What's cool about Tino's birthday is that it's also the day he was traded from Seattle to NY. Dec, 1995. That happened on his 28th birthday. Almost half of his lifetime ago!
I admired the way he played, even when slumping, and became an instant fan. I found a few of his Mariners cards already in my collection, and probably would have gotten a few Yankees cards later that year. I have a very nice 69 cards of him from 1996, although I'd say maybe half of him are actually as a Yankee.
This is my favorite 1996 card of his. It's a die cut, oversized issue from Upper Deck Authenticated celebrating the 1996 World Series Champion Yankees. I'm surprised he was the subject of the card, as opposed to Jeter or Bernie or O'Neill or Pettitte.
Tino keeps getting older. So do I. But collecting his cards helps keep me connected to my childhood memories of him.
I try not to think about age too much... but when I hear about certain athletes or celebrities turning certain ages... it'll sometimes hit me hard. A few months ago I heard that Jessica Alba was turning 40 in 2021. That was kind of shocking and made me feel old. I feel like she still looks like she's in her 20's.
ReplyDeleteI bet he can still hit pretty well.
ReplyDeleteNothing good ever comes from thinking about, or seeing, the current ages of people you grew up admiring.
ReplyDeleteNice birthday post for your PC guy. I tend to forget when Kruk and Strawberry's are, though I believe they are February and March, respectively. That Sportflics card with Traded to the Yankees is sweet. Never seen that before.
ReplyDeleteMan, time flies.
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