...the beginning remains always the most notable moment

Welcome!

It seems like every day someone is starting a new baseball card blog. And while the internet probably doesn’t need yet another, I think I’ve got an angle that may make Green Monster a little bit different from the others.

I love the history and tradition of baseball. Baseball has such a rich tapestry of stories, stories that are shared from generation to generation. The game that is played today is essentially the same as it was 100 years ago. The bases are still 90 feet apart, pitchers still have to throw the ball over home plate for a strike, and batters still have to be able to hit said pitches. The great players of decades past - Ruth, Williams, Cobb, Young - would most likely be great players today. Which allows for debate among fans as to a favorite player’s place among the pantheon of baseball immortals. The same cannot be said of the other pro sports. This heritage, the statistics and milestones that form the individual threads of the tapestry that is baseball, is endlessly fascinating to me.

Which brings me to baseball cards. Part of the reason I collect baseball cards is that they help me to connect with the individual threads of baseball’s history. A 1987 Topps card of Mark McGwire calls to mind the post-home run forearm collisions that earned he and fellow juicer slugger Jose Canseco the nickname “Bash Brothers”. The back of a 1992 Topps Julio Franco card reminds me that he was the AL batting champion the previous year. A 2005 Topps Traded Jacoby Ellsbury reminds of what year he was drafted.

I am primarily a set collector and I’m pretty sure that this connection between cards and baseball’s heritage is the reason. Each set is like an archive of the previous baseball season - the record breakers, the all stars, the rookies. (I also collect Red Sox cards, but I think it’s obvious why people collect their favorite team.)

I have a ton of ideas for this blog that will explore the rich history of baseball as viewed through baseball cards. Most of the threads I will explore will revolve around the Red Sox because… well frankly because that’s what I’m interested in. I’ll spotlight cards of players who moonlighted with the Red Sox or who are better remembered for playing elsewhere. There will also be features on players from the dead-ball and pre-war eras (1901 – 1940 or so), and on favorite cards and players from my personal collection. Regardless of the topic, the baseball cards will be the stars of this blog. Hopefully my words can do them justice and that others will enjoy what I think is a different twist on baseball card collecting.

Scott C.