My husband is in his mid-forties and a huge baseball fan (Yankees in
particular).  He collects cards for a hobby, plays fantasy league
baseball and watches endless matches on satellite television (we live
in Europe).  I would like to give him a birthday gift and would
welcome suggestions in the price range of $50 - $150.  They would need
to be easily ordered and mailed to Europe. So ideally it would be
something small, light and intriguing.  In the past I've got him
t-shirts and caps, so I'm looking for something a little different.
There's no point in my trying to get him a particular card, since I
wouldn't know where to begin!  Thanks for your help.

---

Request for Question Clarification by jackburton-ga on 22 Apr 2004 03:59 PDT

What about a pair of baseball glove cufflinks? ($99)
http://store1.yimg.com/I/everythingbaseball_1786_3474772

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 22 Apr 2004 04:48 PDT

A good-quality baseball jacket would be hard to beat:

http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=938113

---

Clarification of Question by leeside-ga on 22 Apr 2004 12:25 PDT

Re the two question clarification requests :  they are both good ideas
(for someone else) :  he doesn't wear suits, so the cufflinks are out,
and he wouldn't wear a baseball jacket, either.  Maybe something
computer-related??

---

Request for Question Clarification by jackburton-ga on 22 Apr 2004 12:46 PDT

A Baseball Glove Radar?...
   
"The purpose of Glove Radar? is to assist in developing players'
throwing capabilities by providing a measure of velocity improvement
which results from using proper throwing techniques. By learning the
proper way to condition, train, warm-up, and throw, players can
achieve their best accuracy and velocity performance, while reducing
the risks of injury to their arm and body.
The Glove Radar? can aid any player - infielders and outfielders, as
well as pitchers and catchers, throwing from any distance.
Professional and amateur players can use the Glove Radar? when
warming-up. Young ballplayers will benefit from velocity information
when tossing or training, and will have fun using it"
(Price: $65.99)
http://www.opticsplanet.net/baglrawifrup.html

---

Clarification of Question by leeside-ga on 22 Apr 2004 13:56 PDT

Thanks, but he doesn't play - his is purely a sedentary hobby!

> Omnivorous - thanks for the further help. This is my first time to use
> Google Answers (it won't be my last) so I am still finding my way
> around. I saw you answered a previous question, so am curious as to
> why you posted the information as a comment, rather than an answer?<

Leeside --

Yours was one of those questions that's hardest to answer: personal
preference items.

Most often you'll see things work as they did for his question:
researchers and others make what they hope are relevant comments and
typically customers make a choice.  It would be tough on customers if
we made three suggestions and the answer came back "Oh, we already
have those 3 books!"

Thanks for choosing the answer. Being a baseball nut myself, it
immediately prompted those enthusiastic suggestions!

By the way, you might be able to use some of the baseball-related
Google Answers questions (there are more than 400) as part of the
birthday present.  You can go to the Google Answers home page and
search ONLY this service for baseball:
http://answers.google.com/answers/search?q=baseball&qtype=all&btnG=Google+Search

Or refine the search by adding other terms:
http://answers.google.com/answers/search?q=baseball+%2B+Yankees&qtype=all&btnG=Google+Search

Best regards (and "bon anniversaire"),

Omnivorous-GA

Thanks for the great introduction to Google Answers!

A Dusty Carpet would take a lot of beating.

Leeside --

Normally it's against my religion to help a Yankee fan but since he's
exiled I guess that I can make an exception:

*  the new book from Roger Angell, "Game Time."  Angell's the New
Yorker columnist who writes about baseball.  Suggestion: if you have
time, send it to Roger at The New Yorker and ask him to autograph it
for you!

