TTM Success - Cory Gearrin

I got a couple nice cards signed recently by Cory Gearrin.  The above 2011 Bowman Chrome is actually a purple parallel, but the scanner makes it look blue.  The card still looks great, and I am glad it came back signed.

He also signed a 2018 Topps, which also turned out really well.

Gearrin (b. 1986) has played in the majors since 2011 (missing the 2014 season) for the Braves, Giants, Rangers, A's, Mariners, Yankees and Twins.  He has a career record of 13-12 with 283 strike outs and a 3.61 ERA.

I mailed to Gearrin on November 1 and got the cards back on November 19, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joan Hodges

Joe Buck mentioned her during the World Series broadcast, so I took a chance and sent these two cards to Joan Hodges, widow of Gil Hodges. I figured it was worth a shot, since what I was sending was the above 1989 Topps Turn Back The Clock and the below 1972 Topps checklist. I was excited when I got them both back signed.

She signed both "Mrs. Gil Hodges", and they look pretty cool.

Gil Hodges (b. 1924 - d. 1972) played in the majors in 1943 and 1947 to 1963 for the Dodgers (Brooklyn and LA) and Mets. He had 1,921 hits, 370 home runs and a .273 batting average.  He was an 8-time all star (1949-1955 and 1957) and his best finish in the MVP race was 7th (1957). He was a Gold Glove Award winner in 1957, 1958 and 1959.  Hodges won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1955 and 1959.

Hodges managed the Senators from 1963 to 1967 and the Mets from 1968 to 1971; winning the World Series with the Mets in 1969.  His overall managerial record was 660-763 (.467 win %).

Hodges appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot a maximum of 15 years (from 1969 yo 1983), where he received as much as 63.4%. This is the highest vote % for anyone who did not eventually get elected to the Hall.

I mailed to Mrs. Hodges (who is now 94) on 10/28 and got the cards back today 11/19 for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Caleb Joseph

It was able to get a good many cards out of my Orioles box for this TTM that I sent to Caleb Joseph.  Joseph was in the Orioles organization for a long time, and when he finally got to the majors, there were a lot of O's fans who were really happy for the guy.  He was probably a season away from giving up his dream of playing in the majors when he finally got the call.

I got some really cool card signed, starting with the above 2016 Topps Mini that my buddy, Ryan gave to me.

I couldn't send a TTM request to him without sending the above 2010 Bowman.  I had so many of these and never was able to get one signed at Fan Fest.

I also got cards from 2015 and 2018 Topps signed, and they turned out really well.

Joseph (b. 1986) has played in the majors since 2014 for the Orioles, Diamondbacks and Blue Jays.  He has 281 hits, 32 home runs and a .222 batting average.

I mailed to Joseph on November 3 and got the cards back on November 16, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Craig Stammen

Here are some nice cards that I came across in my boxes.  I saw that Craig Stammen signed TTM, so my 2009 Topps Update, 2010 Topps Heritage and 2019 Topps Heritage were sent off for autographs.  All of them turned out great, I think.

It is kind of cool to see the two Heritage cards lined up beside each other.  I find it interesting sometimes to do that with a player's early-career and late-career cards.  It just seems cool.

Stammen (b. 1984) has played in the majors since 2009 (with the exception of 2016) for the Nationals and Padres.  He has a record of 48-39 with 625 strike outs and a 3.69 ERA.

I mailed to Stammen on November 3 and got the cards back on November 16, for a 13-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Don Kessinger

I mailed to Don Kessinger back in 2018 and got him on 4 cards.  I found a few more at a card show and sent them TTM.  The above 1969 Topps All Star looks really cool signed.

I also got a 1966, 1972, 1973 and a 1975 Topps signed.  The 1973 is way miscut.  That is actually cool, because I didn't have a miscut card like that in my album.  I like having all kinds of cards represented in my autograph collection.

