Christmas Gift From Vince - Signed 1987 Topps John Morris

My good friend, Vince, sent me this signed 1987 Topps John Morris for Christmas.  It came in today, and I wanted to go ahead and get it posted and into my 1987 album.

Vince is a great guy, and I was able to have dinner with he and his parents at this past year's National.  I'm hoping I can get up his way next season and do some graphing with him.

Morris (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1986 to 1992 for the Cardinals, Phillies and Angels.  He had 145 hits, 8 home runs and a .236 batting average.

Thank you so much for the gift, Vince!

Another TTM Success From Richard Petty

I had picked up some NASCAR stuff recently when I was at my LCS and also when I was buying a few things off of COMC.  I had gotten Richard Petty before, but when I saw the above Action Packed card at my LCS, and ultimately the dual card below is what definitely made me want to send to him again.

I figured I had a good chance to get both Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty on this card, but I sent it to Yarborough first.  Once I got him back, I sent these cards on to Petty.  Petty signs only two at a time, so I sent these two, but I actually had a couple others that I could have sent.  I think I'll just pass those cards on to someone else who may be able to send to him.

I mailed to Petty on November 15 and got the cards back on November 23, for an 8-day TAT.

Christmas Gift To Myself - Signed 1987 Topps Steve Ontiveros

The last of the cards that I picked up for myself for Christmas was this signed 1987 Topps of Steve Ontiveros.  The Steve Ontiveros from the 70s (former infielder) signs TTM regularly, but for some reason, the Ontiveros from the 80s (former pitcher) does not.  Oh well, I got this one at a good price, and got it out of the way.

Ontiveros (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1985 to 1990, 1993 to 1995 and 2000 for the A's, Phillies, Mariners and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 34-31 with 382 strike outs and a 3.67 ERA.  He won the AL ERA title in 1994.  He was an All Star in 1995.

Christmas Gift To Myself - Signed 1987 Topps Randy Myers

Another of the cards I picked up for myself for Christmas was this Randy Myers signed 1987 Topps.  For some reason, he doesn't sign a whole lot, so I went ahead and picked up with JSA certified auto once I saw it pop up.

Myers (b. 1962) played in the majors from 1985 to 1998 for the Mets, Reds, Padres, Cubs, Orioles and Blue Jays.  He had a career record of 44-63 with 884 strike outs and a 3.19 ERA.  His 347 career saves are 12th all-time.  He won the World Series in 1990 with the Reds, and was a member of the 1986 Mets, but did not appear in the playoffs with them.  Myers was a 4-time All Star (1990, 1994, 1995 and 1997) and his best Cy Young Award finish was 4th (1997, AL).  That season, he also scored his best finish in the MVP voting, 4th.

Christmas Gift to Myself - Signed 1987 Topps Darrell Porter

I had to buy myself a couple Christmas gifts, since my wife refused to look at my needs list and help knock cards off of my 1987 Topps set.  So, I picked up a couple cards and let her wrap them to give to me for Christmas.  Yeah, we are a bunch of weirdos.

I definitely needed Darrell Porter for my set, so when I saw this one pop up on Ebay, it made sense to go ahead and grab it.

Porter (b. 1952 - d. 2002) played in the majors from 1971 to 1987 for the Brewers, Royals, Cardinals and Rangers.  He had 1,369 hits, 188 home runs and a .247 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1974, 1978, 1979 and 1980.  His best finish in the MVP race was 9th (1979).  He appeared on the 1993 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

Porter was the 1982 NLCS and World Series MVP.

On August 5, 2002, Porter was found dead outside his vehicle after it had veered off the road and became lodged onto a tree stump.  The exact details of the events leading up to his death remain unsolved, but an autopsy revealed that he died as a result of cocaine abuse.  He had a history of substance abuse, having attended rehab in 1980.

Christmas Gift From Mom - Randy Johnson Signed Ball and Frank Baker Signed Card

Mom gave me some nice stuff, again, for Christmas.  I am always glad to see what she is able to find.  Sometimes, she buys Christmas well in advance, say, December 26, and this year, I messed up by buying a ball I needed back in July at the National, while she had picked this Randy Johnson up in January.  Oops.

The good thing is, I can sell the Johnson I got at the National, and turn it in to a ball that I do need, and I can keep the one Mom gave me in my HOF collection.

