Mystery TTM From Gerard - Bobby Witt Jr.

My buddy Gerard came up with a really cool idea a few months ago; we would send out a mystery TTM for each other every month. The first one he sent for me came in and it was of Bobby Witt, Jr.  I had gotten Witt myself a while back, but Gerard hooked me up with a 2020 Stars and Stripes, which looks cool.

The first player I sent out for Gerard was Charlie Hough, and he got the cards back yesterday.

Thanks for the idea, Gerard!!

TTM Success - Joe Cowley

I crossed another name off of my 1987 Topps checklist when I received this TTM success from Joe Cowley.  He signed my 87 and also a 1985 Fleer in black Sharpie.

Cowley (b. 1958) played in the majors in 1982 and from 1984 to 1987 for the Braves, Yankees, White Sox and Phillies.  He had a career record of 33-25 with 332 strike outs and a 4.20 ERA.

I mailed to Cowley on May 11 and got the cards back on May 23, for a 12-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Felix Millan

Here are some nice older cards that I was able to get signed by Felix Millan.  I had the above 1968 Topps in my vintage box for a future set that I might build.  I've raided that box so much, and I've kind of put the set building on the back burner.  Still, I enjoy it, and I'll get back to some at some point.  Right now, though, I'm adding autographs to my album.

I also got Millan's 1973, 1976 and 1978 Topps cards signed.  He has a really nice signature, and all of the cards look great.

Millan (b. 1943) played in the majors from 1966 to 1977 for the Braves and Mets.  He had 1,617 hits, 22 home runs and a .279 batting average.  He was an All Star 3 times (1969, 1970 and 1971) and a Gold Glove Award winner twice (1969 and 1972).  His best (and only) finish in the MVP voting was 16th in 1973 (NL).

I mailed to Millan on May 5 and got the cards back on May 23, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lyle Overbay

Allen & Ginter cards really look great when signed, and this 2006 version that I got back signed frm Lyle Overbay is a fine example.  Overbay is one per, so I wasn't able to send any of my other cards I had of him, but this one was worth the limit.

Overbay (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2014 for the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Blue Jays, Pirates, Braves and Yankees.  He had 1,355 hits, 151 home runs and a .266 batting average.

I mailed to Overbay on May 6 and got the card back on May 23, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall was another player that I found by taking a look at my 1991 Crown Orioles set.  I like using those cards as a jumping off point for folks to mail to, and they have helped me with some TTM subjects.  I pulled from a list that I made of about 10 players, and then hit COMC and Sportlots for a couple nice vintage cards for my album.  The above 1958 Topps really looks nice with Marshall's signature on it.

Marshall (b. 1931) played in the majors from 1958 to 1962 for the Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Mets and Pirates.  He had 206 hits, 29 home runs and a .242 batting average.

He managed the Cubs from 1974 to 1976 and the A's in 1979.  He had a 229-326 record (.413 win %) and finished no higher than 4th place in the standings.

I mailed to Marshall on May 12 and got the cards back on May 22, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mel Held

I found another former Oriole in my 1991 Crown set who is on the list of 100 oldest living former MLB players in Mel Held.  I went ahead and sent the 91 Crown, along with the below 2019 Topps Ballpark Evolution card, since I had no other cards for Held.

Held (b. 1929) appeared in 4 games for the Orioles in 1956.  He scored no wins or losses, but had 4 strike outs and a 5.14 ERA.  I mailed to Held on May 11 and got the cards back on May 22, for an 11-day TAT.  I got the envelope back and it had been ripped in half by USPS, but luckily the cards were intact.

Additionally, Held wrote me the nice note seen above.  I really like it when the player takes the time to write back, even if it is a few sentences.  I'll file this note away with all of the other ones that I have gotten over the years.  I really treasure these things.

TTM Success - George Mitterwald

I added a bunch of 70s cards to my album with this TTM success from George Mitterwald.  The above 1975 Topps turned out really well, even though the card is pretty dark.  You can still see the signature, which it all that matters.

I also got a 1974 Topps Traded, 1976 and 1978 Topps signed.  All of them look good.

Mitterwald (b. 1945) played in the majors in 1966 and from 1968 to 1977 for the Tins and Cubs.  He had 623 hits, 76 home runs and a .236 batting average.

