TTM Success - Mike Frank

A couple more older Bowman cards were added to the autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Mike Frank.

These are a couple 1999 Bowman, and they turned out nicely.

Frank (b. 1974) played in the majors in 1997 for the Reds.  He had 20 hits, no home runs and a .225 batting average. 

I mailed to Frank on January 29 and got the cards back on February 13 for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Mike Paradis

A few Orioles cards got out of the box and into the album when I got this TTM success back from Mike Paradis.  It is kind of sad that these cards span two years, but Topps used pretty much the same photo (or close to it).

I got these three different 1999 Bowmans signed; a paper, chrome and a foil.  The card at the top was his 2000 Bowman Chrome.

Paradis (b. 1978) was a first round (13th overall) pick by the Orioles in the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of Clemson.  He played in the minors from 1999 to 2004 in the Orioles system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 29-47 with 415 strike outs and a 5.24 ERA.  He was among a long string of failed first round draft picks by the Orioles during the "Dark Times".

I mailed to Paradis on January 17 and got the cards back on February 4 for an 18-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Robert Stratton

Some more late 90s Bowmans were added to the autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Robert Stratton.  The above 1997 Bowman turned out nicely.

I also got a 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowmaj Chrome signed.  Both look great.

Stratton (b. 1977) was a first round (13th overall) pick by the Mets during the 1996 June Amateur Draft out of San Marcos High School in California. 

He played in the minors from 1996 to 2006 in the Mets, Rockies, Marlins, Reds, Giants and Yankees systems.  He had 690 hits, 197 home runs and a .244 batting average. 

I mailed to Stratton on January 11 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kevin Witt

When I saw the Star Wars stamp on my return mailer, I knew I had a TTM success that had been out for a couple of years.  I opened the envelope and saw that the cards that I had sent Kevin Witt finally came back.  I was really excited about the above 1999 Fleer EX.  These acetate cards loom awesome when signed, and this one was almost worth the wait.

I also got a 1998 Team Best, 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowman Chrome signed by Witt.

Witt (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2006 for the Blue Jays, Padres, Tigers and Devil Rays.  He had 93 hits, 15 home runs and a .233 batting average. 

I mailed to Witt on May 7, 2021, and got the cards back on January 9, 2024, for a 977-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Winchester

These 1999 Bowmans that I got back signed TTM from Jeff Winchester turned out pretty well even though it is hard to tell from the scans.  The above 1999 Bowmans Best is a nice card and will look great in my album. 

I also got a 1999 Bowman Chrome, 1999 Bowman, and a 1999 Bowman Hometown foil parallel signed.

Winchester (b. 1980) was a first round pick (40th overall) in the 1998 June Amateur Draft out of a Louisiana high school by the Rockies.  He played in the minors from 1998 to 2006 in the Rockies, Brewers and Phillies systems, reaching AA.  He had 564 hits, 64 home runs and a .227 batting average.

I mailed to Winchester on October 31 and got the cards back on November 20, for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Chuck Abbott

A few more 1999 Bowman cards found their way into the autograph album when I received this TTM success from Chuck Abbott.  He signed the three versions of the card that I sent, a base, chrome and a hometown foil parallel.

It's hard to tell the difference between these two in the scan, but they're the hometown foil and chrome.  All of the cards turned out great.

Abbott (b. 1975) was a second round pick by the Angels in the 1996 June Amateur Draft our of Austin Peay.  He played in the minors from 1996 to 2001 in the Angels and Indians systems.  He had 510 hits, 23 home runs and a .237 batting average while making his way as high as AAA.

I mailed to Abbott on October 11 and got the cards back on October 25, for a 14-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Armando Rios

These Armando Rios cards were in some of the boxes that I got from the former card shop.  I found them right after I had sent to him TTM a while back.  I had thought about sending to him again, but I waited a while, just in case he would remember my name and decide not to sign.  I really liked the above 1999 Fleer Ex Century card, so it was worth the wait.

I also got a 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowman Chrome signed.  The 2002 Topps Chrome refractor was a card that I had sent to him in my original TTM request, but it had come back unsigned.

I mailed to Rios on January 23 and got the cards back on April 10, for a 77-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brent Butler

Here are several cards I got out of my old Bowman box, as well as a 2002 Topps (above) that all got signed TTM by Brent Butler.

Everything, except for the 2002 Topps, came out of the old box of Bowman and minor leaguers from the former LCS.  Butler has a great autograph, and everything turned out nicely.

