YANKS NEED A REAL SHORTSTOP

The Yankees have a problem. No, not the bullpen. Not the bench. Not even third base. Their biggest problem is standing 90 feet from second base pretending everything is fine.

Anthony Volpe has become the player you're no longer allowed to criticize because someone always has another excuse ready.

"He'll figure it out."

"He's still young."

"There's nobody better."

Really?

The Yankees are trying to win a World Series—not host a three-year science experiment.

Before I dive in, let me say this: I've got nothing against Empire Sports Media. They do a nice job covering the Yankees. We simply see this one differently.

They recently wrote in Yankees’ deadline decision at shortstop could get ugly:

"I would not make a panicked trade just to say the Yankees did something. Shortstop is not a vending machine where you drop in a prospect and get an obvious upgrade. A rental needs to be better now, fit the clubhouse and leave the club with a clean plan when Volpe is still on the roster tomorrow."

Here's my response...

Who said anything about panic?

This isn't panic.

This is accountability.

The Yankees have given Anthony Volpe every opportunity imaginable. They've let him hit through slumps. They've defended his mistakes. They've convinced themselves—and tried convincing us—that tomorrow would always be better than today. Well... tomorrow keeps looking an awful lot like yesterday.

Empire Sports Media is right about one thing: shortstop isn't a vending machine. True. Nobody expects Brian Cashman to press "B-12" and have Cal Ripken Jr. fall into the slot. But that's also a straw-man argument.

Nobody is asking for perfection. We're asking for better. Better defense. Better at-bats. Better baseball. Because right now, "better than Anthony Volpe" isn't exactly the highest mountain to climb.

Then came the part that really made me scratch my head.

Empire Sports Media says any move should "leave the club with a clean plan when Volpe is still on the roster tomorrow."

But why? Who decided tomorrow has to include Anthony Volpe? That's the flaw in the entire argument. The Yankees don't owe Volpe a career. They owe Aaron Judge a championship. They owe Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and every veteran in that clubhouse a roster built to win now.

If Volpe can't hold onto the job, then he loses the job. Welcome to professional sports. This organization has spent years protecting Anthony Volpe because of what he might become instead of evaluating what he actually is. That's backwards.

You don't hand someone baseball's most important infield position because they were once a top prospect. You earn it.

The Yankees keep talking about "championship standards." Great. Then start acting like it. Because championship organizations don't keep rewarding bad baseball simply because admitting a first-round pick didn't work out is uncomfortable.

That's pride talking. Not baseball. Again, no disrespect to Empire Sports Media. This isn't personal. It's just my opinion. Anthony Volpe's leash has become longer than his list of accomplishments, and every game the Yankees continue pretending he's the answer at shortstop is another game they're putting loyalty ahead of winning.

The Yankees had an obligation to upgrade the Shortstop and Catching position today.  They failed.  It's a disgrace to this organization. 

For a franchise with 27 championships, that should never be acceptable.

My take.

TODAY'S THE DAY FOR DON MATTINGLY

Big day for Donnie.  I'd also suggest a big day for every Don Mattingly fan out there who truly believes that he needs to be in the Hall of Fame.

Give some credit where credit is due. Jon Heyman has been beating this drum for weeks leading up to the voting. And 2 days ago, I even threw this on IG.

I mean, give the guy what he deserves. The New York Post writes:

"...The results will be announced at 8 p.m. on Sunday at MLB’s Winter Meetings in San Diego...

Mattingly spent 15 years on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, but never received the requisite 75 percent of the vote; the closest he came was in his first year of eligibility in 2001, when he garnered 28.2 percent. Now, he has another chance. He needs at least 12 of 16 votes from the committee, which is made up of seven Hall of Famers, six team executives and three media members.

Mattingly said: “It’s a desire [to be a Hall of Famer]... I think every player, it would be something that if you felt like you knew you’ve done enough. Obviously people look at it as being on the borderline, right? There’s people that voted for you, people that didn’t, different committees put you on and things like that. So obviously you’re one of those guys that’s on the borderline."

