bang the drum

it was a year ago today when the guardians wore their memorial patch that honored longtime fan john adams. they had also worn the patch on opening day. i was happy to see the patch show up on some cards this year, including gavin williams on his 2024 topps big league card

the significance of wearing the patch on august 24 was that it was the 50th anniversary of the first game at which adams beat his bass drum in the stands at an indians game. he went on to continue that tradition through the 2019 season, missing only a small number of games. 

the only other memorial i am aware of that honors a fan was the black ribbon that the a's and rangers wore for shannon stone, a fan that died after falling from the stands trying to catch a ball. i appreciate cards that document the game, including the different uniforms and patches, and having this card means that i can update this post and my collection.