TTM Success - Dan Quayle

Here is another 1987 Topps checklist that I got signed recently; this one being signed by the 44th Vice President of the US, Dan Quayle.

Quayle (b. 1947) served as a US representative from 1977 to 1981 and a senator from 1981 to 1989 from the State of Indiana.  He was the Vice President (under HW Bush) from 1989 to 1993.

I mailed to Quayle on August 17 and got the card back on September 19, for a 33-day TAT.  I had also sent the Allen & Ginter Washington Monument card, but he didn't sign that one.

TTM Success - Lars Anderson

I got Lars Anderson to sign two cards, and it looks like it is time for the Sharpie he used to hit the trash can.  It looks about dried up.  Oh well.

I was glad to add a 2011 Topps to my album, even though the auto doesn't look the greatest.  I have very few of these, and getting any out of my box is a good thing.

Anderson (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2010 to 2012 for the Red Sox.  He had 8 hits, no home runs and a .167 batting average.

I mailed to Anderson on June 15 and got the cards back on September 19, for a 96-day TAT.  He did include a nice note with the cards.  I'm really happy with this return, even though it may not sound like it.

TTM Success - Willie Norwood

I got a 1979 Topps (above) and a 1980 Topps (below) signed TTM by Willie Norwood recently.  His signature is pretty nice, and the cards look great.

Norwood (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1977 to 1980 for the Twins.  He had 207 hits, 18 home runs and a .242 batting average.

I mailed to Norwood on September 4 and got the cards back on September 18, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Josh Fogg

Here are some mid-2000s cards that I was able to get signed TTM when I sent to Josh Fogg.  The above 2008 Upper Deck turned out really well.  These cards look great when signed, and I have a ton of them still.  I just always have that box buried, and don't get into it often.  When I do, though, I'm glad to get some of the cards signed.

I also got Fogg's Topps cards from 2003, 2004 and 2005 signed.  The 04 and 05 cards look very similar, but the 2003 definitely stands out with that blue border.

Fogg (b. 1976) played in the majors from 2001 to 2009 for the White Sox, Pirates, Rockies and Reds.  He had a career record of 62-69 with 627 strike outs and a 5.03 ERA.

I mailed to Fogg on September 8 and got the cards back on September 18, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Ford

Two of these Ben Ford cards came out of the cheap 5,000-count boxes I picked up from my LCS.  The only one that was mine was the 1998 Topps shown below (below, left).  I happened to look to see if he signed, and saw that he did, so I pulled the two I saw in the card shop boxes, and then pulled the 1998 from my stash of Topps cards.

The above 1998 Chrome must have been sitting in these boxes for a long time, as the cards had to be peeled apart, and they seemingly don't need prepping.  I think whatever UV coating Topps used then was pretty bad, and was susceptible to melting and sticking to other cards.  I hate it.  Still, the card looks ok, but a lot of the cards from those boxes look kind of cloudy, especially when I prep them with powder, so I sent off a few last week unprepped, just to see what happens.

Ford (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1998, 2000 and 2004 for the Diamondbacks, Yankees and Brewers.  He had a career record of 1-2 with 23 strike outs and a 7.80 ERA.

I mailed to Ford on August 31 and got the cards back on September 17, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Martin Sheen

I added another signed checklist to my 1987 Topps album.  I saw that actor, Martin Sheen, was signing TTM, so I sent to him, and got the card back signed in green.

A lot of people have asked me why I send the 87 checklists to people, or that they don't see the correlation.  The simple answer is that, if they were active doing anything in 1987, I tend to send one, and an even simpler answer is that I send them to folks when I have nothing else baseball card sized that I can send.  I have had more luck getting folks to sign an 87 checklist, than I have with them signing dummy blanks, or even blank signature cards.  Plus, I have so damn many of these, and they are just sitting in a pile on my desk; why not send some out and fill a few album pages with some glorious randomness?

Sheen (b. 1940) is an American actor known for roles in Apocalypse Now, Wall Street, The American President and The Departed, among many others.  He won a Golden Globe for his work on the TV show, The West Wing.  He has never been nominated for an Academy Award, which is really weird, since I could have sworn he had been nominated for The Departed and Apocalype Now.

He is the father of Charlie Sheen (ha!!), Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Renee Estevez; all are also actors.  His brother, Joe Estevez, also is an actor, though he has appeared in mostly B and low budget movies.

I mailed to Sheen on September 5 and got the card back on September 17, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ron Simmons

Chris gave me the card but I wanted to make sure I got Ron Simmons's autograph while he was signing ttm. He has long been a favorite wrestler of mine and is a college football legend.

