Will collectors ever care about WS Rings, like collectors do about the NFL & NBA?

[jjrpilot]

Or do you think baseball will be immune to that aspect of the game?

[tyrith]

Immune is overstating it. That said, baseball's playoffs are less effective at identifying the best teams and players than NBA and NFL. Ultimately, collectors want to collect the best players. There's no real reason for this to generally change. Individual feats like what Yamamoto did will still be very important.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by jjrpilot

Or do you think baseball will be immune to that aspect of the game?

Like NFL and NBA? Not only won't they, they shouldn't. Baseball is the ultimate team sport. No one player can win a championship like those other sports. I like to think we baseball collectors are more sophisticated than NBA and NFL collectors. We understand the game and don't just look at rings on a finger to determine greatness. That said, championships do matter some, in baseball. Just not like those other sports.

[tkraft24]

The biggest difference is that a single superstar player has far less influence to win in a baseball postseason than football or basketball. So no, they'll never be close.

[oldgoldy97]

Baseball is a sport of individuals competing with common uniforms. Didn’t Ohtani recently pitch and hit enough by himself to win a game? If Mahomes goes out and nobody blocks for him, no matter how good he is, they won’t win.

[oldgoldy97]

Game 4, 2025 NLCS.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Game 4, 2025 NLCS.

Great example! Ohtani had to put up a performance that was better than any performance in the history of the game. Yet had the relief pitching not held the Brewers to fewer than 5 runs, they still could have lost. And even with the legendary performance, it only provided 1/4 of the wins to advance to the world series. Pretty good argument for just how unlikely a single baseball player can win a championship by himself.

[f2tornado]

Post season does matter for baseball collectors otherwise Corey Seager rookies would still be in the quarter box.

[hermanotarjeta]

For people who collect players who have won rings - yes, it matters.

For people who collect players who will never win a ring - no, rings are overrated.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by tkraft24

The biggest difference is that a single superstar player has far less influence to win in a baseball postseason than football or basketball. So no, they'll never be close.

Yeah, it's much harder to ascribe credit for a championship win in MLB than it is in the NFL or NBA. Pitchers don't pitch every game, and hitters typically only hit 4-to-5 times a game and only when their turn in the lineup comes up -- unless you're pinch-hitting, like in the case of Kirk Gibson in game 1 of the '89 WS.

Basketball allows individual players to impact the game constantly, and QBs hold the ball on nearly every offensive possession.

[REGGIE206]

I believe the rings matter and help.. but not having any rings will not break a player.

[ScooterD]

Originally Posted by REGGIE206

I believe the rings matter and help.. but not having any rings will not break a player.

Agreed, Reggie - but I’ve never met a Frank Crosetti collector. My way of saying that rings in baseball also don’t MAKE a player.

[YouTheManNick]

Putting up an amazing game to finish the sweep of a dead dog team is not the greatest performance ever. It was euthanasia.

Very cool statistical game. But greatest ever? Nah. Had he done it in game 7 the other night then we're talking.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by REGGIE206

I believe the rings matter and help.. but not having any rings will not break a player.

This. Mickey Mantle cards are worth more than Ted Williams and Willie Mays cards. It is because of Mantle's rings

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by REGGIE206

I believe the rings matter and help.. but not having any rings will not break a player.

Agreed.

People will always collect Bonds, Griffey, Ichiro, etc. But if such player had >=1 ring, they'd be even more demanded/collected (and thus, expensive).

[duwal]

I think for baseball too a lot of collectors see that success is most of the time more about how much a team spends compared to the other leagues that have salary caps and the playoffs is more about which players or teams step up

[Scottish Punk]

Originally Posted by rats60

This. Mickey Mantle cards are worth more than Ted Williams and Willie Mays cards. It is because of Mantle's rings

Originally Posted by eastbayak

Agreed.

People will always collect Bonds, Griffey, Ichiro, etc. But if such player had >=1 ring, they'd be even more demanded/collected (and thus, expensive).

Yep, yep.

Also, in the NFL the rings only really matter to the QB. All of the other positions, it is basically the same as MLB.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

Yep, yep.

Also, in the NFL the rings only really matter to the QB. All of the other positions, it is basically the same as MLB.

Doesn't Dan Marino sell for more than Troy Aikman?

[atk825]

I think a lot of what makes Jeter collectible still is he has 5 rings. Mookie will be long term collectible in large part now he has 4 rings.

[ThoseBackPages]

i dont like to compare the sports because the games are nothing alike

NBA: Imagine if MJ was legally never allowed to touch the ball the entire game?

There is no rule against intentionally walking someone in MLB. They walked Bonds with the bases loaded, so its possible that a MLBer can go the entire game without being pitched to

NFL: The QBs that everyone loves so much do not play defense.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by REGGIE206

I believe the rings matter and help.. but not having any rings will not break a player.

This.

Buster Posey's case, when he comes up for election, will largely be based on the fact that he led the Giants to three World Series titles.

He's not in the conversation based on his regular season achievements alone.

[Grave252]

I think rings matter in the long run, but I am undecided on it being about the actual ring...or was it the thrilling and big moments in the journey of a postseason that subsequently boosted a players value to collectors. Trout values still have room to fall, but it's less so rings and moreso minimal memorable pressure or big moments.

[corndog]

Whether a player has a ring or not is insignificant to me.
A players story means more to me as a collector.

[SaveMeTheGum]

It helps a lot of you have them.

It hurts a little bit if you don't.

[jdandns]

Only the real ones will.