Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux, “The Professor,” was my childhood favorite player, which is why he has a place in this collection when almost no other modern player does. He won 355 games with command and guile rather than velocity, took four straight Cy Young Awards from 1992 to 1995 and a record 18 Gold Gloves, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. I collect him the same way I collect the vintage: earliest and scarcest issues first, plus a little Atlanta game-worn gear that ties to the same story. The nickname fits a Shoeless Professor.