TTM Success - Jason Szuminski

This 2004 Bowman of Jason Szuminski was another card that came from Ryan. I sent it out TTM, and it came back signed in black Sharpie.

Szumimski (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2004 for the Padres. He had no record, 5 strike outs and a 7.20 ERA.

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

Another TTM Success From Bill Lee

Bill Spaceman Lee is always a fun addition to the autograph album. I found this 2023 Panini Zenith in a box at a card show. The card is really cool, and turned out nicely, once it was signed.

I mailed to Lee on December 13 and got the card back on December 27, for a 14-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Rich Morales

Another 1971 Topps was added to the autograph album when this card from Rich Morales came back signed TTM. His marker looks like it may be about to dry out, but the signature still looks good. I had originally gotten Morales to sign TTM back in 2020 on two cards.

I mailed to Morales on November 25 and got the card back on December 27, for a 32-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Brian Dallimore

One of the 2004 Bowman Chrome cards that Ryan sent me came back signed TTM by Brian Dallimore. 2004 Bowman is a sharp looking set, and the card looks good signed (even though the signature is hard to see in the scan).

Dallimore (b. 1973) played in the majors in 2004 and 2005 for the Giants. He had 13 hits, 1 home run and a .260 batting average. 

I mailed to Dallimore on September 4 abd got the card back on December 27, for a 114-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Driscoll

This 1971 Topps Athletics Rookie Stars card was sitting in my to-be-TTMed box for quite a while until I finally sent it out to Jim Driscoll. I don't think the card came from Conrad's bulk 1971 box; I feel like I found it at a card show. I knew I wouldn't complete the card, as Angel Mangual passed away in 2021. Still, it's a cool card, and I'm happy to get some ink on it. 

Driscoll (b. 1944) played in the majors in 1970 and 1972 for the A's and Rangers. He had 10 hits, 1 home run and a .143 batting average. 

I mailed to Driscoll on December 8 and got the card back on December 24, for a 16-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jace Brewer

Another Bowman card that Ryan sent me was sent out TTM to Jace Brewer for an autograph. He included his own card (the above 2000 Fleer Tradition), which was a nice touch.

The card Ryan gave me was the above 2001 Bowman. The card turned out great, as well.

Brewer (b. 1979) was a 5th round pick by the Devil Rays in the 2000 June Amateur Draft out of Baylor University. He played in the minors from 2000 to 2007 in the Devil Rays, Rangers and Royals systems, reaching AAA. He had 636 hits, 30 home runs and a .251 batting average. 

I mailed to Brewer on December 4 and got the cards back on December 23, for a 19-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Logan Moore

A couple more random Bowman cards were pulled from the box and sent out TTM. These two 2011 Bowman Logan Moore cards turned out nicely when they were signed. It's hard to believe 2011 Bowman was released 15 years ago. It's fun to find some guys from those older sets who sign TTM; it seems they're happy to hear from a fan these days.

Moore (b. 1990) was a 9th round pick by the Phillies in the 2011 June Amateur Draft out of Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. He played in the minors from 2011 to 2018 and 2021 in the Phillies system, reaching AAA. He had 387 hits, 28 home runs and a .217 batting average. He kept his career going into 2025 while playing in the independent leagues. He had played at High Point for a couple seasons, and I missed him.

I mailed to Moore on November 19 and got the cards back on December 20, for a 31-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Cole

Another card from the 1996 Bowman hobby box that I busted at Andrew's house a long time ago came back signed TTM. Periodically, I go through those Bowmans and pull a few for TTMs. This Jim Cole was in this batch, and came back looking nice.

Cole (b. 1971) was a 27th-round pick by the Brewers in the June 1993 Amateur Draft out of Mercer University. He played in the minors from 1993 to 1995 in the Brewers system, reaching AA. He had a record of 27-13, with 269 strike outs and a 3.66 ERA. He was 18-5 with a 3.32 ERA for Single A Beloit in 1994. It looks like he struggled in the Texas League (AA) and his career ended.

I mailed to Cole on October 29 and got the card back on December 18, for a 50-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kevin Kiermaier

This 2018 Topps Fore was an easy.chpice to send when I saw that a private signing was posted for Kevin Kiermaier. These cards look cool, and I was able to add one to the autograph album. 

