The 83F Project: Sign Here, Please
Another great piece that reflects back some of the themes we've encountered thus far. And since you're working on your own baseball card project, why not read about someone else's. Write about a theme, a topic, some common point between Scott Mortimer's journey and topics we've discuss thus far.
For me, I love the line near the end when the idea of fraud is mentioned. Rather than give into that idea, Mortimer, "chooses instead to have faith." For me, baseball is the ritual, the worship, the commitment. Off the field, in the wee hours of the night, Mortimer found a faith that binds him to others. That's baseball at its best, and it transcends almost everything else in communities.
Thanks for your insights!
An added item to this week's post. The woman who was the inspiration for Geena Davis' character (Dottie) in A League of Their Own died on Saturday. Here's her obituary.
One common theme between Scott Mortimer's journey and We Are the Ship is the idea of playing for the love the game instead of for money. In this article, Mortimer collects cards for fun and wants to accomplish the goal of obtaining every card in the set. In We Are the Ship, players were put through lousy conditions, like up to 4 games a day, sleeping inside the team bus, and low pay. Despite all of these hardships, the players continued playing because they loved playing baseball. Both of these readings demonstrate baseball's influence on individuals.
ReplyDeleteThis article illustrates the balance between fun and struggle that we have seen so much in the history of baseball. Although Mortimer's journey isn't quite the same as the struggles experienced by early Negro and Women's league players, it is definitely comparable, if only on a smaller scale. Much like Mortimer, early ball players weren't in it for money, for fame, or really for anything besides fun and their love of the game. This fun came at a price: hard days, rough nights, and a whole plethora of hardships. In a way, Mortimer is also sacrificing to have his fun; he is spending money, spending a lot of time, and tirelessly searching. As we saw in early minority baseball, the fun and love for the game overrides the struggles, and so the players continued to play ball just as Mortimer continues his relentless search.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am surprised that all three card collecting stories we have heard have not been about profit. I was always under the impression that serious collectors bought and sold cards to play fluctuating markets or anticipate future stars, and that collecting for fun was more for the average fans. This is similar to what we have learned about early professional players, who did not stand to make much money playing the game. Baseball for players and collectors seems to have been a passion which grew with age. I do not know when modern salaries and huge monetary draw for players arose, but it must have changed internal baseball culture immensely.
ReplyDeleteAs we’ve read in our texts, baseball has greatly impacted many aspects of our society—especially, politically and socially. The Negro Leagues and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League led to the awareness of equal rights for African Americans and women in what was an extremely racist and sexist society. Baseball also provided a distraction and motivator during some more serious times in American history (WW2).
ReplyDeleteBaseball seems to affect the lives of many people; once someone is hooked to the game and its pastime, it’s hard to let go. I believe both Howard Fine and Scott Mortimer recognize the significance of baseball in our society; as a result, they continue with what can sometimes be seemingly time-consuming challenges. However, the rewards for overcoming these challenges seem well worth the battle.
I think one of the best aspects of baseball is how it brings people together and how it has the ability to unite generations. Mortimer's pursuit of the 1983 Fleer baseball card set has led him to discover and meet people he would have never heard of otherwise. A single baseball card, let alone an entire set, gives history new life by providing stats and images for a new generation to learn and understand. Mortimer learned things like the how Biff Pocoroba now owns a sausage company and that Ed Glynn's card has Bud Anderson's name on it. These stories remind me of the oral histories we read early on of "Wahoo Sam" and "Cool Papa" Bell. They told stories, not just of stats but of the people and their personalities, that helped us understand history. I believe that in this same sense, baseball can live on if people like Mortimer want to learn and want to remember.
ReplyDeleteThis article really reminded me of the piece we read about Wahoo Sam and how after he left baseball, people didn't really keep track of him and he led a quiet life in a small town. This seemed similar to Ken Smith and Terry Felton, who just lead normal lives now. But I also find it really inspiring that Mortimer takes the time to track these people down and has the persistence to ge their signatures. I do find it interesting that some don't want to sign cards, because it does seem like cards are a good and important way to preserve the history of baseball and allow the love and knowledge of the sport to be retained. These memories of baseball are what foster the passion for and national pride in the game.
ReplyDeleteScott Mortimer's card collection of the 1983 Fleer baseball card set demonstrates the fun and struggle of baseball, which have been two very apparent themes in baseball history. Mortimer has fun collecting these signatures, just like the Negro and Women's league players had fun playing baseball. Mortimer started his collection for fun as saying, “I guess I wanted a hobby to do while my son was sleeping." Negro and Women's league players also played baseball for the fun because it was their passion. Both Mortimer and the Negro and Women's league players go through a struggle from their passion for baseball. Mortimer has to spend time finding the retired ball players and money for signatures. Players in the Negro and Women's league would sometimes play three games in one day. Their struggle was not only physical but also psychological because of the racism and sexism they had to face each and every day of their careers. While Mortimer's struggle might not be as extreme, his passion for baseball is, and that is one of the many reasons baseball is a thriving sport in today's culture.
ReplyDeleteScott Mortimer's has an admirable amount of patience. It's incredible to see how someone could have that much determination to finish a card set. I can see how the process of finishing the set would be fun but I couldn't imagine dealing with the frustration in being able to complete it. It proves how baseball is more than a game to many people, including Scott Mortimer. Just like Joseph Burgess in finding the "card of his dreams," baseball cards is how Mortimer connects to baseball on a higher level. His goal to finish his set not only gives him something to do, but it also connects him to parts of the game that he wouldn't have ever gotten to experience just by following the game. He goes through different experiences to get these signatures that will leave him memories for the rest of his life. It brings him closer to players and leaves a little excitement in his life. For example, going to a ballgame just to have one player hop out of the dug out to sign his card not only brings him excitement, but it also puts him in a situation to witness something amazing or surprising at the ball game. His hunt for signatures gives him something priceless to live for, to be excited for.
