TTM Success - Cole Seifrig

This 2003 Bowman of Cole Seifrig is another of a stack of cards that Ryan sent to me to try TTM.  I got this back signed by Seifrig, but the signature smudged a bit.  Oh well.

Seifrig (b. 1984) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins in the 2003 June Amateur Draft out of an Indiana high school.  He played in the Marlins system from 2003 to 2005, reaching Low A.  

He had 204 hits, 16 home runs and a .224 batting average. I mailed to Seifrig on April 23 and got the card back on May 15 for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jimmy Garappolo

Here is another football autograph; this one coming from a TTM success from Jimmy Garoppolo.  I found his cards in a box if football stuff from the  former LCS.  Jesse informed me that Garoppolo signed TTM, so I gave it a shot.

Both cards turned out nicely.  I'm not very familiar with the years of football cards so I had to search.  The top card is a 2014 Sage Hit Next Level RC and above is a 2014 Score RC.

Garoppolo (b. 1991) has played professionally since 2014 for the Patriots, 49ers, Raiders and Rams.  He has 96 touchdowns and 15,828 passing yards.  He won Super Bowl XLIX and LI as a backup quarterback with the Patriots.  He led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, but lost to the Chiefs.

I mailed to Garoppolo on October 12 via the Rams and got the cards back signed on May 13 for a 213-day TAT.

TTM Success - John Gant

While these cards sat in my to-be-blogged stack, I actually met and got John Gant to sign in person on our road trip to Iowa this summer.  These cards shown on this post came in before that because I sent to Gant TTM.  I didn't know that I'd meet him later in the summer.  I was happy to get my 2014 Bowman purple parallel signed, however.  This card had been floating around my boxes for some time.

I also got a 2016 Topps Update and 2021 Topps Update signed.  Both of these turned out nicely.

Finally, here is a 2022 Topps Update that Gant signed.  I'm glad he signed all four in blue Sharpie. 

Gant (b. 1992) played in the majors from 2016 to 2021 for the Braves, Cardinals and Twins.  He has a record of 24-26 with 325 strike outs and a 3.89 ERA.  Since 2021, Gant has bounced around a bit.  He didn't play in 2022 or 2024; but spent 2023 in Japan while playing in independent ball briefly this season and then having his contract purchased by the Royals, who assigned him to Omaha.

I mailed to Gant on April 28 and got the cards back on May 13 for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Ryan Verdugo

A search through my Bowman boxes brought me another stack of cards to try to send TTM.  One of the cards that came back signed was this 2009 Bowman Chrome Ryan Verdugo.

Verdugo (b. 1987) does not appear to be related to Alex Verdugo.  He played in the majors in 2012 for the Royals.  He had a record of 0-1 with 2 strike outs and a 32.40 ERA.

I mailed to Verdugo on April 30 and got the card back on May 13 for a 13-day TAT. 

September 16, 2025, Graphing of the High Point Rockers

My last opportunity to graph this season came and went on Tuesday when I saw High Point for the last time.  I didn't even bother with trying to get the opposing team (Charleston) this time around.

The biggest reason I wanted to see High Point one more time was to see David Hess.  Hess, a former Oriole, is a two-time cancer survivor and all-around great guy.  I bought the above 2019 Topps Chrome orange refractor for the potential trip.  The card is numbered to 25.  He signed the card, along g with a 2019 Topps base card for my friend, Ryan.

Frank Viola was great, as usual.  I'm running out of different Viola cards to get signed.  I do still have a ton overall, though.

I was looking through boxes for some cards to send to Max, and found a bunch of Alex Dickerson 2011 Bowmans.  I got those done, along with a few others.

I got several High Point team set cards signed.  George Greer was surprised that I wanted his autograph, so he signed my team set card, told me to hold on and brought me the Cardinals card from the clubhouse.  I thought that was really cool.

The 2017 Bowman sky blue refractor of Luis Gonzales was found in a bargain bin at the National.  I got most of the cards I found there signed.  I enjoyed finding the various parallels at the show and getting them into the album. 

I went to the fame with my brother, Andy.  I miss how we went to Wood Ducks games back when he was here for college.  It was good to get together and spend some time with each other.

In all, I got the following autographs: Alex Dickerson x 9, Ryan Dull x 1, Luis Gonzalez x 2, George Greer x 2, David Hess x 2, Jamie Keefe x 1, Drew Mendoza x 2 and Frank Viola x 9 (28 autographs).

TTM Success - Mike MacDougal

Here is a nice TTM success that came in that added a few mid-2000s cards to the autograph album.  I had seen that Mike MacDougal was signing, so it gave me the opportunity to get this 2006 Topps signed.

I also sent out this 2005 Topps (left) and a 2007 Upper Deck (right).  All of the cards turned out well.

