TTM Success - Matt LaPorta

I have realized it is a lot tougher adding cards from the mid-to-late 2000s via TTM than any era of cards.  These are usually the guys who are recently retired, so you can't send via teams, and it is tough getting the addresses for their locations.  Still, a few pop up here and there, and this was how I was able to get Matt LaPorta.

 LaPorta was a former First Round pick (7th overall) by the Brewers in the 2007 June Amateur Draft.  He was the key piece in the July 2008 trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers.  In the end, it wasn't LaPorta who made the most impact from that trade; it ended up being a player to be named later, Michael Brantley, who would impact the Indians more.

Still, I was able to get some nice cards done by LaPorta.  I sure had a bunch of them.

LaPorta (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2009 to 2012 for the Indians.  He had 230 hits, 31 home runs and a .238 batting average.

I mailed to LaPorta on August 21, and got the cards back on August 31, for a 10-day TAT.

Cristmas Gift From Gerard

Even though he is a huge Red Sox fan, I get along with my friend, Gerard, really well.  He's a great guy who I have talked to quite a bit.  He has won one of my Instagram contests and I have also sent him a TTM starter pack.  We got to talking after the TTM starter pack was sent, and I have helped him get started with that part of his collection.

He messaged me earlier this month saying that he was really excited about the Christmas package he was putting together for me, and he hoped I would like it.  Well, he nailed it.  I was really surprised that I didn't have the above Tristar Projections Chris Davis in my PC.  I mean, I was REALLY surprised.  So much so, I double and triple checked my Davis spreadsheet, and nope, it wasn't listed yet.  Wow.  Someone found something I didn't have yet!

I also didn't have this 2016 Heritage Manny Machado relic.  Gerard really did well with this package.  I can't say that enough.

Maybe it's just me, but this one is kind of an oddball.  Maybe I missed it, but I thought the mini relics in Allen & Ginter were all framed.  I'll have to ask Gerard about this one again.  It is really cool, regardless, and I know I didn't already have it.  I just thought they were all either framed, or regular sized cards.  I haven't busted much Ginter lately, so I probably just missed that they were doing unframed mini relics.  It helped me know that I didn't have the card already.

Finally, Gerard nailed it again with a Cal that I didn't have in my collection yet.  I've said it many times that it is really tough for me to pick up Cal stuff because I have no idea what I even have any more.  So, this red framed 2016 Panini Diamond Kings is definitely an awesome card.  It is numbered 78/99 as well.

All of the cards that Gerard sent (he send a stack of Orioles as well) were great and all, but the best part of the Christmas gift was the full page letter that he included in the package.  I really appreciated his kind words in the letter and can't thank him enough for his friendship over these last several months.  Gerard is a great guy, and I hope I can do many more trades with him.

Thank you so much for the package, buddy!  I love it!