I mailed to Mitterwald on May 13 and got the cards back on May 21, for an 8-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Billy DeMars

I saw that he was on this 1973 Topps card, so I decided to send to Billy DeMars again.  I had gotten him a couple years ago on an old Bowman, and didn't realize he was on this card.

Because I didn't want to send just the one card, I knocked out a Topps ad card, as well.  I have a stack of old Topps ad cards, and I'll send them along with TTM requests here and there.  I just think they look cool in my album, so I like to add them when I can.

I mailed to DeMars on May 13 and got the cards back on May 21, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kiko Garcia

I added another 1991 Crown Orioles card to my album, along with some other early 80s (and a 79) cards.  I had Kiko Garcia set aside for a while to send, but never did.  I finally got around to dong it, and am glad I finally did.

Garcia signed all of the cards in black, and they all turned out well.  The 1981 Fleer (right) came out of a lot of cards that my friend, Max, sent me several years ago.

Garcia (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1976 to 1985 for the Orioles, Astros and Phillies.  He had 351 hits, 12 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Garcia on May 11 and got the cards back on May 21, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - TJ Chism

I had TJ Chism's cards in my box for a while, so I could send to him TTM, but it took me some time to find his address.  My friend, Gerard, found it for me, and I sent to him.  The cards came back looking great.

I'm not the biggest fan of 2015 Bowman.  In my opinion, the crds are really hard to read when you are leafing through them due to the foil letters and vertical type.  I usually have to flip them over and go through them by looking at the backs, but maybe that's just me.  If a card is hard to read quickly, they fall out of favor with me really quickly.  That being said, I like getting them signed, because that removes them from my box, and I have less and less cards to look through.

Chism (b. 1988) was a 32nd round pick by the Mets in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of La Salle University.  He spent 6 seasons in the minors between 2009 and 2015, reaching the AA level (Binghamton).  He went 14-11 with 225 strike outs and a 2.78 ERA.

I mailed to Chism on May 11 and got the cards back on May 21, for a 10-day TAT.

Ebay Pickup - Signed 1987 Topps Mike Woodard

It's not pretty, but the last signed card I picked up with my Speedway points, Ebay Bucks and $10 was this "signed" 1987 Topps Mike Woodard.  I'll definitely look to upgrade this at some point, but Woodard doesn't seem to sign much.  Still, a signature is there, and it will go into my album, and cross him off of my list.

Woodard (b.1960) played in the majors from 1985 to 1988 for the Giants and White Sox.  He had 50 hits, 1 home run and a .222 batting average.

I picked up a couple more 87s after the three I just posted, so look for a few more to be shared next week!

TTM Success - Charlie Maxwell

It has been a while since I have added some vintage cards from the 50s to my autograph album, but I picked up a few when I saw that I needed Charlie Maxwell from my Orioles Crown set.  So, I picked up his 1955 Bowman, 1959 Topps and 1964 Topps to send along with the Crown.

All cards turned out well, and I was really glad I had mailed to him.

 I need to get some more vintage going into my album, but I haven't had much of a chance to pursue any, since I have been spending a good bit of money on private signings for my 87 set.

Maxwell (b. 1927) played in the majors from 1950 to 1952 and 1954 to 1964 for the Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and White Sox.  He had 856 hits, 148 home runs and a .264 batting average.  He was a two-time All Star and finished in the MVP voting 3 times (best, 18th, 1957).

It's funny that he got a 1955 Bowman card and it lists him as an Oriole.  He only played 4 games for the Orioles, and was purchased by the Tigers on May 9 of that season.

I mailed to Maxwell on May 12 and got the cards back on May 21, for a 9-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5.00/card.

I just looked, and it turns out that I got Maxwell TTM in 2018, as well.

Ebay Pickup - Ed Nunez Signed 1987 Topps

The next of the three 1987 Topps I picked up for my set was this nice Ed Nunez.  Nunez has a really awesome signature, and the auto was pretty cheap.  Nunez doesn't sign often, from what I could tell, so it was nice to cross this one off of my list.

Nunez (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1982 to 1994 for the Mariners, Mets, Tigers, Brewers, Rangers and A's.  He had a career record of 28-36 with 508 strike outs and a 4.19 ERA.