Donnie is borderline only because his career was shortened by a back injury, but if you look at the career numbers before his career was shortened, he was stellar and dare I say guys have been getting bigger contracts in today's game and doing far less than Donnie did when his numbers too a slight dip after the back injury got to him.  Even Cal Ripken thinks Donnie needs to be there, which by the way, I thought was an incredible quote:

“He’s [Don Mattingly] the guy they penciled in hitting 4th in the lineup of All-Stars. . . Great defensive player, difference maker. . . A great clutch hitter. . . And I think he’s a Hall-of-Famer.” - Cal Ripken Jr.

We're talking about a guy that is beloved in the game, not just the New York fan base. Think about this; Cal is loved in this game, talking about another guy that was a true competitor but also beloved. 

Look, as far as I'm concerned, it's time for Donnie. The voters need to do the right thing today. Let's hope they do.

THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL HALL OF FAME BALLOT IN YEARS FEATURING ALEX RODRIGUEZ!

I've been going crazy not having a the usual winter routine. There's no Hot Stove. The signings and trades are on pause thanks to the lockout and I've been going crazy. Then I realized, well I could just focus on this years Hall of Fame class and that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks.....

The most controversial and scandalous Hall of Fame ballot of my life is here. Remember when Derek Jeter received 396 out of 397 votes in his first year on the ballot? You also can't forget about guys like Mariano Rivera, Cal Ripken Jr, Ken Griffey Jr and Greg Maddux. Those were no-brainers. Those were the easy votes. Those days are gone.

Now welcome to the world of the steroid ballot era. There are 30 players on this years ballot, and nearly a third of them are tied to steroid use. Let that one sink in. You know the names forever tied to steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez and.....Alex Rodriguez just to name a few. Yeah, now we get to talk about A-Rod again.

It's the age old debate that will never go away. How do you weigh in on this logically? Do you vote for any of them at all? If so, how do you separate and justify the ones that you do pass through to the hall? 

A lot of baseball writers that I interact with will say that their vote is determined by baseball's timeline. It is the fine line in the sand that can't be crossed. In 2003 MLB conducted a drug survey after MLB players agreed to it in an effort to determine if a need for a firm drug policy was needed. If more than 5% of the tests came back positive then mandatory drug testing and penalties for infractions would begin in 2004. Spoiler alert....more than 5% came back positive which brought us down the road to the system MLB currently uses.

So if a player was punished or suspended after MLB implemented its drug policy after the 2004 season, that is the deciding factor for a lot of writers. That could be bad news for repeat offenders like Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez who is eligible for the first time this year.

I think Alex sabotaged himself on this one. Is it possible that he EVENTUALLY years down the road gets elected into the hall? Sure. Someone was dumb enough to vote against Jeter so I can see someone voting for Alex but that would be a real tragedy for the game.

But that's just my take on it.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

MY IBWAA VOTE & WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Every year (since 2010), registered Internet baseball writers are sent their own version of a Hall of Fame ballot to be completed and returned. Once tallied, the IBWAA announces the inductees into its virtual Hall of Fame. No bronze plaques are created, and no official player speeches are given, but it’s still interesting and fun. We often see that the Internet writers induct players into their Hall of Fame that have yet to be inducted into the more well-known counterpart located in Cooperstown. 

Lately, the baseball writers who vote for the Cooperstown Hall are being challenged to be transparent with their ballots. Players who seemingly should be on everyone’s ballot are being left off or ignored, and fans (along with other writers) have called upon the voting participants to be accountable for what they’ve cast.

With that in mind, I’ve just completed my IBWAA ballot and will gladly share it with you. 

The names I highlighted in yellow are the players I am voting for. Don Mattingly is a write-in with the clear understanding that the IBWAA does not accept write-in candidates.

I did it as a matter of principal. 

Anyway, you’ll notice that some stat-worthy names have not been selected. Guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Magglio Ordonez, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez did not get my vote, and probably never will. 
 

