TTM Success - Bill Caudill

Bil Caudill is apparently pretty tough to get an autograph of, so I made sure to take care of my 1987 Topps via a recent private signing on SCN.  The card turned out really well, and now I don't have to worry about him.

Caudill (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1979 to 1987 for the Cubs, Mariners, A's and Blue Jays.  He had a record of 35-52 with 620 strike outs and a 3.68 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1984.  In 1982, he received his only votes for either the Cy Young Award (7th, AL) or MVP (29th).

I mailed to the signing on February 28 and got the card back on May 9, for a 70-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

A Gift From Jackson

I had the 2012 Bowman Red Ice Nick Markakis on my wishlist page for a long time.  Problem is, I had gotten the card from my friend, Gerard, and forgot to remove it from the page.  My buddy, Jackson, had told me that he had also picked one up for me, but kept forgetting to bring it to the Wood Ducks games.

Finally, Jackson remembered it, after some time, and handed it off to me.  Now I have two of these, and that is just fine with me.  These red ice parallels are really cool, and look great.  I think a red refractor, or ice parallel is probably the best looking out of the lineage of parallels for a Bowman card.  Of course, I have seen several  different shimmer parallels pop up, and those look great, as well.

Thanks so much for the card, Jackson!

Awesome Mail From Carson

I haven't gotten mail from him in a long time, but that doesn't mean much.  I talk to my good friend, Carson, pretty much every day.  Recently, I had some really cool Topps custom cards made for him, which he seemed to really enjoy.

Carson messaged me a few months ago and asked me if I had Jose Canseco on a ball.  I didn't, since I had gotten him on some baseball cards when he was a free signer at the National.  Carson said that his dad (Tim, who I also have dealt with quite a lot) was going to see Jose, and would hook me up with a baseball.

The ball came out great.  Carson didn't want anything in return for the ball, which really made my day.  He has always been good to me.  I've always tried to help him out with his collection, as well.

Recently, Carson told me he was working on the 1972 Topps set, so I had him send me a needs list, since I had a bunch of extras from my box that I got from Conrad.  He, too, had some extras, so we made a swap.  He sent me 24 cards that I needed, and I sent him a stack (I forgot the count).  I was really nice being able to help each other work on the same set.

Finally, Carson tossed this signed 2013 Perfect Game Sean Reid-Foley auto in the box.

Thanks so much for the package, Carson!  Moreover, thank you for your friendship!

TTM Success - Scott Garrelts

Another 1987 Topps came off of the board when I got this card back signed from Scott Garrelts.

Garrelts (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1982 to 1991 for the Giants.  He had a career record of 69-53 with 703 strike outs and a 3.29 ERA.  He was the NL ERA leader in 1989 with an ERA of 2.28.  That season, he finished 6th in the Cy Young Award race, and 20th in the NL MVP voting.  He was also an All Star in 1985.

I mailed to Garrelts on October 25, 2018, and got the card back signed on Ma 6, 2019, for a 193-day TAT.

TTM Success - Torey Lovullo

I added some 90s-era junk wax cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Diamondbacks manager, Torey Lovullo.

I have a 5,000-count box of just 1994 Score, and I was really glad to be able to get at least one of them out of the box.  That box is near the bottom of a stack of 5,000-count boxes, and it is hard to get into it, sometimes.

I also have a bunch of these 1990 CMC AAA cards; they came from a box that Mom found in her attic.  These have come in handy with some of the older coaches in the league.  Also, 1994 Donruss is a pretty nice, colorful set that look good when signed.

Lovullo (b. 1965) played in the majors in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 1999 for the Tigers, Yankees, Angels, Mariners, A's, Indians and Phillies.  He had 165 hits, 15 home runs and a .224 batting average.

He was hired as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 and holds a record of 217-190 (.533 win %).  He was the NL Manager of the Year in 2017.

I mailed to Lovullo via Diamondbacks Spring Training on February 7 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 79-day TAT.

