GREENFIELD, Wis. — In a moment that defies statistical probability, Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob "The Miz" Misiorowski experienced what many collectors can only dream of — pulling his own ultra-rare baseball card while visiting a local card shop.
READ ALSO: With family watching, Brewers' top prospect Misiorowski makes historic MLB debut
The one-in-a-million moment happened Thursday at Brew Town Trading Co. in Greenfield when Misiorowski decided to open packs containing his first-ever produced sports cards.
"All of a sudden, we kind of had to do a double take after saying, 'Hello, how are you?'" said Tommy Rhyner, assistant manager at Brew Town Trading Co.
Rhyner had reached out to Misiorowski through social media, inviting the rising star to visit the store and open some collectible packs. Rhyner knew he liked opening Pokemon card packs.
Card collecting has become increasingly popular among professional athletes as a pre-game activity according to Rhyner.
"You see a lot of players just trying to rip some packs in clubhouse before the game, just trying to keep the mood light among the other teammates," Rhyner said. "And what better to open up a box of a product that you're in."
Watch: Brewers pitcher pulls one-in-a-million card at Greenfield card shop: his own
While browsing the store's selection, Misiorowski spotted 2022 Bowman Draft packs — a product he knew featured his cards. After opening a few packs, the unthinkable happened on the third try.
Misiorowski pulled his own prospect card — an extremely rare parallel numbered to just 25 in the world.
"He was freaking out. He had a true, genuine reaction, as anyone else does when they pull a card that they're looking for, which is the best part about it," Rhyner said.
The card collecting community has seen tremendous growth since the pandemic began, with enthusiasts pursuing not just sports cards but other collectibles as well. Many collectors understand the thrill of "ripping" packs — the term for opening sealed products in hopes of finding valuable cards.
In a gesture that speaks to the special nature of the moment, Misiorowski signed the card and donated it to the store. Despite its significant monetary value — likely thousands of dollars — the card won't be hitting the market.
"Having a card like that for the shop and such a great story, it's priceless. It's never leaving the shop," Rhyner said.
For Rhyner, the experience transcended the typical business day at the card shop.
"Top moment for me in this industry alone, much less just life in general," Rhyner said. "Never forget that moment."
This story was reported by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
