TTM Success - Kris Benson

Here are some signed Orioles cards for the album that came in TTM from a private signing. I didn't think I'd be able to get Kris Benson, but the signing popped up. I had pulled and put aside the above 2007 Topps Heritage in hope that a signing would happen. So, when it did, it was really easy to find. The price point was good, so i searched the Orioles box for some other cards to send off.

I ended up sending a 2006 Fleer, 2006 Topps and 2007 Topps to the signing, as well. All of the cards turned out great.

Benson (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1999 to 2000, 2002 to 2006 and 2009 to 2010 for the Pirates, Mets, Orioles, Rangers and Diamondbacks. He had a record of 70-75 with 806 strike outs and a 4.42 ERA. He finished 4th in the 1999 NL Rookie of the Year voting. 

I mailed to the signing on March 7 and got the cards back on May 21, for a 75-day TAT. I paid a fee of $25/card.

TTM Success - Rick Wrona

A signed 1990 Topps made its way into the autograph album when I got this card back signed TTM by Rick Wrona. I found this card during a run through my boxes while trying to populate a stack of guys to send to. I need to do that again (and also clean up some that I pulled who aren't signing).

Wrona (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1988 to 1990 and 1992 to 1994 for the Cubs, Reds, White Sox and Brewers. He had 41 hits, 3 home runs and a .244 batting average. 

I mailed to Wrona on February 28 and got the card back on May 19, for an 80-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeremy Hazelbaker

My stack of incoming TTMs that need to be posted is getting smaller. I'm so far behind posting, but at least I have content to last me for quite a while. This next TTM success came in from Jeremy Hazelbaker on a 2016 Topps Update. He signed the card in silver Sharpie; the scan helps the signature stand out. It is a little tougher to see in person.

Hazelbaker (b. 1987) played in the majors in 2016 and 2017 for the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. He had 65 hits, 14 home runs and a .258 batting average. 

I mailed to him on July 18, 2025, and got the card back on May 18, 2026, for a 304-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jimmy Britton

Completing a multi-player card is a lot of hard work, but it can also be rewarding. I completed this 1972 Topps Braves Rookie Stars card recently when it came back TTM from Jimmy Britton. The best part is that all of the guys signed it in blue.

Britton (b. 1948) didn't actually crack the majors. He played in the minors from 1968 to 1973 in the Braves system, reaching AAA. He had a career record of 22-16 with 267 strike outs and a 3.75 ERA.

I mailed to Britton on Match 2 and got the card back on May 18, for a 77-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jordan Leasure

A couple cards from 2024 Topps Heritage High Number came back signed TTM from Jordan Leasure. One of the cards was this green parallel. I enjoyed busting Heritage in 2024; I got boxes of Heritage, Heritage Mini and Heritage High Number that year, and used a good bit of it for graphing.

I also sent along his base card from Heritage High Number, and it came back signed too.

Leasure (b. 1998) has played in the majors since 2024 for the White Sox. In his career, he has a record of 7-9 with 125 strike outs and a 4.96 ERA. 

I mailed to Leasure via White Sox Spring Training on February 9 and got the cards back on May 15, for a 95-day TAT.

TTM Success - Johnny Briggs

These signed cards from Johnny Briggs took a while to come back to me. They eventually did, after I had forgotten that I had sent them out. He signed my 1972 Topps (above) and my 1973 Topps (below).

Briggs (b. 1944) played in the majors from 1964 to 1975 for the Phillies, Brewers and Twins. He had 1,041 hits, 139 home runs and a .253 batting average. He finished 23rd in the AL MVP race in 1973.

I mailed to Briggs on April 28, 2021, and got the cards back on May 9, 2026, for a 1,837-day TAT. I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Victor Robles

When I found out that Victor Robles was signing TTM earlier this season, I had to search my boxes for this 2017 Carolina League top prospects card. I had missed him when Potomac came through Kinston that season (I missed Juan Soto, too). I finally got my card signed and into my album, 9 years later.

Robles (b. 1997) has played in the majors since 2017 for the Nationals and Mariners. He has 515 hits, 36 home runs and a .248 batting average. He finished 6th in the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year voting. He won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019.

