Neal Ball - Ready to Throw - my personal curious case
First, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Today is a special day as my daughter was born 6 years ago today. Effectively ended bachelorhood and here I am. The other Thanksgiving thread was so well written and gave me some time to reflect on the year that has passed. But, I gather if if wasn't for the pandemic, I'd really never have gotten back into my T206s or the 1950 Bowman or Imperial side projects.
As everyone was posting pictures on twitter of "mail days", I was having some serious fomo. Now mind you, I moved out of my folks house in 1995 and left my cards there. I didn't buy a place until 2014, so I figured they are safer there. My collecting was sporadic over the last 25 years, adding a few cards here and there, but never as serious as I was in the late 80s and early 90s with my T206s. I am surprised because when I did go to shows or buy cards, I never had a master list. Or I'd write down a master list and forget to bring it. I'm surprised there are only 2 doubles in my 160 cards. Anyway, long story short, I posted a picture of a few of my cards with cool backs on twitter and @t206podcast liked one of my posts. I am a podcast type guy, so I gave Justin and Jay a listen. I am thankful I found them and then, through them, stumbled upon this board. Leon has been very kind and welcoming. It has been a great 2 months. I've added a few cards from the B/S/T section. I went from 147 to 163 [please do not get me started on the ridiculous rock star spending from 2000-2014. If I had dedicated 10% to my T206 collection, I'd be real close to completing it. I think about that a lot]
So Neal Ball. I finally transcribed my cards onto a google sheets spread sheet. As a NYC teacher working "live", we had a lot of time at the end of the day to tie some lose ends, make calls, etc. With only 4 students in my class, I had a lot of time, so I created a spreadsheet that goes with me where ever I go. I catalogued my cards on visits to my parents' house. I'd add new acquisitions to my T206 case. It really is very exciting. Last night, a member had posted some raw cards he had for sale. I was going back and forth between my spread sheet and the pictures he had up. I looked at my spread sheet and noticed I had neither Neal Ball cards! This is very strange to me. I remember purchasing the Neal Ball (Cleveland, ready to throw) very early on in my collecting of T206s. I think my dad actually picked him from the cards we were looking at and told me he was the first player credited with an unassisted triple play. Of course, teenage me had to have him. I know I have this card or had this card. It is just one of those cards I remember buying and being really excited about.
What is the point of typing this all out on a stormy Thanksgiving morning when I have to wrap my daughters birthday gifts? I think it is a mixed sense of: excitement going to my folks house and having an excuse to look through my cards again; I think there is a sense of sadness that Neal might be MIA; I also hope I might not have transcribed him over to my sheet. It is hard to do many things with the 6 and 4 year old. Even when they are at grandma and grandpas.
Well...thanks for reading. Not sure what the point of posting this was. I woke up this morning thinking about two things: Penelope's birthday and Neal Ball. Happy Thanksgiving, friends.
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11-26-2020, 04:53 AM
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