Eight more: Portrait and candid cards

One of my favorite things about Derek Jeter is the ability to make baseball look fun.

I hear you now: “It should be fun. It’s a game!!”

But there are many players who take the fun out of baseball (ahem – Barry Bonds). They take the sport way too seriously and remind us what they do is hard work. Jeter’s 2,992 career hit was an RBI single in the fifth inning of New York’s 9-1 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Jeter seems to always be smiling and having a good time – at times even to his detriment. I remember him being ridiculed early in his career when there was a fight between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. Jeter was vilified for hanging out with Alex Rodriguez during the scrum while the two didn’t want to hurt their pretty faces.

Just got to love the hair

But every baseball player should be having fun. They are making millions of dollars while getting to run around the bases. As grown men, they are doing what every young child dreams about.

I love my cards that show Jeter enjoying life, reminding me why we collect and watch baseball for the enjoyment.

The cards that show Jeter differently than swinging a bat or chasing down a ball are some of my favorites. I enjoy portrait shots and cards that are unorthodox because it part of what makes collecting fun.

Although in these next two cards, Jeter is not smiling, I like them because they are different.

Interestingly, these are both earlier cards of his. The first is an Upper Deck 1996 V.J. Volero showcase. The second is a 1997 Metal Universe Platinum Portrait.

Jeter got two hits on Sunday against the Cleveland Indians. The next blog post commemorating his 2,993 hit will come on Monday morning.