ReplyDeleteI would argue for obvious reasons, hopefully this counts as "something we've discussed thus far," that this article shares the same themes as those we might have taken away after Mr. Fine's visit. Like Mortimer, Fine is a baseball collector as well, so there's an obvious commonality. But beyond sharing the same passion for baseball and merchandise, they both share similar intentions and have both connected with other fans through their hobbies. As Marie said in class, Fine is very modest; he isn't a know-it-all, he just simply loves baseball. Furthermore, when asked about what he does with his memorabilia, he replied that most of it isn't on display in his house. This suggests that perhaps the actual act of collection is what draws him into his hobby, in part. This is another commonality he would share with Mortimer. In the article, it's stated that Mortimer has made connections and friends with others through his hobby, exampled when he exchanged cards with people from the Dominican Republic. It can be reasoned that Fine has had this experience as well through his extensive research and as to how to acquire merchandise, and connections. In conclusion, I believe this article shares the most themes with those that Howard Fine embodied in his visit.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most interesting about Scott Mortimer's card collection of the 1983 Fleer baseball card set was that it really hadn't cost him very much money. I have always looked at card collectors as people who have so much money that they are willing to blow it all on cards and signatures, but that isn't the same with Scott Mortimer. He really cares a lot about his card collection and as he said in the article, all it takes is a bit of patience and determination. I really admire him for being so intent on getting every signature on the whole set even though he is not paying much for the signatures.
ReplyDeleteAnother piece I found very interesting is that the players didn't ask for much in return for their signatures. Even though a couple of them asked for small payments, most of them mainly did it because they either respected Scott Mortimer for trying to get all the signatures or they were tired of getting all of his letters. I suspect the first option was what actually occurred. This connects to the idea that back in the day most of these baseball players were doing it for the love of the game. Even though it was only 30 years ago, I believe the baseball culture was very different than today. Today, most baseball players would ask for a large sum of money for their signature or like Mr. Fine's example of the St. Louis Cardinals players signing agreements to only sign a specific collector's balls. This kindness shown by these baseball players is something I hope will be continued by many of the modern baseball players.
The struggle and passion of baseball have been an ongoing themes in the works we’ve studied thus far. Mortimer’s way of showing passion to a sport is by collecting baseball cards. Jackie Robinson, as an example of a black baseball player in the MLB, was constantly harassed but he displayed the passion to the sport by continuing to play. What may appear as impersonal encounters between Mortimer’s and the baseball player whom he gets an autograph from illustrate how powerful a sport can be in that its magic can lend to such absurdity. Imagine the scenario; Mortimer gets an autograph from a famous player and goes home, probably sensually strokes that baseball card he got signed, and puts it away in his safety drawer. It sounds crazy to someone foreign to the sport! But the fact that Mortimer does collect baseball cards, and continues to, shows his true love for the sport in a similar way that many underrepresented players like Jackie Robinson demonstrated commitment – by overcoming anything in pursuit of their passion.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how Mortimer mentioned his friends and connections in other countries, because it reflects the sentiments of the baseball community. In "We Are the Ship," the author wrote about how fans in smaller town would sometimes have potlucks with the players, or give them places to sleep. The experience of everyone looking out for each other seems unique to baseball, and I love how collectors keep an eye out for cards that their fellow collectors would want. It seems like a great community to be in.
ReplyDeleteThe theme that stood out for me was how baseball is able to unite people and how a lot of players are really just everyday people who love the game. Along his journey, Mortimer notes each of the quirks he learns about past players and some of the professions they held before playing baseball: a car dealer or the captain of a sheriffs office. These were not heroic, larger than life people, they simply loved to play baseball. This is similar to the beginnings of baseball where ballplayers were everyday folk who came together to share a common passion, much like fans from all over, with varying backgrounds (and ethnicities) united to watch the game they loved.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the "common man/woman" can have such a big impact in preserving the history of the game. I was impressed that he was able to gather that much history without spending a significant amount of money. This story illustrates that its not just wealthy collectors or the baseball hall of fame that holds memories of the game. With some effort, anyone can hold a part of history and enjoy the associated challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis idea of the unique connection between baseball and it's fans is something that makes the sport different than any other game. Fans have an impact on the game of baseball unlike in any other sport. This piece really ties to theme of baseball as a common man's game, but also to the idea of American unity created through the game, and the connection between fan and player. The men that Scott Mortimer is seeking, are not presented as superstar celebrity icons, they are just people like he is, accessible to the fans as fellow Americans.
ReplyDeleteThis idea of the unique connection between baseball and it's fans is something that makes the sport different than any other game. Fans have an impact on the game of baseball unlike in any other sport. This piece really ties to theme of baseball as a common man's game, but also to the idea of American unity created through the game, and the connection between fan and player. The men that Scott Mortimer is seeking, are not presented as superstar celebrity icons, they are just people like he is, accessible to the fans as fellow Americans.
ReplyDeleteKepner has attained a unique perspective that many sports fans have never, and will never know. By spending his time pursuing the many signatures of his 83F Project, he is able to gain a perspective on these athletes that is separate from the awe of their athletic ability and their portrayal in the media. He is able to see these athletes as they are not as baseball players, but as normal people, doing ordinary things in their post baseball lives. He is able to see what these people are like on a personal, if not one on one level, through his interaction with them, which is something many will never be able to do.
ReplyDelete