Except, it’s not for sale. Never will be, either.
The Jackie Robinson Papers were donated to the Library of Congress by Rachel Robinson in 2001.
More than 7,000 items make up this collection. Most importantly, correspondence makes up a healthy part of the collection. Fan mail from around the world.
Jackie’s own editing on the manuscripts for his two biographies.
Who knows? Some player’s wife might be collecting the letters you send, too!
Want to collect something new?
Try assembling a team-by-team set of “fan mail exhausts us!”
The Washington Nationals are the latest addition to this cookie-cutter collection of questionable journalism. Reporters seem to write from the same blueprint. Players claim to adore letters from kids. Or, the weary major leaguers discuss a rare memorable letter from the last sincere fan in the universe.
However, readers are reminded that the players are taken advantage of every day by countless corrupt letter writers.
Players finish by claiming that they just can’t cope with all the demands.
In reality, current-player response rates have taken a nosedive in the last five years.
It’s hard to take these articles seriously. Just because a player claims it doesn’t make it so. These season-after-season puff pieces almost seem like paid advertorials devised by teams. As in “Buy our tickets and licensed products, but don’t expect anything in return.”
When will a reporter make the effort to seek out real information, like on www.sportscollectors.net, to see which standoffish players are trying to shine up their tarnished reputations with fans?
Collectors and fans ask often:
What do I write former players about? What should I ask?
Simple. Spring training!
Short major league careers might hide the fact that someone was a one-year wonder in the Grapefruit or Cactus League. After all, they had to do something great to get their shot at the bigs.
What are their best spring training memories? What was their best pre-season day ever?
Asking is free. Be prepared to be amazed.
When Jim Davenport passed away at age 82 this month, I remembered his polite bafflement.
In 2010, I received a reply (of sorts) to three questions.
I wasn’t alone. According to the ever-trusty SportsCollectors.net, Davenport replied to 298 of 314 documented letters. Best of all, even into this January, he was doing it with sterling penmanship.
While Davenport never seemed to be a quote machine or natural baseball storyteller, he inspired this impressive Alabama retrospective.
What’s special about baseball letters?
Simple. Each piece of correspondence is a window into the heart and soul of a former player.
When I spotted this letter to parents from then-youth baseball coach Mike Matheny, I had to share.
What major league team wouldn’t hire someone who could describe his game plan so eloquently?
I hope many of the parents who received a copy treasured what they were getting.