Dmitri Young is a baseball card fanatic

Plus, the answer to the question: Just what is an NFT?

July 8th, 2021

Ever wish you weren't at work, but were instead lovingly flipping through your binders of baseball cards? Ever find yourself hoping that you could be at the card shop, ripping through new boxes of product, instead of on your couch watching House Hunters for the 343rd time? Well, you're in luck: While we can't get your local card shop to offer extended hours, we can give you the next best thing.

That would be MLB's Carded, a show available to MLB.TV subscribers that is devoted entirely to baseball cards. Every episode touches on what makes the hobby so fun and addicting, with celebrities dishing on their collections, former players revealing their favorite cards, and in-depth looks into the newest offerings from the industry.

What's in store for episode 2? Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, best known for her work on "Blossom" and the "Big Bang Theory" has long been a baseball card collector. Rather than focusing on the rare cards or those that are worth the most, her favorites feature great photos and goofy facts on the card backs.

"There's a lot of emphasis on the financial component of baseball card collecting," Bialik said. "But I will say, as someone who never wanted to value them for that reason, there is a real beauty in the organization and the classification. For me, I set the financial component aside, and really just enjoy the activity. I could maybe wallpaper the house with these."

Next, Brittney Palmer, an artist involved in Topps' highly imaginative, anything goes Project 70, discusses her artwork and why she enjoys working on these cards so much:

Then the most important and pressing question of the day is answered: No, not what is the meaning of life, but just what exactly is an NFT?

Carlos Peña headed up to Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to check out Pioneer Sports Cards. Ever wonder what it's like to own a baseball card store on baseball favorite quaint Main Street? Well, now you know.

And what good would the show be without at least one pack rip?

Finally, there's the pièce de résistance, as former big league All-Star Dmitri Young joined the show to discuss his own collection. Young began collecting cards as a young child when he'd buy them from the snack bar after Little League games. His collection continued to grow through the years and he always looked forward to showing off his card collection to the coaches and Hall of Famers he met.

As for his favorite card of himself? Well, that's his Upper Deck rookie card.

"The very first one, where I had a terrible hand tape job," Young said with a big laugh. "Cardinals was not on [the uniform], it was just blank with a number on the side. I'm holding up a wood bat and I'm making my meanest look. Because back in the '90s, brothers weren't smiling -- they had the mean mug."

You can find the new episodes as soon as they're released on MLB.TV or you can find them later on YouTube. Click here to watch the full episode.