TTM Success - Pat Combs

I was able to get some cards out of my boxes with this TTM success from Pat Combs.  The above 1988 Topps Traded had been in my box for forever, and now it is free from the box and in my autograph album.

He also signed a 1990 Donruss The Rookies, a 1991 Topps and a 1992 Topps.

Combs (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1989 to 1992 for the Phillies.  He had a career record of 17-17 with 190 strike outs and a 4.22 ERA.

I mailed to Combs on December 3 and got the cards back on December 24, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joe Jacques

I was able to get one of my 2019 Heritage Minors cards signed TTM with this success from Joe Jacques.  I was able to get him last season at a Grasshoppers game, and he was pretty nice.

Jacques (b. 1995) was a 33rd round pick in the 2018 Amateur Draft by the Pirates.  He has played in the minors for two seasons, and had reached the AA level.  He has gone 4-6 with a 3.67 ERA and 79 strike outs.

I mailed to Jacques on November 25 and got the card back on December 16, for a 21-day TAT.

Signed 87 Topps Ken Dayley From Ray

Blog reader, Ray, hooked me up again with a signed 1987 Topps that I needed for my set, Ken Dayley.  I actually had sent TTM to Dayley several months ago, but the cards still haven't come back, so I was happy to see Ray's email in my inbox saying he could get Dayley for me.

Dayley (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1982 to 1991 and 1993 for the Braves, Cardinals and Blue Jays.  He had a 33-45 record, 406 strike outs and a 3.64 ERA.

Thanks so much for getting the card signed for me, Ray!

Reds Caravan 50/50 Return From Kaleb and Josh

My friends Kaleb and Josh went to Reds Caravan last weekend and got me some autographs.  The above 1987 Topps Eric Davis was actually something Kaleb had extra from a Reds Caravan from years past.  I actually had provided him this card to get signed, before I was working on the 1987 set, and before I was doing 50/50s with people.

Kaleb had a bunch of stuff that he wanted to get signed, so he had my friend, Josh, get my cards signed, which was really nice.  The above 2016 Heritage Minors Lucas Sims was one I had left over from my trip to Louisville last year.  I'm glad it finally got signed.

The Aristides Aquino was one I found recently at my LCS, but it was the only card of him that I could find.

Thanks for getting these signed, Kaleb and Josh!

TTM Success - Bryan Reynolds

I meant to post this TTM success from Bryan Reynolds yesterday, but I was very busy, so it got pushed back to today.

I was able to get a few cards out of my prospects box and have them signed, and they really turned out well.

Reynolds signed everything with a thin blue Sharpie, and the cards look great.

Reynolds (b. 1995) was a second round pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft by the Giants.  He made his major league debut this past april and played 134 games for the Pirates.  He finished 4th in the NL MVP voting after collecting 154 hits, 16 home runs and a .314 batting average.

I mailed to Reynolds on November 25 and got the cards back on December 14, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bill Mueller

I added some really cool cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Bill Mueller.  The above 2004 Topps All Star turned out really well. I love this card!

I also added these, which all look great!

Mueller (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1996 to 2006 for the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers. He had 1,229 hits, 85 home runs and a .291 batting average.

He won the World Series in 2004 with the Red Sox.  He was a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2003. He was the AL batting champ in 2003 with a .326 batting average.

I mailed to Mueller on 10/15 and got the cards back on 12/14, for a 60-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bill Sampen

I added some cards to my autograph album that came out of the Goodwill boxes I picked up a while back.  This TTM success from Bill Sampen helped me get a couple cards out of those boxes.  These are some cool smaller set cards that look nice, when compared to their main set counterparts.

I'm one of the few people that I know who liked the 1990 Donruss design.  I thought it was really cool when I discovered the green and blue versions of that set (green being The Rookies set, and blue being the Donruss Stars set).  There may be other versions of this design, but those two subsets are the ones I am aware of.  I know Panini brought back the design a couple years ago, and it looked great.

Of those Goodwill boxes, I also had Sampen sign a 1990 Topps Traded (far left).  The 1991 and 1992 Topps came out of my Topps boxes, and I am never unhappy to take cards out of those boxes.

