TTM Success - Matt Mikulski

Last week's posts were almost all 1987 Topps set needs; it just seemed funny to me how my incoming mail laid out.  This week looks like there will be a decent variety, beginning with a couple 2021 Bowman Draft TTM successes.  Today's post is this success from Giants prospect, Matt Mikulski.

Mikulski (b. 1999) was a 2nd round pick in the July 2021 Amateur Draft by the Giants out of Fordham University.  He pitched at the Giants Complex team last season, going 0-0 with 5 strike outs and a 1.80 ERA over 4 games.

I mailed to Mikulski on January 7 and got the card back on February 7, for a 31-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Juan Samuel

Juan Samuel used to signed TTM quite a bit, but stopped a couple years ago.  I missed the opportunity to get him to sign a 1987 Topps Phillies Leaders card back then, so I had to wait until he popped up in a private signing.  I didn't want to take a chance and lose this card that had already been signed by Von Hayes and Glenn Wilson.  Thankfully, a signing did pop up, and I was able to get Samuel to complete the card.

I mailed to the signing on December 21 and got the card back on February 7, for a 48-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bud Zipfel

Here is a card that has sat in my TTM box for a long time; I had been holding this Bud Zipfel card until I had some cash to send along with it.  I kept putting other cards ahead of it, until I finally sent it along.  I'm glad I did.  This 1963 Topps looks really nice, and he has a vintage Washington Senators hat on, which looks really cool.

Zipfel (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1961 to 1962 for the Senators.  He had 78 hits, 10 home runs and a .220 batting average.

I mailed to Zipfel on January 25 and got the card back on February 4, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5.00.

TTM Success - Mike Felder

There have been some good private signings lately that have knocked off some tougher guys for my 1987 Topps set.  This time around, I got Mike Felder, whom I had missed a while back.

Felder (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1985 to 1994 for the Brewers, Giants, Mariners and Astros.  He had 56 hits, 14 home runs and a .249 batting average.

I mailed to the signing on December 14 and got the card back on February 4, for a 52-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $11.00.

TTM Success - Cornell Gordon

As I dipped into my vintage box of football cards that my awesome friend, Max, hooked me up with, I came across this 1968 Topps Cornell Gordon.  I saw that he signed, so I sent the card to him TTM.  I got the card back signed in black Sharpie, inscribed to me.  It will look really nice in my autograph album.

Gordon (b. 1941) went to college at NC A&T in Greensboro.  He played professionally from 1965 to 1972 for the Jets and Broncos.  He had 14 interceptions over his career, for 91 yards.  He was part of the Super Bowl III Champion Jets.

I mailed to Gordon on January 14 and got the card back on February 3, for a 20-day TAT.

1987 Topps Set Pickup - Bill Mooneyham

Here is the other card I picked up off of Ebay recently for my signed 1987 Topps set.  This Bill Mooneyham finally crosses him off of my list.  I almost made a trade for one that someone else had, but I didn't have what he wanted in order to complete the trade.

Mooneyham (b. 1960) played in the majors in 1986, for the A's.  He had a record of 4-5 with 75 strike outs and a 4.52 ERA.

I need to get back to posting multiple TTM successes a day, because I have fallen behind again.  Oh well.  It was nice being caught up while it lasted.

1987 Topps Set Pickup - Tom Nieto

This Tom Nieto card that I picked up off of Ebay puts me at 721 cards for my signed 1987 Topps set.  That is 91% of the set completed, which is definitely not where I thought I could get with it.  I am getting down to the really tough guys, now, and am hoping some private signings pop up that will knock some of those guys out.

Nieto (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1984 to 1990 for the Cardinals, Expos, Twins and Phillies.  He had 127 hits, 5 home runs and a .205 batting average.

TTM Success - Ruppert Jones

Here is another card I was able to add to my signed 1987 Topps set; this one was from Ruppert Jones, via PastPros.  My card got lost, so I had to reach out to PastPros, and this replacement card can in, instead.

Jones (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1976 to 1987 for the Royals, Mariners, Yankees, Padres, Tigers and Angels.  He had 1,103 hits, 147 home runs and a .250 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1977 and 1982.  He won the World Series with the Tigers in 1984.

I mailed to Jones on October 9 and got the card back on February 3, for a 117-day TAT.

