Pokikémon & Card Collecting Hobby Significantly Helped Enrique Hernández

Enrique Hernández has been an important player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he’s also spent a significant amount of time on the injured list over the last two seasons while dealing with various ailments.

While on the IL, Hernández had a lot of free time, and he said that left him feeling bored and lonely. With no real hobbies to keep him occupied, Hernández started collecting cards again, and that led to the launch of his channel, Pokikémon.

“It was last year that I realized I’ve always seen baseball as a hobby, and the reality is baseball is my job,” Hernández told DodgerBlue.com. “It’s not necessarily a hobby, because usually a hobby is something you do for fun. I love playing baseball and everything, but at the end of the day, it’s my profession.

“I didn’t really have any hobbies outside of baseball. I’ve always answered my question as, my hobby is walking the dogs in the afternoon, and that is not really a hobby.

“So I started ripping packs, started ripping with sports first, and eventually I went back to Pokémon, which I collected as a kid. As soon as I opened the first pack, it brought back so many memories and made me feel like a kid. It brought back memories, the smell, sensation of ripping a pack, all these things. It was something that brought a lot of joy to me in a moment where I probably needed it. I wasn’t feeling the best mentally, because I was hurt.”

Along with the joy of collecting cards, Hernández also saw his daughter become interested in the hobby, and it has become something they can do together.

“My daughter watched, she fell in love with Pikachu, just like me, and started ripping with me,” Hernández said. “Now we rip Pokémon, we rip Disney, we rip My Little Pony, we rip a little bit of everything. Demon Hunters, she’s obsessed with Demon Hunters, and they have cards now too. So we rip a little bit of everything, and I think it’s pretty cool because not only do I get my fix, but it also helps us connect as a family, and it’s something we look forward to.”

Collecting cards has been quite popular among MLB players. Jacob Misiorowski and Jake Magnum are among the players who have used Pokémon-themed gear in games, while others, such as Matt Strahm and Larence Butler, have made trades with fans to get cards they’re looking for.

The Dodgers’ clubhouse has also been a popular place for collecting cards. Hernández has current and former teammates who are in the hobby, including Will Klein, Anthony Banda, and Evan Phillips.

Enrique Hernández reveals best pull and chase card

While Hernández collects a bit of everything, Pokémon is his primary collection.

He said the best card he’s pulled was a Japanese Sabrina’s Gengar, which graded as a 10. But there’s one card he’s still looking for and regrets not picking up sooner.

“CoroCoro Mew is a card that I love the art of it,” Hernández said. “I didn’t pull the trigger last year when I wanted it, and now it’s gotten a little too expensive. So it’s a card that I’ll probably be chasing forever.”