I always wondered what young baseball players felt like when they took the diamond against some of the best the game has to offer. Are they awestruck? Do they attempt to block out their previous fandom?
For Los Angeles Angels pitcher Hector Santiago, it’s all about living in the moment. He might not be star-struck, but he surely is appreciating his time in the Majors.
This much is evidenced by Santiago’s ridiculous collection of autographed memorabilia from the baseball world:
Courtesy of ocregister.com
Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register ran an amazing story on Santiago and his collection over the weekend—a collection that the Angels pitcher started in his first MLB season when he attempted to get Hank Aaron’s autograph.
From the story:
“Santiago was in his first full major-league season. Not one to miss an opportunity, he ordered an Atlanta Braves No. 44 jersey in advance and, the day of the game, asked a few White Sox officials if someone could acquire Aaron’s autograph for him. They could not, they said; they said the then-79-year-old hadn’t signed for anyone.”
Santiago then went up to the owner’s suite himself and asked Aaron for an autograph, at which point the former home-run king obliged.
Since then, it’s become somewhat of an obsession for Santiago:
Courtesy of ocregister.com
From autographed Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Harvey and Felix Hernandez jerseys to personally signed baseballs from Tim Hudson and Bryce Harper, Santiago has one of the greatest collections of memorabilia on the planet at his Arizona home.
Heck, Santiago even has a collection of game-used autographed bats:
Courtesy of ocregister.com
While seeking autographs from opposing players after suiting up against them is an odd hobby, it’s not prohibited by Major League Baseball. Players aren’t under the same strict guidelines as the media and others who occupy clubhouses on game day.
And that’s what Santiago does. Using connections in visiting clubhouses, friends around baseball and other avenues, the starting pitcher literally vies for autographs from other Major League players on consistent basis. He’s not ashamed. He doesn’t care how it looks. All he does is go home to this amazing man cave with a collection that will assuredly be worth millions when all is said and done.
It’s simply a stunning collection from a player who still remains in awe about what he’s doing for a living today. It also shows Santiago to be a fan of a game he gets paid to play.
Pretty awesome stuff.
Special shout out to the Orange County Register for this great story and the photos provided.