TTM Success - Ryan Merritt

A couple more cards came out of my minors box with this TTM success from Ryan Merritt.  I'm happy to reduce down some of these old Heritage Minors and Bowman sets, as long as it adds cards to my album.  I've done a better job keeping those cards organized, but I probably can do even better.  Graphing season is about to start, and I hope to move a bunch of stuff this year.  We'll have to see how that goes.

Merritt (b. 1992) played in the majors from 2016 to 2017 for the Indians.  He had a record of 3-0 with 13 strike outs and a 1.71 ERA.  Those are some pretty good stats for someone to have only pitched for 2 years in the majors.  I looked a little further, and Merritt pitched at Durham in 2019 to a 7.04 ERA and in the Dominican Winter League in 2020 to an ERA of 5.00.  It looks like he is out of baseball now, which is a shame.

I mailed to Merritt on November 3 and got the cards back on February 18, for a 107-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jack Hiatt

Here are a couple early 1970s cards that I recently received signed via TTM.  I had two Jack Hiatt cards that I could send, the above 1971 Topps and the below 1973 Topps.  Both turned out great, in my opinion.

Hiatt (b. 1942) played in the majors from 1964 to 1972 for the Angels, Giants, Expos, Cubs and Astros.  He had 287 hits, 22 home runs and a .251 batting average.

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

TTM Success - Gettys Glaze

Here is a player who's name jumped out at me as I was going through my box of 1993 Bowman.  Gettys Glaze isn't a name I had seen before, so I pulled the card and checked to see if he signed TTM.  I saw that he did, so I sent the card off for signature.  It came back signed in black Sharpie, and looks pretty decent.

Glaze (b. 1970) was a 15th round pick by the Red Sox in the 1992 June Amateur Draft out of The Citadel.  He played in the minors from 1992 to 1994, all in the Red Sox system, reaching AA.  He had a record of 16-23 with 312 strike outs and a 3.72 ERA.

I mailed to Glaze on February 8 and got the card back on February 16, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Curt Knight

Another card from my vintage football box from Max came back signed TTM recently.  This is a 1972 Topps Curt Knight and it turned out nicely.  The Redskins are now a thing of the past, and I as glad to add one to my autograph album.  I like adding defunct ream names and logos in my album.

Knight (b. 1943) played professionally 1969 to 1973 for the Redskins.  He was a Pro Bowler in 1971.  He scored 101 field goals of 175 attempted, for 57.7% success.  His career long was 52 yards.

I mailed to Knight on January 15 and got the card back on February 16, for a 32-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bailey Falter

Here is another older Bowman that I got out of my boxes and got signed TTM.  Bailey Falter signed the card in black Sharpie, and it turned out well.

Falter (b. 1997) played in the majors in 2021 for the Phillies.  He went 2-1 with 34 strike outs and a 5.61 ERA.

I mailed to Falter on February 1 and got the card back signed on February 15, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mike Vail

A couple 1981 Topps came back signed TTM recently, from Mike Vail.  He has a card in the base set (above) and the traded set (below).

Vail (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1975 to 1984 for the Mets, Indians, Cubs, Reds, Giants, Expos and Dodgers.  He had 447 hits, 34 home runs and a .279 batting average.

I mailed to Vail on February 7 and got the cards back on February 14, for a 7-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5.00/card.

Ebay Pickup - Signed 1987 Topps John Henry Johnson

Here is another tough signed 1987 Topps off of my checklist, John Henry Johnson.  I used my Ebay gift cards that I got when I was named employee of the month for November to knock a big chunk out of the price on this card.  I am happy to put this one in the album and mark Johnson off of my list.

Johnson (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1978 to 1981, 1983 to 1984 and 1986 to 1987 for the A's, Rangers, Red Sox and Brewers.  He had a record of 26-33 with 407 strike outs and a 3.90 ERA.

I have a little over 70 cards to go to finish the set, with a few that I expect back soon from signings.

TTM Success - Scott Heineman

This 2020 Topps featuring the inaugural season of Globe Life Stadium signed by Scott Heineman will look pretty cool in my autograph album.  I got the card signed TTM by Heineman, with an inscription.  I wish Topps would do more of these with logos like this one.  

Heineman (b, 1992) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Rangers and Reds.  He has 27 hits, 5 home runs and a .172 batting average.

I mailed to Heineman on February 1 and got the card back on February 14, for a 13-day TAT.

Some Signed Cards From Chris Ray

This shouldn't count as a TTM success, and also shouldn't count as IP graphing; this is somewhere in between.  My friend, Ryan, and I went to Chris Ray's brewery outside of Richmond a couple weeks ago.  We both thought we may get lucky, and that Chris Ray would be there.  We each brought a few cards, and were disappointed to learn that he wasn't there.  Thankfully, the staff there was willing to let us leave the cards.  Ryan planned ahead and brought stamped envelopes with him.  So, we left the cards and envelopes, and today, the cards came in.

