Another TTM Success From Steve Searcy

While clearing out some room in my boxes, I gathered some cards of guys I had sent to in the past with the plan to send again.  The point was to make room in the boxes and added new cards to the album.  I pulled a few cards of Steve Searcy, who I had sent to back in 2018.  Back then, I jad sent only his 1989 and 1990 Topps.  This time I got a 1989 Score, 1989 Donruss, 1991 Donruss, 1991 Topps and 1991 Stadium Club back signed.

All of the cards turned out nicely.  It was nice to get these Junk Wax Era.cards moved into the autograph album. 

I mailed to Searcy on December 27 and got the cards back on January 6 for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Charlie Beilenson

Here is another 2024 Bowman Draft TTM success; this one is from Charlie Beilenson.

He signed my 2024 Bowman Draft paper and chrome in blue Sharpie.  Both look great.

Beilenson (b. 1999) was a 5th round pick by the Mariners in the 2024 July Amateur Draft out of Duke.  He pitched at Low A Modesto.  He went 0-0 with 4 strike outs and a 2.45 ERA.

I mailed to Beilenson on December 18 and got the cards back on January 6 for a 19-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Carl Thomore

A couple older Bowman cards were freed from the Bowman box recently when I sent these two cards TTM to Carl Thomore.  Getting cards like these signed is a lot of fun; I am able to learn about past minor leaguers who were around before I started graphing in person. 

Thomore (b. 1993) was a 2nd round pick by the Rockies in the 2011 June Amateur Draft out of East Brunswick High School in New Jersey.  He played in the minors from 2011 to 2014 in the Rockies and White Sox systems.  He reached low A Kannapolis prior to leaving affiliated ball in 2014.  He continued to independent ball in 2015 and 2016.

He had 159 hits, 8 home runs and a .213 batting average during his time with affiliated teams.

I mailed to Thomore on December 4 and got the cards back on January 6 for a 33-day TAT.  He included a note that said "Thanks for loving this great game.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to your family." 

February 24, 2025, Graphing of UNC at ECU

Chris, Jesse and I went to the UNC-ECU game here in Greenville on Monday.  We had hoped to see one of Chris's former teammates, but he is injured and has been redshirted.  Still, we did a little bit of graphing while we were there and got some Perfect Game cards signed by guys on both teams.  Luke Stevenson may be one of the biggest prospects that we saw, and one of the few that limited us.  Still, he was really nice.

We graphed on the UNC side, hoping to see Chriss teammate.  We were told about his injury, but continued to try and get as many Tar Heels as we could.  We missed a few, so I'm going to have to go up to Chapel Hill and try to finish up the rest of the Perfect Game cards I bought.  I did find out afterwards that while Ryan Lynch signed a Perfect Game card, the card is of a different Ryan Lynch.  Maybe that's why he looked confused and signed only one per.

One ECU guy (Ian White, Jr.) walked by us on that side.  After the game, we got Michael Kalinich as he walked off of the field.  We missed the rest of the ECU guys, so I'll have to catch another game here in town.

In all, we got the following autographs: Boston Flannery x 10, Gavin Gallaher x 10, Perry Hargett x 8, Reece Holbrook x 10, Harrison Lewos x 10, Ryan Lynch x 2, Parker McCoy x 10, Luke Stevenson x 4, Mitch Wilson x 10, Michael Kalinich x 10 and Ian White, Jr. x 10 (94 total autographs). 

Another TTM Success From Mike Garman

Back in 2018, I got a TTM success from Mike Garman.  Recently, I got some from my friend Ryan, and a couple more Garmans were in the stack.

I got a 1975 Topps (top) and a 1977 Topps (above) back signed.  Both turned out nicely.

I mailed to Garman on November 23 and got the cards back on January 2 for a 40-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brett Caradonna

This 1998 Bowman Chrome card of Brett Caradonna looks great in person.  I found it in the box of old Bowmans and polished it up nicely when I powdered it to send out TTM.  The powder I use seems to do well on Chrome cards, and Ive noticed it a few times.  I really like the backdrop of the card; an action shot of Caradonna making a catch up against the wall.

Caradonna (b. 1978) was a first round (34th overall) pick by the White Sox in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of El Capitan High School in California. 

He played in the minors 1997 to 2002 in the White Sox system.  He reached AAA.  He had 567 hits, 26 home runs and a .251 batting average.  I mailed to Caradonna on December 4 and got the card back on January 2 for a 29-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Josh Caron

Here is another 2024 Bowman Draft TTM successes.  I got two Josh Caron cards back signed fairly quickly after I sent them out.