*  get the live broadcasts for him over the Internet on MLB TV for $80
for the year:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/video/mlb_tv.jsp?partnerId=468x60_mlbtv1

An alternate to that would be to see if his local cable system can get
MLB Extra Innings.  It's offered everywhere in the U.S. now for $149
but may or may not be available in Europe:
http://www.indemand.com/moviesandevents/viewProduct.jsp?page_sectionId=4&prodId=9028

*  MLB has a shopping site where you can find everything from
bobblehead dolls to autographed photos.  If you register, they'll even
send you notices of items on sale on a weekly basis:
http://shop.mlb.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=1452360

*  Most baseball fans are nostalgic about old teams and old uniforms. 
Being from New York, perhaps it's the Dodgers -- but you can find old
uniform designs in the "Cooperstown collections":
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=714910&cp=1298212

*  Two other books recommended for any baseball fan:
"Baseball Almanac"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1572434597/103-5148680-6060644?v=glance

Or Ken Burns' book, "Baseball: An Illustrated History," an excellent
picture book that was the companion to the documentary series linked
here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0780630459/qid=1082643073/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/103-5148680-6060644?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

How about some Yankee Stadium infield dirt minted into a coin (only
5000 have been made) for $64.99?

http://www.fansedge.com/ProductDetail.aspx?pfid=33-25245&sport=2&AID=10273762&PID=613288

I like most of Omnivirous's suggestions.  But one more idea.  Every
baseball fan should own a copy of "The Baseball Encyclopedia.":

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0028608151/qid=1082658281/sr=8-8/ref=pd_ka_8/104-8713565-2519963?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Personally, I hate baseball. So if I were married to a baseball fan
I'd have to buy them some cordless television headphones.

tutuzdad-ga

Thanks to everyone, and particularly Omniverous for his selfless and
comprehensive suggestions!  My husband has two previous Roger Angell
books (The Summer Game and Late Innings) so Game Time is a great idea,
and asking him to autograph it is even better - do you think he gets a
lot of similar requests?  I would have to send it with some
international reply coupons, and ask him to send it on.  The other
books look good, too - as indeed does the documentary series itself,
which clearly got rave reviews. Regarding the other suggestions, I
actually think he'd really like the Yankee Stadium picture with the
infield dirt (though I would have to give it wallspace ... but they
only ship to continental USA, so that's saved me from that dilemma). 
And he already has a copy of the Baseball Encyclopedia (brought back
in her luggage from New York by guess who).  Thanks again for all your
help; I appreciate it (and so will he).

>Game Time is a great idea, and asking him to autograph 
>it is even better - do you think he gets a lot of 
>similar requests?<

Leeside --

The question put a smile on my face because he got one this week from
me!  A journalist friend of mine in San Francisco knows Roger well and
suggested that I just send him a copy of the book with the request:

Roger Angell
c/o The New Yorker
20th Floor
No. 4 Times Square
New York, NY  10036

Best regards,

O.

Surprise him.

Get him something very baseball UN-related ...
Get him something that YOU would very much like to give a man without
thinking about his taste ... :)

Omnivorous - thanks for the further help. This is my first time to use
Google Answers (it won't be my last) so I am still finding my way
around. I saw you answered a previous question, so am curious as to
why you posted the information as a comment, rather than an answer?  I
think you deserve the fee!
And thanks to sfxmystica for an alternative proposal.  I did try that
once - for his 40th birthday I gave him a voucher for a ride in a hot
air balloon (in my defence, it was something he had talked about for
years).  The look of sheer panic on his face convinced me to play it
safe from now on ...

Hi leeside
Thanks for the laughs, I wish I could have seen his face too ! :) 
But hey, i though it was a great idea !

Seriously ... 
Let me explain ... Your husband might be a great baseball fan but
don't you think he has enough of that 24/7 the whole year long?

Sure, he might like baseball related gifts but people always enjoy
something more when it is different. They might not know it, but its
the truth. Everyone of us is looking for something that breaks our
lifes usual day to day monotony. People just don't realise it!

Imagine if he had indeed gone for that baloon ride (I am assuming he
didn't). What do you think would have happened? Even if he would have
been frightened to death it would have been a new experience for him.
And nobody forgets a new experience !! Good or Bad ... :)

So ... what do you say?

P.S : Whatever new experience you might cook up for him, make sure you
are in it ... :)