TTM Success - Dwight Bernard

A couple cards from 1983 came back signed TTM when I got this success in from Dwight Bernard.  He was a guy I found while going through an 80s box.  I've tried to reduce the amount of those cards slowly by getting as many as I can signed.  I was able to find some guys during that pass through the box, so it was nice to get a few done.

Bernard (b. 1952) played in the majors in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982 for the Mets and Brewers.  He had a record of 4-8 with 92 strike outs and a 4.14 ERA.

I mailed to Bernard on January 23 and got the cards back on February 5, for a 13-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Ryan Braun

This TTM success from Ryan Braun was a bit of a surprise.  I had seen that he had signed for some folks, but it always seems like I send too those types of guys too late and never get my stuff back.  I found this cool 2008 Topps player propaganda posters card and sent it on. The card looks really cool.

Braun (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2007 to 2020 for the Brewers.  He had 1,963 hits, 352 home runs and a .296 batting average.  He was a 6-time All Star (2008 to 2012 and 2015).  He led the NL in hits in 2009 and led the NL in runs and homers in 2012.  He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and NL MVP in 2011. His career went off the rails when he failed a testosterone test and suspension in 2011 and his connection to Biogenesis that resulted in another suspension.

While he will likely never get into the Hall of Fame, he did receive a spot on the Brewers Wall of Honor.

I mailed to Braun on October 9 and got the card back on October 23, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Brent Suter

Some recent Topps cards came back signed with this TTM success from Brewers pitcher, Brent Suter.  This was a request I sent out once Spring Training got under way this season, and the cards finally came back signed.  I sent Suter a 2018 and a 2020 Topps.

Both of the cards came out nicely.  His signature is pretty simple, but the cards are still signed and in m album.

Suter (b. 1989) has played in the majors since 2016, all with the Brewers.  He has a record of 36-19 with 338 strike outs and a 3.51 ERA.

I mailed to Suter on March 14 and got the cards back on October 8, for a 208-day TAT.

TTM Succes - Mike Penney

Here is a nice card that i found in one of the boxes from my former LCS.  This is a 2001 Donruss Signature Series that I sent off TTM to Mike Penney.  He hadn't signed in a long time, so I figured I'd take a chance and see if I could get the card signed.  The signature isn't much, but the card is signed and now in my album.

Penney (b. 1977) was an eighth round pick in the 1998 June Amateur Draft by the Brewers out of USC.  He played in the minors from 1998 to 2002, all in the Brewers system, and reaching AAA.  He had a record of 28-33 with 327 strike outs and a 4.12 ERA.

I mailed to Penney on March 17 and got the card back on March 29, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brendan Murphy

I got some nice cards out of one of my boxes with this TTM success from Brewers prospect, Brendan Murphy.  I had been holding onto his cards with the hope that I would see him with the Carolina Mudcats, but I missed the opportunity.  He may still come through Carolina, but he hasn't pitched anywhere since 2017, so it is probably unlikely.  He is listed with the Mudcats for this season, so we will have to see if he can finally get back on a mound.

I got some really nice cards signed.  The card at the top is a 2017 Panini Elite Extra Edition die cut numbered 82/99.  The cards above are all from 2017 Bowman.  There are two different shades of blue refractors, a Bowman Chrome and Bowman base.  I always liked this version of Bowman, and have gotten a bunch of them signed at Wood Ducks games.  If Murphy does make it onto Carolina's roster, I may be able to knock out a few more.

Murphy (b. 1999) was a 4th round pick by the Brewers in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of an Illinois high school.  He pitched in Arizona for the Brewers rookie ball team in 2017.  He went 0-2 with 11 strike outs and a 6.19 ERA.

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

TTM Success - Taylor Jungmann

I got a few nice cards back signed from Taylor Jungmann.  The above 2011 Bowman Chrome turned out really well.

Jungmann also signed a 2016 Topps and a 2017 Topps gold.  Those also turned out really well.

