Ep.240 w/Papa Jim Caruthers "Chasing down the Past"

SPEAKER 1: Here's a gentleman who's a fierce advocate and ambassador for this great hobby.

SPEAKER 1: He has his finger on the pulse of the hobby.

SPEAKER 1: However, his voice is nowhere as smooth as mine buddy don't try.

SPEAKER 1: Here is John Newman.

SPEAKER 2: All right, everybody. Welcome to episode 2 40. Sports coordination.

SPEAKER 2: As we get even closer to the National, got a great guest today. The guest that's gonna be on today's show, will also be featured in the column I write for Sports Collectors Digest called The Hobby is the People. It is, you know, I do it once a month, for them. Usually it highlights a person in the hobby and, and tells why they're important or something good they're doing or, or, or helpful to the hobby.

SPEAKER 2: And this gentleman will be, I believe the next, feature or, or pretty, pretty close to it.

SPEAKER 2: His name is Jim Carruthers, from Texas and Papa, Jim Carruthers. And his Dad was a quite a bit, quite significant college baseball player, even coached a little bit and signed a contract with the Philadelphia, a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

SPEAKER 2: Never made, the major leagues. But, it was kind of given an ultimatum by a family member to, it's time to be a Dad and give up the baseball dream. And because of that, his Dad really didn't talk about his young baseball career to his kids.

SPEAKER 2: He lived a good long life passed away and a couple of years after that, a scrapbook of his career that he had kept, but not shown anyone was given to Jim Carruthers where he learned much about his Dad's career through that scrapbook rather than from his Dad himself. But there was a lot of, you know, the scrapbook didn't tell the whole story.

SPEAKER 2: And so, you know, Jim decided to go down the rabbit hole to fill in as much of those missing years and details and, and very perseverant, very dedicated. It's a great story and Jim's a card collector. He goes to the Dallas Card Show a lot.

SPEAKER 2: And so it also affected some of the, that his Dad's stories and who he crossed paths with, affected who he collected and another side project as well. And I'Ll leave that to, to come up in the interview. But it's a great, great story about father and son.

SPEAKER 2: I love stuff like that if you know me, you know, I love stuff like that. I think you'll find it not your typical interview.

SPEAKER 2: So a little different this week, but I think you'll find it.

SPEAKER 2: I hope you find it as interesting as, as I did. And so, you know, we'll get to that in a second one little house cleaning, detail. I launched a new web only YouTube exclusive show called The Hobbies The People.

SPEAKER 2: I think there's one or two episodes out now on Sports Car Nation podcast on YouTube. So like and subscribe. We appreciate that. And there will be Dobby, the People show will only be on YouTube. It's not a new podcast that you can listen on this platform.

SPEAKER 2: Just YouTube only. So for those who have already, you know, listened or watched. Thank you. But if you want to see that stuff head over to our YouTube channel at Sports Cod Nation Podcast and we appreciate you. So without further ado, let's get this party started.

SPEAKER 3: Time for our hobby is the people announcer of the week.

SPEAKER 3: What up everybody? It's your boy, cousin Oz, the People's mailman. And along with cousin Tony, the architect, we are Cousins collectible. Make sure to check us out on the Cousins Collectibles Podcast as well as on Instagram.

SPEAKER 3: The Cousins underscore collectable. Before we get out of here, we wanted to remind you of a couple of things. First and foremost. Remember the hobby is the people and as always keep focused, keep positive and keep collecting.

SPEAKER 3: If you'd like to be the hobby is the people announcer of the week do a wave or MP3 file and send it to Sports Card Nation PC at gmail dot com.

SPEAKER 4: For nearly 50 years. Sports collectors digest has been the voice of the hobby, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the sports collectible industry from industry news, auction results, market analysis and in depth stories about collectors and their collections. Sports collectors digest has everything you need to know about the hobby.

SPEAKER 4: Also your leading source for listings of sports collectible dealers, card shops, card shows and the latest from the industry's top companies to check out all the latest news or to subscribe to the hobby's oldest magazine.

SPEAKER 4: Visit sports collectors digest dot com or call 1 808 29 55 61 hobby News daily is your home page of the hobby providing original writing, exclusive gem rate data, a daily morning minute podcast and some of the best content creators in the hobby. Remember hobby news daily dot com and at hobby news Daily on social Happy Collecting.

SPEAKER 2: All right. Real excited to have this next gentleman on the sports card shop guest line. He hails from Texas. And, you know, a few words that, that describe this guy to me is, is dedicated, persevering and, and, and loyalty.

SPEAKER 2: And I'm, and I'm sure there's a lot more words I can, I could use. But those are the first three, that come to mind and I'm, we're gonna learn why. But I don't wanna make them wait too long. Popper Jim Car is welcome.

SPEAKER 5: Hey, thanks John. I appreciate you having me on.

SPEAKER 2: Well, you, you know, you've chronicle and, and I'Ll have you give out all that info at the end with, with you know, Instagram and, and Social Media.

SPEAKER 2: You know, your Dad played some baseball managed as well and you really wanted to, to learn more about his career and you really dug deep and you started to discover all sorts of, of interesting, interesting things. I, I guess my first question your Dad was, was John Carruthers.

SPEAKER 2: I wanna make sure II I say his name there what was it? You know, obviously being your Dad and you, we all right, most of us want to know about our family, our moms or dads and that sort of thing as much as we can.

SPEAKER 2: But more than that, what, what made you really deep dive this in the, in the fashion that you have?

SPEAKER 5: Well, first off John, I, I appreciate you having me on and, and you know, taking the time.

SPEAKER 5: This probably wouldn't be happening without giving a shout out to my wife and boss wife authentication. And she's been the, the drive kind of behind this in a way.

SPEAKER 5: My Dad passed away, grow growing up, I knew that he had played baseball and kind of Semipro ball, but Dad really didn't talk about it.

SPEAKER 5: There were times that we'd be playing catch or I would be playing ball and he, you know, teaching me things and stuff like that, growing up and, you know, I'd ask him, he changed the subject or go a different way with it, you know, and, and stuff like that and, and it, I didn't push the issue with him and I knew where that line was growing up and, was not going to push the issue. So just let it go.

