STRIKING GOLD

One person's trash is another person's treasure.  That phrase went through my mind when I was driving by a garbage pile in front of someone's how 2 weeks ago. I noticed a bat on top of it, slowed down and grabbed it.

I know, it's utterly ridiculous to garbage pick, but when you're driving by, sometimes you have this split second moment of, "Maybe there's something good in there." At least I do.

I think in all my years it's happened to me twice where I actually grabbed something off the curb of a person's thrown away items, but my moment from a few weeks ago will stick in my mind for a while.

I got home, cleaned off the bat and realized I snagged one of those old Burger King bats from when I was a kid.  This one, had Graig Nettles name on it. I was overjoyed and immediately threw it in my collection for safe keeping!

Now, I was trying to figure out what year this bat was from.  I stumbled across this amazing website.  It's called Key Man Collectibles and on it, I determined this bat, while now old and worn out, was from the 1977 season. Block letters, "N.Y. Yankees" instead of New York Yankees... etc.  It's amazing.

Back in 1977, I was a little kid who didn't know much about the Yankees at all. That's because I lived in Kentucky and only real knew about teams like the Cincinnati Reds. I've written about that once of twice here.

When I moved to the Tri-State in 1978, and watched Ron Guidry pitch for the first time, and of course started collecting Burger King cards, it was right then that I became a Yankee fan!

It was a great garbage pick, and I'm thrilled that I was able to secure it. While old and worn out now, it was a memory that brought me back to being a kid again, and I'll never forget those days.  It was simpler, easier and the Yankees were extraordinary.

Whomever left that bat out there didn't see the importance of it, or just didn't need it anymore.  I'm glad that happened.... I'm glad I found it! It made my day.

Anyway... Happy Sunday.