(Paul Kitagaki Jr/Sacramento Bee/MCT)

They are names commonly associated with the Steroid Era of baseball. Bonds in particular could be considered the poster child of the era – with Clemens not far behind. Other writers may look at it differently; the argument being that “everyone” during that time was using one form of PED or another. I simply don’t buy it. 

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

I cannot believe that Cal Ripken, Mattingly, or even Fred McGriff – all of which played during the height of that dark period – used anything more than their God-given talents to put up their numbers. None of them had dramatic spikes in their numbers, and none of them had dramatic physical changes. I refuse to make them collateral damage of the cheaters.

(Sept. 20, 2011 - Source: Jim Rogash/Getty Images North America)

Anyway, who did I vote for? For starters, wild-swinging Vladimir Guerrero. “Vlad the impaler” had one of the longest reaches in baseball, and used it to crush balls well outside of the strike zone. In 16 seasons he hit 449 home runs and batted .318. Most amazing to me is the fact that, in spite of being such a free-swinger at the plate, he never struck out more than 95 times in any season. Not once did he crack the 100 strikeout mark. If he was going to swing, the man made sure he connected.

(March 4, 2013 - Source: J. Meric/Getty Images North America)

Next, I voted for the “Crime Dog”, Fred McGriff. He is one of those being held accountable for the sins of his brethren by the Baseball Writers Association. How else can you explain someone with 19 years of service, 493 home runs (he missed a season due to the baseball players’ strike), a .280 batting average, and who hit 20 or more home runs in 15 of those 19 seasons being left outside the doors of the Hall of Fame? In the post season, McGriff hit .303 – including .438 in the 1995 NLCS against Cincinnati which eventually led to Atlanta’s World Championship over the Indians. During his prime, Fred McGriff was truly one of the most feared hitters in baseball. The BBWAA might ignore him, but we won’t.

(Sept. 18, 2008 - Source: Chris McGrath/Getty Images North America)

Someone else that I feel has been overlooked is “the Moose”, Mike Mussina. While pitcher Tom Glavine has his plaque hanging on the wall in upstate NY, Mussina has been given the cold shoulder. Let’s take a look at their numbers:

While Glavine played 4 more years than “Moose”, he actually averaged less wins, had fewer strikeouts, had a higher WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), had less complete games, less seasons of 17 or more wins, and for the stat geeks, had a lower WAR. Mussina managed to either put up comparable or better numbers on worse teams and in a shorter time span than Glavine, yet he remains on the outside of Cooperstown. It is my hope that we can give him some consolation with a virtual plaque in our Hall of Fame.

My last two choices are both career-long Yankees, and some of you will certainly consider them to be “homer” picks by this author, I assure you that both have very good arguments for residing alongside the immortals of baseball.

Jorge Posada was the primary backstop for one of the Yankees most “golden” of eras. He was known as one of the “Core four” that brought multiple championships back to the Bronx. Posada owns 4 rings, and put up numbers well worth consideration for entrance into Cooperstown. I’ll be writing an article later in the week explaining my reasoning. Just be aware that when placed alongside some who have already gained entrance, Posada’s numbers don’t back down. In addition, there are some intangibles like grit and heart that can’t be put into a spreadsheet. His importance to the great teams he played on is primarily why he has my vote.

Don Mattingly is one of the greatest players I have ever seen play. During the peak of his career, he was the best player in the game. I’ve written an article in the past explaining why he belongs in the Hall. If players like Kirby Puckett, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor have been voted in, then it is a crime that Mattingly has not. I’ll write his name on every one of my ballots, always.

So there you have it. I’ve voted for five players I consider worthy of baseball immortality. What do you think? Do you discount the PED users like I do, or do you think their numbers are deserving of induction – regardless of how they were achieved? We’d love to hear from you! 

By the way, if you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out a great piece about the Hall of Fame vote by newbie BYB writer Barry Millman.  Check out PLEASE DON'T BLOW THIS YEAR'S HOF VOTE. It's terrific.

 
    
--Steve Skinner
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

THE 3 SIDES OF THE LaROCHE SAGA

There are three sides to every story: your side, their side and the truth.  If you are like me, you have been listening to both sides of the Adam LaRoche retirement story and are having difficulty deciphering the truth from all of the mouths talking. Let's see if I can give you the sides and let you determine what you feel is the truth.  I will give you my two cents too, for what it is worth.