Kiermaier (b. 1990) played in the majors from 2013 to 2024 for the Rays, Blue Jays and Dodgers. He had 905 hits, 95 home runs and a .246 batting average. 

He was a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner (2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023). He finished 17th in the 2015 AL MVP race. He won the World Series in 2024 with the Dodgers.

I mailed to the signing on November 8 and got the card back on December 18, for a 40-day TAT. I paid a fee of $30.00.

TTM Success - John Pacella

Another TTM success came in from a former Oriole featured in the 1991 Crown Orioles set. John Pacella was also in the 1983 Topps set, so I sent this card off, as well.

It sucks that he isn't shown in an Orioles uniform, but this card is still signed.

Pacella (b. 1956) played in the majors in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1986 for the Mets, Yankees, Twins, Orioles and Tigers. He has a record of 4-10 with 116 strike outs and a 5.73 ERA.

I mailed to Pacella on December 4 and got the cards back on December 17, for a 13-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Gosger

Some well-loved vintage cards were added to the autograph album when I got these three cards back signed from Jim Gosger. I had them in my box for a long time, but kept holding off on sending since Gosger charged a fee.

He signed a 1966 Topps (top), 1971 Topps (above, left) and a 1967 Topps (above, right). The 1967 was a card from my set that I upgraded, since someone crossed out Athletics and wrote in Seattle.

Gosger (b. 1942) played in the majors in 1963, from 1965 to 1971, and 1973 and 1974 for the Red Sox, A's (Kansas City and Oakland), Pilots, Mets and Expos. He had 411 hits, 30 home runs and a .226 batting average. He appeared on the 1980 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to Gosger on December 5 and got the cards back on December 17, for a 12-day TAT. I paid a fee of $5/card.

Another TTM Success From Charles Nagy

Another TTM success came in from former Indians pitcher, Charles Nagy. This time around, he signed the above 1998 Topps, which looks great.

He also signed a 1991 Donruss The Rookies (above, left), which came out of a cheap set i picked up at the National last year. Above, middle, is a 1995 Topps Cyberstats and above, right is a 1996 Topps.

I mailed to Nagy on December 2 and got the cards back on December 16, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Rick Kester

Here are two cards that came back signed TTM recently that I should be able to complete. Actually, both have been mailed back out for completion, so i really hope they come back. I sent to Ricl Kester with the thought that I had a good shot as getting them done, and am almost there.  He has a nice signature, and signed quickly.

Kester (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1968 to 1970 for the Braves. He had a record of 0-0 with 31 strike outs and a 5.98 ERA.

I mailed to Kester on December 4 and got the cards back on December 15, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - BJ Upton

A private signing that I was pretty excited about came up recently where I was able to add BJ Upton to the autograph album. This 2010 Toppa 206 was tge card I was going to send all along. This was a nice set that I enjoyed opening back then, and it looks good when signed. 

Upton (b. 1984) played in the majors in 2004 and from 2006 to 2016 for the Rays, Braves, Padres and Blue Jays. He had 1,260 hits, 164 home runs and a .243 batting average. 

I mailed to the signing on November 8 and got the card back on December 15, for a 37-day TAT. I paid a fee of $30.00.

TTM Success - Colin Young

2002 Upper Deck is another of those underrated early 2000s sets that I remember fondly. I ended up with quite a few cards from that set back then, but a lot of them were sold off as lots back when I was doing shows. One card that remained was this of Colin Young. I saw that he signed TTM, so I sent it out.

Young (b. 1977) was a 9th round pick by the Rockies in the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of Fordham University. He played in the minors from 1999 to 2004 in the Rockies and Red Sox systems. He reached AA. He had a record of 12-13 with 333 strike outs and a 3.09 ERA.

I mailed to Young on November 24 and got the card back on December 13, for a 19-day TAT. 

February 27, 2026, Kinston Hot Stove Dinner

On Friday, Jesse and I attended the Down East Bird Dawgs hot stove banquet, which featured Ross Atkins being inducted into the Kinston Baseball Hall of Fame. I had known about the event for some time, so I picked up a few older minor league cards to take with me to have signed.