I mailed to Kessinger on October 12 and got the cards back on November 14, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Duffalo

It took two tries, but I finally got this beat up old card signed by Jim Duffalo.  This is a pretty rough 1965 Topps, but it will still look cool in my album.  I've shifted my focus a bit, as of late, to early-to-mid 2000s Bowmans, just to get them out of my box.  I still enjoy getting vintage cards signed, and will probably shift back to some of those sometime soon.

Duffalo (b. 1935) played in the majors from 1961 to 1965 for the Giants and Reds.  He had a career record of 15-8 with 210 strike outs and a 3.39 ERA.

I mailed to Duffalo on October 30 and got the card back on November 13, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Chinea

I have found a good place to locate addresses and have used it lately to get a bunch of older Bowman cards signed TTM.  I really started using it when I was searching for some of the guys in the 2010 Bowman USA set.  I've been able to get quite a few cards from the set signed.  There are some that I will probably have to wait to get, like Alex Bregman, but I've done pretty well overall.

I got this card signed by Chris Chinea in a red Sharpie, which actually fits the card.  I know red isn't usually good for autos; it'll probably fade after a while, but it looks cool today.

Chinea (b. 1994) was a 17th round pick in the 2015 June Amateur Draft by the Cardinals out of Louisiana State University.  He played in the minors from 2015 to 2019, then moved to the independent leagues in 2020.  In his 5 seasons in the minors, he had 442 hits, 42 home runs and a .275 batting average.

I mailed to Chinea on October 30 and got the card back on November 12, for a 13-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Javy Lopez

It always happens.  When I'm looking for a card, I don't find it.  When I'm not looking for it, the card is right in front of me.  That's what happened with this 2006 Topps Chrome black refractor.  I knew I had this card, but when the first Javy Lopez signing came along, I couldn't find it.  Once I sent in the backup cards that I had, this card suddenly popped up.  It ended up working out, because the promoter did another Javy signing right after the first one.  So, this card got sent and came back looking amazing.

I mailed to the signing on November 2 and got the card back on November 13, for an 11-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $25.00.

TTM Success - Ben Lively

I got some nice cards back from Ben Lively TTM that turned out alright.  His Sharpie is about dead; it's about time for a new one.  The above 2014 Bowman Chrome 89 retro turned out great, even with the crappy Sharpie.

I also had these 2014 Bowmans.  I was glad to get them out of my Bowman box and into my autograph album.

Lively (b. 1992) played in the majors from 2017 to 2019 for the Phillies and Royals.  He had a record of 4-10 with 80 strike outs and a 4.80 ERA.

I mailed to Lively on May 30 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 166-day TAT.

TTM Success - Taylor Rogers

I got a couple recent cards signed when I got this TTM success back from Taylor Rogers.  The cards were 2019 and 2020 Topps, and both turned out great.

Rogers (b. 1990) has played in the majors since 2016 for the Twins.  He has a record of 15-14 with 302 strike outs and a 3.12 ERA.

I mailed to Rogers on February 10 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 276-day TAT.  This was a TTM that I had sent to Spring Training 2020.

TTM Success - John Franco

Another tougher name was crossed off of my 1987 Topps checklist thanks to a private signing on SCN, John Franco.  The card turned out great, as is usually the case with private signings.

Franco (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1984 to 2001 and 2003 to 2005 for the Reds, Mets and Astros.  He had a career record of 90-87 with 975 strike outs and a 2.89 ERA.  His 424 career saves are 5th all-time.  He was a 4-time All Star (1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990).  His best finish in the Cy Young voting was 7th (1994) and his best MVP finish was 12th (1988).  He appeared on the 2011 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 4.6% of the vote.  One would think he would get a better look now that Lee Smith has been inducted.

I mailed to the signing on September 14 and got the card back on November 9, for a 56-day TAT.

TTM Success - Willie Wilson

I crossed another name off of my 1987 Topps checklist with this TTM success from Willie Wilson.  I also got the above 1985 Topps signed.  I figured I would add something to the submission along with the typical 87, so this card made the cut.

