TTM Success - Chris Lambert

A couple more mid-to-late 2000s cards were added to the autograph album when these two came back signed TTM from Chris Lambert.  I raided my 2009 set to add a 2009 to the album since I don't have many bulk cards left from that set. I later replaced the one I pulled from my completed set, don't worry.

I also had this 2005 Topps Update cards that I sent off.

Lambert (b. 1983) played in the majors in 2008 and 2009 for the Tigers and Orioles. He had a record of 1-3 with 26 strike outs and a 7.36 ERA. His Orioles.career consisted of 4 games in 2009.

I mailed to Lambert on November 7 and got the cards back on November 29, for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Stefan Bailie

Here is a random 2005 Topps Update that I got signed TTM by Stefan Bailie.  He doesn't have much of a signature, but the card is signed, anyway.

Bailie (b. 1980) was a 4th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2001 June Amateur Draft out of Washington State.  He played in the minors from 2001 to 2005 in the Red Sox system, reaching AA.  He had 126 hits, 32 home runs and a .260 batting average. 

I mailed to Bailie on March 18 and got the card back on April 9, for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Ben Harrison

A couple cards from 2005 Topps Update were signed TTM recently by Ben Harrison.  I found the above gold parallel and checked to see if Harrison signed TTM.  I saw that he did and quickly found his base cars to pair with the gold.  Both of the cards look great.

Harrison (b. 1981) was a 7th round pick by the Rangers in the 2004 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Florida. He played in the minors from 2004 to 2009 in the Rangers and Marlins systems.  He would reach AAA and end his affiliated minor league career with 534 hits, 80 home runs and a .260 batting average. 

I mailed to Harrison on February 9 and got the cards back on February 20 for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Billy Sadler

Here are some mid-2000s cards that I got back signed TTM from Billy Sadler.  The above 2007 Topps Rookie 52 turned out nicely.  He inscribed the card to me with a bible verse inscription.

I also got a 2005 Topps update and a 2007 Upper Deck First Edition signed.  Both of these cards also turned out great.

Sadler (b. 1981) played in the majors in 200, 2008 and 2009 for the Giants and Astros.  He had a record of 0-1 with 50 strike outs and a 4.53 ERA.

I mailed to Sadler on January 18 and got the cards back on February 3, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Taylor Tankersley

Here are a couple mid-2000s cards that came back signed TTM from Taylor Tankersley.  The above 2008 Allen and Ginter USA state flags card is a nice addition to the autograph album.

I also had Tankersley sign a 200 Topps Update, which turned out well.  I have more 2005 Update than 2005 base, because the Updates ended up in a separate box, and most of the 2005 base got sold off at card shows.

Tankersley (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2006 to 2008 and 2010 for the Marlins.  He had a record of 8-3 with 115 strike outs and a 4.58 ERA.

I mailed to Tankersley on November 2 and got the cards back on January 6, for a 65-day TAT.

TTM Success - Adam Harben

Here is a 200 Topps Update that I was able to get signed TTM from Adam Harben.  He has a pretty cool signature, and helps me get a forgotten card out of my boxes.  I had bought a bunch of 2005 Update for some reason, then ended up with the boxed complete set for Christmas that year, so the loose cards got tossed in a box.  That box was separate from my 2005 Topps base that got sold off at a long ago card show.  So, I have a bunch of 200 Update, but not a lot of 2005 Topps base.

Harben (b. 1983) was a 15th round pick by the Twins in the 2002 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Arkansas.  He played in the minors from 2002 to 2009 in the Twins, Cubs and Mariners systems, reaching AA.  He had a 36-36 record with 55 strike outs and a 3.68 ERA.

I mailed to Harben on November 29 and got the card back on December 13, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Andy Sides

Here are a couple nice mid-2000s cards that came back signed TTM from Andy Sides.  I got a few 2005 Bowman gold parallels in the boxes I got from my former LCS, and was able to add a signed one to the album.  The card turned out well, but like most thicker cards, it was damaged in the mail.  I need to pick up some non-machinable stamps and use those for these thicker cards.

