Cards from Brent

About 2 weeks ago, I got an email from a reader named Brent. He asked about my customs and how I printed them and stuff. I gave him my tips, and he mentioned that he was a serious Detroit Tiger collector. How serious? Check out his Instagram page. He has some amazing stuff. I was amazed at all of the old cards that he had (tobacco cards, every Topps and Bowman Tiger from 1947-1988. I told him my oldest Tiger card was a '62 one, and how I would love to add a tobacco card to my collection at some point. He said they can be had for 20-30 bucks if you don't care about condition (I really dont).  He also told me he wanted to send me some Tiger dupes he had, and mentioned that he thought he might have an extra '52 Topps. 

I was really excited, and couldn't wait for the cards to arrive. A few days ago, I checked my mailbox, and in it was a PWE from Brent. He included some stars from the '84 Tigers championship team, and the previously mentioned 1952 Topps card, one of Don Kolloway. This is now the oldest card in my Tigers collection, the only '52 Topps Tiger I own, and the 2nd '52 Topps card I own. 

The Lou Whitaker cards he sent also made me happy, as both brought back some good memories. In 1994, I went to a Spring Training game in Lakeland, Florida, where the Tigers and the Reds were playing. I had somehow got an '85 Donruss Diamond King of Whitaker, and had brought it and a few other cards with me to the game to try to get autographed. After the game, Whitaker walked to his car. Some people asked for his autograph, and he said he wasn't signing. After getting into his car, he drove a few feet, rolled down his window, and started signing. He signed my card, and it was my first card signed in person. I also remember him giving someone his batting gloves.
This wouldn't be my last time running into Lou in Lakeland. We both lived there in the '90's/'00's, so I saw him a few more times. He had this clothing store in the mall (mainly run by his wife) called 'Whitakers', and he always had 2 security guards standing in front of it. One time, I walked past the store on the way to Kay-Bee Toys, and saw him in the store. I didn't have anything for him to sign, and the security guards were intimidating, so I never walked in. 

Later, around 1998 or 1999, I was in 9th or 10th grade. My mother home-schooled me from 5th-10th grade, and we would take a drive to Orlando to do a science class/lab with other home-schooled kids every few weeks. One week, before we drove, we stopped at the gas station near our house. I got a Surge and a Crunch bar, and as I was standing in line to pay, this guy was talking baseball, and mentioned something about Alan Trammell like he knew him. I asked him if he knew Alan, and he said 'Why, yes. I played second base next to him.'. I was like 'You're Lou Whitaker!!!'. I always brought a binder with cards with me on long trips, and I just so happened to have my 1995 Topps/Topps Cyberstats binder with me at the time. I told him I had 2 of his cards with me in the car and asked if he could sign them. He told me he didn't have a good marker and didn't want to ruin my cards, but he would run to his office, and meet me at my house and sign them. My mom gave him our address, and we went to the class and came back. I was expecting to see Lou, but my mom warned me that he might flake. A few hours after we got back, I had given up hope, but then all of the sudden, the doorbell rang, and Lou was at our front door. I got the 2 cards, and he graciously signed them and posed for a picture. Here's were everything gets crazy. 

So Lou asks us where we were headed, and I mentioned that I was going to a science class. Lou mentions that he is a Jehovah's Witness and he had some pamphlets about science in his car. He gave me one, and left.
A few months later, my friend Stephen was at my house, and we were playing video games or something, and we get a knock at the door, and who is there, but Lou again, with another copy of the Watchtower. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I conjoured up a story about how me and Stephen were trading cards and how Stephen just happened to have a card of Lou and wanted to have him sign it. Lou knew what we were doing, but was gracious enough to sign another 2 cards, a '95 Collector's Choice, and a '90 Donruss Diamond King.
Almost 10 years later, I was at a Tigers practice getting autographs, and who popped by but Lou Whitaker. I had an '01 Topps Archives card and presented it to him to sign, and he was like "I remember you. I went to your house!'. He said that he never signs his rookie cards or reprints, so I handed him an '81 Donruss card, and he signed it.
I'll always remember Lou as kind of eccentric, but he was always a nice guy when I encountered him, and not many people would be a man of their word and run to their office, get a pen, and drive to a strangers house to sign a card for them.
Those Lou Whitaker Diamond Kings brought back some good memories, Brent. Thanks for sending them my way, and thanks for the '52 Don Kolloway.

Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy