TTM Success - Tom Goodwin

This was a TTM success that took two tries, but I finally received from Tom Goodwin.  I had received a failure (a RTS) last year and held onto the cards for a while to see if I could try again.  I saw that he was signing with the Mets, so I sent there.  In the meantime, I swapped out one of the cards I was sending for this 1996 Topps Gallery that I picked up while I was at Andrew's.  It turned out pretty nice, even though the sicnature smeared a bit.  I baby powdered the card, but with how glossy these are, I think I need to use an eraser on them.  I may try that the next time I send one out.

I got these four cards back as well.  They all turned out pretty nicely, I think.  I especially like the 1999 Topps, since I didn't have very many of them in the album.

This 1997 Pacific Collection Prism turned out great.  I love these cards and have been able to get a couple of them signed now.  They look great in the album, and I hope I can add a few more from that set.

Goodwin (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1991 to 2004 for the Dodgers, Royals, Rangers, Rockies, Giants and Cubs.  He had 1,029 hits, 24 home runs and a .268 batting average.

I mailed to Goodwin on May 30 and got the cards back on June 8, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mark Lee

Ah, the 70s.  This card says it all about the era.  The hideous Padres uniform, and the amazing glasses that Mark Lee is sporting on this card really made it something I wanted to add to my autograph album for a while.  I finally sent the card out and it came back pretty quickly.  I should have asked if Lee still owned those amazing glasses, but I didn't.  Oh well.

Lee (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1978 to 1981 for the Padres and Pirates.  He had a career record of 7-8 with 63 strike outs and a 3.64 ERA.

I mailed to Lee on May 30 and got the card back on June 8, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lerrin LaGrow

It was bound to happen.  I have sent off over 500 TTM requests over the last calendar year and have been really lucky with my cards coming back in decent shape.  I don't send my cards in top loaders or sleeves due to the fesr that some of the older players will just sign the sleeves (it has happened).

The sad part is, this 1971 Lerrin LaGrow rookie card was beautiful when I sent it out.  Still, I am grateful I got something back at all.  I know it was USPS that wrecked the cards, but I don't intend to change my ways in how I do my TTMs.

The cards were creased and bent pretty badly, but they will still go in my album.  I kept them in top loaders for a few days in hopes of straightening them out.  It didn't work all that well, but the album should help too.

LaGrow (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1970 and 1972 to 1980 for the Tigers, Cardinals, White Sox, Dodgers and Phillies.  He had a career record of 34-55 with 375 strike outs and a 4,11 ERA.

I mailed to LaGrow on May 8 and got the cards back on June 3, for a 26-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jody Davis

A few TTM successes have rolled in here and there over the last week.  I still haven't mailed out a whole lot lately, but I plan on doing a few this week.

This success from Jody Davis was nice because I was able to use the above 1989 Bowman.  Back when I got into collecting cards, I hated these Bowmans because they didn't fit my album pages.  Now, I kind of like them because they look pretty cool when signed.  I have quite a few 1989 Bowman in one of my boxes, and have pulled a few to send TTM.  Sometimes they make the cut, sometimes they don't, and they end up in TTM starter packs.

I also added a couple Topps cards to the album with these, a 1985 and 1990.  I had hoped he would sign the 1987 that I sent, but he kept three of the cards I sent along.  Oh well.

Davis (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1981 to 1990 for the Cubs and Braves.  He had 877 hits, 127 home runs and a .245 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1984 and 1986.  His best finish in the NL MVP voting was 10th in 1984.  He won the Gold Glove Award in 1986, as well.

I mailed to Davis on May 17 and got the cards back on June 3, for a 17-day TAT.  I mailed to him via the Louisville Bats.

TTM Success - Dave Fleming

This was a really cool TTM success.  Not becaus Dave Fleming was a star, or anything like that.  It was a cool TTM success for me because it was already set up by someone else, somewhere in Kentucky.  When I was on my trip to see Andrew for his graduation, he and I stopped at a card shop in Bowling Green and searched some boxes.  There were a bunch of Fleming cards all together, so I checked to see if he signed TTM.  I saw that he did, so I bought 5 of the cards and when I got back home, I sent them out.

The cards are rather pedestrian, but I thought it was still something really cool, and it tied back into my trip.  THe above 1993 Triple Play turned out really nice.  I remember opening up a bunch of packs of 1992 and 1993 Triple Play; this was one of the first products I was able to afford a full box of, back in the day.

I added one card to the Topps project, the bottom right 1993 Topps.  I also have a 5,000-count box of 1993 Fleer, but rarely am able to get into it, as it is on the bottom of all of my other boxes.  The two Upper Deck cards turned out nice, I think.

Fleming (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1991 to 1995 for the Mariners and Royals.  He had a career record of 38-32 with 303 strike outs and a 4.67 ERA.

I mailed to Fleming on May 24 and got the cards back on June 2, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Tracy

I added some early 2000s cards with this success from former Dodgers manager, Jim Tracy.  I haven't added a 2003 Topps in quite a while, mainly because I don't have very many available.  I need to pick up a box of them and bust it so I have more to choose from.  This one didn't turn out all that great, though.  I don't normally rub up or powder base cards, but I think 2001-2003 Topps might need it.

This 2004 Topps turned out much better.  I probably was the first one Tracy signed, then he went to sign the 2003 and put them together, causing the 03 to mess us a bit.  That's my theory at least.

Tracy (b. 1955) played in the majors in 1980 and 1981 for the Cubs.  He had 46 hits, 3 home runs and a .249 batting average.

Tracy was Davey Johnson's successor in LA and managed the Dodgers from 2001 to 2005 to a record of 427-383 (.527%).  He, then, managed the Pirates from 2006 to 2007 to a record of 135-189 (.417).  He most recently managed the Rockies from 2009 to 2012.  Their record was 294-308 in his tenure, a .488 winning percentage.  His career managerial record is 856-880 (.493%) with a playoff record of 2-6.

I mailed to Tracy on May 17 and got the cards back on June 1, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tom Ragland

TTM Successes have slowed down quite a lot recently, mainly due to my being away on a couple trips.  I have also been searching boxes for cards for graphing, so it has taken away from my letter writing time.  Still, there are a few successes here that I can write about.

This 1974 Topps is the only card of Tom Ragland that I was able to find in my boxes, and I wanted to get a few out on the day it was mailed, so I went ahead and sent it along.  It is a nice card, and he has a really nice signature.

Ragland (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1971 to 1973 for the Senators, Rangers and Indians.  He had 61 hits, 0 home runs and a .231 batting average.

I mailed to Ragland on May 10 and got the card back on June 1, for a 22-day TAT.