One of the cards, which was the actual card used to create his over-sized card for the ceremony, was missed when he was signing. Oh well. I'll be fine.

I found some old Akron Aeros team sets from the mid 90s. I believe there are two different 1998 and a 1999.

The event was fun. I'll never turn down King's BBQ. I could have gotten a couple cards signed by Chris Hatcher, but i didn't pull his cards. He was there, and talked to me for a bit. The best conversation I had was with Ross Atkins's mom. She was very nice, and was happy to chat.

I got 6 total autographs from Atkins at the event. A decent start to graphing season.

TTM Success - Mitch Nay

Some of my different years of Bowman are slowly whittling down as I pull cards fir graphing and TTMs. One such set is 2013 Bowman. I don't have many left, so it is always nice to pull one of a guy that signs and send it out. This card of Mitch Nay turned out ok; his pen looks like it is dying.

Nay (b. 1993) was a first round (58th overall) draft pick by the Blue Jays out of Hamilton High School in Arizona. He played in the minors from 2013 to 2019, 2021 and 2022 in the Blue Jays, Reds and Angels systems. He reached AAA. He had 700 hits, 79 home runs and a .257 batting average. 

I mailed to Nay on March 27 and got the card back on December 13, for a 261-day TAT.

TTM Success - Greg Vaughn

Another TTM success that was facilitated by PastPros came in recently, when these two cards came back from Greg Vaughn. Above is a 2000 Topps Gold Label that turned out great. This is a very good looking set, and it was easy to choose this one to be sent out for Vaughn's signature. 

I also sent out a 1995 Fleer. Again, this set is a favorite because of the freakiness of the design. It really is a fun set, and I'd like to get my hands on some more boxes of it.

Vaughn (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1989 to 2003 for the Brewers, Padres, Reds, Devil Rays and Rockies. He had 1,475 hits, 355 home runs and a .242 batting average. He was a 4-time All Star (1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001) and won the Silver Slugger Award in 1998. That season, he hit 50 home runs. His best finish in the MVP Race was 4th in both 1998 and 1999. He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2009, but received no votes.

I mailed to Vaughn via PastPros on November 22 and got the cards back on December 12, for a 20-day TAT. I paid a total of $46.00.

TTM Success - Max Sapp

A 2008 Bowman Chrome came in signed TTM from Max Sapp. Getting one out of the Bowman box was nice, as usual.

Sapp (b. 1988) was a first round pick by the Astros during the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Florida. 

He played in the minors from 2006 to 2008 in the Astros organization, reaching A ball. He had 165 hits, 7 home runs and a .224 batting average. 

I mailed to Sapp on December 3 and got the card back on December 12, for a 9-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Gary Sheffield

Adding a card from 1997 Pinnacle Zenith to the autograph album is always a good thing. This is definitely one of my favorite sets. I had seen that Gary Sheffield was doing a signing, so I knew I had to get his card signed.

The shot on the card is really great, and it looks great signed. I had other Sheffield cards, but none could pass this one.

Sheffield (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1988 to 2009 for the Brewers, Padres, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, Tigers and Mets. He had 2,689 hits, 509 home runs and a .292 batting average. He was a 9-time All Star (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005. His best MVP finish was 2nd (2004, AL). He was a 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He won the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins. He fell off of the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024, where he received his most votes (63.9%), but failed to reach 75% required for induction. 

I mailed to the signing on October 31 and got the card back on December 12, for a 42-day TAT. I paid a fee of $65.00.

TTM Success - Bob Malek

Another older Bowman card from my friend, Ryan, came back signed when this 2002 Bowman Chrome of Bob Malek came back signed. His Sharpie seems like it may be drying out, but the card is still signed.

Malek (b. 1981) was a 4th round pick by the Mets in the 2002 June Amateur Draft out of Michigan State. He played in the minors from 2002 to 2007 in the Mets and Dodgers systems, reaching AAA. He had 465 hits, 26 home runs and a .257 batting average. 

