For young baseball fans, meeting a Major League Baseball player can be a memorable highlight of a trip to the ballpark. However, one fan not only got to enjoy their favorite hobby with a player, but also walked away with two impromptu autographs from others thanks to him. MLB veteran Paul Lo Duca met a young baseball card collector named Noah and his brother on the sidelines before a Mets game. He took the time to open a pack of 2008 Topps baseball cards with Noah, even joking that one of his own cards might appear. When the pack was opened, Lo Duca wasn’t among the players—but two of his former teammates were: Mike Piazza and Johan Santana. Without prompting, Lo Duca grabbed the cards and a pen and ran onto the field to have both players autograph them. @orangekids29 Watch til the end! Our number 1 video of the season! We rip a pack of 2008 Topps with Paul Lo Duca! He pulls both a Mike Piazza AND Johan Santana! He then goes and gets both signed! #baseballcards #packrip #sportscards #topps #baseball @Topps @MLB Network @MLB @ESPN @Collect @Fanatics @Baseball Lifestyle @The Athletic @New York Mets ♬ original sound – Orange Kids Pack Rips! It would have been understandable for Lo Duca to just give Noah a quick hello, maybe even sign a card if one of his had turned up in the pack. Instead, he went out of his way to get signatures from other players for the young fan. Noah graciously thanked Lo Duca for the gesture and even posed for a photo with him. The comments on the boy’s TikTok were abuzz with praise for Lo Duca and the interaction: “You never see a professional player interact with a fan this long. He opened a pack and then RAN to get both the cards he got signed. What an amazing guy.” “That’s so cool, ripping packs with the pros ” “It was unbelievable. The kids will never forget this.” “This is why baseball will forever be America’s favorite pastime…My friend’s daughter was lucky enough to get a game-used Bryce Harper bat from Harp himself at one game.” “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” “Outstanding! Made a lifelong memory for the kids and cost nothing but kindness.” @israelcompaore4 Baseball fans have great sportsmanship #baseball #respect #player #fans ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – Loud music. – Loud music. “I love EVERYTHING about this!!! I have two grandsons who play baseball and I think I would be literally in tears if this were to happen to them because I know how much they love the game and look up to men like this in the sport! ” “This is officially the best card opening pack video I’ve ever seen. Regardless of sport or collectible.” “Paul is every kid’s dream interaction at the ball park. Class act.” “Not a Mets fan, but just became a Paul fan!” “It doesn’t take long for athletes and former athletes to make a story for a kid they’ll never forget. Lots of respect for Paul doing this!” “He’s just happy to see kids still into baseball cards! Keeping it alive!” Baseball cards are making a comeback Since the COVID-19 pandemic, baseball cards and other trading cards have surged in popularity among young fans like Noah, as well as adults. Lo Duca even mentions that he owns a collectible card store. In an era when many young people’s hobbies revolve around screens and online interaction, parents and teachers are largely welcoming the return of trading cards to schoolyards. @chanelcapri2 Trading cards can have several benefits for kids, including: 1. Fostering a sense of community and social connections through trading and collecting with friends and peers. 2.Encouraging organization and categorization skills as they sort and manage their collections. 3.Developing research and critical thinking skills as they learn about different cards, players, and teams. 4.Promoting patience, persistence, and self-discipline as they hunt for rare or hard-to-find cards. 5.Enhancing knowledge and interest in various subjects, such as sports, history, or pop culture. 6.Encouraging entrepreneurship and business skills through buying, selling, and trading cards. 7.Building self-confidence and pride in their collections and accomplishments. 8.Developing fine motor skills through handling and sorting cards. 9.Learning about the value of money and responsible spending habits. 10.Having fun and enjoying a hobby that can last a lifetime! #lawlerballers #topps #bowman #panini #baseballcards #sportstradingcards #cardbreaks #memories #baseballboys @mlb (Also they have already started a nice little savings!) @topps ♬ original sound – will paquin While trading cards still require the same parenting and supervision as any hobby, they’re often seen as a way to “trick” kids into learning math. Sports cards like Noah’s offer opportunities to measure and learn statistics, while kids interested in commerce can learn to assess value in collector markets. Even non-sports cards, like Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering, involve similar math both in the cards themselves and in gameplay. It’s players like Lo Duca who help keep fandom alive, whether it’s baseball, card collecting, or both. As commenters noted, that kind of joy, kindness, and excitement gets passed on to future fans and players alike. The post Video of young fan and baseball player opening a pack of cards together is sports at its very best appeared first on Upworthy.