TTM Success - Javier Vazquez

Here is another card that I got signed recently through a private signing on SCN. I sent this 2010 Topps National Chicle, and it turned out great. I forgot how cool this set looked. I'm glad I was able to find this one to send out to the signing. 

Vazquez (b. 1976) played in the majors from 1998 to 2011 for the Expos, Yankees, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Braves and Marlins. He had a record of 165-160 with 2,526 strike outs and a 4.22 ERA. He was an All Star in 2004 and finished 4th in the NL Cy Young race in 2009.

I mailed to the signing on March 21 and got the card back on May 5, for a 45-day TAT. I paid a fee of $20.00.

Another TTM Success From Rich Harden

Back in 2020, I git a TTM success in from Rich Harden. Six years later, I got him again. This time, I sent out a 2003 Bowman Heritage (above), 2003 Topps 205 (below, left), 2003 Bowman (below, center) and a 2008 Topps Chrome refractor (below, right).

All of the cards turned out great. I'm not even sure how I got a few of them, as I didn't open much 2003 stuff at all.

I mailed to Harden on July 18, 2025, and got the cards back on May 5 of this year, for a 291-day TAT.

TTM Success - Moises Alou

A private signing with Moises Alou popped up recently on SCN. I had a couple of Alou's cards put aside, should such an event arise. I sent both of the cards off and they turned out great. 

The card above is a 1996 Pinnacle Denny's hologram that I picked up somewhere. The scan obviously doesn't do the hologram justice, but in person, it looks really cool. I had to explain to Jesse how holograms on cards was a huge thing in the mid-90s.

I also sent off this 2015 Bowman Chrome RC Flashback. It, too, turned out great.

Alou (b. 1966) played in the majors in 1990, from 1992 to 1998 and 2000 to 2008 for the Pirates, Expos, Marlins, Astros, Cubs, Giants and Mets. He had 2,134 hits, 332 home runs and a .303 batting average. He was an All Star 6 times (1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005). His best MVP finish was 2nd (1994, NL). He finished 2nd in the 1992 NL Rookie of the Year voting. He won the World Series with the Marlins in 1997. He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2014, receiving only 1.1% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on March 21 and got the cards back on May 2, for a 42-day TAT. I paid a fee of $35/card.

TTM Success - Mike Gardella

There aren't many 1992 Bowmans in my autograph albums, so when I saw that I could add on by getting Mike Gardella TTM, I sent this card out. It came back signed in black Sharpie. 1992 Bowman is a sharp looking set. I just never had many cards from there, even dating back to when I was a kid.

Gardella (b. 1967) was a 13th round pick by the Yankees in the 1989 June Amateur Draft out of Oklahoma State. He played in the minors from 1989 to 1995 in the Yankees, Imdians and Giants systems. The highest level of the minors he reached was AAA. He had a record of 19-16 with 389 strike outs and a 3.23 ERA.

I mailed to Gardella on March 12 and got the card back on May 2, for a 51-day TAT.

TTM Success - Trevor Recklng

Another 2010 Bowman Chrome came back signed recently, this one from Trevor Reckling. These cards have such a mirror shine to them, they don't scan for crap. In person, though, the cards look great. 

Reckling (b. 1989) was an 8th round pick by the Angels in the 2007 June Amateur Draft out of St. Benedict's Preparatory School in New Jersey. He played in the minors from 2007 to 2010 in the Angels system, reaching AAA. He had a record of 33-38 with 481 strike outs and a 4.15 ERA.

I mailed to Reckling on October 30 and got the card back on May 2, for a 184-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bryant Packard

This 2019 Bowman Chrome blue refractor f Bryant Packard was a card left over from when I went to an ECU game last season. I missed Packard at the game and put the cards aside.

This season, I didn't see myself getting out to ECU for a game, so I took a couple of the cards and sent them to the school TTM to see if I could get Packard. I sent two cards and he sent one back. Thankfully, it was the better card he sent back. 

Packard (b. 1997) was a 5th round pick by the Tigers in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of ECU. He played in the minors in 2019 and from 2021 to 2023 in the Tigers system. He would reach AA Erie by the time he retired from playing. Now he is coaching with ECU. He had a 162 hits, 16 home runs and a .250 batting average. 

