Player: Don Mattingly

Set: 1990 Topps

Card #: 200

Type: Base

I first experienced the thrill of opening a pack of cards in my grandfather’s den on the South Shore of Long Island. At that time my fledgling love affair with sports and baseball cards coincided with the rise of the modern Yankee dynasty, forging a magical nostalgic fusion that remains strong all these years later. Right before I rip into a pack of cards, part of me still feels like a kid unearthing treasure from the top shelf of my grandfather’s closet. This new weekly column at Bronx Pinstripes will use a card from my collection to explore the hobby many of us grew up loving, as well as reminisce about a beloved Bomber.

One of the first cards I ever…