I left a 2009 Topps gold parallel (top), 2006 Topps (above left) and 2007 Topps (above right).  Each came out great.

Ray (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2011 for the Orioles, Rangers, Giants and Mariners.  He had a record of 18-19 with 230 strike outs, 51 saves and a 4.10 ERA.  He and a player to be named later (Ben Snyder) were sent to the Rangers in the trad that brought Kevin Millwood to Baltimore.

TTM Success - Endy Rodriguez

There was a post on Facebook that I had seen where a few Pirates minor league players were rooming together, and would accept some cash to sign some cards.  I took advantage of the offer and sent these two cards to Pirates prospect, Endy Rodriguez.  He signed the above 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome and the below 2021 Bowman Draft.

Rodriguez (b. 2000) was an international signing by the Mets.  He has played in the minors since 2018, for the Mets and Pirates.  He has reached A ball, and has 171 hits, 19 home runs and a .288 batting average in the minors so far.  I imagine he will start the season at Greensboro, which would give me an opportunity to see him play in person.

I mailed to Rodriguez on January 21 and got the cards back on February 14, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Jeremy Ydens

There haven't been many 2021 Topps Heritage Minors cards that have come in TTM, yet.  I didn't send very many out, but this one did come back, while several others are still out there somewhere.  This Jeremy Ydens 2021 Topps Heritage Minors came out nicely.

Ydens (b. 1997) was an 8th round pick by the Nationals in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of UCLA.  He has played in the minors since 2019 in the Nationals system, reaching High A.  He has 78 hits, 11 home runs and a .203 batting average.  

I mailed to Ydens on January 6 and got the card back signed on February 14, for a 39-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tommy Murphy

Here are a couple older gold Bowmans that I found in my boxes from the former card shop.  I got these two cards signed TTM by Tommy Murphy, and they turned out really cool with the red marker.  The card above is a 2004 Bowman gold, and the card below is a 2006.

Murphy (b. 1979) played in the majors from 200 to 2007 for the Angels.  He had 23 hits, 1 home run and a .213 batting average.

I mailed to Murphy on October 21 and got the cards back on February 14, for a 116-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gosuke Katoh

This TTM success took some time to get here, but it finally did, and I was able to add this 2014 Topps Heritage Minors card of Gosuke Katoh to my album.  Katoh's autograph isn't much to look at, but I am still glad that I got the card done.

Katoh (b. 1994) was a second round pick by the Yankees in the 2013 June Amateur Draft out of Rancho Bernardo High School in California.  He has played in the minors from 2013 to 2021 in the Yankees and Padres systems, reaching AAA.  He has 660 hits. 46 home runs and a .259 career average in the minors.

I mailed to Katoh on January 13, 2021, and got the card back on February 14, 2022, for a 397-day TAT.

TTM Success - Franklin Gutierrez

This TTM success from Franklin Gutierrez turned out nicely on some cards that I had been holding for a while.  The above 2011 Topps Chrome orange refractor was a card that I definitely was going to send out, and I am glad that it came back signed.

I was also able to get a 2003 Topps, 2011 Bowman Chrome refractor and a 2010 Topps 206 gold parallel signed by Gutierrez.

Gutierrez (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2005 to 2013 and 2015 to 2017 for the Indians, Mariners and Dodgers.  He had 778 hits, 97 home runs and a .257 batting average.  He won a Gold Glove Award in 2010.

I mailed to Gutierrez on August 19 and got the cards back on February 14, for a 179-day TAT.

TTM Success - Robby Krieger

The Doors were a constant presence on the radio when I was growing up.  My dad was a huge fan, and would always be playing them inside his race shop and on the way to the track on Saturdays.  I had pulled the above 2020 Topps Heritage from a box and thought it would be cool to try to get Robby Krieger (one of the last two surviving members of the band, and the only one who seemingly signed TTM) to sign the card.

Additionally, someone at some card show years ago gave Chris a stack of these 1991 ProSet Superstars Musicards.  I was able to find them fairly quickly, and sent the Doors cards along with my 2020 Topps Heritage.

Krieger signed all of the cards, and since I had included my dad's name in the note, he also included a signed photo index card, inscribed to my dad.  I was able to give him an early Father's Day gift this year.

Krieger (b. 1946) was the guitarist for the rock band, The Doors, from 1965 until the death of Jim Morrison.  The band would continue on after Morrison's death, but essentially, once he was gone, so was the spirit of what made them who they were.  He had joined the band once keyboardist Ray Manzarek's brothers left the band.  Krieger and John Densmore are the only two remaining members of the Doors, following Ray Manzarek's death in 2013.

