A lifetime of baseball card collecting
Tammy Jo Kirkpatrick is pictured with one of her many albums of baseball cards and some of her baseball memorabilia. Josie Sellers | Beacon
WEST LAFAYETE – Tammy Jo Kirkpatrick’s baseball card collection started with ones her mom Shirley Kirkpatrick passed down to her and has now grown to 80 albums.
“I’ve been collecting them all my life,” said Tammy Jo, who is 60. “It’s fun.”
She has her cards organized in albums by the companies who made them and then by the numbers in the series.
Tammy Jo also planned ahead for how to add any new cards she gets that are missing in the series.
“She leaves empty slots (in her albums) so she can easily fill in where cards will go,” said Jan McBride, a friend of the family.
Tammy Jo has purchased some of her cards over the years, but a majority of them have come from people like her former principal Mr. Ott who knew she liked baseball cards.
“I love them all who have given me cards,” Tammy Jo said.
Her two favorite cards are Ken Griffey Sr.’s and Bob Brenly’s. However her collection of memorabilia expands beyond baseball cards. Tammy Jo has bobble heads, baseballs, books and even an umpire’s facemask that was given to her by Rev. Miller. One of her special balls honors Cy Young and another pays tribute to Jim Thome.
“Jim Thome is my favorite Indian,” Tammy Jo said.
She cheers for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres because she and her mother have friends who like these teams. Tammy Jo also enjoyed watching Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Orel Hershiser play.
Read more stories like this one in our March – April Boomer Times.
Category: People & Places
