TTM Success - George Culver

I was able to get this 1968 Topps signed TTM by former pitcher, George Culver.  He has a cool signature, and added a 7/29/69 No Hitter inscription, which was nice.

Culver also added this card.  I always enjoy it when players add their own custom cards.

Culver (b. 1943) played in the majors from 1966 to 1974 for the Indians, Reds, Cardinals, Astros, Dodgers and Phillies.  He had a career record of 48-49 with 451 strike outs and a 3.62 ERA.

I mailed to Culver on June 25 and got the cards back on July 5, for a 10-day TAT.

July 2019 Graphing Recap of Blue Rocks at Wood Ducks

This past week was the Blue Rocks' first trip to Kinston this season.  I had knocked off a few of their cards when they were at the Mudcats the week prior, so the major stuff I wanted to get done was completed already.  I missed Daniel Lynch and Seuly Matias, since the two of them were on the DL.  I also found some cards of the Blue Rocks' pitching coach, Steve Luebber.

Luebber has a nice signature, but he never seems like he enjoys stopping to sign.  I got him on these two cards during the series, and had three other 1972s to get done.  I had some other folks help me with those, so I wouldn't have to be the one bothering him the whole time.  It worked out, as they are all signed, now.

I got Blake Perkins on the remaining cards that I had of him.  He seemed really nice, and happy to sign.

Kyle Isbel was one per, and MJ Melendez was two per, so I still have some stuff leftover from them.

Even though they limited, they were really nice, and stopped for us each time.

Nick Pratto might have been the nicest of the bunch.  He sifned full pages of 4 cards for me each time, and always had time to chat.

The Wood Ducks took two of three during this series, which may serve as a preview of the Carolina League playoffs.

July 2019 Graphing Recap of Mudcats at Wood Ducks

This past week, the Mudcats came ot Kinston to take on the Wood Ducks.  I was able to get most of the 2019 Mudcats team set taken care of.  The only cards I am missing are guys who have moved up or are injured, much like my Wood Ducks set.

I was really glad to get two signatures on Joe Ayrault's card, as his son was at the game.  I had Kole sign the card, first as he came off of the field after the first game of Thursday's Double Header.  Tuesday rained out, and Wednesday was an 11AM game, so the two games on Thursday were my shot to get the cards done.

Joe had been ejected during the first game, but signed for me before the second game.  He had let his emotions calm down and told me that it was a whole new game.

I love this team set, and am glad that I am just about done with it.

I also got some All Star and top prospects cards done from each set.

I don't think I am going to try to get Jonah Mergen's kids to sign this card, even though I do see them from time to time at the ballpark.

Brice Turang was pretty nice this time around.  It seemed as if he was in a better mood signing, which helped out.

It is always a lot of fun to see Phil Bickford, and with Sherten Apostel's addition to the roster, I was able to get a card done from my Hickory set.

TTM Success - Robbie Wine

Here are some fantastically 80s cards that I got back TTM from Robbie Wine.  From the designs of the cards to the crazy Astros jerseys (and the jacket on the above 1988 Fleer), these cards look really cool.

All three cards come from 1988, which he signed in black Sharpie.

Wine (b. 1962) played in the majors in 1986 and 1987 for the Astros.  He had 6 hits, no home runs and a .146 batting average.

I mailed to Wine on June 25 and got the cards back on July 5, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dick Billings

Even more 1972 and 1973 Topps cards are making their way into my album, this time via a TTM success from Dick Billings.

I added Billing on both a 1972 and 1973 Topps, and they turned out well.

Billings (b. 1942) played in the majors from 1968 to 1975 for the Senators, Rangers and Cardinals.  He had 280 hits, 16 home runs and a .227 batting average.

I mailed to Billings on June 18 and got the cards back on June 27, for a 9-day TAT.

More 50/50s From John In Texas

I got a package in the mail a couple weeks ago from my friend, John, in Texas.  In it was another stack of 50/50s that he was able to complete for me.  I had forgotten that I sent him these cards, but they got done and look great.  The highlight is this 2018 Bowman Chrome JB Bukauskas atomic refractor numbered to 150.

John got me a ton of Bukauskas, since I missed him last year when Buies Creek came through.  John looks like he was really persistent with him, and got me a bunch of cards done.

I had even tried to get my friend, Ben, to get some of these done last year, but by the time he got to the games, Bukauskas was already called up to AA.

I'm trying to avoid typing Bukauskas too much, but it is tough.

Man, that was a lot of Bukauskas cards.

It is always nice when I can add a 2017 Wood Ducks card to my set.  There are a couple of guys who will be impossible to get, but for the most part, I have done well with the set.

John also started me a Frisco set, and they look really cool.  It is nice to see some AA cards of the former Wood Ducks.

A lot of these guys are missed, and one of them (Altmann) is back.

Ronnie Dawson has started personalizing, but that's ok.  I aready had the 2017 Heritage Minors, and the Top Prospects card is mine anyway.

Finally, John got this Justin Ferrell card signed for my Buies Creek set from 2017.  I liked this design, and am glad to get it back signed.

