Welcome
For so many of us, the hobby is a welcome distraction from the stresses of everyday life. For Ted Patterson, during his career, everyday life was part of his hobby. Ted began working in the sports broadcasting business in the late 1960s, but had already been a collector for more than a decade. As he began to build relationships with professional athletes, his career and his hobby became intertwined. Reviewing his collection, it’s tough to tell where one stopped and the other began: large groups of media kits and Baseball Blue Books were obviously resources he used professionally, signed photos of Ted interviewing various athletes were mementoes of his time in the clubhouse, piles of files containing correspondence and photos of sportscasters were research for his books on the history of sportscasting. But they are also part of his collection, which includes cards, advertising display material, game-worn items, publications, memorabilia, postcards, and autographs. It doesn’t take much more than an internet search to learn who Ted is; there are videos, newspaper articles and television interviews that cover his collection and his immense knowledge of sports. What I thought I’d focus on in this introduction was what I find most fascinating about Ted: that his career and his hobby are so tightly meshed that it’s impossible to tell which is which. The first time I met Ted, we spent three or four hours together, mostly consisting of Ted telling me stories. I pointed to a Brooks Robinson jersey in a corner of his office, and he said “Brooks Robinson. Nicest guy in the world. He’d give you the shirt off his back. And he did.” Another time I asked himwho his favorite player was to interview. “Reggie Jackson,” he said. And then he dug out a tape from his collection, and played me a hilarious interview he did with Reggie at the end of his career. After a while, we’d speak every week or two on the phone, just to catch up. With every call, he’d introduce himself the same way: “Al: it’s Ted Patterson, fromBaltimore.” And then I’d settle in for an epic phone conversation. At first I thought he’d get tired of the kinds of questions I asked him, which never had anything to do with the hobby. What kind of a
guy was Bob Feller? What was it like to talk to Jackie Robinson? Did you ever meet Thurman Munson? But his answers were always stories, and the conversation helped form an excellent bond. One wall in Ted’s office is filled with pictures of Ted, interviewing various sports figures over the years. One day recently, I sat in his chair, staring at the photos of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Curt Gowdy, Ted Williams, Frank Robinson – and it hit me. The reason I love Ted Patterson’s collection is not because of its value, its rarity, its condition, or anything like that. The reason I love Ted Patterson’s collection is because I love Ted Patterson’s Love of the Game. He epitomizes everything I hoped would become the reputation of this company: passion, relentless pursuit of knowledge, relationships, and the pure fun of collecting. Especially today, that’s what we need. A reminder that this hobby is wonderful, the history is magical, and we can all enjoy it with the same passion as Ted Patterson. Be sure to make sure you get your copy of the Ted Patterson baseball card included in this issue. It features Ted interviewing Hank Aaron, stylized by graphic artist Keith Conforti, who is a student of baseball card design and rebuilds “cards that never were” better than anyone I’ve ever seen. We hope to be able to offer you more cards like this as we sell this fantastic collection. I hope you enjoy it!
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog