7th Inning Stretch To Host ‘Queens Culture Clash’ Collectibles Event

By Kami-Leigh Agard

Calling all cartophiles and pop culture enthusiasts! Next Sunday, September 22, head to Knights of Columbus for 7th Inning Stretch Sixth Annual “Queens Culture Clash,” featuring over 30 tables of vendors with sport cards, comics, Pokémon, Funko, vintage toys, autographs and more. Plus, there’ll be a Pokémon tournament, raffle prizes, and a 50/50, of which proceeds go towards Rockaway Beach Autism Families.

Rockaway resident, Robert “Bob” Groff, said he created 7th Inning Stretch because since moving to the peninsula he wanted to do something that would bring together people like himself, who are passionate about collecting pop culture treasures.

He said, “I love collecting baseball cards and wondered who else in Rockaway had the same interest, and so I gave it a shot by hosting the first collector’s event at Tap That in 2022. Tap That’s owner John Agnello was supportive from day one, and I just thought it was a great way to support a local business by bringing in customers, while sharing something that we love.”

When asked what’s his most prized item, Groff shared, “I have a 1977 Mickey Mantle picture autographed ‘to Bob.’ It’s not necessarily the most valuable, but it’s the coolest thing to me because of the twist to the story. The photo was written to my 4th-grade teacher, whose name is also Bob. I’m still in touch with him and his son, and I got the autographed photo from them last year. So, that’s the cool story behind the photo.”

Collecting cards itself has been a hobby since the 19th century, picking up speed in the 1980s with basketball (think Michael Jordan). In the card world of today, there are generally two distinctions given to any item—modern or vintage. Vintage is often designated for items before the 1980s, where baseball stars like Honus Wagner and Mickey Mantle continue to command multi-million-dollar sales for their rarity.

Besides a cartophile, Groff is a 22-year veteran of NYC Department of Education, currently serving his 12th year as principal of P.S. 244Q, a school in Flushing, Queens he co-founded. As to how the public-school educator got into collecting, he shared, “As a kid, my brother and I would go to this little Stop and Go grocery store in Upstate NY, and pick up packs of baseball cards. Then we started going to a baseball card shop named, ‘7th Inning Stretch.’ My mother would drop us off, and as we felt really safe and comfortable with the owner, it kind of made an impression on both of us. This was something my brother and I enjoyed doing together, and when I started thinking about a name I wanted for my business, it’s what I gravitated towards because I had such great memories as a kid at 7th Inning Stretch Baseball Card Shop with my brother.”

Fact or fiction, a popular story about the origin of the seventh inning stretch in baseball is that April 14, 1910, on opening day, 6-ft. 2-in., 350-pound President William Howard Taft was sore from prolonged sitting at a game between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics and stood up to stretch. The crowd, thinking the chief executive was about to leave, stood up out of respect for the office.

Gross said his education background also propelled his vision for the collector’s event as like being a principal of a school, it’s about creating community.

“Yes, 7th Inning Stretch is about collecting, and trying to start something new. However, it’s also been always very much about creating a collectors’ community out here in Rockaway where one doesn’t exist. And I want to always give something back to the community. That’s kind of who I am as a principal in education, and that’s something I want to do out here in Rockaway. Also, to bring joy through something I have fun doing, and bring that joy to kids and everybody else that’s interested,” he said.

As 7th Inning Stretch “Queens Culture Clash,” has grown in popularity since its inception in 2022, at the last few events, Groff has donated proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to various nonprofit organizations, including RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity) and The BRIDGE Family Enrichment Center. At next Sunday’s event, Groff said the 50/50 raffle proceeds will go to Rockaway Beach Autism Families.

“As a principal and educator, I’ve put a lot of time in to support families. I also see that a lot of children with autism have something that they’re really passionate about, including collecting. This is why I think that families of special needs need to be aware that there’s inclusive events out there. I’m using the word inclusive, but I mean, more than that. Families and children should be able to know that this event is an okay space to be in and everybody will be supportive,” Groff said.

7th Inning Stretch Sixth Annual “Queens Culture Clash” is happening Sunday, September 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Knights of Columbus (333 Beach 90th Street). Admission is free. Whether you’re a collector of sport cards, comics, Pokémon, Funko, vintage toys, autographs and more—there’ll be something for all collector enthusiasts, including individuals on the autism spectrum. For more info, including list of vendors, visit: 7th_inning_stretch_rockaway on Instagram.