MacDougal (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2012 for the Royals, White Sox, Nationals, Cardinals and Dodgers.  He had a record of 18-23 with 325 strike outs and a 4.00 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2003.  

I mailed to MacDougal on April 22 and got the cards back on May 9 for a 17-day TAT. 

September 13-14, 2025, Graphing of the Tides at Bulls

Graphing season is winding down.  My birthday week usually signals the end of the season is near, so I try to take some time off of work and cram a few games in.  I'll miss the final week of the mi or league season due to a conference, so I am working to get as much graphing in as I can.  Last weekend, I went up to Durham to see the Bulls and Tides for the final time this year.  Chris went with me to both games; Aidan met us Saturday and Jesse came with us on Sunday.

The Orioles sent a few guys to the Tides on rehab.  We missed Tyler O'Neill, but were able to see Gary Sanchez and Jordan Westburg.  The above Sanchez is a super thick card that I found at the National.  I have no idea what this card is, but it looked cool.  It was a bargain bin find that is now signed and in my album. 

I finished off several Tides team set guys, and a couple guys we didnt see the week before, like Colin Selby.  I got the last Panini Select card of Jud Fabian thatI found at the National signed.  I also got Gary Sanchez on a 2025 Topps, which has him in an Orioles uniform. 

I added four more Jordan Westburg to the album. I regretted later that I didn't get him on his 2021 Topps Heritage Minors card.  I'll have to try for that one another time.

We still struggled a bit in getting Bulls guys.  I did get Tre Morgan, which was nice.  He comes out the front entrance, so it's tough to catch him sometimes.

I finally got a couple Matt Thaiss cards out of the box.  He has been a bit elusive, but at least two cards are now out of the box. 

I got every Jesse Scholtens card that I had signed.  I also was able to catch Forrest Whitley outside.  He's another tough one.

Speaking of tough ones, Joe Boyle again has laid claim to the "second worst" experience. He's just not friendly, and this time, as he came out of the clubhouse (with only me, Chris and Jesse sitting on the bench), I asked him "Mr. Boyle, may we please have your autograph?" His reply was "No, not for you guys."  Ouch.  What a guy.  Anyway, he's nit going to steal my joy, as they say.

In all, we got the following autographs: Silas Ardoin x 2, Jud Fabian x 5, Billy Facteau x 1, Gary Sanchez x 2, Colin Selby x 6, Reed Trimble x 3, Thaddeus Ward x 2, Levi Wells x 5, Jordan Westburg x 5, Jonathan Hernandez x 5, Dominic Keegan x 2, Trevor Martin x 3, German Melendez x 1, Tristan Peters x 1, Brian Reith x 1, Jesse Scholtens x 9, Matt Thaiss x 2, Jamie Westbrook x 1, Forrest Whitley x 4, Logan Workman x 1, Jose Barrero x 1, Tre Morgan x 2 and Santiago Suarez x 1 (66 total autographs).

TTM Success - Mike Crudale

Here is a random 2003 Topps that came back signed TTM from Mike Crudale.  

Crudale (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2002 to 2003 for the Cardinals and Brewers.  He had a record of 3-1 with 60 strike outs and a 2.09 ERA.  His career MLB numbers look great, but following the 2003 season, he ended up with the Pirates and Giants organizations.  He pitched in both organizations in 2004 to a record of 1-1 with a 7.52 ERA.  After that season, he bounced around the independent league and foreign ball.

I mailed to Crudale on March 3 and got the card back on May 8 for a 66-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Johnson

Another former Oriole was available for a private signing recently when Jim Johnson popped up.  I don't believe I had gotten him before, so I signed up.  I dug this 2012 Topps out of my Orioles box.  It turned out nicely.

Johnson (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2006 to 2018 for the Orioles, A's, Tigers, Braves and Dodgers.  He had a record of 38-46 with 531 strike outs and a 3.79 ERA.  He led the league in saves in 2012 and 2013.  He was an All Star in 2012.  That season he finished 7th in the AL Cy Young Award voting and 14th in the AL MVP race. 

I mailed to the signing on March 21 and got the card back on May 6 for a 46-day TAT.  I paid a $20.00 fee.

TTM Success - Hunter Feduccia

Here is another Spring Training TTM success; this is from Hunter Feduccia.  He added a 2025 Topps to the autograph album.

Feduccia (b. 1997) has played in the majors since 2024 for the Dodgers and Rays.  He has 13 hits, no home runs and a .171 batting average so far in his career.

I mailed to Feduccia on February 20 via Dodgers Spring Training and got the card back on May 5 for a 92-day TAT.

September 5-7, 2025, Graphing of the Sounds at Tides

This past weekend, I had a trip planned to Norfolk. Jesse couldn't make it, and Chris had to work.  I reached out to another friend who jumped at the chance to go.  My friend Aidan was the first person I reached out to, and he accepted right away.  I was surprised that I didn't have to beg.  

