Presidents as baseball card collectors?

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Posted By: Bill Stone

I just returned from a trip to Hyde Park, NY. where I visited the Franklin Roosevelt home and library. It was easy to visualize FDR as a youngster sitting at his desk working on his stamp collection but it caused me to wonder if he ever collected or mentioned baseball cards? I recall the story that when FDR's Potmaster proposed a stamp honoring the centennial of baseball in 1939 that eventhough it was opposed by a poll of stamp collectors President Roosevelt over-ruled them and it was issued. Since he was a true baseball fan as an adult I just wonder if he ever mentioned collecting baseball cards as a child? - do we know if any other President ever mentioned collecting baseball cards ?

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Posted By: Marc S.

George Bush Sr.

I'm not sure if he was a baseball card collector, per se, but Topps released a very special limited edition of a card of him depicted from his Yale playing days in 1990. I believe approximately 100 examples were produced, primarily for Bush and the White House. They are extremely rare to find these days -- and go for about $700+, depending on condition. So perhaps not a baseball card collector, but he might still have his own baseball card in his collection/archives.

~marc

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Cards, I don't know. But Nixon was a big sports fan and, as President, would write letters to Washington Redskin's Hall of Fame head coach George Allen diagramming plays he should run. Allen was a colorful and gregarious man, but was about as paranoid as Nixon. I don't know what he took of the suggestions. Allen once said he assumed other teams were spying on his team, because he had spies spying on them. The Redskin's practice field was built in the middle of the woods, with a hired guard protecting the perimeter-- all to protect against spies.

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Posted By: peter chao

George Bush Jr. was on the Derek Jeter error card in this year's Topps.

So I guess that would make Sr. and Jr. the first father and son presidential tandem to be depicted on baseball cards.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/03/20010330-3.html

Several paragraphs into his remarks, Dubya refers to himself as, "a baseball card collector in the 50's". Doesn't say if Barbara threw his cards out, though

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Posted By: John J. Grillo

My understanding is that Dubya collects autographed baseballs, but I don't know about the cards, but I definitely wouldn't rule that out.

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Posted By: anthony

didnt he own (or part owner) the texas rangers at one point?? he must of had an AROD rookie card somewhere...

when in doubt, keep it!