SPEAKER 5: And then, when he, he came down with Alzheimer's, and passed away in 2016 and some people say that's a blessing and, and, and a, I mean, a curse. But to me it was more of a blessing because I heard a lot of stories that I didn't know about him growing up, because the mind goes back to that, that time, period.

SPEAKER 5: Well, after he passed away, and all my, my stepsister was going through some things a few years later and there was this box that he had his TV sitting on and they moved the box and they opened it up and what was down in? There was about six different, scrapbooks that were put together.

SPEAKER 5: And so they go be going through it and they immediately called me and said, you won't believe what we found. You need to come down here and take a look at this. So, from, from where I'm living in, in Dallas to Waco Texas about 34 hour. So I drove down there, looked at all this stuff and they gave it to me and it just, it was overwhelming.

SPEAKER 5: It was scrapbooks from back when he was, like, in high school, all the way through his collegiate career and semipro career.

SPEAKER 5: That not only, his mother had put together, but also my mom had put together after they got married and, and were living together and traveling and doing this and it just, it, it, it was overwhelming and kind of blew me away looking at all this and thinking, man, the time, I mean, every little scrap of paper, I mean, my grandmother had had newspapers from wherever he was staying at the time, whether it was Fort Worth or Dallas or down in alpine or out at Salt Lake, wherever it was.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I find the articles and, and I'Ll from, from that. So it just, it's, it's overwhelming but it's, it was something that I thought, hey, I need to dive into this and, and, and see if what little stories that I know putting these pieces of the puzzle together.

SPEAKER 2: Why do you think, you know, while he was with us? Why do you think he was reluctant to talk about his baseball career?

SPEAKER 5: As, as I was going through this over the last couple of years, I've, I've had that question in the back of my mind and I think, I, I think that I found the answer to it.

SPEAKER 5: He was, there was a time when he was, was, playing, at, in Reidsville for the Reidsville Phillies in 1955. He got there after the season had already started a couple of months and around a, around, the 12th or so of, of August, his name got pulled with about 14 or 15 others in the list for the Army out of, Tarrant County in Fort Worth. And I think that probably put a little bit of a hindrance on him, in a way.

SPEAKER 5: Then I found out, ok, he served his two years in Louisiana in the Army when he gets out.

SPEAKER 5: He's, you've got to think of the time period when he was growing up in the fifties when you've got, you know, it's right after World War Two and, and, and all that and he's, he's grown up seeing these guys baseball that he's been emulating and, and looking up to that, go into World War Two and then come back out and go back into the Pros, go back into the majors and they're, and they're playing.

SPEAKER 5: So I, I'm thinking in the back of his mind, he's thinking when I get out of the Army, hey, I, I've still got this, I'm only 24. I can get back into this and, and get back and play pro and I think there was a meeting of the minds probably either between, probably with him.

SPEAKER 5: My mother, at the time, my older brother who's 13 years older than me, he was little and then my mom being an only child. And so I believe my grandfather probably had a little bit of a pool and a little, little bit of a, of a stake in, in this also that this is his first grandson.

SPEAKER 5: And I think it basically came down to, you need to make a choice. You're either gonna do baseball by yourself or you're gonna move here where we are with your wife and your son and, and I, and I think that was the, the battle that was going on right there and, and he made, he made the choice. He, he, he just hung up his cleats so and all on it.

SPEAKER 5: That, that's just, that's the only way that I know speculation. None of my older siblings, no one else in the family that I've spoken with knows the reason.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, and, and, and you know, he, he chose family, there's something worthy there. He served his country, you know, thank him, you know, thank you to him post, you know, post humorously. So, you know, but I mean that, so he didn't, but he didn't, you know, growing up, you, he didn't mention his playing career too much.

SPEAKER 5: No, sir, not at all.

SPEAKER 5: When I was growing up there were, there were different, I guess things that I would, that, that he would kind of say to me or, or this or that, or every once in a while he would mention, you know, a player or, or, or something, if we were watching the game or if we would go to, you know, go to a game or something like that, he would, he would talk a little bit about that even with his, even when he came down with his Alzheimer's, I tried thinking about, ok, maybe he'll bring up some of that in the past and he never did.

SPEAKER 5: He would bring up further when he was younger as a younger child. He never, it was like he blocked out those baseball years from 51 to like 59. He just, he just blocked them out and they weren't there, you know, at all.

SPEAKER 5: And, and, and it's, it's tough because, as, as I go through this stuff, John, it is just every, every day, there's another question, you know, as I have time to go through this and I'm going through and piecing it together there, there's just more and more questions, you know, about it.

SPEAKER 5: But there's a lot more answers too that I've been able to find out in a lot of different places that he played that I was not aware of. And I know.

SPEAKER 2: And what we're gonna cover some of that ground too. Do you think he felt a little guilty of his playing career? Even though he was a pretty good b but you think there was a little, ultimately because he hung up the cleats to, to, to raise his family and be with his spouse.

SPEAKER 2: You think there was sort of like, hey, my family is more important. So I'm not even gonna talk about this stage in my life. You think there was? I know, you know, I don't know if you can speak for him but you think there was a little bit of that in the Yes, sir.

SPEAKER 5: I think there was and all, and I think maybe with my older sibling, my older brother, and all he may have tried to, I don't know, really push him as, as much to get into baseball really as he did kind of working more with me and, and all doing it knowing that, you know, hey, you know, he, he's the last child.

SPEAKER 5: Maybe, maybe I can get him, you know, into it and going and, and, and all that and, and all but, yeah, there, there's, there's got to be a lot of, a lot of heartache and a lot of hurt there as the especially now that I'm finding out as I dig into this deeper and I'm finding out about players that he may have known or came across or talked to, who knows, you know, and, and all that that eventually made it into the majors and then he's sitting there thinking about that.

