Where It All Started

Being a blogger is a lot of fun... however it's not easy and it's a lot of work.  Well... at least for me.  When I was a kid, I excelled at most academic subjects, but the one that gave me fits year in and year out was writing.

I was the student who had to proofread my work over and over and over again... and there still would be errors.  That was only a small part of my problem.  My biggest issue has always been developing creative content.  To this day outside of finding time to write, it's the second biggest challenge for me as a blogger.

Thankfully Tony created his 30 Day Baseball Card Challenge.  That's provided me with 30 topics to write about... of which I'm exactly 50% finished.

Then last week, Tom over at Eamus Catuli! kicked off another Blog Bat Around and asked his readers, "what is the reason for collecting the players you collect?".

Great question Tom!  I've probably discussed it here and there about certain players I collect, but this gives me the opportunity to throw down all of my responses in one post.

So without further adieu, let's get this started:

#1:  Tony Gwynn

2001 Fleer Genuine Coverage Plus #4

While most kids were impressed with home run totals... I was the kid checking out batting leaders.  In 1984... Gwynn hit .351 and the San Diego Padres went to the World Series.  The following season, I started rooting for both and the rest is history.


#2:  Rickey Henderson

2016 Topps Five Star Autograph #FSA-RH

Growing up in the Bay Area, I attended my fair share of games at Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum.  Rickey was by far the most exciting player I remember cheering for.  Had he not been traded to the New York Yankees in 1984, he'd be #1 on this list.


#3:  Kurt Suzuki

2007 USA Baseball Bound for Beijing Materials #GU9

Japanese-American baseball players drafted by the Oakland Athletics who actually stick around in the majors don't grow on trees.  As long as he continues to play, I'll continue to be a fan of #24.


#4:  Ichiro Suzuki

2004 UD Diamond Collection Dean's List Jerseys #DL-IS

Ichiro could hit like Gwynn, bring excitement to the ballpark like Rickey, and is without a doubt the greatest Japanese ballplayer to come across the Pacific.


#5:  Greg Maddux

2004 Donruss Timelines Materials #17

Turner Broadcasting System and The Professor himself equally share credit here.  In college I watched a ton of Atlanta Braves games on TBS and the ones I looked forward to the most were the ones with him pitching.  His control and ability to get some of the greatest sluggers in the game to ground out left me in awe almost every time he stepped on the mound.


#6:  Jackie Robinson

2008 Stadium Club #91

Racism sucks.  Robinson took a stand, crossed baseball's color barrier, and will forever be a symbol of hope for African-Americans and other minority groups across our beloved country.


#7:  Steve Carlton

2006 SP Legendary Cuts Baseball Chronology Materials #BC-SC

Steve Carlton was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game during my childhood.  As a fellow lefty, my decision to pick him as one of my favorite pitchers was a logical choice.


#8:  Jose Altuve

2015 Topps Supreme Simply Supreme Autographs #SSA-JA

What happens when you give a vertically challenged second baseman the ability to potentially hit .350?  You create a new player collection for me.

After writing this post, I was surprised to see that I'm actively trying to collect eight different baseball players.  What's even crazier is that this list doesn't include guys like Frank Thomas, Thurman Munson, Al Kaline, Clayton Kershaw, Ozzie Smith, and Kirby Puckett... which are guys I've collected off and on over the years.  

I don't even want to start thinking about football, soccer, hockey, and other sports.  Geez.  Maybe it's time for me to finally start streamlining my collection.

Nah.  It's hard enough to come up with ideas for future blog posts.  There's no way I have time to start sorting my collection.

Thanks Tom for kicking off this Blog Bat Around!  It's definitely opened my eyes about my collection.

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!