I also got a 2005 Topps Update signed by Sides.  This one also turned out nicely.

Sides (b. 1984) was an 11th round pick in the 2003 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Mets out of DeSoto High School in Missouri.  He played in the minors in 2003 and 2004 in the Mets system, reaching Rookie Level ball.  He had a record of 3-6 with 63 strike outs and a 3.86 ERA.

I mailed to Sides on October 31 and got the cards back on November 14, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dave Gassner

Here are some nice cards I pulled from my old "rookies box."  I used to pull rookie cards and put them away and not look at them for years, then I would go back in the box and surprise myself with some nice cards.  It worked until I got too lazy to pull all of the rookies, and also because I started buying more and more prospect stuff.  So, I have been going into that box and pulling out some guys to send TTM to.

Dave Gassner was one of the players in the box, and the above 2005 Fleer Tradition turned out nicely.

I also sent off a 2005 Topps Update.  I busted a box of these, for some reason, so I have a lot of 2005 Update in one of my boxes.

Gassner (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2005.  He was 1-0 with 2 strike outs and a 5.87 ERA.

I mailed to Gassner on March 8, 2021, and got the cards back on January 21, 2022, for a 319-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steven Bondurant

I got a 2005 Topps Update card out of my box with this TTM success from Steven Bondurant.  I had busted a bunch of packs of these back in 05 and still have a ton left over.  I was glad to get this one signed.

Bondurant (b. 1980) was a 15th round pick by the A's out of the University of South Carolina in the 2003 June Amateur Draft.  He played 5 seasons in the A's system, reaching AAA.  He had a career minor league record of 31-24 with 372 strike outs and a 4.01 ERA.

I mailed to Bondurant on November 18 and got the card back on December 18, for a 30-day TAT.

TTM Success - Vinny Rottino

Here are a couple mid-2000s cards that I got back signed from Vinny Rottino.  I recently took in a bunch of 2007 Topps Chrome and this was in that lot.  I have always liked the 2007 design, and he Chrome looks great, as well; especially the different color refractors.

I also got this 2005 Topps Update signed by Rottino.  It also turned out well.  I had busted a box of there back in 2005 and have been slowly sending some off for signatures here and there.

Rottino (b. 1980) played in the majors from 2006 to 2008 and 2011 to 2012 for the Brewers, Marlins, Mets and Indians.  He had 16 hits, 3 home runs and a .165 batting average.

I mailed to Rottino on October 6 and got the cards back on November 9, for a 34-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nick Masset

I added some fairly recent cards with this TTM success from former pitcher, Nick Masset.  The above 2011 Topps Update Wal Mart Blue was a nice parallel to add to the autograph album.

I also had this 2005 Topps Update, and went ahead and sent it along.  Both cards look nice.

Masset (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2006 to 2011 and 2014 to 2015 for the Rangers, White Sox, Reds, Rockies, Marlins and Braves.  He had a career record of 20-16 with 339 strike outs and a 4.06 ERA.

I mailed to Masset on October 23 and got the cards back on November 23, for a 31-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Volstad

I have been working on finding some guys who sign TTM from the mid-to-late 2000s, so I can move some of those cards out of my boxes.  I found a handful of guys, and sent out a ton of cards.  I was glad to get these cards back from former pitcher, Chris Volstad.

The above 2008 Topps Heritage rookie card looks pretty great.  I love the 1959 Topps design, and this one looks good.  The only thing that could make it better would have been a higher quality Sharpie.

Volstad also signed these four cards: 2005 Topps Update, 2008 Topps Update, 2009 Allen & Ginter and a 2009 O Pee Chee.

Volstad (b. 1986) played in the majors from 2008 to 2013, 2015 and 2017 to 2018 for the Marlins, Cubs, Rockies, Pirates and White Sox.  He had a career record of 37-58 with 481 strike outs and a 5.00 ERA.

I mailed to Volstad on September 30 and got the cards back on October 8, for an 8-day TAT.