Simmons (b. 1958) is a retired former WWE wrestler and former college football player (Florida State). He began wrestling in 1986 and retired in 2010.

Simmons was a former one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and is recognized by WWE as the first African American to hold a major World title. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012. He played professional football for the Cleveland Browns in 1981 as part of the practice squad only. 

I mailed to Simmons on September 1 and got the card back on September 14, for a 13-day TAT. I paid a fee of $5.

TTM Success - Marc Summers

If you grew up in the 80s, then you saw Marc Summers on Double Dare on Nickelodeon all the time. That was such a fun game show to watch, and I always enjoyed it. When I pulled this card, and saw Summers signed ttm, I jumped at the chance to send to him.

Of course, I added Summers to my 1987 Checklist signature roster, just because.

Summers (b. 1951) has been a game show host since the early 80s. He hosted Double Dare from 1986 to 1993, which is what I most knew him from.

Since the show's cancellation, Summers has hosted various shows on Lifetime, The History Channel and back to Nickelodeon. He has seen several reiterations of Double Dare pop up, including a touring show that began last year.

I mailed to Summers on August 31 and got the cards back on September 14, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Urban

Here are a few cards I was able to get signed ttm by Jeff Urban. All of these cards came out of the cheap 5k box of cards I got from the card shop.

I'll have to look and see if Chris Jones signs ttm and maybe try to complete this card.

Urban (b. 1977) was a 1st round pick (41st overall) in the 1998 June Amateur Draft by the Giants. 

He played 6 seasons in MiLB and another two in the independent leagues. He had a record of 38-49 with 589 strike outs and a 4.43 ERA. He reached AAA but never cracked the majors.

I mailed to Urban on September 1 and got the cards back on September 12, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Curtis Thigpen

Curtis Thigpen's cards hung out in my Rookies box for quite a long time.  I kept seeing this 2007 Bowman Sterling in the box, and I finally got around to sending to him.

The Sterling looks great, as does this 2007 Bowman Chrome.  This was another card that was in my box for forever, so I was glad to get them out and signed.

Thigpen (b. 1983) played in the majors in 2007 and 2008 for the Blue Jays.  He had 27 hits, 1 home run and a .229 batting average.

I mailed to Thigpen on August 31 and got the cards back on September 12, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Larry Anderson

I only had these two cards showing Larry Anderson, but I went ahead and sent to him anyway.  I don't know if I will try to fill each card up, but it may be something I end up doing at some point.

Anderson (b. 1952) played in the majors in 1974, 1975 and 1977 for the Brewers and White Sox.  He had a record of 2-3 with 23 strike outs and a 5.66 ERA.

I mailed to Anderson on August 27 and got the cards back on September 12, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joe Rosselli

Yeah, 1995 Fleer gets a bad rap.  It is the freakiest set out there, and it gives you a headache for sure.  Still, I'm a big fan of getting the cards signed.  There's just something about how they look when signed.  I got the above 1995 Fleer signed TTM by Joe Rosselli recently.  This was the card that made me look him up to see if he signed, and it sat in my box for a long time while I built a request around it.  I somehow accumulated other Rosselli cards without even trying, really, and finally sent them out.

I got Rosselli's 1992 Classic Best, 1993 CLassic Best, 1993 Bowman and 1994 Fleer Ultra signed, as well.

Rosselli (b. 1972) played in the majors in 1995 for the Giants.  He went 2-1 with 7 strike outs and a 8.70 ERA.

I mailed to Rosselli on August 12 and got the cards back on September 12, for a 31-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dickie Noles

It took a bit, but I was finally able to cross Dickie Noles off of my needs list for my 1987 Topps set.  The card came back signed in black, and turned out well.

I also got Noles on a 1981 Topps card, as well, since I had a bunch of them signed already.  You never know when you'll decide to torture yourself by starting an autographed set, and I have been able to add a ton of 81s.

Noles (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1979 to 1988 and 1990 for the Phillies, Cubs, Rangers, Indians, Tigers and Orioles.  He had a record of 36-53 with 455 strike outs and a 4.56 ERA.  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980.

I mailed to Noles on April 23 and got the cards back on September 12, for a 142-day TAT.

TTM Success - Logan Shore

I joined the Baseball Prospects Private Signings page on Facebook, and entered this private signing for Logan Shore.  The signing helped me get two cards out of my Box of Shame.  I especially wanted to get this blue parallel from 2017 Heritage Minors signed, and it looks great.

I went ahead and got the base card from 2017 Heritage Minors signed as well.  That at least gets two cards signed that I missed out on in a 50/50 last season.

Shore (b. 1994) was a 2nd round pick by the A's in the 2016 June Amateur Draft.  He has reached AA, and is now in the Tigers system.  In the minors, he has a record of 9-20 with 240 strike outs and a 3.76 ERA.

