TTM Success - Matt Brash

Another TTM success came in recently, this time from Mariners pitcher, Matt Brash.  I was able to get the above 2022 Panini Capstone signed, which turned out nicely.

I also got a 2022 Topps Update, 2022 Topps Update Chrome and 2022 Topps Update Chrome purple parallel signed.  All of the cards look great.

Brash (b. 1998) has played in the majors since 2022 for the Mariners.  He has arecofd of 13-8 with 153 strike outs and a 3.93 ERA.

I mailed to Brash via Mariners camp on February 11 and got the cards back on April 1, for a 49-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jerry Grote

Jerry Grote has a nice autograph.  The above 1964 Topps that I got back signed TTM exhibits Grote's autograph nicely.  This was a nice card that I pulled from the boxes that Conrad loaned me, and I am glad that I got it signed. 

I also sent this 1976 Topps that had been in my to-be-TTMed box for a long time. It's just a cool card, and turned out great.

Grote (b. 1942) played in the majors from 1963 to 1964, 1966 to 1978 and 1981 for the Colt .45s, Mets, Dodgers and Royals.  He had 1,092 hits, 39 home runs and a .252 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1968 and 1974.  He won the World Series with the Mets in 1969.  He appeared on the 1987 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to Grote on March 16 and got the cards back on April 5, for a 20-day TAT. I paid his fee of $10/card.

Another TTM Success From Kyle Cody

This purple chrome 2021 Topps Heritage card of Kyle Cody had tk get signed.  I have gotten Cody several times, and the former Wood Duck has come through a bunch.  So, I sent this card TTM to Spring Training and got it back signed.

Cody is still with the Rangers, even though he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021.

I mailed to Cody on February 13 and got the card back on April 1, for a 47-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Randy Dobnak

Randy Dobnak is a pretty prolific TTM signer, so I sent to him again this season during Spring Training.  The above 2020 Topps Fire was the card that pushed me to sending again.  This is a wild set, and looks cool in my album. 

I also got a 2021 Topps, 2022 Topps and a 2021 Topps Heritage signed.  All of the cards turned out great.

I mailed to Dobnak on February 24 via Twibs camp and got the cards back on March 31, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Goodson

Here is another 2007 Bowman that I got out of my box and into the autograph album. This card came back signed from Matt Goodson and looks pretty nice. 

Goodson (b. 1982) was a 23rd round pick by the Red Sox in the 2004 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin.  He played in the minors from 2004 to 2008, in thr Red Sox system.  He reached AA.  He had a record of 21-24 with 286 strike outs and a 4.61 ERA.

I mailed to Goodson on February 15, 2022, and got the card back on March 31, 2023, for a 409-day TAT.

August 26, 2023, Hope For The Warriors Johnny Bench Signing

The annual Hope For The Warriors celebrity meet and greet came around again this weekend, and Johnny Bench was back.  He missed last year, so it was nice being able to go and get some more of his cards signed.

The above 1968 Topps rookie card was given to me by an old friend, Joey, who had upgraded the one in his collection.  Because I had helped him long ago when he was first getting started, he gave me this card for free.  It was in rough shape, but I was happy to get it signed nonetheless. 

I got a bunch of Bench cards signed this time around.  The price was really good, and I enjoy helping this charity.  So, I got 20 Bench cards done.

I held back a select few from my album so I could give some to a couple friends.  I'm really happy with the ones I kept, though.

I had a friend send me some photos of some Bench cards that he would like to have signed, and I am already excited about going again next year.  I hope Bench keeps coming out this way.

Doug Flynn was also along for the signing. He signed a couple of my cards with a donation to the cause, and then signed a few more for my friend, Jesse, who finished off what I had brought with me.  Flynn is always super nice when we have been able to meet him. 

In all, we got the following autographs: Johnny Bench x 20 and Doug Flynn x 8 (28 total autographs).

TTM Success - John Cummings

Here is a TTM success from John Cummings that brought back a few nice mid-90s cards for my autograph album.   The above 1996 Fleer glossy parallel turned out nicely.

I also got a 1994 Donruss and a 1993 Pinnacle signed.

Cummings (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1993 to 1997 for the Mariners, Dodgers and Tigers.  He had a record of 10-15 with 114 strike outs and a 5.33 ERA.