Sampen (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1990 to 1994 for the Expos, Royals and Angels.  He had a career record of 25-21 with 176 strike outs and a 3.73 ERA.

I mailed to Sampen on December 3 and got the cards back on December 12, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Alan Knicely

A trip through my mid-80s boxes found me a few guys that I could send TTM to and get some autos.  One of them was Alan Knicely.  The above 1986 Topps was in great shape, regardless of it being off-centered, so I was glad to get that one back signed and get it in my album.

This 1983 Topps also turned out pretty well.  His signature kind of blends in with the blue in the background, and looks cool.

Knicely (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1979 to 1986 for the Astros, Reds, Phillies and Cardinals.  He had 111 hits, 12 home runs and a .213 batting average.

I mailed to Knicely on December 3 and got the cards back on December 12, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Anthony Volpe

I missed seeing Anthony Volpe when Chris and I went to see the Pulaski Yankees in Burlington.  He had already left the team, and I wasn't able to get the above Stars and Stripes card signed.  I saw that he was signing TTM, so I sent the card along, and got it back signed.

Volpe (b. 2001) was a first round pick (30th overall) by the Yankees in the 2019 June amateur draft out of high school.

This season, he had 26 hits, 2 home runs and a .215 batting average.

I mailed to Volpe on October 18 and got the card back on December 12, for a 55-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jason Tyner

I added some nice cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Jason Tyner.  I found a few of them at my LCS, and a couple others were ones from my boxes here at the house.  The above 1999 Finest looks a lot better in person.  I found it at the LCS.  It was one of those types of cards that used to have the protective film over it, that had to be removed.  I prepped it with powder, and it turned out pretty well.

I also got a 2002 Topps Chrome, 2002 Upper Deck and a 2003 Topps signed by Tyner.

Tyner (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2003 and 2005 to 2008 for the Mets, Devil Rays, Twins and Indians.  He had 373 hits, 1 home run and a .275 batting average.

I mailed to Tyner on October 14 and got the cards back on December 9, for a 56-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gerald Perry

I was able to get this 1987 Topps Gerald Perry signed TTM via a private signing on SCN.  The card turned out well, and crosses another name off of my list.

Perry (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1983 to 1995 for the Braves, Royals and Cardinals.  He had 832 hits, 12 home runs and a .265 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1988.

I mailed to the signing on November 21 and got the card back on December 7, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Marty Barrett

It took a while, but my Marty Barrett cards finally came back TTM.  While these were out for signature, I had obtained a Barrett for my 1987 set, so the one below is an extra, now.

Barrett (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1982 to 1991 for the Red Sox and Padres.  He had 938 hits, 18 home runs and a .278 batting average.  He finished 17th in the 1986 AL MVP race.  He was the MVP of the 1986 ALCS.

I mailed to Barrett on March 16, 2018, and got the cards back on December 6, 2019, for a 630-day TAT.

Christmas Gift From Jackson

My good friend, Jackson, sent me this awesome Christmas gift that included the above signed Brooks Robinson 1965 Topps.

1965 is one of my favorite sets, and I was glad to be able to put this Brooks in my autograph album.

Jackson included this Jim Palmer Hall of Fame plaque card, which I had never seen before.  If The Orioles hadn't canceled Fan Fest, I would put this at the top of my list of cards that I would want to get signed.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to for the time being, but might give it a shot later this summer.

Finally, Jackson included these two cards in the package.  I might see Jomar Reyes this summer, and I can always use new Brooks cards.

Thank you so much for the package, Jackson!

Christmas Gift and 50/50 From Dylan D

My friend, Dylan, completed some 50/50s for me and included some additional autos as a Christmas gift for me, recently.  Dylan graphs in Connecticut and hooked me up with some pretty nice stuff.  The above Fernando Romero Topps Holiday card was one of the ones he included in the package.  The card is really cool, and will look great in my album.

This Bryson Stott from 2019 Stars & Stripes was one I had found at the LCS and Dylan was able to get it signed for me.  It turned out great, and I am super happy to get it back.

