So, I found myself diving back into the world of Don Mattingly baseball cards recently. It wasn’t planned, not really. Just kinda happened, you know? One thing led to another, and suddenly I was elbows deep in cardboard.
How It All Started Again
I was helping my folks clear out their attic. Man, what a job that was. Years and years of stuff just piled up. Anyway, tucked away in a dusty corner, under a pile of old blankets, I found this old shoebox. My name was scrawled on it in kid’s handwriting. And guess what was inside? Baseball cards. A whole mess of ’em from the 80s and early 90s.
And there he was. Don Mattingly. “Donnie Baseball.” A bunch of his cards, mixed in with all the other guys from that era. Seeing them again, it just sparked something. A bit of nostalgia, I guess. I remembered how much I idolized the guy back in the day. So, I took that shoebox home.
Down the Rabbit Hole I Went
First, I just laid them all out on the kitchen table. It was a trip down memory lane, for sure. I started sorting through them, looking specifically for the Mattinglys. Found a few of his regular Topps cards, a Fleer, a Donruss. Nothing that was going to let me retire early, you know?
Then, curiosity got the better of me. I started looking online. Just a quick search, I told myself. Famous last words, right? Suddenly I’m seeing all these different Mattingly cards I never even knew existed. All the parallels, the oddball sets, the minor league stuff. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest.
- His rookie cards – everyone talks about the ’84 Donruss, Topps, Fleer.
- All those Topps Tiffany versions.
- And the sheer number of base cards from what they call the “junk wax era.” Millions of ’em printed.
You start thinking, “Oh, maybe I should try to get all his base cards from his playing years.” Then it’s, “What about that one cool insert set?” Before you know it, you’ve got a mental checklist a mile long.
My Little Side Project and That One Time…
This all happened, funnily enough, when I was between projects at work. You know how it is sometimes, you get a bit of a lull. My main gig had just wrapped up, a real beast of a software deployment. Took months. We finally pushed it live, and it was one of those where everyone just kinda collapsed afterwards. My boss even said, “Take a few easy days, you’ve earned it.”
So, I had a bit more time on my hands than usual. Instead of just doomscrolling or watching reruns, I started organizing those Mattingly cards. It was kinda therapeutic. But it reminded me of another time I had a lot of unexpected free time, though not nearly as pleasant. Years ago, I got laid off from this one job, completely out of the blue. One day you’re working, next day, “Sorry, your position’s been eliminated.” Rough stuff. I spent weeks just trying to figure out what to do next. Sent out resumes, went on interviews that went nowhere. It was a real grind. And you know what I did back then to keep my sanity? I actually started cataloging my old comic book collection. Similar vibe, I guess. Something about sorting and organizing tangible things when the rest of your life feels chaotic.
Anyway, back to the cards. This Mattingly thing was way more chill, thankfully. No existential dread involved, just good old-fashioned collecting.
What I Ended Up With
So, did I build some museum-worthy Mattingly collection? Nah, not even close. I picked up a few more of his common cards from his playing years, mostly from online sellers, nothing too expensive. I focused on getting clean copies, ones that looked nice. I wasn’t chasing graded stuff or anything. Too much pressure, and the prices get crazy fast.
I managed to get a decent run of his Topps base cards, from his rookie year up until he retired. That felt like a nice little accomplishment. I also found a couple of cool-looking insert cards from the 90s that I didn’t have as a kid. They’re all now in penny sleeves and top loaders, tucked neatly into a new, slightly bigger box.
It was never about the money. For me, it was about reconnecting with a bit of my childhood, the fun of the search, and having a tangible piece of history from one of my favorite players. It’s funny how a dusty old shoebox can send you on a whole new little adventure. Still got that box. Still mostly commons, but they’re my Mattinglys, and that’s pretty cool.
