Remember how Kirk Gibson is selling a bunch of memorabilia, including the bat from the home run in the 1988 World Series? Today he tells the Detroit News why he’s doing it. Part of it is charitable. Some of it seems like he would just like the money. But one part of it all resonates with me, and that’s his comment about how he has the memories locked in his head, so why keep the memorabilia?
I’ve always been that way. I’m not someone who casts aside everything, but I’m not a big totem keeper. Trophies or awards or keepsakes or what have you just don’t play a big role in my life. I have some things in boxes, but if you came into Chez Calcaterra you’d see an acceptable number of family pictures a couple of sentimental knicknacks and that’s really about it. The baseball cards and sports memorabilia I keep around is more a matter of being too lazy to do anything with it than actually desiring to keep most of it. It was all in my parents’ house until they dumped it at my house when they moved. If it wouldn’t cost me an arm and a leg I’d ship it all to my brother tomorrow.
I understand I’m in the minority here. I wrote about autographs a couple of years ago and just about everyone disagreed with me then. I just think that you remember the truly memorable things anyway. And while it’s nice to have your memory jogged a bit by a souvenir or memento of the occasion, keeping around too much of the past can prevent a person from keeping their eyes on the future.