Celebrating National Bobblehead Day

Happy National Bobblehead Day!

And, yes, it's a real thing. This year is the first one, but the Registrar of the National Day has Jan. 7 declared as National Bobblehead Day.

As a baseball writer, one of the perks is that I tend to get bobbleheads and have a little collection. Mine isn't the biggest collection, and some have come from eBay or trades or gifts, but I have plenty of favorites.

Marlins Park in Miami has a better collection than I do, as does the Reds' Jamie Ramsey, but I enjoy my collection, which I keep at home.

Here are 11 (because I'm tired of being limited to 10) of my favorites of my collection which has more than 90 bobbleheads, most of them are Stadium Give Aways (or SGA in the eBay parlance):

• Bret Saberhagen

I had this one before (from eBay), but lost it in a move. I told a friend of mine who knows Bret and she offered to replace it for me — plus autographed. She asked me if I had anything I wanted to have written, or just a signature. Saberhagen had a couple of years where he was really good in odd years and not as good in even years (he won the Cy Young in 1985 & 1987). So, I suggested, if it was OK with Bret, "To Trent, May all your years be odd years. Bret Saberhagen" — and that's what it says. It's really maybe the crown jewel.

• Endy Chavez

I love random bobbleheads, and at a Reds-Mets game at Shea Stadium in 2007, these were given out.

It was the year after Chavez's catch against the Cardinals in the 2007 NLCS to rob Scott Rolen and turn it into a double play.

Here's YouTube video of the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EaEQVKIDGU

And the bobblehead captures it well.

Chavez played for seven teams in 13 Major League seasons.

• Devo

Last year the Akron RubberDucks (the Indians' Double-A team) gave away some amazing bobbleheads, based on local musicians. I wrote in the BAR a little something about how great that one was and a very generous reader offered to trade bobbleheads with me. He also picked up a Jake Taylor of Major League bobblehead, and I was very thankful. I'm not sure I gave him enough in return, but he said he was happy. Also, the hat bobbles, not the head, which is a nice touch.

• The Slide

I actually have two of these — and they're rare and they had their issues. Like Chavez, I'm really particular for bobbleheads that immortalize a real moment, and this one is huge in Atlanta. What's amazing to me is that not only does it have Sid Bream (and I have a similar one of Ken Griffey Jr.) and his slide, but also the catcher (Mike LaValliere) and umpire Randy Marsh. The Braves needed to get permission for all of those players, so it makes it even more special. Because of the three players, these were kind of fragile and this one was broken and needed some glue. I got this one from a friend who sent it as a thank you note, because I got tickets for a show that sold out in 15 seconds (and was lucky enough to get in those 15 seconds) and couldn't go, so I made sure he could. And then another friend gave me another in exchange for the next bobblehead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgjIVvEQo_o

• Billy Hamilton, Pensacola Blue Wahoos

My sister and her husband had Blue Wahoos season tickets and got this bobblehead for me — and an extra. Louisville also did a similar bobble, as did the Reds last year. Last year I talked to Billy a bit about it and he said he's had a bobblehead at each level in the minors — and the majors. This was based on the fact that Chris Heisey had one in Billings last year and it was his first-ever bobblehead.

• Buck O'Neil

A legend, in his chair at Kauffman Stadium.

My parents once met Buck and I never did. I'm jealous.

The Hall of Famer passed away in 2006. He was 94.

• Ichiro

I love the counters — I also have a Yu Darvish strikeout counter bobblehead, too.

Note 2,844 hits is up to date.

• Brewers classic bobblehead

The Brewers gave this one out last year, and I just loved its simplicity.

The Brewers do amazing bobbleheads. They also had Robin Yount and Hank the Dog this year — and of course the racing sausages.

I've bought several sausages through the years, but still don't have them all.

• Joe Morgan bobble elbow

The Reds Hall of Fame did this one, and it's pretty amazing.

I love bobbles that bobble something other than the head — and this is perfect, with Joe Morgan's flapping elbow.

• Jim Harrick

This is a perfect storm bobblehead. It was one of the craziest weeks of my life — and Harrick's too.

It came out right when he and his son, Jim, Jr., got fired in March of 2003 and the UGA basketball team was put on probation.

I covered Harrick for two years, and he's one of my favorite people I've ever covered.

He was also such an incredible teacher that you can understand why his teams were successful.

• Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn

"Major League" is my all-time favorite baseball movie.

Several years ago, the Indians had a "Major League" night against the Brewers, which is fitting because Bob Uecker was there and threw out the first pitch.

I drove up, went to the first five innings or so before going to a club to see the Hold Steady — and drove back to town after the show.

It was an amazing night.