TTM Success - Kevin Plawecki

I added a few recent cards to my autograph album that came out of my prospects box.  I always enjoy making some room in that box, and getting these Kevin Plawecki cards signed helped in that regard.

The 2015 Bowman shimmer mini really turned out well, as did the other cards that I sent.

Plawecki (b. 1991) has played in the majors for the Mets since 2015.  He has 153 hits, 14 home runs and a .218 batting average.

I mailed to Plawecki on March 31 and got the cards back on October 9, for a 192-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ron Robinson

Another SCN private signing yielded me another 1987 Topps for my set, this time from Ron Robinson.  The card turned out really well.

Robinson (b. 1962) played in the majors from 1984 to 1992 for the Reds and Brewers.  He had a career record of 48-39 with 473 strike outs and a 3.63 ERA.

I mailed to the private signing on September 8 and got the card back on October 6, for a 28-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

TTM Success - Craig Reynolds

This private signing of Craig Reynolds took a while to come in due to a mistake from the organizer of the event.  He sent me a 1987 Topps Craig Reynolds back, but it was unsigned.  I messaged him, and he finally got a signed one to me when he sent with another signing I signed up for later on.  I'm glad it finally came in, so I could cross it off of my list.

Reynolds (b. 1952) played in the majors from 1975 to 1989 for the Pirates, Mariners and Astros.  He had 1,142 hits, 42 home runs and a .256 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1978 and 1979.  He led the NL in triples in 1981 with 12.

I mailed to the private signing on June 2 and got the card back on October 6, for a 126-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

Another TTM Success From Steve Balboni

When I sent to Steve Balboni a while back, I neglected to send a 1987 Topps.  I wasn't working on the set at the time, so that's why one wasn't sent.  I rectified that issue recently, and got this back.

I mailed to Balboni on September 8 and got the card back on October 5, for a 27-day TAT.

As of the card I got in yesterday (a super huge private signing), I have 350 cards from the set with several out pending from 50/50s, consignments and TTMs.  I could be well over 400 in a month or so.

TTM Success - Carney Lansford

Another private signing landed me another tough auto for my 1987 set with this success from Carney Lansford.  The auto turned out really well, but I completely missed that he was on the A's team card, so I'll have to send that (which is already signed by LaRussa) if another signing comes down the line.

Lansford (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1978 to 1992 for the Angels, Red Sox and A's.  He had 2,074 hits, 151 home runs and a .290 batting average.  He was the AL batting champion in 1981 with a .336 average, a season where he had his best MVP finish (6th) and was a Silver Slugger.  He was an All Star in 1988 and he won the World Series with the A's in 1989. 

I mailed to the private signing on September 5 and got the card back on October 5, for a 30-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $9.00.

TTM Success - Cliff Speck

More cards are being knocked off of my 1987 checklist.  This time it was Cliff Speck who was crossed off.

I also had his 1987 Donruss that I got signed.  Both cards look good with his signature.

Speck (b. 1956) played in the majors in 1986 for the Braves.  He had a 2-1 record with 21 strike outs and a 4.13 ERA.

I mailed to Speck on September 19 and got the cards back on October 1, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Walt Weiss

This 1991 Topps was a card that I really wanted to add to my autograph album, and I finally was able to when I saw that there was a private signing for Walt Weiss on SCN.

The 1991 Topps set has some of my favorite photography that Topps has ever offered.  The set is still very underrated, and can be had very cheaply, even with the Chipper Jones RC in there.

Weiss (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1987 to 2000 for the A's, Marlins, Rockies and Braves.  He had 1,207 hits, 25 home runs and a .258 batting average.  He was the 1988 AL Rookie of the Year.  He won the 1989 World Series with the A's.

Weiss managed the Rockies from 2013 to 2016 and compiled a 283-365 record (.437%).

I mailed to the private signing on September 18 and got the card back on October 1, for a 13-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

Another TTM Success From Billy Gardner

When I was looking to get some 1958 Hires Root Beer cards signed, I really wanted to get an Oriole, and luckily, Billy Gardner was one of the Orioles in the set.  I had gotten him TTM back in April 2016, so I figured enough time had passed for me to ask again.