Jungmann (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2015 to 2017 for the Brewers.  He had a record of 9-13 with 126 strike outs and a 4.54 ERA.

I mailed to Jungmann on November 16 and got the cards back on November 27, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Charlie Moore

Here's another 1987 Topps that I got signed through a private signing on SCN.  This card, signed by Charlie Moore, turned out nicely, and gets another name off of my list.

Moore (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1973 to 1987 for the Brewers and Blue Jays.  He had 1,052 hits, 36 home runs and a .261 batting average.

I mailed to the signing on June 30 and got the card back on July 31, for a 31-day TAT.

TTM Success - Khalid Ballouli

I went through the box of 2004 Topps that I picked up from my LCS and pulled some guys that I saw were signing TTM.  One of those was Khalid Ballouli, who signed this card.

Ballouli (b. 1980) was a 6th round draft pick by the Brewers in the 2002 June Amateur Draft.  He played 5 seasons in the minors, reaching as high as AA Huntsville.  He had a career minor league record of 21-29 with 351 strike outs and a 4.96 ERA.

I mailed to Ballouli on July 7 and got the card back on July 17, for a 10-day TAT.

Max Knocks Another Off of The List

Max sent me another package that was paired with the one he sent with the assorted Frank autos, and this one contained another signed 1987 Topps for my set.

I had sent TTM to Bill Schroeder a couple years ago, but never got my card back.  Max helped me out by getting this one, and it has now been crossed off of the list.

Schroeder (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1983 to 1990 for the Brewers and Angels.  He had 303 hits, 61 home runs and a .240 batting average.

Thanks, as always, for the help with the set, Max!

TTM Success - Gorman Thomas

Another private signing came along with someone that I needed for my 1987 set.  I had sent TTM to Gorman Thomas a while back, but the cards never came in, so I went ahead with the private signing.  The card turned out well, and I can cross Thomas off of my list.

Thomas (b. 1950) played in the majors from 1973 to 1976 and 1978 to 1986 for the Brewers, Indians and Mariners.  He had 1,051 hits, 268 home runs and a .225 batting average.  He led the league in home runs in 1979 and 1982.  He was an All Star in 1981, and finished a career-best 7th in the MVP voting (AL) in 1979.  He appeared on the 1992 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to the signing on October 15 and got the card back on November 1, for a 17-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $7.00.

TTM Success - Bob Hansen

I was able to use one of the few 1975 Topps cards that I have left for another TTM success.  I had gotten a bunch of 75s a while ago from my buddy, Max, and used some of them for a secret Santa around the blogs.  While I enjoy giving folks gifts, I was really disappointed because I never got a thank you for those cards.  I should have saved them and used more of them for TTMs.  That's what happens sometimes when you do something nice for someone; it goes unappreciated.

Anyway, I was able to get this card back signed from Bob Hansen.  I had actually sent him two cards, but he only sent this one back.

Hansen (b. 1948) played in the majors in 1974 and 1976 for the Brewers.  He had 36 hits, 2 home runs and a .242 batting average.

I mailed to Hansen on October 23 and got the card back on October 31, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jaime Cocanower

Two more 1987 Topps were crossed off of my list when I was able to get these cards signed by Jaime Cocanower.

One of the toughest things to do in this set is try to get all of the guys shown on the team leaders cards.  There are a couple of them that I highly doubt I will finish, but as far as getting every card in the set signed, I think I still can do that.  We'll see, though.

Cocanower (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1983 to 1986 for the Brewers.  He had a career record of 16-25 with 139 strike outs and a 3.99 ERA.

I mailed to Cocanower on September 16 and got the cards back on October 23, for a 37-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Gantner

I saw that Jim Gantner was going to be available through a private signing on SCN, and from what I understand, he is tough to get.  So, I made sure to sign up for the event, and get my 1987 Topps card out of the way.  His signature looks amazing on the card, and I am happy that I got it taken care of.