TTM Success - Shane McCarthy

With all of the 2021 Bowman Draft TTM successes coming in, I found a guy on 2020 Bowman that I could add to the autograph album in Shane McCarthy.

McCarthy (b. 1996) was an 18th round pick by the Indians in the 2018 June Amateur Draft out of Seton Hall.  He has played in the Indians organization since 2018, reaching AA.  He has a record of 7-6 with 140 strike outs and a 2.94 ERA.

I mailed to McCarthy on January 6 and got the card back on February 2, for a 27-day TAT.

TTM Success - Cooper Bowman

Here is another 2021 Bowman Draft that I was able to get signed TTM.  Cooper Bowman gets his own Bowman cards.  His signature is pretty nice, considering less and less players have legible autographs.

Bowman (b. 2000) was a 4th round pick by the Yankees in the 2021 July Amateur Draft out of Louisville.  He played at 2 levels of the Yankees system (Rookie and Low A) last season.  He had 26 hits, 4 home runs and a .255 batting average. 

I mailed to Bowman on January 10 and got the card back on January 31, for a 21-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Lyle Mouton

Three attempts were made, but I finally got a TTM success back from Lyle Mouton.  The cards I sent turned out great, so I was really glad when they finally came in.  The above 1996 Finest looks a lot better in person.

I also had Mouton sign a 1996 Topps Gallery, 1998 Topps, 1997 Score and a 1997 Fleer Metal.

Mouton (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1995 to 2001 for the White Sox, Orioles, Brewers and Marlins.  He had 225 hits, 22 home runs and a .280 batting average.

I mailed to Mouton on January 21 and got the cards back on January 31, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Charlie West

When Chris told me that Charlie West kind of looks like the wrestler, Jey Uso, I can't unsee it.  Anyway, I took two more of the vintage football cards that my good friend, Max, sent me and got them signed TTM.

I sent off the 1972 Topps Football card at the top of the page, and the above 1973 Topps.  West has a great signature, and I was glad to add two more vintage football cards to my autograph album.

West (b. 1946) played pro football from 1968 to 1979 for the Vikings, Lions and Broncos.  He played as a Safety and punt returned, running a punt return for a touchdown in 1968.  He won the NFL Championship with the Vikings in 1969; this was when the NFL champion would then face the AFL champion in the Super Bowl.  The Vikings would lose that Super Bowl to the Chiefs.

I mailed to West on January 21 and got the cards back on January 31, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kolbrin Vitek

A couple older cards were taken from my prospects box and sent off for TTM recently.  I got this 2010 Bowman signed by Kolbrin Vitek, which turned out really nicely.  I have a tom of 2010 Bowmans, and also 2010 Bowman Chromes in my boxes.  The Chromes don't scan well at all, and also curved almost as badly as the 2010 Topps Chromes (almost).

I also got this 2011 Topps Heritage Minors card signed.  This is a great design; a remake of 1962 Topps.

Vitek (b. 1989) was a first round (20th overall) pick in the 2010 June Amateur Draft out of Ball State University.  He played in the Red Sox system from 2010 to 2013, reaching AA.  He had 292 hits, 8 home runs and a .258 batting average.

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

TTM Success - Candy Maldonado

A private signing that I had been waiting on for some time now finally popped up.  I had needed Candy Maldonado after missing several signings, and finally caught on to one and got my card signed.

Maldonado (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1981 to 1995 for the Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Brewers, Blue Jays, Cubs and Rangers.  He had 1,042 hits, 146 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He finished 21st in the 1986 NL MVP race.  He won the 1992 World Series with the Blue Jays.

I mailed to the signing on November 20 and got the card back on January 28, for a 69-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Manny Fernandez

The Super Bowl just ended and what better time to post a TTM success from a former Super Bowl champion than now.  I got this 1973 Topps card of Manny Fernandez out of the box of vintage football and hockey from my friend, Max.  I was glad to get it signed, and Fernandez added the 17-0 inscription, which was really cool.

Fernandez (b. 1946) played pro football from 1968 to 1975 for the Dolphins.  He finished 9th in the 1970 MVP race and won the Super Bowl with the Dolphins in 1972 and 1973.  That Super Bowl win in 1973 capped off an undefeated season.

