The best player collection EVAH!

When I started this blog in 2007 (holy $%!* that’s a long time ago), my life was very different. I lived in South Jersey, played poker 3-4 times a week, interviewed athletes and wrote about sports nearly every day.

Nine years later, life is drastically different. I’m married a man who also collects baseball cards, which seemed impossible.

And now I’m a mom.

Many new parents post photos of their children on Facebook or Instagram, or they send out birth announcements. But a simple photo was not enough for us, not a family with a cardboard problem.

We made baseball cards to announce the birth of our son. We plan to make this a yearly tradition for all of his birthdays and potentially major milestones. I already have a special binder to place his cards, creating the most amazing player collection I will ever own.

Since mommy and daddy don’t root for the same team, we made two different cards: Yankees and Rangers. As long as it’s not the Red Sox or the Mets, I would be OK with any other choice. But, I can tell he’s already a smart kid and I believe he will be rooting for the team in the Bronx.

These cards were very easy to make. I didn’t get special treatment just because I work at Topps. Topps offers custom cards on its website with a number of different designs (check it out here). We chose the 2016 design because – naturally – he was born in 2016.

In 2014, we also created one for our wedding and used the 1968 design.

Best collection ever!

Looking to start a new player collection

I haven’t needed to start a new PC in a while. While I collect New York Yankees cards, I have always been a player collector at heart.

Derek Jeter was my first big player collection. I have more than 2,000 unique cards (still working on completing my want list), and even though he is retired, collecting Jeter cards won’t go away any time soon. Even if his face never appears on another card again (THAT BETTER NOT HAPPEN), I have more than 20 years of cards to chase.

But lately I’ve had the feeling of starting another player PC. I had been collecting Kevin Kouzmanoff, but since he hasn’t been in MLB much over the last several years, he hasn’t had a new card since 2011.

A few players have intrigued me, though, and here are the candidates:

Dellin Betances

I actually had Betances PC way when he started in the minors and he had Team USA autographs. I traded one of them  years ago for a card  don’t even remember. He is obvious choice because he is the logical next New York Yankees closer.

Plus, he is just a nasty pitcher.

A little side note (#humblebrag): I am definitely getting a couple of autographs that haven’t been released yet because I was an editor on a project at Topps and then did a signing session with Betances. I got to see the card made from almost start to finish, so I need at least one of those.

Anthony Rizzo

I always loved his exuberance on the field. He always looks like he is having fun, which made me enjoy watching him play baseball. Then I read about his foundation and how he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when he was 18. I can see why he has just a pure love for the game because it could have been something that never happened for him.

Joe Panik

Panik comes from the area I kind of grew up. He was born in Yonkers, NY, which is where I was raised, and grew up in Hopewell Junction, NY, a bit north. His connection to my area sparked by interest in the San Francisco Giants second baseman.

Jose Fernandez

There is no tie that I know of Fernandez to my team or my area. There is no huge fight against cancer. He is just a guy coming back from Tommy John Surgery that I think could be great. I love his look and am just intrigued by the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year.

Minutes before writing this post, I actually put an offer on a card of his on eBay. Fingers crossed that I win.

Adam Lind Collection

Here is a random story that no one but Sooz knows about. And no, I don't mean that I like to waste money, I think you all can see that by reading this blog.

Last year I decided to pick a random rookie to collect for no reason, and for no reason at all I chose Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays. I have amassed quite a collection of his autographed cards and other cards, however I do not have all of them.

I was wondering if anyone out there had any 2004 cards of him, or any autographs they would be willing to part with for some equally mediocre player that I have in my collection.

Let me know if you have anything up for grabs.