Finally, here is an assortment of cards that I sent for the 50/50, along with some extras that Dylan provided.  He had done a great job in getting stuff signed, and I can't wait until we can to the next batch of 50/50s.

Thanks so much for the package, Dylan!

Christmas Gift From Michael - Lots of Signed Cards and Other Stuff

Michael sent me a nice Christmas package, which came in a few days ago.  In it were several signed cards that would look great in my album, and also a signed 1987 Topps John Shelby (above) that I needed for my set.

I already had Dempsey in my set, but this one is nice, also.  I needed the other cards, and they all look great.

I've actually got a 5,000-count box of 1994 Score that is at the bottom of my stack of card boxes, so it is very hard to get to.  I need to get in there sometime and really thin it out.  I'm not sure if I gave this cards to Michael from that box and he got it signed, or if he had it on his own.

Finally, Michael gave me these two nice JJ Hardy cards.  Hardy is sorely missed on the Orioles, and he definitely became a fan-favorite during his time there.  I hope he gets into the Orioles Hall of Fame soon.

Thanks so much for the package, Michael!  I know I will see you soon.

TTM Success - Floyd Chiffer

Here is a random card I found in my boxes, which I checked to see if the subject player signed TTM, and I mailed the card out.  Floyd Chiffer signed the card with a ballpoint pen and sent it back to me pretty quickly.

Chiffer (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1982 to 1984 for the Padres.  He had a 5-5 record, 83 strike outs and a 4.02 ERA.

I mailed to Chiffer on November 14 and got the cards back on December 6, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Carlos Cortes

I have been trying to add some more prospect cards to my autograph albums and this TTM success from Carlos Cortes was one that came in successfully recently.

The above 2019 Pro Debut gold is numbered 40/50 and turned out really well.  Cortes signed with a silver Sharpie, and I think it was a nice touch.

I also sent this 2018 Bowman Chrome refractor.  The silver Sharpie really looks good on this one, especially in person.

Cortes (b. 1997) was a 3rd round pick by the Mets in the 2018 June Amateur Draft out of the University of South Carolina.  So far, through two minor league seasons, Cortes has 164 hits, 15 home runs and a .258 batting average.  He is likely to move to Single A Columbia this season, right down the street from where he played college ball.

I mailed to Cortes on October 25 and got the cards back on December 5, for a 41-day TAT.

2020 Wood Ducks Hot Stove Event Graphing Recap

The annual Down East Wood Ducks Hot Stove Event has come and gone.  This year, former Woodies manager, Corey Ragsdale; new manager, Joshua Johnson; Rangers pitcher, Jeffrey Springs and Rangers prospect, Tyler Phillips were on hand to share some BBQ and talk baseball in Kinston for a couple of hours.

I had to get on Ebay to get most of the cards that I brought to the event, since someone in Texas lost my Phillips team set cards, and I was out of stuff for Corey Ragsdale.  I had a couple Hickory team set cards for Johnson; and a couple Jeffrey Springs cards.  I also took a 50/50 for my friend, Gerard, and my friend, Drake, sent me his only Springs to get signed for him.

I had to get some help to finish all of the Springs cards, since I found so many.  I was able to finish my 2019 Heritage card alreay signed by Jose Trevino.  The Gypsy Queens turned out really well, also.

I found out that Rags will be in the dugout during Rangers games this season, which is really awesome.  I'll have to keep an eye out while watching their games and see if I can see him.

We had a really good time.  I didn't spend any money this year, as I got to talking and wasn't paying attention to the silent auction bids that I had laid out.  Oh, well, that might be for the best anyway.

The roundtable discussions were great.  Chris and I sat at a table with our friend, Billy, and also Jordan, a guy who writes for the Kinston newspaper.  We all were able to fire off a few questions for the panel, such as MLBs proposal to cut 42 MILB teams, who Phillips and Springs veteran influences were on the Rangers, etc.  That might be what I enjoy the most about the event.

Now, I'm ready for the 2020 season to begin!

TTM Success - Steve Jeltz

I added another signed card to my 1987 album with this ttm success from Steve Jeltz via a private signing on SCN.  The card turned out really well, and I'm glad I was able to add it.

