Media salute ‘father’ of baseball cards

MEDIA
Baseball card pioneer Sy Berger died Sunday, Dec. 14, at the age of 91, prompting a multitude of media stories about the man who, as the New York Times stated in its obituary headline: “turned baseball heroes into brilliant rectangles.”

The New York Times’ obit delves briefly into Berger’s life and career, from collecting cards as a kid to his rise to Topps vice president to dumping dozens of unsold 1952 Topps cases  - yes, including the now treasured ’52 Mickey Mantle card – into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Times article also quotes Berger from an interview he conducted with SABR in 2004.

Tyler Kepner also penned a must-read piece for the NY Times saluting Berger.

In its own tribute, Forbes.com wrote “10 Business Lessons to Follow from Baseball Cards’ Father.” Berger also was recognized by People.com, and the Los Angeles Times, which led its article with the Atlantic Ocean anecdote.

On the broadcast side, ESPN’s Keith Olbermann, fittingly donning a bubble gum-colored suit jacket, beautifully eulogized Berger as only Keith can.

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Has A-Rod Played His Last Game in Yankees Pinstripes?

I'm listening and watching and reading… for what team will Alex Rodriguez be striking out next year?

This, for sure, seems destined at this point to be THE story of the hot stove league.

Rumors began circulating Wednesday, apparently by the always reliable Keith Olbermann, about a possible off-season trade that would send A-Rod to Miami – he lives there, ya know? – with the Yankees eating much of his $114 million remaining salary.

Are the Yankees really so sick of the guy that they'd consider sucking it up and moving on, paying him to play for another team? If you believe the reports, it sure appears that way.

And if it happens – the trade to Miami, that is, who do Yankees fans want from the Marlins roster in return? Did I really hear someone on the radio this morning mention Heather Bell? Really?

I'm still in wait and see mode, but with A-Rod getting benched for what will be three consecutive starts in ALCS Game 4 tonight – in favor of a guy who's batting oh-for-12 in the postseason – it's becoming increasing difficult to see how the Yankees and A-Rod can come back together in spring training like nothing ever happened, like right handed pitchers ceased to exist over the winter.

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By the way, Bob Nightengale has a story on usatoday.com saying A-Rod, who has a full no-trade clause, is telling friends (and cute bikini models in the stands?) he will not block a trade, but will only go to a large-market team. That seams fair. I never saw a pending reunion between A-Rod and A.J. Burnett happening in Pittsburgh.

But where will Rodriguez end up if the Yankees can and will pull the trigger on a trade? Could it be Miami? Dodgers? Angels? White Sox? Cubs? None of those seem logical, but who knows?