Sunday, July 16, 2023

TTM Success - JJ Hardy

Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS still is the greatest baseball game that I have attended.  The Delmon Young 3-run double in the bottom of the 8th inning resulted in the loudest moment I've heard at a ballpark.  I had hoped for a private signing with Young for some time now, since his 2015 Topps shows him at bat for that hit.  That hasn't happened, but JJ Hardy's 2015 Topps also captures part of that moment.  As a result of a signing with Hardy, I was able to get a few of his cards signed and added to my album.
I couldn't settle just for the base card being signed.  I had this blue refractor from 2015 Topps Chrome, and sent it along, as well.
Hardy's 2015 Bowman also shows him rounding the bases as part of the Young double, so I included it in the package, as well.  I topped the request off with the above 2012 Bowman red ice parallel because it looks so cool.

Hardy (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2005 to 2017 for the Brewers and Orioles.  He had 1,488 hits, 188 home runs and a .256 batting average.  He was a three-time Gold Glove Award winner (2012, 2013 and 2014) and an All Star twice (2007 and 2013).  He also won the Silver Slugger award in 2013.  He appeared on the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to the signing on February 14 and got the cards back on March 9, for a 23-day TAT. 

1 comment:

Jafronius said...

Very cool! Nice that you were able to track down those cards based on the game. Also didn't know Hardy was done by 2017.