TTM Success - Denny Lewallyn

Another 1982 Topps was pulled from the boxes and sent out TTM for signature.  This one was of Denny Lewallyn, and turned out well.  His uniform is a bit dark for the signature to show up on, but the card still looks fine.

Lewallyn (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1975 to 1982 for the Dodgers, Rangers and Indians.  He had a record of 4-4 with 28 strike outs and a 4.48 ERA.

I mailed to Lewallyn on October 25 and got the card back on November 5 for an 11-day TAT. 

Gerard With Some Worcester 50s

There were several guys I missed when I saw Worcester this last season, so Gerard took some of the cards I missed and got them done for me.  I'm really glad he did, because it got a lot of stuff done that otherwise would have gone into the Box Of Shame. 

He got these cards signed for me: Pedro Castellanos, Jose De Leon, Hobie Harris, Kyle Hart, Nathan Hickey, Jovan Moran, Ryan Vilade and Tom Windle.  I'm pretty sure I just missed Hickey completely when I searched for guys on Worcester, because I had a ton of his Pro Debut cards but didn't take any with me when I went up to Durham for the game.  Oof.  Thankfully, Gerard helped get my blue foil parallel signed.

I ended up with a few more Tyler McDonough cards from Prizm Draft, so it was nice to get them out of the box.  I also got a few 2019 Topps Nick Burdi cards out of there.  If I remember right, he gave Burdi some of the cards.  That or he gave some of the extras to some kids.  I really don't remember. 

I need to do better in getting these 50/50 posts in, but I end up with such a backlog of TTM posts, it gets tough.  I'm powering through the end of the year, and my goal is to wrap up at least all of the 50/50 posts I have left. We'll see how that goes.  Thanks for getting these done, Gerard!

TTM Success - Ty Van Burkleo

What a cool name.  Ty Van Burkleo signed this 1993 Bowman for me TTM.  His marker looks like it is just about ready to give up on life, though.  Still, I'm glad I could get the card signed and out of the Bowman box. 

Van Burkleo (b. 1963) played in the majors in 1993 and 1994 for the Angels and Rockies.  He had 5 hits, 1 home run and a .132 batting average. 

I mailed to Van Burkleo on October 3 and got the card back on November 3, for a 31-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Mike Neill

1993 Bowman is a pretty basic set. It does look like it could have been a rejected design for Topps flagship at some point, but that's not saying it's a bad design.  It's just... pretty basic.  I do like the set, and this TTM success from Mike Neill is another card out of the set that I have been able to get signed and into the autograph album. 

Neill (b. 1970) played in the majors in 1998 for the A's. He had 4 hits, no home runs and a .267 batting average. 

I mailed to Neill on October 18 and got the card back on November 1, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Zach Gentile

Here is another bad scan of a 2010 Bowman Chrome.  Let's face it, the cards are pretty much mini mirrors. Believe me, though, this Zach Gentile that I got signed TTM looks nice in person.

Gentile (b. 1986) was a 49th round pick in the 2008 June Amateur Draft by the Red Sox out of Western Michigan.  He played in the minors from 2008 to 2012 in the Red Sox system, reaching AA. He had 303 hits, 1 home run and a .256 batting average. 

I mailed to Gentile on October 22 and got the card back on November 3, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Ron Wright

A nice stack of late 90s cards came out of the box wheb I mailed off to Ron Wright.  The above 1997 Bowman Chrome International card turned out great.

I also sent off this 1996 Topps Prospects card.  I'm not sure if I'm going to want to try to get it finished.  I guess it will depend on if I can find a Derrek Lee signing. We'll see about that.

I also sent out Wright's 1996 Bowman, 1997 Bowman, 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars and his 1998 Bowman Chrome. 

Wright (b. 1976) played in the majors in 2002 for the Mariners.  He got into one game and didn't get a hit.  He had been drafted by the Braves in the 7th round of the 1994 June Amateur Draft out of Kamiakin High School in Washington.

He played in the minors from 1994 to 2003 in the Braves, Pirates, Reds, Devil Rays, Mariners, Indians and Tigers.  In his minor league career, he had 773 hits, 145 home runs and a .262 batting average. 

