TTM Success - Brooks Carey

I got this card at the National a few years ago when I bought the 1981 TCMA Cal Ripken.  THe sell gave me this card as a throw in, and I have had it in my box for a long time.  I finally found an address for Carey and sent it on its way.

Carey (b. 1956) was a 10th round pick by the Orioles in the 1978 June Amateur Draft out of Florida State University.  He played in the minors from 1978 to 1982 in the Orioles and Reds systems, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 37-38 with 437 strike outs and a 3.75 ERA.

I mailed to Carey on August 27 and got the card back on December 15 for a 110-day TAT.  Carey also included a note apologizing for the delay.

TTM Success - Ryan LaMarre

Here are a couple nice cards I got signed TTM by Ryan LaMarre.  I had the 2016 Topps with my stuff, and I found the below 2010 Bowman at my LCS a while back.  Both cards turned out really well.

LaMarre (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2015 to 2019 for the Reds, Red Sox, A's, Twins and White Sox.  He had 53 hits, 4 home runs and a .236 batting average.

I mailed to LaMarre on October 27 and got the cards back on December 14, for a 48-day TAT.

I Met WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson

Some of my earliest memories are of watching wrestling at my cousin, Lynn's house when she used to come and pick me up on weekends when I was 3 or so.  I remember Ric Flair, of course, who could miss him?  I also remember seeing Arn Anderson.

I have seen some wrestlers pop up here and there as special signing guests at the Raleigh card show, and sometimes I put some money down so my son, Chris, could meet them, but when I saw Arn Anderson's name pop up, I decided I was going to make sure I got in as well.

I look back fondly on my time at Lynn's house on those weekends.  That was my thing.  Especially since my family was so large, her place, and those weekends were for me.  That feeling of nostalgia is something I will always have when I watch wrestling.  I've had people pick on me for watching it.  I ignore it.  I take breaks from watching it from time to time, but I always find myself checking back in.  Just recently, Chris has gotten back into it, and I have followed suit.  I usually sit there and have to ask him "Now, ok, who's this asshole?" and he will tell me.  It's kind of cool that I can pass that feeling on to him.

Anderson (b. 1958) is now affiliated in the AEW wrestling organization as a manager, but is more widely known for his time in WWE/WWF, WCW, Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, NWA and others.  He has held countless titles since his career began in 1982, but he will always be associated with Ric Flair.  Flair, Anderson, his "uncle" (in storyline only) Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard would form one of the all-time greatest wrestling stables, the Four Horsemen.  He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Horsemen in 2012.

Anderson was super nice when we met him at the show today.  He asked if Chris and I watched AEW, which we haven't, yet.  I plan on tuning in, and I was so happy I was able to get to Raleigh today to meet him.

TTM Success - Ed Asner

One of the cooler non-sports autographs that I've gotten back recently was from Ed Asner.  I had the above 2019 Allen & Ginter Incredible Equipment card of Santa's Sleigh, and thought it would be cool to get it signed.  I sent it to Asner because he played Santa in the movie, Elf.  The card looks really cool, and will be an interesting addition to my album.

I also had Asner sign this 2011 Topps American Pie Debut of the Emmys card.  He signed the back of it and explained that he won subsequent Emmys, which was really cool.

Asner (b. 1929) is the most honored male performer in Primetime Emmy history, having won 7 Emmys.  He appeared on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, and countless other TV shows in the past.  He is also known for appearing in the movies, El Dorado, Elf, Up and TV mini-series, Roots and Rich Man Poor Man.

I mailed to Asner on November 30 and got the cards back on December 14, for a 14-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Clay Dalrymple

Sometimes, I go through my boxes and just try to pick out random stuff to mail off to change things up a bit.  Every so often, I'll pull 4 or 5 1991 Crown Orioles cards out and mix them in with my TTMs.  I pulled some of the older guys from that set who I knew signed (or I had gotten before) and sent out another round.  Clay Dalrymple was among the latest that got sent out.  I had gotten Dalrymple before, back in 2017 on 4 cards.  At that time, I hadn't picked up the set of 1991 Crown Orioles.

I mailed to Dalrymple on December 1 and got the card back on December 14, for a 13-day TAT. I paid his fee of $5.00.

TTM Success - Mike Cosgrove

I was able to get a cool older card signed when this 1976 Topps came back from Mike Cosgrove.  He signed the card in red, but it kind of fits in with all of the colors on the card anyway.  The Astros in the 1976 set are probably some of the best cards.  I enjoy their colorful uniforms, and the cards stand out.