Some 50/50s From John in Texas

It's really nice having someone in Texas who can take former Buies Creek Astros (now Fayetteville Woodpeckers) and former Wood Ducks.  My friend, John, in Texas has been helping me get some cards taken care of that I wasn't able to finish last season.  He helped me complete my Wood Ducks team set, and also some other stuff that I had in my box.

John also took some 50/50s for the Midland RockHounds, which was nice.  I don't see any A's players ever, so it was nice to be able to get some of those guys out of my box and into my album.

I love the A's colors on cards, so getting any of them signed is really nice.

John got me some cards signed by JJ Matijevic that I missed last year.  I didn't see him a whole lot, so it was good to finish off what I had.  That being said, I heard he is back in Fayetteville for a while.

John has been very instrumental in getting Jonathan Hernandez cards signed for me.  He moved up to Frisco before the team set and Carolina League top prospects set came out.  I was also able to get a couple 2019 Bowmans signed.

I don't know how long I had these James Jones cards in my box, but John helped me get them signed.  He wasn't with the Wood Ducks for very long last season, but he was really cool when we did see him.

Finally, I'm fairly certain these cards wrap up my Woodies team set.  If they don't, then I know I'm really close to being done with it.

Thanks for getting all of these cards signed, John!

Another TTM Success From Chris Chambliss

I sent this TTM request off to Chris Chambliss with the purpose of adding the 1987 Topps to my set.  Unfortunately, when I got it, I had forgotten to cross it off of my list.  I ended up getting another signed Chambliss from a friend of mine, so now, I have an extra.

I had also sent off this 1978 Topps, which turned out really well.  I had a bunch of these in my 1978 box, so it was nice to get one out and get it signed.

Along with the 1987, I sent this 1986 Topps, that also looks really nice.

I mailed to Chambliss on February 5 and got the cards back on April 27, for an 81-day TAT.

TTM Success - Antonio Alfonseca

Adding cards from the 2000s to my autograph album might be the toughest task there is, especially via TTM.  It just feels like there aren't as many players from that decade who sign regularly, but I could be wrong.  I was able to get Antonio Alfonseca on a few cards, most notably on this 2005 Topps Chrome.  Even though the Sharpie he used wasn't the best, the card turned out well.

I also sent him a 2001 Topps and a 2005 Topps.  Both look pretty cool when signed.

Alfonseca (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1997 to 2007 for the Marlins, Cubs, Braves, Rangers and Phillies.  He had a career record of 35-37 with 400 strike outs and a 4.11 ERA.  He had 45 saves in 2000 to lead the NL, and put him at 22nd on the MVP Award ballot that season.  However, his 4.24 ERA that season makes me wonder how many of them were nail-biters.

Alfonseca won the World Series with the Marlins in 1997.

I mailed to him on March 25 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 33-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Johnny O'Brien

I had gotten Johnny O'Brien before, but when I saw this beat up 1953 Topps, I had to pick it up and send it off to get signed.  I really like the 1953 design, and don't have a whole lot more that I can add to the collection, so I grab what I can, when I can.

The card turned out great.  A lot of folks would shy away from the condition of the card, but I think it adds character to it.  Yeah, I probably would have avoided it, if I were building the set, but I'm not at the moment, so it will look great in my album.

I mailed to O'Brien on March 18 and got the card back on April 27, for a 40-day TAT.

Some Autos From Connor

I had a bunch of cards left over of guys who used to be in the Carolina League.  I wasn't sure what to do with them, so I put out a post on my Instagram to see if anyone could take the cards for 50/50s.  A few people reached out and took some cards off of my hands.  Recently, one of the 50/50s came back; from a guy named Connor who graphs Norfolk.

Connor offered to take my extra Daz Camerons and see if he could get a few of them signed.  Cameron limits when he signs, so it took Connor a bit to finish the 50/50, but he came though.  I did get some unsigned cards back, but I am happy with what he was able to get done.

Connor also took a few Norfolk guys for me and was able to get the cards signed.  Normally, I would just wait til Fan Fest, but the stuff I had him get for me was mostly of fringe players who might not be here next year.  I do believe Tanner Scott will be around, and this Bowman Chrome turned out really well.

