TTM Success - Larry Bigbie

I was really excited when this TTM success from Larry Bigbie came in.  Not only because it was a former Oriole who I have met, but also because it allowed me a chance to get a card signed that had been floating around my Orioles box for years.  When I saw that Bigbie had a great TTM success rate, I immediately grabbed this 2000 Topps HD and made sure that it was going to be included in the package that I planned on sending.  I'm glad I did, because the card turned out great.  I was afraid that the signature may smear or smudge, but it really looks great.

I also had this 2004 Leaf Certified Cuts that my friend Max sent me in a recent package.  He heard that I planned on sending to Bigbie and reminded me that I had this card.  I found it, and off it went.  It also turned out great.  This card is numbered 29/100.

Only one card smeared, and it was this 2006 Topps.  I needed this one to fill the 2006 slot in my Topps Autograph project because I don't have too many bulk 2006 Topps any more.  I might have to pick up a hobby box to bust, just for fun, so I can build back some bulk product.  Something else I liked about this card is two-fold.  One, it is a bad airbrush job from Topps.  If you know about the history of Topps cards, you'll know that they have had to airbrush logos onto photos in the past.  This one is such an obvious airbrush job simply because of point number two, that isn't Larry Bigbie on the card.  That is one Brian Roberts, airbrushed into a Rockies uniform.  For this reason, regardless of the quality of the signature, I am happy to have this card come back signed.  I actually have a couple other "bad airbrush" cards out for signature, and I hope to be able to talk about them soon.

Finally, here are a couple other Topps cards that I included from other years.  I doubt I will be able to fill up the 2000 Topps RC, it seems the other guy, BJ Garbe, doesn't sign regularly.  The 2005 Topps turned out nice, even though the card is otherwise unremarkable.

I mailed to Bigbie on March 18 and got the cards back on April 1, for a 14-day TAT.

Bigbie (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2006 for the Orioles, Rockies and Cardinals.  He had 328 hits, 31 home runs and  lifetime average of .267.  He left MLB to play in Japan following the 2006 season and being named in the Mitchell report as a steroid user.  That piece of news was really disappointing about Bigbie, because I really liked him as a player.  His reasoning was that he took the PEDs to keep up with others who were using, and felt that he wouldn't crack the majors otherwise.  Still, he will always be one of my favorite Orioles that I watched play, especially because of a series of homers he hit in games that I attended with a friend in 2005.