Ep.153 w/Dan Good

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<span;>Welcome to another sunken loaded episode of this Force Kardasian podcast. The show that brings you all the important hobby. News discussions, debates, opinions, info and interviews with key Hobby and sports dignitaries. Also, if you're good, you know, we are going to give away something. Now. Here's the guy that one of the cards more than the gum. John do it. What is up? Welcome to episode 153, happy to be back. You have a great guest today. Mr. Dan, good news, men author, writer editor collector, husband of Sue's, but writing a new book going to come out in April of 2022 about Ken Caminiti, the 1996 MVP, one of the first gentleman to or ballplayers to admit to steroid use and he really kind of did it. Sort of unpressurized the ending for Ken? Unfortunately was not a Hollywood script did not end. Well, but you know everything you hear about Ken Caminiti was dead. He was really unselfish great guy. That would

<span;>Do anything for his teammates and for people outside the game as well? And, you know, I'm not a fan per se but very fond of that era of baseball not the steroid part, but that error baseball and, you know, like it or don't like it the steroids for a integral part of that era and this book is going to give you sort of a look behind the scenes, but it's also going on. Give you a look at Ken Caminiti, the person. And, you know, sometimes we forget with these players, right? That they're actually people to not just athletes, they have families and lives and sometimes the story doesn't always have a great ending. But well, you know, looking forward to reading that book glad to have Dan on, we're going to talk about the book, The process of writing a book. Is collecting what he collects that sort of thing. He's also going to tell you who's the Real Genius behind, some of the Stadium Club cup. Karcz, you saw at tops tongue and cheek there. What a great conversation about the sport of baseball cards. He's even going to give his sort of thoughts at the end there about Fanatics as well. We're too. Happy is going. This is someone that Knows the sport side and the hobby side, that not always a comment read. So happy to have Danna today. I think you'll find the conversation intriguing and I hope you enjoy it. So, with that being said, let's get this thing started.

<span;>Time for this week's product, releases time for this, week's new release product calendar, as always disclaimer, with some of the pandemic issues, and transportation issues Port issues and other things may be potentially delay, but here's the schedule. It's actually a pretty light. Week for new releases on the sports side of the house today. November 12th. If you're listening to this show release date 2021 Panini National Treasures. Baseball Nothin till the 17th of November, which is then 2021 Panini Flawless. Collegiate football also on the seventeenth twenty Twenty-One top Stadium Club Chrome baseball and then on the night. 19, 20 21, Onyx, vintage extended Series Baseball. So you're looking at about four releases this week, pretty light. And if there's any delays going to be even lighter, let's open up. So, with that being said, choose your weapon and happy ribbon.

<span;>It's time for the hobby. What's up, where we go around the Hobby World and tell you all the latest news and breaking stories from the hobby. We love. Good news, for our friends to the north, the Toronto sports. Expo. Is underway after a two-year Hiatus obviously due to covid the Toronto Sports exit V, ex post twice a year. November in May unfortunately upper deck and leaf did not make the trip, but upper deck will have representation their huge autograph. Signing list, speciality hockey ended things. It is a heavy hockey show. I've attended it one time myself, but they have other sports cards there as well, but it is heavy hockey, but glad to see it back is shows. Start to kick off against a well-run well-produced show and those fun times if I just started a new job and it wasn't for that. I might make that trip, but maybe next year, we can. We can we can go, but plenty, plenty autograph guests usually. Coincides with the Hockey Hall of Fame announcement and the upper deck, new Upper Deck, Hockey Flagship release that won't happen this year due to some production issues, but still a great show with a lot of great folks and great deal is it's a pretty good size of that.

<span;>As well as someone has been there in Toronto, one of my favorite cities in the world. So I try to get to Toronto for any reason I can.