I mailed to Packard via ECU on March 9 and got the card back on April 27, for a 49-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Schmidt

A random 1993 Pinnacle came back signed TTM recently by Jeff Schmidt. I had gotten a bunch of these 1993 Pinnacles in a box from a card show a while back, and sent a few out for TTM. This one came back looking nice. It is a simple set, but looks good nonetheless. 

Schmidt (b. 1971) played in the majors in 1996 for the Angels. He went 2-0 with 2 strike outs and a 7.88 ERA. 

I mailed to Schmidt on November 6, 2024, and got the card back on April 20, 2026, for a 530-day TAT.

TTM Success - Josh Trentadue

Jesse and I got close to Josh Trentadue when he was a Wood Duck during the 2024 season. It hurt having to pay for a Hub City Spartanburgers team set in 2025, as I really didn't want to give them any of my money. However, I really wanted Josh's card, so I did buy a team set. I still haven't lifted my boycott of Spartanburg, since they took my team from me, but I'll go eventually. Maybe.

Tremtadue (b. 2002) was a 14th round pick by the Rangers in the 2023 July Amateur Draft out of the College of Southern Idaho. He has played in the Rangers system since 2023. He has reached AA Frisco so far. In his minor league career, he has a record of 8-10 with 283 strike outs and a 4.07 ERA.

I mailed to Trentadue on February 7 via Rangers Spring Training and got the card back on April 14, for a 66-day TAT.

TTM Success - Marty Castillo

A huge addition to the 1987 Topps set happened for me a few months ago. I saw a private signing with Marty Castillo pop up, much to my disbelief. Castillo has been a rare signature up to this point, but recently, he has done a few private signings. He was the last guy I needed on this Togers Leaders card. I wasn't about to chance it with a TTM, so I had to wait for a private signing. 

Castillo (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1981 to 1985 for the Tigers. He had 67 hits, 8 home runs and a .190 batting average. He won the World Series in 1984 with the Tigers. It shows that Topps used an old photo, since Castillo didn't play for the Tigers in 1986.

I mailed to the signing on February 28 and got the card back on April 14, for a 45-day TAT. I paid a fee of $15.00.

TTM Success - Corey Madden

Here are a couple 2026 Bowman cards that came back signed TTM from Corey Madden. I believe these came from my Christmas gift from Ryan. Madden signed a 2006 Bowman Chrome and a gold parallel.

Madden (b. 1984) was a 21st round pick by the Marlins in the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of St. Mary's College of California. He played in the minors from 2006 to 2012 in the Marlins system. He reached AAA. He had a record of 19-13 with 355 strike outs and a 3.05 ERA.

I mailed to Madden on November 13 and got the cards back on April 13, for a 151-day TAT.

August 29, 2026, Graphing of the Tides at Bulls

The Norfolk Tides were back in Durham two weeks ago. Jesse and I went that Saturday to try and see a couple Orioles who were on rehab. Felix Bautista was the big (pun intended) target for us. Bautista is coming back from his second major surgery (shoulder). He was actually the first player we got when we got inside the ballpark. I was glad to get a 2026 Topps done.

He also signed a 2024 Topps. We almost finished all of the Enrique Bradfield cards that I had. I finally got Juaron Watts-Brown and Payton Eeles. I jad cards put aside for them for a little while now. I also got Yaramil Hiraldo on a 2025 Topps Update.

We finally got Heston Ljerstad at a game. He's usually pretty tough, but came right over for us. I finally got my 2024 Norfolk team set cards done of Kjerstad and Albert Suarez.

It was a nice surprise to get Joe Boyle. He was in a good mood for once, so my team set card from last year got done. I had picked up several Oliver Dunn cards at the National, and they all got signed, so I'm out of him again. Jake Fraley was down in Durham on rehab, so Jesse and I got him, as well. Mason Englert was in a hurry, but stopped for me and signed my negative parallel. He's such a great guy, and I'm always glad to get him.

Finally, I got two more cards from the National done (the 2023 Topps Chrome refractor of Michael Grove, and the 2023 Topps Chrome negative parallel of Blake Sabol). I also had no shame in asking the handler of Champ the Bat Dog to sign his team set card. 

