Wednesday, November 30, 2022

TTM Success - Asher Wojciechowski

That's a tough last name.  I believe is it pronounced Whoaj-see-chow-ski.  Anyway, I got some cards signed TTM by Asher Wojciechowski, a former Oriole.  This 2015 Topps Heritage turned out nicely, and is a nice add to the autograph album, since I didn't have many of these in there.
I also got a 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition and a 2009 Upper Deck signed.

Wojciechowski (b. 1988) played in the majors in 2015, 2017 and 2019 to 2021 for the Astros, Reds, Orioles and Yankees.  He had a record of 9-15 with 195 strike outs and a 5.93 ERA.

I mailed to Wojciechowski on September 26 and got the cards back on November 7, for a 42-day TAT.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

TTM Success - Denny Ribant

Here are a couple really nice vintage cards that I got signed TTM by Denny Ribant.  The above 1966 Topps was an Ebay purchase that I picked up to go with the 1968 Topps (below) that I found in my box.  I liked how this card looked, so I got it and am happy with it being in my album, now.
The 1968 Topps also turned out nicely.  This is definitely a Spring Training head shot (note the palm trees in the back).

Ribant (b. 1941) played in the majors from 1964 to 1969 for the Mets, Pirates, Tigers, White Sox, Cardinals and Reds.  He had a record of 24-29 with 241 strike outs and a 3.87 ERA.

I mailed to Ribant on October 25 and got the cards back on November 5, for an 11-day TAT.

Monday, November 28, 2022

TTM Success - Stan Wall

This 1976 Topps card that I got back signed TTM from Stan Wall turned out nicely.  I liked the colors on the card, and was glad when it came back.  I have a ton of 1976 Topps, so it was nice to put one of them to use.

Wall (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1975 to 1977 for the Dodgers.  He had a record of 4-6 with 55 strike outs and a 3.86 ERA.

I mailed to Wall on October 26 and got the card back on November 5, for a 10-day TAT.

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Two Tough 87s Added to the Album

These two signed 1987 Topps cards are two of the tougher ones to add to the set.  I got up with someone on Facebook (Marty S.) who was dismantling his signed set.  So, I bought these two off of him, and had him put aside a few more for a later purchase.

I had written to Tony Walker several times, but had gotten RTS on everything I sent.  When I saw this one available, I went ahead and took the deal, so I could cross him off of my list.

Walker (b. 1959) played in the majors in 1986 for the Astros.  He had 20 hits, 2 home runs and a .222 batting average.
I had sent to Shepherd a while back, but never got anything in return.  This signature is really faint, so if a signing comes up, I'll probably try to upgrade this one at some point.

Shepherd (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1984 to 1986 for the Blue Jays.  He had 18 hits, 2 home runs and a .167 batting average.

I'm looking to scrape together some more money to buy a few more cards off of Marty, so I can keep pushing this set toward completion.  I know that Ricky Wright (and Dick Howser and Roy Lee Jackson) will keep this out of reach, but I'm going to keep trying.

TTM Success - Jack Daugherty

Here are some early 90s cards that I got signed TTM recently by Jack Daugherty.  I had gone through those 90s boxes and pulled a bunch of people to send to, and Daugherty was one who had a bunch of cards.  I hadn't added a 1992 Fleer to the album in a while, so this one was nice to put in there.
I also got a 1990 Topps, 1991 Topps and 1992 Topps signed.

Daugherty (b. 1960) played in the majors in 1987 and from 1989 to 1993 for the Expos, Rangers, Astros and Reds.  He had 194 hits, 10 home runs and a .256 batting average.

I mailed to Daugherty on October 26 and got the cards back on November 14, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Al Weis

Another 1968 Topps was robbed from my vintage box and added to my autograph album when I got this card back signed TTM from Al Weis.

Weis (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1962 to 1971 for the White Sox and Mets.  He had 346 hits, 7 home runs and a .219 batting average.

I mailed to Weis on October 26 and got the card back on November 4, for a 9-day TAT. 

Friday, November 25, 2022

TTM Success - Tim Scott

Some more mid-90s cards came back signed TTM; this time from former pitcher, Tim Scott.  This 1995 Topps turned out nicely.
I also got a 1992 Stadium Club and a 1993 Topps signed.

