TTM Success - Bill Landrum

The 90s sure were full of color. From the crazy outfits on Fresh Prince, Saved by the Bell or Parker Lewis Can't Lose, to the baseball card sets of the early 90s, color was everywhere. Triple Play (above) was a Donruss lower-tier product that debuted in 1992, with a very bold design.  I actually liked the set.  When I saw the above Bill Landrum, I had hoped I would be able to add another Triple Play to the autograph album. He signed (obviously), so yeah, I got my wish.

Everything else I sent out to Landrum was colorful; a 1990 Donruss, 1991 Donruss, 1992 Donruss and a 1990 Topps.  All of them will brighten up the album page they will reside in. 

Landrum (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1986 to 1993 for the Reds, Cubs, Pirates and Expos.  He had a record of 18-15 with 218 strike outs and a 3.39 ERA.  

I mailed to Landrum on November 6 and got the cards back on November 15 for a 9-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Mike Bielecki

The above 1990 Topps Mini League Leaders card of Mike Bielecki drove me to send another TTM request to him.  I don't believe I had any of these in the autograph album, so i wanted to add one.  It is a good looking card, and I'm glad I had found it in a random box.

I went ahead and cleared out four other cards from the boxes; a 1988 Donruss, 1990 Donruss, 1991 Bowman and 1991 Donruss.  I remember my older brother though Don Russ was a person.  Kind of like Jon Blonde Jovi or Arrow Smith.  Anyway, it was nice to add these to the album.  Oh, what about Curvy Puckett?  I think there are a few more.  I'll have to try to remember them.

I mailed to Bielecki on January 29 and got the cards back on February 28 for a 30-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Kurt Stillwell

This 1991 Donruss Diamond King that came back signed TTM from Kurt Stillwell is such a great card.  Diamond Kings were a favorite of the Junk Wax Era.  I had found this card in a box and decided to send to Stillwell again after originally getting him TTM in 2019.

I found a few more cards to send along with the Diamond King.  The 1988 Donruss ALs Best was a cool find in one of the boxes from the former LCS.  I also got a 1989 Topps and 1994 Leaf signed.

I mailed to Stillwell on January 25 and got the cards back on February 14 for a 20-day TAT. 

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 - Jim Vatcher

These cards were supposed to be posted yesterday (1/7), but the death of Brian Matusz had me not feeling like posting, so I didn't.  I may reflect on Matusz's passing later on; the emotions are still raw.  In the meantime, I will continue on as planned.  

So, here are some signed cards that I got back signed TTM from Jim Vatcher.  The cards are all staples of the junk wax era, but all also turned out well and look great in the album.  I especially enjoyed the above 1991 Score.  These are just sharp cards, and tend to look good when signed.

I also got a 1991 Topps, 1991 Upper Deck, 1992 Stadium Club and a 1991 Donruss signed.  They all turned out well.

Vatcher (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1990 to 1992 for the Phillies, Braves and Padres.  He had 27 hits, 1 home run and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Vatcher on November 5 and got the cards back on November 20, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Schulz

Another TTM success with some Junk Wax era cards came back the same time as my Greg Cadaret success when these three cards came in from Jeff Schulz.  The above 1991 Score is a nice card. I like the white border on the card.

I also got a 1991 Upper Deck and a 1991 Donruss signed with this success. 

Schulz (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1989 to 1991 for the Royals and Pirates.  He had 19 hits, no home runs and a .244 batting average.

I mailed to Schulz on February 5 and got the cards back on February 20, for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Greg Cadaret

Some Junk Wax era cards were removed from the boxes and added to the autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Greg Cadaret.  I had to dig to find the working address, but I was successful.  The above 1991 Donruss turned out nicely. 

I also added a few of his Topps cards; a 1988, 1989 and 1994.

Cadaret (b. 1962) played in the majors from 1987 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998 for the A's, Yankees, Reds, Royals, Blue Jays, Tigers, Angels and Rangers.  He had a record of 38-32 with 539 strike outs and a 3.99 ERA.

I mailed to Cadaret on October 16 and got the cards back on February 20, for a 127-day TAT.

TTM Success - Paul Marak

Here are some early 90s that I was able to get signed TTM from Paul Marak.  When I sent off the cards, I learned that Marak now lives in nearby Goldsboro.  I got a nice 1991 Leaf signed.  I remember when Leaf came out; it was considered a premium set.  The packs cost a good bot more than normal Topps or Donruss.

