Guest Post: A Ben’s Biz Baseball Card Odyssey
The author of this post is LeRoid David, a fan of baseball (and certainly many other things) who currently lives with his family in Fremont, California. Follow him on Twitter: @LeRoid).
In 2017, I took my own road trip across America — and all it took was a few postage stamps and some Minor League baseball cards.
Yes, Minor League baseball cards. Specifically, the “Ben’s Biz” inserts from the 2017 Topps Pro Debut series. For those unfamiliar, Topps Pro Debut is the Minor League Baseball flagship set that features top prospects in the game along with themed inserts, autograph and memorabilia cards. The “Ben’s Biz” inserts, 15 cards total, featured highlights from MiLB.com writer/blogger Ben Hill’s MiLB ballpark travels in America.
When Topps Pro Debut was released in May 2017, I was fresh into the Minor League Baseball scene. As a longtime Major League Baseball fan and collector growing up in the city of San Francisco, I knew very little about the farm system. But that all changed when I moved south of San Francisco and found myself closer to Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants (San Francisco’s Class A Advanced affiliate). My family and I were drawn to the neighborly and modest atmosphere, and I became fascinated with the history and behind-the-scenes stories of Minor League Baseball. That’s when I started to follow Ben Hill and his blogs. Unfortunately, I missed Ben in person when he visited San Jose in 2016.
How was cool was it for just one man to cover the vast number of Minor League ballparks across America? The players, the legends, the scenery, the food and, best of all, the mascots. I loved it all! When Ben blogged about his insert set in Topps Pro Debut, I knew I had to check it out.
When I bought my first couple of packs, I was thrilled to get two “Ben’s Biz” inserts: Ben Hill himself (his “Toilet Paper First Pitch”) and Paul “Super Churros Man” Cerda! Unfortunately, there were no autographed cards.
I thought it would be cool to send the card to Ben himself to have autographed. And, at the next San Jose Giants Giants game I attended, I brought Paul Cerda’s card to have him sign as well. To my surprise, Super Churros Man said that I was the first person to have done so!
I had Super Churros Man’s autograph, and shortly after Ben sent back his card along with a personalized note. This was another “first” for me, and it gave me an idea: Collect all 15 “Ben’s Biz” insert cards and have them signed!
How was I going to collect all 15 “Ben’s Biz” cards and have them signed in a timely manner? There was only one store in the vicinity that carried Topps Pro Debut. I went ahead and bought a few more packs. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the means of buying packs continuously. The next best option was eBay. Within a couple of weeks, I was able to complete the set along with more extras. Each card was captivating. It reminded me of vintage Topps cards with trivia in the back. I even researched past blogs from Ben to get more insight of each subject.
A booklet of stamps, a stack of small envelopes and blank greeting cards was all I needed. Getting these autographs through the mail — “TTM” in hobby speak — was exciting and a bit stressful. I worried about lost mail or even the possibility of rejection. I made sure to keep each request simple, including a short personalized letter and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
In June and July I focused on autographs that felt more attainable: “Crazy Hot Dog Vendor” from the Reading Fightin Phils, Todd “Parney” Parnell, VP and COO of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and the Modesto Nuts mascots (which came back with a sweet note from Natalie Winters, Modesto’s public relations coordinator). I tweeted each signed card to document this journey.
The “Whitewall Ninja”, a.k.a. 2013 Beloit Snappers reliever Dakota Bacus, was a legendary character. I located Dakota with the Potomac Nationals, just before he was assigned to the Harrisburg Senators in late July. Dakota has had a rocky journey in the Minors and I hope nothing but the best for him.
Erik the Peanut Guy from the Tri-City Dust Devils replied with a small note and included a schedule. He was truly kind to put his card in an Ultra Pro card sleeve! He is a super-fan living the dream! I look forward to meeting him someday soon.
Ballpark organists play the soundtrack of baseball. It was an honor to get living legend Fred Costello of the Rochester Red Wings, who’s still going strong after more than 40 seasons.
For the Sacramento River Cats’ “Heads of State” card, I thought it was clever to go directly to the team’s executive management — Susan Savage (CEO), Jeff Savage (president), and Chip Maxson (general manager).
