Baseball Bucket List: COLLECTIONS

On Tuesday 9 March 2010 a book was published titled: The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List: 162 Things You Must Do, See, Get, and Experience Before You Die, by Robert Santelli and Jenna Santelli. The book’s table of contents lists all 162 items per the authors’ ranking. I have taken that list and organized it into twelve categories, which I find easier to consider when dealing with the list. I will be presenting each category alphabetically over the course of the 2011 baseball season. The number to the left of each item is its position on the Santellis’ list. Today’s category number two out of twelve is:

COLLECTIONS

24 Own A Baseball Glove
I have owned a baseball glove in the past, but alas there is a lack of one in my present. Although I was usually the catcher, I made due with an infielder’s glove. I like to think that it helped hone my catching skills. Perhaps another mitt is in my future. . .

44 Own A Piece Of Vintage Clothing
Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 1980s is considered vintage. – Wikipedia
According to the above definition, the only vintage clothing item I have is my Red Sox baseball cap. Can’t remember exactly when I bought it, but I’m pretty sure I bought at the official souvenir store across from Fenway. No matter, I like it and now to get an accompanying vintage Carlton Fisk shirt. . .

53 Maintain A Baseball Card Collection
I have one sort of baseball card of Red Sox team captain Jason Varitek sans statistics. However, no real baseball cards for me  – all that wasted bubblegum of my childhood! The only other baseball “card” item I have is a cardboard coaster with the 2007 World Series Champions and Boston Red Sox logos. Not surprisingly, if I were to start a baseball card collection, I would concentrate on Boston Red Sox players.

72 Own An Autographed Baseball Collection
Unfortunately, I don’t even own a baseball anymore, never mind an autographed one. For me, I would want to get as many ballplayers signatures as possible and not be Red Soxcentric in this collection. Individual signatures on each baseball with the date and place are my preferences for how they should be autographed. .

84 Own A Classic Baseball Photograph
The classic photograph I would like is one of Fenway Park on its Opening Day in 1912. And player photographs would also be great, especially Red Sox ones.

89 Start A Baseball Bobblehead Collection
I don’t really understand the popularity of bobbleheads – the up and down motion just bothers me somehow. Non-moving figurines of Red Sox players work well for me.

106 Own A Piece Of Baseball Art
Although I am an art lover, I don’t own anything that could possibly be considered Baseball Art. I think some artwork depicting all thirty baseball parks would be great.

121 Own A Baseball Antique
No antiques for me either. I suppose it would be wonderful to own specific pieces of equipment from baseball players over the decades – a base stealer’s shoes, a power hitter’s bat, a knuckleball catcher’s mitt, etc. – and have one amazing collection of equipment antiques.

123 Shop For Baseball Memorabilia In Cooperstown
Of course being at the Baseball Hall of Fame is the preferred way to obtain the memorabilia, but as one who has yet to make that trip to Cooperstown, online is a good alternative - http://shop.baseballhall.org/?sourceid=topnav

127 Own A Copy Of The Barry Halper Collection Of Baseball Memorabilia
During a 50-year stretch, Halper gathered over 100,000 items from the great game, including a 1912 World Series program signed by "Smokey" Joe Wood and President Woodrow Wilson, a ticket stub from the Lou Gehrig memorial game, and Mickey Mantle's 1956 Triple Crown Trophy. The entire legendary lot was offered in two separate auctions in 1999: one live at Sotheby's New York headquarters and the other via the Internet at http://www.sothebys.amazon.com. – Amazon.com


My Collection Suggestions

Have A Bat Collection
This could encompass the different types of bats used from the nineteenth century to the present. An alternative could be to collect the bats used by a player over the length of his career, one bat per year. Or have a collection comprising the bats of each winner of the Silver Slugger award. And for the Red Sox fans, a collection of a bat from each Boston player every year.

Have A Glove Collection
This could encompass the different types of gloves used from the nineteenth century to the present. An alternative could be to collect the gloves used by a catcher over the length of his career, one glove per year. Or have a collection comprising the gloves of each winner of the Golden Glove award. And for the Red Sox fans, a collection of a glove from each Boston player every year.

Have An Uniform Collection
This could encompass, one each, of the home and away uniforms of each baseball team every year from as far back as possible. An alternative could be to collect, one each, of the home and away uniforms of each player on a specific team every year, e.g. Boston Red Sox.


Images:
Left: My personal Jason Varitek baseball “card”
Center: Front cover of The Barry Halper Collection of Baseball Memorabilia from the website authentic-sports-memorabilia.blogspot.com
Right: My personal 2007 World Series Championship cardboard coaster