What We Know as Truth: We know that Adam LaRoche has decided to retire from the game of baseball prior to the official start of the 2016 season.  His decision seems to have a connection to the statement made by the White Sox organization that LaRoche scale back the time his 14-year-old son, Drake, spends with his dad and the team this year.  Traditionally, LaRoche brought Drake to most of the Sox practices, games and Drake even kept a locker in the clubhouse and practice field.  White Sox officials and others in and around baseball say that his time with the team during his work hours was just too much.  Even Today Show hosts stated as they reported the LaRoche story that when they bring their kids to work, they worry if their presence is too much of an interference for the staff.  And we are only talking about a day or two, not every day.

The Players' Side of the Story:  "In his statement, LaRoche said that before he signed his two-year, $25 million contract with the Chicago White Sox last year, "my first question to the club concerned my [son Drake's] ability to be a part of the team. After some due diligence on the club's part, we reached an agreement" and there were no problems with his son's presence in the clubhouse in 2015," reported ESPN on Friday.  Then according to LaRoche and his teammates, White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams changed his tune.  First LaRoche was told to scale back the time Drake spends with the team and later he was directed to not bring his son to the ballpark at all. According to White Sox pitcher and former teammate to LaRoche Chris Sale, Williams changed his story multiple times, making it difficult to understand the reasoning behind the decision and ticking the team and other MLB players off along the way.

According to ESPN, "Sale said Williams has contradicted himself, first saying that players complained about LaRoche's son being in the clubhouse, then saying it was coaches who spoke against it, and then saying the decision came down from ownership."We got bald-faced lied to by someone that we trust," Sale said."

Club owner Jerry Reinsdorf may have a grievance on his hands come early next week.  Word on the street is that White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton told reporters that he spoke to the Major League Baseball Player's Union about filing a grievance on behalf of his former teammate LaRoche.

Reisndorf stated that players have asked to speak with him but it is too early to comment officially on the situation.  Bryce Harper, Robin Ventura and even the Chicago Bears all support LaRoche's "Family First" stance. Sox closer and former Yankee, David Robertson "thought of Drake as "part of the team" and said "the entire clubhouse is with Adam on this one."   

"I had to make a decision," LaRoche said. "Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager (Robin Ventura), general manager (Rick Hahn) or the club's owner Jerry Reinsdorf."

White Sox Management Side of the Story:  As reported by ESPN on Thursday, "When news of the reason became public Wednesday, Williams addressed the issue with reporters and said that kids are still permitted in the White Sox clubhouse, but they shouldn't be there every day, saying no job would allow that."Sometimes you have to make decisions in this world that are unpopular," he said.  Now even LaRoche admitted that it has been a privilege to have his son with him as he played for both the White Sox and Washington Nationals over the last five years.  "We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that's all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?" stated Williams.

My Take: My opinion represents dozens of others shared with me over the last several days.  I guess it stems from this statement made by LaRoche himself.  "It's like having your son and your best friend alongside you all day long, at work, which never gets to happen," LaRoche said. "I don't know many jobs where you can bring your kid and not have to put him in daycare somewhere. It's been awesome."  My daughter is 14 and my son is 18.  They both came with me to work from time to time as I worked on multiple university campuses over the years.  They came sometimes.  As Kenny Williams said to LaRoche, "I don't think he should be here 100 percent of the time. And he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don't even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between."  I agree.  Doesn't he need to be in school? Shouldn't he be socializing with kids his own age? My thought process is yes and yes.  I have had to pay babysitters and juggle schedules to figure out who was taking what kid to what practice or event and when.  Why should LaRoche get special treatment?  The Washington Post reported that Nationals phenom Bryce Harper "admired the father-son relationship between LaRoche and Drake. Sure, most jobs don’t allow employees to bring their children to the workplace daily. But most jobs don’t have their employees traveling and away from home as frequently as professional baseball players."  I beg to differ.