SPEAKER 5: That, that's, I mean, it's, it's got hurt in a way in, in a little bit because that, that was his life. I mean, he grew up, that, that was his life. That was, he, he loved playing it and he played year, year round. I mean, he played summer ball in, in high school and through college too, you know, when the season was over.

SPEAKER 2: So I'm sure like most people. Right. We're humans. Right. There are a lot of what ifs, what if I would have kept going or what if I would have went down this, avenue and, and that sort of that it's just human, human nature. And maybe by not talking about it again, I'm playing amateur psychologists here but, you know, maybe by not talking about it, he doesn't dwell on it or think about it.

SPEAKER 2: It's just, he turns the page and doesn't go back, doesn't go back. You know, even though he has a fondness for it's a sport. He loves it. Like you said, there's some heartache that maybe he wanted to go further but just couldn't do it. And so, rather than talk about it and kind of reopen an, an old wound, you just kind of, you know, not do it.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah.

SPEAKER 2: So you get this call that, you know, some stuff's found, kind of take it from there, you know.

SPEAKER 2: You know what was what, what did you find? What was the first thing that made you say, hey, there's more to this story and I'm about to, to uncover it.

SPEAKER 5: There were a lot of top one photos from like when he played SMU college, college photos.

SPEAKER 5: He was so good in, in sports. I I, and, and there's some stories that he did share with the step family that, that I got and, and all, and one of them was that they needed the, the basketball when he was playing baseball, the basketball team needed somebody that was just fast and he was one of the fastest ones. And so he actually played basketball and baseball both.

SPEAKER 5: But the basketball coach would argue that hey, you can't have him, you know, until our season's open. The baseball coach was like, no, no, no, I need John out here now. No, no, no, you can't have him.

SPEAKER 5: We still have three or four more games and all that and, and he was, he was good at it and, and listening to that story and, and seeing the pictures and then thinking back to when we put the basketball goal up and we're out there playing horse and he's spotting me. Hors John, he's already spotting me four letter I, I'Ll take Hors, you don't wanna play.

SPEAKER 5: I said, oh man, all I gotta do is just, you know, you just got to miss one and I'Ll win. He said, yeah, and all, and then you play that and you're the one losing because he's doing all these little Fancy shots and, and the cream, you know how Kareem Abdul Jabbar would do the over the head like that he would do. Yeah.

SPEAKER 5: The little guy, he'd do that left-handed or right-handed different things. So it's when I came across some of this stuff in the pictures and looking, then it reverted me back to my childhood and growing up with him and the outside time that we had together and all and thinking what out he was this good, you know, he's this good.

SPEAKER 5: Now, what was he like even back then? You know, and, and all and all. But I remember him talking about when he was at SMU there were a couple of guys there. He said they were just natural talents. He said they were just born with it.

SPEAKER 5: He said, you can tell, he said, I could tell that that you've got some people that are just normal athletes, they don't have to work that hard. He said I had to work, I had to put in the time and the, and the effort to, to get to where I was going. And that was, you know, the very few times that he would ever talk or discuss anything like that and all.

SPEAKER 5: But, the, the pictures were, were great and then, like I said, then coming across all the different newspaper articles, some of them were taped in there. Some are glued. So there's no way of getting them out. And then even the ones that were taped as I opened the pages, they just felt, you know, being from the, from the fifties, they just fall off the page.

SPEAKER 5: So, trying to get that organized by dates and just seeing, seeing. It's just a, man, it's, it's mind boggling. This is gonna take me, I, I mean, I'm still working on it for sure. It's, it's, it's gonna take me a little while longer.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, this book is still being written a, a, as they say, this crap book who, who had possession of it.

SPEAKER 5: They were, like I said, they, they were in the house, the steps, I mean, my, my, when my Dad remarried, he had married a lady down in Waco, good Christian lady and they've been married for 20 years. So, for 20 years he had these scrapbooks and nobody else in that family knew about, nobody else in my family knew about.

SPEAKER 5: The only people that did were probably my mom and him that, that were living at the time and, and all, and I guess it's like he, he just kept them and this was a part of my past that, that I loved and, and this, you know, I'm just gonna keep it right here. I'm not gonna open it or anything but it's just, it's, it's right here.

SPEAKER 2: So he more or less kept it to himself.

SPEAKER 5: He did himself. Nobody knew about it.

SPEAKER 5: He had, yeah, he had his TV sitting on that box and nobody knew what was in that box. They just thought the box was empty until they opened it up and it was like, oh, my gosh, look at this, you know, and all because he really didn't share that much with them on his baseball either.

SPEAKER 5: They knew that he had played and, and it looked up, you know, you know, Google searched and done all of that, but he didn't discuss, she, she was telling me he, your Dad didn't discuss any baseball with us either.

SPEAKER 2: So, that's, that's, that's crazy to me. But I, I, like I said, like we kind of prove, I kind of get it a little bit, a little as well too. So you, you get this, where, where's the first place you start? Is it SMU, is it high school where it was.

SPEAKER 5: It was, it was SMU, because I knew more about him playing there at SMU, in 1953. They were the, coach champs with you, University Of Texas as far as Southwest Conference, right before the tournament and everything. He was the number one, batter as far as a percentage. He was batting 4 47 in the Southwest Conference and all.

SPEAKER 5: So they did a, some guy did a, a caricature of him and all and had it in the newspaper and all. And, I did a post on it on my Instagram, you know, on, on that, on that day, it was a few months back and all. And I'm just, I'm, I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, you know, what's it like to, to open up the newspaper and see your son in a caricature there and he's leading the whole conference in Birmingham, you know, 4 47.

SPEAKER 5: And it's just like, wow, you know, to, to see that. And, and also I start started there and I knew that he had gone from SMU down to alpine to play with the alpine cowboys. Then he had gone out to Salt Lake City and then he ended up going to Reidsville Phillies. So those were really the four dots that I had on the map that, that, that I knew of.

SPEAKER 5: And so when you go to opening this and go to looking through here, yeah, you're finding those. But then you're coming across things like hold it, Dad got a degree, you know, we, we, we knew he, you know, he got a scholarship at SMU but he never finished because he left after his, you know, sophomore in his junior year and all because he had already signed a contract.

