SSTN Interviews Mark Larson

By Paul Semendinger

July 10, 2025

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This week, I share my interview with Mark A. Larson, the Editor/Publisher of

BaseballCardFun.com

Please tell our readers a little about yourself.

I grew up in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) area, spent my high school and college years in California, returned to Minnesota and for the last eight years have lived in western Wisconsin. At age eight, in 1967, I began following baseball, collecting baseball cards and writing about the sport in a journal. My favorite team has always been the Twins (with the Brewers being my favorite N.L. team).

Tell the readers about your website.  

BaseballCardFun.com began as an idea during the pandemic in 2020. Like many people, I was not only feeling down about Covid, but also the violence then taking place in the streets, the political divisions within our country and initially, at least, the lack of baseball. I wanted to do something fun that would take my mind off the events in the news. I had been writing some baseball- and collecting-related stories for a few of my friends and thought “Why not expand this to a website?” that I could share with many more fans and collectors.

In addition, in years past I had written well over 100 articles for the old “Baseball Hobby News” publication, plus two baseball card newsletters. I decided I would publish those on the website as well as the dozens of newer articles I had written. The website was launched in October 2024, with two of my friends also contributing. New articles are now added on a regular basis.

Why are people so drawn to baseball and its stories, legends, and people?

Baseball has a rich history which often mirrors what’s going on in America. It is full of interesting characters, heroes (and some goats) and statistics. With some adjustments, the stats can be compared over the decades (that’s one of the reasons why I always enjoyed reading the backs of baseball cards over and over). In addition, “regular” guys can still make it to the top. You don’t have to be seven feet tall or weigh 300-plus pounds to successfully hit, throw and catch a baseball.  

What is your favorite baseball book? (You can list as many as you wish.)

I’ve always loved “The Great American Baseball Card Flipping Trading and Bubble Gum Book.” It was issued in 1973 when card collecting was on the verge of going mainstream. It’s a very amusing book about players and cards from the 1950s and ‘60s. …

A recent book entitled “When Baseball Was Still Topps” by Phil Coffin is also excellent. It consists of 572 small essays based on each card from the 1959 Topps baseball card set. Although based on the cards in the set, it’s about the players: Their accomplishments or lack thereof; some stats; and many stories and anecdotes. …

Finally, a regional book called “A Summer Up North” by Jerry Poling examines Hank Aaron’s first year in the minor leagues in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It was written in 2002 and covers what it was like to play Class C baseball in 1952 as a young 18-year old Black man from the deep south in an almost all-White northern town. 

Outside of baseball, what is your favorite book and/or who is your favorite author?  (You can list as many as you wish.)

I tend to read magazines and online articles more than books. My interests include history – World War II, American presidential elections – and current events. Also, trivia of all kinds.

There's a lot of talk about baseball needing to be "fixed."  Is baseball broken?  If you were the Commissioner of Baseball what change(s) (if any) would you make to the current game?

Just a couple of comments: I think the pitch clock has been a big positive. In my mind, the jury’s still out on the ghost-runner.

I love to talk about the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Which former Yankee most deserves to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Four players who have been off the main writers’ ballot for a long time deserve at least another look by the Veterans Committees. These include former Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon and pitcher Luis Tiant. In addition, players from other teams such as first-baseman Carlos Delgado and second-baseman Jeff Kent should be revaluated.

What is the greatest baseball movie of all time?  (Yes, you can list a few!)

“Eight Men Out” is one of my favorites because of its overall atmosphere of what it might have been like in 1919. … More recently, “Moneyball,” because it shows the early days of stat-driven evaluations of players’ performances and how revolutionary that was. … When I was a kid, I was fascinated with “Fear Strikes Out” – the Jimmy Piersall story.

What is your favorite baseball memory?

When I was about 10 years old, a friend and I were attending a Twins-Tigers game at old Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota. We managed to sneak down to the Detroit dugout and said “Hi” to Tigers star Willie Horton who was standing near the dugout entrance. I think we startled him and in no uncertain terms he told us that we better get out of there or the police were going to get us. Two 10-year olds never moved so fast.

Please share anything else you'd like with our audience.

Since I like classic television, one of my favorite things to write has been a series of articles called “Baseball on TV.” It focuses on sitcoms (and some dramas) over the past 75 years that have either has a baseball theme or featured a real ballplayer in an acting role. This is the type of fun, positive article I try to focus on with BaseballCardFun.com. There are serious sides to baseball and collecting, but ultimately is should be a fun experience for fans and collectors.

Indeed.

Thanks for joining me, Mark. Please keep in touch!