El Cardquistador

I missed Kershaw. I wasn’t collecting in 2006 when his Bowman Chrome Draft rookie came out, or in 2008 when he debuted. I didn’t ride the arc from phenom to legend. That card wasn’t part of my rhythm. That moment wasn’t mine.

Same with Miggy. I missed his entire career. I wasn’t in the game when he came up, and by the time I was, his story was already written. The numbers were in ink. The debates were over. I never tracked the climb—just admired the summit.

And maybe that’s why I follow the Tigers now. I missed Cabrera, but I get to watch what comes after. To see a new story form in real time.

The hobby pushes urgency. Be first. Be early. Move fast. Grab the $5 auto before it spikes. Call the comp before the swing settles. But being early often means being wrong.

I’ve guessed. I’ve cluttered. I’ve bulked up on prospects I didn’t believe in, just because the chat said “sleeper.” I’ve bought shimmer I couldn’t explain. I’ve chased cards that felt empty the moment they arrived.

This year, I locked in on Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark. Tigers system. I’ve seen the ABs. I’ve tracked the rhythm. I know what I’m buying. The rest of the top 10? I respect the talent, but I haven’t watched them. I haven’t felt the arc.

I didn’t buy Konnor Griffin. I don’t track the Pirates’ farm. I skipped Leo De Vries. I don’t know the A’s pipeline. I passed on Jesús Made, JJ Wetherholt, Sebastian Walcott, Colt Emerson, Walker Jenkins—not because they aren’t good, but because they’re outside my range. I follow West Michigan. I follow Erie. I follow the Mud Hens. That’s the zone I can actually read.

I skip what I don’t know—not because I’m behind, but because I’m honest about what I can track.

So I wait. I miss the early arc. I pay more. But I buy with conviction. I buy when the story makes sense. When the swing matches the stat line. When the card feels earned.

Being late isn’t being wrong. It’s being ready when it matters.