<span;>UFC has an exclusive autograph in memorabilia deal with the Memento group. Don't know much about them. Just know that the deal is with them there in through IMG. So if you want any um UFC items, you have to go memorabilia. You have to go through Memento group. National hobby shop day is It up, December 11th, sponsored by GTS distribution. All participating. LCS has will put on spread. I think there's going to be food drink and some promotional cards giving it away. That's at participating LCS has please either. Go to GTS to see which LCS is are participating. Eating, or Ask your local card shop. If they're one of those that are some late breaking news, literally just came across my phone as we were doing this. New segment. All has received some series B investment funding 75 million dollars to be exact to help the platform further grow various investors including Tom Brady. And many others. Kevin Durant are part of this seed money. So look for all to expand and grow just based on this alone. So we're seeing these big money Investments continue across the board in the Hobby. And that's probably going to continue at this rate. So that's just the latest one top says,

<span;>Now South bonus Leaguer series, one of the 20, 21, 22, and ft cards are available. The first round, they're going to be bunch of monthly drops carrying some Gameday footage of top plays goals highlights and players from the current season. So this has dropped the series one and if you want to check that out, you can go to UW cops and FPS s.com, tops and ftc's. No apostrophe there.com.

<span;>It's a rare week we can do this segment without talking about another break-in at a local card shop that has happened in Utah. I don't have all the details on that one and it's happened. Now at game day sports cards in Henderson, Nevada. They took single cards and wax smashing. We have got in the back door, smashed some soap, showcases and fill the bag up and got out, suspect remains at large. We talked about the bullpen armed robbery last week. It's come out now that over 1 million dollars worth of sports cards and memorabilia were taken in that Bullpen La robbery over think about that over. Over 1 million dollars. Got to think the FBI is probably involved in that. Now, as well update from our sponsor. The sky guys over at sports card shop, at Moco gets. Let's finish this segment at least on a high note here. So, Rex gotcher, owner of sports card shop, and we'll go says that South Bend Police have apprehended. A suspect. Now, this suspect was accused of the another card, stop burglary at Augie's locker room. That's in South Bend Indiana and they broke in there. They have apprehended that substance suspect. He's been identified as Wayne Hensel jr. He was a former customer of geese and That's one of the reasons they were able to identify a Rex tells me that based on video footage from the sports car, chap at Moko, and the footage from the other robbery. They believe the same suspect. Mr. Hensel is responsible for both robberies. There was a knit hat that he left at the scene at the sports card shop, at Moko burglary to be When DNA testing on that to confirm what they believe is the same gentleman committing both of those burglaries, so hopefully that's the case and mr. Hansel gets to pay for the crime by doing the appropriate time. And man. We just we're hearing so many of these stories and you know, just hope we start hearing less and less. Of those.

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<span;>Happy that my next guest on the sports card Nation. Guess line. He's a very experienced author writer newspaper. News news. Man has worked for the New York Post. The Daily News, ABC. NBC See double digit years. I'm sure what would his resume. I probably left something off. If so, I apologize in advance, but without further Ado, mr. David good. Welcome to sports coordination. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. So you got a book coming out here coming up in April of 2022. It's not your first book. Just going to be your latest one and it's about a polarizing. An athlete baseball player who's unfortunately passed on, but 1996 MVP. Mr. Ken Caminiti. I mean, he's definitely a polarizing athlete as I said, when I guess. The first question is for you, you know, why, why Ken Caminiti? It's a really good question. I've had that question asked to me so many times as I wanted to talk to people about this project and

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<span;>Just the guy, he was the player. He was you know, as a baseball fan in the 1990s. This guy was such a badass, you know, the diving stops at third base, the rocket for an arm, switch hit power, you know, with the Mexico series when he was battling, you know, dehydration and all these other issues and ends up getting IV fluid, you know, grabbing a stickers bar and hitting two home runs. I mean, he was just a throwaway. The kind of the play, the kind of plays, he made the kind of player. He was he wasn't asking how the lineup he was always playing heard. He was battling through so many injuries. I mean the 96 season had a torn rotator cuffs the first week of the season and ends up hitting 40 home runs and leading the Padres the playoffs. I mean, just heroic stuff and obviously you can look back now and say, yeah, he did this and he did that, but he would just, he was a fun player. And as a fan of the 90s,