Scott (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1991 to 1997 for the Padres,  Expos, Giants and Rockies.  He had a record of 24-13, with 253 strike outs and a 4.13 ERA.

I mailed to Scott on October 26 and got the cards back on November 4, for a 9-day TAT. 

Thursday, November 24, 2022

TTM Success - Bob MacDonald

When I can get a 1994 Topps signed, it's always kind of nice.  Not because it is a special set to me or anything, it's because I have so few of them left, the options are thin.  I don't want to buy a bulk box, because the cards will be stuck together, so I just take what I can get.  The card, signed TTM by Bob MacDonald, turned out great.
I also got a 1992 and a 1993 Topps signed.

MacDonald (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1990 to 1993 and 1995 to 1996 for the Blue Jays, Tigers, Yankees and Mets.  He had a record of 8-9 with 142 strike outs and a 4.34 ERA.

I mailed to MacDonald on October 22 and got the cards back on November 4, for a 13-day TAT. 

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

TTM Success - Don Kirkwood

Here are some 1970s cards that I got signed TTM from former pitcher, Don Kirkwood. This 1976 Topps turned out nicely.
I also got a 1978 Topps and a 1979 Topps signed.  Both of these turned out nicely.

Kirkwood (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1974 to 1978 for the Angels, White Sox and Blue Jays.  He had a record of 18-23 with 194 strike outs and a 4.37 ERA.

I mailed to Kirkwood on October 4 and got the cards back on November 4, for a 31-day TAT.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

TTM Success - Chuck Finley

A super tough 1987 Topps was finally taken off of the checklist when I got this TTM success back from a private signing with Chuck Finley.  I had been waiting for a while for a signing to come up, and I finally got into one.

Finley (b. 1962) played in the majors from 198 to 2002 for the Angels, Indians and Cardinals.  He had a record of 200-173 with 2,610 strike outs and a 3.85 ERA.  He was a five-time All Star (1989, 1990, 1995, 1996 and 2000).  His best (and only) finish in the Cy Young voting was 7th (1990, AL).

Fun fact, at one point, Finley was married to Tawny Kitaen (the model from the Whitesnake video).

I mailed to the signing on September 20 and got the card back on November 4, for a 5-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $29.00.

Monday, November 21, 2022

TTM Success - Chris Welsh

This TTM request had been out to Chris Welsh for so long, I went ahead and had a friend of mine get me a signed 1987 Topps from Reds Fest a while after I sent these cards out.  I had forgotten about these, until they finally came in earlier this month.  I was glad to finally get these cards back, and it definitely was a pleasant surprise.  The above 1983 Fleer turned out great.  I don't have very many of this year of Fleer in my autograph album.
He also sent back a 1982, 1986 and a 1987 Topps.  Since I already had a signed 87 in my set, I'll just file this one in my autograph album.

Welsh (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1981 to 1983 and 1985 to 1986 for the Padres, Expos, Rangers and Reds.  He had a record of 22-31 with 192 strike outs and a 4.45 ERA.

I mailed to Welsh on May 4, 2017, and got the cards back on November 3, 2022, for a 2,009-day TAT.  Not my longest wait, but definitely a long one.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Another TTM Success From Ted Kazanski

Here is another vintage card that I got signed TTM recently. This is a 1959 Topps signed by Ted Kazanski.  I had sent to him back in 2019.  I found this card at the Chantilly show among some other vintage pickups.

I mailed to Kazanski on October 26 and got the card back on November 3, for a 7-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Lou Skizas

This is my first post with the new scanner that I bought yesterday.  It seems like this one does pretty well, after taking forever to set up (stupid wifi router was giving me trouble).  Anyway, this 1957 Topps that I got back TTM from Lou Skizas turned out really nicely.  I think this is going to be a pretty nice scanner.  I believe it may be the 4th or 5th one that I've had over the life of this blog (dating back to 2008).  The Epson that I just parted with was pretty decent, but stopped working the other night, and it would have cost me the price of this new scanner just to replace the ink, let alone repair it.  So, I have a new HP Deskjet that I got as an early Black Friday deal, so I'm pretty happy about that.  Anyway, back to this nice signed 1957 Topps.

