Doug Bernier on baseball cards

Signed by the Rockies as an undrafted free agent in 2002, Doug Bernier worked his way through the organization, making the major leagues with Colorado in 2008. He spent the last two years in the Yankees and Pirates organizations, and is back with the Yankees for 2011 spring training. He kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.

"I don't collect cards anymore but I did when I was younger, probably up until I was around 15 or 16. I used to walk to a mini market across the street and get a pack of cards with the stale gum and put them with my collection.

Every Christmas from when I was young my parents would get me a complete set of Upper Deck for that particular year, it was always a great present.

My favorite card is still my Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie card, Upper Deck.

I didn't get many autographs when I was younger but I would take some cards (that weren't in the complete set) and put them in plastic sleeves that would be bound together in a binder. I would separate the cards by teams, and would hope to get anyone from the Giants since that was my favorite team.

I guess the only story that may be of interest with cards is it seems like I have more Dan Gladden cards than anyone. I felt like I was getting at least one of his cards in a random pack from the mini market every trip for a good couple of months."

Thanks! Here is a card of Bernier on the 2009 Scranton Wilkes Barre Yankees.