Cosgrove (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1972 to 1976 for the Astros.  He had a record of 12-11 with 122 strike outs and a 4.03 ERA.

I mailed to Cosgrove on December 3 and got the card back on December 14, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mark McLemore

I got a couple more cards out of my rookies box when I received this TTM success from Mark McLemore.  Not to be confused with the former Mariners/Orioles second baseman, this Mark McLemore was a pitcher.  The above 2007 Topps Rookie 52 turned out great.  I wish I had held onto more of those cards back then, but I let a bunch go at card shows.  Now, I am enjoying seeing them get signed.

I also got this 2007 Bowman signed, which looks really nice.

McLemore (b. 1980) played in the majors in 2007 for the Astros.  He went 3-0 with 35 strike outs and a 3.86 ERA.

I mailed to McLemore on November 20 and got the cards back on December 12, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jon Kibler

I got a couple older Bowmans out of my boxes with this TTM success from Jon Kibler.  He signed a 2009 Bowman and 2009 Bowman Chrome.  Both cards look really nice, and Kibler has a nice signature.

Kibler (b. 1986) was a 30th round pick by the Tigers in the 2007 June Amateur Draft out of Michigan State University.  He played in the Tigers system from 2007 to 2010 and then in Independent ball from 2011 to 2012.  His minor league was 31-27 with 339 strike outs and a 3.53 ERA.  He had one really great year for the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2008 when he went 14-5 with a 1.75 ERA.  It earned him a promotion AA Erie in 2009, but he faltered, going 6-9 with a 4.08 ERA.  I wonder if he would have benefited from being moved along more gradually, maybe to High A, before being promoted all the way to AA.

I mailed to Kibler on November 16 and got the cards back on December 12, for a 26-day TAT.

TTM Success - Luis Ortiz

I took a chance sending out these cards to former Oriole, Luis Ortiz, and was happy with what I was able to get back.  The above 2016 Bowman Chrome orange shimmer was the reason I sent in the first place, and it looks amazing.  I really love the shimmer and color chromes from 2016 Bowman.  They just look great.

I also sent a 2015 Panini USA and a 2019 Panini Donruss foil, and both of these look really nice, too.

Ortiz (b. 1995) played in the majors in 2018 and 2019 for the Orioles.  He went 0-2 with 3 strike outs and a 12.71 ERA.  He was a former first round draft pick (30th overall) by the Rangers in the 2014 June Amateur Draft out of high school.

I mailed to Ortiz on May 22 and got the cards back on December 11, for a 203-day TAT.

TTM Success - Colby Woodmansee

I got a 2016 Bowman out of my Bowman box when I found an address for Colby Woodmansee.  The card came back signed quickly.  I've gotten pretty good at finding working addresses.  I've had a few fails, but overall, my success rate has been pretty good.

Woodmansee (b. 1994) was a 5th round pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft by the Mets out of Arizona State University.  He played in the minors in 2016 and 2017, reaching High A.  He had 91 hits, 3 home runs and a .213 batting average.

I mailed to Woodmansee on October 26 and got the card back signed on December 11, for a 45-day TAT.

TTM Success - Greg Billo

I was able to find an address for Greg Billo and get his 2012 Topps Heritage Minors card signed TTM.  I had a ton of 2012 Heritage Minors in one of the boxes that I got from my former LCS, so it was nice to be able to get one of them out and into my autograph album.

Billo (b. 1990) was a 28th round pick by the Royals in the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois.  He pitched 7 seasons in the minors in the Royals and Angels systems, reaching AA.  He had a record of 23-29 in the minors with 389 strike outs and a 3.35 ERA.

I mailed to Billo on November 30 and got the card back on December 11, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Sean Cheetham

I pulled a couple older Winston-Salem minor league cards from one of the boxes I got from my former LCS and put them aside to see if I could get them signed TTM.  This card of Sean Cheetham was one that I was able to get done, and it looks good.  I like seeing the old ads in the background.

Cheetham (b. 1971) was a 4th round pick in the 1990 June Amateur Draft by the Cubs out of Woodbridge High School in Virginia.  He pitched in the minors from 1990 to 1992, reaching high A ball.  He had a record of 10-13 with 151 strike outs and a 4.52 ERA.

I mailed to Cheetham on December 1 and got the card back on December 11, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Miguel Tejada

Here is the second of the two former Orioles I was able to get autographs of through a recent private signing.  I sent off this 2004 Fleer Inscribed to the signing, and it turned out really well.