Skizas (b. 1932) played in the majors from 1956 to 1959 for the Yankees, A's (Kansas City), Tigers and White Sox.  He had 196 hits, 30 home runs and a .270 batting average.

I mailed to Skizas on October 25 and got the card back on November 3, for an 8-day TAT.

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Another TTM Success From Bob Reynolds

Here are some cards that came back recently TTM from former Oriole, Bob Reynolds. I had sent to him back in 2017, but had two cards pop up that I wanted to get signed.  I figured it would be a good time to send off the 1991 Crown Orioles card, since I was already going to send the below 1973 Topps Rookie card.
My awesome friend, Max, got Brent Strom on this card for me, so I thought I'd go ahead and add Reynolds.  I took a look and saw that Steve Lawson hasn't signed in a long time, so I'll probably file this card in my album and just wait and see.
Reynolds also included this Orioles post card, which was nice of him.

I mailed to Reynolds on October 22 and got the cards back on November 1, for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Taylor Phillips

My (somewhat new) scanner died last night, and I am going to try something new by just taking and cropping a picture from my phone and posting that.  I need to figure out the "straighten" function on my phone, but this crop job wasn't terrible.  I still am going to get another scanner, but in the meantime, this will do, I think,

This is a nice 1958 Topps that I got back, along with a small "God is Good" card from Taylor Phillips.  I really love the 1958 Topps design, and am happy that there are still a handful of players left who sign TTM and afford me the opportunity to add signed versions of these to the autograph album.

Phillips (b. 1933) played in the majors from 1956 to 1960 and 1963 for the (Milwaukee) Braves, Cubs, Phillies and White Sox.  He had a record of 16-22 with 233 strike outs and a 4.82 ERA.  He won the World Series in 1957 with the Braves.

I mailed to Phillips on October 24 and got the signed card, the God is Good card and a signed note back on November 1, for an 8-day TAT.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

TTM Success - Doug Camilli

This poor 1963 Topps has had a life well-lived.  It is pretty beat up, but now can reside in my autograph album in perpetuity.  That bottom right corner is pretty round.  Still, the card looks great, and I am glad I got it signed.  This TTM success from Doug Camilli was part of a big wave of vintage stuff I raided from my vintage Topps box with the hope of adding more of these types of cards to my autograph album.

Camilli (b. 1936) played in the majors from 1960 to 1967 and 1969 for the Dodgers and Senators.  He had 153 hits, 18 home runs and a .199 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1963.

I mailed to Camilli on October 25 and got the card back signed on November 1, for a 7-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5.00/card.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

TTM Success - Randy Scarbery

Here is another 1980 Topps that I was able to get back signed TTM.  The card was signed by Randy Scarbery with a fading blue Sharpie.  The card looks nice, nonetheless.

Scarbery (b. 1952) played in the majors from 1979 to 1980 for the White Sox. He had a record of 3-10 with 63 strike outs and a 4.50 ERA.

I mailed to Scarbery on October 11 and got the card back on November 1, for a 21-day TAT. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

TTM Success - Nevin Ashley

Sometimes, there isn't a whole lot of rhyme nor reason to how cards come in from TTMs.  Other times, I'll get a bunch of similar cards back all at once.  This 2008 Bowman Chrome that I got back TTM from Nevin Ashley came among some early 80s stuff that I had gotten back at the end of October.  I've got a lot of random single card guys from older Bowman years that I'll drop in the mail.  Getting them back adds to some randomness of my autograph album, which I like.

Ashley (b. 1984) played in the majors in 2015 for the Brewers.  He had 2 hits, no home runs and a .100 batting average.

I mailed to Ashley on October 11 and got the card back on November 1, for a 21-day TAT.

Monday, November 14, 2022

TTM Success - Mark Melancon

Here are a couple recent cards that I was able to get signed TTM right after my 2022 Topps Series 2 cards came in.  I quickly sent off a few to some teams before the season ended with the hope that I'd get them back.  I was successful with this submission to Mark Melancon via the Diamondbacks.  He signed my 2022 Topps Heritage, which looks sharp, and also a 2022 Topps.
Both cards look really nice with Melancon's inscriptions.