<span;>You know, I think we missed out on some things because we didn't have that chance to watch streaming video. We couldn't always see these players play. So it was always SportsCenter. Highlights baseball cards. Apple board game. For me with my with my family. It was like these little Avenues into these fans that weren't in your network and your Regional area other than the All-Star game in the World Series in the playoffs. So it was really neat to kind of see him.

<span;>Play Whenever you could. And I just think he'd stood out to me. You stood up to me for his honesty. He showed in 2002 when he came forward, the Sports Illustrated talk about steroids, you know, and I think when he died in 2004, it just really struck me, you know, a lot of times people pass on your, like, it's too bad. But like it kind of just linger and I was just like, why why did this happen? And I always felt like as a journalist. I felt like there was a book there. I felt like somebody should tell the story and it Got to the point where no one else had and I said, you know, why not me? So I started researching and calling people and many, many years later, here. We are. Yeah, by all accounts. He was a very generous guy made a lot of trips to the Children's. Hospital's did a lot of things for charity. No while battling his own obviously personal demons as many of us found out more later than during as yet as

<span;>Already alluded to was it hard to get? You know, I've had doctors on the show before and they talked about how difficult it is to get, you know, their book published. And how many knows they got before? Finally, you know, can get it across the Finish Line with it being Ken. Caminiti. I know it's not your first book. So you have that a little bit of pedigree behind it. Was it how difficult was it being? It was the, the Object was Ken Caminiti. That's a good question, too. You know, it's layered because a lot of times with a book project and how I would have booked approach a book project today would be to get a deal in place and then write the book and for this book because I didn't have experience at the time as a book writer and I didn't have as much journalism experience, you know, we're talking a decade ago because I didn't have as much experience or name recognition.

<span;>She or anything. I said, I'm just going to see if I can get a book. I'm going to see if I can even write this. I'm going to see if I can get people to talk to me. So I only actually came forward to start trying to sell this project in 2019. So I was working on it for seven years without a deal in place. And in that time, I became a book Ghost Writer. So I started writing books for other people and writing proposals for other people and kind of learning how the system works, which really did help me. Me but I got a lot of a lot of rejections when I did start pitching this project. I got a lot of people saying, you know, the markets thinned over recent years, the sports book Market isn't the same as it used to be. I got people telling me that this doesn't have the broad interest. I had other people telling me that because he's not alive anymore. That there's not a marketable connection to it. You know, you can't have an autograph signing for candy.

<span;>Signed copies of the. It's not like a situation like that. So it, there's all these other elements at play social media reach the number of followers you have, you know, it's all based on guaranteed sales. And because it's tough to put that on paper and say I can sell you X number of copies of the book, you know, was tougher to get the deal in place. It took me at City. I want to see three or four months of pitching agents, you know, and then I finally did find my agent, Joe Perry. And he's been great and then I was able to work with him and he pitched a different Publishers, you know, when that we were able to find Abrams Crescent, worked out. But you know with the interesting thing I go back to is over the years. I've seen I remember I saw a tweet by Jeff Pearlman about this. This would have been like in 2015 or 2016 and so on actually asked him about it. Both about Ken Caminiti and I'm like I'm writing that book but I saw this tween. So when I asked them about a book about him and he's like, I don't think there's a market for that, which is so frustrating.