I mailed to Cummings on March 13 and got the cards back on March 28, for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Nick Maronde

Here are some nice cards that I got signed TTM by Nick Maronde.  I've got a bunch of 2012 Topps Heritage Minors cards, and was able to get one of them out of the box and into the album with this success.

I also got a 2012 Bowman, 2013 Bowman and a 2013 Topps Crome signed.

Maronde (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2012 to 2014 for the Angels.  He had a record of 0-0 with 19 strike outs and a 7.13 ERA.

I mailed to Maronde on March 2 and got the cards back on March 27, for a 25-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Dennis Sarfate

Dennis Sarfate is a blast from the past for Orioles fans.  He was part of the trade that sent Miguel Tejada to the Astros from the Orioles.  I got a TTM success from Sarfate recently that included the above Japanese baseball card that u had gotten from my friend, Ryan. 

I also got this really nice 2005 Gold Leaf Rookie signed. The card didn't scan well, but it looks great in person.

Sarfate (b. 1981) played in the majors from 2006 to 2009 for the Brewers, Astros and Orioles.  He had a record of 5-4 with 131 strike outs and a 4.53 ERA.

I mailed to Sarfate on February 23 and got the cards back on March 25, for a 30-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Nick Solak

Nick Solak is a pretty dependable TTM signer, so when I found these cards, I figured it was time to send to him again.  I got the above 2020 Topps Chrome signed, which turned out great.

I also got a 2021 Topps, a Topps Chrome insert and a Bowmans Best signed.  They all look great.

Solar (b. 1995) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Rangers, Braves and Tigers.  He has 218 hits, 21 home runs and a .252 batting average.

I mailed to Solak on February 13 via Reds camp and got the cards back on March 25, for a 40-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Warren Johnson

These drag racing cards of Warren Johnson had been on my desk for a couple years.  I had picked them up, hoping he would come back to the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame event, but I haven't seen him there since that first time I had gone back in 2018.   So, I finally dropped the cards in the mail and tried him TTM.  The cards came back looking great.

Johnson (b. 1943) is the second-winningest driver in NHRA history.  His 97 national event wins are second only to John Force.  He won six championships in Pro Stock (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2001) and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.  Johnson also had some of the sharpest looking cars at the race track.

I mailed to Johnson on March 16 and got the cards back on March 24, for an 8-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Buddy Kennedy

Here is another TTM success on a 2023 Topps that came back from Spring Training.  This Buddy Kennedy card turned out nicely.

Kennedy (b. 1998) has played in the majors since 2022 for the Diamondbacks. He has 20 hits, 1 home run and a .202 batting average.

I mailed to Kennedy on February 21 and got the card back signed on March 23, for a 30-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Mark Teixeira

This TTM success I got back from Mark Teixeira was a big one.  I was glad to get my 2015 Topps purple parallel back signed.  It turned out great.

Teixeira (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2003 to 2016 for the Rangers, Braves, Angels and Yankees.  He had 1,862 hits, 409 home runs and a .268 batting average.  He was an All Star in 2005, 2009 and 2015.  He finished second in the AL MVP race in 2009 when he led the league in homers (39) and RBIs (122). Joe Mauer won the award that year.

Teixeira was a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and a three-time Silver Slugger.  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009.  He appeared on the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 1.5% of the vote.  

I still haven't forgiven him for teasing us Orioles fans with the thought that he would sign with the O's, only to become a Don Mattingly fan overnight and sign that big deal with the Yankees. 

I mailed to Teixeira via ESPN on October 11, 2022, and got the card back signed on March 23, 2023, for a 163-day TAT.

TTM Success - Michael Massey

Another 2023 Topps came back signed TTM from Spring Training when I got this card back from Michael Massey.  The card turned out nicely.

Massey (b. 1998) has played in the majors since 2022 for the Royals.  He has 116 hits, 14 home runs and a .233 batting average. 

I mailed to Massey on February 23 via Royals camp and got the card back on March 21, for a 26-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Hanser Alberto

Another TTM success came in from Spring Training back in March when I got this signed 2021 Topps back from former Oriole, Hanser Alberto.  I really liked Alberto when he was an Oriole, but they let him go since they had better, cheaper, younger options that they could plug into the lineup. 