The card turned out really well, so I now have one of an Oriole for the collection.  It's too bad that Brooks Robinson isn't in the set, or I would have definitely gone for him.  Still, Gardner is a nice addition, and the card is really cool.

I mailed the card on September 8 and got the card back on October 1, for a 23-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Moore

This was a nice TTM success from Matt Moore in that I was able to use this 2009 Bowman Chrome that had been floating around my boxes since I had gotten the card.  I do have a bunch of old Bowman from back then, and it is a bit tough to get them signed these days.

I also added a 2014 Topps to the album with this one.  I still dob't have very many of these signed, so it was good to add one.

Moore (b. 1989) has played in the majors since 2011 for the Rays, Giants and Rangers.  He has a career record of 54-56 with 797 strike outs and a 4.56 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2013 and also finished 9th in the AL Cy Young voting that season.

I mailed to Moore on December 4, 2017, and got the cards back on September 29, 2018, for a 299-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bartolo Colon

I was really excited to get this TTM back from Big Sexy, himself, Bartolo Colon.  I think is has been great for baseball to see how well Colon has done the last few seasons at his age.  He says he wants to continue pitching, and I hope someone signs him.  I believe I pulled this blue refractor out of a pack.  It's either that, or I got it out of a dine box at the National.

Colon (b. 1973) has played in the majors from 1997 to 2009 and 2011 to 2018 for the Indians, Expos, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, A's, Mets, Braves, Twins and Rangers.  He has a career record of 247-188 with 2,535 strike outs and a 4.12 ERA.  He was the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner and was a four-time All Star and finished a career-best 23rd in the AL MVP voting (2005).  He won 20 or more games twice in his career (2002 and 2005).

I mailed to Colon via the Rangers on August 20 and got the card back on September 29, for a 40-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lonnie Smith

I used PastPros again and knocked another name off of my 1987 checklist.  I also went ahead and added this 1995 Score, which shows Lonnie Smith as an Oriole.  I always loved the 1995 Score set, and would have built it, if my base cards I had hadn't all been stuck together.  Oh well, this one survived, and is now safe in my album.

Here is the 1987 Topps that I needed, which turned out well.

Smith (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1978 to 1994 for the Phillies, Cardinals, Royals, Braves, Pirates and Orioles.  He had 1,488 hits, 98 home runs and a .288 bating average.  He was an All Star in 1982.  His best finish in the MVP voting was also 1982 (NL), when he finished second to Dale Murphy.  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980, with the Cardinals in 1982 and with the Royals in 1985.

I mailed to Smith on September 20 and got the cards back on September 28, for an 8-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card plus the $2 PastPros fee.

TTM Success - Joe Borowski

This TTM success from Joe Borowski was nice because it got me a few signed cards from the mid-2000s.  These are years where I don't have a lot of extra base, so some of these guys are hard to come by.  The above 2005 Topps turned out really well, I think.

These are actually two different 2008 Topps.  The top one is the shorter printed gold foil and the bottom is the more common silver foil.

Finally, here is a 2007 Upper Deck.  I remember busting a box of this way back when, and really enjoying this set.

Borowski (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1995 to 1998 and 2001 to 2008 for the Orioles, Braves, Yankees, Cubs, Devil Rays, Marlins and Indians.  He had a career record of 22-34 with 372 strike outs and a 4.18 ERA.  He led the league in saves in 2007 with 45.  He also had a 5.07 ERA that season, so he must have had quite a few clunkers as well.

I mailed to Borowski on September 10 and got the cards back on September 28, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Roosevelt Brown

I'm pretty sure I found this 1999 Flair Showcase Wave of the Future Roosevelt Brown at the National this summer.  I figured I would give it a shot to send TTM, and it really came out well.  It has the surface of a Sportsflics card, so I wasn't too sure the auto would hold.  I have never gotten a Sportsflics card signed, so I was really in the dark how this one would look, but since it came from a dime box, it was worth a shot.

Just in case the Flair Showcase didn't work out, I also sent this 2000 Bowman.  This one looks really great, so the TTM request was a true success.

Brown (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 for the Cubs.  He had 111 hits, 11 home runs and a .251 batting average.