Melacon (b. 1985) has played in the majors since 2009 for the Yankees, Astros, Red Sox, Pirates, Nationals, Giants, Braves, Padres and Diamondbacks.  He has a record of 37-40 with 643 strike outs and a 2.94 ERA.  He is a 4-time All Star (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2021) and won the Trevor Hoffman relief award in 2015.  That season, he also finished 8th in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

I mailed to Melancon on September 16 via the Diamondbacks and got the cards back on November 1, for a 46-day TAT.

Sunday, November 13, 2022

TTM Success - Lucas Luetge

These cards were mailed TTM to Lucas Luetge in 2020, and finally came back a couple weeks ago.  There have been a few TTM successes of late that came in after waiting several years, and it is always fun to see those old stamps show up in my mailbox.  The way I send off TTMs is sort of coordinated as new stamps come out.  I can tell if it is a recent stamp on the envelope, or if it is an older one, whether or not I have been waiting a while for a TTM to come in.  Maybe that makes sense.  It does to me.
Anyway, I got these three cards back from Luetge; a 2012 Topps Update, a 2013 Topps gold and a 2013 Topps.  He signed the cards in black Sharpie, and they all turned out well.

Luetge (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2012 to 2015 and made a return in 2021, pitching into 2022.  He has played for the Mariners and Yankees.  He has a record of 11-11 with 212 strike outs and a 3.38 ERA.

I mailed to Luetge on July 9, 2020, and got the cards back on October 31, 2022, for an 844-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ron Brand

Here are a few more vintage cards that I got back signed recently.  I had the two Topps (1968 and 1971) cards of Ron Brand and also an old Fleer Expos sticker, so I sent them out to Brand.  All of the cards came back looking pretty nice.  The sticker is a bit worn, but will look fine in my album.
I like the 1971 Topps card, but like most others from that year, the edges and corners show wear pretty prominently.  Still, I like adding them to the album, and need to find some more bulk from 1969-1971 to send off for TTMs.

Brand (b. 1940) played in the majors in 1963 and from 1965 to 1971 for the Pirates, Astros and Expos.  He had 322 hits, 3 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Brand on October 17 and got the cards back 14-day TAT.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

A Couple 50-50s From Preston

Most of the 2022 50/50s have come back in, but a couple are still lingering out there.  One of the recent ones that came back was a small one I sent out to a kid named Preston in Charlotte.  He graphs the Knights and also goes to Winston-Salem and Kannapolis.  I finally met him in person this year at a Dash game (that rained out).  Preston took a couple cards for me and got them signed at Knights Stadium.  The above 2021 Topps green shimmer card of Luis Patino was the key to the deal, and Preston didn't disappoint.  The card turned out great (and I even forgot I sent it out).
Preston also got this 2010 Bowman Chrome signed for me by Seth Blair.  These were the only two cards Preston was able to get done, but he told me that he would try to get some done for me next season.  He's a good kid, and I'm not worried about quantity.  He was also worried about how long it took for him to get the package back, and I wasn't worried about that, either.  I think he felt bad, but I understand, we all get busy.  

Anyway, Preston is a good guy, and I hope we can do some more 50/50s in the future.  It seems like he may be growing out of getting cards signed at the moment, but I bet he will jump back in the game, once he realizes how much he misses it.  We'll see.

TTM Success - Dave Giusti

Some more vintage cards got signed TTM for me with this success from Dave Giusti.  He signed both of my cards (a 1966 and a 1972 Topps) with a thin black pen.  The cards turned out nicely.
Giusti (b. 1939) played in the majors in 1962 and from 1964 to 1977 for the Colt .45s/Astros, Cardinals, Pirates, A's and Cubs.  He had a record of 100-93 with 1,103 strike outs and a 3.60 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1973.  He led the league in saves (30) in 1971.  His best Cy Young finish was 1970 (4th, NL) and MVP was also 1970 (6th, NL).  He won the World Series in 1971 with the Pirates.

I mailed to Giusti on October 17 and got the cards back on October 31, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tom Davey

This 1999 Bowman Chrome that I got back from Tom Davey turned out nicely.  Originally, the card was a bit cloudy due to age, and sticking to the card in front of it.  I powdered the card prior to sending it out, and that seemed to help it out.  The card is hard to see, due to the quality of the scan, but it really did turn out nicely.

