TTM Success - Peter Tucci

1999 Fleer Brilliants is a really nice set.  I believe it was Fleer's attempt at a chrome set, and these are really sharp.  One of the bad things about the fall of past trading card companies was the fall of Fleer in the early-to-mid 2000s.  They had over-saturated the market with really nice sets and designs, but it seemed like they spread themselves too thin.  A lot of their stuff from the late 90s to early 2000s was ahead of its time, and really nice stuff to look at.

I was really happy to get this signed card back TTM from Peter Tucci.  The auto doesn't show up too great on the scan, but in person, the card is sharp.  I'd like to find a few more of these that I can send off.

Tucci (b. 1975) was a first round (31st overall) pick by the Blue Jays in the 1996 June Amateur Draft out of Providence College in Rhode Island.  He played in the minors from 1996 to 2001 in the Blue Jays, Padres and Mets systems.  He advanced to AA before calling it a career.  He had 594 hits, 84 home runs and a .20 batting average.

I mailed to Tucci on March 24 and got the card back on April 18, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kevin Jarvis

These two cards were rescued from my boxes and signed TTM when I sent off to Kevin Jarvis.  The above 2002 Fleer Focus turned out nicely, and had come from one of the boxes I got from my former LCS.  These have a nice design; I wish I had opened more cards in the early 2000s, but I was a broke college student at the time.

Here is Jarvis's 2001 Topps, which also turned out great.  This is a nice landscape oriented card, which looks nice in this set.

Jarvis (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1994 to 1997 and 1999 to 2006 for the Reds, Twins, Tigers, A's, Rockies, Padres, Mariners, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Red Sox.  He had a record of 34-49 with 453 strike outs and a 6.03 ERA.

I mailed to Jarvis on March 29 and got the cards back on April 18, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - Logan Davidson

This 2020 Bowman green parallel turned out nicely in this TTM success from Logan Davidson.  I had sent to A's Spring Training and got one of the three cards that I sent signed.  I'm glad it was this one, since I don't have many of these in the album.

Davidson (b. 1997) was a first round (29th overall) pick by the A's in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of Clemson.  He went to high school at Providence High School in Charlotte.  He has played in the minors for three seasons, all in the A's system.  He has 193 hits, 20 home runs and a .224 batting average.

I mailed to Davidson on March 12 and got the card back on April 16, for a 34-day TAT.  He kept my other two cards.

TTM Success - Matt Clement

These cards stayed out in the mail for quite a long time, but I finally received a TTM success from Matt Clement.  I had some older Bowmans and a couple early 2000s Topps cards for Clement, and they turned out nicely.

The 1997 Bowman (above, left) turned out well; I was glad to get one of those out, as I don't have very many of them signed.  They seem to live in my boxes and it was good to get at least one of them into my album.  I also like the early 1st Bowman logo.

Clement (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1998 to 2006 for the Padres, Marlins, Cubs and Red Sox.  He had a record of 87-86 with 1,217 strike outs and a 4.47 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2005.

I mailed to Clement on February 11, 2019 and got the cards back on April 14, 2022, for a 1,158-day TAT.

June 2022 Graphing of Mudcats at Wood Ducks

The Carolina Mudcats came back to Kinston for a 6-game series against the Wood Ducks after the Wood Ducks had been away for two weeks.  It felt like longer, with all of the stuff we had going on recently, so it was nice to get back into a groove at Grainger Stadium.

I caught all 6 games, and got to see the Woodies sweep the Mudcats, which was great.  THere were some really close games, and great pitching.

I had taken a lot of 50/50s for this series; more than usual, and was able to almost finish everything off.  Prepping on Monday was a pain, but I got it all done, and ended up doing very well, even though a lot of the Mudcat players were limiting us on signing.  I enlisted a little help here and there to polish off a few guys, and it helped.

I was also able to find Demetre Kokoris's Vancouver Canadiens team set card, which he was excited to see.  I am glad to finally add him to the autograph album.  A lot of the stuff I got done for the Wood Ducks was parallels that I got in a 50/50 from Gerard.

I finally got some of my 2022 Bowman cards out of my box when the Mudcats came.  Jackson Chourio was the highlight of the series.  He was one per every time he walked by, so we were able to get him to sign most of the games pre and post-game.  I also got him to sign a baseball after the Sunday game.

A big difference between the first series of the year between the two teams and this series was that Hedbert Perez and Jeferson Quero were limiting pretty heavily.  I was still able to get the stuff signed that I wanted signed, which was nice.

I raided my closet and found this 2019 Aberdeen team set card of Jean Carmona.  I had bought the set to get Adley Rutschmann, and ended up not even opening it once the 2020 season was canned.