<span;>Did you like, what is, why wouldn't there be a market? This this guy's life was so interesting and there's so many areas of Fascination around his life. Both good and bad and just an interesting person. And, you know, it is a shame I think today. When you see books getting rejected for, you know, the difficulty of getting a book published today is really tough, but I just think there's so many good stories to tell. There's so many books, the right. And I don't, I don't think people should get discouraged by the nose because I know I didn't buy the time that I was getting rejected from Agents and Publishers. I had already interviewed, 250, 300 people. So I knew I had a good book. It was just a matter of selling. Yes, we want to publish this but it's a difficult process. It's really it's really, it can be maddening but it's special when it when it comes together. Yeah, and you like you said, you've got a lot of years.

<span;>Invested in this book where yet were you nervous would put in that much time and effort into it. Like, I mean, obviously it's coming out here in April, but before that was sort of done and signed sealed and delivered, so to speak where you nervous like, hey, I'm putting a lot of work into this thing. And I really don't know if I ever see the light of day. Potentially with, I mean, talk about like, you know, the battle in your own mind with, you know, being so. Had to get it done, but just not knowing if you know it was going to be picked up. So to speak. I think there has to be something deeper within you. That wants to do something like this. It can't just be. Oh, I'm going to get paid because I haven't done a complete sellout do this. But I think for me it was a matter of knowing I had to do it, right. You can't just do a book like this and kind of like go halfway or like weasel rounded or like not really put the time and because the time is what matters I mean,

<span;>It's getting the people to talk. It's finding the stories. It's digging deeper digging beyond anything that you ever thought you could dig to find the story like this. And for me, I never looked at it, like, it wasn't worth the time because I knew the time would pay off just in the way. It was, it was fruitful, but I just felt like there was more there was needed. And frankly, you could spend an entire lifetime on a book like this never be completely done. Like there's, there's never ever like I have every, every

<span;>Single thing I need but you get the point where like, okay, have enough that I can publish and I feel good about this. But no it mean I hit a couple points where I kind of just had to put it aside for a little while emotionally. It was overwhelming at different points, you hit really tough projections or you get, you know, just difficult to your life gets in the way. When like, my son is born them like this because my said it was great. My son was born and like three weeks later was And the Padres were honoring can with this whole Fame, induction for the team and I was like, yeah, but my son is 3 weeks old. Like I can't I can't swing that which was, you know, the timing wasn't ideal for that event. But, you know, it seemed that there was, you know, a great time for everybody there. But you know, he just, you know, it's just the reality of it and, you know, you just kind of stick with it and see where it goes. But yeah, I mean, it's there's ups and downs and, you know, there's times when

<span;>Life gets too busy where you can't devote the energy. You. Why to it? And that's frustrating, but it's always kind of there. And for me, it was always kind of, like, I need to go back to it. I need to keep working at it. And, you know, just proud of how it came together. Yeah. When you eat when we think about Ken Caminiti, the subject of this book, I mean, people forget like everyone thinks about the home. Runs the 96 MVP season, obviously some of the bad things obviously, going to come till like, but he was one, heck of a defensive players. Well, what? What multiple gold gloves people forget about that when it comes to the steroid era. He was to my knowledge and you can correct me. He was really one of the first ones to sort of raised his hand and said, hey, I'm not proud of it. I did it and really was very truthfully. You know, you hear guys that I tried it once or you know, and I think they're not they tell the truth, but I don't think they're telling the whole truth. He came.

<span;>And said, hey, I use it at my MVP season. I use the years after that and really kind of was the first one and I think there's something to that. I think, you know, you might when you take a raffio primero in Congress and pointed his finger back in Congress, saying I didn't do this and it really came out later that that wasn't the case for a guy to not really under that kind of scrutiny to come.

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<span;>I'm clean. To say, well, this this happened. I did it not really proud of it. I got some things going on. You know, I think there's something to be said about someone who kind of, you know, yeah, you did it. But to be honest about it and sort of be put himself out there knowing that it was going to take some shots, you know, there's going to be people that say, you know, take that MVP trophy.