Tejada (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1997 to 2011 and 2013 for the A's, Orioles, Astros, Padres, Giants and Royals.  He had 2,407 hits, 307 home runs and a .285 batting average.  He was the AL MVP in 2002 and was 6-time All Star (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.  He led the AL with 150 RBIs in 2004, his first season with the Orioles.  

Tejada's time in Baltimore was marred by the steroid suspension of Rafael Palmeiro, who blamed Tejada for a tainted B-12 shot.  He was traded to Houston the day before his name was revealed to be in the Mitchell Report.  Later on, while he was with the Astros, ESPN would reveal during an interview, in one of their worst "gotcha" moments, that Tejada had faked his birth year and was actually 2 years older than he had been reporting.  I watched the interview and felt really bad for him at the time.  I lost a lot of respect for ESPN after that because I feel like the guy was ambushed in the interview.

His signing was huge for the Orioles at the time, but he ended up being the best player on some bad teams.  They had a decent offense with Tejada, Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora and Jay Gibbons, but they didn't have any pitching.  I liked Tejada as an Oriole and I remember being elated that offseason when he was signed.

Tejada appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot 2019 but received only 1.2% of the vote.

I mailed to the private signing on March 6 and got the card back on December 10.  I paid a fee of $30.00.

TTM Success - Armando Benitez

I saw a private signing come up that included two former Orioles, so I decided to send to it and add a couple tougher autographs to my album on some nice cards that had been stashed away in my Orioles box.  The above 1995 Pinnacle Zenith of Armando Benitez turned out really well.  I enjoy the mid-90s Zenith stuff, and they look great when signed.

Benitez (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1994 to 2008 for the Orioles, Mets, Yankees, Mariners, Marlins, Giants and Blue Jays.  He had a career record of 40-47 with 946 strike outs and a 3.13 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2003 and 2004.  His 289-career saves rank 31st all-time.  He appeared on the 2014 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 0.2% of the vote.  His best MVP finish was 23rd, in 2004, while with the Marlins.

Orioles fans likely won't forgive Benitez for blowing games in the playoffs, most notably when he allowed an 11th inning home run to Tony Fernandez, which ended the Orioles season in Game 6 of the 1997 ALCS.

I mailed to the signing on March 9 and got the card back signed on December 8, for a 274-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joe Grahe

I waited a long time to send to Joe Grahe because I saw his TAT (turn around time) was pretty slow, but I finally did send to him.  I sent the maximum of cards that I would send to someone (seven cards) and waited quite a while for them to come back.  They finally did, and I was really happy with the results.

The 1994 Topps Finest above didn't scan all that great, but it looks really awesome in person.  Those early chrome cards are all really nice, and I would like to get some more different ones in my album.

Grahe also signed a 1992 Pinnacle, 1993 Score Select, 1994 Score, 1993 Topps, 1994 Donruss and a 1995 Topps.

Grahe (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1990 to 1995 and 1999 for the Angels, Rockies and Phillies.  He had a record of 22-30 with 204 strike outs and a 4.41 ERA.

I mailed to Grahe on April 25 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 227-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tom Skerritt

I added another non-sports autograph to my collection when I received this TTM success from actor, Tom Skerritt.  He signed the back of my Alien art card that had already been signed by the artist, Chris McJunkin.

I also threw in a 1987 Topps checklist, and Skerritt signed the back of that, as well.

Skerritt (b. 1933) has acted in movies and TV shows since 1962.  His notable works include: Alien, M.A.S.H. (movie), A River Runs Through It, Steel Magnolias, Top Gun, The Dead Zone, Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke, and the TV series, Picket Fences (for which, he won an Emmy Award).

I mailed to Skerritt on November 9 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 29-day TAT.

TTM Success - Randy Dobnak

I added another 2020 Topps to my autograph album when I got this one back signed TTM from Randy Dobnak.  He inscribed it to me and added his uniform number.

Dobnak (b. 1995) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Twins.  He has a record of 8-5 with 50 strike outs and a 3.12 ERA.

I mailed to Dobnak on October 29 and got the card back on December 7, for a 39-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nyjer Morgan

I had to google Nyjer Morgan T inscription.  I had no clue what it meant, but apparently, it is because he used to make a T when he reached base and referred to himself as Tony Plush, which he refers to as his name on the field.  Interesting.  I also like the smiley face inscription.  I got three nice cards back from Morgan via TTM recently, and they all look really cool.  The above 2012 Topps turned out really well, and fits Morgan, I think.

