Decades of Baseball Cards and Memories

By Emily Hanson

Edward Ziemba was sitting in an empty row of seats behind home plate watching the Syracuse Chiefs take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on a mild Monday night in NBT Bank Stadium. He occasionally flipped through a green binder full of baseball cards.

Ziemba has been collecting autographed cards since 1959.

“I average a thousand cards a year signed through mail and in person,” Ziemba said.

It’s safe to say Ziemba has tens of thousands of autographed baseball cards, all organized by team, in stacks of binders in his room at a Syracuse senior living facility. Every year he sends cards to his four daughters, now ranging in age from 28 to 42-years-old. He raised his daughters to love baseball and often brought them to watch the Syracuse Chiefs.

Ziemba has rarely missed a game since he started attending in the 1960’s. And he rarely misses an opportunity for an autograph.

“I carry cards of even guys on the DL,” Ziemba said. “Sometimes they show up.”

Two boys, also with binders full of baseball cards, came to sit in the row behind Ziemba to talk with him from time to time during Monday night's game. They swapped information on the players and what autographs they were hoping to get that night.

Ziemba spotted Gary Thurman a few rows down from him.

"Gary Thurman, a former major leaguer...He's the guy in the yellow shirt right here," Ziemba said. "I have four cards of his. He's a scout for Washington, and he'll sign all four of them for me."

Ziemba saw the two boys approach Thurman for an autograph between innings. He quickly followed them to get his turn. He walked with a grin back to his seat carrying his green binder. Though he has thousands of cards at home, he brought just one binder with him Monday night to watch the Chiefs play. 

The now retired Ziemba has seen a lot of changes as a Chiefs fan since the 1960’s, but a loyal fan he remains. So loyal that he can rattle off names of players he met decades ago.

He said he’s thrilled with the Chiefs first place standing in the International League North and credits new management for the solid season. He likes to watch the Chiefs win, just as they did Monday 7-6.

Ziemba said the atmosphere is what keeps him coming back. He’s just having fun.

“I’m not a millionaire, but I’m happy.”