Mantle, Bench and Baseball! One Man's Obsession with Sports Memorabilia

Let's Talk with Mark & Michelle

It may be a week late because of the lockout, but the Major League Baseball season is underway. And we’re stoked! We’re baseball fans, but nothing like Robert Taylor. You could say he’s truly a baseball fanatic. When we heard about Taylor’s baseball memorabilia collection we had to check it out. It’s incredible!
Like many young boys and girls, Taylor started collecting baseball cards at an early age. But he’s never stopped. Now in his mid-50’s Taylor has amassed quite a treasure trove of baseball memorabilia. Yes, he has hundreds of bats and balls, and by his estimate, 150,000 cards (that’s right, 150K) … but his massive collection is much more than sheer numbers. His collection is more about the friendships and meetings with many of the game’s greats. How he got to hang out with Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra as a kid, what led to his “bro-hug” with Aaron Judge, why Johnny Bench is one of his favorites, and his connection to what’s arguably the biggest publicity stunt in MLB history (Google Eddie Gaedel).
What makes his collection so incredible, and in turn so valuable, are the signatures that accompany all the cards and bats and balls and pictures. Taylor has tens of thousands of autographs from the legends of baseball. And stories. Those he hasn’t met, he’s written to. And they write back. In this episode of Let’s Talk! we take a look at his connection and obsession with baseball and learn how he does it. It’s the perfect start to another baseball season!