I mailed to the signing on August 7 and got the cards back on September 11, for a 35-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Dave Rozema

I got some 80s cards signed recently when I got this return from Dave Rozema.  I had his cards in my box for a while, and finally got around to getting them in the mail.  This 1983 Fleer turned out really well.  The box of old Fleer and Donruss is at the bottom of my stack of boxes, so it is tough to get into it at times.  I try to keep a rotation of boxes, but since I prefer Topps cards, I often forget about the older Fleer and Donruss that I have.  I need to make a habit of getting into that box a bit more often, I think.

I also got a 1981 Topps and a 1985 Topps signed by Rozema.  He even inscribed the 85 with "1984 World Series Champs", which was pretty cool.

Rozema (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1977 to 1986 for the Tigers and Rangers.  He had a career record of 60-53 with 448 strike outs and a 3.47 ERA.  He finished 8th in the 1977 AL Cy Young race, and 4th in the 1977 AL Rookie of the Year race.  He (obviously) won the World Series with the Tigers in 1984.

I mailed to Rozema on September 1 and got the cards back on September 11, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Tim Redding

Here are some early 2000s Bowmans and a 2008 Topps that I was able to get signed TTM by Tim Redding.  The above 2002 Bowman turned out nicely.  These are some pretty cool cards that I never got many of back then.  I have a small bit of them now, thanks to the stuff that I have picked up recently from the LCS.

Redding's 2000 Bowman and his 2008 Topps both turned out well, also.

Redding (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2001 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009 for the Astros, Padres, Yankees, Nationals and Mets.  He had a career record of 37-57 with 552 strike outs and a 4.95 ERA.

I mailed to Redding on September 1 and got the cards back on September 11, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Casper Wells

I got this 2013 Topps Update Casper Wells signed TTM recently.  His signature is really nice, and I was glad to get a 13 Update out of my box.

Wells (b. 1984) played in the majors from 2010 to 2013 for the Tigers, Mariners, A's, White Sox and Phillies.  He had 158 hits, 25 home runs and a .230 batting average.

I mailed to Wells on July 23 and got the card back on September 9, for a 48-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chuck Brinkman

I added another 73 Topps to my album with this TTM success from Chuck Brinkman.  He signed nicely with a ballpoint pen, which seems to be typical of the older players.  I prefer Sharpie, of course, but there's nothing wrong with pen.

Brinkman (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1969 to 1974 for the White Sox and Pirates.  He had 46 hits, 1 home run and a .172 batting average.  He was the brother of the late Ed Brinkman.

I mailed to Brinkman on September 1 and got the card back on September 9, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ed Yarnall

I got a bunch of cards out of my bargain boxes that I got from my LCS and sent them off for signatures.  One of the players I found at the time was Ed Yarnall.  He had a bunch of early 2000s Bowmans, so those were some cool cards to send off.  The above 1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond looks much better in person, by the way.

Above, there are three different years of Bowman represented: 1998 (top left), 1999 Chrome (top right) and 2000 (bottom left).  There is also a 1999 Team Best on the bottom right.

Yarnall (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1999 and 2000 for the Yankees.  He had a record of 1-0 with 14 strike outs, and a 5.40 ERA.  He was originally drafted by the Mets, but went to the Marlins in the Mike Piazza trade (remember the 5 games that Piazza was a Marlin?), then he went to the Yankees in the Mike Lowell trade.  He didn't make the playoff roster either year, but he was a member of the 1999 and 2000 Yankees teams that won the World Series.  I'm sure he got a ring.

I mailed to Yarnall on August 31 and got the cards back on September 9, for a 9-day TAT.

Mystery TTM From Gerard - Darin Mastroianni

September's surprise TTM came in that Gerard had sent, and it was from Darin Mastroianni.  The card was a 2013 Topps and inscribed to me.

Mastroianni (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2011 to 2014 and 2016 for the Blue Jays and Twins.  He had 58 hits, 4 home runs and a .206 batting average.  The card came in on September 9.

TTM Success - Spencer Brickhouse

I was able to get a couple cards from 2019 Bowman Draft signed when I got these back from Spencer Brickhouse via TTM.  The 2019 Bowman Draft and 2019 Bowman Draft Chrome both turned out really well.

Brickhouse (b. 1998) was a 7th round draft pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of ECU.  He played 60 games in Missoula last year and had 61 hits, 6 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Brickhouse on June 3 and got the cards back on September 5, for a 94-day TAT.

