Troy Kinunen Jr. says his family’s connection to the Milwaukee Brewers goes far beyond collecting cards. Among the most meaningful items they still have is a home plate from the 1982 World Series, along with a jersey Robin Yount wore in Game 5.
For Kinunen Jr., the memorabilia is part of a larger story about family, baseball and a business that has grown around collecting. His father, Troy Kinunen, is president and CEO of MEARS Auctions, putting the family firmly inside the sports memorabilia trade.
A family collection built around Brewers history
Kinunen Jr. said the 1982 World Series items carry real weight for the family. “It’s a great piece,” he said of the home plate, adding that “it really means a lot to us and our love for the Brewers.”
He also pointed to the significance of the jersey worn by Robin Yount in Game 5. The younger Kinunen said he did not grow up watching that Brewers team, but understands what the championship era means in Milwaukee. “I obviously didn’t grow up watching them, but I know how much they mean to Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Brewers,” he said.
That mix of family memory and team history gives the collection a personal edge. The memorabilia is not just valuable because of what it is, but because of where it came from and what it represents to the Kinunens.
From Pokémon to card shows
Kinunen Jr. said his collecting habits began when he was around 5 or 6 and started with Pokémon. “I’ve been doing it since I was around like 5 or 6,” he said. Last year, he began branding his business, and for about three years he has been attending card shows regularly.
He said that path has helped shape what comes next. “This is something I’m looking forward to in my future,” he said. “It’s great that we’ll be able to do it together, too.”
That future includes being around the hobby in public, including on Nov. 7, when Kinunen Jr. can be found at the Fat Daddy’s card show at the Salvation Army in Oak Creek. More recently, he and his father also met Robin Yount and Paul Molitor at a card show at Milwaukee’s Baird Center, another reminder of how closely the family’s collecting world is tied to Brewers history.