TTM Success - Josh Rogers

It's always nice when I can get a current Oriole to sign some cards TTM, and these two that came back from Josh Rogers really turned out well.

I used my 2020 Harvey Address Book to be able to send to Rogers, and it worked.  Rogers has a nice signature.

Rogers (b. 1994) has played in the majors since 2018, for the Orioles.  He is 1-3 with an 8.65 ERA and 11 strike outs.  He was part of the return from the Yankees in the Zack Britton trade.

I mailed to Rogers on April 29 and got the cards back on May 21, for a 22-day TAT.

Ebay Pickup For The 87 Set - Bobby Bonilla

I cashed in my Speedway points for a $25 Ebay gift card, and also had some EBay Bucks that I could use.  With that stuff, and an additional $10.00, I picked up three cards for my 1987 set of some tougher autos.

Bobby Bonilla has no need to raise money by doing signings.  He hasn't signed TTM in about 5 years, and who knows if he will again.  So, with my little bit of money, I went ahead and picked up a signed 1987 Topps, so I could go ahead and cross it off of my list.

Bonilla (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 2001 for the White Sox, Pirates, Mets, Orioles, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals.  He had 2,010 hits, 287 home runs and a .279 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Marlins in 1997, and was a 6-time All Star (1988 to 1991, 1993 and 1995).  His best MVP finish was 2nd in 1990 (NL, to teammate, Barry Bonds).

Bonilla appeared on the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% of the vote.

TTM Success - Adam Wolf

I got a couple 2018 Bowman cards out of my box when I got this TTM success back from Adam Wolf.  I had his chrome refractor and base cards and he signed both.

Wolf (b. 1996) was a fifth round pick by the Tigers in the 2018 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Louisville.  He has reached the Tigers Single A affiliate in West Michigan, so far.  His overall record in the minors (2 seasons) is 5-11 with 102 strike outs and a 4.93 ERA.

I mailed to Wolf on April 22 and got the cards back on May 19, for a 27-day TAT.

Max Hits it Big

To say that 2020 has been a terrible year for graphing would be an understatement.  I have had almost zero opportunities to graph and get cards signed via 50/50s.  When my friend, Max, messaged me asking me for every Frank Thomas card that I could find, that awoke the 50/50 fire in me that had been dormant for the year.

I went through all of my boxes of cards and pulled every Thomas that I could get my hands on.  I came away with 75 cards, and Max was really happy with the results.  The cards were expedited to him, and he took them to a signing that he was attending.  Max ended up hooking me up with some of the cards I searched for, so I could add them to my album.

The best part is that a few of them actually came from my mom's collection that she had given me in an old tin cigar box.  The cigar box had a bunch of 90s cards, and Thomas was in there quite a bit.  The above 1995 Collectors Choice What's The Call card was my favorite one out of the whole bunch.  If I only had one card to choose from to take back, it would have been this one.  I was really glad to get it signed.

Max was very gracious in the cards he let me pick from.  There were a bunch of great ones, but I was allowed to get some of the best ones in the bunch.  The 1997 Topps (above, top) was the lone Topps base card that I chose.  I definitely loved the 1997 Upper Deck Define The Game (above, middle) and the 1997 Upper Deck Home Run Heroes (above, bottom).

I don't remember where the 97 Ultra Big Shots (left) came from, but it was a really awesome card.  The 1995 Stadium Club Statistical Extreme card came out of Mom's box, and just looks really great signed.  Finally, the 2017 Topps 87 insert had to come back to me, because it is the 87 design.

I'm really happy with how all of the cards came out, but I'm even happier that Max thought of me when he needed to get some Thomas cards fast.  He went above and beyond in hooking me up, and I always appreciate how we have our deals set up.  Thank you so much for thinking of me, Max!

TTM Success - Jeff Hearron

I'm down to less than 200 cards remaining for my 1987 Topps set.  Private signings have helped me reduce the number of tougher signers, but a constant eye on recent successes of guys in the set has also helped me cross a few names off in the past weeks.

I was happy to see Jeff Hearron's name pop up, so I quickly got a card out to him.  It came back signed in red, but looks really cool.

Hearron also included this religious tract card, which also looks really cool.