In all, I got the following autographs: Jackson Chourio x 11, Jheremy Vargas x 9, Hendry Mendez x 12, Hedbert Perez x 17, Dylan MacLean x 3, Ryan Garcia x 30, Maximo Acosta x 6, Jeferson Quero x 9, Eduardo Garcia x 14, Demetre Kokoris x 3, Jean Carmona x 2, Xavier Valentin x 1, Mitch Bratt x 3, Cam Cauley x 9, Ian Moller x 4 and Jose Rodriguez x 9 (142 total autographs).

TTM Success - Chris Karamesines

He may be as old as 93, no one really knows how old Chris Karamesines really is, but he most likely is the oldest person ever to pilot an NHRA top fuel dragster.  After returning from a tour in Europe during World War II, Karamesines began auto racing in the early 1950s.  He finally retired after the 2020 season, and had his granddaughter, Krista Baldwin take over driving duties.  In between, Karamesines wo countless rounds of NHRA competition, but never a national event win.

I mailed to Karamesines on April 4 and got the card back on April 12, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Justin Nicolino

Here are a couple cards I was able to get out of my Box of Shame and signed TTM recently.  These two Justin Nicolino cards had been sent to someone who had promised to take 50/50s for me; I got all of her junk custom cards signed, but she proceeded to lose my stuff, conveniently, and not get anything signed for me.  She also hounded me constantly about whether or not players liked her terrible custom jobs.  Needless to say, once I got the partial package back of my stuff that she "found" later on, she got the block.

Anyway, I rescued two of the Justin Nicolino cards from the box and sent them off; a 2015 Topps Heritage Minors and a 2015 Bowman.

Nicolino (b. 1991) played in the majors from 2015 to 2017 for the Marlins.  He had a record of 10-13 with 86 strike outs and a 4.65 ERA.

I mailed to Nicolino on February 2 and got the cards back on April 12, for a 69-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bruce Zimmermann

Another Spring Training TTM success came in, and this one was from Orioles pitcher, Bruce Zimmermann.  I was able to add a 2022 Topps to the autograph album, as well as a 2021 Topps Update.  Both cards turned out nicely, even though they were signed in ballpoint pen.

Zimmermann (b. 1995) was part of the return in the Orioles trade of Kevin Gausman and Darren O'Day to the Braves in July 2018.  He made his major league debut in 2020, and has pitched for the Orioles since then.  He started this season off looking like a potential top of the rotation candidate, but has been rocked as of late.  It looks like the league has adjusted to him, and he needs to counter.  So far in his career, he is 6-10 with 109 strike outs and a 5.61 ERA.

I mailed to Zimmermann via Orioles Spring Training on March 11 and got the cards back on April 11, for a 31-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Luis Gonzalez

There were a bunch of times I would go through my boxes and see these Luis Gonzalez cards.  I had meant to send them a couple years ago, but ith COVID messing with the 2020 season, I didn't want to take the chance, in case Gonzo wasn't with the Diamondbacks like normal.  I waited until this season and finally dropped these cards in the mail.  Thankfully, they came back signed, and look great.

I am really excited to add the above 2002 Donruss Studio Stars card to the album.  I enjoyed the 1995 Studio set that looked like credit cards; it was, and still is, a very unique set.  I have a few of those signed, and this Gonzo was the first of the 2002 variety.

This 2002 Topps didn't scan too well, but the sentiment of the card was captured.  I was glad to get one of these signed and into my album, as well.

Finally, I have a 2002 Fleer Authentix, 200 Upper Deck SPX and a 2017 Topps Memorable Moments insert; all of the cards look great.

I mailed to Gonzalez on March 23, via the Dioamondbacks, and got the cards back on April 9, for a 17-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Taylor Walls

Last year, I got a TTM success back from Taylor Walls.  I pulled this nice 2021 Panini Chronicles of Walls and really wanted to send to him again.  So, I sent the card, along with a 2021 Topps Update and sent them to Spring Training.  The cards came back signed with a dead Sharpie, but they're still signed.  I'll take what I can get.

The 2021 Update came out worse than the Chronicles, but I can't complain.  Especially with how tough it has been to get Spring Training TTMs back these days.

I mailed to Walls on March 15 and got the cards back on April 9, for a 25-day TAT.

June 2022 Graphing of Drive at Crawdads

Following what was a tough week-plus, I finally got some graphing in.  We had a death in the family the week prior, then we had to put our dog, Rocky, down last week.  I wasn't really feeling graphing, but made myself go on Friday to Hickory while I was in the Winston area for my dad's annual race.  The race was Saturday, so I had plenty of time Friday night to relax and get some ink on some cards.  Chris was at my sister's house, so I flew solo, but actually made a friend while I was there.  We'll see how that goes.

One of the bigger surprises for me on this trip was that Luisangel Acuna has completely opened up to signing, finally.  He was the first player out of the clubhouse, and signed everything I had on the page.  I was impressed, and happy to get the stuff that I had brought, done.