Jeltz (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1983 to 1990 for the Phillies and Royals.  He had 367 hits, 5 home runs and a .210 batting average.

I mailed to the private signing on November 1 and got the card back on December 2, for a 31-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

TTM Success - Bobby Thigpen

I regretted not starting the set sooner, and I regretted not going to minor league games in the past, but I could have gotten this card signed IP a while back.  Instead, I had to go through a private signing and get this card signed by Bobby Thigpen. 

Thigpen used to be the pitching coach of the Winston-Salem Dash, but that was back before I was graphing much at minor league games.

Thigpen (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 1994 for the White Sox, Phillies and Mariners.  He had a career record of 31-36 with 376 strike outs, 201 saves and an ERA of 3.43.  His 57 saves in 1990 was the MLB single-season record until it was broken in 2008 by Francisco Rodriguez.

I mailed to the private signing on November 6 and got the card back on December 2, for a 26-day TAT.

TTM Success - Vinnie Pestano

When I saw that there were players who played fairly recently who were signing TTM, Vinnie Pestano was one of the first ones I started pulling cards of.  He didn't have much, but I did find a few in my boxes.

Pestano signed the three cards I sent with a black Sharpie, and the signature turned out really well.  I especially liked the 2011 Bowman.

Pestano (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2010 to 2015 for the Indians and Angels.  He had a career record of 6-8 with 244 strike outs and a 2.98 ERA.

I mailed to Pestano on October 21 and got the cards back on November 30, for a 40-day TAT.

TTM Success - Horace Speed

Here's a random card that I pulled from my boxes and was able to send TTM.  Horace Speed doesn't have many cards at all, and this was the only one I had.  He signed in a ballpoint pen.

Speed (b. 1951) played in the majors 1975, 1978 and 1979 for the Giants and Indians.  He had 28 hits, no home runs and a .207 batting average.

I mailed to Speed on October 18 and got the card back on November 30, for a 43-day TAT.

Christmas Gift From Mallory - 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase Box

Normally, when I bust a box and the break makes its way to the blog, I show the numerous hits and provide commentary on what I think.  Well, this break was special for several reasons.  I specifically sent my wife, Mallory, a link for Blowout Cards for a box of 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase.  The reason was simple, pull one card that I was looking for.  The specific player was Joe Reid.  Here's why:

A long time ago, I started my Instagram account because an online friend of mine said I would probably enjoy posting pictures and stuff.  I started my account back in April 2013, and my first posted photo was of my cat, Jericho.  I would post a few random pics here and there, and not really do much else with it.

I started posting random baseball cards in my collection, beginning with my Hall of Fame baseball collection.  I started getting more and more followers and finally around 2014, someone messaged me about making a trade for an extra Manny Machado baseball that I had.  I won't go into full details on it, but the trade didn't work out.  However, it kind of did.

Issues surrounding the trade were later resolved, and a friendship blossomed from it.  As the trade was initially discussed, the kid and I would have Kik conversations, and talk about getting autographs, what cool cards had we picked up, and when the trade didn't work out, I was upset.  I felt like I had made a card buddy.

About a year later, the same kid messaged me out of the blue and asked for my address.  A week or so later, I got a package in the mail with a nice note and an assortment of nice Orioles cards.  Since then, the kid and I have chatted back and forth when time allowed.  I have sat here the last 6 years and watched the two-sport (baseball and football) player grown into a heck of a baseball player.  He has also grown into a heck of a man.  That little hiccup back in 2014 is a faded memory now, and I can say that I am so very super proud to say that I "knew Joe when..."

The whole reason I wanted the box of 2019 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase was so that I could pull a card of one, Joe Reid.  I didn't open the box live on Instagram like I normally like to do.  I only opened it with my wife by my side.  I wanted the moment I pulled Joe's card to be mine.  I pulled the card.

Instantly, I sent Joe a direct message on Instagram and showed him the card.  Joe was as excited as I was.