I mailed to Wright on October 2 and got the cards back on November 1, for a 30-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Andy Dirks

This TTM success from Amdy Dirks was a nice one in that it got four cards out of my box that had been sitting in there for quite some time.  I think one or two of them came from my buddy Aidan R.  He sent me a stack of cards to try TTM a few tears ago, and I saw that Dirks was finally signing.  The above 2013 Topps was a great addition to the autograph album. 

He also signed a 2011 Bowman Chrome, 2011 Elite Extra Edition and a 2014 Heritage.

Dirks (b. 1986) played in the majors from 2011 to 2013 for the Tigers. He had 268 hits, 24 home runs and a .276 batting average.

I mailed to Dirks on September 10 and got the cards back on November 1, for a 52-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steven Duggar

My buddy Drake approached me recently regarding a signing with Steven Duggar.  I searched my boxes and sent him a stack of Duggar cards; he sent me back a few signed.

I got a 2022 Topps Update (top), a 2015 Bowman (above left) and a 2015 Bowman Chrome (above right) back from the signing.  Duggar signed all of the cards in blue paint pen.

Duggar (b. 1993) played in the majors from 2018 to 2022 for the Giants, Rangers and Angels.  He had 183 hits, 14 home runs and a .236 batting average. 

I mailed the cards out on July 23 and got the cards back on November 1, for a 101-day TAT.  I forgot what I paid for the signing. 

Another TTM Success From Tommy Medica

This 2014 Topps Chrome refractor of Tommy Medica was sitting around in one of my boxes for quite a while. I had gotten him TTM back in 2020, and must have missed this card.  I decided 5 years was long enough.  I sent the card out and it came back signed nicely in black Sharpie. I think I am now out of Medica cards, which is good.  Of course, if I were to find another, I'd probably give it to Jesse for him to send out, once he gets some stamps.

I mailed to Medica on March 26 and got the card back on November 1, for a 220-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Goins

A more-recent card was added to the autograph album when this 2016 Topps came back signed TTM by Ryan Goins.  I had gotten Goins in person a few years back when he came to Durham with Gwinnett, but didn't get his 2016 Topps done.

Goins (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2013 to 2020 for the Blue Jays, Royals and White Sox.  He had 353 hits, 22 home runs and a .228 batting average. 

I mailed to Goins on March 24 and got the card back on November 1, for a 222-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Dave Hostetler

Here is another 1983 Topps that came back signed recently.  Dave Hostetler signed his card in black Sharpie after I sent it out TTM.

Hostetler (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1981 to 1984 and 1988 for the Expos, Rangers and Pirates.  He had 187 hits, 37 home runs and a .229 batting average. 

I mailed to Hostetler on October 18 and got the card back on October 30, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Cody Strait

Of all of the older Bowman cards that I have, I think I have more 2007 Bowman than any other set prior to 2017.  I busted a box back then, and also got a bunch from the former LCS when it closed.  I like getting these signed, with the latest being this 2007 Bowman Chrome of Cody Strait.

He also included his own card with a Christian testimonial on the back.  I assume testimonial is the correct word.  The card is really cool, and it is nice that he included his kid on the card.

Strait (b. 1983) was a 12th round pick by the Reds in the 2004 June Amateur Draft out of the Uniersity of Evansville.  He played in the minors from 2004 to 2010 in the Reds, Royals and Rays systems.  He got as far as AAA.  He had 670 hits, 70 home runs and a .253 batting average. 

I mailed to Strait on October 16 and got the cards back on October 28, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Wright

Another 1980 Topps was added to the autograph album when this one came back signed TTM by Jim Wright.  He signed the card close to the facsimile autograph and added a uniform number inscription. 

Wright (b. 1950) played in the majors in 1978 and 1979 for the Red Sox.  He had a record of 9-4 with 71 strike outs and a 3.82 ERA.

I mailed to Wright on October 15 and got the card back on October 28, for a 13-day TAT.

Some 2025 50-50 Returns From Andrew L

A guy named Andrew reached out to me this past season, asking if I could provide some cards to facilitate some 50/50s.  He took my cards and got a bunch of them done.  I didn't have very many 2016 Topps Pro Debut, so it was nice to add the above Dakota Chalmers to the album. 

