This article was initially published on October 25, 2025. The Collectors is a special series that showcases exceptional collections and their creators. Do you know someone deserving of a feature in this series? You can nominate a collector by contacting Kelly.Provost@cbc.ca
Former Canadian professional baseball players affectionately refer to Kelly Sage as “the Canadian card guy.”
Many of these players rely on the expertise of this Saskatoon resident to acquire their own baseball cards.
Sage’s collection boasts around 50,000 cards, with an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 unique cards featuring Canadian individuals.
His passion for collecting baseball cards traces back to the early 1970s when he was just a young child in Cardale, Manitoba.
“I vividly remember my first pack of cards revealing Bob Bailey of the Montreal Expos,” Sage recalled. “That card remains in my collection.”
Although Sage took a hiatus from collecting when acquiring complete sets became more accessible, a chance purchase of baseball card packs reignited his passion.
After stumbling upon Canadian players in these packs, he delved into collecting cards of Canadian-born athletes.
“The uniqueness and lesser-known status of Canadian players intrigued me,” Sage explained. “Observing fellow countrymen participating in America’s favorite pastime was fascinating.”
Sage initiated a practice of sending cards to retired major leaguers for autographs, only to discover that many of them did not possess their own cards.
During a memorable encounter with retired pitcher Denis Boucher, Sage presented a collection of Boucher’s cards for him to peruse. Boucher also received some of Sage’s business cards.
News of Sage’s collection spread rapidly, leading to inquiries from players seeking their cards.
“I started receiving