TTM Success - Marty Keough

I like it when I can add older cards to my album.  I make passes through my vintage box and miss lots of guys who sign, mainly because I am usually in a hurry when I thumb through there.  Sometimes I will stop on a person and see if they sign, especially if I see that I have multiple cards of that player.  I was surprised to have three Marty Keough cards in the box, and happy to find out that he signed TTM.  So, I sent off this 1963 Topps, and also included 1964 and 1966 Topps.

Keough (b. 1934) played in the majors from 1956 to 1966 for the Red Sox, Indians, Senators, Reds, Braves and Cubs.  He had 434 hits, 43 home runs and a .242 batting average. 

I mailed to Keough on June 20 and got the cards back on June 27, for a 7-day TAT.

July 2019 Graphing Recap of Blue Rocks at Mudcats

This past Saturday, with Chris out of town, I decided to use m rain check for the July 4th Mudcats game so I could catch the Blue Rocks.  Wilmington is the only team that hasn't made a trip down to the Wood Ducks yet this season.  I thought it would be a good idea, especially with Chris gone, to get a few cards knocked out.  That way, I would have a head start for when they finally come to town this weekend.

Also, I stocked up on some Mudcats, and was able to get some nice stuff signed.  The above Phil Bickford was so nice, he even complimented it.  He had never seen the card before.

I had cards from the Carolina League Top Prospects and All Star sets, so that gave me a few guys I wouldn't have had.

I also had picked up two Mudcats team sets, and started working on those.  This year's team set looks really cool.  I'm glad I picked them up.

I also was able to pick up a Midwest League All Star set, so I started in on that, as well.  I'll have to send off a lot of those cards, since they have some teams I won't see, but the cards are still cool, and there are some big names in there.

It took me a while to realize that the Mudcats' Wes Rogers was in 2018 Heritage Minors, but he is really cool, and I was able to get him to sign this.

I had waited a long time to get some of my Nick Pratto cards done.  The above Team USA cards were found at a show, and look really great.

This Bowman Chrome also looks really cool.

I was worried that I wouldn't get this Black Perkins 2016 Bowman Chrome Blue Shimmer refractor signed; he had been called up to AA earlier in the season.  Thankfully (for me, not for him, sadly), he was bumped back down to High A, and I was able to get my card signed.

Scott Thorman didn't seem like he was going to stop for us, but his son told him we were calling for him, and he turned around and signed for Jackson and I.  He seemed nice, though, and signed everything we had.

I have a ton of MJ Melendez, and he signed three of the cards in my book.  This was one of those times where having Chris right there would have really helped.

I misplaced my snap case I had set aside for Lexington in April, so I missed out on some Michael Gigliotti.  Thankfully, Gerard had sent me some in a 50/50, and I ended up with a 2018 Heritage Minors.

Kyle Isbel signed only one card for us, and Kris Bubic was two-per.

Brewer Hicklen signed everything we had.

Finally, the Mudcats were having a promo where the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld was there signing autographs.  I'm not much of  Seinfeld fan, but I knew of the character, so I got the team set checklist signed by him.  I even had him put the "No Soup For You" inscription.

Next series is the Mudcats coming down to the Wood Ducks.  Hopefully, the weather will hold out.

TTM Success - Dave Ford

I added another card from my 1991 Orioles Crown set when I got this TTM success back from Dave Ford.  I feel like I have already gotten my $5.00 worth out of the set, so that is always good.  I don't think I will pursue getting the whole thing done, but it is nice when I see someone who signs, and I can add an extra card to the envelope.

I also sent off a 1982 Fleer and a 1981 Topps.  Both look nice, now that they are signed.

Ford (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1978 to 1981 for the Orioles.  He had a career record of 5-6 with a 4.02 ERA and 46 strike outs.

I mailed to Ford on June 18 and got the cards back on June 24, for a 6-day TAT.

TTM Success - Sam Hentges

I had a couple cards left over from last year that I wasn't able to get signed in person by Sam Hentges, so I sent to him TTM.  I was happy that the cards came back signed, and they look really good!

This 2014 Bowman Chrome Black Shimmer refractor is not numbered, but it still is really cool.  I pulled it out of a pack, and was glad to see that Hentges signs.  Otherwise, it would be in a box, somewhere.

I also was able to get my 2018 Carolina League Top Prospects set card signed.

Hentges (b. 1996) was a 4th round draft pick by the Indians in the 2014 Amateur Draft.  So far, he has compiled a record of 13-28 with 394 strike outs and a 4.29 ERA.  This season, he is with AA Akron, and doesn't look to be faring all that well.  He has a record of 1-9 with a 5.21 ERA.  Hopefully, the Indians keep working with him.  When we met him last season, he was really nice.

I mailed to Hentges via Akron on April 16 and got the cards back on June 24, for a 69-day TAT.

TTM Success - Greg Brock

It took a while, but I finally got my TTM success back from Greg Brock.  I had sent three cards to him, one being my 1987 Topps, and in the wait in between, I got a signed Topps from someone else.

The one is in black Sharpie and this one is in blue, so I will upgrade the one I have in my album, and use the other one to help someone else making the set.

Brock (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1982 to 1991 for the Dodgers and Brewers.  He had 794 hits, 110 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Brock on November 17, 2018, and got the cards back on June 22, 2019, for a 217-day TAT.