I mailed to Fernandez on January 15 and got the card back on January 27, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Manny Lee

A tougher signer for my 1987 Topps set popped up in a private signing recently in Manny Lee.  I jumped at the chance to add him to the set.  He doesn't have much of an autograph, but the card has been signed and he has been crossed off of the list.

Lee (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1985 to 1995 for the Blue Jays, Rangers and Cardinals.  He had 686 hits, 19 home runs and a .255 batting average.

I mailed to the signing on December 27 and got the card back on January 27, for a 31-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $25.00.

TTM Success - Geoff Vandel

The autograph is hard to see, but I got a 2006 Bowman Chrome signed TTM by Geoff Vandel.  The card looks great; it was among a bunch of 2006 Chrome that I got from a box at my local Target back when I was getting back into collecting.

Vandel (b. 1987) was a 34th round pick by the Padres in the 2005 June Amateur Draft out of Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia.  He played in the Padres system from 2005 to 2008, reaching A ball.  He had a record of 15-10 with 219 strike outs and a 4.27 ERA.

I mailed to Vandel on January 14 and got the card back on January 26, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tim Lynch

My prospects box features tons of cards from various years.  It helps me find stuff to send to guys or with in person graphing.  There are a few years and sets, however, that are starting to dwindle, two of which made their way into this TTM success.  I have very few 2016 Bowmans remaining in my box, so when I can send one off to get signed, I am happy with that.  This was a very nice year of Bowman, and the Chrome versions really look sharp.

I didn't buy as many boxes of 2017 Topps Pro Debut as I would later on, so my remaining stack of these is also dying down.  This was the first Pro Debut set I bought boxes of since it first came out in 2010; all because of my newfound love for in person graphing.

This TTM success from Tim Lynch was nice, even though his Sharpie looks like it is beginning to fade.

Lynch (b. 1993) was a 9th round pick by the Yankees in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of Southern Miss.  He played in the Yankees system from 2016 to 2018, reaching High A.  He had 121 hits, 15 home runs and a .269 batting average.

I mailed to Lynch on January 10 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jake Kahaulelio

Guys like Jake Kahaulelio make my job in finding addresses much easier than a guy names Joe Smith would.  I found these cards in my box and took a shot at finding an address, and it worked.

I got a 2010 Bowman Chrome and 2010 Bowman signed by Kahaulelio.  The cards turned out great, even though the Chrome is curved.

Kahaulelio (b. 1985) was a 20th round pick by the Reds in the 2007 June Amateur Draft out of Oral Roberts.  He played in the Reds system from 2008 to 2011, reaching AA (actually, Carolina Mudcats when they were a AA team).  He had 315 hits, 23 home runs and a .247 batting average.

I mailed to Kahaulelio on January 10 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 15-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Bert Blyleven

First off, while I'm not the biggest Panini fan, I have to say that I really enjoyed this year's Mosaic.  I pulled this 2021 Mosaic Vintage Bert Blyleven, and it pushed me to go ahead and pull some money and send off TTM to him, so I could get one of these signed.

I also went ahead and included the fee to cover this 1981 Topps, because I had it held in my box for quite a while.  I was glad to go ahead and get it knocked out; I enjoy the 1981 Topps set, and this is a nice card.

I mailed to Blyleven on January 12 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 13-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $20/card.  He included a sticky note with a smiley face.

TTM Success - Jason Varitek

This TTM success came as a surprise, but I was really happy to get it.  The above 2020 Topps Stadium Club that I got back signed by Jason Varitek really turned out great.  Stadium Club has some awesome shots, and this one is one of my favorites.

I also got the 2008 Topps Postseason Highlights card showing the Red Sox winning the 2007 World Series signed.  I should have sent the SP with Rudy Giuliani in, but I wasn't able to locate the one I have.  I have since found it (because I wasn't looking for it).

Varitek (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1997 to 2011 for the Red Sox.  He had 1,307 hits, 193 home runs and a .256 batting average.  He was a three-time All Star (2003, 2005 and 2008).  He won the Gold Glove Award in 2005, along with a Silver Slugger Award.  His best MVP finish was 21st in 2005.  He won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007.  He is also the only catcher to catch 4 no hitters.  He appeared on the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.5% of the vote.