Alberto (b. 1992) played in the majors from 2015 to 2016 and 2018 to 2023 for the Rangers, Orioles, Royals, Dodgers and White Sox.  He has 378 hits, 22 home runs and a .269 batting average.

I mailed to Alberto via White Sox Spring Training on February 23 and got the card back on March 21, for a 26-day TAT.

August 20, 2023, Graphing of Hot Rods at Grasshoppers

Yesterday, Chris and I went to Greensboro to catch the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Grasshoppers.  I wanted to try to graph Termarr Johnson since he had been brought up to Greensboro.  We were supposed to meet up with a friend at the game, but our friend's plans changed at the last minute. 

We were able to get Johnson on 4 cards. I had a bunch of Greensboro stuff to get done for my friend, Gerard, and got everyone except for Tres Gonzalez.  He ignored both times he walked by.  Still, it was a very successful day.

It looks like my marker is on the way out, so I'll have to try to replace it over the next couple of days.  I prefer the Michaels Artosts Loft markers, but Michaels has been sold out evert time I've gone by there this summer.  There is a big difference between the marker I used and the Sharpie Chris had yesterday.  My hope was that the difference was due to excess powder on Gerard's cards, but when I looked back at my High Point stuff from the day before, I could see that the marker was starting to die off.

I switched up for post game and my Brock Jones turned out fine.  I've always got a backup marker, so I should be ok, but that'll leave me without the backup, of course.

I was really glad to finally get these two Jeff Hakanson cards signed.  I missed him the two times I saw Charleston this season, then he was called up to Bowling Green.  They're now done, so I have them in the album now.

The two Chandler Simpson cards are some that I found at the National; then he was moved to Bowling Green. I was glad to go ahead and get them signed, as well.  Willy Vasquez was tough.  He grabbed the black Sharpie that belonged to the guy next to me, signed my card with it (no big deal), but then looked right at Chris and skipped him.  Chris would walk up to him outside post game on the sidewalk and ask again. Vasquez told him "No, leave" so Chris walked away. Then Vasquez left.  Had I known that he had said that right away, I'd have told Chris to just give him the card and walk away. I don't normally like to do stuff like that when someone refuses to sign, but when someone is rude to my kid, I don't need to keep your unsigned card hoping you'll sign at a later time. This was coupled with us asking JJ Goss if he would sign.  He said "I'll put my stuff down and come back."  He never did.  So, all of Goss's stuff will either be put back in the mail to Gerard or will be dumped into a box.  I won't bother him again.

Other than the disappointment from both of those guys, we had a great time.  The weekend was filled with great weather, two really good games and a lot of graphing.  I also spent time with my family while we were out that way.  With school starting back soon, this may have been the last weekend I will have available graph with Chris.  I feel like we made it a good one.

In all, we got the following autographs: Jase Bowen x 3, Bubba Chandler x 6, Maikol Escotto x 5, Thomas Harrington x 2, Termarr Johnson x 4, Sammy Siani x 6, Jeff Hakanson x 2, Brock Jones x 1, Chandler Simpson x 2 and Willy Vasquez x 1 (32 total autographs).

August 19, 2023, Graphing of Revolution at Rockers

Yesterday, Chris and I met up with my friend, Tyler, and the three of us graphed York Revolution at High Point Rockers.  I had wanted to get back to High Point since my two cards of Daikan Yoh (aka Dai-Kang Yang) came in.  The above 2013 Topps Tribute WBC card turned out amazingly.  It should have; I spent a good bit on the card.

I had also picked up this awesome Japanese card of Yoh.  This also looks awesome.

I had a bunch of cards pulled for High Point, so I graphed them by the dugout pregame.  I got most of the guys I needed, so we graphed by our seats at the York dugout post game.  I only needed a few York guys, so I finished off who I could outsode post game, then went over to the High Point side and finished off everyone I could over there.  I finally was able to get Cam Bedrosian when he was one of the last guys out of the clubhouse.  I was really happy to get the above 2014 Topps Update red foil card signed.

I picked uo a team set for High Point before the end of the game, and was able to get a few guys on that.  I also got a 2011 Bowman Chrome Taylor Guerreiri and some 2018/2019 Shed Long cards out of the boxes.