SPEAKER 5: So it's like, hold it. He got a degree from Soul Ross State College. This is dated in 1955 and it's like, well, now the dates aren't adding up, you know, and, and also it's just like putting, what I ended up doing was I ended up getting my yellow legal pad and I just put a year at the top of the page and I went 51 52 I went all the way to 55 and set them out.

SPEAKER 5: And as I come across something I just write it down on that year. And that's the only way that I could come up with a, with a way of chronologically, at least putting these in years first. Then once you get everything in the year, then you go back and put the dates in order January, March, November, whatever happened at that time.

SPEAKER 5: That's the only way that I could come across a way of putting this together to figure out. Ok, where, where, where are they traveling to, where they headed to and, and all, you know, because it was him at first and then all of a sudden mom's in the picture and it was him and mom going to these places and doing this. So, you know, it was, and, and that's, I'm, I'm still doing, still doing it that way.

SPEAKER 2: I gotta ask you, you know, I don't know your profession that you got a little private detective Gene in there.

SPEAKER 5: Ii, I love history. I've, I've researched our history back on ancestry and, and all too. So I love digging into that and at least at least getting the, maybe not the stories, but at least tracing me back, you know, tracing the ancestry back. And I know a lot more about my mom's family and, and all because I grew up in that town, the family's been there for a little over 100 years in a small town in northeast Texas.

SPEAKER 5: So I know more about them. But when I got those scrapbooks, it's like, ok, now I know enough about mom's side. Now I've got digging Dad's side, plus this baseball stuff and let's see where this leads and all. And, it's, it, it's fun. It, it, it really is.

SPEAKER 5: And, and I'm just ii I appreciate you and anybody else that, that's, that's, I guess even interest interested in hearing about this and all cause it's, it's, but then I, but then on the flip side of it, John, I've got to look at it and say, well, if, if I had come across somebody, I'd probably want to hear this story or kind of follow them to kind of find out, hey, what's the next, then you're gonna, you know, come across and, and I'Ll just to see what's posted next, I guess.

SPEAKER 5: And I'Ll do just to, you know, see if it's some, somebody big or something big that they come across, you know.

SPEAKER 2: Well, what I take from it too is, you know, a father and son love. I'm a Dad, right? We wanna know a Dad wants to know everything going on in his son's life. And I, like, like to think it works the other way around, as, as well.

SPEAKER 2: Some families may be more than others, but, right, you care about the history of your lineage and, and I think even more so I don't want to speak for you. You're right here but the fact that your Dad almost felt like he couldn't talk about it, you're sort of speaking for him now.

SPEAKER 2: And, and kind of writing the book, that it was written, but you're, you're putting all the pieces together, and telling the story that maybe he was reluctant to, I, I don't know if for Shane is, may, maybe a little bit of that, but at least reluctant to, to discuss for, you know, all sorts of reasons, family, you know, and, and, and, and that's where that whole loyalty, dedication, perseverance.

SPEAKER 2: And I mean, how much time that, that just out of curiosity, I mean, if you add it up, you know, lawyers like to add up hours and then bill their clients, right? You don't get to bill anyone other than.

SPEAKER 5: I had to charge the family for this then, right?

SPEAKER 2: How many hours have you probably spent?

SPEAKER 2: I honestly, like in, in researching your Dad's, I don't even want to say just playing career. But, everything pertaining to your Dad, like his, his, his college and.

SPEAKER 5: It's gotta be several weeks, probably at, at least. Yeah. Yeah, several weeks because it's, it's a lot to pull out and, and to put on the, the bar in the kitchen area and spread this stuff out and all. And then it's like, like, ok, I've got to do one section at a time.

SPEAKER 5: So each book is, is basically kind of where he played or each two books maybe, or where he played and, and so it's like, ok, I'Ll take these two and I'Ll get my notes and then what have I not gone through and, and I'm looking for any kind of stats, any, definitely any kind of pictures.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I found two or three pictures from Salt Lake City when he played there that, that newspaper, you know, photographer, I mean, original newspaper pictures and it's just, it's just a joy to find these things and, and I'Ll find out a little bit more, you know, about him and just, I've got little notes that I'm trying to find out just specific little details about different things and it's gonna take me, it's gonna take me a while but you know, it's, it's worth it.

SPEAKER 5: I spend what time that I can on it?

SPEAKER 5: A again, shout out to boss wife because she, she's behind us all the way. I mean, I'm, I'm serious, John, look at this behind me. I mean this, this is that I just redid this over the weekend and she came in and was like, oh man, that's cool. And I'm like, yeah, I've got it in progression starting from, let me get my finger right, starting from his high school here.

SPEAKER 5: And then what I'm doing is I'm finding these felt pin from the different places is where he played. And so I'm separating them. That was high school. This is SMU and then I'm needing one from alpine and then it just goes across, you know, across the top and down. And also just, just to be able to, to put this up and display it.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I, I just, I, I love that woman to death for allowing you to do, you know, because a lot of women and, and, or, or friends or spouses or however you want to categorize, it won't, they, they don't know, this isn't going up, this isn't, you know, we're gonna have our regular pictures and this and that and all. And it's like, no, this is your office room, you do it, how you won't and all.

SPEAKER 5: And so it's, it's a, it's a blessing and, and a joy to be able to display and, and, and look at this and then as I come across things, you know, put something up there and, and that's awesome that she's supportive and, and I have a supportive wife, it makes all the difference, it makes a difference in, in researching and, and looking at this and then, you know, find something and she's just as excited as, as I am when I come across something.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah. No, no doubt you are.

SPEAKER 6: Listening to the Sports Card Nation podcast.

SPEAKER 6: We'll be right back after this break. Hi, this is Pat Hughes Cubs announcer. Coming to you from the sports card shop in beautiful New Buffalo Michigan. The Gocher family has built an incredible place here for collectors to buy, sell and trade cards and memorabilia. Be sure to stop by and let them show you around the sports card shop dot com. Connecting sports athletes, the hobby and collectors around the World.

