What REALLY makes this hobby enjoyable ?

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Yes to all of those things....


It has always fascinated me that when I've gone to a baseball game, all sorts of folks take 2 1/2 or 3 hours out of their life and watch a game. Nuns can sit beside hard hat construction workers, bikers, bankers, lawyers, housewives, kids, factory workers, accountants... and all of them set aside their differences and cheer for a team.

That is one of the valuable aspects of the hobby and this board. I'm looking at a cigar box full of stuff that 99% of the folks with whom we interact with daily couldn't identify, other than by saying they were some old baseball cards. But here I'm with guys who recognize the players, know what they did, know when the card was printed, who else is in the set, and while of lesser importance to me would have an idea as to value. It is comforting and reassuring to associate with folks who have that similar basis of knowledge and appreciation. It validates our hobby.

There's an old wise collector I once met when we were bunched together to go to a baseball game. We'd heard of one another, and knew each collected cards and knew a bit of baseball history. As we rode along he brought out an envelope that had a bunch of old cards in it, and proceeded to ask trivia questions of our group. If you got the question right you'd get the card. I held back, being new to the group... After a while a question started about a player. He was a member of the Hall of Fame. Only one at bat was the next clue. I spoke up, "In 1936 for the St. Louis Cardinals". He smiled at me, and rubbed his hands, everyone else asked how I could know the year with just HOF and one at bat. The collector said this player was a substitute for a HOFer who'd been ejected. I said he played first base. The collector said the ejected first baseman was Johnny Mize. Then I told him the player in question struck out in that only at bat.

The other guys on the trip still didn't know who the player was. But here on this board, many of you do. And that is the great thing about this hobby and all of you guys, even the ones I argue and rant with.

Frank.