The things we keep, British edition

Heading off to merry old England on Wednesday to celebrate our 30th anniversary. While there, I was hoping to visit the British Baseball Federation. I did that five years ago when our anniversary trip took us to Paris. In the spirit of exchanging gifts, I gave them a copy of 501 Baseball Books fans Must Read before They Die, and they gave me a jersey from the national team. Hint, hint, Brits.

In any case, while looking in the attic for the scorecard of the first baseball game I attended for a project Jay Goldberg is currently working on, I came across these:

In 1988 (another 30-year anniversary), Topps took a flyer and created a series of baseball cards aimed at stirring interest in Great Britain. The 84-card set included such notables as George Brett, Barry Bonds, Orel Hershiser, Roger Clemens, and Nolan Ryan, as well as such questionables as Mike Dunne, Brook Jacoby, and Hubie Brooks. Here’s an example:

Each card has a “Talkin’ Baseball” point, explaining some of the fine points of the game. Also, the observant observer will note that the player’s weight is given in pounds and “stones,”  although the height is still expressed in the conventional U.S. fashion, rather than the metric system equivalent.

I paid about $8 for the set at a Kaybee toy store back in the day. I wonder how much a full mint set is worth now? I also have a few unopened individual packs which I was planning to given to the BBF, along with a copy of 501. Maybe they’ll still get back to me.

In the meantime, cheers. Catch you on the flip side.