SPEAKER 7: Hi, this is Alan Pinkett and I'm here to tell you the Gocher family has done it again.

SPEAKER 7: They've just opened up the sport card shop in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana and it is awesome.

SPEAKER 7: If you're a collector, you need to check this place out.

SPEAKER 7: Tell them Allen sent you and get a free gift on your first visit.

SPEAKER 2: Are you a new sports cards collector or someone returning to the hobby? Maybe you're just looking for a friendly trustworthy hobby community to hang out with and enjoy collecting.

SPEAKER 2: Midwest Box brands has been bringing collectors together for many years with affordable brakes, helpful eggs and a discord group packed with generous people who genuinely care about the hobby and other collectors. Check out the brakes at Midwest Box breaks dot com. Our goal is to bring you as much value as possible. Also find us on Twitter at Midwest Box breaks.

SPEAKER 2: Also remember to check out Midwest Box brakes marketplace for brakes packs and single cards from over 300 trusted sellers apply to sell today at ISO dot GG forward slash Midwest Box brakes.

SPEAKER 3: Thanks for sticking with us. Let's return to the show.

SPEAKER 2: And you know, I'm, I'm kind of the fast forward. You, you found some interesting stuff out. You know, every someone's lucky to know or play with some one famous person. Your Dad checks that box a couple of times. So I'm gonna, you know, I'Ll have you talk about it, but I'Ll mention some of the guys played with man. Dallas Green. We know him today as a former manager, in the big leagues, but obviously, he was a player.

SPEAKER 2: We don't know him more as a baseball player. But, we knew him as, an owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, in, in Lamar Hunt in the Hunt, Lamar Hunt. And, your Dad also managed a major league baseball player. Many name whose name will sound familiar to very, a lot of people in norm cash and that's just three of the things you, you discovered kind of talk about that a little bit.

SPEAKER 5: Going through his su.

SPEAKER 2: I gotta cut you off. I forgot somebody and, and famous coats and I believe he's a Hall of Famer NFL, Hall of Famer Barry as well. So, I don't wanna leave.

SPEAKER 5: Raymond Barry and Forrest Gregg. And also he, even though both of them played, football at, at SMU, they were good friends with my Dad. In fact, Forrest Gregg grew up in, in my hometown and went to school with my mom back in 33 in Sour Springs, Texas.

SPEAKER 5: And so went there and then, you know, go to college and they were just good, they just ended up good friends. They would go and watch some of the baseball games.

SPEAKER 5: And then later on, when they had moved and my brother was probably 67 years old, he told me the story about they would come to the house, you know, quite a few times during the year and they just sit out there and chitchat and he'd go get them beer and, and all, and, you know, I just, I just, you know, not knowing something, you know, it, it's one of those stories that luckily gets passed down that, that, that's written down now and stays, you know, in the family, one of those things.

SPEAKER 5: And I'Ll, oh, gosh. And then finding out, yeah, when I, when I found out too that he, in between his time it's Salt Lake City in Reidsville. He went back to alpine to finish up his degree and all. And I found the, newspaper article showing him in a jacket and so I'm like, ok, this is, he's got to be a coach or something.

SPEAKER 5: He's in the dugout with the rest of them and all. And so in doing the research, sure enough, he was coached there. And so with that and his degree then I'm kind of putting the pieces of the puzzle together and all.

SPEAKER 5: And, so I go online looking on ebay. I find a, actual annual from that year and talked to the guy and shoot him the picture and he's like, yeah, man, that picture's in here. So he gave me a good deal on the book. I get it, open it up and I'm looking and, you know, norm cash.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I automatically knew him just from baseball and didn't even know that he had signed a contract to play for the Chicago Bears actually played football first and then decided, no, I'm gonna do baseball and to know that Dad was their coach team in, you know, 55 and then three years later he's in the majors, you know, that's, and, and when I found that out it's like, ok, Dad, what?

SPEAKER 5: You know, it's kind of like I wanna have him here. It's kind of like, ok, Dad, what were you thinking at that time?

SPEAKER 5: You know, because now you're in, you're through Reidsville, you're out of the Army and all, you've done your two years and now all of a sudden you're maybe watching baseball or, or getting a newspaper or something and you see this name, knowing him and knowing that you coached him, how does that affect a person that had to make that decision that had to decide baseball or family and, and all, how, how do you, you know, it's just, there's so many questions John, just so many that, you know, and, and all, but, you know, it's one of those things when Dad made the decision, it was a decision and, you know, hey, we keep going, we keep moving forward.

SPEAKER 2: Well, he's a man of, of dedication as well, right? Maybe he was reluctant but when he made that decision, you know, he stuck to it and dedicated to his, his family and, and turned in that page.

SPEAKER 5: And, and, and going and going from there just knowing no cash. Well, now it's like, ok, now I've got to take time to check the rest of the players that were there just like I did when I knew he was at Reidsville.

SPEAKER 5: Well, I've already checked those guys off and there were six of them that he played with that ended up going to the majors at least for a year. Dallas Green was the one that went in and, and state and all and we know his story for the 1980.

SPEAKER 5: But see, that's the other had I known this stuff back then, John, I'd have probably saved up money or, or bought a ticket or something to try and get to some of these games just to go see, I mean, 1980 I'm, I'm, I'm a freshman, you know, in, in high school and it's just like, wow, you know, this guy you played with just managed the World, he's World Series champ now and I didn't know that.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, that's, that's, that is incredible.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah.

SPEAKER 5: And it's like some of these things I could have gone and, and either gone to or, or known about just like Forrest Gregg and, and him coaching the Cincinnati Bengals in the, I believe it was the AFC championship game, you know, and then going to the Super Bowl, you know, with the Bengals, they ended up losing, but still knowing that, that my mom went to school, I mean, I knew he was from my home town but I had no idea.