We planned to get to Norfolk Friday night while the game was going on; we ended up getting there early.  So, instead of scrambling to get into the game, we opted to check into the hotel and grab a nice dinner.  Afterward, we went back to the room to reset and figure out our books, then made our way to the ballpark.  I wanted to try to at least get inside and grab a couple Norfolk team sets so we would have them on hand for arrival Saturday morning.  They let me in, and I bought Aidan and I each a set.  We then made our way to Nashville's side and graphed outside postgame. 

Aidan and I got Rhys Hoskins outside (the Topps Cosmic Chrome, above left, is what Hoskins signed Friday.  I got him inside after  BP Saturday on the 2020 Topps Chrome pink refractor (middle) and the gold Topps Fire was signed outside on Sunday.

Luis Urias was a tough one per, but Aidan and I each got him Friday night.  Inside on Saturday, a father and son helped me out by taking two of my cards and got them signed. 

Aidan and I got every player that we set out to get.  We didn't miss anyone that was actually there, which was a great feeling.  Daz Cameron was really nice as usual, but seemed a bit down when he signed Friday night. He made us think he wasn't going to be in Norfolk much longer (we were like "oh man, is he getting released?").  Turned out, he was there all weekend and signed for us again on Saturday.  It was just a little odd. 

I was really excited to get the Brandon Lockridge parallel (middle of the above scan) signed.  I pulled that from a pack when I busted my 2025 Topps series 2 boxes at the National. 

Inside on Sunday, Aidan pointed Rick Sweet out when he got into the dugout.  It was Sweet's birthday, and came over to us when we called him over.  We wished him a happy birthday, and he signed our cards.  He made me promise that I wouldn't show the cards to Lockridge, who came over abd signed my last card of him after that.

Jeferson Quero turned out to be tough, but we did ride the elevator with him in the hotel Sunday morning.  We just told him good morning and wished him a good game.  We weren't going to bother him in the hotel, that's crossing the line for me.

This trip was my first opportunity to see and get Enrique Bradfield, Jr.  I hadn't seen him at any level of the Orioles system until this trip.  He was very nice and signed every card that I brought.

The goal of the trip was to try to finish off what I could of the Norfolk guys so I wouldn't have to go to crazy this week in trying to get them when they're in Durham.  I finished what I had of several players, but still have enough stuff to get a few more later this week.  I figure that a lot of these guys won't be there next season. 

I had some help Sunday morning by a kid outside who helped me get Cionel Perez on my Diamond King card (since he was one per and hit my 2019 Topps Saturday morning and my 2019 Donruss Sunday morning).

I finally got to get Reed Trimble.  He was another Orioles minor leaguer who i just kept missing.  He made a point of signing my dual with Colton Cowser Friday night.  I had been waiting since 2022 to finish that card.

I'm officially out of Terrin Vavra cards.  He wouldn't sign last season due to an exclusive deal.   That has ended, and he now signs.  I got everything that I had done.

I only got Levi Wells once, even though I had a bunch of his cards.  Everything else would be duplicates, so I wasn't really worried.

I said earlier that Perez was one per; He did two per Saturday night and reduced it to one on Sunday, which is why I needed help.  I've got him on an Orioles card, so that was nice.

Aidan and I made a good dent in the team set.  It's a nice looking set this season.  The cards don't need prep.

Aidan and I had a great time.  It was awesome that he was able to make the trip.  It's hard for me to make new friends at my age, and after this trip, I feel like I do have a new friend.  It's great having folks I can reach out to that are willing to take a little graphing road trip over a weekend.  I hope we can do more down the line.  Hopefully we can get some more folks into coming with us.  I've always said that graphing is no fun to do alone.  I'll go by myself at times, but if given a choice, I'd much rather someone tag along every time!

In all, I got the following autographs: Tonight's graphing recap of the Sounds at Tides: Steward Berroa x 2, Tyler Black x 14, Daz Cameron x 10, Tucker Davidson x 5, Robert Gasser x 2, Eric Haase x 3, Rhys Hoskins x 3, Brandon Lockridge x 3, Josh Maciejewski x 3, Easton McGee x 1, Julian Merryweather x 6, Chad Patrick x 3, Luis Urias x 4, Silas Ardoin x 5, Yaramil Hiraldo x 1, Reed Trimble x 8, Felipe Alou Jr x 1, Alan Rail x 1, Justin Ramsey x 1, Raynel Delgado x 1, Jeferson Quero x 1, Bruce Zimmermann x 3, Jordyn Adams x 3, TT Bowens x 1, Enrique Bradfield Jr x 15, Jud Fabian x 2, Tim Federowicz x 7, Jose Barerro (Garcia) x 2, Maverick Handley x 1, Hudson Haskin x 2, Vimael Machin x 1, Corbin Martin x 6, Mike Montville x 1, Cionel Perez x 4, Carson Ragsdale x 1, Jaxon Reetz x 5, Sam Sauer x 1, Livan Soto x 8, Terrin Vavra x 10, Levi Wells x 2, Cameron Weston x 1, Rick Sweet x 2 and Chayce McDermott x 1 (157 total autographs).