She also picked up this 1972 Topps Frank Baker.  It is hard to see (even in person), but the Baker card is signed.  I checked out SCN, and Baker doesn't sign much at all.  His last success was 2017, and he has only signed 38% of the time.  So, Mom did pretty well in getting this card.

Baker (b. 1946) played in the majors in 1970, 71, 73 and 74 for the Yankees and Orioles.  He had 55 hits, 1 home run and a .191 batting average.

Baker is from Meridian, Mississippi, a town that Chris and I visited several years ago.  This is the town where I was able to meet up with Don McNair and hold his dad's 1930 World Series ring.  It is a really small world.

Thanks so much, Mom!  I always love to see what you're able to find!

Christmas Gift From Max - Signed 1987 Topps Tony Gwynn All Star

I got some nice Christmas gifts from friends and family this year, and wanted to kick off the posts with a tough card to get for my 1987 Topps set.

My good friend, Max, has helped me so much with this set.  He has hooked me up with some tough-to-find cards, and this Gwynn is definitely one of them.  Gwynn passed away not too long ago (2014), but that was well before I was trying to get this set signed.

Thanks so much for the card, Max!

TTM Success - Rey Sanchez

I was able to get quite a few cards signed by Rey Sanchez when I sent these to him TTM.  All of the cards turned out well, especially this 1993 Bowman.

I liked the variety of cards that I sent him, and they all look really good in my album.

Sanchez (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1991 to 2005 for the Cubs, Yankees, Giants, Royals, Braves, Red Sox, Mets, Mariners and Devil Rays.  He had 1,317 hits, 15 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Sanchez on May 22 and got the cards back on November 19, for a 181-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tim Stauffer

One of the guys I found in the bulk 2002-2004 Topps cards that I picked up who signed was Tim Stauffer.  I sent him 4 cards, but he only returned this one 2004 Topps.  Still, I'm glad I got something.

Stauffer (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2015 for the Padres, Twins and Mers.  He had a career record of 33-34 with 449 strike outs and a 3.97 ERA.

I mailed to Stauffer on October 14 and got the card back on November 23, for a 40-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jesse The Body Ventura

This was another card that I picked up from COMC recently. I saw that Jesse Ventura signed TTM, so I had to send to him. I was so excited to get this back!

Ventura (b. 1951) was the 38th governor of the State of Minnesota. Before that, he was a professional wrestler and actor.

He wrestled from 1974 to 1994 and also was a popular manager and commentator. He appeared in popular movies like Predator and The Running Man.  He surprised the nation when he won the election to become Governor of Minnesota in 1999 and he served until 2003.

I mailed to Ventura on November 4 and got the card back on November 18, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Don Garlits

During my COMC buying run, I came across this card of drag racing legend, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. I saw that he had signed ttm back in 2014  I believe, so I took a shot and sent to him. The card cake back signed and looks really cool. I just wish I had found one with one of his cars.

Garlits (b. 1932) is considered the father of drag racing. His countless innovations have helped the sport to evolve to what it is today. He was able to engineer a rear-engined dragster which is now commonplace. It had been attempted prior, but he was able to engineer the design and immediately made it competitive. He was the NHRA Top Fuel World Champion in 1975, 1985 and 1986. He was the first driver to surpass the 170, 180, 200, 240, 250 and 270mph barriers.

I actually met Garlits in 1992, and he was super nice. He signed his biography for me.

I mailed to Garlits on November 4 and got the card back on November 16, for a 12-day TAT. I paid a $10 fee.

TTM Success - Carmen Angelini

Another card that I picked up from my LCS in an effort to add more stuff to my album was this 2009 Bowman Sterling Carmen Angelini. I saw that he signed so I picked it up and sent it out.

Angelini (b. 1988) was a 10th round pick by the Yankees in the 2007 June Amateur Draft. He never made it out of the minors.

He played 6 seasons in the Yankees system, reaching AAA. He had 351 hits, 21 home runs and a .225 batting average.

I mailed to Angelini on October 14 and got the card back on November 14, for a 31-day TAT.

TTM Success - Cale Yarborough

I went on a small buying spree on COMC recently that helped me obtain some cards of non-baseball TTM signers.  I found quite a few folks who were signing, so I went ahead and got a few things that would look cool in my autograph album, and I sent them out.  One such subject was former NASCAR driver, Cale Yarborough.

