Cool Collection!

It was my pleasure recently to view the most interesting, wide-ranging collection of baseball memorabilia that I've ever seen in a private collection owned and displayed by Bill Bowen of Martinsburg. I met Bill at the Martinsburg Rotary last month when I was giving a talk on Safe at Home: A Season in the Valley. Bill invited me to view his collection and I am certainly glad that I took him up on it. From gloves and cards to stadium seats and bar statuary with a baseball theme, Bill's collection is fantastic.

As interesting as the actual memorabilia was, the story behind many pieces was even more interesting. For example, Bill showed me a ball that Satchel Paige autographed for him after warming up with it in the Miami Marlin bullpen when Bill was a kid. In those days, you could sit near the bullpen and talk with the players relatively easily. As neat as that story was, Bill then showed me the Marlins jersey that he purchased 50 years later on e-Bay of the guy who was catching Paige on that day.

Bill also showed me his autograph book that his mom had given him as a child. After flipping past the signatures of Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Mel Allen, Billy Martin, and others, Bill showed me the prized page within: To Billy, Best Wishes--a Pal, Mickey Mantle. If you're a baseball fan, then you have a vicarious chill, just reading those words!

I was lucky enough to visit Bill's collection personally, but you can make a virtual visit by going to the antique sports' collectors website. Thanks for sharing, Bill!