<span;>See your ward. It definitely didn't happen. You know, I don't think it should, you know, it's something to be said about that. Yeah, I think that was a really important part of his disclosure in 2002 because it came at the same time that Jose Canseco was starting to come forward and talk about this book that he was writing the came out in 2005. That was explosive in its own, right, but he had an axe to grind Jose Canseco. Did Ken didn't can wasn't trying to burn Bridges. He didn't name names. He didn't throw any of his teammates under the bus. He was simply trying to share his own truth. And, you know, he was coming out of rehab for addiction issues at that point in time, you know, trying to keep his life clean and trying to be open and honest and for him to admit to that as clearly and as vocally as he did, I think meant so much to the game, you know, his

<span;>Little players. Some of them came out and we're really critical. You know, he's a rat. He's a snitch, all these other things. But when you look back and you're exactly right, I mean, some of the other players who've been forced to come forward and admit to use have all said it didn't help me. It didn't do this. It didn't do that. I only used it for a little while most of the time. That's not true. I mean yes, some of them and it really there's a range of reasons for players who use steroids in that era. A lot of them were trying to hang on I think in Ken's case, it was a way of him, he Keeping up his level of play, you know after in 1995 1996. He's 32 33 is on the wrong side of 30. He is body isn't responding the way used to, you know, he really wants to maintain his level of play and that's when he started turning to them, you know, and this has been something that he had considered doing earlier in his career, you know, he was offered steroids or research steroids in the early 90s and didn't use them at the time because he was still performing.

<span;>Being in a high level, you know, when you start to decline a little bit. That's when you start to wonder, you know, how can it help me to hang on, you know, so I look at some of these guys who are using it for Rehab purposes, to get back from an injury there, the 25th game the roster and they're trying to stay on the team to make that that paycheck to make that salary to provide for their family, you know, obviously the Barry Bonds is in Roger Clemens is now Alex Rodriguez. Get a lot of the attention but it's all those other guys, the middle relievers, the give the Guys on the roster. Like, you know, if people can argue that they're cheating the game but there were no there were no testing policies in place at the time. There was a piece of paper saying these are these are banned but no one was doing anything about it, but for him to come forward and to admit to it the way he did, blew the lid, open on baseball's innocence. It blew the lid open on the entire performance enhancing era. The McGwire Sosa. The Barry Bonds has the

<span;>The climate is, I think a forced us as fans to finally be critical of what we are seeing and say, is this actually real? This happen the way we think it is, is this innocent, you know, you go back and look at the glowing magazine profiles and TV pieces about the Maguire's and Associates from 98 and it's so like laughable. Now, you know, just, you know, the bottle was found in Mark mcgwire's locker and, you know, it

<span;>The reporter who was blasted, not Maguire himself. Yeah, is using performance-enhancing drugs at the time that were not allowed in the Olympics stuff, aside for a quick break, but we'll be right back with more with Dan good. Class time Marketplace has a line of graded card cases that are waterproof, airtight dust tight and hardened to protect and organize your valuable collection. Each of our cases come with pre-cut and preformed foam so you don't have to cut and tear the phone. When you get your case, the pre-cut foam inserts are sized to hold PSA Beckett, SGC and CGS slabs store it all safely and securely with a case from Pastime Marketplace. Check them out at www.stanleyandkatrina.com.

<span;>Fourth guy nation is back with more with Dan. The other thing about that era too is that was the time when different supplements started to come to use, you know, creatine and other ones. So, it was such a blurry line where people using creatine people using steroids, but a lot of them, they knew what they were doing. I'm not saying that they were fully aware of things and I don't think Ken was is aware of things, is he needed to be at times. But you know what, they knew what they were doing. They knew that these things help them. You look at the power numbers that they were putting out.

