SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ken Kendrick has long believed that while he may own the most impressive collection of baseball cards in the world, the public should have opportunities to see them.
So the D-backs' managing general partner was more than willing to allow the National Baseball Hall of Fame to borrow some of his most valuable cards to display as part of its "We Are Baseball" tour, which opens Saturday at Salt River Fields.
"This is Cooperstown asking," Kendrick said. "And with the Hall of Fame being here, it's another opportunity to get the cards exposed to the public."
• Hall of Fame Tour tickets
Kendrick has permitted his cards to be displayed in Cooperstown, N.Y., at the National Baseball Hall of Fame as well as at the Phoenix Art Museum.
There will be about 15 cards present as part of "We Are Baseball," the most valuable of which is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.
One of Kendrick's cards that won't be on display is the famous T206 Honus Wagner, the most valuable baseball card ever.
"They have a Honus Wagner card already," Kendrick said.
The baseball cards are just one part of "We Are Baseball," which is a cutting-edge collaboration of baseball and technology, delivering the game's past, present and future.
There will be virtual reality, an original IMAX movie and other artifacts from the Hall of Fame.
The virtual reality component is a partnership between MLBAM and Jaunt, which will give fans an up close and personal experience of being present next to the game's brightest stars on the field, in the dugout and even the clubhouse.
The "We Are Baseball" tour will be open daily from March 11-26 at Salt River Fields. Tickets are $17 for adults and $5 for kids ages 5-17. College students/military/senior citizens with ID can get $10 tickets, and children under 4 enter for free.