Of course, the 87 looks great, also.  I was glad to get this card done and off of my list.

Wilson (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1976 to 1994 for the Royals, A's and Cubs.  He had 2,207 hits, 41 home runs and a .285 batting average.  He was a 2-time All Star (1982 and 1983) and a Gold Glove Award winner (1980).  He led the league in hits in 1980 (230 hits) and led the league in triples 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.  He also led the league in stolen bases in 1979 with 83.  He was the 1982 AL Batting Champ with a .332 batting average.  That season, he won the Silver Slugger Award.  His best MVP finish was in 1980, when he finished 4th.  He won the World Series with the Royals in 1985.  He appeared on the 2000 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 2.0% of the vote.  One would think he would have had a little bit better of a showing than that.

I mailed to Wilson on October 31 and got the cards back signed on November 9, for a 9-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Paul Runge

I got a couple 80s cards back signed from Paul Runge recently.  The above 1989 Topps looks really nice, now that it is signed.  Runge's signature is very clear, which can't be said about a lot of today's players.

The above 1986 Topps also turned out nicely.

Runge (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1981 to 1988 for the Braves.  He had 80 hits, 4 home runs and a .232 batting average.

I mailed to Runge on October 12 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Randy Maris

I don't mind getting a baseball legend's card signed by a relative, if the legend himself has passed.  In this case, I got a couple Roger Maris cards signed by his son Randy.

Maris (b. 1934 - d. 1985) played in the majors from 1957 to 1968 for the Indians, A's (KC), Yankees and Cardinals.  He had 1,325 hits, 275 home runs and a .260 batting average.  He was a 2-time AL MVP (1960 and 1961), a 7-time All Star (1959-1962, with double honors in 1960, 1961 and 1962) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 1960.  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1961 and 1962 and with the Cardinals in 1967.  He was the single-season home run champ until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998.

Maris appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the maximum of 15 times (1974 to 1988), but never got more than 43.1% of the vote (and that was in his final year of eligibility).  Arguments can be made for and against Maris's Hall credentials; I'm not sure his two good seasons and one epic season among his 12 in the league qualifies him, but if he did get in at some point, I wouldn't be upset.

I mailed to Randy Maris on October 28 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 12-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Don Ferrarese

I had gotten Don Ferrarese TTM back in 2017 on a 1956 Topps.  I wanted to get him again, this time on my 1991 Crown Orioles, as well as a couple other cards that I had.  I actually raided my 1955 Topps completed set to get his card to send.  I was a bit disappointed that the signature was smudged a bit, but it is still signed.  I was even more disappointed when I went to put it in my album and realized that I had run out of 8-card pages that fit these vintage cards.  I need to get some more.  I actually upgraded this card in my set once I mailed this one off; I found a better-condition one on Ebay the same day I mailed this off.

I got the 1991 Crown signed, and it turned out well.  The end of his signature got a little smeared, as well, though.

Finally, the best card of the bunch turned out to be this 1957 Topps that I had in a random box of vintage cards.

I mailed to Ferrarese on October 28 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rob Dressler

I like having different cards in my autograph album, and that includes some that may not be as catchy as others.  Still, some things can be found with some older sets that stand out.  1981 Donruss isn't the greatest set, but it isn't terrible.  It's a pretty basic design, and looks pretty nice when signed.  This Rob Dressler card is decent enough.  The background is a bit dark, but it looks like the photo was taken at old Comiskey Park.  I'm guessing those are the old pinwheel things on the scoreboard behind Dressler.

I also got Topps cards from 1977, 1980 and 1981 signed by Dressler.

Dressler (b. 1954) played in the majors from 1975 to 1976 and 1978 to 1980 for the Giants and Mariners.  He had a record of 11-23 with 129 strike outs and a 4.17 ERA.