<span;>You say, where did this come from? This guy, never had this many home runs before at any level of professional baseball. Now, he's hitting 40 and 50 like yeah, that's suspect. But you know, I think that Ken's disclosure in 2002 is massive. And you know, he paid a big price for it. There was a lot of people who blast them for it, but ultimately, you know, all these years later. I think we can look back in appreciation for what he did. Because there have been very few players who have come forward honestly in the way that he has. And, you know, I think that it really stands out. Yeah, I agree and the ones that have Dan really, only did he do almost when they're back in the corner and they have no other choice. They're almost. It's like they're really caught and then they tried to, you know, I don't want to belittle of but they try to justify why they get it and why didn't say nothing for so long, you know can didn't do that. He kind of came Queen sure there's some

<span;>There's didn't like it because they wanted it to be, you know, baseball's dark secret for longer than it wound up being and you know, I don't condone the usage but sure I did respect the fact that without a lot of pressure. He just kind of said, hey this I did this, it's not good. Here's a little bit. Why? And, you know, he went to what a lot of players did. Like I said, was they? I think they Also, even when they admitted to it, I think they lied about how long they feel it. For every I didn't get the impression with him. And and, you know, the sad part was like, he battled some drug addiction and I believe, had he beat in that ultimately. I think he would have, you know, done a lot of great things off the field, post career and helping other people battle their own addictions and demons, and it's just said,

<span;>Unfortunately, that wasn't to be, you know, passing away in 2004 by had that not happened. He got clean and sober. I think he would have been there from from all everything. I've heard about them. Even even being a user in some of these other demons, a lot of storage here about about how generous and giving and unselfish, he was and so I think had he gotten past that, he would have been in every kid to help. Others, try to get past some of those issues themselves. It's just, you know, it's a shame, you know, he didn't get that opportunity self-inflicted, but it's still, it's still sad. Just the same and, you know, you said you spoke to, you know, over 250 people, you know, sociated or affiliated with Ken Caminiti, in the writing of the book. We're most people willing, to kind of share.

<span;>Are there stories about him? It ended up being about 400 people. I spoke to yeah, you know, most people did talk to me. I mean, there was some people close to him that didn't want to talk and I certainly respect that but, you know, got to talk to Bruce Bochy, a cold cold him and he called me back. I cold called Bobby Cox and talk to him for five years ago, Greg Vaughn Luis Gonzalez, you know, a lot of players from Um, the 90s it just need because the, you know, even players like Walt Weiss is a good example. Walt Weiss was on the Braves and 99 and they played against the Astros in the playoffs. And there was a play that Walt Weiss made that saved this, this game for the graves. He was diving bases-loaded. Tony eusebio, was batting for the Astros and what waste those and he had to dive almost backwards like toward the Outfield to get this ball and he threw home.

<span;>Any guy can out at home and the Braves ended up winning that game. They won. Series and after the game can called what Weiss was in the clubhouse and he gets a phone call and it's from Ken and Ken's. Like I'm so mad that you beat us but that was like, the best freaking play I've ever seen. I just want you to know that it's those little types of things that stand out to me. The most, you know, from the fellow players that I talked to of Ken's, you know, Billy Wagner was, you know, you kind of took Billy Wagner under his wing when he was with the Astros. You know, we're going back even to the earlier years with like Billy Doran, Kevin bass. And those those Astros teams in the 80s. It just it's been really interesting to learn about his. Playing days, has been interesting to learn about his past, you know, calling his high school friends, his college friends, you know, just kind of learning how he became who he became. And the warm generous person is you you alluded to it, but I mean there was a situation and 1997 when the Padres and they had a really

<span;>Those fan of theirs Sidney Mathers, who had passed away of cancer and the Padres wanted to do something to raise money for in her name. And one of the community representatives for the Padres who's going around talking to the players, and seeing what they wanted to do. And she approached, can it was close to game time and he had that stoic. Like, you know, didn't say much. He was really, like, he looked disgruntled. He looked angry. And she was like explaining to him.