With these five cards being added to my album, I have now filled 11 albums with autographed baseball cards.  Not too bad, since I started the albums in 2016.  Additionally, that does not include my signed 1987 Topps album.

TTM Success - Aaron Small

I found that Aaron Small signed TTM just by chance.  I had found the above 1995 Score in a box and figured I would search him.  I saw he signed, then I happened to remember that I had seen his cards in the stack of 2005 Update that I had, so I got some pretty cool cards signed as a result.

He signed in blue Sharpie, and the cards look great.

Small (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1994 to 1998, 2002 and 2004 to 2006 for the Blue Jays, Marlins, A's, Diamondbacks, Braves and Yankees.  He had a career record of 25-13 with 170 strike outs and a 5.20 ERA.

I mailed to Small on October 31 and got the cards back on November 13, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Nick Green

This TTM success was really nice due to the more recent cards that is entailed, and that two of them were horizontal cards that turned out really well.  The above 2005 Topps Update was a nice card to get back from Nick Green, but I would have much rather it have been a base Topps instead of an Update.  I don't consider Update cards when I count cards toward my Topps Autograph Project.  Still. it is a nice card, and looks even better now that it is signed.

Here are the two horizontal cards that I got signed.  The 2009 Heritage High Number card turned out great.  I love the 1960 design, and this one really looks good.  I never had a problem with Upper Deck's last issue of cards, 2010, and Green's card looks great when signed.  You don't even notice that you can't see logos.

Green (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2004 to 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.  He had 254 hits, 17 home runs and a .236 batting average.

I mailed to Green on February 27 and got the cards back on May 8, for a 70-day TAT.

TTM Success - John Olerud

While I have been getting lots of cards signed TTM, I have been trying really hard to get a decent assortment of different types of cards and products represented in my albums.  When I got my TTM success back from John Olerud, I was able to add my first Topps Tek card to the mix.

This card is from 2001 and turned out really nice when it came back.  I had sent off another Topps Tek card before this one, but that card hasn't come back yet.

I also got Olerud on this 2005 Topps Update.  The blue Sharpie shows up really nice on the card, I think.

Olerud (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1989 to 2005 for the Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners, Yankees and Red Sox.  He had 2,239 hits, 255 home runs and a .295 batting average.  He was a 2-time All Star and 3-time Gold Glove Award winner.  He was the 1993 AL batting champ with a .363 batting average.  That career year got Operud his highest finish in the MVP voting, third.  He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993.  He appeared on the 2011 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 0.7% of the vote.

I mailed to Olerud on October 25 and got the cards back on January 18, for an 85-day TAT.

COMC Pickup - 2005 Topps Update Andrew McCutchen RC

It has been a struggle for me to file blog entries while I am at this conference for work.  I mean, I'm only in Las Vegas.  Yep, that's right, I am in Las Vegas for work.  Did I mention that I love my job?  Anyway, before I left, I scanned the cards I got from COMC from Black Friday that I hadn't already posted.  I also scanned a few extra 1951 Topps Red Backs so I would be able to file entries when I had the time.  I haven't had much time, yet, thanks to there being tons to do here.  I visited the sports book last night and bet on 5 NFL games.  I won on 3 of them, so I came out a little ahead.  Not bad.  I played some slots and didn't do too well.  No big deal, though, I only played quarter slots with a $10 that had been in my wallet for months.

Anyway, here is one of the cards I was able to pick up on Black Friday.  I have been wanting this 2005 Topps Update Andrew McCutchen RC for a while.  I have a completed set of these cards, so I did have it, but I didn't want to break the set for my PC.  I'm sure I had one at some point, but it was probably sold for some reason back in the day.  I mean, 2005 was a long time ago.  Now, I typically put all RCs I find in packs into a box and put them up.  This tactic has helped me retain some nice RCs over the last few years.

I think McCutchen is a heck of a player.  Both my good buddy Drew and I are big fans, so I know Drew will like to see this card.  Maybe one of these days, I'll throw down a little more money and get his gold parallel.  Hmmm, maybe I need to go downstairs and play a few hands and try my luck...