I originally thought about having the famed “CLAWlossal” card signed by Kevin McAlee, the Hickory Crawdads’ director of food and beverage. Instead, I thought it would be more “colossal” to have it signed by visionary team owner, Don Beaver. It was the right decision, after all. The Crawdads were sold to the Texas Rangers on October 2017.
By the end of July, I was more than halfway through the task of completing the autographed set. One card I was worried about not receiving back was “The Uh-Huh Guy,” a.k.a. Paul Buchanan. Rumor had it that he was rarely seen at Kannapolis Intimidators games anymore, but he got my card after all.
Team ownership continued to be the focus when it came to getting the South Bend Cubs’ (formerly Silver Hawks) “Synagogue” card signed. Andrew Berlin, owner and chairman, spent $1 million converting an abandoned synagogue next to the ballpark into the team store. Many fans will agree with Mr. Berlin that “baseball is a religion.”
One of my favorites in the “Ben’s Biz” set is the “Toastman” aka Rob Blackstone of the West Virginia Power, who rightfully inscribed “You Are Toast!”
Out of the 15 cards, the most unique and unusual to get signed had to be “Jamestown’s John.” This was, perhaps, a first of its kind in baseball card history. The card commemorated the Jamestown Jammers’ time in the New York-Penn League, when they had “the best press box toilet in all of Minor League Baseball.”
But who would sign a card based on the “best press box toilet in all of Minor League Baseball?” The staff of the current Jammers team, who play in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League? The maintenance team of Russell E. Diethrick, Jr. Park? I doubted it. So I did some research on the ballpark itself and it turned out that the City of Jamestown owns it. I decided to send this penultimate card to the Mayor of Jamestown, Sam Teresi. What I received back was more than just a signed card…
A packet arrived with an official city letter from Mayor Teresi! Aside from signing the card himself, he also had the card ceremoniously signed by Jamestown’s “Mr. Baseball” himself, Mr. Russell E. Diethrick, Jr. (whom the park was named after) at a Jammers game. Two important figures of Jamestown on one card! The letter included photos of the signing events, along with a Jammers schedule, all of it wonderfully presented. Thank you Mayor Teresi and Mr. Diethrick. I truly hope to catch a Jammers game with you at “the best little historic ballpark in America”!
As August neared its end, the only signature I still needed was Peter “Pedro” Bragan Jr. Since Pedro had retired as owner of the Jacksonville Suns following the 2015 season, I wasn’t sure where to find him. Having a couple of extra Pedro cards on hand, I sent one to the management of the current Jacksonville team, now called the Jumbo Shrimp. My gut told me the card would never get to Pedro. I then reached out to Ben personally and he suggested direct messaging through social media. Thus, I was able to get in touch with Pedro to get his mailing address. Aside from my own card that needed to be signed, I also sent Pedro an extra set of “Ben’s Biz” cards.
In return, I got my signed card plus a few gems: a pack of “Legends of Jacksonville” baseball cards, a Jacksonville Suns patch, and a variety of Bragan Family cards, which chronicle a lifetime of baseball family history.
My “Ben’s Biz” 15-card signed set was complete! It was truly one of my most ambitious projects ever. Through each card, I gained an appreciation of Minor League Baseball history not only for myself, but to share with my family. My kids questioned why I got a toilet card signed, but they’ll understand in due time. I learned to admire the players’ journey in the farm system and the team ownership groups. These “minor” things in life that some take for granted add up to over 100 years of amazing baseball history.
This card set took me from San Jose, California all the way down to Jacksonville, Florida. This was my own “Ben’s Biz” trip across America (no Designated Eater required). I hope some day to explore more Minor League Baseball teams and ballparks in person. I also hope there will be more “Ben’s Biz” card sets!
Big thanks to Ben and Topps! With the 2018 season a couple months away, I look forward to more “biz” across America!
And, of course, a big thanks to LeRoid. Not only for writing this guest post, but for pursuing this idiosyncratic project with such creativity and enthusiasm. Hopefully he’ll inspire others to embark on similar endeavors.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
instagram.com/thebensbiz