I mailed to Malek on November 22 and got the card back on December 11, for a 19-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Stan Javier

A private signing came up recently that helped me cross off another card for my signed 1987 Topps set, Stan Javier.  I missed a signing with him a few years ago and had to wait around for another to pop up. One finally did, and I sent off the two cards of him that I had pulled.

I really like the shot on the above 1992 Topps. This set has some good shots in it, and I was glad to add this one to the autograph album. 

Here is the 1987 that inches me a little closer to my goal. I'm pretty sure I won't finish the set, but it has been a lot of fun to fill. I'm now 30 cards away, which is a lot closer than I ever thought I'd get.

Javier (b. 1964) played in the majors in 1984 and from 1986 to 2001 for the Yankees, A's, Dodgers, Phillies, Angels, Giants, Astros and Mariners. He had 1,358 hits, 57 home runs and a .269 batting average. He won the World Series with the A's in 1989.

I mailed to the signing on November 5, 2024, and got the cards back on December 11, 2025, for a 401-day TAT. I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Kurt Ainsworth

Here is another Oriole added to my autograph album, Kurt Ainsworth. The cards I sent him were some pretty nice ones, like the above 2004 Upper Deck. I have very few of these, so adding this one was great.  I had been waiting for Ainsworth to sign for a while, and the time finally came to send to him.

I also got a 2004 Topps Total and a 2005 Topps Chrome signed.  Both of these had been buried in my Orioles box, and are now in the autograph album. 

Ainsworth (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2001 to 2004 for the Giants and Orioles. He had a record of 6-8 with 90 strike outs and a 5.19 ERA.

I mailed to Ainsworth on October 14 and got the cards back on December 10, for a 57-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Chuck Brinkman

Chuck Brinkman makes a return to the blog. I had gotten him TTM back in 2020 on a 1973 Topps.  I found this 1974 Topps recently and sent it off. It came back signed nicely, adding another Brinkman to the autograph album. 

I mailed to Brinkman on November 25 and got the card back on December 8, for a 13-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kirt Manwaring

Kirt Manwaring is a guy who i had been waiting to send to for quite a while. He finally popped up with some successes, so i sent two cards. The above 1995 Topps Cyberstats foil card is really cool, and turned out great.

I also sent in a 1996 Topps, which is a tougher set for me to add to the album. It also looks nice. 

Manwaring (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1987 to 1999 for the Giants, Astros and Rockies.  He had 733 hits, 21 home runs and a .246 batting average. He won a Gold Glove Award in 1993.

I mailed to Manwaring on November 24 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Tom Runnells

A 1992 Topps was added to the autograph album when I received this TTM success from Tom Runnells.  This card turned out great. Runnells has a great signature. 

Runnells (b. 1955) played in the majors in 1985 and 1986 for the Reds. He had 8 hits, no home runs and a .174 batting average. 

He managed the Expos for parts of the 1991 and 1992 seasons, compiling a record of 68-81 (.456 win %).

I mailed to Runnells on November 14 and got the card back on December 8, for a 24-day TAT. 

TTM Success - David Christensen

A couple more older Bowman cards from Ryan were added to the autograph album when these 2006 Bowman Chrome cards came back signed from David Christensen. The above 2006 Bowman Chrome refractor turned out great. It also scanned great.

The 2006 Bowman Chrome also turned out well. 

Christensen (b. 1988) was a 2nd round pick by the Rockies in the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Yes, you've heard of this school before, sadly.

He played in the minors from 2006 to 2011, in the Rockies system, reaching High A. He had 378 hits, 56 home runs and a .223 batting average. 

I mailed to Christensen on November 22 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 16-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Bobby Richardson

Here is a cool 1961 Topps of Bobby Richardson that I found at a recent card show. It shows Richardson during the 1960 World Series, where he was the only player on a losing team to win World Series MVP.

I had no problem paying Richardson's fee to get this card signed and into the autograph album. 

