Auction Pickup - Phil Cavarretta Signed Baseball

Something else I picked up from the most recent Collectauctions.com auction was this Phil Cavarretta signed baseball.  The ball was part of a lot of two signed baseballs.  The second ball I didn't need (a Bobby Thomson ball - I already have a ball signed by Thomson and Branca), so the key to the auction was this Cavarretta.

I wanted to pick it up because I had heard that in the past, Cavarretta had been a great TTM signer, but unfortunately, I missed the boat on getting him and he passed away before I could send a ball.

Cavarretta (b. 1916 - d. 2010) played in the majors from 1934 to 1955 for the Cubs and White Sox. He had 1,977 hits, 95 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .293.

He was the NL MVP in 1945 when he captured the NL batting title with an average of .355.  His MVP award is (much like Marty Marion) is likely the product of wartime baseball, but I still think this is a great addition to my collection. Cavarretta did lead the Cubs to the World Series in 1945, which they lost to the Detroit Tigers (a team that I know a lot about, given my research on Virgil Trucks).  Coincidentally, 1945 was the last time the Cubs have been to the World Series.

TTM Success - Ed Mierkowicz

I had my next few days worth of blog posts planned out before I get some big pieces in the mail later on this week.  I had it all planned out until I got a nice surprise in my mailbox today.  One of my brown padded mailers, with ball inside, was in my mailbox.  I hadn't sent off any TTM requests in a while, so I had no idea who it could be.  I had kept the delivery confirmation slips (from when the USPS used to use those) from the balls I hadn't yet received.

Much to my surprise, the ball was that of former Tiger, Ed Mierkowicz.  I had sent to him on January 7, 2012 as an attempt to get all of the living members of the 1945 World Series Champion Tigers on baseballs.  At that time, there were 5 living members of the team, Virgil Trucks, Billy Pierce, Les Mueller, Milt Welch and Ed Mierkowicz.  Since that time, Mueller and Trucks passed away, leaving only Welch, Pierce and Mierkowicz as the last living members of that team.

Mierkowicz (b. 1924), played in the majors for the Tigers for the 1945, 1947 and 1948 seasons and wrapped up his career with the 1950 Cardinals when he had one plate appearance in one game.  He appeared in the 1945 World Series as a 21-year old but didn't have a plate appearance.

He had 11 hits, one home run and a .175 batting average in his career.  He was a left fielder.

Mierkowicz is my 76th TTM success. I mailed to him on January 7, 2012 and got the ball back today, January 2, 2014, an almost 2-year TAT.  I now have, obviously, all of the living members of the 1945 Tigers team and 7 of the overall.  Along with the 5 guys I mentioned above, I also have Hall of Famers Charlie Gehringer and Hal Newhouser.

Along with my ball, I got back my note that I wrote with answers to the questions that I had asked.  The answers were written by Mierkowicz's granddaughter.  Here are the questions and answers:

What was Hank Greenberg like in person?
He was a great guy.

What do you remember most about playing on those Tiger teams?
That I was a "Tiger"!

Were you sad to see Tiger Stadium torn down?
Not really, you can't stop progress.

His granddaughter also wrote a little note on the back apologizing for how long it took to get the ball back to me.  She said that he had lost his wife this year and has been down + slowing down.  I feel really bad for him.  I know that he is 89 years old, but here's to hoping that things pick up for him and that 2014 is better for him.     

TTM Signer Les Mueller Has Passed Away

Former Tigers pitcher and one of the few remaining players from the 1945 World Series Champion Tigers, Les Mueller, passed away today at the age of 93.

I received the above baseball as a TTM success earlier this year on January 17.  You can read about it here. 
Mueller played only two seasons in the majors, but was able to take home a ring after the 1945 season.  Following his passing, only 4 players remain living from that team:  Virgil Trucks, Milt Welch, Ed Mierkowicz and Billy Pierce.

TTM Success - Les Mueller

Today, I received a TTM success from another member of the 1945 World Champion Tigers, Les Mueller.