I mailed to Dressler on October 30 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Frazier Hall

One of the things I enjoy the most about sending cards off TTM for autographs is looking up the players who most folks may have forgotten about or never even heard of.  I think I caught Frazier Hall off-guard when I mailed to him, because he sent me a note back saying "Thanks for remembering me in my faded glory.  Baseball was good to me.  It taught me many of life's lessons."  I love when players write something back.

Hall (b. 1988) was a 16th round draft pick by the Angels in the 2011 June Amateur Draft out of Southern University and A&M College (Louisiana).  He played 3 seasons in the minors in both the Angels and Diamondbacks organizations, reaching A ball.  In the minors, he had 213 hits, 22 home runs and a .278 batting average.  He played in independent ball from 2013 to 2015, where he had 130 hits, 11 home runs and a .226 batting average.

I mailed to Hall on October 19 and got the card back on November 9, for a 21-day TAT.

A Few Autos For My 87 Set

A fellow autograph collector who is also working on the 1987 Topps set put a bunch of his extras on Facebook for sale, and I grabbed a few to cross off of my checklist.  The ones I got were of some guys who seem to be fairly tough to get.

I was hoping I could get Jerry Narron from my friend, Gerard, since Narron was supposed to coach with the Red Sox this past season.  Since no fans were allowed at games, Gerard wasn't able to get my card signed.  So, I went ahead and got Narron this way; he won't be with the Red Sox in 2021.

I was going to try Randy O'Neal TTM, but went ahead and bought the card.  I have a TTM out to Pat Sheridan, and if it ever comes back, I'll have some trade bait.  I had hoped Alan Ashby would pop up on a private signing, but one hasn't, so he is now off of the list, as well.

I have 661 cards signed out of 792, or 83% complete with my set.  I've been working hard on it, and have a really awesome album to show for it.  I've got a few more cards out, but getting the autographs for the set is getting more difficult.  I still believe I can get this set done, but there are going to be a few folks who are near impossible.  We'll have to see how it goes.

TTM Success - Vinny Rottino

Here are a couple mid-2000s cards that I got back signed from Vinny Rottino.  I recently took in a bunch of 2007 Topps Chrome and this was in that lot.  I have always liked the 2007 design, and he Chrome looks great, as well; especially the different color refractors.

I also got this 2005 Topps Update signed by Rottino.  It also turned out well.  I had busted a box of there back in 2005 and have been slowly sending some off for signatures here and there.

Rottino (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2006 to 2008 and 2011 to 2012 for the Brewers, Marlins, Mets and Indians.  He had 16 hits, 3 home runs and a .165 batting average.

I mailed to Rottino on October 6 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 34-day TAT.

TTM Success - Danny Mendick

I got two really awesome cards back TTM from Danny Mendick.  The above 2020 Topps Fire card looks awesome, even though the signature blends right in.  I like getting these signed, and this one will look awesome in my album.

Speaking of cards I like getting signed, the Topps Silver Pack mojo cards always look great when signed.  I love this one, and it turned out really well.  His signature shows up better on this than it did with the Topps Fire, but I was super excited to get both back, anyway.

Mendick (b. 1993) has played in the majors since 2019 for the White Sox.  He has 38 hits, 5 home runs and a .260 batting average.

I mailed to Mendick on October 5 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Seth Johnson

I got a couple nice cards back from Seth Johnson.  Johnson signed two recent cards; a 2020 Topps Pro Debut and a 2019 Bowman Draft.

Johnson (b. 1998) is from Concord, NC, and went to school at Campbell University in Buies Creek; where the Buies Creek Astros used to play before moving to Fayetteville and becoming the Woodpeckers.  He was a first round pick (40th over all) by the Rays in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of Campbell.

In 2019, Johnson played at Rookie Level GCL Rays and Princeton Rays.  He went 0-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 16 strike outs.

I mailed to Johnson on August 5 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 96-day TAT.  He also included a signed note.