Hearron (b. 1961) played in the majors in 1985 and 1986.  He collected 6 hits with no home runs, to the tune of a .200 batting average.  Although he only played 16 games in the majors, he still has a baseball card, and it was an integral autograph to add to my set.

I mailed to Hearron on May 2 and got the cards back on May 18, for a 16-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Bobby Richardson

I used another of the 2010 Topps Franchise History cards to get an autograph of a historical player of whom I had no remaining cards.  Bobby Richardson has a really great signature, and I thought it would look cool on this card, and it does.

I mailed to Richardson on May 6 and got the card back on May 16, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Cullen

Ok, I got excited.  I looked Chris Cullen up, saw that he was a South Carolina Gamecock, and on their page, it said he went to West Forsyth High School.  Then I remembered that there is a Forsyth County in Georgia, too.  Oops, I got excited.  Anyway, I was wanting to get this card signed, because I came across it every time through my box, and never had heard of Cullen.  I thought he may be out of baseball.  It turns out, he finished up his senior season at University of South Carolina in 2019.  He was drafted by the A's in 2015, but has not been drafted nor signed since.  Maybe he will turn up in Independent ball.

I mailed to Cullen on May 2 and got the card back on May 16, for a 14-day TAT.

Another Hall of Famer on Moms Ball - Red Ruffing

Another Hall of Famer that I can cross off of my list, thanks to my mom, is Red Ruffing.  Mom really nailed it with this baseball, as the guys that are on it are ones who would be super tough to get on single signed baseballs.  So, this multi-signed ball really helps the collection a lot.

Ruffing (b. 1905 - d. 1986) played in the majors from 1924 to 1942 and 1946 to 1947 for the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox.  He had a career record of 273-225 with 1,987 strike outs and a 3.80 ERA.  He was a 6-time All Star (1934 and 1938 to 1942) and had a career-best MVP finish at 4th place in 1938.

Ruffing's career got off to a rough start between 1925 and 1929, losing between 13 and 25 games each of those seasons.  He led the league in losses in 1928 and 1929 with 25 and 22, respectively.  He turned the corner in 1930 when the Red Sox traded him for Cedric Durst; at the time, Ruffing was 0-3, but he would go 15-5 with the Yankees.  After the trade, Ruffing would average almost 17 wins a season for the next 13 seasons.  He won 20 games or more in four straight seasons (1936 to 1939) .  Ruffing won the World Series with the Yankees in 1932, 1936 to 1939 and 1941 ( 6 championships).

When Ruffing was traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees, then-Yankees manager, Bob Shawkey, a former pitcher, was convinced he could get better results out of Ruffing by changing his pitch delivery.  The changes worked, and the trade of Durst for Ruffing is considered one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history.

Red Ruffing was elected to the Hall of Fame in a run-off election in 1967, his final year of eligibility on the ballot.

Ruffing is my 150th Hall of Fame signature on a baseball. 

TTM Success - Tom Griffin

My stack of stuff to be blogged is so huge right now, it isn't even funny.  I've had a consisten stream of TTM successes coming in lately, and I also have gotten some trades in.  Not to mention, the signatures on the ball that Mom gave me.  I need to get to work and get some posts done.  That being said, I took it easy yesterday and didn't even post at all.  Really runs counter to what I just said.  I guess I need to get on it today and try to get some posts out.

Anyway, I got a few cards signed TTM from Tom Griffin.  I like the action shot on the 1973 Topps above.  They aren't the polished shots that you see today, but really, the shots aren't bad.  There's something to like about the wide angles, and early attempts at the action photography on a card.

I wish I had more 1975s to send out, but I took part in a secret Santa a few years ago and helped someone with their set needs list.  I never did get a thank you, so I'm really regretting even bothering with doing that.  I should have held onto the cards and sent more TTM.  At that time, I wasn't doing that as much, and definitely wasn't doing it with cards.  Oh well.  I hope I helped the guy out.

1975 Topps is a really cool set, and was one of my favorite ones that I put together.  The Yount and Brett rookie cards are popular, but really, the design it what does it.  It is delightfully freaky; nnot super trippy and scary like 1995 Fleer (which I also enjoy).  Griffin signed over top of the faux signatures on the 75 and the 1982 beside it.  I think that kind of takes away from the auto.  I wouldn't mind if Topps never did the facsilime autos ever again.

