baseball where the game is still important, the players have just been drafted, and the egos are most often checked at the gate. The players realize that everyone in the league was once an all-star somewhere.

I have done business with many board members and do not post often. However, I respect your opinions and love to stay in touch with you all by lurking. Maybe I will post more often. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Mike