I mailed to Brown on August 21 and got the cards back on September 25, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - George Stone

Here are some more 70s cards that I unearthed in order to get this TTM success from George Stone.  I found the above 1971 Topps at my LCS, and other than the normal wear and tear on a 71, it turned out pretty well.

The above 1973 and 1976 Topps turned out well.  I like them both, but the 1976 stands out for some reason.  That is a kind of forgotten set.

Stone (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1967 to 1975 for the Braves and Mets.  He had a career record of 60-57 with 590 strike outs and a 3.89 ERA.

I mailed to Stone on July 25 and got the cards back on September 23, for a 60-day TAT.

TTM Success - Billy Grabarkewitz

It took two tries, but I got a couple cards signed by Billy Grabarkewitz.  I had grabbed the above 1970 Topps while at Conrad's in Columbia.  I wanted to add another to my album, and this one turned out great.

I also found this one in the box of 1973s that I got from there, and it looks really sharp.

Grabarkewitz (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1969 to 1975 for the Dodgers, Angels, Phillies, Cubs and A's.  He had 274 hits, 28 home runs and a .236 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1970.

I mailed to Grabarkewitz on September 10 and got the cards back on September 23, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Broderick Perkins

Here are some cards I got signed TTM by Broderick Perkins.  Perkins is rocking the very retro Padres uniform in this 1982 Topps.  Those old brown and yellow hats were pretty bad, but I suppose you could call the design a classic now.

It looks like Perkins was pretty excited to have his own baseball card, judging by the photo on this 1979 Topps Padres Prospects card.

Finally, here are 1983 and 1985 Topps and a 1983 Donruss.

Perkins (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1978 to 1984 for the Padres and Indians.  He had 340 hits, 8 home runs and a .271 batting average.

I mailed to Perkins on January 22 and got the cards back on September 23, for a 244-day TAT.

TTM Success - Harry Spilman

I added another card to my 1987 Topps set thanks to a private signing for Harry Spilman.  The auto cost me $15, but I crossed another card off of my checklist.

Spilman (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1978 to 1989 for the Reds, Astros, Tigers and Giants.  He had 192 hits, 18 home runs and a .237 batting average.

I mailed to Spilman on August 23 and got the card back on September 20, for a 28-day TAT.

Ebay Pickups For The Autograph Album - Oscar Gamble

I have always wanted a signed copy of Oscar Gamble's iconic 1976 Topps Traded.  Unfortunately, Gamble passes away earlier this year.  I was afraid I wouldn't be able to add this card to my album.  Thankfully, I found this one on Ebay for a pretty decent price, and picked it up.  I compared the auto with some PSA authenticated ones, and it looks like it checks out.

This 1979 Topps came with the 76 Traded, so I also added this to the album.  It isn't the iconic 76, but still a nice card, and I was happy to add it.

Gamble (b. 1949 - d. 2018) played in the majors from 1969 to 1985 for the Cubs, Phillies, Indians, Yankees, White Sox and Padres.  He had 1,195 hits, 200 home runs and a .265 batting average.  He finished 29th in the 1977 AL MVP race.

Gamble died of Ameoblastic Carcinoma (cancer of the jawbone) in 2018.

Birthday Gift From Cal

My buddy, Cal, sent me a really nice birthday package a couple months ago. In it were some Orioles cards and this really cool Topps Tier One Adam Jones.  The card is really sharp, and will go into the Jones PC.  That PC will be suspended and put with Roberts and Markakis, now that Jones is gone from the Orioles.

Thank you so much for the birthday gift, Cal, it was definitely appreciated.

Another TTM Success From Bob Skinner

At the National, I picked up a 1958 Hires Root Beer card and really liked the design.  I thought it would be cool to add one to my album of autographs, so I took a look at the checklist and found a few guys in the set who signed TTM still, and picked up their cards.  The first of the two I sent out came back from Bob Skinner.

I had recently gotten Skinner on a couple cards because I needed to complete the 1985 Father/Son card, so this one ended up being my third TTM success from him.

I mailed to Skinner on September 8 and got the card back on September 20, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim York

I used some cards picked up from Conrad in Columbia and one from my boxes to get this TTM success done by Jim York.  I have a ton of 72s and 73s that I picked up, and was happy to see these come back.