I mailed to Varitek via the Red Sox on March 30, 2021, and got the cards back on January 24, 2022, for a 300-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rafael Ramirez

A private signing that I really needed popped up that helped me finish this 1987 Topps Braves Leaders card, and also knock out Rafael Ramirez's base card.  I had already gotten Glenn Hubbard on the leaders card, so it was nice to finally be able to put this away as finished in my 87 album.

Ramirez (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1980 to 1992 for the Braves and Astros.  He had 1,432 hits, 53 home runs and a .261 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1984, and finished 16th in the NL MVP race in 1983.

I mailed to the signing on December 27 and got the cards back on January 28, for a 32-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $40.00.

TTM Success - Mason Miller

Another 2021 Bowman Draft that I got signed TTM is shown here.  This one is signed by Mason Miller.  The card looks great with his signature in thin blue Sharpie.

Miller (b. 1998) was a 3rd round pick in the 2021 July Amateur Draft by the A's out of Gardner-Webb University.  He played at the Rookie-Level Arizona Complex league for the A's this past season.  He went 0-1 with 9 strike outs and a 1.50 ERA.

I mailed to Miller on January 10 and got the card back on January 24, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Austin Love

A few more 2021 Bowman Draft cards came back signed TTM recently; this time from NC native, Austin Love.  He's from the same small town as former Wood Duck, Owen White (Mt. Ulla).

Love (b. 1999) was a 3rd round pick by the Cardinals in the July 2021 Amateur Draft out of UNC.  He played seven games this past season across two levels of the Cardinals system (Rookie and Low A).  He went 0-0 with 13 strike outs and a 1.13 ERA.

I mailed to Love on January 7 and got the cards back on January 24, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ed Flanagan

Here are a couple older football cards that I got signed TTM recently by Ed Flanagan.  The cards came from my buddy, Max.

Flanagan signed a 1972 and a 1973 Topps Football. Both cards turned out great.

Flanagan (b. 1944) played professionally from 1965 to 1976 for the Lions and Chargers.  He was a 4-time pro bowler (1969 - 1971 and 1973).

I mailed to Flanagan on January 13 and got the cards back on January 24, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Dave Gassner

Here are some nice cards I pulled from my old "rookies box."  I used to pull rookie cards and put them away and not look at them for years, then I would go back in the box and surprise myself with some nice cards.  It worked until I got too lazy to pull all of the rookies, and also because I started buying more and more prospect stuff.  So, I have been going into that box and pulling out some guys to send TTM to.

Dave Gassner was one of the players in the box, and the above 2005 Fleer Tradition turned out nicely.

I also sent off a 2005 Topps Update.  I busted a box of these, for some reason, so I have a lot of 2005 Update in one of my boxes.

Gassner (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2005.  He was 1-0 with 2 strike outs and a 5.87 ERA.

I mailed to Gassner on March 8, 2021, and got the cards back on January 21, 2022, for a 319-day TAT.

TTM Success - Josh Parr

While going through my prospect boxes, I pulled a bunch of guys that I saw who signed TTM and pulled enough to fill a smaller box.  So, I've had a ton of choices of folks to send to, and I have already sent out over 150 TTM request in the new year.  One of the players I came across in the boxes was Josh Parr.  I found several of his 2011 Bowman Draft cards, as well as the above 2012 Topps Pro Debut.

All of the cards turned out great.  Especially the card that I initially pulled, the 2011 Bowman Draft Chrome refractor.  Those cards look especially nice, for some reason, and this one was no different.

Parr (b. 1989) was a 12th round pick in the 2011 June Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks out of the University of Illinois.  He played in the Diamondbacks system from 2011 to 2014, reaching A ball.  He had 149 hits, 11 home runs and a .230 batting average.

I mailed to Parr on January 10 and got the cards back on January 21, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jordan Nwogu

Not only had I been sending off 2021 Bowman Draft for TTMs; I had sent out a few 2021 Topps Heritage Minors, as well.  I got a TTM success back from Jordan Nwogu that had a 2021 Topps Heritage Minors (above) as well as a 2020 Bowman Draft Chrome and a 2021 Topps Pro Debut.

Nwogu (b. 1999) was a 3rd round pick by the Cubs in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Michigan.  He played at Low A Myrtle Beach last season where he had 80 hits, 10 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Nwogu on January 4 and got the cards back on January 19, for a 15-day TAT.