Griffin (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1969 to 1982 for the Astros, Padres, Angels, Giants and Pirates.  He had a career record of 77-94 with 1,054 strike outs and a 4.07 ERA.

I mailed to Griffin on May 7 and got the cards back on May 15, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Art Schallock

Here is another signed card from a former Oriole that I pulled off of the Wikipedia List of 100 Oldest Living Former MLB players.  Check the list out, it is very interesting.

I saw Art Schallock on the list, and pulled his card from my 1991 Orioles Crown set.  It looks like this was the only card of him, but I have been wrong before.

Schallock (b. 1924) played in the majors from 1951 to 1955 for the Yankees and Orioles.  He had a career record of 6-7 with 77 strike outs and a 4.03 ERA.  He won the World Series in 1953 with the Yankees.

I mailed to Schallock on May 6 and got the card back on May 15, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jermaine Dye

The $40 I paid for the 2020 Harvey Address Book was well worth it when I got this success back from Jermaine Dye.

I had a ton of Dye cards, but had to narrow it down to the three that I ended up sending in.  I really liked the above 2007 Allen & Ginter, and it turned out great.

The 2007 Perez sketch card from 07 Ginter turned out really well, too, even though I wasn't a big fan of the cards.  Some of them just looked goofy.  Still, I didn't have any signed ones in my album, so this Dye will be a nice addition.

Finally, the 2005 Fleer (I think it was Fleer Tradition) also looks really sharp.

Dye (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1996 to 2009 for the Braves, Royals, A's and White Sox.  He had 1,779 hits, 325 home runs and a .274 batting average.  He finished 6th in the 1996 N Rookie of the Year voting.  He was a 2-time All Star (2000 and 2006), Gold Glove Award winner (2000) and Silver Slugger (2006).  He hit 44 home runs during the 2006 season, and finished 5th in the AL MVP voting.  Dye won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005 and was the MVP of that series.

He appeared on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot, but received  no votes.

I mailed to Dye on April 25 and got the cards back on May 15, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rich Morales

Some more 1970s cards were added to my album when I got these two cards back signed from Rich Morales.  He signed my 1974 (above) and 1973 (below) Topps cards in black ballpoint pen.

Morales (b. 1943) played in the majors from 1967 to 1974 for the White Sox and Padres.  He had 205 hits, 6 home runs and a .195 batting average.

I mailed to Morales on April 30 and got the cards back on May 14, for a 14-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Blue Moon Odom

Going through my boxes, I typically come across a bunch of cards that I just want to get signed.  Some of the players have signed for me before, so I hold those cards back, and every now and then, I'll send the cards out.  I had gotten John "Blue Moon" Odom TTM several years ago, but I kept seeing these cards in my 1973 Topps box, and kept thinking that I would love to get a few of them signed.

I finally mailed to Odom again, and the cards turned out great.  I think, if he comes back anytime soon, I will get Johnny Bench on the above card.  I think it would be cool with both players autographs on the card.

Yeah, I'm not finishing this one.  It is a cool card, though, and I was glad to be able to get Odom to sign it.

Finally, I added Odom's base card.  It also looks great.

I mailed to Odom on May 4 and got the cards back on May 14, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid Odom's fee of $5/card.

Also, a note on blog comments - I can't reply directly to comments, so if you have specific questions, like how to do TTM or where I get addresses, please just email me.  My email address is listed on the side of the blog.  If you have commented a specific question, I'm not being rude, I just haven't been able to reply directly.

TTM Success - Tom House

I moved some 70s cards out of my boxes when I got this TTM success from Tom House.  It starts off with the airbrushed 1976 Topps Traded of House.  They did a pretty good job with the airbrushing, I think.

I got this 1972 Topps Braves Rookies card signed.  I'll need to look and see if the other guys are living, and if they sign.

Finally, I added a 1974, 1977 and 1978 to the album.

House (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1971 to 1978 for the Braves, Red Sox and Mariners.  He had a career record of 29-23 with 261 strike outs and a 3.79 ERA.

I mailed to House on May 8 and got the cards back on May 14, for an 8-day TAT.