August 30, 2025, Graphing of the WooSox at Bulls

A graphing trip to Durham with Jesse was in the cards (pardon the pun) not too long ago. I had gathered cards for the trip for some time now and it paid off with a nice haul.

It's hard to tell, but the above 2024 Topps Holiday relic card is signed by Kyle Harrison.  Harrison signed almost everything I had but each card was signed at the very bottom of each one.

See?  Still, he signed a good bit for me.  I had some really good stuff, like the 2024 Topps Heritage purple chrome (bottom right).

We got most everyone we needed inside pregame.  There was a funny kid who ran up right when I was getting Vaughn Grissom.  He talked with us a good bit and helped me get the 2016 Topps Chrome speckle refractor of Trayce Thompson signed (middle, right).

The kid proceeded to tell us how much he hated the Dodgers and all of their players.  The little guy next to him looked at him, puzzled and said "even Betts?" And the kid said "Yeah! Oh, wait..." (he was wearing a Mookie Betts Red Sox jersey).

I had sent my Jhostynxon Garcia Bowmans to Gerard since he had been sent up to Boston.  I didn't get the cards back in time for thos trip, so I got him on the 1994 Score Fenway Park card.

Jesse and I tried to graph Durham outside postgame, but there was only one other grapher there.  That guy hadn't been to Durham in a long time, so the three of us struggled to identify players.  We did identify Richie Palacios, so I got my 2025 Topps signed.

We also got a couple cards from the team set taken care of.  We had a great time at the game and got some good autographs.

In all, I got the following autographs: Max Ferguson x 10, Jhostynxon Garcia x 1, Rich Gedman x 1, Vaughn Grissom x 2, Kyle Harrison x 10, Mikey Romero x 2, Trayce Thompson x 3, Abraham Toro x 2, Seby Zavala x 2, Garrett Acton x 1, Kenny Hook x 1, Kevin Kelly x 1, Coco Montes x 1, Tanner Murray x 1 and Richie Palacios x 1 (39 autographs).

2025 National Pickups - 1964 Topps Set Needs

My trip to the National this summer wasn't only about getting autographs.  I also wanted to pick up some PC stuff and also chip away at a few of the sets I've been working on.   It turns out that I focused on the 1964 Tipps set solely this year.  It was unintentional, but the 28 cards I bought for the set made a huge sent in the needs list.  By the time I left the show, I realized that I hadn't worked on my 1955 Bowman, 1962 Topps or 1967 Topps sets at all.

One of my main goals for the show was to right the wrong of last year where I failed to pick up the 1964 Topps Pete Rose.  I had a dollar amount in mind for what I was willing to spend on the card and came in well under that amount.  The only issue I see with the card is that the back is a bit faded.

Because I saved so much on the Rose, I went ahead and added the above cards (Tommy John rookie, Roger Maris and Sandy Koufax).

I was glad to cross the cards off of the needs list.  Maybe next year I'll hit a couple of the other sets harder.

Another TTM Success From Bernie Allen

This poor 1967 Topps Bernie Allen finally got pulled from my box and sent out TTM.  I can't say how many times I passed by the card and sent stuff out ahead of it.  The card is now signed and in the autograph album. 

My best guess is that this was original to the 1967 set that I'm slowly building, and I upgraded the card.  I'm glad I was able to put the card to alternate use.

I mailed to Allen on April 15 and got the card back on May 3 for an 18-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Mecir

A couple more random cards were added to the autograph album recently.  I got this 2002 Topps Total and the below 1991 Stadium Club back signed TTM by Jim Mecir.

 Both of the cards turned out nicely. 

Mecir (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1995 to 2005 for the Mariners, Yankees, Devil Rays, A's and Marlins.  He had a career record of 29-35 with 450 strike outs and a 3.77 ERA.  

I mailed to Mecir on April 22 and got the cards back on May 2 for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Brent Dlugach

The 1961 Topps set is a great-looking set. I really enjoyed when 2010 Topps Heritage came out; we got to relive that set with (then) current players.  I've still got a lot of extras from 2010 Heritage, so it was nice to pull one and sent it out TTM.  

I had seen that Brent Dlugach was signing, so I sent off the Heritage, and also sent out his 2010 Topps base.

Both cards turned out nicely.

Dlugach (b. 1983) had 3 at bats for the Tigers in 2009.  He didn't get a hit, but did score a run.  

I mailed to Dlugach on March 14 and got the cards back on April 28 for a 45-day TAT.