TTM Success - Frank Viola

I've been getting some bigger names in through TTMs lately, mainly as I keep trying to add to my 1987 set.  This time around, I received a success from Frank Viola.

One of the cards I got back was this nice 1983 Topps rookie card.  I had forgotten that I had his rookie in my 83 box, but found it and sent it along.

This 1984 Topps also looks nice.  I almost passed on sending this one, but figured, why not, so I sent it.

This was a great TTM success, as it knocked off three cards from the 1987 set.  I am working on some ideas for the 1987 checklists, but at the moment, I have been sending them to some TTM guys, and I figured that Viola would be good one one of them.

Since he is pictured on the 1987 Twins Leaders card, I was able to knock that one out as well.

Viola (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1982 to 1996 for the Twins, Mets, Red Sox, Reds and Blue Jays.  He had a career record of 176-150 with 1,844 strike outs and an ERA of 3.73.  He was the 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner when he went 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA and had 193 strike outs.  He finished 10th in the AL MVP voting that season.  He also won 20 games for the Mets in 1990 when he went 20-12 and finished 3rd in the NL Cy Young voting.  He was an All Star three times (1988, 1990 and 1991) and won the World Series with the Twins in 1987.  He was the World Series MVP that year when he went 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA and had 16 strike outs.

He appeared on the 2002 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 0.4% of the vote.

I mailed to Viola on January 22 and got the cards back on January 31, for a 9-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5/card.