In all, we got the following autographs: Silas Ardoin x 4, Felix Bautista x 2, Enrique Bradfield x 5, Juaron Watts-Brown x 7, Payton Eeles x 1, Jud Fabian x 2, Yaramil Hiraldo x 1, Heston Kjerstad x 2, Albert Suarez x 2, Jeff Ware x 1 and Yosver Zulueta x 2, Joe Boyle x 2, Keoni Derenne x 2, Oliver Dunn x 11, Mason Englert x 1, Jake Fraley x 2, Michael Grove x 2, Blake Sabol x 3 and Champ the Bat Dog('s handler) x 2 (54 total autographs). 

Another TTM Success From Jason Johnson

Back in 2018, I sent to Jason Johnson TTM and got three signed cards back. I had been told later on that those cards probably weren't signed by him. Compared to these two cards that I got back in April, yeah, I'm pretty sure someone else signed those. Maybe it was his wife, or someone else. Who knows. Oh well. 

I had seen that folks were getting Johnson back recently, so I found a couple cards and tried him again. At some point, I may get duplicates of the others and replace those signatures. 

I mailed to Johnson on March 23 and got the cards back on April 11, for a 19-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Evan Gattis

Here is another fairly recent player who I discovered (via Gerard, I think) was signing TTM. Evan Gattis signed this 2018 Topps for me and it turned out nicely. There are a few more guys he told me about that I need to search cards for.

Gattis (b. 1986) played in the majors from 2013 to 2018 for the Braves and Astros. He had 605 hits, 139 home runs and a .248 batting average. He finished 7th in the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year voting. He won the World Series in 2017 with the Astros.

I mailed to Gattis on March 16 and got the card back on April 11, for a 26-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Joel Brewer

A couple years ago, I hastily bought Perfect Game cards of several Wood Ducks players. One of whom didn't actually have cards. I had searched Michael Brewer and bought a lot of 10 Joel Brewer cards because Ebay suggests stuff even when a search should reveal nothing. So, in my haste, I accidentally bought the lot of 10 Joel Brewer cards and was stuck with them for quite a while. 

I finally found an address for Joel Brewer and sent three of the cards out TTM to give it a shot. I got the correct address, as the cards came back signed. 

Brewer (b. 1999) played one season in college at the University of South Carolina. He had 4 hits, no home runs and a .235 batting average.

I mailed to Brewer on March 14 and got the cards back on April 11 for a 28-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Corey Knebel

A more-recent card came back signed TTM when this 2023 Topps came back from Corey Knebel. The card turned out great. 

Knebel (b. 1991) played in the majors from 2014 to 2018 and 2020 to 2022 for the Tigers, Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies. He had a record of 13-16 with 407 strike outs and a 3.26 ERA.

I mailed to Knebel on March 11 and got the card back on April 11, for a 31-day TAT. 

August 18-23, 2026, Graphing of the Aigles at Bird Dawgs

The Bird Dawgs season is quickly coming to a close. I missed a month of baseball at Grainger Stadium due to two big trips overlapping the Bird Dawgs home schedule, so when I got back from the National, there were only two home series left. Trois-Rivieres came to town on August 18, and Ibwas excited to get former Yankee, Greg Bird on a ton of cards. Except, he didn't travel with the team. I did get Evan Rutckyj to sign his 2013 Bowman. I was glad I had one of them in the box.

I also got Lizandro Rodriguez to sign some cards of his that I had left over from when I saw him with Columbia a couple years ago. Then, I had new Bird Dawg, Wes Albert on a Tri City team set card. I have accepted the sad fact that the Bird Dawgs won't have a team set again this year. Boo.

In all, I got the following autographs: Wes Albert x 2, Evan Rutckyj x 1, Lizandro Rodriguez x 7. (10 total autographs).

TTM Success - Justin Hagenman

Finally, I can chip away at posting some TTMs since I have gotten through most of what I plan to post from this year's National. There are a bunch to show off, beginning with this return from Justin Hagenman on a couple 2025 Topps Update. I had pulled the above green foil parallel when I broke my box right when it came out. I was glad to see it come back signed. 

He also signed my base card, which turned out great.

Hagenman (b. 1996) played 9 games last season and 1 game this season for the Mets. He has a record of 0-1 with 25 strike outs and a 4.39 ERA.

I mailed to him on January 14 and got the cards back on April 11 for an 87-day TAT.

