Saturday, June 18, 2016

TTM Success - Dick Groat

One of the most prolific TTM signers around is Dick Groat.  I wanted to make sure I got him on a few cards when I started this card TTM project, but waited a bit because my good friend, Max, had a card for me to try to send along with the vintage that I had picked up.  This 1953 Topps came from my trip to the Columbia antique shop.
I also got these cards from 1957 and 1966 signed.  They both turned out great.  I don't have a lot of 1966 cards signed, so I might pick up a few more soon to try some other guys.
Finally, here is the card that Max sent me, the 2002 Topps Super Teams.  As you may recall, I got Bob Friend on one of these, so now I have Friend and Groat on them, and they both look great.

Groat (b. 1930) played in the majors from 1952 and 1955 to 1967 for the Pirates, Cardinals, Phillies and Giants.  He had 2,138 hits, 39 home runs and a .286 batting average.  He was the NL batting champ in 1960, which he parlayed into the NL MVP award.  He also was a 5-time All Star and finished second for the 1963 MVP award (losing to Sandy Koufax).  He won the World Series with the Pirates in 1960 and the Cardinals in 1964.  My question is, how is Groat not in the Hall of Fame, but Bill Mazeroski is?  Groat only received as high as 1.8% ov the vote for the Hall, yet Mazeroski is.  I guess it is the dramatic home run in the 1960 World Series that Mazeroski is known for.  I just think that Groat should have gotten a lot more than 1.8% of the vote.

I mailed to Groat on May 21 and got the cards back on June 3, for a 13-day TAT.

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