York's signature is pretty slight, but I'm still happy with the results.

York (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1970 to 1976 for the Royals, Astros and Yankees.  He had a career record of 16-17 with 194 strike outs and an ERA of 3.79.

I mailed to York on September 5 and got the cards back on September 19, for a 14-day TAT.

Two TTM Successes From Lou Piniella

I don't normally like to send TTM to someone more than once, but I will do it if I find a cool card of someone I know who signs that I have gotten before.  I also have had to double up on a bunch of guys I sent to who I missed in my 1987 set.  I also like to wait a while before I DO double dip, but in the case of Lou Piniella, I mailed, then mailed again.

I saw that Piniella signed for $5/card, so the first time I sent, I sent these three cards with a check for $15.00.  I got all three back, but only the 1992 Topps was signed, and the check was ripped.  I believe it was Piniella who ripped the check, and obviously didn't cash it.

I figured that he preferred cash instead of having to deposit a check in the bank, so I decided to send the two cards he didn't sign back to him, this time with $15 in cash.  Yeah, I could have only sent $10, but I felt like it would be rude to say "Hey, you signed one for free, here are two more."  So, I felt like sending the whole $15 back was the right thing to do.

Piniella (b. 1943) played in the majors in 1964 and 1968 to 1984 for the Orioles, Indians, Royals ad Yankees.  He had 1,705 hits, 102 home runs and a .291 batting average.  He was the 1969 AL Rookie of the Year and an All Star in 1972.  His best MVP finish was 21st in 1978 (AL).  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.

Piniella managed in the majors from 1986 to 1988 (Yankees, where he was a Player/Manager in 86 and 87), 1990 to 1992 (Reds), 1993 to 2002 (Mariners), 2003 to 2005 (Rays) and 2007 to 2010 (Cubs).  His career managerial record is 1,835-1,713 (.517%).  He won the World Series with the Reds in 1990.

He is up for the "Today's Era" Committee Hall of Fame vote in December.  As a player, Piniella appeared on the 1990 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.5% of the vote.

I originally mailed to Piniella on September 6 and got the 1992 Topps back on September 18, for a 12-day TAT.  I re-mailed the 1987 and 2002 Topps on October 25 and got those back signed on November 3, for a 9-day TAT.

A Few 1987 Topps For The Set

I picked up some 1987 Topps cards for the set recently from Ebay.  Three of the cards were of deceased players, and one was just a touch signature.

Dave Bergman (b. 1953 - d. 2015) played in the majors from 1975 and 1977 to 1992 for the Yankees, Astros, Giants and Tigers.  He had 690 hits, 54 home runs and a .258 batting average.  He won the World series with the Tigers in 1984.  He died of bile duct cancer in 2015.

Bruce Berenyi (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1980 to 1986 for the Reds and Mets.  He had a career record of 44-55 with 607 strike outs and a 4.03 ERA.  He actually used to work with a good friend of mine (I think at a Target) in New Hampshire a few years ago.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have sent my friend a 1987 Topps to get signed.

Wayne Kenchicki (b. 1954 - d. 2018) played in the majors from 1979 to 1986 for the Orioles, Reds, Tigers and Expos.  He had 283 hits, 15 home runs and a .266 batting average.  He passed away a few weeks ago.

Joe Niekro (b. 1944 - d. 2006) played in the majors from 1967 to 1988 for the Cubs, Padres, Tigers, Braves, Astros and Yankees.  He had a career record of 221-204 with 1,747 strike outs and an ERA of 3.59.  He was an All Star in 1979.  He won 20 or more games twice (1979 - 21 and 1980 - 20) and finshed a career-best 2nd in the NL Cy Young Award voting (1979).  His best MVP finish was 6th (1979 - NL).  He won the World Series with the Twins in 1987.  Niekro is the brother of Hall of Famer, Phil Niekro.  He was denied his own spot in the Hall when he only appeared on 1.3% of the ballot in 1994.  Nielro passed away in 2006 from a brain aneurysm.

TTM Success - Dave Nicholson

I raided my vintage box for this 1963 Topps card that I got signed by Dave Nicholson.  He signed in ballpoint pen, but it is still visible.  The card wasn't in the best shape, but it worked for what I wanted, and I am glad it came back.