Mark Grudzielanek isn't with Norfolk, he is coaching somewhere, but Connor got this card signed as well.  The other guys are depth pieces that the Orioles have in the system, and the cards all turned out well.

Thanks for getting these signed, Connor!  I appreciate it!

TTM Success - Turk Wendell

I kept putting off sending to Turk Wendell for some reason that I can't remember.  I finally sent off some cards and they came back in April.  He is kind of odd when it comes to signing; he colors the edge of each card with a marker.  I don't quite get it, but it was kind of cool.

I was able to get some turn-of-the-century cards signed, but I'm most happy about the 1997 Topps at the top of the page.  I have very few of these cards remaining, and am always glad to get one into my album.

Wendell (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1993 to 2001 and 2003 to 2004 for the Cubs, Mets, Phillies and Rockies.  He had a career record of 36-33 with 515 strike outs and a 3.93 ERA.

I mailed to Wendell on March 15 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 43-day TAT.

June 2019 Graphing Recap of Salem Red Sox at Down East Wood Ducks

It was a tough series for me to graph, but I did have some success this past weekend getting a few more cards signed while the Salem Red Sox were in town.

I was very low on cards for both teams, but I was able to finish everything I had for Salem, including some 50./50s for my friend, Gerard.  Also, Thad Ward was called up to Salem, so I was able to get three cards out of my box and have them signed while he was here.  The above 2018 Bowman Chrome sparkle refractor was a last-minute find in my box yesterday before we left for the game.  I don't know how I missed it beforehand, but I luckily found it and got it done.

Ward and Bryan Mata were both really nice, and signed everything that Chris and I had.  I had several Matas left from my 50/50 with Gerard, but all I had of Ward were the three cards that I found in my box.

Mata has a nice, bold signature, and it shows up well on cards in blue.  At 19, he is the youngest player on the Red Sox.

Marcus Wilson, on the other hand, has been in the minors since 2014, but has only reached AA, briefly.  He was traded by the Diamondbacks to the Red Sox earlier this year.  He played 19 games this season with he Red Sox AA team in Portland, Maine, and had a .161 batting average.  Demoted to Salem at High A, he now has a .348 average with 7 home runs.  He showed this weekend that he can mash High A pitching, but has yet to do so at a higher level.  Probably bitter that he is back slumming it in the Carolina League, Wilson will sign only one card per series for autograph seekers.  That's too bad, because he really put on a show.  Maybe the stutter-step around the third base coach while doing his home run trot was a bit much; it seemed to rile up the Wood Ducks bench this weekend.

Wilson had called me out for getting a card signed on Thursday, and asking him to do another on Friday.  I'm not worried about him, though.  I drafted a couple other folks at the park to get the two additional cards that I wanted signed, and they helped me out by getting them done.  Don't worry, I was beyond respectful, even though his attitude rubbed me the wrong way.

The Wood Ducks made some personnel changes, since this was the first game back from the All Star break.  Moved up to Frisco are Leody Taveras and Jason Bahr.  Jairo Beras is back in Kinston following a demotion from Frisco, and Curtis Terry has been promoted from Hickory.

Finally, my attention to details at the Wood Ducks games paid off.  I had heard our friend, Billy, tell us that Bryan Harvey shows up at the games from time to time as a rover for the Rangers.  I happened to look through a box of 1993 Flar on Wednesday for someone who will be at the National, and found a Harvey card.  I put it in the book immediately, thinking it would be a good idea to have it ready.  That was good timing, since he was there on Thursday.  I got that card signed, then had enough time this weekend to find a few more cards.

The Wood Ducks are out of town until July 1, then they will play a series against the Winston-Salem Dash.  I need to load up on some more cards so that I am ready for the series.

Another TTM Success From Goose Gossage

I had this 1973 Topps Goose Gossage rookie in my box of 73s from Conrad, so I decided to send it off and see if Gossage would sign it TTM.