As parents, we have to make shifts and changes to our own schedules and the reality is we don't get to spend every waking moment with our kids.  It's not really healthy to do so either.  That's not to say we don't make sacrifices or make waves when we need to when it comes to our kids.  We most certainly do. We travel for work, some multiple days a month like ball players.  It is just a balance.  It's called work-life balance and at the end of the day, that's the real truth.

The reality is this story isn't going anywhere.  It is staying in the headlines because it is an issue that simply has not come up in the headlines before.  Guys like Ken Griffey Jr., Prince Fielder and Cal Ripken Jr. all spent many a day at the ballpark with their ball player fathers.  "Different teams have had different rules. Some clubs allowed kids in the clubhouse after Sunday games, provided they won."

And that's the bottom line.  There are rules.  And that is the truth too.  With the controversy just heating up, we will keep close ties on the LaRoche matter, a grievance if filed and any other official word from the team.  You can decide from here what you think is the right side to the LaRoche Saga.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

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THE YANKEES SHOULD RECOGNIZE DAVID ORTIZ

Okay, so I am not the biggest fan of these farewell tours. I think that if they are done at all, they should be reserved for the very best of the sport. Before Derek Jeter and before Mariano Rivera, I remember the Cal Ripken farewell tour. It started at the All-Star game and it went through the end of the season. The Yankees honored him during his final series at Yankee Stadium. Ripken was a legend. So were Rivera and Jeter. David Ortiz? Ehh, not so much. So why does he deserve to be honored at Yankee Stadium?

To put it simply, it’s a sign of respect to a fierce competitor. In the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry during the 2000’s, he was one of the fixtures for the Red Sox. There were a few home runs off his bat I would love to have back. Let’s face it, nobody wanted to see him come up with the game on the line. Even against Mariano, he had a career .344 regular season average.


It is also to reciprocate to the Boston Red Sox for their recognitions of our players. When Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter had their respective farewell tours, I wondered what the Red Sox would do. It could not possibly sit well with a lot of their fan base. The rivalry runs deep. That one video clip of Mariano’s blown save in the postseason notwithstanding, I have to say they did a good job. They showed respect to players who earned it. I was at Fenway for Jeter’s final series. A couple of fans started to boo Jeter, and they were quickly told to pipe down by their fellow Red Sox faithful. I was impressed.

Both Rivera and Jeter are going to the Hall. Is David Ortiz a Hall of Fame caliber player? I don’t think so. He is not in the top 20 career list of anything noteworthy unless you count intentional walks (he’s 16th all time – I checked). He led the league once in home runs, twice in RBI’s. If you’re thinking that he’s a career clutch hitter, the stats don’t bear it out. Most of his batting average stats in clutch situations are within 10 points of his career overall batting average. I think it’s exaggerated because if you’re like me, his clutch hits against the Yankees really stung.

Still, he is a great competitor. Hal Steinbrenner is doing the right thing. It’s all part of sportsmanship. You cheer when you win, you groan when you lose, but you always tip your cap to a great competitor.

--Ike Dimitriadis, 
BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon






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MENTORING ATHLETES IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

As a professor and administrative leader at a university in New Jersey, I have had the opportunity to teach and mentor students and other colleagues. The experience has been incredible for me and equally satisfying for the mentee. In fact, this week, we are sponsoring a Peer Coaching workshop for our education students, supervisors and other P-12 personnel. We are expecting over 200 people at the event that will provide an overview of peer coaching, what it is, what it does and how it can help move novice teachers to develop into seasoned/expert teachers.

According to the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a major education organization here in the United States, "Peer coaching is a confidential process through which two or more professional colleagues work together to reflect on current practices; expand, refine, and build new skills; share ideas; teach one another; conduct classroom research; or solve problems in the workplace."  What does peer coaching or mentoring have to do with sports and specifically baseball?  I am getting to that.