I actually had a site that I used to go sample for work that was next to where Yarborough lived in South Carolina.  I would see him riding around on his golf cart, but I never got the chance to talk with him.  That might be good, though, because I would probably still be there.

The above 1988 Maxx card actually came from my LCS, and that was what spurred me to search COMC for more cards, because I knew I could find a few Yarborough cards  on there.

Yarborough (b. 1939) first raced in NASCAR's Cup series in 1957 at the Southern 500 in Darlington, SC.  His last race was the 1988 Atlanta Journal 500.  In between those two races, spanning 32 seasons, Yarborough would win 83 races and three Cup championships (1976, 1977 and 1978).  He was the 1968, 1977, 1983 and 1984 Daytona 500 winner.  He was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

I mailed to Yarborough on November 4 and got the cards back on November 14, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - George Bell

I added another tough name to my 1987 Topps set when I sent to a private signing for George Bell.  I had three cards in the set that I needed to get signed by him, and was able to get them done.

Now, I need Willie Upshaw to sign the Blue Jays leaders card and I will be good to go!

Bell (b. 1959) played in the majors in 1981 and from 1983 to 1993 for the Blue Jays and White Sox.  He had 1,702 hits, 265 home runs and a .278 batting average.  He was an All Star three times (1987, 1990 and 1991).  He received MVP votes in 6 seasons, culminating with a win in 1987 (AL).  He was also a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner.  He appeared on the 1999 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 1.2% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on October 15 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 28-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20/card.

TTM Success - Ed Montague

I still have a huge stack of 1987 Topps checklists, and I have been thinking of ways to use those for my set, and also some other things I may be able to do with them.  I sent a couple off to some umpires who were working that season.  I also may branch out and send some to other folks that accomplished things in 1987.  We'll have to see about that, though.

One of the umpires I sent to was Ed Montague.  Since I had the 87 checklists, and some other miscellaneous cards from that era, I sent an assortment of stuff for him to sign, and they all came back.  I was able to get this mini Spring Fever Baseball ad card signed.  I have a ton of these for some reason (why can't I throw stuff away?), but they have come in handy in the past when looking for something for someone to sign.

These Topps All Star Baseball Game cards are pretty cool.  I think they came from 1985 Topps.  I'm not certain; either 84 or 85.  I got one of these signed in the past by Bobby Brown.  I have several others, so I will probably get those signed as well.

Finally, Montague sent his own photo that he signed.  I appreciate that he did that; it will go in my post card album.

Montague (b. 1948) was an umpire for the National League in 1974 and 1978 to 1999 and both leagues from 1999 to 2009.  His 4,369 total games were 8th all-time at the time of his retirement.  He worked 6 World Series (1986, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007); the last four of which, he was the crew chief.  Only Bill Klem and Bill Summers crew chiefed World Series as much as Montague did.

Montague's father played in the majors in 1928 and 1930 to 1932.

I mailed to Montague on October 28 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Drew Storen

Here are some fairly recent cards that I was able to get signed TTM.  Unfortunately, Drew Storen found a super dry Sharpie, but the cards are still signed.

I was most happy to get the 2010 Topps Pro Debut back signed.  I had that card in my box since 2010, and finally was able to get one of them out and autographed.  He also signed a 2016 Topps (above) and a 2017 Topps (top).

Storen (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2010 to 2017 for the Nationals, Blue Jays, Mariners and Reds.  He had a career record of 29-18 with 417 strike outs and a 3.45 ERA.

I mailed to Storen on October 21 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeren Kendall

I had sent a bunch of cards out for 50/50s this past season, but there were several guys I had pulled that folks just weren't able to get to sign for me.  So, I went through the cards and tried to see if I could send a few of the cards out for TTMs, as opposed to putting the cards back in my box.  I was able to get a couple of them back, Jeren Kendall being one of them.

Kendall's signature isn't much, but the cards are signed.  They'll still go in my album, and not have to go back in my box.

Kendall (b. 1996) was a 1st round pick (23rd overall) by the Dodgers in the 2017 June Amateur Draft.  He played college ball at Vanderbilt.  He has played 3 seasons of Minor League ball, advancing as high as High A (Rancho Cucamonga).  SO far, he has 212 hits, 34 home runs and a .223 batting average.