I like getting these old Bowmans signed, since most of those guys have moved on.  It would be nice if I could catch a few of them at some games and really knock those boxes down.

Butler (b. 1978) is from Laurinburg, NC, a place that I have done a lot of work in.  He played in the majors from 2001 to 2003 for the Rockies.  He had 137 hits, 11 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Butler on January 13 and got the cards back on February 8, for a 2-day TAT.

TTM Success - Giuseppe Chiaramonte

More turn-of-the-century cards came out of my Bowman box from the former LCS and were added to my autograph album with this TTM success from Giuseppe Chiaramonte.  That's a name.  It was easy finding his cards in the box due to his name being so recognizable.  I was able to find some nice stuff, like the above 2000 Upper Deck.  I really like this set; it is one that I didn't have much of up until a recent show in Virginia.  There, I filled a 4,000-count box with some decent stuff, and this card was in there.

I also got a couple cards signed from 1999 Team Best and a couple Bowmans (1999 and 2000).

Chiaramonte (b. 1976) was a fifth round pick by the Giants in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Cal State Fresno.  He played in the minors from 1997 to 2001 in the Giants system, reaching AAA.  He had 429 hits, 79 home runs and a .251 batting average.

I mailed to Chiaramonte on September 26 and got the cards back on October 7, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Danny Klassen

These cards of Danny Klassen had been out for signature for quite a while before finally coming back last week.  I had forgotten that I had mailed to him and had not gotten the cards, so when I opened the envelope, it was a nice surprise.  The TTM return was highlighted by the above 1999 Fleer Brilliants, which turned out great.  These are nice cards, and I have now gotten a few back for my autograph album.

I also got a 1997 Bowman Chrome, 1999 Bowman foil and a 1999 Topps signed by Klassen.  All of the cards turned out well, even with the 1997 Bowman Chrome having the UV issues that the set has.  I've found that the baby powder that I now use helps in reducing the cloudy effect on the cards, so some that I have mailed recently have looked a lot better.

Klassen (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1998 to 2000 and 2002 to 2003 for the Diamondbacks and Tigers.  He had 59 hits, 6 home runs and a .226 batting average.

I mailed to Klassen on September 1, 2020, and got the cards back on October 6, 2022, for a 765-day TAT.

TTM Success - David Walling

This 2001 Bowman Chrome looks rough, but in all actuality, it turned out pretty well in person.  I think the UV got roughed up when the card stuck to another one, but it doesn't really matter to me.  I was able to get this, and three other Bowman cards signed TTM by David Walling.

He signed the 01 Chrome, a 1999 Bowman, 1999 Bowman foil and a 2000 Bowman.  I really enjoy getting some of these cards out of that box and into my album.  I wish a few more of these guys were coaches around the minors and I could get some of them signed that way, as well.

Walling (b. 1978) was a first round (27th overall) pick in the 1999 June Amateur Draft by the Yankees out of the University of Arkansas.  He played in the minors from 1999 to 2002 in the Yankees system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 24-24 with 283 strike outs and a 4.10 ERA.

I mailed to Walling on March 31 and got the cards back on May 12, for a 42-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Gissell

My box with late 90s Bowman has yielded quite a few cards to get signed TTM and I was able to get a few Chris Gissell cards signed recently. The above 1997 Bowman turned out nicely. 

Here are some 1998 and 1999 Bowmans and parallels that I got signed by Gissell. The inserts didn't scan too well, but the cards are fine in person.

Gissell (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2004 for the Rockies. He had a record of 0-1 with 11 strike outs and a 14.54 ERA.

I mailed to Gissell on April 2 and got the cards back on April 22, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - John Curtice

Here are a couple older Bowmans that I was able to get signed TTM from John Curtice.  As usual, the foil and chrome versions didn't scan too well, but the cards look nice.  Take my word for it.

Curtice (b. 1979) was a first round (17th overall) draft pick by the Red Sox in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia.  He played in the minors 1997 to 2000 in the Red Sox system, reaching high A ball.  He had a record of 12-21 with 259 strike outs and a 4.76 ERA.

I mailed to Curtice on October 13 and got the cards back on December 24, for a 72-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kory DeHaan

A few more older Bowmans have been added to my autograph binder with this TTM success from Kory DeHaan.  The above 2002 Bowman Chrome turned out nicely, even though the card is a bit curved.

I also got these two from 1999 Bowman, a base and a chrome. signed.

DeHaan (b. 1976) played in the majors in 2000 and 2002 for the Padres.  He had 22 hits, 2 home runs and a .193 batting average.

