Ted Kremer, the Cincinnati Reds' beloved former batboy with Down syndrome, is featured on his very own Topps baseball card.
Per the Cincinnati Enquirer, Kremer's card is included in the company's 2013 update series, which typically includes players who switched teams, rookies, All-Stars, memorable moments and variant cards. Kremer is pictured on a variant card, walking arm-in-arm with former Reds manager Dusty Baker:
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Kremer' enthusiasm for the Reds produced an unexpected and heartwarming highlight during the season. In April, after Cincinnati third baseman Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer, the Reds tweeted this photo of "pure, genuine & beautiful happiness," adding, "we all need more of this."
After the home run, Frazier recalled to The Enquirer, "I started smiling even before I hit home plate because I knew it. They said [Kremer was so excited he] forgot to pick the bat up, so the umpire was yelling at him. It was such a great a great guy. You can’t get mad — even if you have a terrible day. How can you be mad when you've got a guy like that around?”
Frazier applauded the news of Kremer's card on Twitter, introducing the news with a link to Cincinnati Enquirer story and commenting, "My main man teddy getting some love."
USA Today reports that the idea for Kremer's own baseball card came directly from Topps officials. Typically, only players, managers and coaches are allowed to be seen on cards wearing the team uniform, but in this special instance the Reds organization signed off on it.
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