I mailed to Kendall on September 26 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 47-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jaime Bluma

I added some late 90s cards to my autograph album when I received this TTM success back from former pitcher, Jaime Bluma.  I found the cards at my LCS a while back, and finally got around to sending them off.  The above 1995 Bowman First Impressions card looks really cool.  I was a little worried that powdering the card might mess it up, but it turned out pretty well.

The opps Finest Blue Chips card really turned out great.  It was back when Topps used to put the protective film on the Finest cards.  I removed the film, prepped the card, and it turned out really well.  The Upper Deck Diamond Debuts card is one I don't have many of in my album, so I was glad to add this one.

Bluma (b. 1972) played in the majors in 1996 for the Royals.  He appeared in 17 games and registered no wins or losses.  He had 14 strike outs and a 3.60 ERA.

I mailed to Bluma on October 25 and got the cards back on November 8, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Orlando Palmeiro

I held this 2002 Topps Orlando Palmeiro card for a while, meaning to send it TTM to him.  My problem was, I knew I could find more of his cards, but for some reason, I didn't have many.

Over time I picked up some boxes of 90s stuff, and ended up with the 1993 Bowman.  I busted my box f 1996 Fleer that was in my closet, and found his card in there, and finally, I picked up the sets of 2003 and 2005 Topps at the LCS that were going to be trashed, and found two of his cards there.

Palmeiro (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1995 to 2007 for the Angels, Cardinals and Astros.  He had 640 hits, 12 home runs and a .274 batting average.  He won the World Series 2002 with the Angels.

I thought I saw that Palmeiro was cousins with Rafael Palmeiro, but now I can't find anything to back that up.  I'm pretty sure they are cousins.

I mailed to him on October 14 and got the cards back on November 8, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Church

I still struggle finding recent guys who sign, a lot more than maybe players from the 70s and 80s, but lately, I have done a lot better in finding the players, and more importantly, finding their cards.  Recently, I pulled a ton of Ryan Church cards so I could sent TTM.  I had a whole bunch of his stuff, and really enjoyed narrowing it down to what I finally sent out.  I settled on 5 cards that all turned out well.

The above 2008 Goudey doesn't come from one of my favorite set, but it really turned out well.  The colors on the card are sharp, and will look really nice in my album.

I really like this 2009 Heritage.  It turned out really well, and looks great when scanned.  1960 Topps was such a nice set and I like this Heritage set.

I also got a 2010 Heritage, 2008 Stadium Club and a 2010 Topps signed by Church.

Church (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2004 to 2010 for the Expos, Nationals, Mets, Braves, Pirates and Diamondbacks.  He had 500 hits, 56 home runs and a .264 batting average. 

I mailed to Church on September 30, and got the cards back on November 8, for a 39-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rogie Vachon

I believe this is the last of the vintage hockey card TTMs that I sent out back in August.  I was able to get Rogie Vachon on two cards that Max gave me back at the National.

I haven't tried to look up the other two guys on this card, but I might when I get some time.

Vachon (b. 1945) played professionally from 1966 to 1982 for the Montreal Canadiens, LA Kings, some hockey team from Detroit that I have never heard of, ever... and the Boston Bruins.  As a goalie, he had a record of 353 wins and 293 losses.  He won the Stanley Cup in 67-68 and 68-69 with the Canadiens.  He was a two-time All Star and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.

I mailed to Vachon on August 22 and got the cards back on November 8, for a 78-day TAT.

TTM Success - Larry Christenson

I'm continuing to work through my "to be TTMed" box and got these Larry Christenson cards out.  They came back signed, and he has a really nice signature.

Christenson (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1973 to 1983 for the Phillies.  He had a career record of 83-71 with 781 strike outs and a 3.79 ERA.  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980.

I mailed to Christenson on October 19 and got the cards back on November 7, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gene Lamont

I waited a while for these to come back, but I was glad to get a TTM success from Gene Lamont.  I have been able to get Lerrin LaGrow in the past, so I will probably send this 1971 Topps out to him.

The 1975 and 2001 Topps cards turned out well, also.

Lamont (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1970 to 1972 and 1974 to 1975 for the Tigers.  He had 37 hits, 4 home runs and a .233 batting average.

