A Storehouse of Ballpark Stories

Mike Dwyer, proprietor of Village Baseball Cards on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel. Dwyer’s shop contains nearly 40 items signed by Mickey Mantle, including the baseball bat pictured behind him. Mike Dwyer, former 5th and 6th grade teacher in Carmel, spends his summer afternoons in his shop, Village Baseball Cards, talking about the golden age of baseball in the 50s and 60s, discussing signed memorabilia, and arranging rare baseball cards in their cases. Village Baseball Cards, is more than a store full of old posters and waxed pieces of cardboard, it’s about storytelling, the lore of the game, and a little vicarious heroism too.

The biggest sellers are Yankees memorabilia, “They have the history,” says Dwyer, himself a Yankees fan. And there is one player in particular who generates the most interest: Mickey Mantle. Dwyer’s shop contains nearly 40 items signed by the legendary center-fielder including a bat and a few lithographs. “There is interest in the Mets, but not as much,” he says, “they haven’t been around as long and don’t have those signature players.”

The memorabilia business has changed in the 20 years Dwyer has been operating. “It used to be about collecting the cards, which, oftentimes people had as children before they were thrown out. Now the memorabilia side is much bigger.” The shop reflects it, there are posters, lithographs, and signed photos lining all the walls, the shelves are stocked with signed bats, by Keith Hernandez, balls signed by Tom Seaver, and boxing gloves signed by former heavyweight champs. Dwyer’s shop is the perfect place for a sports fanatic looking to decorate their “man-cave” or a finished basement where the hobby of watching gamse becomes an avocation.

Even if it is understandably Yankees centric, there is something for every sports fan at Dwyer’s shop. Even Boston fans can find signed pucks that belong to past Bruin Stanley Cup runs, or a Converse Sneaker signed by Bill Russell. Each piece in the ship can spark a memory of exultation or defeat to those afflicted with the sports bug.

Photos by Michael Brendan Dougherty Village Baseball cards offers an experience, kids come in and look for action figures of their sports heroes, while shouting “whoa!” at every case, local sports fans stop in to chat about the latest foibles of their beloved franchise, and veteran spectators talk easily of times when the games they loved were simpler, less corrupted by money, free-agency or the designated hitter.

Walk into the store and you are likely to see Dwyer holding a book, it may be one about the storied Yankees franchise, or a biography of a famous pitcher, it may be a tell-all of another sports bad boy. And there is a good chance it’s written by Jeff Pearlman, the sportswriter who was raised in Mahopac before his career took him to Sports Illustrated and the bestseller lists. “He’s my favorite, “ Dwyer confesses, pointing out a few book jackets in a display case.

Village Baseball Cards, at 51 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, is open from 1 to 6 on weekdays and from 10-5 on Saturdays. .