Joe will probably read this, and I don't want to embarrass him too much, but I do want to say that the moral of the story is that I never gave up on Joe.  He never gave up on me, either.  We realized that there was a friendship there built over the love of baseball, and we used it to form a connection.  My hope is that Joe continues on his path, and maybe someday soon, I can catch one of his games in person.  I would love to go to a game with my autograph book and graph someone I "knew back when...".  That would be really cool.

Thanks for the Christmas gift, Mal.  You saw how excited I was when I pulled the card.

TTM Success - Mike Pagliarulo

Another private signing came along that helped me out with my 1987 Topps set, so I sent this card out to have signed by Mike Pagliarulo.

Pagliarulo (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1984 to 1993 and 1995 for the Yankees, Padres, Twins, Orioles and Rangers.  He had 942 hits, 134 home runs and a .241 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Twins in 1991.

I mailed to the signing on November 6 and got the card back on November 30, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

TTM Success - Stump Merrill

I got this card among several boxes from the Goodwill near my parents' house a while back.  Every now and then, they have baseball cards, and Mom made sure to let me know when I was in town one time that these were there.  The boxes were a bunch of Topps Traded sets (busted, with key cards removed) and some other alternative sets like Donruss Highlights, The Rookies, etc.  So, since the sets had been busted, I broke some of them up even further and sent out a few TTMs.

Stump Merrill (b. 1944) managed the Yankees from about two-thirds of the way through the 1990 season to 1991.  His managerial record was 120-155 (.436 %).  This was a forgettable time in Yankees history, which is fine by me.  Notably, Merrill's successor was the great Buck Showalter.

I mailed to Merrill on October 28 and got the card back signed on November 30, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ned Jarrett

I have his grandson (Zach) on some Delmarva Shorebirds team set cards and his son (Dale) on a Wood Ducks pocket schedule, so it was only natural to try to send some cards to Ned Jarrett when I saw that he was signing TTM.

I went on COMC and picked out some cards that I thought looked cool, and they all came back signed.  I like the ones showing the old race cars.  My mom always liked seeing photos of the racers themselves, but I always liked taking photos of cars and I think that has kind of moved over to the cards as well.

All of these cards are really cool, and I didn't pay a whole lot.

Jarrett (b. 1932) ran in NASCAR's Cup series from 1953 to 1966, amassing 50 wins and 2 series championships (1961 and 1965).  He once won a race (the 1965 Southern 500 in Darlington) by a margin of 14 laps and 2 car lengths, or a total of 19.25 miles.  This is still the largest margin of victory in NASCAR history, in terms of miles.  Jarrett retired in 1966 when Ford announced they were pulling out of NASCAR.  He is still the only driver to retire as the Champion.  He went on to be a popular broadcaster for NASCAR following his retirement from racing.  He was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the second class of inductees in 2011.

I mailed to Jarrett on November 4 and got the cards back on November 30, for a 26-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kurt Kepshire

I went through my 80s box and pulled a few guys who sign TTM and came up with these Kurt Kepshire cards that I sent out.  The above 1985 Topps turned out really well.

I also got this 1986 Topps signed.  It also looks cool.  I was glad to get some of these cards out of the boxes.

Kepshire (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1984 to 1986 for the Cardinals.  He had a career record of 16-15 with 144 strike outs and a 4.16 ERA.

I mailed to Kepshire on November 4 and got the cards back on November 26, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Derryl Cousins

I used up another 1987 Topps checklist recently when I sent TTM to former umpire, Derryl Cousins.  I wanted to add some of the umpires to my set, so if the slot for the checklist is already full, I will add this one to the back of the binder.  I plan on adding some other, different, stuff to my binder via the hundreds of checklists that I ended up with.  We'll see if I can make that happen.

I also had these ad and promo cards put aside for some reason, so I included them with the TTM request to Cousins.  I figured getting an umpire on these would be fine.  Now, these oddball ad cards will have a place in my album, as well.

Cousins (b. 1946) was an umpire in MLB from 1979 to 2012, beginning as an AL umpire from 1979 until the AL and NL umpires were combined in 2000.  He officiated three World Series (1988, 1999 and 2005) and three All Star games (1987, 1998 and 2008).

I mailed to Cousins on October 28 and got the cards back on November 25, for a 28-day TAT.