Caron (b. 2003) was a 4th round pick by the Mariners out of the University of Nebraska in the 2024 July Amateur Draft. He played last season at single A Modesto.  He had 13 hits, 1 home run and a .277 batting average. 

I mailed to Caron on December 16 and got the cards back on January 2 for a 17-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Brian Holiday

My 2024 Bowman Draft TTM submissions seemed to be pretty successful.  I got quite a few back; the next one was this one from Brian Holiday.  He signed my paper and chrome that I sent in black Sharpie. 

Holiday (b. 2003) was a 3rd round pick out of Oklahoma State by the Cardinals in the 2024 July Amateur Draft.  He has not yet made his professional debut. 

I mailed to Holiday on December 19 and got the cards back on December 31 for a 12-day TAT. 

First Graphing of the Year - AML Rise to the Top

Say his name and he appears.  I believe in Joe Hendry.  I first discovered Joe Hendry in November at Wrestlecade.  I had wished that I knew then what I know now; I would have paid to meet Hendry then.  Luckily, Hendry was scheduled to appear at AL'S Rise to the Top in Winston-Salem this past Saturday.   My buddy, Jesse, told me about the event, but a last minute change kept Jesse from going.  Chris and I went to the show and had a blast.

Hendry did a VIP signing prior to the show, but it was sold out.  He stuck around after the show and signed autographs for the people who weren't able to get in on the VIP deal.  That was so great that he and the promoters made sure everyone got their autographs.  The price was reasonable also.

It was so cool to watch Hendry in person again.

He defended the TNA title at the show, as well.

The other matches were fun.  The whole show was solid, and the other wrestlers were worth seeing.  I will definitely go to AML's next show in Lexington, NC.  I have really enjoyed going to these lower tier wrestling promotions. 

TTM Success - Matthew Klimas

This is a 2008 Bowman Chrome that was rescued from my Bowman box.  I sent to Matthew Klimas and the card came back signed in black Sharpie. 

Klimas (b. 1987) was an 8th round pick by the Giants in the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of Texarkana College.  He played in the minors from 2006 to 2010 in the Giants system.  He was able to reach AA.  He had 124 hits, 2 home runs and a .276 batting average. 

I mailed to Klimas on December 18 and got the card back on December 31 for a 13-day TAT.  Klimas also sent me a note back saying "Thank you for sending me a card and making my day!"

TTM Success - Josh Kuroda-Grauer

My next 2024 Bowman Draft auto that came back signed TTM was this one from Josh Kuroda-Grauer.  He inscribed the card to me.

Kuroda-Grauer (b. 2003) was drafted by the A's in the 3rd round of the 2024 July Amateur Draft out of Rutgers.  He played at three levels in the A's system last season (high A, AA and AAA).  He had 35 hits, no home runs and a. 324 batting average. 

I mailed to Kuroda-Grauer on December 18 and got the card back on December 31 for a 13-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kodey Shojinaga

More 2024 Bowman Draft cards came back signed TTM recently.  This one was awesome because I got a Green Grass parallel that I pulled from my Jumbo box signed.  The card is great, but I was able bit worried that it wouldn't come back.  I'm glad it did.

I also got the paper and chrome cards signed.

Shojinaga (b. 2003) was drafted in the 6th round of the 2024 July Amateur Draft out of the University of Kansas by the Phillies.  He played at Low A Clearwater last season.  He had 6 hits, no home runs and a .143 batting average. 

I mailed to Shojinaga on December 16 and got the cards back on December 31 for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jon Perlman

This nice 1989 Topps of Jon Perlman came back signed TTM recently.  The card turned out nicely.

Perlman (b. 1956) played in the majors in 1985, 1987 and 1988 for the Cubs, Giants and Indians.  He had a record of 1-2 with 17 strike outs and a 6.35 ERA.

I mailed to Perlman on November 25 and got the card back on December 31 for a 37-day TAT.

TTM Success - Grant Shepardson

Here is another 2024 Bowman Draft that came in TTM.  This card was signed by Grant Shepardson in blue ink.  It turned out pretty well. 

Shelardson (b. 2005) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins out of Mountain Vista High School in Colorado.  He hasn't made his professional debut yet.

I mailed to Shepardson on December 17 and got the card back on December 30 for a 13-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jackson Wentworth

Another 2024 Bowman Draft autograph came in TTM in December with this one from Jackson Wentworth.