SPEAKER 5: Mom had gone to school with him and all and Dad had known him at asking me.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I could have gone to the game probably and no doubt, been able to walk up to him and congratulate him just, you know, him knowing who I was, associate, who I'm a child of type thing and all and it's stuff like that that you, you look back and, and you miss and, and all simply because stories weren't told, things weren't shared.

SPEAKER 5: I guess whether, whether you think it's braggadocious or not, it's not the thing. It's, it's the sharing of the stories.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah. No, no doubt. And, and I gotta ask you, you know, I'm, I'm hearing all this and, and a lot of this stuff I, I knew. So I'm learning some other stuff as well. Has the thought crossed your mind about maybe a book, writing a book.

SPEAKER 5: You know, it, it, it has, believe it or not. I've, I've, I've got a title on that. Let me grab this real quick if I've got it here.

SPEAKER 5: Here's the, here's the letters, this is a three ring binder.

SPEAKER 5: This is about 3 to 4 months of letters, one way letters from my Dad to my mom and all during the time that he was playing a ball at SMU the last SMU and then mainly down in alpine and then a little bit, you know, when he was going to, to Salt Lake and I actually put on here on the, on the front from Polytechnic, which was this, which was his high school to Pinstripes which the Phillies wore Pinstripes.

SPEAKER 5: My Dad's baseball joint.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, I just put that on the sticky note and threw it in here and thought, man, this is, you know, I'd, I'd, I'd love to once I got this together to try and get it in some kind of a, of a book form or something, you know, that way.

SPEAKER 5: I, I don't know if it ever work but I'm, no, no.

SPEAKER 2: Listen, I, I think people love that stuff. The, the human element, the family element, the perseverance on your part to find out all this stuff. And then, you know, it's one thing to find it all out, Papa Jim, but then to put it, put it together in chronological order and to work in the deep, the attention, the detail that goes along with that.

SPEAKER 2: There's something to be said about that and I think it's a book we've seen books like this do very well and with different stories. But along these kind of lines where a kid, a kid, you know, finds out more about their parents or grandparents and then tells this story in book form. So I'm, I'm not telling you what to do, but it's, I would, I would, yeah.

SPEAKER 5: I'd love to because you've got handwritten letters.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, one way to mom and I know they had to be the same way coming back, but it was talking about how his day went, how he did batting that they won, they're going up to Kansas to play, you know, in this big tournament or we're out in El Paso playing in one and, and all, and it's just, you know, it, it's a little bit of a timeline there for, for a few months and, and all that, that, you know, you, you can, can't, it's, it's more detail.

SPEAKER 5: You can't get that in any kind of stories. It's, it's right. It's right here, handwritten and, and all, and just you know, cool to have. That's, that's one of those things, I mean, you, you hear people talking about, ok, if your house catches fire, what are you grabbing that book?

SPEAKER 2: I'm grabbing, well, those letters are in a sense, publish in the chapters of that potential book. Right. He's little. Did he know it? Probably at the time he's just writing a letter to the woman he loved. But in a way that was the book, it was just in a different form at the time.

SPEAKER 2: And so I think it's something you have to think about. I think it's a, it's a, would be obviously a great tribute to, to the man himself and, and, you know, while he didn't get to pursue that career, ultimately, maybe the book is sort of the fitting, you know, end to that, that, you know.

SPEAKER 5: To him and all that. Yeah. Tribute to him and all. So it's yeah, yeah, that would, that would be, that would definitely be amazing, you know.

SPEAKER 2: Well, I appreciate, I appreciate you sharing that. Let, let's talk a little bit about cards. You're, you're in the, the, the Texas area. You, you, I, I'm assuming you go to the Dallas Card. I know I've seen you post about it.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, that's kind of your, your home show. I know you go AAA lot. Talk about this other thing you doing. If your hand were, aren't full enough with, with your Dad talk about this other, more hobby based project if you will.

SPEAKER 5: Well, yeah, cause a lot of people ask me, you know, what do you collect or are you in the cards? And this and that, and, and it goes back to, it goes back to me and Dad again, 1976. We're, we're, we get up on Sunday morning and we go verma in for breakfast.

SPEAKER 5: There was a lady there that just happened to have some, some cards in her hand. What they were getting was, trying to see. Yeah, Sunbeam bread was what they were getting there for toast. So she comes out with these little cards. They're 1976 or helmet cards and they're perforated on the top where you can bend the top of it back to just display the helmet and all.

SPEAKER 5: And they were 70. So there was a set of them and I remember getting some of those and, and, and all, and, but I grew up in the country, dairy farm, all that cards were the furthest thing away away. So I really wasn't into it that much.

SPEAKER 5: At, at all, I had other things going on and, and all at the time. But that, that was kind of my first intro into it. In fact, I found a set at the Dallas show and have it framed, up here those cards. So that's kind of a good memory of, of Dad and I, as far as, you know, that way.

SPEAKER 5: Then I came across a, I guess what it was. Yeah, it was a 1985 sporting news magazine that I came across that had Bo Jackson on there. Well, he won't sign that bat and pads, you know, picture that's, he's famous for. Well, this was pre that, this was while he was still at, at Auburn and it's got his, he's got his shoulder pads on, he's got a bat out from it.

SPEAKER 5: And so I got him to sign that I was showing a few guys at the, at the Dallas Card on one of them said, you know, they made a card off of that picture. I'm like, no, I didn't know that. So I find the card and so when I put the card with that magazine and looked at it, it's like something clicked. I thought, hey, this is cool. Why don't I see if I can't find, you know, let's see who the, let's see if I can find Dallas Green.

SPEAKER 5: Ok, I've got his rookie card or I just go look and so I'm finding what I'm doing is I'm kind of doing like finding the picture they by 10 photos and then find the car that was made off of that. But I like vintage. I like the older, you know where, hey, this is the one and this is the one, there's not 1800 you know, of these different cards and stuff like that, you're.

SPEAKER 2: Preaching, you're preaching to the choir.

SPEAKER 5: And so that's what I started doing. I started, you know, kind of putting them together of either players that Dad may have played with or ones he had talked about, you know, pee wee Reese or something.