Speaking of, here is a 1991 Donruss, 1991 Topps and a 1990 ProCards AAA.

Marak (b. 1965) was one of only 50 former major leaguers to have been born in the UK. He played in the majors in 1990 for the Braves.  He went 1-2 with 15 strike outs and a 3.69 ERA.

I mailed to Marak on January 8 and got the cards back on January 16, for an 8-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Greg Litton

A bunch of Junk Wax era goodies came back when I received this TTM success from Greg Litton.  Cards like the above 1990 Donruss were signed and added to the autograph album. 

Litton has a really nice signature and it showed up well on everything that came back.  I got a couple Topps cards signed (1991 and 1992), a 1991 Donruss and a 1991 Fleer.

Litton (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1989 to 1994 for the Giants, Mariners and Red Sox.  He had 195 hits, 13 home runs and a .241 batting average. 

I mailed to Litton on October 17 and got the cards back on December 29, for a 73-day TAT. This was the last TTM that I got in during 2023.

TTM Success - Clay Parker

A few more early 90s cards were added to the autograph album when I received this TTM success from Clay Parker.  The above 1990 Topps turned out nicely.

I also got a 1991 Donruss, 1991 Fleer and a 1991 Topps signed by Parker. 

Parker (b. 1962) played in the majors in 1987, from 1989 to 1990 and 1992 for the Mariners, Yankees and Tigers.  He had a record of 7-10 with 121 strike outs and a 4.42 ERA.

I mailed to Parker on November 2 and got the cards back on December 23, for a 51-day TAT.

TTM Success - Casey Candaele

A bunch of late 80s to early 90s stuff came in signed TTM from Casey Candaele.  The above 1988 Toys R Us is the card that drove the whole thing.  It is the first one of these to make it into the album. I have no idea where I got it, but it is pretty cool. 

I also got a 1988 Topps, 1991 Topps, 1992 Topps and a 1991 Donruss signed.  They all turned out great.

Candaele (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1986 to 1988, 1990 to 1993 and 1996 to 1997 for the Expos, Astros and Indians.  He had 43 hits, 11 home runs and a .250 batting average. 

I mailed to Candaele on October 17 and got the cards back on November 20, for a 34-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Tim McIntosh

While it feels like I'm swimming in 1991 Donruss cards at the house, I rarely add any signed ones to my autograph album. That's in part because that box that houses those cards us toward the bottom of my stack of boxes.  The other part is that just until recently, I hadn't really done a deep die into those years of cards where I pulled a bunch of guys to mail to. 

During the MLB playoffs, I had a lot of time to turn a game on and search boxes for TTM subjects.  Tim McIntosh came up, and I sent some cards to him after I got a few of them pulled.

I also sent off a 1993 Topps and a 1992 Bowman. All of the cards turned out well and made a little room in those 90s boxes.

McIntosh (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1990 to 1993 and 1996 for the Brewers, Expos and Yankees.  He had 21 hits, 2 home runs and a .179 batting average.  One must wonder if his 3 games played for the 1996 Yankees got him a ring that season when they won the World Series.

I mailed to McIntosh on October 20 and got the cards back on October 30 for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Shawn Boskie

This TTM success from Shawn Boskie added some 90s cards to the autograph album, including a run of his Topps cards from 1991 to 1994.  The above 1991 Donruss also turned out nicely. 

Here are the Topps cards that came back signed from the TTM request.  I got a Bible inscription on the 1992 Topps.

Boskie (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1990 to 1998 for the Cubs, Phillies, Mariners, Angels, Orioles and Expos.  He had a record of 49-63 with 494 strike outs and a 5.14 ERA.

I mailed to Boskie on October 18, 2021, and got the cards back on January 23, 2023, for a 462-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brad Arnsberg

Some more Junk Wax Era cards were added to my autograph album with this TTM success from Brad Arnsberg.  I liked the above 1991 Donruss Series 2 card that I got back signed.  I don't have nearly as many of these, as I do of Series 1, but I do have a few packs I got from my grandma a while back.  I sent a couple of the cards off, and this one was one of those.

I also got back a 1988 Topps, 1990 Topps Traded and a 1992 Stadium Club.

Arnsberg (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 1987 and 1989 to 1992 for the Yankees, Rangers and Indians.  He had a record of 9-6 with 100 strike outs and a 4.26 ERA.

I mailed to Arnsberg on November 23 and got the cards back on December 6, for a 13-day TAT.