2026 National Free Signer - Steve Lyons

The last free signer that I was getting at this year's National was Steve Lyons. His line took the longest, but it was because he made a point to talk to everyone. I appreciated that, even though I really wanted to get back to the bargain boxes that Nate and I were looking through.

I did make it back to the bargain boxes with about 30 minutes to spare.

Lyons (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1985 to 1993 for the Red Sox, White Sox, Braves and Expos. He had 545 hits, 19 home runs and a .252 batting average. 

2026 National Paid Signer - Eddie Murray

This card that I found in my collection of Eddie Murray was somewhat of a mystery to me. I had no idea where I had gotten the card from, and I had no idea what it even was. I'm glad you can lens search on Ebay, because I was able to figure out that this is a 1983 KG Glossy blank back card. It's thinner than most baseball cards, so I had to handle it carefully. I liked the clean design and thought it would be a good addition to the autograph album. It definitely stands out.

I had met Murray a couple times before, and he was just as nice this time. He even shook my hand as I was leaving. Very classy guy. I still need to get him on the 1991 Crown Orioles card, but I keep putting it off.

He was the last paid signer I got on a card. There were two others I got on baseballs that I'll show later on. Also, there's one more free signer to go, then I need to catch back up on graphing and TTM posts.

2026 National Free Signer - Chris Sabo

The one free signed at this year's National that I looked forward to the most was former Oriole, Chris Sabo. I was glad to finally get him to sign some Orioles cards. The above 1994 Score Rookies and Traded card is pretty cool. I like that design, and don't have many of them in the autograph album. 

He signed a 1992 Topps and a 1994 Upper Deck. I tend to forget how good the 1994 Upper Deck set looks. They look great signed.

I also got a 1994 Fleer Ultra signed. They also look sharp. This is such an underrated set.

Sabo (b. 1962) played in the majors from 1988 to 1996 for the Reds, Orioles, White Sox and Cardinals. He had 898 hits, 116 home runs and a .268 batting average. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1988. He was a three-time All Star (1988, 1990 and 1991). He won the World Series with the Reds in 1990.

2026 National Free Signer - Reid Simpson

The free signers from the 2026 National are drawing to a close soon, with just a few to go. Tonight, I share another hockey player, Reid Simpson. I didn't have anything for Simpson, but the same vendor who had the other signers hooked me up with a few Simpsons. I also took some of his to get signed, which helped me get a few cards for free of Simpson and Geovany Soto.

Simpson (b. 1969) played from 1991 to 1993 and 1994 to 2004, missing the 1993-1994 season. He played for the Flyers, North Stars, Devils, Blackhawks, Lightning, Blues, Canadiens, Predators and Penguins. He had 18 goals and 18 assists, for 36 points.

Simpson was pretty cool. I didn't know much about him, but he jad some nice cards, and it was nice to add them to the autograph album.

2026 National Free Signer - Geovany Soto

Geovany Soto was the next free signer at this year's National. I had sent most of his cards to Max over the years, but was still able to find a couple to take with me to the show. The above 2010 Topps Heritage was one of them. This is such a good looking card and I'm glad I got it signed. 

I worked out a deal with the vendor I had been talking to all show; I took a bunch of his Soto cards and some wild card vouchers and went through the line for him so he wouldn't have to leave his booth. We split the cards, so I ended up with several extras.

I also got the other card I brought from home (this 2017 Topps) signed. Since I already had one in the album, I got this one done in red paint pen.

Soto (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2005 to 2017 for the Cubs, Rangers, A's, White Sox and Angels. He had 619 hits, 108 home runs and a .245 batting average. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2008. He was also an All Star that season and finished 13th in the NL MVP race.

2026 National Free Signer - Ron Kittle

At this year's National, I got to see Ron Kittle as a free signer for the third time. He had been a signer at the 2021 and 2023 Nationals as well. I was surprised that I even had any cards of him left, but I did. The above 1988 Fleer turned out great. I have a partial set of 88 Fleer somewhere, but I haven't located it in all of my mess.

I did raid a partial set of 1989 Upper Deck. I didn't realize that Kittle had two cards in that set. I also had him sign a 1989 Score and a 1989 Donruss.

I had several vouchers for Kittle (obviously), so I got several cards out of my slider box. I think I have a couple left, in case he shows up at next year's National.