Baseball’s back, and the sport is going all out to try to get kids back into collecting baseball cards. So Q asked an all-star lineup of Chicago celebrities and athletes about their baseball heroes and the memorabilia that still mean a lot to them.
MARK BUEHRLE, CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Mark Buehrle grew up in St. Louis, where Todd Worrell pitched for the Cardinals. “I’ve always liked him. I wore his number 38 in high school. I tried to get it in college, minor leagues, the whole way through. It’s weird because he’s right-handed, I’m left-handed. It makes no sense.”
JERRY HAIRSTON, CHICAGO CUBS
Jerry Hairston, whose dad played for the White Sox, says the Ken Griffey Jr. Rated Rookie Card was his favorite growing up. But today he cherishes a basketball souvenir, a signed Michael Jordan ball that his dad got for him.
ANNE MAXFIELD, THE SCORE
Radio’s Anne Maxfield grew up in Highland Park, but her grandfather worked as a mascot (similar to a batboy) for the Detroit Tigers in the early 1900s. He passed down a baseball signed by Hall of Famer Ty Cobb to his son (Anne’s dad), who in turn has given it to Anne.
PETE WENTZ, SINGER
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Fall Out Boy is one of the hottest bands in the country. When singer Pete Wentz was growing up in Wilmette, Cubs slugger Andre Dawson was his favorite. “I just thought he was awesome,” Wentz said. He still has his ticket stubs from the first Wrigley Field night game.
JENNIE FINCH, CHICAGO BANDITS SOFTBALL TEAM
Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch was a big Rick Monday fan growing up in California and prizes her autographed poster of him.
KIRK HINRICH, CHICAGO BULLS
In the last year, Kirk Hinrich started collecting autographed jerseys. He swapped jerseys with Florida Marlins star Dontrelle Willis, who gave him the one he used in last year’s All-Star Game.
TED ALBRECHT, FOOTBALL ANALYST
Ted Albrecht blocked for Walter Payton and now is the color analyst for Northwestern football games on WGN radio. But he loved playing baseball in high school–he was a catcher–in the Bay Area and admired Dave Duncan’s career with the Oakland A’s, which included catching a perfect game.
JERMAINE DYE, CHICAGO WHITE SOX
World Series MVP Jermaine Dye says his favorite player was Chili Davis of the San Francisco Giants. But his prized memorabilia is a testament to hard work–his Gold Glove trophy.
CRAIG ANDERSON, BLACKHAWKS
Goalie Craig Anderson, who grew up in Northbrook and Barrington, liked the early ’90s Cubs as a team but Rickey Henderson as a player. Craig’s brother won a Big Ten baseball championship at the University of Illinois.
GLENDON RUSCH, CHICAGO CUBS
Cubs pitcher Glendon Rusch collected the Jose Canseco Rated Rookie Card as a kid. Now, as a big leaguer, Rusch has a poster signed by a bunch of 300-game winners.
JOEY SLOTNICK, ACTOR
Lookingglass Theatre’s Joey Slotnick grew up a fan of the Jerry Morales/Rick Sutcliffe-era Cubs. A photo of Babe Ruth’s farewell at Yankee Stadium, signed by photographer Cornell Capa, stands out in his collection.
ZAKK TYLER, WLUP RADIO
Zakk Tyler offers more sports than your average rock station on his WLUP show. Growing up, he admired Pete Rose’s hustle.
ERIC PIATKOWSKI, CHICAGO BULLS
Growing up in Nebraska, Eric Piatkowski and his friends would buy packs and packs of baseball cards, but the ones he prized most came from his dad’s collection, including Mickey Mantle.
JILL CARLSON, FOX-TV BROADCASTER
Glenbard East grad Jill Carlson liked Ryne Sandberg in high school. “Sandberg was my style of player–keep your mouth shut, do your job, lead by your actions on the field,” she said. Today, she prizes her credentials from covering three Bulls championships and the White Sox and Cubs recent playoff runs.