He also signed a 2008 Topps Heritage and a different 2012 Topps.

Morgan (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2007 to 2012 and 2014 for the Pirates, Nationals, Brewers and Indians.  He had 550 hits, 12 home runs and a .282 batting average.  Prior to playing baseball, he was a hockey player, and reached the Major Junior level with the Regina Pats in 1999-2000.

I mailed to Morgan on November 12 and got the cards back on December 7, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Greg Dobbs

I got some nice cards back signd from Greg Dobbs recently.  The above 2008 Topps was a good choice, and turned out well.  This probably isn't Topps's best effort, but the design is clean, and I like how they did the team names in alternating bubbles at the top.  The border is pretty restrictive on the photo, though.

This is a 2013 Topps mini.  I like getting these signed and out of my box.  They were able to be had cheaply back then, and I bought a couple boxes to bust with my buddy, Andrew.  I got rid of most of the base cards, but still have a small handful in my 2013 Topps box.

I really like this 2011 Topps update of Dobbs.  For some reason, I have always liked the infield dirt shown on cards.  This one just looks cool, and looks even better now that it is signed.

Dobbs (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2004 to 2014 for the Mariners, Phillies, Marlins and Nationals.  He had 548 hits, 46 home runs and a .261 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 2008.

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

TTM Success - Darrel Chamey

Another 1973 Topps was added to my autograph album, this time coming from Darrel Chaney.  I liked the action shot on this card, so it was an easy choice to send to him.

I also sent a 1972 Topps, which turned out great, and Chaney included a signed card of his own, complete with a '75 WS Champs inscription.

Chaney (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1969 to 1979 for the Reds and Braves.  He had 458 hits, 14 home runs and a .217 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Reds in 1975.

I mailed to Chaney on November 23 and got the cards back on December 7, for a 14-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Pat Jarvis

I got another 1973 Topps out of my box when I got this one signed TTM by Pat Jarvis.  Check out the Braves trucker cap on this card.  It's a pretty epic hat.

Jarvis (b. 1941) played in the majors from 1966 to 1973 for the Braves and Expos.  He had a career record of 85-73 with 755 strike outs and a 3.58 ERA.

I mailed to Jarvis on November 19 and got the card back on December 5, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Larry Broadway

I got a couple 2002 Bowmans out of one of the bulk boxes I got from my former LCS and had them signed TTM by Larry Broadway.  2002 Bowman was a nice set; I like the stripes.  They also look really nice when signed.

Broadway (b. 1980) was a third round pick in the 2002 June Amateur Draft by the Expos out of Duke University.  He played in the minors from 2002 to 2009 in the Expos, Nationals and Pirates systems.  He reached as high as AAA and amassed 749 hits, 104 home runs and a .273 batting average.

I mailed to Broadway on November 16 and got the cards back on December 5, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kyle Garlick

I added another 2020 Topps to my autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Kyle Garlick.  The card looks nice and got back fairly quickly.

Garlick (b. 1992) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Dodgers and Phillies.  He has 15 hits, 3 home runs and a .214 batting average.  He was selected off of waivers by the Twins from the Braves this offseason, so he has bounced around quite a bit recently.

I mailed to Garlick on November 6 and got the card back signed on December 4, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rob Murphy

It feels like it has been a while since I have gotten a card back for my 1987 set.  This Rob Murphy came back from a private signing and looks pretty nice.

Murphy (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1985 to 1995 for the Reds, Red Sox, Mariners, Astros, Cardinals, Yankees, Dodgers and Marlins.  He had a career record of 32-38 with 520 strike outs and a 3.64 ERA.

I mailed to the signing on October 29 and got the card back on December 4, for a 36-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Michael Brosseau

I added some recent cards to my autograph album with this TTM success from Rays infielder, Michael Brosseau.  The above 2020 Topps Fire turned out really well.  I like these cards, and enjoy getting them signed.

I was also nice getting the above 2020 Topps signed.  I ended up getting quite a few signed, even though I wasn't able to go to any games.

Brosseau (b. 1994) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Rays.  He has 62 hits, 11 home runs and a .284 batting average.