Wentworth (b. 2002) was a 5th round pick by the Blue Jays out of Kansas State in the 2024 July Amateur Draft.  He has not yet made his professional debut.

I mailed to Wentworth on December 18 and got the card back on December 30 for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Vic Black

Here is a 2014 Topps that was added to the autograph album.  I got this card back signed TTM by Vic Black.  He has a really nice signature.

Black (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2013 to 2014 for the Pirates and Mets.  He had a record of 5-3 with 47 strike outs and a 2.96 ERA.

I mailed to Black on February 8, 2024, and got the card back on December 28, 2024, for a 324-day TAT.

TTM Success - Carson DeMartini

Another 2024 Bowman TTM success came in, this time from Carson DeMartini.  The cards turned out nicely.

DeMartini (b. 2002).was a 4th round pick by the Phillies out of Virginia Tech in the 2024 July Amateur Draft. 

He played at Low A Clearwater last season and had 29 hits, 2 home runs and a .315 batting average.

I mailed to DeMartini on December 17 and got the cards back on December 27 for a 10-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Wayne Gross

Another 1991 Crown Orioles card was added to the autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Wayne Gross.  The 1991 Crown got smeared, but it is still signed.

I also got a 1978 Topps and a 1984 Topps Traded signed.  The 84 Traded came out of a box of stuff I picked up at a show with Ryan a while back.

I mailed to Gross on November 21 and got the cards back on December 26 for a 35-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Daniel Eagen

My next TTM success from 2024 Bowman Draft came from Diamondbacks pick, Daniel Eagen.  He has a nice signature; the cards turned out nicely.

Eagen (b. 2002) was a 3rd round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2024 July Amateur Draft out of Presbyterian College in South Carolina.  He has not yet made his professional debut.

I mailed to Eagen on December 16 and got the cards back on December 26 for a 10-day TAT.  He also included a note, which was a nice touch.

TTM Success - Chance Sisco

A friend of mine from Instagram held a private signing with former Oriole, Chance Sisco recently.  I had some Sisco cards left over from when I saw him last season with Lancaster.  I also raided my old Sisco PC for some other nice cards, like the above mini gold shimmer from 2015 Bowman Chrome.

I also got a 2017 Bowman, 2013 Bowman Chrome black shimmer, 2018 Topps and 2018 Donruss Optic pink parallel signed through the event.

Sisco (b. 1995) played in the majors from 2017 to 2021 for the Orioles and Mets.  He had 102 hits, 16 home runs and a .197 batting average. Sisco signed with the Cardinals this off-season.

I mailed to the signing on November 14 and got the cards back on December 26 for a 42-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Tytus Cissell

My first TTM success from 2024 Bowman Draft came in from Tytus Cissell.  The card above is a chrome refeactor and turned out nicely.

Cissell (b. 2006) was a 4th round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2024 July Amateur Draft out of Francis Howell High School in Missouri.  He has not yet made his professional debut for the Diamondbacks. 

I mailed to Cissell on December 16 and got the cards back on December 24 for an 8-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Randy Miller

Another 1991 Crown Orioles card is off the list and added to my autograph album. I got this one back signed TTM from Randy Miller.

Miller (b. 1953) played in the majors in 1977 and 1978 for the Orioles and Expos.  He had a record of 0-1 with 6 strike outs and a 12.91 ERA.

I mailed to Miller on December 4 and got the card back on December 24 for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Royce Huffman

A 2002 Topps was added to the autograph album when this card came back signed TTM from Royce Huffman.  

Hoffman (b. 1977) was a 12th round pick by the Astros in the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of TCU.  He played in the minors from 1999 to 2009 in the Astros, Padres, White Sox and Rangers systems. He reached AAA.  He had 1,388 hits, 75 home runs and a .294 batting average. 

I mailed to Huffman on December 2 and got the card back on December 24 for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Roy Oswalt

Another private signing that I participated in recently was one for Roy Oswalt.  I had a few of his cards put aside in the event that one would pop up.  When it did, I narrowed my choices down to two, then above 2009 Topps Heritage and the below 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen. 

Both cards look great.  The price wasn't too bad, so I was happy to add two cards to the autograph album. 

Oswalt (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2013 for the Astros, Phillies, Rangers and Rockies.  He had a record of 163-102 with 1,852 strike outs and a 3.36 ERA.  

