Posted by Geoff Young on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 11:20 am

Did you hear about the couple in Fresno that found a baseball card from 1869 and listed it on eBay for $10? Thankfully some helpful folks came along and suggested that they might want to ask for a tad more.

Can you imagine “finding” a baseball card of that original Cincinnati Red Stockings team? Quoth Bernice Gallego (the wife):

I didn’t even know baseball existed that far back. I don’t think that I’ve ever been to a baseball game.

Sigh.

Listen, I’ve been a baseball fan for better than 30 years. I’ve never been a huge card collector, although I do own my share.

Back in the day, I used to buy a pack every now and then. I imagine there were some good ones in there — Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, and the like. I don’t remember any of those, though.

The one I remember? Teddy Martinez. Dude had a sweet ‘fro that lifted his cap way up high.

Martinez was a reserve middle infielder (and occasional outfielder) who played from 1970 to 1979. He was sort of the John McDonald of his era. Martinez’ greatest claims to fame were showing up in every friggin’ pack of baseball cards I bought in the ’70s and a sweet ‘fro.

Put it this way: You wouldn’t get $10 on eBay for a thousand of his cards. You’d be better off melting the cardboard for scrap. And yeah, I’m fully aware that cardboard doesn’t melt.

Honestly, how do you just “find” a baseball card from 1869? Not that I’m bitter or anything…