2022 National Free Signer - Mickey Morandini

Mickey Morandini was another of the free VIP signers at this year's National.  Like most of the others, he was someone that I had gotten in the past via TTM.  I also think I had sent my friend, Max, some of Morandini's cards, but I still had plenty that I was able to use for the National.

Morandini was announced as one of the VIP signers for the 2020 National that was canceled due to COVID.  So, I had most of these cards already put aside.  Thankfully, I found them quickly, and was able to be prepared for the show.  I had a lot of his vouchers, so I got a 1991 Fleer, 1991 Donruss, 1993 Triple Play, 1997 Pacific, 2000 Topps and a 1991 Studio signed.

All of the cards turned out great.  I used to have a friend who was working on the 1991 Studio set, but he took off, so I will just file this away in my album.  I like the set, but am definitely not going to try to complete it.  I have enough going on.

TTM Success - Colby Ward

A couple 90s Junk Wax Era cards came back signed TTM with this success from Colby Ward.  I really liked this 1991 Donruss.  I don't have nearly as may as I used to, but I like sending the ones I have off and having them come back signed.

I also got this 1991 Topps back, and it turned out well.  I always enjoy 1991 Topps; it is an underrated set and I love getting them signed.

Ward (b. 1964) played in the majors in 1990 for the Indians.  He had a record of 1-3 with 23 strike outs and a 4.25 ERA.

I mailed to Ward on December 1 and got the cards back on February 23, for an 84-day TAT.

TTM Success - Wayne Edwards

I got a lot of junk wax era cards out of my box with this TTM success from Wayne Edwards.  I was surprised at all of the cards I found, and added some nice ones to my album.

I'm usually a Topps guy (and there is a Topps in the bunch, a 1991), but some of these other brands look really nice when signed.  Most aren't my first choice, but I was glad with how all of these turned out.

I've grown to like some of the older Bowman cards when they get signed.  These two are from 1991 (L) and 1990 (R).  These turned out really well with Edwards's signature.

Edwards (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1989 to 1991 for the White Sox.  He had a record of 5-5 with 84 strike outs and a 3.37 ERA.

I mailed to Edwards on May 21 and got the cards back on June 29, for a 39-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Jim Leyritz

I had forgotten that I had received a TTM success from Jim Leyritz back in 2017, but I suppose that's ok, because I got some nice cards back signed (and a couple smudges).  The above 1990 Score Traded is a nice card, but Leyritz smudged the crap out of it.  What a shame.

The 1993 Topps buyback (above left) was what caused me to want to send to Leyritz again, and at least that card turned out great.  The 1998 Topps got smudged, as well, but the 1991 Donruss turned out pretty nicely.

I mailed to Leyritz on May 21 and got the cards back on June 11, for a 21-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Dave Righetti

I had two TTM requests for Dave Righetti out, and both of them came in a few weeks apart from each other.  I was worried, because when the first one came in, he left out signing one of the 1987 Topps that I needed for my set.  Little did I know, I had it covered with the first TTM request that I sent.

In addition to this 1991 Donruss Diamond Kings, I sent one 1987 Topps, and it just happened to be the one he didn't sign in the other request.  This one was sent out a year before the other one, so I had no idea he would leave that particular card out.

Now, I have all three of Righetti's 1987 Topps signed.  I don't have to worry about trying to mail to him again.

I sent this request off on April 12, 2017, and got the cards back on August 31, 2018, for a 506-day TAT.  I got really lucky with this one.  I sent 5 cards, and one of the ones he signed was the 1987 I needed.  Whew!

2018 National VIP Signer - Jose Rijo

One of the free VIP signers during the 2018 National was Jose Rijo.  He was a pretty dominant pitcher when I was growing up, and I was happy to get his autograph on a few cards.

I was even happier that he was one of the signers there who was in the 1987 set, so this was another card I could knock off of my checklist.

Rijo (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1984 to 1995 and 2001 to 2002 for the A's and Reds.  He had a record of 116-91 with 1,606 strike outs and a 3.24 ERA.  He led the league in strike outs in 1993 (NL) with 227.  He won the World Series with the Reds in 1990.  His best finish in the Cy Young Award race was 4th in 1991.  He was an All Star in 1994 and finished 19th in the 1990 NL MVP voting.  He was the MVP of the aforementioned 1990 World Series when he went 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA.  He appeared on two Hall of Fame ballots (2001 and 2008) but only received a high of 0.2% of the vote.