I have gotten him several times, and his signature always looks great.  He's also really cool in person.

I mailed to Gossage on April 1 and got the card back on April 27, for a 26-day TAT.  I paid no fee.

Even More Autos From Gerard

When you fall behind on posting stuff, and you have a friend who is a master at getting stuff signed for you, you end up with a ton of cards to scan and file away.  My good friend, Gerard, hooked me up again with a bunch of autos that he had gotten recently.  He really came through with a bunch of stuff, and they all turned out well.

I had forgotten about most of the cards that he got for me, but it was really cool opening the mailers up and seeing what he was able to get signed.  The cards were from maybe 4 or 5 different mailers that he has sent me other the last few months.

He got me a ton of Sam Horn cards signed.  There were even some extras in there, so I'll have some trade bait.

Gerard said that Horn was kind of a weird guy, but he did sign a ton.  All of the cards turned out really well.

Gerard threw in a bunch of stuff that he has, as well.  This includes the signed Bud Moore NASCAR card.  I don't know who Moore is, but the card will look cool in my album.

The best part is finding the cards and being able to take them out of my boxes and returning them to my auto albums when they come back in.  The black and gold 2016 Bowman Chrome of Sam Travis is a nice example.

Also, these Jeremy Bleich cards; they were languishing in my boxes and Gerard was able to get them done.  Otherwise, they would still be buried in there.

I was able to find some cards of some of the newer additions to the Red Sox system in Erasmo Ramirez and Jenrry Mejia.

I had a bunch of them, and was able to get rid of some.  Taking 2010 Topps Chrome cards out of my box is always a bonus.

The horizontal cards from the lot all turned out well.

Thanks so much, Gerard.  The cards now have a home in my albums, and I have you to thank.

TTM Success - Denis Menke

I raided my vintage box again for this 1968 Topps to send TTM to Denis Menke.  His signature turned out really nice on this card.  It looks so odd, though, without a logo on his hat.

I had his 1973 Topps and had to order his 1974.  Both cards look great.

Menke (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1962 to 1974 for the Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta), Astros and Reds.  He had 1,270 hits, 101 home runs and a .250 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1969 and 1970.  He finished 15th in the NL MVP voting in 1969.

I mailed to Menke on April 9 and got the cards back on April 27, for an 18-day TAT.

Some Stuff From Andrew

When I stayed with Andrew back in April, he handed me a few cards that he had been meaning to send me a while back.  One of them was this awesome Chris Davis patch numbered 4/5.  He said he had gotten it for me for either my birthday or Christmas, but it got put with some other stuff, and forgotten.  It was definitely a nice surprise when I walked in the door.

Andrew also gave me some cards that he had gotten signed for me last season.  There may not be a bunch, but the big names really stand out.  I really appreciated Andrew hooking me up!

Thanks so much for the cards, and letting Chris and I crash with you!

TTM Success - Casey Cox

I added a couple more 1970s Topps cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Casey Cox.  I had 1971 and 1972 Topps cards that I sent him, and they turned out really well.  You always worry about the 71s because the black border chips so much, but this one looks pretty nice.

This 1972 Topps is a bit off centered, but it still looks fine to me.

Cox (b. 1941) played in the majors from 1966 to 1973 for the Senators, Rangers and Yankees.  He had a career record of 39-42 with 297 strike outs and a 3.70 ERA.

I mailed to Cox on April 10 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gary Neibauer

I got some nice 70s cards signed when I sent these off to Gary Neibauer.  The autos didn't turn out too well, but the cards are signed and are in my album now.

The 1972 Topps turned out a little better than the 1970, which is at the top of this post.  I can't really complain; it's not like the signature is terrible.  He just used a really thin pen that didn't show up too well on the 70.

Neibauer (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1969 to 1973 for the Braves and Phillies.  He had a career record of 4-8 with 81 strike outs and a 4.78 ERA.

I mailed to Neibauer on April 15 and got the cards back on April 27, for a 12-day TAT.