I mailed to Richardson on November 25 and got the card back, along with another Mickey Mantle religious tract and a hand-written note plugging Richardson's new film on his website on December 6, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Joba Chamberlain

Joba. Joba. Joba. Those chants still ring in my ears. Joba Chamberlain was melting down in front of our eyes during game 2 of the ALDS. The Orioles were behind the Tigers and things weren't looking too good against Justin Verlander. Then, the Tigers went to their bullpen, and the game unraveled. I'll never forget it, the greatest baseball game I have ever witnessed in person, and Joba was a huge part of it. I wanted to add his autograph to my album for a long time, aside from the meltdown that contributed to that wild game. I also wanted to add a 2007 Upper Deck Rookie of the Month card to the album. 

I had sent this card to a private signing in the past, but that signing was canceled. I waited until another one came up. One finally did, and this card came back signed. It turned out great.

Chamberlain (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2007 to 2016 for the Yankees, Tigers, Royals and Indians. He had a record of 25-21 with 546 strike outs and a 3.81 ERA. He finished 8th in the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year voting. 

I mailed to the signing on October 18 and got the card back on December 5, for a 48-day TAT. I paid a fee of $30.00.

TTM Success - Ricky Jones

Here is another 1991 Crown Orioles card for the autograph album. This card is signed by Ricky Jones. I had never heard of him before, so it was nice to get this card taken care of.

Jones (b. 1958) played in the majors in 1986 for the Orioles. He had 6 hits, no home runs and a .182 batting average. 

I mailed to Jones on November 13 and got the card back on December 4, for a 21-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Glenn Borgmann

Back in 2018, I got a few cards signed TTM by Glenn Borgmann.  One of the cards that I didn't send at the time was a 1974 Topps. I found this one in the boxes from Conrad. I went ahead and sent it out and it came back signed in blue Sharpie. 

I mailed to Borgmann on November 22 and got the card back on December 4, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Bud Norris

A private signing popped up with a former Oriole that I wanted to add to the autograph album, Bud Norris. I wanted him on an Orioles card, so I chose this 2015 Topps.  I like this set, and it was an easy choice.

Norris (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2009 to 2018 for the Astros, Orioles, Padres, Braves, Dodgers, Angels and Cardinals. He had a record of 67-90 with 1,153 strike outs and a 4.45 ERA.

I mailed to the signing on September 22 and got the card back on December 4, for a 73-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Royle Stillman

My question to knock out another 1991 Crown Orioles card led me to Royle Stillman.  It also helped me add the above 1978 Topps to the autograph album. He signed the card in blue ballpoint, and it turned out nicely.

The signature on the 1991 Crown turned out well, also.  I haven't counted how many of these that I've gotten, or how many I could still add, but they're fun to put in the album. 

Stillman (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1975 to 1977 for the Orioles and White Sox. He had 33 hits, 3 home runs and a .213 batting average. 

I mailed to Stillman on November 5 and got the cards back on December 2, for a 27-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Mark Mangum

This 1997 Bowman of Mark Mangum was my second success from him.  I had gotten him TTM back in 2021, and figured it was time to send to him again to get this one oit of the box.  I had forgotten that I got that 2021 success, but it wouldn't have stopped me from sending this one out, too.

I mailed to Mangum on October 28 and got the card back on December 2, for a 35-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brett Evert

This 2001 Bowman of Brett Evert was another card out of the stack of older Bowmans from Ryan. I sent it out TTM and got it back signed in black Sharpie. 

Evert (b. 1980) was a 7th round pick by the Braves in the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of North Salem High School in Oregon. He played in the minors from 1999 to 2007 in the Braves, Mariners, Brewers and Red Sox. He wound up reaching AAA. He had a record of 43-50, 714 strike outs and a 3.88 ERA.

I mailed to Evert on November 20 and got the card back signed, along with a note telling me happy holidays, on December 2, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nathan Panther

Here is another older Bowman card that my friend Ryan sent me to try TTM. Nathan Panther has one of those great names, so I was excited to get his card back signed. 

Panther (b. 1981) was a 15th round pick by the Indians in the 2002 June Amateur Draft out of Muscatine Community College in Iowa. He played in the minors from 2002 to 2008 in the Indians system. He reached AAA. He had 594 hits, 56 home runs and a .255 batting average. He played in Kinston during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons.

I mailed to Panther on February 5, 2025, and got the card back signed on December 2, 2026, for a 300-day TAT.