Nicholson (b. 1939) played in the majors from 1960 and 1962 to 1967 for the Orioles, White Sox, Astros and Braves.  He had 301 hits, 61 home runs and a .212 batting average.

I mailed to Nicholson on September 6 and got the card back on September 18, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jack Aker

The team leaders cards in the 1987 set are pretty tough.  In years past, those cards told you on the back who was depicted on the front.  That stopped with the 1987 set, and continued for 1988 and 1989.  I've had to rely on some online checklists to figure out who was on the cards.  I got this Indians one signed by Jack Aker, so that helps.

I had two other cards of Aker; the above 1966 Topps and 1973 Topps.  I love the Wrigley ivy on the 73.

Aker (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1964 to 1974 for the A's (KC and Oakland), Yankees, Cubs, Braves and Mets.  He had a career record of 47-45 with 404 strike outs and a 3.28 ERA.  His best season was 1966 when he recorded 32 saves with a 1.99 ERA.  That year, he finished 13th in the AL MVP voting.  He appeared on the 1980 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to Aker on September 6 and got the cards back on September 18, for a 12-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5/card.  By the way, the other two people on the Indians card are Chris Bando and Phil Niekro.

Birthday Gift From Nate

My good friend, Nate, really dug deep, and knocked off some cards that have been sitting on my wishlist for years.  I have wanted the above 2011 Topps Diamond Die Cut Cal Ripken since 2011.  I just hadn't gotten around to picking one up.  Nate helped me out, and now the card is crossed off of my list.

Nate also helped me knock off 23 cards from my 2013 Topps Emerald set checklist.  I haven't given up on this set; I just haven't found any of these in any boxes at shows.

Still, I am a long way toward completing it, but I have made a significant dent in the checklist.  People like Nate have really been the ones who have pushed me toward getting this tough set done.

Thanks so much for the birthday gifts, Nate!  I really appreciate it.

TTM Success - Dustin Ackley

Winston-Salem's own Dustin Ackley signed a TTM request for me.  He signed and personalized 4 cards for me, including the above 2010 Topps Pro Debut that I have been sitting on, well, since 2010.

I always try to keep an eye on fellow North Carolinians in the majors, and especially Ackley, since he is from Winston.  He went to North Forsyth High School.  I'd say they were our rivals, but they really weren't.  At least not serious ones.  Still, it is pretty cool to see that he made the majors.

Ackley (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2011 to 2016 for the Mariners and Yankees.  He has 512 hits, 46 home runs and a .241 batting average.  He was in the Angels system during the 2018 season, but didn't crack the majors.

I mailed to Ackley on May 29, via the Salt Lake Bees and got the cards back on September 18, for a 112-day TAT.

TTM Success - Terry Francona

He's a tough signer, so I went through a private signing on SCN through Signatures For Soldiers and landed this signed 87 for the set.  It cost me $15.00, which I thought was well worth it.

Francona (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1981 to 1990 for the Expos, Cubs, Reds, Indians and Brewers.  He had 474 hits, 16 home runs and a .274 batting average.

He has managed the Phillies from 1997 to 2000, the Red Sox from 2004 to 2011 and the Indians from 2013 to the present.  His career managerial record is 1,574-1,430 (.540 win %).  He hasn't had a losing season since his last season in Philadelphia (2000).  He won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 and has won the AL Manager of the Year Award in 2013 and 2016.  He also led the Indians to the World Series in 2016.

I mailed to the signing on August 16 and got the card back on September 18, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gary Nolan

I still am way behind on posting TTM successes, so here is the next one in line.  I used some 70s cards and sent to Gary Nolan.  I got 4 cards signed with the success.

Nolan has a nice signature, and it was pretty consistent across all of the cards I sent.

Nolan (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1967 to 1973 and 1975 to 1977 for the Reds and Angels.  He had a career record of 110-70 with 1,039 strike outs and a 3.08 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1972 and his best Cy Young finish was 5th that season.  He won the World Series with the Reds in 1975 and 1976.  He appeared on the 1983 Hall of Fame ballot, but didn't receive any votes.

I mailed to Nolan on August 30 and got the cards back on September 10, for an 11-day TAT.