Matt Macri on baseball cards

Infielder Matt Macri played eight seasons in the Rockies and Twins organizations, hitting double figures in home runs four times. He made the major leagues with the Twins in 2008 and hit .324 in 18 games. Now a Vice President at Steinco Corporate Real Estate Advisors in Chicago, he kindly answered my questions about baseball cards.

"I do not currently “collect” cards, but when I was young I had a collection and I still have those books of cards to this day.  Some of the best cards I have were from a, I believe 1992, Topps Black Gold Edition set.  I opened a standard set of cards and found one informing me that I had won the Black Gold set.  I mailed in the card and received the BG set a couple weeks later.  I never opened the set so the 30 or so cards (in bunches of 5) are still in their plastic.  I’ve never valued them, but I assume they are my most valuable cards.

There is a Topps card of me when I was playing for Minnesota; it is of me running the bases.  The photo was snapped as I’m rounding third base after hitting my first MLB homerun in Cleveland.  Why this moment sticks in my mind, besides the fact that it was my first (and only) MLB homerun, is because of the backstory for the expression on my face.  I had pulled my left calf muscle early in the season while playing for Minnesota’s AAA team in Rochester and only a few days after coming off the DL I was called up.  At the time my calf was fine and I found no trouble in playing on it.  But, only a few steps out of the box after hitting the ball my calf began to cramp.  As I rounded first and started into my trot my calf was in a total knot.  The only thoughts running through my head were that my coaches will notice a limp or that I’m going to have to stop and walk around the bases, on my first homerun!  Fortunately, I was able to continue a jog and make to the plate, but not without an expression of worry and concern as captured around third by this Topps card."

Thanks!