I mailed to Krieger on November 30, 2020, and got the cards back on February 14, 2022, for a 441-day TAT.

TTM Success - Johnny Edwards

This TTM success from former Astro, Johnny Edwards, was really nice, especially since he took the time to add some extra photos to the success.  I would have been perfectly happy with the above 1974 Topps being the only thing coming back in my envelope, but the three photos he sent were really nice.

I like the above Cardinals photo, since it shows him in his catcher's gear.  I always enjoy seeing older gear on cards (especially football).

He also included these photos; one of him with the Reds and another as an Astro.

Edwards (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1961 to 1974 for the Reds, Cardinals and Astros.  He had 1,106 hits, 81 home runs and a .242 batting average.  He was a 3-time All Star (1963, 1964 and 1965) and a 2-time Gold Glove Award winner (1963 and 1964).  His best MVP finish was 26th (NL) in 1969.

I mailed to Edwards on February 2 and got the cards back on February 12, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Caleb Cotham

A nice TTM success from Caleb Cotham yielded me a couple signatures on a 2016 and 2017 Topps.  The above 2016 turned out nicely; the 2016 set is a nice one for autograph, and I have seen several people use this design for their custom cards that they make.

This 2017 Topps also turned out nicely.  I don't mind this design, and have been able to get quite a few signed.  I also enjoyed the Pro Debut set from that year; a bunch of signed versions of those are in my autograph album.

Cotham (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2015 to 2016 for the Yankees and Reds.  He had a record of 1-3 with 32 strike outs and a 7.15 ERA.

I mailed to Cotham on February 2 and got the cards back on February 12, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Corban Joseph

Here is a nice TTM success of a guy who sat in my box for a long time until I finally got around to mailing.  The above 2011 Bowman Platinum turned out fairly well, even though the marker started to fade.

I also got a 2008 Tristar Prospects Plus and a 2010 Topps Pro Debut signed.  Both look pretty cool.

Joseph (b. 1988) played in the majors in 2013 and from 2018 to 2019 for the Yankees, Orioles, Giants, A's and Pirates.  He had 15 hits, 1 home run and a .170 batting average.  He is the brother of former Oriole, Caleb Joseph.

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

TTM Success - Breckin WIlliams

A couple 2015 Bowmans came back signed recently from Breckin Williams.  The cards turned out nicely, and Williams has a nice signature.  The signature looked best on the 2015 Bowman Chrome shown below.

Williams (b. 1993) was a 4th round pick in the 2015 June Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks out of the University of Missouri.  He has played in the Diamondbacks and Twins organizations since then, and has reached AA.  He has a record of 14-7 with 173 strike outs and a 3.69 ERA.

I mailed to Williams on January 26 and got the cards back on February 12, for a 17-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Bob Harrison

Back in 2016, I had gotten a TTM success from former Oriole, Bob Harrison on a 1979 TCMA card.  I found this 1991 Crown Orioles card in my box recently, and went ahead and sent it out for signature.  The card looks fine, even though Harrison signed across his face.

I mailed to Harrison on January 21 and got the card back on February 12, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Seth Elledge

Here is a nice TTM success that was started by going through my 2017 Bowman Draft cards and ended up including a 2021 Update that I almost missed.

Elledge (b. 1996) made his debut in 2020 and also pitched a little in 2021, all for the  Cardinals.  He has a 1-0 record with 25 strike outs and a 4.63 ERA.  Funny thing is, he had identical 4.63 ERAs in 2020 and 2021.

I mailed to Elledge on January 10 and got the cards back on February 12, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Scott Pose

Here is a random card I pulled from my 1993 Bowman box and got signed TTM.  This Scott Pose 93 Bowman turned out fairly well, even though it is kind of hard to see his actual autograph.

Pose (b. 1967) played in the majors in 1993, 1997, 1999 and 2000 for the Marlins, Yankees and Royals.  He had 75 hits, no home runs and a .240 batting average.

I mailed to Pose on February 4 and got the card back on February 11, for a 7-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Greg Hopkins

Recently, I have been able to get a few older Bowman cards signed, like this 2012 Bowman Chrome refractor of Greg Hopkins.  There were a bunch of 2012 Bowman Chromes in the boxes I got from the LCS, so it has been nice to find some working addresses and get some signed.

Hopkins (b. 1988) was a 24th round pick in the 2010 June Amateur Draft out of St. John's University.  He played in the minors from 2010 to 2014, in the Brewers system.  The highest level he reached was AA.  He had 456 hits, 34 home runs and a .245 batting average.

