The 83F Project: Sign Here, Please
Another great piece that reflects back some of the themes we've encountered thus far. What are your thoughts? Keeping it open to any thought this week. Go wild!
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!
I think that this is a really interesting story of a man with such dedication to baseball. It proves that baseball is more than just a sport; that it’s a lifestyle. Some, including myself, watch games every now and then. But others like Mortimer have taken on baseball as a hugely significant part of their lives. It is always refreshing to hear stories about somebody so passionate and full of love for a sport, even if it is not my personal favorite. His story demonstrates dedication, commitment, perseverance, and more essential qualities that most people should strive to have. As you mentioned, Mortimer can bond with others over his “obsession” with baseball. It is a way for him to build a community and friend circle over one similar passion that he and his friends all share. It brings joy, compassion, and friendship into our lives to be able to share such an important part of ourselves with others who can relate.
ReplyDeleteGrace Donahoe:
ReplyDeleteThis piece speaks to the tradition and excitement of the sport, not for the players, but for the fans. For as long as I can remember, fans have swarmed to what is now AT&T park during batting practice to get autographs. Fans will get players to sign whatever they have with them, and for the most part a lot of fans don't even care who is autographing. I remember when I was little, spending March at spring training, buying baseballs and silver sharpies just for autographs, standing in a crowd of excited little kids waiting for players to come out as our parents looked on from above. In that moment, I didn't care about the deadly Arizona sun or the little kids elbowing to get ahead, because it was the waiting and the hoping that was the fun part. I got so many signatures that year, and now, looking back at those baseballs in their plastic case, I hardly remember any of the names, but that does not matter to me. I had fun getting those signatures nonetheless. This is the same thing that Mortimer experiences; for him, the quest is the fun part, finding out what those players do now, seeing how they sign their names, checking names off his list. He does not think about the fraud, or the signatures that he might never get, and instead thinks about all of the fun he will have trying.
I think this piece parallels the hope of the fans at baseball games. Rather than hope that your team wins, this man has the hope that he will someday have all of his cards autographed by professional players. His aspiration is especially shown by the last line of the article, "When you do this, you never give up on cards". Like how "a straggling few got up to go in despair. The rest clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast". There are probably lots of card collectors who might receive some autographs for a few of his cards but does not care enough or does not have the belief that it will be possible to get all of the autographs that he needs. Mortimer instead has the same type of hope as baseball fans have who stay until the very last play of the game. He feels the possibility and belief that he will someday reach his goal. Although, in reality, he knows that he will never be able to get the autographs of the cards where the men are no longer alive, but that does not stop him from believing, which in itself is inspirational.
ReplyDeleteThe sense of camaraderie among baseball fans is the glue that holds each game, season, and team together. Scott Mortimer has demonstrated tremendous commitment to both his own interest in baseball as well as the interests of other fans who share a similar hobby. I enjoyed learning that the “tribe of collectors” look out for each other and help each other reach their goals. It is quite impressive that Mortimer has received over 560 autographs in six years. Without the help of others, he would probably not have been able to accomplish such a feat. He does not allow skepticism to undermine his love for collecting the cards and faith in the process keeps him excited and motivated to finish the collection. This faith is a key element in many different fields of baseball. It prevents fans from giving up when their beloved teams have an off game and motivates people to come back season after season.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the determination and perseverance of this man finding all the baseball cards of an elite set is phenomenal. I think the most interesting aspect of the article was what he learned that the baseball players did once they retired from the league, when he was in search of the cards. For example Ken Smith, a Braves first baseman, worked as a car dealer. Another interesting example was Terry Felton, a Twins pitcher, as a captain in a sheriff’s office in Louisiana. This incredible and motivating hobby shows just what can be accomplished. The hours and time spent on this activity is ridiculous I am sure and what is even more incredible is how close he is. Very inspiring overall.
ReplyDeleteI have never been much of a collector, I have never seen the appeal but this piece really showed what it is, for some collectors, that motivates them. For Mortimer it is about the pursuit and this really makes sense. It is the ultimate scavenger hunt spanning across countries and at the end he is left with a collection of not just baseball cards, but memories. It is also a way of not forgetting players. Yes the greats are remembered forever, but of the 660 cards he is trying to get signed I am sure the majority of players simply fell off. This quest of his is a special way to keep players relevant and remember more than just the greats.
ReplyDelete-Wes Owen
I used to be a collector of certain kinds of cards but never baseball or other sport cards, but when I read this article I could really relate to the determination that he had for collecting. The thrill that Mortimer experienced throughout his journey for finding the cards, is close to the feeling I felt as a child trying to find the missing card to my collections, but i wasn't as adventurous and obsessed with it as he was. Even though the names that he was writing about at the end of his article were names that I have never heard before, it was a very revealing paragraph to the audience and told us that this journey wasn't just for the cards and to get so many different players, it was the memories and the detailed memories that kept him going and created such an exciting ride.
