Friday, March 2, 2018

TTM Success - Larry Walker

I have gotten some awesome TTM successes back since I started sending TTM in 2010, but this may rank as one of the best.  Definitely in the top 5, for sure.  It would rank so high, based on the fact that I wasn't 100% sure the card would come back signed, and also, the card itself is really awesome.  This shot on a 1995 Topps of Larry Walker is really great, and it will look amazing in my album.  I took a chance in sending to him, and I am beyond pleased that it came back.

Walker (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1989 to 2005 for the Expos, Rockies and Cardinals.  He had 2,160 hits, 383 home runs and a .313 batting average.  He was the NL MVP in 2007 and was an All Star 5 times (1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001).  He won the Gold Glove Award 7 times (1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002).  He batted above .310 in six seasons and above .330 five times.  He won the NL Batting Title three times (1998 - .363; 1999 - .379 and 2001 - .350).  He batted .366 during his MVP season in 1997, but finished second to the .372-hitting Tony Gwynn.

Walker has appeared on 8 Hall of Fame ballots, but has yet to be elected.  This past January, he collected 34.1% of the vote.  He trended upward this time around, increasing his total from 21.9% in 2017.  He gets a lot of flak for having played the bulk of his career in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.  Still, I believe he will get into the Hall at some point.

I mailed to Walker on January 23, and got the card back on February 5, for a 13-day TAT.

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