SPEAKER 5: I've got one of, of the, you know, him, I've got, I just finished the one finding the, one of, the guy that he, that he coached and, and all, and, you know, just, just different ones like that. So I use, I kind of use that as something for me to do there at the Dallas Card Show. I'm looking for these vintage cards to go with those pictures.

SPEAKER 5: You know, now it's, I get them raw. I don't need them graded because the easy way for me to display them is just put them in a top loader. Like what I've got over here just the eight by 10, top loader of the picture and then put the card in there and that way it matches up and all. So it's, it's, it's pretty neat. I, I enjoy it and I keep it within my budget too on that.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, no doubt. And you, you're connecting the dots to your Dad again. It's, it's an extension of his life, his story, people involved, in his life that in his life and you're, you're, you're keeping that those memories alive even for those players that maybe people don't always remember. Right. And, I think it's important and.

SPEAKER 5: The eight by 10, I mean, they're just, they're just copies that I found on ebay for, for, you know, 5, 10 bucks, something like that. But what I'm doing also John, just for, just for reference purposes or whatever because my wife loves this stuff and loves that.

SPEAKER 5: I'm involved in it, but she has no clue on, on this as far as, you know, what the value and stuff like that. It's on the back of these photos when I get them or the cards, I just put a sticky note and stick it inside that, that thing. Hey, this is how much I got for the photo.

SPEAKER 5: This is how much I got for the card in case something happens to me, she can take these off the wall and go, ok, I've got a starting point here. You know, she's got a few people within a hobby that she could call and say, hey, you know, something's happened, you know, I, I need to sell this stuff. Can you help me out and all that? So, you know.

SPEAKER 2: Later than, than sooner. So, yeah.

SPEAKER 5: Yeah, definitely. But just something to, to think about because, you know, you just, you know, you just never know.

SPEAKER 5: And so it's good to have, you know, I've, I've thought about that and thought about others that have, you know, a whole lot more as far as a collection and value than I do and just, you know, I hope that they've got everything set up and, and set right and, and all that, their ducks in a row, so to speak and all that. But, no, it's, it, it's fun.

SPEAKER 5: It gives me something, you know, a little bit different to do and, and search and, and it's a lot of fun to be able to try and, ok. Was, was there a photo off of this card or what is this? You know, and, and trying to match them up? You know what?

SPEAKER 2: It's a testament to your commitment. Jim, you know, that you're, you've, you've steadfast, you, you've done all this research, this work going to the shows and adding to this, you know, we talk about PC, right? Personal collections. I think this is really in a way the ultimate personal collection, right?

SPEAKER 2: Because of that, those, those lines, those common threads between those guys and your Dad during his, his younger days. And you know, you, you can't put a price. I, I whatever is written on the back doesn't matter. You can't, you really can't put a price on that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER 5: And, and I, and just, just the excitement of being able to find one because, you know, the, the, the norm cash, the only card that, that I was able to find. It's a, it was a 1969 Milton Bradley didn't even know.

SPEAKER 5: And that's the other thing with the research and I'm also learning about some of his stuff that, that other people, people probably already knew about, but I had no idea there was a game and then there's, you know, close to 300 cards made of this, you know, and, and all of them just like, wow, this is crazy.

SPEAKER 5: All I want is just this one little card. But when you go looking on ebay for that one card, you come across all this other stuff and it's just, it's, it's mind blowing sometimes.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah. And then sometimes you have variations. It can go all.

SPEAKER 5: That's why I stick with vintage. That's why I figure, hey, vintage is pretty safe, you know, they, they didn't make a lot of them back then in the fifties, you know.

SPEAKER 2: Well, you're a smart, you're a smart man in many, in many ways. I think that, that right there too. Well, gim I appreciate, yeah, you, you're sharing that, those stories. Anything else, you know, before I, I'Ll have you give out where people can find you but anything else you wanna share or, or kind of wrap up with one.

SPEAKER 5: Of the things, going back to the Dallas Card Show and, and going there and one of the things that I enjoyed doing it, it's, it goes back to Bo's wife and, and starting this thing, but it's, it's something and that that.

SPEAKER 5: I kind of think it's pretty cool and it's my one on one hobby wall. And, so I, when I go to the shows I usually get, you know, pictures of some of the, the diggers or the flippers or the super collectors or, or whoever and all that and print out my 10 and get them to sign it and I put it on my wall and then she even came out with the authentication sticker and all that too for it. So, it, it's.

SPEAKER 2: It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, pretty cool.

SPEAKER 5: And, and, you know, it, it's just neat to, you know, to have these on the wall and see these guys and, you know, make, make that connection and, and all with them and, you know, be able to go through and see how they're, you know, how they're doing and things like that. So, the Dallas Card Show is a cool show.

SPEAKER 5: I mean, you can label it how you want to as far as what they do and all that. I just enjoy going and, and seeing the different dealers visiting with them and, you know, seeing if I can pick up a few cards from my, you know, pictures and things like that.

SPEAKER 5: And also it's, it's, it's pretty good, but I had to, I had to give a shout out to the 110 people that are on my wall so far.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, that, that's, that's awesome. I've been to the Dallas Card Show. Papa Jim. It is a great show. Many will tell you it's, you know, the next best thing, to the Nashville, I'm sure there'll be a few people might argue.

SPEAKER 2: But, it definitely heard that more on more than one occasion. And so, I enjoyed, I've went to, I think two. I've been to the Dallas Car, twice. I've, I've enjoyed my time there, the city itself, but the show, obviously.

SPEAKER 5: Let me know when you come back and we'll definitely get a picture and get you up on and get it signed. Yeah. Well, I appreciate that.

SPEAKER 2: I just, you know, I'm looking forward to meeting you rather than the other way around and, shake your hand and, you know, say good, good on you because I think, you know, everything you're doing, you know, it, it, everyone has great ideas or a plan, right? And then to, then when it comes to doing it or executing it, it's a whole another story.