I mailed to DeHaan on October 12 and got the cards back on November 26, for a 45-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt LeCroy

A couple more 1999 Bowmans were removed from their box and added to my autograph album with this TTM success from Matt LeCroy.  The cards turned out great and cleared a tiny little bit of room in that box.  One of these days, I'll be able to condense those boxes down, but that's going to take forever.

Again, the foil card scanned badly, but it looks fine.  You just have to take my word for it.

LeCroy (b. 1975) played in the majors from 2000 to 2007 for the Twins and Nationals.  He had 361 hits, 60 home runs and a .260 batting average.

I mailed to LeCroy on October 22 and got the cards back on November 13, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Justin Bowles

Here are some more 1999 Bowmans that I got signed TTM, this time from Justin Bowles.  The above base card scanned great, but the chrome and foil cards below didn't scan for crap.  That appears to be pretty normal for those, so I just deal with it.

The cards look nice in person, and will be just fine in my album.

Bowles (b. 1973) was a 16th round pick by the A's in the 1996 June Amateur Draft out of Louisiana State University.  He played in the minors from 1996 to 2000, all in the A's system.  He reached AA.  He had 530 hits, 64 home runs and a .290 batting average.

I mailed to Bowles on October 12 and got the cards back on November 6, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jack Cressend

A few more 1999 Bowmans came out of my box recently when I was able to get these three cards signed by Jack Cressend.

I got a bunch of 1999 and 2000 Bowman cards out of a box from my former LCS, and I have been going through them and trying to get some of them signed.  The chromes all kind of fused together with each other, and got a bit curved, but they are easily separated and didn't sustain much damage at all.  So, I have been able to send off some of them and get them signed.

Cressend (b. 1975) played in the majors from 2000 to 2004 for the Twins and Indians.  He had a record of 5-5 with 104 strike outs and a 4.20 ERA.

I mailed to Cressend on October 15 and got the cards back on October 23, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mark Osborne

Wow, these scans really suck.  These 1999 Bowmans that I got signed TTM by Mark Osborne are actually pretty cool in person.  There was even a reason why I sent them; two of the cards, a chrome and a foil, have a background of Osborne's home state.  That's North Carolina, of course, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is in the background.  It's really cool.  You can kind of see it in the scan below, but it looks so much better in person.

One of the downfalls of the late 90s/early 2000s Chrome is that the UV ages, sometimes the cards fade, and if you prep them, they look all cloudy and awful.  The cards also stick together badly and curve (not as bad as 2010 Chrome, but they do curve).  Still, they look nice and are salvageable.  I was glad to get a few of them out of my boxes and into my album, where the pages will keep the cards straight, and not stuck together, at least.

Osborne (b. 1978) is originally from Rocky Mount, which is about 45 minutes from me.  He was a 3rd round pick by the Diamondbacks out of Lee County High School in nearby Sanford, NC (I guess his family moved) in the 1996 June Amateur Draft.

He played in the Diamondbacks, Indians and Twins systems from 1996 to 2001, reaching AA.  He had 305 hits, 27 home runs and a .245 batting average.

I mailed to Osborne on May 10 and got the cards back on June 21, for a 42-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Tim Raines, Jr.

With all of the time I've had on my hands lately from the COVID crap, I have been cleaning out some card boxes and been more aggressive in sending out TTM requests.  Some of the players, I have sent to in the past, but I still had some decent cards remaining, so I have gone to the well again for some more autographs.  Tim Raines, Jr. is one of those players.

I had picked up some of Raines's cards because I thought I would see him while he was coaching Aberdeen.  I never got there, and he isn't coaching there anymore.

I had also picked up these various Bowmans.  They all turned out really well when signed.

I mailed to Raines on April 27 and got the cards back on May 11, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Minor

I added some cool cards of a former Oriole with this TTM success from Ryan Minor.  He is currently the manager at Single A Delmarva in the Orioles system.  He was once a prospect for the Orioles, who's claim to fame was that he started at third base for the Orioles on the day that Cal Ripken ended his streak.

I had quite a few of Minor's cards in my Orioles box, so it was easy finding some to send out for the TTM request.  I pulled this 1999 Topps out of the box I got while I was at Andrew's last month.

I really like the 1999 Bowman set.  Those are really cool-looking cards.  The Topps Finest turned out really nice, as well.

Minor (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1998 to 2001 for the Orioles and Expos.  He had 56 hits, 5 home runs and a .177 batting average.

I mailed to Minor via the Delmarva Shorebirds on May 10 and got the cards back on June 15 for a 36-day TAT.