I knocked out several more Hickory team set cards.  I have a different marker this time, and it stood up much better to the team set cards than my Staedtler did.  I still have a bunch to do, but have gotten most of them out of the way; especially the tough guys like Acuna and Evan Carter.

I also knocked out most of what I had left for Aaron Zavala.  Hickory had the SAL League Top Prospects set in, so I opened one and got Carter to sign the card of him in there.

Robby Ahlstrom was recently promoted to Hickory, so I was able to finish off the card I had left for him.  This card scanned so awesome.

This 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Progression card is going to be tough to finish, but I got Chris Seise on it, and maybe I can get the other two guys at some point.

Finally, I had only a handful of Greenville guys, and even fewer stopped to sign.  I did get this 2021 Bowman Draft Tyler McDonough done, and it turned out nicely.  I tried a few other guys, but wasn't successful.  It didn't help that the players didn't have numbers on the front of their jerseys.

The Crawdads were wearing Thor themed jerseys, and I won Cody Freeman's (of course).  It will be shipped to me signed, and looks pretty cool.  I was glad to win another Cody jersey, and was even happier seeing him again.

In all, I got the following autographs: Luisangel Acuna x 6, Ben Amderson x 1, Robby Ahlstrom x 2, Evan Carter x 2, Carlos Cardoza x 2, Frainyer Chavez x 2, Randy Florentino x 2, Jon Goebel x 2, Spencer Mraz x 1, Keyber Rodriguez x 2, Thomas Saggese x 2, Chris Seise x 5, Ricky Vanasco x 2, Owen White x 3, Aaron Zavala x 3, Matthew Lugo x 1 and Tyler McDonough x 1 (39 total autographs).

TTM Success - JD Closser

There aren't a whole lot of 2006 Topps left in my bulk Topps boxes, since I accidentally dumped a lot of them in the gutter as I was moving into this house way back when.  I was really upset, since, of course, it was raining at the time and a lot of those cards were ruined.  Still, I have a few left, and I enjoy it when some of them finally come back signed.  This 2006 Topps JD Closser turned out nicely after it came back TTM.

Closser (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2004 to 2006 for the Rockies.  He had 107 hits, 10 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Closser on March 26 and got the card back on April 9, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - John Mayberry

Here are a couple older Topps cards that had been sitting in my box for a while. The cards waiting for me to come off of some money for a few TTM subjects who charged.  Once I got these John Mayberry cards out, I had to wait a good bit for them to come back, but they finally did.  The above 1978 Topps turned out nicely.

This 1974 Topps also turned out really well.  I think this was in a box of old cards that Max gave me, but I'm not 100% sure, by now, as all of those baseball cards have been mixed in with the rest of my stuff.

Mayberry (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1968 to 1982 for the Astros, Royals, Blue Jays and Yankees.  He had 1,379 hits, 255 home runs and a .253 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1973 and 1974.  He finished second in the AL MVP award voting in 1975 (to Fred Lynn).

I mailed to Mayberry on December 14 and got the cards back on April 8, for a 115-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5.00/card.

TTM Success - Bob Gallagher

Here is a nice 1975 Topps that I got signed TTM from Bob Gallagher. The card turned out great. I really wish I had held onto my bulk extras of 75 Topps instead of sending them as a Christmas gift to someone who never even thanked me. Anyway, I'm sure I'll find more somewhere.

Gallagher (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1972 to 1975 for the Red Sox, Astros and Mets. He had 56 hits, 2 home runs and a .220 batting average.

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

TTM Success - Hudson Head

This past spring, a few Pirates prospects offered to sign some cards TTM for a small fee.  I took advantage and sent two cards to Hudson Head.  The cards turned out great, even though after I had sent the cards and fee out, I saw Head in Greensboro and got the same kinds of cards signed.

Head (b. 2001) was a third round draft pick by the Padres in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of a Texas high school.  He was traded to the Pirates prior to the 2021 season.  He has 143 hits, 18 home runs and a .227 batting average.

I mailed to Head on January 15 and got the cards back on April 7, for an 82-day TAT.  I paid the fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Roberto Petagine

TTMs have all but stopped lately, so hopefully, I can get caught up again on some posts.  Still, with over 980 out there, you would think that there would still be a bunch coming in.  This return from Roberto Petagine got a couple mid-90s cards out of my box, which was nice.

The above 1995 Donruss set was one of the first that I had ever assembled by hand.  Unfortunately, a lot of the cards were bricked by the over gloss, so the set is pretty much ruined.  I do enjoy the cards, for nostalgia's sake, so when I can get one signed and into my album, that is always good.

This 1995 Topps also turned out nicely.  For some reason, I thought this was a 1997, but it is a 95.  I'm usually spot on when it comes to identifying Topps cards quickly, but some of the mid-90s rookie combos mess me up.