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<span;>What she wanted? That he was, you know, going to do to help this thing and he didn't say much and she was like, he's probably just mad. He doesn't want to be bothered and she was around the next day. And he actually came up to her. And was like, I'd like to donate my motorcycle to help for this fundraiser. And it was interesting because she thought he was mad at the time, but he was actually just thinking about it, you know, sometimes he said, think about things. And there's so many little instances like that of him, going out of his way to help people of making his teammates feel welcome. There were so many guys that he took under his wing even going back to Phil Nevin. So Phil Nevin was the number one pick in the 92 draft. The Astros could have picked that Derek Jeter guy, if you sure it's not because she didn't, they didn't pick him. They pick film evidence. Ted, who had a really nice career and it's, you know, really good coach, but, you know, they still Melvin's a third baseman. So they have Ken Caminiti at third base. Now, you have Phil Nevin, who's going to be the guy down the road and most players in? Ken's shoes would have said.

<span;>Screw this guy. I'm not helping. You can instead says, I'm going to invite him to my house in the offseason and work out with him for a couple weeks and show him the ropes on what it means to be a major league player. Basically saying if you're going to take my job, you're going to do it the right way and the same thing he did with Jeff Bagwell 1991 when the Astros traded for the Red Sox, Larry Anderson through the Red Sox for Jeff Bagwell, Jeff bagwell's a third baseman. Here's a guy who was inclined to take Kent's job. And the same thing like can, you know, put up a great competition, obviously and Jeff a blow to go to Spring and the other third baseman. They, they camp at that year. Luis Gonzalez had a good spring and Art Howe decided. Hey, I'm going to move, Jeff Bagwell the first base, and I'm going to move Luis Gonzalez, the Westfield, and I'm going to keep Kenneth third, but he was just, he was an awesome teammate like that. You know, he was always going out of his way to help people. And, you know, I think those those good things shine through, you know, his

<span;>It's good hard changstarr, even though, you know, he was battling some things internally. There were so many good things that he was doing. And, you know, I think those positive things really, you know, outweigh everything else that he was going on with his life. Yeah. No, no doubt. Now, did you did you yourself have any kind of interactions with him while he was during his playing days, you know, I wish I had, I was really disappointed. I was kind of going back into this and thinking About it, but I haven't. I every time I went to see his, his team's flight. He wasn't playing or he was hurt. So I seen the Astros play around the time. He was on the team. I got Jeff bagwell's autograph. I met Greg Vaughn. I got his autograph. I saw the Padres play the year after he left and 99 because I grew up in Pennsylvania. So it was kind of like the Phillies or the Oreos that I would go and see. And I never saw him play Live, which is disappointing, but I saw a lot of

<span;>Players who he interacted with and always appreciate those guys. And, and that's been kind of neat to kind of, going down these childhood paths, and be like, oh, I, you know, I got Greg Vaughn's autograph for the game of Reds game in 1999, the here I am talking to him on the phone, you know, but it just it's I always wish I would have been able to interact with them and and it's, you know, it's one of those things that you think about. But and even though The Rangers in 2001. He had been released by the time I got to see them. They're my favorite team, sadly, but he wasn't on the team when they when they played in Baltimore, but just, I just missed him like a couple different times. Yeah, but you're probably in writing this book and talking into talking to that many people who know him. You'll most probably at this point, almost feel like you've gotten to know him through the

<span;>He has a book in talking to other people who knew them so well, oh, yeah. Yeah, you kind of you walk around in their shoes and you kind of see how they see the world and see how they react to things. And even just the quotes he gave, you know, after different performances, you know, after the World Series game, one in 1998. He was in the clubhouse after the game and got interviewed. He was just like, so deflated Padres at the boss. You could just see it on his face. You're like or other times in 96, you can see when he's getting An animated and interviews when he's really engaged, like his hands are moving. Certain way, there's just little things that you walk around with somebody's story and ideas in mind for so long. And you start like picking up little pieces, little Clues and it's interesting to bring that all together. And, you know, and look at the world through their eyes, you know, and understand and appreciate things that you didn't before. Sure is going to be a great read. That's April is coming up here, but April, 20, 22, and, you know, one thing I want to stress, you know. I'm not a fan of the players using steroids. I think it's wrong. But you know, these guys are humans. There's more to him than just the player on the field as well. I think, without seeing this book or reading it yet. Obviously, I think that's going to come out. It sounds like yet. I think that's important as well. These are these are human beings besides incredible athletes. And I think that story needs to be told and I'm