I had gotten Aaron Altherr TTM a couple times.  It was nice to add a few more to the album. The Dustin Peterson 2013 Bowman (bottom right) was a card that I missed on one of my road trips, so it was nice that Andrew could help me with it.  He also got me a couple Kade Morris and a Colby Halter signed, as well.

Finally, this 2021 Topps Pro Debut of Jagger Haynes also turned out great.

I really appreciated Andrew getting these done for me.  I didn't have as many opportunities for 50/50s this past season.  Mostly, because I didn't have the time to search.  I also lost contact with quite a few guys who had helped me out in the past. That was likely because I don't see the same guys I used to see when I had season tickets to an affiliated club.

TTM Success - Jason Pfaff

Another 1993 Bowman was cleared out of my box when I sent this Jason Pfaff out TTM.  It came back signed in black Sharpie. 

Pfaff (b. 1969) was a 6th round pick by the Tigers in the 1991 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Michigan.  He played in the minors in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995 in the Tigers and Pirates systems. 

He had a record of 21-28 with 279 strike outs and a 3.83 ERA.

I mailed to Pfaff on October 15 and got the card back on October 27 for a 12-day TAT. 

December 6, 2025, Markakis-Johnson Signing

On Saturday, Jesse, Ryan and I made the trip to Prince Frederick, Maryland to attend a toy drive and signing with former Orioles Jim Johnson and Nick Markakis.  Markakis hasn't done any private signings and from what I can remember, hasn't done an in person signing in probably over 10 years or so.  I jumped at the chance to make the trip when I found out about the signing.  I dug through my Markakis PC box and pulled some good stuff.  This 2007 Topps Turkey Red Chrome refractor is numbered 29/99.  It wasn't on my radar, but when I found it, it jumped to the top of the list.

The above 2008 Topps Chrome Target T205 (above left) was the original card that I wanted to get done.  It turned out great.  I was also able to get a 2009 Topps done, as well.  I appreciate Jesse for getting the T205 chrome done.  He got a Topps Propaganda Markakis done for himself.

I had gotten Johnson on a card recently through a private signing, so I had to really dig to find more of his cards.  I went through my Orioles boxes and found some Johnsons.  The above (left) 2006 Ropps Rookie 52 was a cool card to dig out of the box. The card on the right is a 2012 Topps Heritage. 

The guys were really friendly.  They look super serious in the photo above, but they really were cool.

The toy drive looks like it brought in a bunch of stuff for the kids.  I had a great time with my friends, and hope we can get to some more signings soon.

Another TTM Success From Bert Blyleven

This 1980 Topps of Bert Blyleven was found in my partial set that I use for TTMs.  I thought the card was pretty sharp, and put it aside for a potential submission to the Hall of Famer. I finally pulled the money for his fee and sent the card off.  It looks pretty nice.  It kind of looks like Blyleven's signature is getting a little shaky.

I mailed to Blyleven on October 13 and got the card back on October 27 for a 14-day TAT. I paid his fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Leo Daigle

This 2007 Bowman gold of Leo Daigle was sent out twice for me to be able to add his autograph to the collection.  The first try was obviously a failure, so I did some digging, found a different address and sent the card out again.  It came back signed not too long after, and is now in the album.

Daigle (b. 1979) was an 11th round pick by the Tigers in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Monte Vista High School in California. He played in the minors from 1998 to 2006 in the Tigers, White Sox and Orioles systems, reaching AAA.  He had 932 hits, 124 home runs and a .267 batting average. 

I mailed to Daigle on October 13 and got the card back on October 27 for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Brian Henderson

Here is a 2007 Bowman Chrome that I got signed TTM by Brian Henderson.  He signed the card in purple Sharpie, which was cool.  It'll probably fade over time, but looks cool today 

Henderson (b. 1982) was a 7th round pick by the Rays in the 2003 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Houston. He played in the minors from 2003 to 2008 in the Rays system.  He reached AAA.

He had a record of 18-14 with 237 strike outs and a 3.21 ERA.  I mailed to Henderson on October 11 and got the card back on October 27 for a 16-day TAT. 

Wrestlecade 2025 Graphing Recap

Last weekend, Wrestlecade was back in Winston-Salem; an annual wrestling convention that Chris and I had attended once before (last year).  We looked forward to it all year, and this iteration didn't disappoint.   I went to the convention with a plan to get Ron Simmons to sign an 8 x 10 photo from last year.  I also bought some cards of a few other wrestlers to get signed at the show.