Gantner (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1976 to 1992 for the Brewers.  He had 1,696 hits, 47 home runs and a .274 batting average.

I mailed to the private signing on May 20 and got the card back on June 13, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a $7.00 fee.

TTM Success - Paul Molitor

I tried to get him when he was the manager of the Twins, but that TTM request came back unsigned.  I tried again recently, this time sending $20 with the card, and I am happy to say that I was able to cross Paul Molitor off of my 1987 Topps checklist.

I mailed to Molitor on February 23 and got the card back signed on March 28, for a 33-day TAT.  This card was well worth the $20 fee.

TTM Success - Robin Yount

Another private signing helped me grab a Hall of Famer for my 1987 Topps set.  This Robin Yount turned out really nicely.  I had a ton of his cards in my 87 box, so it was nice to be able to pull one and get it in my album.

I paid $40.00 to get my card signed, but that was much cheaper than it would have been if I had tried to get him at a show.  I'll use that opportunity to get someone else.

I mailed to the signing on 2/7 and got the card back on March 14, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Teddy Higuera

I answered a private signing on SCN in order to knock off two cards for my 87 set.  Teddy Higuera has this All Star card and a base card in the set, so I was glad to see his name come up on the private signings list.

He signed both cards beautifully, and they are now in my 87 album.

Higuera (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1985 to 1991 and 1993 to 1994 for the Brewers.  He had a career record of 94-64 with 1,081 strike outs and a 3.61 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1986 when he went 20-11 with a 2.79 ERA, finishing 2nd in the AL Cy Young Award voting (to Roger Clemens).  He also finished 15th in the AL MVP voting that season.

I mailed to the signing on November 28 and got the cards back on February 2, for a 66-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Corbin Burnes

I was happy when I saw that former Mudcat, Corbin Burnes, was signing TTM, because I still had a ton of his cards here.  I was especially happy to get this 2017 Carolina League Top Prospects card signed.  I doubt I will complete the set, but it is nice to get another from it signed.

I also was able to get my 2017 Mudcats team set card signed, along with a few 2018 cards.  He has already been called up to the Brewers, so I figure it might get a little tougher to get Burnes from here on out.

Burnes (b. 1994) made it to the Brewers last season and went 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 35 strike outs.  He was a 4th round pick in the 2016 Amateur Draft.

I mailed to Burnes on January 5 and got the cards back on January 19, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chase Anderson

I'm still not as good with getting current players TTM as I am with past players.  Still, I try to remember when I see other people's successes and put cards aside.  I got Chase Anderson recently on this 2018 Topps, and it turned out really well.

Anderson (b. 1987) has played in the majors since 2014 for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.  He has a career record of 45-36 with 597 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA.  His Brewers are about to make the post season for the first time in several years.

I mailed to Anderson on May 24 via the Brewers and got the card back on June 29, for a 36-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Demaria

I added a few more recent cards to my album with this TTM success from Chris Demaria.  I was disappointed, though, that he kept my 2006 Topps Chrome and 2006 Topps Opening Day, and swapped me out for the two Upper Deck below.

Not that they're bad cards by any means, I just would have rather had my Chrome.

Demaria (b. 1980) is only a few days younger than I am.  He played in the majors in 2005 and 2006 for the Royals and Brewers.  He had a 1-1 record, 22 strike outs and a 7.15 ERA.

I mailed to Demaria on March 12 and got the cards back on April 23, for a 42-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mike Birkbeck

Here are some more late 80s cards for my album in this TTM success from Mike Birkbeck.  I enjoyed this 1989 Topps, which turned out well.

In addition to my card for my 1987 Topps set, I also sent a couple late 80s Donruss cards.  They look pretty good, and I like both of those sets' designs.

Birkbeck (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1986 to 1989, 1992 and 1995 for the Brewers and Mets.  He had a career record of 12-19 with 149 strike outs and a 4.86 ERA.

I mailed to Birkbeck on March 16 and got the cards back on April 9, for a 24-day TAT.