A TTMer Has Passed Away

On Friday, September 21, 2012, Tom Umphlett passed away at the age of 81.  He had played for the Red Sox in 1953 and the Senators in 1954 and 1955.

I discovered that Mr. Umphlett was from a small NC town that I visit frequently, as I do a lot of my environmental consulting work there (that is where two of our clients have their home offices).  I thought it was cool to send a ball off to a former player that I had the possibility of bumping into at a gas station or Wal Mart, etc.

I don't know the cause of death, but at 81, it probably could have been a multitude of things.  It is sad, however, no matter the cause.  I never knew the guy, but I appreciated his generosity when it came to taking the time to sign my ball.  I will say a prayer for his family and be thankful I had this small interaction.

I haven't really thought about it until now, but given the age demographic of the players I have been sending to, and the 64 TTM successes I have received, only two have passed away so far.  It is inevitable, for sure, but I don't like to think about it.  I'm not one of those guys who likes to dwell on that type of thing nor do I entertain the thought of selling my ball, just because the player had died in hopes of cashing in.  I intend to keep my baseballs as long as I am around and probably will pass them on to my son later on.

For a more positive look at Mr. Umphlett, here is a link to my TTM success from January 11, 2012 and here is a link to Mr. Umphlett's obituary.

TTM Success - Tom Umphlett

Who? I know you are wondering who Tom Umphlett is.  I didn't know who he was until I stumbled upon him on sportscard forum and saw that he lives in Ahoskie, NC.

Ahoskie is a small town in northeast NC where we do a big chunk of our work with my job.  One of our clients is based in Ahoskie.  I had never heard of the place until I started my job in 2007.  Since then, I have been there countless times.

I thought it would be cool if I tried Mr. Umphlett TTM.  He was born in 1930 and played for the Red Sox in 1953 and the Senators in 1954 and 1955.

He finished second in the 1953 Rookie of the Year voting to Harvey Kuenn after batting .283 (140 hits in 495 at bats) with 27 doubles, 3 home runs and 59 RBIs.

For whatever reason, Umphlett didn't last in the majors beyond 1955, ultimately retiring after only 3 seasons with 285 hits, 6 home runs and a lifetime average of .246.  He managed for several years in the minors after his retirement.

I mailed to Mr. Umphlett on December 29, 2011 and got the ball back today (January 11, 2012), making this a 13-day TAT.  Umphlett is my 42nd TTM success.