SPEAKER 2: But you've, you've done it and, and are doing it, you're not done, you're still in the process and I think that speaks volumes about you and I think you're honoring, if I may say so bold, I think you're honoring your Dad's memory in the, in the process.

SPEAKER 2: And I think what father wouldn't, wouldn't, you know, be, be, you know, touched by that, to know that, their son is, is doing this. Didn't have to. Right. You can, you can enjoy life without doing it. But yet here you are and, I, I think that's a testament to not only your Dad but you as well and I think it's, I think that's why you're here.

SPEAKER 2: That's why I wanted to talk to you while I knew a good chunk of that. I think it's important to get that message out, right? You, you, you can't pick your family. Some people probably wish they could but, you know, you know, but I think most of us are, are happy with our, our family and, and try to do things to make them proud.

SPEAKER 2: And, and, and I think you're, you're making your Dad proud. And I think this is a story that not only needs to be told on a on podcast, but I think this is a future book for you as well.

SPEAKER 5: Well, I appreciate that John and like I said, I'm just, I'm honored that, you know, between you. Like I said, this is only my second podcast about talking about this. So, I mean, I'm just, I'm, I'm honored that the, that the hobby community is even you know, interested in and wants to know about this. Ii, I really am. Thank you John. I appreciate it really too.

SPEAKER 2: Well, thank you for sharing. I know it's, it's also not easy sometimes. Too as, as, as you know, right now. So, give out where people can find out what you're doing, kind of see the timeline along the way of how you've gotten, to this point.

SPEAKER 5: They can find me on Instagram at Papam journey.

SPEAKER 5: I started this out actually when I was doing actually doing traveling.

SPEAKER 5: And so the first little bit, if you scroll all the way back, the first little bit, I was gonna be me and my camper and doing some travel and all that and end up, marrying my high school sweetheart, boss wife and all and, you know, settle down and then, you know, getting into the scrapbooks and the baseball and, you know, here we go and all with it so you can find me there.

SPEAKER 5: Like I said, if I have time and come across things I will post on there, it's not gonna be an everyday post. Some things I'Ll have some of my personal stuff, some of my travel on it and all that. Just a variety and everything.

SPEAKER 5: I am trying to probably make a couple extra card shows, this next year and I'Ll let you know to me within the area and all that just to go and support them.

SPEAKER 5: You know, there, there's a lot to run this, running them and unless you, I, I'm blessed to be able to live this close and go to the Dallas Card Show as often as I can. I'm, I'm realizing that and, and all with all the shows. So, you know, just try and go and support some of the other ones.

SPEAKER 2: Well, awesome. I hope to run into you at some point whether it's Dallas or, or somewhere else. Keep up, keep up the great work and, I'Ll put in the show notes, for those that didn't hear it where they can find out and see all the work you've done and, and some of the show stuff and, and all that fun stuff. Thanks again, Papa Jim.

SPEAKER 5: And I appreciate you John and, and just, you know, I'm, I'm honored to, to be on here and, and to be able to share and also thank you very much.

SPEAKER 2: Thank you as well. I think there's a lot to be learned. You know, I love, you know, not to, not to, I just love doing episodes where it's more than just the cardboard. There's life lessons in there as well. And I think this, this epitomizes that. Thank you.

SPEAKER 2: All right, really enjoyed talking with Papa Jim there in his quest to, you know, learn more about his Dad's baseball history. And you know, and on one hand, it's sad that his Dad, you know, didn't feel like he could share it while he was with, you know, alive. But, you know, that's a son's love for his father, right, to kind of fill in those blanks and, and find out, you know, it could be, he didn't have to do that.

SPEAKER 2: He could just say it is what it is. But, and it's a work in progress. So if you have any information about a Jim Carruthers that played in, you know, late forties and fifties, you know, any kind of articles, photos, you saw him, you know, him, that sort of thing.

SPEAKER 2: You know, Jim gave out his, contact info there, get a hold of him, you know, and, and, and help them fill in some of those blanks, you know, you never know who's out there that has some sort of tie in to, to, to, you know, past history.

SPEAKER 2: So, and, he's trying to fill in all those blanks and, it's like I said, I hope we, I hope this is a, a book we've seen books be successful where it talks about a son, you know, learning about a father's history before and then, you know, you tie in baseball, you know, one of America's pastimes. I think that even even makes it more to me, makes it more interesting.

SPEAKER 2: So, you know, I hope to meet, Papa Jim someday. I know he won't be at the National. But, I do get to Dallas every once in a while. So hopefully we'll, we'll cross paths but, really good guy. And enjoy, you know, enjoy having him on the show and look for that article that column in the sports collectors digest as as well.

SPEAKER 4: Iron Sports Cards is your number one source for all your PS A and other grading submissions. Their elite status improves turnaround times. Heck, they even provide the card savers. Their chat rooms, provide updates on all your submissions. They also offer wax options and single cards to cover all the bases.

SPEAKER 4: Check them out on Facebook at Iron Sports Cards Group or on the web at Iron Sports Cards dot com or even give them a call at 1 877 Ironps A Rob's got you covered for more than 30 years. Robert Edward auctions has been the nation's premier auction house specializing in sports memorabilia and trading cards with significant experience and expertise in all major sport, non sport and Americana collectibles.

SPEAKER 4: Re A has helped clients achieve record breaking prices for their items and has done so with a reputation for integrity and transparency by actively partnering with collectors and enthusiasts throughout the entire process. Re a has created the hobby's most trusted forum for selling high quality collectibles. Go to Robert Edward auctions dot com for more information on how to buy or sell in their next auction.

SPEAKER 1: That's a wrap for this week. Huge thanks to you, the listeners out there because without you, there is no, if you like the show, we truly appreciate positive reviews.

SPEAKER 1: Big ups to our great guests who drive the show and our awesome sponsors who make it all possible. Sports Cod Nation will be back next week but don't forget to catch either hobby quick hits or Card Mensches coming up on Monday, I'Ll leave you with this.

SPEAKER 1: How do we change the World?

SPEAKER 1: One? Random act of kindness at a time.

SPEAKER 1: Remember the hobby is the people.