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One Thousand Reasons
I could probably sit here and list twenty to thirty different reasons I enjoy collecting sports cards. But I'm too lazy and don't feel like boring you to death, so I'll spare us the pain and list only a handful:
A. I'm pretty sure I have a mild case of OCD, which explains my addiction to classifying and sorting cardboard.
B. I love watching sports and supporting my favorite teams.
C. It's a hobby that keeps me connected to my childhood.
D. Flipping through a stack of cards or a random binder relaxes me and takes me to a better place.
E. And finally, the simple fact is... I'm a huge NUMBERS guy. I can sit and analyze statistics for hours without getting bored.
So today's post is dedicated to just that. Numbers.
Be forewarned... this post is a little longer than my typical posts. I tried to keep it straight to the point, but failed. I'll stop wasting time and get things started:
That's my birth year and the year the Oakland Athletics won their first World Series since leaving Philadelphia.
If you collected during the 80's, than this number probably rings a bell. It's the number of cards in each of Topps'standard baseball card sets from 1982 to 1992. This time period took me from the 4th grade all the way into my sophomore year in college and was the peak of my collecting years.
My favorite Toppsbaseball card design was produced in 1956. The combination of action and portrait paintings creates mini masterpieces out of each of these cards. I'll never be able to afford a complete set, but I definitely plan on picking up a few more to keep Jackie company.
Rickey loves Rickey. And I do too. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I became a fan, but I remember monitoring his stolen base totals back in 1982 when he surpassed Lou Brock and eventually set the single season stolen base record with 130 thefts.
Intermission #1: Let's add these four numbers. 1,972 + 792 + 1,956 + 130 = 4,850
That's how old I was when I acquired my first pack of trading cards. It was a pack of Star Wars cards my parents bought for me at the Dobashi Market during our regular trips to San Jose's Japantown.
Intermission #2: Now let's take the sum from Intermission #1 and divide it by 5. 4,850 รท 5 = 970
Last May, I purchased this autographed A's jersey in an MLBauction where the proceeds were donated to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. The jersey contains twenty-nine autographs from the 2013 Spring Trainingroster.
Intermission #3: Next we're going add 29 and 19 to the quotient from Intermission #2. 29 + 19 + 970 = 1,018
That's how old I was when I started working at National Pastime, a baseball card shop less than a mile from where I grew up. I worked there for three years and it was one of the coolest jobs EVER.
Last math problem of the day: Take the sum from Intermission #3 and subtract 18. 1,018 - 18 = 1,000.
What's the significance of 1,000? It's taken me a little over four years, but this is my 1,000th post. So I invite you celebrate with me and a little Kool and the Gang. If they're good enough for the Oakland A's... they're good good enough for me:
Thank you to all of you who were patient enough to read through this entire post... and/or any of you who have taken the time to read this blog. I truly appreciate all of your comments. The interaction among bloggers is one of the best things about starting this blog. And speaking of interaction... it's time I get back to my roots and start offering you guys my "question of the day". Here is today's:
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A. I'm pretty sure I have a mild case of OCD, which explains my addiction to classifying and sorting cardboard.
B. I love watching sports and supporting my favorite teams.
C. It's a hobby that keeps me connected to my childhood.
D. Flipping through a stack of cards or a random binder relaxes me and takes me to a better place.
E. And finally, the simple fact is... I'm a huge NUMBERS guy. I can sit and analyze statistics for hours without getting bored.
So today's post is dedicated to just that. Numbers.
Be forewarned... this post is a little longer than my typical posts. I tried to keep it straight to the point, but failed. I'll stop wasting time and get things started:
1972
That's my birth year and the year the Oakland Athletics won their first World Series since leaving Philadelphia.
792
If you collected during the 80's, than this number probably rings a bell. It's the number of cards in each of Topps'standard baseball card sets from 1982 to 1992. This time period took me from the 4th grade all the way into my sophomore year in college and was the peak of my collecting years.
1956
My favorite Toppsbaseball card design was produced in 1956. The combination of action and portrait paintings creates mini masterpieces out of each of these cards. I'll never be able to afford a complete set, but I definitely plan on picking up a few more to keep Jackie company.
130
Rickey loves Rickey. And I do too. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I became a fan, but I remember monitoring his stolen base totals back in 1982 when he surpassed Lou Brock and eventually set the single season stolen base record with 130 thefts.
Intermission #1: Let's add these four numbers. 1,972 + 792 + 1,956 + 130 = 4,850
5
That's how old I was when I acquired my first pack of trading cards. It was a pack of Star Wars cards my parents bought for me at the Dobashi Market during our regular trips to San Jose's Japantown.
Intermission #2: Now let's take the sum from Intermission #1 and divide it by 5. 4,850 รท 5 = 970
29
Last May, I purchased this autographed A's jersey in an MLBauction where the proceeds were donated to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. The jersey contains twenty-nine autographs from the 2013 Spring Trainingroster.
19
This is the numberTony Gwynn wore for twenty straight seasons as a member of the San Diego Padres. He is without a doubt my favorite athlete of all-time.Intermission #3: Next we're going add 29 and 19 to the quotient from Intermission #2. 29 + 19 + 970 = 1,018
18
That's how old I was when I started working at National Pastime, a baseball card shop less than a mile from where I grew up. I worked there for three years and it was one of the coolest jobs EVER.
Last math problem of the day: Take the sum from Intermission #3 and subtract 18. 1,018 - 18 = 1,000.
1000
What's the significance of 1,000? It's taken me a little over four years, but this is my 1,000th post. So I invite you celebrate with me and a little Kool and the Gang. If they're good enough for the Oakland A's... they're good good enough for me:
Thank you to all of you who were patient enough to read through this entire post... and/or any of you who have taken the time to read this blog. I truly appreciate all of your comments. The interaction among bloggers is one of the best things about starting this blog. And speaking of interaction... it's time I get back to my roots and start offering you guys my "question of the day". Here is today's:
What's a number that is special to you in terms of sports or collecting? Why?
Happy Friday and sayonara!More...
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