I mailed to Mr. Mueller on January 7, 2012 and received the ball back today, January 17, 2012, making him a 10-day TAT.  Mueller signed my ball for free.  I had included questions (much like I did with Milt Welch), but didn't get any answers back.  One look at the signature can tell you that Mr. Mueller is well up there in age (he is 92).


Les Mueller (b. 1919) played for two seasons in the majors (1941 and 1945) for the Tigers.  He had a career record of 6-8 with a 3.78 ERA and 50 strikeouts.  He pitched two scoreless innings in the 1945 World Series.  Mueller also, according to his Wikipedia page, pitched in 19 2/3 innings in a single game and left having given up only one run.  Let's see one of today's pitchers top that...

Mueller is my 44th TTM success and is the 4th living member out of 5 from the 1945 Tigers that I have gotten TTM.  The last one I need is Ed Mierkowicz.

TTM Success - Milt Welch

I decided the other day that I would start a small project with my TTM attempts.  I want to try to get signed baseballs from the remaining members of the 1945 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers.  Currently, there are 5 living members of the team.  I already had 2 of them in Virgil Trucks and Billy Pierce.

So, on January 7, I sent out 3 TTM requests to the other remaining members of the team; today, I got one of them back.

Milt Welch (b. 1924) was a catcher on the 1945 Tigers.  He only played in one game that season and during that game, he came to bat only two times.  He didn't get a hit in any of those at bats.  He wore uniform number 23 during his lone game that season.

When I sent my TTM request to Mr. Welch, I included a note with a couple questions, hoping he would respond.  Mr. Welch did respond briefly by writing beside my questions.

Did you save anything from the game you played in? No.

Did you receive a World Series Ring? Yes.

Are you still a baseball fan today, and if so, who do you follow? I watch all games, no favorite anymore.  Just a fan of the game - Milt Welch.

I am really happy that Mr. Welch took the time to answer my questions.  They were pretty simplistic questions, but I wasn't wanting an essay.  I'm happy he took the time to do all of this.  I did the same for the other two members of the team that I mailed to, so I hope they also answered theirs.

Welch is my 43rd TTM success.  It took six days for me to get my ball back and he signed for free.  Also, unlike yesterday's TTM failure, I got my pen back!

Hall of Fame Baseball - Hal Newhouser

Yesterday, I told you that I bought three Hall of Fame signed baseballs on New Years Eve and two of them arrived in the mail yesterday.  The second ball to arrive is this Hal Newhouser signed baseball.

I have been watching Newhouser signatures ever since I read Virgil Trucks' book.  Newhouser played on the Tigers with Trucks.  They were part of a pretty formidable rotation including also Dizzy Trout, Fred Hutchinson and Stubby Overmire.

Newhouser, born in 1921, played in the majors from 1949 to 1955 for the Tigers and Indians.  His numbers from 1939 to 1943 and 1951 to 1955 are mostly pedestrian, but his stretch from 1944 to 1950 was sheer dominance.  During that stretch, he won two AL MVP awards (back to back) in 1944 and 1945.  He finished second in the MVP voting in 1946.  Imagine if he had won, a pitcher winning 3 MVPs back to back to back?  That's crazy!  Anyway, he did win two back to back and is the only pitcher to do so.  Also, during his 1944-1950 stretch, Newhouser won 20 or more games 4 times, leading the AL each year.  Newhouser also added a World Series ring to his accolades in 1945.

Hal Newhouser was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1992 with lifetime numbers of 207-150, 1,796 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA.  Newhouser passed away in 1998 at the age of 77.  He is my 61st Hall of Famer.

I think I am going to attempt a little side project, in addition to my Hall of Fame signed baseballs.  I think I am going to try to get as many signed baseballs from players on the 1945 Tigers as I can.  I already have Virgil Trucks, Hal Newhouser and Billy Pierce.  I sent out 3 TTM requests this morning to the other 3 living members of that team (there are 5, Trucks and Pierce completing the 5).