I got Simmons quickly after we arrived (after getting Tito Santana and Big Show on a couple cards below).  I was only going to get Simmons and move along, but he kept calling me by my name and talked me into paying for another photo op (this time with Bradshaw) and getting a dual auto on another 8 x 10.  Let's face it, he could have talked me into buying a car while I was there. 

The photo op turned out great, and both guys were awesome.  Ron Simmins is such a cool guy.

Backing up a bit, my big planned meeting and greet was with Big Show.  I always enjoyed watching Show wrestle, so when I saw he was going to be there, I sprung for a card that I thought looked cool for him to sign.  The card turned out great (below).

He was really nice, as well.

Here are the cards I got signed.  I didn't get a photo of Santana, but he was very friendly.  He was the first person we met, and his line had only one person ahead of us.

Matt Cardona was really cool.  He greeted us as we walked by his table.  I went back a few minutes later and paid the money for him to sign his card he had on display.  

We were really glad to see Diego Hill again.  He's a local wrestler, who seems to have a very bright future.  He is always cool to us, so I gave him some money for another autograph, to throw him some support.  Once he masters cutting a promo, he likely will make it to the higher level wrestling companies. 

Nikita Koloff is a guy I watched as a kid.  I saw he was going to be at the show, so I bought an old wrestling card of him and got it signed.  He was awesome.  I told him he scared the hell out of me when I was little.  He told me he considered that the best honor he could receive from a fan.

Teddy Long was super cool.  Chris wanted to meet him, so I made the payment for the auto/photo op combo.  He got an 8.5 x 11 photo signed, and Long threw in a card for free.  I got to keep the card.  He asked Chris about his grades and said he needs to keep them up or he "...will go one on one with the Undertaker".  Chris was excited that Long dropped one of his catch phrases on him. 

Finally, we got a photo with Nic Nemeth, otherwise known as Dolph Ziggler.  We told Ziggler the story of three-year old Chris singing along with Ziggler's theme song, except he got the lyrics wrong, singing "I'm here to smell the world, I'm here to smell the world" (instead of "I'm here to show the world...).  Oh, little Chris.  He had a couple of those that he botched as a kid.  Ziggler thought it was hilarious. We had just mentioned it right before the photo.

Chris and I had a blast at the show.  In all, I got the following autographs: Big Show x 1, Matt Cardona x 1, Diego Hill x 1, Nikita Koloff x 1, Teddy Long x 1, Tito Santana x 1, Ron Simmons x 2, JBL x 1 and Butterbean x 1 (10 total autographs).

TTM Success - Mark Farris

A random 1995 Topps was added to the autograph album when this card came back signed TTM by Mark Farris.  His marker looks to be fading a bit, but the card is out of my box and in the album now.

Farris (b. 1975) was a first round (11th overall) pick by the Pirates in the 1994 June Amateur Draft out of Angleton High School in Texas.  He played in the Pirates system in 1994 and from 1996 to 1998, reaching AA Carolina (back when the Mudcats were a Pirates affiliate).  

He had 305 hits, 14 home runs and a .244 batting average. 

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

Another TTM Success From Larry Christenson

Six years ago (in 2019) I got a TTM success from Larry Christenson on three cards.  I felt that enough tome had passed, so I sent two more cards that hadn't yet been signed, a 1984 Topps (above) and the 1983 Topps below.

Both cards turned out nicely. I now have five different Christenson cards in the autograph album. 

I mailed to Christenson on October 14 and got the cards back on October 25 for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Larry Wolfe

1980 Topps is a sharp-looking set.  It is also my birth year set, which one would think would be a main focus for me to get signed.  I haven't really focused on the set, but I do have a ton signed.  There's probably zero chance for me to ever complete the set, but you never know.  I added one more 1980 Topps to the autograph album when I got this one back signed from Larry Wolfe.

Wolfe (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1977 to 1980 for the Twins and Red Sox.  He had 83 hits, 7 home runs and a .230 batting average. 

I mailed to Wolfe on October 17 and got the card back on October 25 for an 8-day TAT.