Davey (b. 1973) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 for the Blue Jays, Mariners and Padres.  He had a record of 7-6 with 123 strike outs and a 4.41 ERA.

I mailed to Davey on October 1 and got the card back on October 29, for a 28-day TAT.

Friday, November 11, 2022

TTM Success - Larry Murray

Another 1980 Topps came back signed recently when I got this return from Larry Murray.  He signed my card in ballpoint pen, but it still looks nice. 
I also had this old Fleer A's sticker that I wanted to use, so I sent it along as well.

Murray (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1974 to 1979 for the Yankees and A's.  He had 73 hits, 3 home runs and a .177 batting average.  I mailed to Murray on October 19 and got the cards back on October 28, for a 9-day TAT. 

Thursday, November 10, 2022

TTM Success - Mike White

Another signed vintage Topps was added to m autograph album when this 1965 Topps came in from Mike White.  He signed the card in blue ballpoint pen.  I like the old Colt .45s hat that White is wearing for this card.

White (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1963 to 1965 for the Colt .45s/Astros.  He had 78 hits, 0 home runs and a .264 batting average.

I mailed to White on October 19 and got the card back on October 28, for a 9-day TAT.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

TTM Success - Richard Hidalgo

When I saw that Richard Hidalgo was signing, I was really excited. This was because I had a ton of his cards in one of the boxes I got when the card shop closed. I sent off four of the cards to him for signature and they certainly back looking great.  Obviously I had to send the above 2001 Fleer Ex.  I really love this set, and have gotten a few of them signed by now. They always look awesome in my album, and I definitely wouldn't mind adding more.
I also added a 1997 Visions Signatures multi sport card and a 1997 Bowman hometown foil parallel. 
This 1998 Fleer Ultra Rocket to Stardom looks great, as well. This is a die cut card, but that is hard to tell from the scan.

Hidalgo (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1997 to 2005 for the Astros, Mets and Rangers. He had  929 hits, 171 home runs and a .269 batting average. He finished 18th in the 2003 NL MVP race. In 2000, he finished 20th in the NL MVP race, after hitting 44 home runs and batting .314.

I mailed to Hidalgo on October 8 and got the cards back on October 28, for a 20-day TAT. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

TTM Success - Steve Foucault

Some 1970s cards came back signed TTM recently with this success from Steve Foucault.  He has a nice signature, which turned out well on all of these cards that I sent.  The above 1974 Topps looks really cool in my album.
He also signed a 1976, 1977 and 1978 Topps for me.

Foucault (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1973 to 1978 for the Rangers, Tigers and Royals.  He had a record of 35-36 with 307 strike outs and a 3.21 ERA.

I mailed to Foucault on October 17 and got the cards back on October 27, for a 10-day TAT.

Monday, November 7, 2022

TTM Success - Gary Peters

Gary Peters was one of the free signers at the 2019 National.  For whatever reason, I didn't find these two cards before I left on that trip.  So, this 1972 Topps and the 1965 Topps 1964 Pitching Leaders card were sent TTM to him recently.
Both of these cards have seen better days, but they are each signed and will take residence in my autograph album.  Both look a bit nicer than they did before I mailed them off.

Peters (b. 1937) played in the majors from 1959 to 1972 for the White Sox and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 124-103 with an ERA of 3.25 and 1,420 strike outs.  He was the 1963 Rookie of the Year, and an All Star in 1064 and 1967.  He won 20 games in 1964, as well, which landed him 7th in the AL MVP voting.  He was the AL ERA leader in 1963 (2.33) and 1966 (1.98).

I mailed to Peters on October 19 and got the cards back on October 27, for an 8-day TAT.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

TTM Success - Jack Kucek

Here is a 1977 Topps that I got back signed TTM from Jack Kucek.  The card turned out nicely, signed in blue Sharpie.

Kucek (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1974 to 1980 for the White Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays.  He had a record of 7-16 with 121 strike outs and a 5.12 ERA.

I mailed to Kucek on October 17 and got the card back on October 27, for a 10-day TAT.