I mailed to Hopkins on February 2 and got the card back on February 11, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Klimesh

These two cards that I got back from Ben Klimesh TTM had quote a few travel miles on them.  I had sent to him once before, but got a RTS, and then they sat in my RTS pile.  I finally tried again with a different address, and got these cards signed.

Funny thing is, Klimesh signed each of the two 2015 Topps Pro Debut cards in different colored ink; one in black, and one in blue.

Klimesh (b. 1990) was a 15th round pick by the Reds in the 2012 June Amateur Draft out of Trinity University in Texas.  He played in the minors from 2012 to 2016, all in the Reds system (reaching AAA).  He had a record of 10-7 with 227 strike outs and a 5.21 ERA.

I mailed to Klimesh on January 21 and got the cards back on February 21, for a 31-day TAT.  He also included a note.

TTM Success - Billy Ashley

Some mid-90s cards came back signed recently with this TTM success from Billy Ashley.  The above 1996 Fleer turned out great.  I liked the concept of the rougher finish on the cards, but they are a pain to leaf through; the tend to stick together and are a bit harder to separate quickly.

I also had Ashley sign a 1995 Topps and the foil counterpart, the 1995 Topps Cyberstats.  Both of these turned out nicely, as well.

Ashley (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1992 to 1998 for the Dodgers and Red Sox.  He had 144 hits, 28 home runs and a .233 batting average.

I mailed to Ashley on January 20 and got the cards back on February 11, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Barnes

My good friend, Gerard, has gotten into the private signing game with his brother, recently.  He approached me about joining in his signing with Matt Barnes, but I wasn't sure if I was going to send anything in.  Right after, though, I went through my 2021 Topps inserts and saw the above orange ice parallel, so I had to get in on the signing.  This card looks awesome, and is numbered 98/299.

I went ahead and got a 2021 Topps base card signed, as well, so I could add one to my Topps ledger.  I haven't gotten many 2021s signed, but I figure they'll come with time.

Barnes (b. 1990) has played in the majors since 2014, for the Red Sox.  He has a record of 32-26 with 522 strike outs and a 4.04 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2021, and won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.

I mailed to the signing on December 28 and got the cards back on February 11, for a 44-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ky Bush

Another 2021 Bowman Draft card came back signed TTM recently; this one being from Ky Bush, an Angels prospect.

Bush (b. 1999) was a 2nd round pick by the Angels in the July 2021 Amateur Draft out of Saint Mary's College of California.  He played at High A last season, and went 0-2 with 20 strike outs and a 4.50 ERA.

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

TTM Success - Austin Hyatt

Lately, I have been pretty successful in finding working addresses for guys who signed a while back, but had been kind of dormant.  That had led me to pull a lot more different cards from my boxes and try to expand who I send to TTM.  I found this cool 2011 Bowman Platinum X Fractor and was able to get it signed TTM by Austin Hyatt.

Hyatt (b.1986) was a 15th round pick by the Phillies in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Alabama.  He played in the minors from 2009 to 2012, all in the Phillies system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 37-23 with 551 strike outs and a 3.79 ERA.

I mailed to Hyatt on February 2 and got the card back on February 10, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Blake Hunt

Here's another 2017 Bowman Draft that I was able to get signed TTM.  This one was signed by Blake Hunt, and turned out alright, except that the card got bent a good bit in transit.  Still, the card will be fine in my album.

Hunt (b. 1998) was a second round pick in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California by the Padres.  He has since transitioned to the Rays system.  Since 2017, he has made his way to AA.  In the minors he has 227 hits, 19 home runs and a .242 batting average.

I mailed to Hunt on February 1 and got the card back on February 10, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Wyatt Mills

Some nice cards came back signed TTM recently when I got this TTM success back from Wyatt Mills.  I was all set to send off a 2017 Bowman and a 2017 Bowman Chrome when I realized that Mills was in 2021 Topps Update.  This card turned out nicely.  I didn't see that Jose Goody was signing, so I probably won't complete the card, but that's ok.

Getting these two 2017 Bowmans out of my Bowman box was nice.  I went through that box to try to make some room for new stuff, and found a few guys I wanted to send to.  Some of those cards are still out, but there have been a couple that have come back in.

Mills (b. 1995) made his debut last season with the Mariners.  He was 0-0 with 11 strike outs and a 9.95 ERA.

I mailed to Mills on January 10 and got the cards back on February 9 for a 30-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Pettit

Here are a few cards that I pulled from my boxes and sent out TTM a while back.  The above 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter of Chris Pettit turned out nicely, as most Ginters do.

I had also found Pettit's 2010 Upper Deck and 2010 Topps, which he signed.

Pettit (b. 1984) played in the majors in 2009 and 2011 for the Angels.  He had 2 hits, no home runs and a .286 batting average.

I mailed to Pettit on January 24 and got the cards back on February 9, for a 16-day TAT.