<span;>Great job. You're doing that Jan and look forward to reading it in April, probably along with many others as well. Thank you so much going to step aside for another real quick break, but we'll be right back. After that. Read more is cards wants to buy your cards? A long trusted name in the sports card. Business. Greg has been buying sports card collections for over a decade now. Any sport, baseball, basketball, football, or hockey? Key, and any error event Intermountain will do just no drunks wax error. Sets, please to learn more and to sell, Greg Morris your cards. Go to www.deewr.gov.au/rjcp cars.com fill out the Consignment sale request form, and someone will get back to you on how to get cash for your cards. Also, for your dealer looking to sell your collection. Greg Morris wants to talk, plenty of dealers, use Greg Morris massive, eBay platform as a way to consign their cars.

<span;>Take advantage of Greg's experience in the hobby to get more bang for your buck. We're back with more with them, try to speak to your collecting interest as a Card Collector and just kind of the segue from writing this book. Did you become like, did you kind of seek out any Caminiti cards? I mean, to be honest with you. They're not crazy expensive. That's when he told this not is this is the 1985 Osceola, Astros team issue. They gave this away to fans. There weren't that many.

<span;>Is that showed up? And this this card is hard to find. I was on eBay for years every single day probably for five or six years until one popped up. And it happened to be the highest graded one. It's a 9.5 back at grade. And the signature is a nine, these day. I think there might be a hundred or two hundred that existed in. They were given away it. They, you know, they were at the stadium and this was in, you know, 85 and you know players have these cards in A couple fans do, but the fans weren't showing up. So I was really happy to get one. But no, I mean, it's neat to see the cards. It's need to appreciate those cards. I mean, I became a collector and the 90s. I really became a collector and starting in 93. I was given a pack of 93 upper deck and it was a jumbo pack and I opened up. Yeah, and there were two Upper Deck abandoned. Now, Nolan Ryan in there and it was right around the same time. I read newspaper article about

<span;>Knowing it was his last season. It was like really exciting, and I was like, this guy's awesome. So I, you know, started collecting cards from there and you know, it's been really interesting kind of, you know, being in the hobby through the 90s early 2000s, kind of leaving a little bit, you know, go to college start your career. You don't have any money so you can't buy Cards and then you kind of get back into it and you're like, wow, this is change. This is a little bit different and that was expensive and say you don't have any money from Champs.

<span;>I'm half kidding. But, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's crazy where how things can change, I'm assuming with that pulling that Ryan out of that 93 Upper Deck jumbo pack. That's where the ranger fandom kind of started. That's where it started as just, it was that and it was no, it was Juan Gonzalez in the Home, Run Derby. He won that year and we think that those two things,

<span;>Then they had the new stadium and the new. Uniforms and logo and I was like, I was so hooked. Kenny Rogers, perfect game like such a good team and like and that really just Struck it for me. And it was just, you know, I kind of just wanted to find my own team because my dad was a Phillies fan. My mom was a Reds fan from The Big Red Machine. And yeah, I like the Reds but like I wanted to find my own team and here's the Rangers and no one's a Rangers Fan that I know. So is kind of kind of neat to embrace that and, you know, appreciate that and collect as many Rangers cards as I could. Good. Yeah, I'm a New York City Kid From Brooklyn. I was a Yankee fan when I was very young and then Steinbrenner sort of ruined it for me with like trading, guys, left and right signing guys left and right. So, I became a Met</span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;></span;>