I didn't sweat too hard over trying to get the team set guys done. I just got who I saw.  I probably will try to finish some of those guys off if they come back next season.  The set was cheap enough; I'm just happy with what I got. 

Between Chris, Tyler and I, all of the Frank Viola cards I had pulled over the course of the last two seasons have been signed.  I'll have to do a deep dive through some of my boxes if I want to find more cards of him.

These two might be my favorite Viola cards that I added to the album.

There weren't a whole lot of York guys with cards, but I was still able to get a few things done. I did miss Richard Urena, so that was disappointing. 

Tyler gave me a 2020 Bowman Drew Mendoza, since I couldn't find any in my Bowman box.  I also had the above Nellie Rodriguez sitting on my desk for quite a long time.  It is now resting in the album, finally out of the way.

In all, I got the following autographs: Cam Bedrosian x 4, Ryan Dull x 2, Albert Gonzalez x 1, Taylor Guerreri x 2, Shed Long Jr × 7, Frank Viola x 21, Dai Kang Yang x 2, Joe Johnson x 1, Trent Giambrone x 2, Drew Mendoza x 1 and Nellie Rodriguez x 2 (45 total autographs). 

TTM Success - Joe Paterson

This 2011 Topps Gold parallel of Joe Paterson was an oddball card that showed up in my boxes. I saw that Paterson signed TTM, so, I sent it along. It came back signed in silver Sharpie. 

Paterson (b. 1986) played in the majors from 2011 to 2014 for the Diamondbacks. He had a record of 0-3 with 30 strike outs and a 6.25 ERA.  I mailed to Paterson on March 9 and got the card back on March 20, for an 11-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Tom Shopay

Tom Shopaybwas another guy in the 1991 Crown Orioles set who I had gotten in the past.  So, when I found the above 1972 Toppa, I paired it with the Crown card and tried him again.

The cards turned out great. Shopaholic has a cool signature, and I got two more cards into my album. 

I mailed to Shopay on March 7 and got the cards back on March 20, for a 13-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Wes Stock

Some of my cards from Conrad were paired with cards from the 1991 Crown Orioles set so I could re-send to some guys and the outgoing package not just include the Crown card.  You know, because I'm not really pursuing that set.  Even though I do enjoy getting them signed.

I found the 1964 Topps Wes Stock to pair with the above 1991 Crown, and both cards turned out nicely.  I had gotten Stock a while back, but was happy to add a couple more of his cards to the album. 

I mailed to Stock on February 27 and got the cards back on March 20, for a 21-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kodi Medeiros

This TTM success from Kodi Medeiros helped me get some cards out of my box that I've had for a long time and weren't able to finish off when he was playing for the Mudcats.  The above 2013 Leaf Perfect Game is one that sat in the same place for a very long time.

I also got my 2014 Panini Prizm, 2014 Bowman and 2014 Bowman Chrome signed.

Medeiros (b. 1996) was a first round (12th overall) pick by the Brewers in the 2014 June Amateur Draft out of Waiakea High School in Hawaii.  He played from 2014 to 2022 (missing 2020 when the minors were shut down due to COVJD) in the Brewers, White Sox and Angels systems.  He had a record of 27-44 with 567 strike outs and a 4.93 ERA.  He ended up reaching AAA and now seems to be out of baseball.

I mailed to Medeiros on January 10 and got the cards back on March 18, for a 67-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kyle Asleton

Finally back onto some TTMs, here's one I got back from Kyle Aselton on a coupke cards from 2007 Bowman and Bowman Chrome.

I have a ton of 2007 Bowmans, so I could probably populate a bunch of TTMs if I took the time and sent some out.  I'll get there, eventually.  I like this set.  It was one of the first Bowman sets I really opened when it came out.  I also got a lot from the card shop when it closed.

Aselton (b. 1983) was an 11th round pick by the Twins in the 2004 June Amateur Draft out of Oregon State.  He played from 2004 to 2009 in the Twins, Reds and White Sox organizations, reaching AA.  He had a.record of 24-21 with 421 strike outs and a 3.89 ERA.

I mailed to Aselton on March 7 and got the cards back on March 18, for an 11-day TAT.