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.
This story is honestly pretty crazy. I’m surprised at the amount of responses and subsequent autographs he has received from various players. The patience and dedication required to finishing his collection is incredible, especially knowing that it’s probably impossible to entirely complete the deck. The sheer size of the task, with 660 cards, is a test of Mortimer’s will power. Additionally, I’m shocked that with cards he’s had signed, he never paid more than $52. I see that as an achievement independent of finishing the cards. The interconnectedness that baseball players from the 1980’s still have with fans represents how baseball impacts the player’s entire lives. I also found it interesting when Mortimer explained how one of the players now owned a sausage company. The intricate details of how each baseball star signed their card were incredibly specific. I can’t imagine collecting hundreds of baseball cards only to have one sign a card on the back or with different colored ink. Mortimer’s fascination and commitment to completing this almost unfathomable task is both commendable and surprising.
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Joseph Kakkis
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I feel that this man's collection is very intriguing, but seems like a waste of time. As much as one can see the theme of never giving up and perseverance, the amount of time that this must take cannot be worth the diverse memories that he is missing out on from doing this. Everything he does seems to be in pursuit of the 99 left. Why doesn't he travel to see all the stadiums instead? I will give him one thing, though. He learned a lot about the realities of the majority of baseball players and how those precious few years have resulted in a variety of odd jobs afterward. Very few people become enshrined among baseball's greats; however, many of the players that all beat the odds to become a professional ball player still have their legacies live on through their card. In this way, his quest is almost noble in remembering the unknowns of baseball.
This is an interesting pursuit. I can both see some of its faults and some of the reasons it is worth it. But, in the end it seems like a hobby that has taken up more and more of his time. I know he is a stay at home dad but I feel there are many other more productive things he could be doing, especially if he is not making any money off of it. Obviously this piece doesn't speak of what he does with the rest of his time but I hope this is not it. At the same time, I admire his dedication to his passion. He is a true fan.
ReplyDeleteI think that this man’s dedication to his ‘project’ is very notable and his faith that he continues to have even though some of the players are dead is remarkable however I can’t help thinking that he’s going a little far. Maybe since he was a little kid he’s always had a passion for collecting the cards but it seems like his focus on collecting the cards is taking away from other parts of his life. Not to mention that his family may be shunned to the side by his pursuits, but his focus on the baseball cards seems like it could easily take away from his love for the game. It seems like he continues to love baseball but his love in the game is rooted in him trying to get the cards. His focus on getting the cards seems to me to be a unhealthy obsession that is robbing him of time with his family and friends (other than trying to get friends to find baseball cards for him) and on focusing on what he loves about baseball (unless the only thing that he loves about baseball is the individual players). To me, his focus seems misplaced and personally I would encourage him to give away or sell his collection to kids like himself years ago, just realizing their love for the game and wanting to become a bigger part of it.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it is easy for me to admire his dedication to collecting cards, but it is equally as easy for me to question his dedication. Although he is extremely passionate finding old ball players autographs and collecting cards to add to his collection, his obsession makes me wonder why he does it. Why does he spend endless hours writing players and collecting cards? What is his end game? It is hard for me to understand this lifestyle, but I can admire his enthusiasm. I am sure that he is doing what he loves and that is all that matters to him. His dedication is very impressive I just wonder if he is dedicating his time to the wrong thing. I feel like there are so many other things that he could be spending his time doing that would be more productive in the long run, but I guess that is part of the magic of baseball; becoming so enthralled in it that nothing else truly matters as much as baseball itself.
ReplyDeleteMortimer’s passion is one that I cannot personally understand, but I can recognize and appreciate why he does it. Although it seems like a meaningless hobby, his dedication to finding and receiving every autograph for his card set is his own way of finding a deep connection with the game of baseball. Baseball is often focused around the concept of the seemingly impossible: throwing a perfect game, hitting for the cycle, or making an improbable game-saving catch. As a fan, Mortimer found his baseball calling and set goals for himself, knowing full well that it would be an incredibly difficult undertaking. Even though it is difficult to imagine myself in his shoes, I can completely understand his motives. It is an obsession, but a healthy one. His choice to have faith in the authenticity of the cards he acquires is what separates him from addiction: he considers his goal completed after he has obtained the autographs for the cards, and accepts that they could be fake. He simply prefers to believe that he has found exactly what he has aspired to obtain, and pushes aside any negative thoughts. I admire his commitment and drive to reach his goal, one that seems random and impossible to most besides himself.
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Once again, this article touches on the religious aspect of baseball, and is touched upon noticeably in the end. Story’s of baseball card collectors especially lend themselves to religious contexts because of their pursuit of finding specific cards. This collector is no different. It appears as though for Scott Mortimer, the completion of his 1983 series has become a major goal and aspect of his life. It seems as though Mortimer will not rest to complete his set, following his quest without question, a very religious quality. Additionally, in the end of the article, Mortimer talks about how signature fraud is a possibility, but how he has “faith” and trusts that they are real. This concept of faith is one that is central to nearly all religions, including baseball.
ReplyDeleteWow- Scott Mortimer’s story is unique. It transcends a typical baseball fascination, and truly embodies obsession. Based on his devotion to completing his collection, his “baseball scavenger hunt” screams religion. However, I really question whether it is a healthy religion in his case. As we have discussed, baseball inspires faith through its religious qualities, but is there a point at which it is too much? I can’t help but draw the parallel that Scott Mortimer is an extremist in religious terms. It seems that he has allowed his quest to completely dominate his life, rather than guide it and infuse it with a bit of inspiration. He almost seems childish for devoting his life to getting autographs on baseball cards; I wonder about how else he could use the hours and energy spent on his project. I can’t neglect his dedication, though. Any sort of dedication like this shows passion and hopefully fulfillment, so even if I do think it’s childish, it is nice to see him chasing his dream of completing the collection.