Recently I reconnected with my friend and colleague Father Robert Hagan, the Associate Director of Athletics at Villanova University.  You may remember me referencing him in a recent Hot Stove report.  One of his major jobs is to mentor student-athletes as chaplain for Villanova athletic programs. I had the opportunity to discuss the importance of mentoring in an interview this past weekend.  Here are some of our thoughts on the role mentoring has in sports today.

BYB: Why is it important to mentor athletes throughout the the trajectory of their careers? What are the outcomes of good mentoring?

Fr. Hagan: It has been said that there are 2 kinds of people in this world. "Those who are humble and those who are going to be." No one knows it all or has all the answers. It takes humility and trust to be open to others who can offer some direction and wisdom that can and does make a difference in our thinking, and performance, and life!

BYB: What does good mentoring look like? On the field? Court? Or in everyday life? 

Fr. Hagan: Good mentoring can take the form of a trusted friendship. Someone with whom we can share strengths and weaknesses in an open dialogue with no fear of judgment. A good mentor has the other person's well-being at heart and knows that it is not micro-managing a person as much as sharing good strategies and techniques for the other person to try and apply in their profession and life.

BYB: How does mentoring affect a team's performance? Who should mentor?

Fr. Hagan: Good mentoring can help instill or restore confidence which is a key ingredient to success. Often people struggle because their belief in themselves has faded. A good mentor is often someone who has attained some wisdom and or expertise in a particular field and is now willing to share it and give back so that others can reap the benefit of their experience. A good mentor however might not have all the degrees, credentials or accolades, but still has the ability to listen and convey wisdom and truth in a way that the mentee needs to hear in a particular moment.

 BYB: Can mentoring change a player's physical ability? Why or why not?

Fr. Hagan: We talk all the time here at Villanova about how "talent is overrated." Sure talent is necessary to succeed, but time after time it is not the most talented person or team that succeeds. We were not the fourth most talented team in the country in the 2009 when we went to the Final Four!

Rather it is the ones who possess the intangibles that come from good mentoring and personal growth: Confidence...unity...spirit that never gives up...internal disposition to handle adversity and set back and get back up...attitude...The sum of the parts is greater than the individuals. Good mentors help people realize their potential and develop the whole person. It takes mind body and spirit, and when we are working out on ALL these levels, we can realize our utmost potential as players and as people!

With pitchers and catchers reporting in a few days and opening day only 48 days away, it is interesting to discuss this topic of mentoring as it relates to a team's opportunity for success.  There has to be a culture for mentoring instilled in a team in order for mentoring to be successful and there has to be mentors willing to step up and mentor players, young and old.  We have a new team this year with the opportunity to develop new leaders and fresh new players.  Who is going to fulfill the void of Derek Jeter?  Who is going to take on the role of mentor?  Who will people be drawn to and how will mentoring occur?  These are important questions to ask and perhaps they have been asked among the leadership this off season.  Perhaps the players have asked the very same questions of themselves.

Over the years we have seen rich mentoring relationships in baseball.  Guys like Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Cal Ripken, Jr. among others have all taken on the role of mentor to those willing to accept them.  January was National Mentorship Month and according to the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, "It’s rewarding to be among the cadre of mentors who give to the lives of our scholar athletes each week with the realistic expectation that there will be a return on the investment manifested in the productive lives of our mentees!" For the Yankees and other teams who are struggling to create a team that gels all the way into the post season, developing a clubhouse that mentors is the biggest investment they can make.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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BECAUSE OF SY BERGER & TOPPS, I'LL ALWAYS BE A KID

I wanted to wait until today to post this. Maybe because it makes me all fuzzy inside. Maybe because it's personally sad for me, or because it just brings me back to when things were simple...my childhood. This post is about Sy Berger. Sy was the designer of Topps baseball cards and he passed away at 91 this past weekend, read HERE.

Topps baseball cards were the first baseball card brand I was ever introduced to and to this day, I still own hundreds upon hundreds in a card collection that is neatly organized and being held for my children, to eventually pass to their children and so on. For me, it's become a tradition.