He the White Sox from 1992 to 1995 and the Pirates from 1997 to 2000.  His overall managerial record was 553-562 (.496%)/  He was the 1993 AL Manager of the Year.

I mailed to Lamont on May 9 and got the cards back on November 17, for an 182-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mike Scott

I added another card to my signed 1987 Topps set when I took part in a private signing with Mike Scott.  I had looked at buying some of his cards a while back, but never pulled the trigger.  I added this one, though, and can now cross him off of my list.

Scott (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1979 to 1991 for the Mets and Astros.  He had a career record of 124-108 with 1,469 strike outs and a 3.54 ERA.  He was the 1986 NL Cy Young Award winner.  He led the league in ERA in 1986 (2.22) and won 20 games in 1989.  He was a 3-time All Star (1986, 1987 and 1989).  His best finish in the NL MVP voting was 10th in 1986.

Scott appeared on the 1997 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on October 15 and got the card back on November 7, for a 23-day TAT.

Another Private Signing Success From Mickey Tettleton

I dropped the ball a few months ago when I sent to a private signing with Mickey Tettleton on SCN.  I sent a couple cards and was all excited because I had already gotten his 1987 Topps.  I completely missed that he is on this 1987 Topps A's team leaders card.  I already knew that I messed up by not sending it to Carney Lansford.  So, I took advantage of another signing that popped up, and was able to get Tettleton.  I'll have to keep an eye out for another Lansford signing, as well as Dave Von Ohlen (the guy on the left).

I mailed to the signing on October 21 and got the card back on November 7, for a 17-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $14.00.

TTM Success - George Wright

For some reason, I haven't fully looked through the entirety of my 1985 and 1986 Topps boxes and pulled out every played who is currently signing TTM.  I kind of look through those two years to find guys who I saw were signing from other sets.  I did see that George Wright was signing, so I was able to pull him, and I got a few cards of his signed.

He signed the 1985 Topps that I had, along with a 1983 Topps, 1983 Donruss and a 1986 Topps Traded.

Wright (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1982 to 1986 for the Rangers and Expos.  He had 529 hits, 42 home runs and a .245 batting average.  He finished 24th in the 1983 AL MVP voting.

I mailed to Wright on October 28, and got the cards back on November 5, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steve Brye

I moved some more 1970s cards out of my boxes and into my album with this TTM success from Steve Brye.  I had a few cards to choose from, and made sure to send this 1972 Topps Twins Rookies.  I haven't looked up the other two guys, but if they are living and sign, I may send it out again.  We'll see.

It's kind of funny how similar Brye's 1973 and 1978 Topps cards are.  What a difference 5 years makes on cards.

Brye (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1970 to 1978 for the Twins, Brewers and Pirates.  He had 515 hits, 30 home runs and a .258 batting average.

I mailed to Brye on October 8 and got the cards back on November 5, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Barry Bonnell

While searching my boxes, I came across a bunch of Barry Bonnell's cards.  He signs a lot, so I went ahead and sent him 6 cards; they all came back signed.

He has a really nice signature.  I thought that the above 1983 Topps looked the best out of the whole bunch, though.  It must be all of the blue on the card.

In all, I sent Topps cards from 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.  I was able to get some stuff moved out of my boxes, and that it always a plus.

Bonnell (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1977 to 1986 for the Braves, Blue Jays and Mariners.  He had 833 hits, 56 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Bonnell on October 28 and got the cards back on November 4, for a 7-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nic Ungs

This 2004 Topps Nic Ungs was out for TTM for quite a while, and finally came back signed.  I had sent this earlier in the year, and well before I had picked up my partial set of 2004 Topps that should now see some successes come in and pump up the number of 04s I have in my album.

The card came out well, with the black Sharpie fitting nicely with his uniform.

Ungs (b. 1979) was a 12th round pick in 2001 by the Marlins out of the University of Northern Iowa.  He didn't make it to the majors, having spent 10 seasons in the minors, and some various other leagues.  His career record across MiLB was 71-56 with a 3.64 ERA and 769 strike outs.  Fairly decent numbers.  Had he come along maybe 10 years later, he might have cracked the Marlins MLB squad.

I mailed to Ungs on January 2 and got the card back on November 2, for a 304-day TAT.