I mailed to Brosseau on November 16 and got the cards back on December 4, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lance Broadway

I got some nice cards back signed TTM from former pitcher, Lance Broadway.  I really liked the above 2009 Topps Update.  I wish I had kept all of my 09 bulk, but I had let it all go at a card show years ago in order to make room in my boxes.  Making room is great, but I do like to have options to choose from when looking for cards to get signed.

I also sent off a 2008 Upper Deck Rookie Debut (left) and a 2008 Bowman.  Both of these really look great when signed.

Broadway (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2007 to 2009 for the White Sox and Mets.  He had a record of 1-1 with 39 strike outs and a 5.24 ERA.

I mailed to Broadway on November 16 and got the cards back on December 4, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Danny Cater

I got a couple of cards out of my TTM box that were put aside for players who signed for fees.  That row doesn't get tapped into too often, but I wanted to move a few of them out.  So, I picked out the Danny Cater cards and sent them along.

I got Cater to add his tiny signature to my 1971 and 1973 Topps.  They look really nice, but man he has a small signature.

Cater (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1964 to 1975 for the Phillies, White Sox, A's (KC and Oakland), Yankees, Red Sox and Cardinals.  He had 1,229 hits, 66 home runs and a .276 batting average.  He finished 19th in the 1968 AL MVP race.

I mailed to Cater on November 23 and got the cards back on December 4, for an 11-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Leron Lee

I added another 1973 Topps with an awesome yellow Padres jersey to my autograph album with this TTM success from Leron Lee.  Those Padres jerseys are something else.  Of course, the Padres have always been known for "interesting" uniforms in their past.

Lee (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1969 to 1976 for the Cardinals, Padres, Indians and Dodgers.  He had 404 hits, 31 home runs and a .250 batting average.

I mailed to Lee on November 23 and got the card back on December 4, for an 11-day TAT.

Mystery TTM - Joseph Ortiz

My good friend Gerard got another mystery TTM sent to me, this time it was a 2019 Bowman Draft Joseph Ortiz.

Ortiz (b. 1998) was a 4th round pick in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of New Mexico State University. He played at Low A Aberdeen in 2019. He had 47 hits, 1 home run and a .241 batting average. 

Thanks for the latest mystery TTM, Gerard!

TTM Success - Tim Adleman

I got a couple cards signed by Tim Alleman that had been in my box for quite a while. I've been doing a good job getting stuff sent out that has just been hanging around. I guess that's one benefit of not being able to go to games. Alleman signed a 2016 Topps Heritage and a 2016 Topps Update.

Alleman (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2016 to 2017 for the Reds. He had a record of 9-15 with 155 strike outs and a 4.97 ERA.

I mailed to Alleman on November 19 and got the cards back on December 3, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Tyler Fitzgerald

More and more Bowmans have come back TTM, which has been nice, since I have a ton of them to send.  This Tyler Fitzgerald 2019 Bowman Draft bubbled the signature just a bit, but the card still looks ok.

Fitzgerald (b. 1997) was a 4th round pick by the Giants in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Louisville.  He played at three levels in the Giants system in 2019 (Rookie League, Low A and A ball) and had 51 hits, 1 home run and a .276 batting average.

I mailed to Fitzgerald on November 17 and got the card back on December 3, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Cory Riordan

I got a couple older Bowman Chromes out of my box when I got these two cards signed by former pitcher, Cory Riordan.  The above card is a 2011 Bowman Chrome refractor, and the card below is the base chrome version.

Riordan (b. 1986) was a 6th round pick in the 2007 June Amateur Draft by the Rockies out of Fordham University.  He pitched professionally in the minors, independent and several foreign leagues from 2007 to 2019 amassing an overall record of 93-99 with 1,299 strike outs and a 4.93 ERA.  For him to pitch as long as he did in those leagues shows he was committed to playing the game.  In the minors, he reached the AAA level in the Rockies and Tigers systems.

I mailed to Riordan on November 16 and got the cards back on December 3, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - David Hale

I held onto some David Hale cards in my TTM box for quite a while until I found enough to send out.  The above 2014 Donruss turned out really well.  The newer iterations of the Donruss brand have been some pretty nice cards.  They call back to older Donruss designs, which is kind of cool.

I also got a 2010 Topps Pro Debut and a 2014 Topps signed by Hale.

Hale (b. 1987) has played in the majors since 2013 (missing 2017) for the Braves, Rockies, Yankees and Phillies.  He has a record of 13-10 with 165 strike outs and a 4.23 ERA.

I mailed to Hale on November 3 and got the cards back on December 3, for a 30-day TAT.