Last Updated on June 10, 2025 by Matt Musico
The convergence of baseball history and collector passion reached a fever pitch last month in Kansas City, where the largest baseball card show in the city’s history brought together champions from two different eras of Royals glory.
According to FOX4’s Carey Wickersham and Olivia Johnson, the KC Royalty Autograph and Card Show transformed the Sheraton Crown Center into a collector’s paradise, featuring an incredible 450 tables stocked with memorabilia spanning decades. The three-day event celebrated both the 1985 and 2015 World Series championship teams while giving fans unprecedented access to their heroes.
“There are things from everyone,” Jeff Logan of Crown Sports Auction told FOX4. “You know, there are things for kids, to adults, to levels of collectors where you’ll see items—you could buy something for $5 to $10,000. So, there’s a lot of levels of collecting.”
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Former Royals Players Joining the KC Baseball Card Show
Championship Royalty Takes Center Stage
What made this particular show extraordinary wasn’t just its scale, but the caliber of former players who made the journey back to Kansas City. Those in attendance included Buddy Biancalana, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Mark Gubicza, Bret Saberhagen, Jim Sundberg, Edinson Volquez, Willie Wilson, Ned Yost, and Ben Zobrist, representing nearly four decades of Royals baseball.
Saberhagen was a two-time Cy Young Award winner, whose dominance in the 1980s helped establish the Royals as a perennial contender. The hurler was a World Series MVP and in his prime at age 27 upon becoming a franchise legend, making his presence at the show particularly meaningful for collectors who witnessed his glory days.
Gubicza, another cornerstone of those dominant 1980s teams, brought his own legendary status to the event. He won 132 games in 13 seasons with the Royals. His 1988 campaign was particularly spectacular, as he posted a 20-8 record with a 2.70 ERA while finishing third in American League Cy Young voting. At retirement, he held the Royals franchise record for strikeouts with 1,366 and was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2006.
Bridge Between Eras
What made this gathering special was the representation from both championship teams. From the 1985 World Series champs, fans could meet legends like Wilson, whose record-setting 1980 season included 230 hits and 133 runs (team single-season records at the time). Wilson’s speed and consistency made him a fan favorite throughout the 1980s, and his 79 stolen bases in 1980 remain among the franchise’s best (his 83 steals in ’79 are still a KC single-season record).
The 2015 championship team brought its own collection of heroes, led by players like Cain and Zobrist, who were instrumental in ending Kansas City’s 30-year title drought. Cain’s bases-loaded double off Bartolo Colon helped break open Game 5 of the 2015 Fall Classic while also cementing his place in Royals lore. Meanwhile, Zobrist’s veteran leadership and clutch hitting made him an invaluable addition to that magical championship run — especially since he only joined the club at the trade deadline.
More Than Just Autographs
The FOX4 report focused on the basic details of the show, which included the 450 tables, weekend hours, and ticket prices. But the real story was the emotional connection between generations of fans and their heroes. The presence of Yost, who managed the 2015 title-winning team, added another layer of authenticity to everything.
These weren’t just former players going through the motions of signing autographs. Each represented a specific chapter in Royals history that collectors could literally hold in their hands. Whether it was a Saberhagen rookie card or a piece of memorabilia from KC’s magical 2015 playoff run, the items being signed carried the weight of franchise history.
A Collector’s Dream Realized
This event, which was billed as the largest baseball card show in Kansas City history, reflects both the enduring appeal of the hobby and the special place these Royals teams will always hold in fans’ hearts. From vintage cards worth thousands to affordable items perfect for young collectors, the show embodied what makes baseball card collecting so compelling: the connection to the players and the moments that define our love for the game.
For Kansas City fans, this was more than just another card show. It was a celebration of the franchise’s greatest achievements, brought to life through the presence of the men who made those moments possible. In a hobby increasingly dominated by modern speculation and investment strategies, events like this remind us that the real value often lies in the stories behind the signatures, along with the memories they help preserve.
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