And no, IYKWIM gifts aren’t appropriate. He’s young (early 20’s), newly married, a Redskins fan (season tix holder, I think), big sports fanatic in general, especially baseball. He currently has a sports injury to his right arm so he can’t play baseball, though. He’s an all-around nice guy–very funny, very nice, jovial. I want to get him something better than the usualy paperweight or coffee cup, but I can’t afford to spend more than say, $20 or so.
What does he teach?
2nd grade, so everything.
Hmmm…I am just spitballing here for things under $20:
[ul]
[li]Firefly box set (it is the gift that keeps on giving!)[/li][li]Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan’s Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks by Zack Hample (book)[/li][li]The Hidden Language of Baseball by Paul Dickson (book)[/li][li]When It Was a Game - Triple Play Collection (DVD)[/li][li]Smart Ball - Digital Speed Sensing Baseball As accurate as a major league radar gun built in[/li][/ul]I’ll let you know if I think of anything else. 
Firefly or Arrested Deveopment
That’s a neat one!
(and that from someone with no interest in sports at all)
It works as a teaching tool and a gym/coaching tool.
(or is 2nd grade too early to handle rudimentary mph concepts?)
Maybe even a rehab tool…
Wonder if it works if it is just dropped, or does it need some kind of acceleration jolt to read…
Science!
Worst case scenario: no matter what else it does, it’s a baseball…
My default gift is to find an interesting book related to an interest… though I don’t know how other teachers feel about being given books. I love getting them, but right now I can’t afford to read ‘for fun,’ since all of it is for work.
If you could find some sort of cute novelty Redskins thing, that could be fun, especially if he can display it on his desk. 
Book: “The Physics of Baseball,” by Robert K. Adair
But if you get it, click the GWC Amazon link first
It’s pretty much what it sounds like. Little book, paperback.
Or if you want to wow him with the metaphysics of baseball, try “The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.,” by Robert Coover:
It’s a little erudite, but it’s baseball. For less weird and more Arthurian myth, you can’t go wrong with Bernard Malamud’s “The Natural,” which is quite unlike the movie:
“Moneyball” by Michael M. Lewis is a must-read.
The trick is finding one he hasn’t read, and this one has been out since 2003 (I just picked it up used.)
I am not a sports fan, but how about one of those baseball bobble head figures of his favorite team.
Leah, if he’s that big a sports fan…he more than likely already has one.
If he wants one, he probably already has one.
Although, older (vintage) examples, or the ‘specials’ that they’ve been handing out to boost attendance recently can probably be picked up on e-bay.
Who knows I never said that it was a great idea.
teachers are notorious caffeine addicts. can’t go wrong with a gift card to Starbuck’s. lame, trite, but massively appreciated since we can’t always justify paying $4 for a cup of coffee on a teacher’s salary.
or a gift card to your local teacher’s supply store so he doesn’t have to spend his own money next time he needs something for the classroom.
I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, dear. I’m just saying, as a sports fan, bobbleheads is usually something they already have, if wanted.
Now that I think of it…it might be kinda fun to get him a little Redskins football he can use to do squeeze exercises to help recover that injury.
No problem. If I got insulted easly I would not be friends with most of the jokesters around here. 
A soft sports ball may also be used for class games. Fun and educational. Ok, I am trying. Maybe a gift card at an office supply store. You would be amazed what great things a teacher can find there.
“Moneyball” is definitely a winner. Here’s another one he could maybe use in the classroom, “Sports Science for Young People.”
I know many people put down the idea of giving gift cards as lazy and impersonal, but I think I’m not alone in really enjoying receiving them.
In this economic climate, it’s spending money you don’t have to feel guilty about spending. So I would suggest, an iTunes card, or local movies gift card, or Starbucks, or local sandwich shop.
I am of absolutely no use when it comes to sports-related gift ideas.
I mean, I was just as upset as everyone else last year when the Celtics lost the Superbowl last year after pitching a totally error-free season …they just couldn’t seem to get the puck down the ice for a basket. But that’s about the extend of my knowledge.
Oh, that and the fact that Boston teams are all superior to New York teams.
As a teacher, gift cards are great! Restaurant cards are great and it is nice to have a movie card over the holiday break.
I have lost track of all the coffee mugs I have received over the years. I tend to be the “best” or “greatest” teacher and my co teacher is the “special” teacher.