TTM Success - Andy Sheets

I had held onto these two Andy Sheets cards for a long time, and finally got around to sending them off.  I had hoped I would find some other cards of his, but I never did.  That's ok, because a 2000 Topps Chrome (above) and 2000 Topps (below) were some pretty nice cards to send.

Sheets (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1996 to 2002 for the Mariners, Padres, Angels, Red Sox and Devil Rays.  He had 207 hits, 19 home runs and a .216 batting average.

I mailed to Sheets on August 26 and got the cards back on September 4, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Richie Shaffer

I have to say, man Stadium Club looks nice when it is signed.  Those are some nice cards, and being able to get one of them signed is always nice.  The above 2016 Stadium Club is one of the two cards I got back from Richie Shaffer when I sent to him TTM.

I also got this 2013 Panini USA Baseball card signed.  This was back when Shaffer went to school with my good friend, Corbin.  I haven't talked to Corbin in forever, but every time I see one of Shaffer's cards, I always think of him.

Shaffer (b. 1991) played in the majors in 2015 and 2016 for the Rays.  He was a first round pick (25th overall) by the Rays in the 2012 June Amateur Draft out of Clemson.  Before that, he went to Providence High School in Charlotte.  He had 26 hits, 5 home runs and a .213 batting average.

I mailed to Shaffer on August 4 and got the cards back on September 3, for a 30-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tom McCraw

I got some more vintage cards signed recently, when I got this TTM success back from Tom McCraw.  The above 1968 Topps looks really nice.  I had to raid my vintage box to get it done, but I can replace it later if I decide to pursue the 1968 Topps set.

I also got this 1973 Topps card signed by McCraw.  His signature on this one is pretty illegible, but the card is still signed.

McCraw (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1963 to 1975 for the White Sox, Senators, Indians and Angels.  He had 972 hits, 75 home runs and a .246 batting average.

I mailed to McCraw on August 18 and got the cards back on August 29, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - George Thomas

This 1965 Topps card of George Thomas sat in my "to be TTMed" box for a while before I finally got around to sending it out.  I'm glad I finally did, as the card turned out great.  I also don't have a whole lot of 65s, so getting one done is always nice.

Thomas (b. 1937) played in the majors from 1957 to 1958 and 1961 to 1971 for the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox and Twins.  He had 430 hits, 46 home runs and a .255 batting average.

I mailed to Thomas on August 4 and got the card back on August 29, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steve Dunning

I added another 1973 Topps card to my album when I got this TTM success back from Steve Dunning.  His signature looks great on this card, but the card itself was damaged in transit.  It'll straighten up after spending time in my album.

Dunning (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1970 to 1974 and 1976 to 1977 for the Indians, Rangers, Angels, Expos and A's.  He had a career record of 23-41 with 390 strike outs and a 4.56 ERA.

I mailed to Dunning on August 4 and got the card back on August 29, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Frank Reberger

I took a 1970 Topps card that I picked up at a recent card show and got it signed TTM by Frank Reberger.  The card turned out great.

Reberger (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1968 to 1972 for the Cubs, Padres and Giants.  He had a record of 14-15 with 258 strike outs and a 4.52 ERA.

I mailed to Reberger on August 18 and got the card back on August 28, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lance Painter

I added a couple other early Rockies cards to my collection when I received this TTM success back from former pitcher, Lance Painter.  I was able to get a 1994 Topps (above), 1993 Topps (below, left) and a 1993 Score Select (below, right) signed by Painter.

Each of the cards looks great.

Painter (b. 1967) was actually born in the UK.  He played in the majors from 1993 to 2001 and 2003 for the Rockies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Brewers.  He had a career record of 25-18 with 331 strike outs and a 5.24 ERA.

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

TTM Success - Mark Malaska

I was thumbing through the 2003 Topps extras I have and found that Mark Malaska signs TTM, so I went ahead and mailed the card I had to him.  It came back fairly quickly and has been added to my album.

Malaska (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2003 and 2004 for the Devil Rays and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 2-1 with 29 strike outs and a 3.75 ERA.

I mailed to Malaska on August 18 and got the card back on August 27, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Hawblitzel

I got some early 90s cards signed by Ryan Hawblitzel.  The above 1993 Classic Best is a card I found in one of the cheap boxes I picked up from my LCS.  These cards look really nice when signed.

I also found this 1993 Topps in my boxes and sent it off to be signed.  It also turned out well.  The Rockies cards in 1993 Topps don't stand out as much as the Marlins cards do, but they still are good to get signed.

Hawblitzel (b. 1971) played in the majors in 1996 for the Rockies.  He went 0-1 that season with 7 strike outs and a 6.00 ERA.

I mailed to Hawblitzel on August 11 and got the cards back on August 27, for a 16-day TAT.