Baseball cards have long been a staple of the sport. From the earliest days of the game in the late 1800s, cards depicting players have been collected and traded by fans. While cards are now mass-produced and found everywhere from stores to vending machines, there was a time when the only way for fans to get cards of their favorite players was directly from the players themselves. One place where this tradition of player-to-fan card exchanges flourished was in major league bullpens.
The bullpen is the area beyond the outfield fence where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. It’s removed from the action on the field but still within sight of fans in the stands. In the 1960s and 1970s, before million dollar contracts, it was common for relief pitchers to spend time in the bullpen interacting with fans between innings. They’d sign autographs, toss baseballs into the crowd, and sometimes hand out the baseball cards they received from the many card companies looking for endorsements. This gave fans a unique opportunity to meet players up close and get a prized, autographed card.
The tradition started in the early 1960s as the baseball card industry exploded in popularity. Companies like Topps, Fleer, and Kellogg’s began including bonus packs of cards in boxes of cereal which exposed the hobby to many new young collectors. More kids were carrying stacks of cards to games hoping to get them signed. Relievers looking for a way to stay loose during games would oblige fans by signing cards in the bullpen. Soon, whole piles of cards would be tossed over the fence for fans to scramble after like loose baseballs.
Some players even kept inventory in their bullpen kits, which also contained rosin bags, gloves, and other gear. Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter famously stashed cards, gum, and candy in his kit which he’d happily distribute. Future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers had a ball toss routine he’d do with fans between innings where he’d fling baseballs and cards over the fence. This helped him stay in shape while also building goodwill among fans. Soon, hanging out in the bullpen became as much about entertaining fans as it was staying ready to pitch.
By the mid-1970s, the bullpen had evolved into a true fan experience. Bleacher creatures in places like Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park looked forward to the seventh inning stretch just as much for the chance to chat with relievers as they did to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Players like Goose Gossage and Rich “Goose” Gossage of the Yankees and Bill Lee of the Red Sox were among the most generous in the American League, keeping young card collectors well stocked. Over in the National League, relievers like Bruce Sutter of the Cubs and Joe Sambito of the Pirates were equally giving with their spare cards and balls.
This tradition continued strong through the late 1970s but began to fade as the 1980s arrived. Rising salaries and sports salaries made players less accessible. Stricter security measures also made it harder for fans to interact directly with players. While some players still hand out cards, it’s not the same experience it once was. But for a generation of baseball memorabilia collectors, those afternoons spent chatting with stars in the bullpen created unforgettable memories and swelled their childhood collections with some of their most prized cards. The tradition linked eras of players and fans in a unique display of baseball camaraderie. Even as the game has modernized, the spirit of that fan-player connection lives on through the hobby that started it all – collecting baseball cards.