The Attack of the Baseball Cards Union in New Jersey
In the summer of 1987, a strange phenomenon occurred in Union County, New Jersey that baffled residents and captured national attention. Swarms of baseball cards seemed to have come to life and were attacking people all over the area. While it sounded like something straight out of a B-movie or the fever dream of an over-caffeinated sports fan, multiple eyewitnesses reported being assaulted by flying, flapping baseball cards. Law enforcement was at a loss to explain the events, but they took a serious turn when injuries started being reported. Over the course of a few weeks, the baseball card attacks escalated until a climactic showdown brought the bizarre situation to an end.
The first incidents were relatively minor. People reported seeing cards fluttering around or landing near them, but no direct contact. Many assumed it was just an odd coincidence as it was around the time of year when the new baseball card sets were released. On July 5th, a man walking his dog in Elizabeth claimed that a Roberto Clemente card flew directly at his face, requiring stitches above his eye. Similar attacks followed over the next few days across Union County.
Eyewitnesses described the cards swarming and flapping their wings in an almost coordinated manner before diving at their targets. The cards didn’t seem to discriminate and went after men, women, and children. Victims reported cards pecking and scratching at any exposed skin they could reach. Doctors were puzzled by the injuries, which resembled bites or sting marks more than simple abrasions from cardboard. Law enforcement was perplexed as well, with no explanation for how non-living baseball cards could be responsible.
As more people turned up at local hospitals with card-inflicted wounds, panic started to rise in the communities. Schools kept children indoors for recess and sports practices were cancelled as a precaution. Reports of attacks came from all over Union County – Linden, Elizabeth, Plainfield, Summit, and more. The cards showed no fear and struck in broad daylight. People began traveling in groups for safety and wearing protective gear like helmets and padded clothing when outside.
Local and national media descended on the area to cover the bizarre baseball card attacks. News reports and interviews with witnesses only added to the strange mystery. No one could explain how or why this was happening. Some speculated it was a prank involving remote controlled cards or that people’s imaginations were getting carried away. But with dozens of injuries reported, it seemed undeniable that something unusual was transpiring.
As the attacks continued to escalate through mid-July, residents grew increasingly frightened. Then, on July 18th, an incident occurred that proved the cards meant serious harm. A young boy playing baseball in a park in Union was set upon by a swarm estimated at 50 or more cards. They knocked him to the ground and proceeded to viciously scratch and peck at his exposed skin, drawing blood. It took several adults rushing to the scene to fight the cards off the terrified child, who was left with severe lacerations all over his body.
The incident was captured on video and showed the coordinated, almost predatory behavior of the cards. This tipped the situation into a full-blown crisis. With public panic at an all-time high, the Governor declared a state of emergency in Union County and called in the National Guard for support. Soldiers armed with nets and protective gear patrolled the streets to intercept any card attacks. Meanwhile, scientists and experts from all over the country gathered to study the phenomenon and try to make sense of it.
Several theories were proposed but none could be proven. Some involved radiation or chemical exposure altering the cards in some way. Others pointed to unusual weather patterns or unknown natural phenomena. A few more outlandish suggestions involved extraterrestrials or interdimensional portals. Regardless of the cause, it was clear the cards were acting with an intelligence and purpose not normal for inanimate objects. But with their small size and ability to fly, they remained almost impossible to catch.
The climax of the crisis came on July 25th. Reports indicated the cards were massing for an all-out assault near the baseball fields in Elizabeth where the attacks first started. When National Guardsmen and emergency responders arrived, they found thousands upon thousands of cards swarming in the sky. It looked like a scene out of Hitchcock’s The Birds. The cards dove at anything that moved, scratching and biting relentlessly.
In a dramatic turn of events, a large group of pigeons suddenly arrived on the scene. Whether by chance or design, the pigeons proceeded to engage the cards in aerial combat. Claws and beaks flashed as the birds fought ferociously against the flying cards. After an epic 20 minute battle in the skies, the last of the cards were driven off, many in tatters. The pigeon squadron had saved the day.
In the aftermath, no further card attacks were reported. The swarm seemed to have been defeated. Investigations turned up nothing conclusive as to what caused the phenomenon or animated the cards. To this day, it remains an unsolved mystery. Residents of Union County slowly returned to normal, but the “Attack of the Baseball Cards” is still discussed and remembered as one of the strangest events in New Jersey history. While science offers no answers, some believe the cards must have been possessed by some unknown force or intelligence that has not returned since their avian defeat that summer long ago.
