The ritual, and magic, of baseball cards

For a sport actively searching for ways to capture the hearts of the public again, baseball cards perhaps will be a way to do just that.

Today's Sports Illustrated cover centers on ... baseball cards. In celebration of that story, our Tommy Barbee penned a short musing on what cards have meant to him. Above, Brett Ballantini paged through some of his favorite and oddball White Sox cards. And below, check out links to some of our past baseball card articles.

Even after all this time, I still have my binders of baseball cards tucked away in the closet of my parents' house — a time capsule that captures a wave of nostalgia unique to the game of baseball. The unparalleled experience of opening a new pack of cards — I can still remember the sound even after 30 years — yearning for something special like a Frank Thomas rookie card but being equally content studying the stat line for Ivan Calderon.

It became a ritualistic event. Every week, my parents would allow me to buy a pack when out shopping, and I would study every card and memorize every stat or factoid I could. Despite their simplicity, every card tells a story and left enough to one’s imagination to fill in the gaps. My friends and I would then compare notes the following school day, talking about what superstar’s card we were able to score that particular week. Maybe, if we were feeling particularly bold, we'd discuss what baseball cards we were willing to trade to gain another coveted card.

Much like hipsters and old folks wax poetic about the sound of vinyl, it seems that baseball cards have entered a similar resurgence. For a sport actively searching for ways to capture the hearts of the public again, baseball cards perhaps will be a way to do just that.

Further reading on baseball cards:
South Side Sox
South Side Hit Pen
When Topps Had Balls
Night Owl Cards