ReplyDeleteThe determination and faith that Scott Mortimer has is inspiring and unmatched by any other collector I have read about. Although it has taken six years for him to finally get down to his last 99 cards, he acknowledges how difficult of a task it is to get these last autographs but is still optimistic. I found that the "tribe of collectors" that he belongs to is one of the most interesting details in this article because of the network that they have created. Mortimer told author Tyler Kepner that, "a friend in the Dominican Republic recently tracked down Miguel Dilone, Cesar Geronimo and Rafael Ramirez for autographs". The connections and sense of community that this network of collectors has created is truly amazing and displays their astounding passion for baseball card collecting.
ReplyDeleteMortimers decision to have faith instead of believing in fraud actually shows his level of extreme perseverance. If he gave into the idea that most of these cards were frauds, than the motivation to continue collection cards would be lost. Having faith that these cards are real and not believing in faith shows his true determination to collect the cards because believing in fraud means giving up. Collecting these cards is part of Mortimerd job now, as a stay at home dad, and he works as hard and puts as much time in to it as most people do with their day jobs. The concept of not believing in fraud has him striving to complete the set in a similar way that Americans strive to achieve the American Dream
ReplyDeleteI think is an awesome story that shows just how dedicated baseball fans truly are. I don’t think Mortimer is an outlier. I think there are tons of baseball lovers out there that have similar stories to Mortimer. That’s what I have always found so unique to baseball the amount fans look at the past. I think in other sports we definitely talk about the greats and how the game has changed. However, they don’t go nearly as deep into it as Baseball fans. This is why I look at baseball more as a religion than a game. If you want to be a die-hard baseball fan you have to understand how it came to be. The dedication and passion that Mortimer expresses is what makes baseball unique. No sport contains the same type of following like the game of baseball does.
ReplyDelete-Luc
Again this article to me really plays into the idea of baseball being quite cultish. It has the religious undertones that are a staple in baseball mythology, as well as this super intense sense of community, which is really, in my opinion, undervalued about baseball. One fan's relationship with another is obviously not very unique, but it is very special, as it is such a stronghold in American culture; when in doubt, talk about baseball.
ReplyDeleteI think that this article relates a lot back to what we have been reading about. No matter how elusive something may be, whether its playing professionally or finding that certain signed card, having faith is half the battle. I like how for baseball especially, the fans can be more dedicated and invested even if they don't play, than other sports. The fact that he is able to have the hope and determination to complete his set, even if it means finding super old player, and writing to prisons, shows that baseballs fans the most passion.
ReplyDeleteSandy Schenker,
ReplyDeleteFor me, this article touches on the themes of pursuit and faith. Every baseball player and fan needs both pursuit and faith to succeed. Whether it is the pursuit for the final 99 cards in a deck, a Ken Griffey Jr card, or just winning the world series, every baseball fan and player needs to pursue what they want. Baseball is not a game that one can just sit back and succeed in, every single person affiliated with the game has to push through adversity at times in order to continue thriving in the game. The faith part touches me especially in this new time period of steroids. Baseball fans need to have faith in players and the game in order to ensure that their is still some credibility for the players. Any baseball fan could accuse and baseball player of cheating and have a good chance of being correct, but fans enjoy the game more when they just believe in the game and the players.
This article is a reminder of the realness of baseball player's lives that I think is often forgotten. After players we looked up to retire they don't stop living their lives, although they are removed from our consciousness. I think this speaks to the fantasy of baseball, how it is an extension of our real lives as viewers, and some ways a step away from many things in real life for players. It is a game, but it is also for some time their livelihood. This snap back to reality and away from the game may not be a problem for the elite few who can maintain their presence in the game through commentating or coaching, but for many I think that the transition away from the game must be hard.
ReplyDelete-Noah
This article for me demonstrates how much of an impact baseball has on its fans. Baseball is not only an amazing sport that is fun to watch, but also drives people to make it more than a sport. Years of collecting baseball cards and years of tracking down players to get their signatures is not just a hobby or activity, it is something someone dedicates a lot of their life and time to and something that someone has to be completely driven to do. This article has shown me how baseball can affect its fans and how it can lead them to live a life completely about baseball.
ReplyDeleteI think this article emulates the idea of baseball as like a quest or a journey with a team or oneself. The author depicts Mortimer and other collectors as a tribe, unified by their "love of the game" and not for profit. The author's mention of faith over fraud also seems to be derived from the game itself in how benefit of the doubt plays a role in relentless fan loyalty to baseball stars.
ReplyDeleteThis article was great because it shows the community behind baseball. Although millions of people watch the games, and there are thousands of die hard fans for each team, there is a smaller community of people that no matter what team they are watching, and where they are watching it truly watch it for the love of the game. In Mortimer's 83F project we can see that so many people from all around the world would come through to fulfill a common goal. Although a certain level of training is involved, he is doing it for his own accomplishment and not a cash prize which is really rare. Yes, many people still collect baseball cards, but it is hard to tell if there is a distinction of doing it for the game, or for the money. Mortimer's story is unique and inspiring, and shows to never give up on a project and that people who you never expected will come through for you.
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