TTM Success - Cory Wade

I got a couple cards signed TTM by Cory Wade that turned out pretty well.  I have a decent amount of 2009 Goudey, and it is always nice to be able to get one or two of them signed.  They look nice when signed, as does this one.

I also got this 2008 Topps Update signed by Wade.  I opened a good bit of 08 Update, so I have a good-sized stash of that, as well.

Wade (b. 1983) played in the majors in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 for the Dodgers and Yankees.  He had a career record of 11-6 with 137 strike outs and a 3.65 ERA.

I mailed to Wade on April 10 and got the cards back on November 7, for a 211-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Dave Duncan

I wasn't going to send to Dave Duncan again, but when I saw that he was in the 1991 Crown Orioles set, I figured I would go ahead and get that card signed.  I, then, found the below 1972 and 1973 Topps cards, so I sent them all out TTM.

All three cards turned out great, and I am glad that I went ahead and got them taken care of.

I mailed to Duncan on October 28 and got the cards back on November 6, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mike Holtz

I was able to move a 1998 Topps out of my box when I got this card back signed TTM from Mike Holtz.  I have a ton of 1998 Topps, and moving some out of my box is always nice.  They're nice looking cards, but look too similar to 1999 and 2000 Topps.  The foil names and the super gloss also make it hard to leaf through them really quickly, so it can be an annoying trip through my box when I am looking for something specific.

Holtz (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1996 to 2002 and 2006 for the Angels, A's, Padres and Red Sox.  He had a record of 16-20 with 223 strike outs and a 4.76 ERA.

I mailed to Holtz on October 22 and got the card back on November 6, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tim Worrell

I got some nice cards back from pitcher, Tim Worrell, that spanned 11 years.  He pitched for a while, and had cards in a bunch of Topps sets.  The above 2003 Topps turned out great.

He also signed a 1994 Topps, 2004 Topps and a 2005 Topps.  All of them looks really nice; Worrell has a great signature.

Worrell (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1993 to 2006 for the Padres, Tigers, Indians, A's, Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Phillies and Diamondbacks.  I was surprised to see he was an Oriole, as I don't remember this.  I checked his stats, and it is probably because he pitched in only 5 games for them.

Overall, Worrell had a 48-59 record, 758 strike outs and a 3.97 ERA.

I mailed to Worrell on September 8 and got the cards back on November 6, for a 59-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bill Sharp

I got a 1974 Topps signed TTM by Bill Sharp recently.  I don't have many 74s; I think this one came out of a box of stuff that my good friend, Max, gave me at the National a couple years ago.

Sharp (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1973 to 1976 for the White Sox and Brewers.  He had 281 hits, 9 home runs and a .255 batting average.

I mailed to Sharp on October 19 and got the card back on November 6, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jamey Carroll

I was able to get a few cards signed TTM recently by Jamey Carroll.  The above 2008 Topps turned out well, and is nice because I still don't have as many signed 2008s compared to some other years of Topps.

Carroll also signed a 2012 Topps Update gold parallel, and a 2012 Topps.  Both of these look great, and the landscape orientation lends to a better autograph, in my opinion.  Carroll also inscribed each card with his respective uniform number shown on each card.

Carroll (b. 1974) played in the majors from 2002 to 2013 for the Expos, Nationals, Rockies, Indians, Dodgers, Twins and Royals.  He had 1,000 hits, 13 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Carroll on July 31 and got the cards back on November 6, for a 98-day TAT.

TTM Success - Trevor May

I got some nice cards back TTM from Twins pitcher, Trevor May.  The above 2015 Topps Chrome turned out really well.  I like how the 2015 chromes look, especially when signed.

I also got a 2015 Panini Diamond King and a 2019 Topps Gary Vee's Top Entrepreneurs signed by May.

May (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2014 to 2016 and 2018 to 2020 for the Twins.  He has a career record of 23-21 with 367 strike outs and a 4.44 ERA.

I mailed to May on January 6, 2020, and got the cards back on November 5, 2020, for a 304-day TAT.