He was a 20-game winner twice in his career (2004 and 2005), and was a three-time All Star (2005, 2006, 2007).  He never won a Cy Young Award, but finished in the top 5 in voting five times.  He was the 2005 NLCS MVP.  He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2019, but fell off with only 0.9% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on October 16 and got the cards back on December 23 for a 68-day TAT.  I paid $15.00/card.

TTM Success - Mitch Webster

This 1987 Topps Mitch Webster kept popping up every time I went through my 1987 Topps box.  The card is a sort of shade of gray instead of brown like most 87s.  I always told myself that if I saw a Webster signing, I'd get it signed and into my 1987 album.  This was even after I had added a Webster to the album a while back.  That one will probably become trade bait.

Webster (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1983 to 1995 for the Blue Jays, Expos, Cubs, Indians, Pirates and Dodgers.  He had 900 hits, 70 home runs and a .263 batting average. 

I mailed to the signing on November 27 and got the card back on December 21 for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $25.00.

TTM Success - Andrew Rundle

Here is a random 2009 Bowman that I found and sent off TTM to Andrew Rundle.  He signed the card in a fat blue Sharpie.  The card looks pretty nice, even though it looks like he used every inch of that Sharpie.

Rundle (b. 1987) was a 14th round pick by the Cubs in the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of Bend High School in Bend, Oregon.  He played in the minors from 2006 to 2010 in the Cubs and Phillies systems, reaching High A.  He had 193 hits, 16 home runs and a .227 batting average. 

I mailed to Rundle on December 4 and got the card back on December 21 for a 17-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Hubie Brooks

Adding to my signed 1987 Topps set is getting slower and slower.  There aren't many guys left that I need who are living and/or sign.  I was thrilled when I saw a private signing pop up for Hubie Brooks.  I paid for the signing and then my good friend Max bought me one for Christmas. Oof.

Brooks (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1980 to 1994 for the Mets, Expos, Dodgers, Angels and Royals.  He had 1,608 hits, 149 home runs and a .269 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1986 and 1987, and a Silver Slugger Award winner in 1985 and 1986.  He finished 14th in the 1985 NL MVP race. 

I mailed to the signing on November 5 and got the card back on December 20 for a 45-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $50.00.

TTM Success - Dennis Raben

My older brother is a huge Miami Hurricanes fan.  I found two 2008 Razor Dennis Raben cards and sent them out TTM.  He signed both cards, so I now have to remember to take the extra card up to Winston-Salem the next time I go, so I can give it to him.

Raben (b. 1987) was a 2nd round pick by the Mariners in the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of Miami (FL).  He played in the minors in 2008 and from 2010 to 2014 in the Mariners, Royals and Angels systems.  He reached high A.

He had 472 hits, 95 home runs and a .292 batting average. I mailed to Raben on December 4 and got the card back on December 20 for a 16-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Cole GIllespie

Here are some nice cards that came back signed TTM from Cole Gillespie.  2010 Topps (above) is one of the worst sets around, as far as the cards lasting over time.  The ones that weren't already curling in the packs curl over time.  I have had to store mine racked together tightly in a box so they remain somewhat flat.  They were also notorious at not having many chrome parallels showing up in packs and boxes.  Weird.  Still, the cards look nice when signed, so I was glad I got this one back. 

I also got a 2010 Bowman Chrome refractor and a 2014 Topps Update back.  Both of these are nice.

Gillespie (b. 1984) played in the majors in 2010 and 2011 and from 2013 to 2016 for the Diamondbacks, Giants, Cubs, Mariners, Blue Jays and Marlins.  He had 110 hits, 6 home runs and a .251 batting average. 

I mailed to Gillespie on January 18, 2022, and got the cards back on December 19, 2024, for a 1,066-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Dave Vineyard

Another signed 1991 Crown Orioles card was added to the autograph album when I got this one back from Dave Vineyard.  

I had originally gotten him back in 2017, but didn't have the Crown cards then.  Ive added a bunch to the album lately, which is nice. 

I mailed to Vineyard on November 20 and got the card back on December 19 for a 29-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Les Cain

This 1969 Topps has a good shot at getting completed now that it has come back signed by Les Cain.  Mike Campbell signs TTM and my plan is to get this card out to him asap.

Cain charges $25/card, and at that price, I'd have hoped for a more bold signature. Oh well, it is signed.

Cain (b. 1948) played in the majors in 1968 and from 1970 to 1972 for the Tigers.  He had a record of 23-19 with 303 strike outs and a 3.98 ERA.

I mailed to Cain on December 2 and got the card back on December 19 for a 17-day TAT.