Who is a player you collect that nobody else probably does?

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I have a few…

Gorman Thomas - I was 10 in 1982 and new to baseball. While watching a Brewers-Red Sox game, Thomas hit a moon shot over the Green Monster, over the 30 - foot screen on top of the monster and in the words of TV 38 color commentator Bob Montgomery “all the way to the MA Turnpike“. I was just in awe of the shot that I actually believed Montgomery. He ended up tying with Reggie for the league lead in homers that year. I was hooked.

Richie Hebner - When I was a kid, he lived two towns from me and in the off season he was a groundskeeper for the town cemetery. When I was 16 I worked in my dad’s shop - he sold and fixed lawn mowers, snowblowers, chain saws, etc. Hebner came in and dropped off some equipment to be serviced. As my dad filled the service order, I noticed the name and told my dad that I thought he was a former ballplayer. Dad said that he’d been coming in for years and didn’t think anything of it (Dad was not into baseball ). Knowing that he‘d come back in a few days, I left all of the Hebner cards I had and asked Dad if he would ask Richie to sign them. Sure enough, he came back on a day I was at school and he signed every one of them. I still have them in my autograph collection.

Kent Hrbek - No personal story here. I just liked him. His physique just allowed me to dream that I could someday play professional ball.

Brian Bohanon - He and I share similar surnames. He has one internal N while mine has two. I‘m a teacher in upstate NY and my first day teaching was when he played for the Mets. I introduced myself and one kid quickly piped “Are you Brian Bohanon’s brother or cousin?”. Of course he’s not but I felt a connection and started collecting his cards.

Jeff Juden - I‘m starting this collection. He played for Salem High School when I was in high school. I played one game against him and struck out twice.

My favorite: Rich Gedman - He was an All-Star catcher for the Red Sox during the 1980s. Additionally, he’s a native of Worcester, MA. Throughout little league, middle school and high school I was a catcher too so I looked up to him.
 
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Todd Hollandsworth -- he and I share the same last name...no relation. I thought he was the only Hollandsworth to play the game (and technically he is) - and then I see Leaf cards for a Ty Hollandsworth show up on eBay.

Welp... there goes my budget!
 
I have a few…

Gorman Thomas - I was 10 in 1982 and new to baseball. While watching a Brewers-Red Sox game, Thomas hit a moon shot over the Green Monster, over the 30 - foot screen on top of the monster and in the words of TV 38 color commentator Bob Montgomery “all the way to the MA Turnpike“. I was just in awe of the shot that I actually believed Montgomery. He ended up tying with Reggie for the league lead in homers that year. I was hooked.

Richie Hebner - When I was a kid, he lived two towns from me and in the off season he was a groundskeeper for the town cemetery. When I was 16 I worked in my dad’s shop - he sold and fixed lawn mowers, snowblowers, chain saws, etc. Hebner came in and dropped off some equipment to be serviced. As my dad filled the service order, I noticed the name and told my dad that I thought he was a former ballplayer. Dad said that he’d been coming in for years and didn’t think anything of it (Dad was not into baseball ). Knowing that he‘d come back in a few days, I left all of the Hebner cards I had and asked Dad if he would ask Richie to sign them. Sure enough, he came back on a day I was at school and he signed every one of them. I still have them in my autograph collection.

Kent Hrbek - No personal story here. I just liked him. His physique just allowed me to dream that I could someday play professional ball.

Brian Bohanon - He and I share similar surnames. He has one internal N while mine has two. I‘m a teacher in upstate NY and my first day teaching was when he played for the Mets. I introduced myself and one kid quickly piped “Are you Brian Bohanon’s brother or cousin?”. Of course he’s not but I felt a connection and started collecting his cards.

Jeff Juden - I‘m starting this collection. He played for Salem High School when I was in high school. I played one game against him and struck out twice.

My favorite: Rich Gedman - He was an All-Star catcher for the Red Sox during the 1980s. Additionally, he’s a native of Worcester, MA. Throughout little league, middle school and high school I was a catcher too looked up to him.
As a kid, I was in the Gorman Thomas Fan Club! He was a cool player.
 
Chris Heisey and Nate Bump.
Heisey is the only person from Messiah College (where my wife, sister and brother in law graduated from) to make it to the majors. He currently lives in the area and is friends with some of my co-workers.

Bump was a local guy from back home...spent a few years with the Giants and Marlins before touring the minor leagues.
 
I'm the only Pete Harnisch collector I know -- we went to the same high school, although he's a few years older than I am. There's at least one other Arkansas-based Kevin McReynolds collector I've met along the way, so I know I'm not the only one there.
 
Vagas Ferguson
He is from my hometown I lived down the street,and was friends with, his little brother. He still lives here in Richmond and works as athletic director at our local high school he signed this card for me years ago and it's on my memorabilia shelf front and center.
 

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Dave Stapleton - 1st Base for the Red Sox early 80’s. This was the very first autograph I got from a pro-ball player at 10 years old in 1981.
Flipped the ball over to him post game in back of Fenway where the players parked and he was happy to sign and chat with the fans.
 
Dave Stapleton - 1st Base for the Red Sox early 80’s. This was the very first autograph I got from a pro-ball player at 10 years old in 1981.
Flipped the ball over to him post game in back of Fenway where the players parked and he was happy to sign and chat with the fans.
Nice! I remember him as a backup first baseman for the Sox. He typically was the late innings defensive replacement for Bill Buckner.
 
I've recently begun a Gabe Kapler collection. Being a Giants fan, I like what he did this year and what he may do for years to come. Nice part about the obscure guys is there's not too many cards to go after!
I think I have a nice, hard to get Kapler somewhere. I will look this weekend and see if I can find it. I will LYK.
 
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