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Even though many of the players on the cards have died and are no longer involved in the major leagues, one is even in prison, Mortimer remains intrigued and hopeful to fulfill his collection. Mortimer is very dedicated to his collection and eager to obtain the autographs for all 660 cards; his cards represent his intense interest in baseball that connect him to other devotees. However, his interests and connections to baseball and the game go beyond his immediate cards. It is as if Mortimer’s cards are far less valuable than the actual journey he is taking to retrieve each card and the story or stories attributed to each card. Mortimer even claimed, “The pursuit itself, he said, is half the fun. ” Through the process he encounters and undercovers discoveries about the individual players. Like my other peers, I do wonder if pursuing this dream is actually important for it seems to create zero positive outcomes, besides fulfilling his collection and it seems to be taking a lot of his time.
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Although I fully support the idea of committing to something and having something to be dedicated to, I think Mortimer's devotion is a little odd. It is always important to find a passion and to find success in that passion. Mortimer, however, shows a different side of passion. His activities do not have a large reciprocation for his time and effort that he puts into it. There isn't a prize at the end of it, but a sense of emotional satisfaction. This really plays into the idea that finding a passion is about believing in something larger than yourself. Mortimer has an unwavering faith in the cards, and a belief that he will one day find all of the signed cards; that they are out there waiting for him. It is really challenging to deny someone who has found a passion as strong as Mortimer's, yet I still believe it is odd. Mortimer's experience embodies the power that baseball can have on individual's, but there are definitely more productive passions to pursue.
ReplyDelete-Chloë
Mortimer has shown his dedication to the completion of this quest. That is a fact and cannot be debated. However, it strikes me as a waste of time. Writing to ex-ball players, essentially pleading for their autograph to complete something that benefits no one other than himself, not only seems selfish, but completely unnecessary, especially if its only for "a hobby to do while my son was sleeping". A lot of people out there are fanatics of the cards themselves, and do not require the possibly fake signatures that Mortimer desperately needs. Not everything about this is wrong or bad though. I will admit that Mortimer's dedication is incredible. Pair that with his constant faith, and we have a devoted fan. I just wish these impressive qualities were used for something that benefits multiple people and isn't as selfish.
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This endeavor felt very similar to Ray's Field of Dreams idea. Both goals come from a love of baseball and are fulfilled only to satisfy a sense of adventure that comes from this love. Like Ray's journey, Mortimer hold his own story in each individual signature and card. The two explore life beyond baseball, and how the game influences each player's life. Both find value in the personal experiences their journeys have presented two them, yet others question whether their dreams and effort to achieve these dreams is valid or justified. Personally, I think as long as someone is happy, there is no reason to question one's dreams.
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Although I wouldn't choose to devote my time to getting 660 signed baseball cars as my hobby, I honor this man for his love for what he does. He is a perfect example of following what makes you happy, even if thats finding signed baseball cards. I also really enjoyed hearing about the other baseball enthusiasts and how they helped Mortimer in his journey to complete his set. Although this piece refers to baseball cards, I believe that it holds a greater meaning. That meaning being the passion to complete a challenge. Overall I look at Mortimer's story and see a man that created a challenge for himself and now wants to prove himself. I think the baseball cards just happened to be what he challenged himself with and that they have no other significant meaning. That being said, I do believe that Mortimer is a baseball fan and i'm sure the cards give him the extra drive to complete this hard task. This is a great story of perseverance and the lengths at which one man will go to complete his dream.
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Something that this article really highlighted about baseball was a sense of community. The parts of Scott Montimer’s story that stuck out the most to me were the ones about the “tribe of collectors,” and how they help each other through trading or help to make a signing happen. It reminds me of the sense of community when you are at a baseball game and catch a foul ball and get a high five from everyone around you. When Montimer talks about where the players are now, it’s almost like they are reporting to a “Where Are They Now” column in an alumni magazine. This also brings out the aspect of community through the idea that you are always a part of this alumni network so to speak. Whether it’s the fans, collectors or players, it is clear that baseball acts as a common thread for people to come together with a common purpose. It is hard not to make religious parallels with the idea of people coming together for a common purpose. If one defines religion as something greater that brings people together, and creates a community, then this article furthers the assertion that baseball acts as a religion for fans.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Mortimer’s dedication to his collection and to completing his collection is borderline insane. Despite knowing that it will basically be impossible to get all of his cards signed, he still persists at getting autographs. I personally lack motivation when I feel like my goal is so out of reach that it is almost impossible, so I especially admire Mortimer for sticking with his collection. (I mean really who could wait 2,099 days for a response?!) While this idea seems a little eccentric, what I really loved about this article was when Mortimer talked about all the help and support he received from other fans. This act really exemplified the idea of baseball as a religion as I think one of the biggest parts of religion is uniting with and helping others.
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As someone who is not a baseball enthusiast I can still respect the dream of getting the 660 baseball cards signed. I can see how some would perceive his dream as crazy or a hobby gone wrong, but if he does complete this set, which will be difficult, it will be worth a lot of money. While I know that that is not his end goal as a baseball fan, it is still worth pointing out that he will get more than just a sense of accomplishment from completing his set. While this has taking more time than most would out into it his dedication astounds me and it is something I wish I had.
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