Petagine (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1994 to 1998 and 2005 to 2006 for the Astros, Padres, Mets, Reds, Red Sox and Mariners.  He had 83 hits, 12 home runs and a .227 batting average.

I mailed to Petagine on January 12 and got the cards back on April 7, for an 85-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jerry Watkins

This 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions card had been in my box for a very long time.  I kept seeing it, and regretted not taking it with me when I went to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony when Deacon White was inducted.  I met his great grandson, Jerry Watkins, and stood with him for a photo.  He was very nice, then, and I kept kicking myself for not bringing the care with me.

In the time since that ceremony, I have gotten fairly decent in looking folks up, so I took a shot to see if I could get Watkins to sign his great-grandfather's card.  I was successful, and got a nice letter back, as well.

Deacon White (b. 1847 - d. 1939) played in the majors from 1871 to 1890 for the Cleveland Forest Citys, Boston Red Stockings, Chicago White Stockings, Cincinnati Reds, Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Wolverines and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.  He had 2,067 hits, 24 home runs and a .312 batting average.  He was a two-time batting champ (1875, .367 and 1877, .387).  He won the 1887 championship with the Detroit Wolverines.  

White was inducted into the Hall of Fame via the Pre-Integration Era Committee in 2013.  He was one of the game's early stars, and a catcher back when catchers caught bare handed.

I mailed to Watkins on March 28 and got the card back on April 6, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Justin Bellinger

This TTM success from Justin Bellinger started with a card that I really wanted to get signed, then turned into a lot more, thanks to either his or his parents' generosity.

I had this 2013 Leaf Perfect Game chrome card that was a box topper of a box that I picked up several years ago at the National.  I had the card top loaded in one of my boxes for a long time, until I decided to try to locate an address for Bellinger and see if I could get the card signed.

Bellinger signed the back of the card and also signed the back of a 2013 Leaf Perfect Game base card.  He also included the Bowman All American card at the top of the post; signed on the front.

Bellinger didn't stop at adding those couple free cards and the autographs.  He also included this sweet patch card from Perfect Game and also the PSA graded 9 chrome card below.  I was blown away by his generosity.

Bellinger (b. 1995) was a 22nd round pick by the Reds in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of Duke.  He played in the Reds system from 2017 to 2018; both seasons at rookie-level Greeneville.  He had 59 hits, 7 home runs and a .247 batting average.

I mailed to Bellinger on January 13 and got the package on April 5, for an 82-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tony Barnette

These two Tony Barnette cards kept popping up in my box, so I had to finally get them in the mail for a TTM. They turned out alright; the above 2016 Topps Heritage could be better. The marker was probably old.

This 2016 Topps Update turned out better.

Barnette (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2016 to 2019 for the Rangers and Cubs. He had a record of 11-4 with 132 strike outs and a 3.53 era.

I mailed to Barnette on March 28 and got the cards back on April 4, for a 7-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Roger Bailey

Here are some 90s cards that I got back signed from Roger Bailey.  The above card is a 1996 Fleer. This is one of the base cards I talked about a few posts ago. The finish is matte and the autograph shows up well.

Here is another 1992 Stadium Club and a 1998 Topps. Both turned out nicely. 

Bailey (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1995 to 1997 for the Rockies. He had a record of  18-19 with 162 strike outs and a 4.90 ERA.

I mailed to Bailey on March 24 and got the cards back on April 4, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Corey Koskie

A private signing popped up for Corey Koskie recently, and I had the perfect card that I wanted to send.  This 2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX.  I kept seeing it in my box, and wanted to get it signed.  Of course, when the signing came up, I couldn't remember which box I saw it in, so I had to thrash to find the card.  Had I not been looking for it, it would have been right under my nose.

Koskie (b. 1973) played in the majors from 1998 to 2006 for the Twins, Blue Jays and Brewers.  He had 936 hits, 124 home runs and a .275 batting average.  He finished 25th in the 2001 AL MVP race.

I mailed to the signing on January 24 and got the card back on April 2, for a 68-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00 for the signing.

TTM Success - Greg Whiteman

Here is a nice 1996 Bowman that I got signed TTM by Greg Whiteman.  This is a nice design that you don't see too often.  I got a box of the cards way back when I visited Andrew for his graduation.  I enjoyed busting the box, and every now and then I get some of the cards signed TTM.

Whiteman (b. 1973) was a third round pick by the Tigers in the 1994 June Amateur Draft out of James Madison University.  He played in the minors from 1994 to 1998 in the Tigers and Phillies organizations, reaching AA ball.  He had a record of 31-33 with 425 strike outs and a 4.21 ERA.

I mailed to Whiteman on February 10 and got the card back on April 1, for a 50-day TAT.