Decades: a blog bat around

I was thinking the other day about a player that I particularly like for each decade. I do not really have one for the 1930s. I know some of the big names but I do not own any of their cards. In fact, I have only one card from the 1930s, and that was sent to me ages ago by Mark Hoyle. 

I would like one of those Goudey cards one day but I am not at all particular about who it is. But, for the other decades, I think I can think of a favorite play for whom I have intentionally acquired a baseball card. 

For the 1940s, my selection goes to Allie Reynolds because I bought this card in my youth with my hard earned money.

In the 1950s, it is Ralph Kiner, though I have some of his 1940s cards. too.

For the 1960s, it must be Rico Carty for this 1966 card. I acquired this in the 1980s, after his playing days were over. But, it was a card I cherished and never, ever, ever considered trading. I do not even know why I like it so much, but I do. 

I was inspired by Justin S. to complete the entire Topps run of Carty's cards. 

The 1970s is the time that I was becoming personally aware of active, current baseball. Particularly the 1979 World Series as the Pirates were playing my "home town" Orioles (in those days, DC did not have a team so we watched Baltimore games). I was thrilled the Pirates won: I loved their pill-box hats. I was like five or something, give me a break. But I have a hard time deciding who from the 1970s might be a favorite because I was not really, truly cognizant of baseball until late 1979. So, my selection of George Brett comes from the fact that I got his 1976 second year card in my early days of collecting. 

I find this card awkward. Do you, too? Just a weird angle and position, or strange framing or something.

Ok, the 1980s were my full-on baseball immersion years and you have not been paying attention if you did not think I would pick Darryl Strawberry. 

Other favorites were Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, and Dwight Gooden. In the 1980s I was a Pirate and then a big time Mets fan. All due to Strawberry.

But when he departed New York, I grew less interested in it all and I was not following baseball too much by 1992, but when I did it was John Kruk. I even once wrote a poem about him. 

But by the mid-1990s I was totally out of the sport and may have paid only a passing bit of attention to it. I knew the Braves were good but generally fell short to AL teams.

In May 1998 I visited Massachusetts for the first time and bought a ticket to see a Red Sox game once I reached Boston. It was 20 May and it was a night game versus the White Sox. In looking up the box score, I re-learn that it was a Pedro Martinez game! Not a bad way to start, though I did not know who Pedro Martinez was at that time. The below negatives are from that trip.

 And the ticket stub, which I was thrilled to re-find. 

Grandstand 12. Row 12. Seat 15. I am not sure who is on the ticket. Mike Benjamin was shortstop the game we attended, but NOMAH was on the team by then, too, so maybe it is young Garciaparra in some kind of awful throwback uniform?

Baseball was back in my life, a bit.  I moved to Boston in late 2000, too late to see games. But from 2001 to 2004 I went to a lot of games, even buying into a season ticket and getting a bunch of games through that. This was really important in getting me back into the game. I did not like sitting it in the same seat each game; rather, I prefer going around and seeing a ballpark from different viewpoints. 

If I had to pick a favorite person in baseball for the 2000s, it actually, honestly, has to be Terry Francona.

In the 2010s I ditched the Red Sox and became just a general fan of the sport. Andrew McCutchen became my favorite player early on in this decade and he remains so into the 2020s. This post was inspired by my most recent Andrew McCutchen acquisition: 2025 Topps Heritage:

I am convinced this will be McCutchen's final year of baseball and that makes me sad. And though he has played outfield in a number of games, I am surprised he was not listed as a designated hitter. 

 But, my 2010s card for McCutchen would have to be his 2016 Topps Perspectives insert. I do not own this one, but I would like to. 

 

I still love McCutchen in the 2020s, but this being an exercise to name a different favorite player by decade, I will have to go with Steven Kwan and this is a close decision between him and his teammate Jose Ramirez.

You know what? I am making this a blog bat around. Think about it a bit, and blog about who might be your favorite player decade by decade. Minimum requirement is five decades. Go!

Thanks for stopping by.