Card collecting was always a treat for me.  It was something that I did all of my childhood.  I remember being in my living room in 1975, and my father had bought me my first pack of Topps card.  I wasn't a die hard baseball fan at the time, I was little, but for some odd reason, I remember the card pack, mainly because each card was colorful... remember, it was the 70s.  The one card I remember from that living room in Kentucky? Ron Cey.

I still have it to this day.

Since then, I would be given a few packs for holidays in my stocking. Santa was good like that. I remember my dad bought me the entire box of unopened packs for my birthday in 1984.  I sat on my bed for hours opening and organizing those cards.  It was the most fun I had as a kid.  I thought at the time, "My dad bought me the whole box! I might have the best dad in the world!

Over time, if I had a few bucks, I'd buy my own.  Back then, baseball cards were on the counter of every store. There were no Targets, there were 5 and 10s and coffee shops, and every coffee shop had a glass counter with baseball cards in them. It was a great time to be a card collector and to be a kid.

My collection became bigger by the 1980s and like any kid, I aimed to try and get the good cards.  The 1982 Cal Ripken rookie card, the Don Mattingly rookie, not the Donruss or Fleer ones... the Topps one. You know, the one where you can just make out the #4 on his back. Mattingly wore #46 before he wore the now retired #23.

Topps was good like that... and I was loyal to Topps.  Even as a kid, I knew baseball cards needed to have that soft cardboard with the brown, grayish back full of stats, and not that fake looking glossy appearance of the others. I was never a fan of the Fleer white backs.  It looked like a knock off to me.

Topps was the card, and while I expanding to the others, I always went back to Topps.  They were the gold standard.

I remember sitting in my den as a kid, lining up my Topps cards according to the order of the lineup for that day's game.  I remember having the game on, Messer, White and Rizzuto did their thing, and as the players were lifted from the game, switched with defensive replacements or whatever, I'd replace them on my card lineup too.

I remember bringing my baseball card binder everywhere, always looking through my cards and finding facts about players, and even where they lived and what teams they played for before.  It made the summer vacation car rides better. Sy Berger had me hooked, and my hobby made me truly happy for years.

When I went away to college, the collecting stopped, but my parents didn't throw them out like other parents did to their kid's collections. My parents knew how much I loved it and when I graduated, and moved into my own place, my cards came with me, now about 3 boxes full. They were still all together, now in plastic, separated by YEAR with an index card that I hand wrote to separate each section.  It's the perfect collection... and it's mine.

I never graded a single card, because it was my opinion that collections needed to be personal. Mine was. I didn't fall into the trap of buying sets that I would never open.  What's the fun of that? I never looked for a mint card. I looked for cards that were unique, or something that stood out...something I liked. After all, it was my collection. For instance, there was a day in 1989 that I bought my first Don Larsen card.  The card had drawing on it's face and the seller, a guy in a jewelry store I used to go to, sold it to me for $2 bucks.  It probably isn't worth $1 at the time, but it was my first Larsen card. That's it above.

I remember being in Cape Cod with my parents and my dad brought me to a card shop.  It was my birthday and he bought me a 1958 Yogi Berra.  To this day, It might be my favorite Topps card in my collection.   In short... I remember where I was and what I bought and what it made me feel like when I held that Topps cards... that's because Topps did it better than the others. I fell in love with not only the hobby, but with the brand.

Sy Berger is a pioneer.  Sure, before Topps there was Goudey and Tobacco cards and I have those too, but it was Topps that dominated and made their cards better than all the rest.  Sy Berger once said this about his product in 2002:

"We wanted to make something attractive that would catch the eye." 

Well, for a kid who wanted a hobby back in the 1970s... he caught my eye and my heart and I am proud to say I've been a Topps card collector for 39 years.

My collection is now massive, deeply organized and mine... it's unique to me!  Most of all... It's overwhelmed with Topps baseball cards.

Thank you to Sy Berger.  Prayers for out to the Berger family.  Thanks for allowing me to go back to my childhood any time I want. All I have to do is go back to my collection at any moment, grab my card out and remember where I was when I bought them. It's always a pleasant moment. It was a much simpler life for me back then. It was one of the best times of my life.

My childhood never dies because of Sy Berger.



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