A similar copy of the single most important card in my collection recently sold on eBay for $1.03 + free shipping. It has little monetary value, but to me – it’s priceless. You see, I’ve been a lifelong Twins fan and lived near Houston in 1991. I went to the Braves vs Astros game at the Astrodome when the Braves were closing in on clinching the NL West. During batting practice I was screaming at the Braves players who were playing catch in the outfield to throw me a ball in the stands. I was relentless — after all, I was just a dumb kid that didn’t know any better. Greg Olson eventually shouted “shut up kid!” to me. I instantly hated him and was worried I was going to get kicked out of the stadium. I looked up his number in the game program to make sure I would never forget who this guy was – he was now on my list.
The following month during the World Series against the Twins I would yell at him on TV every time he was up to bat. I distinctly remember going crazy when Rick Aguilera struck him out. That was an incredible feeling – like having your big brother beat up a bully for you.
Fast forward to 2024 – that’s when I saw his name on the autograph schedule for Twinsfest. Unbeknownst to me until then, Olson played for the Twins briefly in 1989 before joining the Braves. I brought my 1991 Topps card of him to get signed and told him the story of our encounter at the Astrodome. I said that it would mean a lot to me if he could inscribe “shut up kid!” on it. He was a good sport and did that for me, so we’re cool now and I will cherish this card forever. I want to emphasize that I was certainly an annoying kid back in 1991 and that Greg seems like a really nice guy. In fact, a young kid in front of me in line had him sign the cover of a Sports Illustrated. After signing the cover, Olson also found a specific page inside that had a picture of him doing a headstand after Dan Gladden collided with him at home plate and signed that too.
This card brings back so many memories for me beyond that incident. Specifically, it reminds of watching the World Series with my mom. I remember jumping up and down around the living room hugging her and my brother when the Twins won the championship. I remember every detail of that moment and by extension, many other moments around the same time. It’s pure nostalgia that only trading cards can unlock.