TTM Success - Jerry Watkins

This 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions card had been in my box for a very long time.  I kept seeing it, and regretted not taking it with me when I went to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony when Deacon White was inducted.  I met his great grandson, Jerry Watkins, and stood with him for a photo.  He was very nice, then, and I kept kicking myself for not bringing the care with me.

In the time since that ceremony, I have gotten fairly decent in looking folks up, so I took a shot to see if I could get Watkins to sign his great-grandfather's card.  I was successful, and got a nice letter back, as well.

Deacon White (b. 1847 - d. 1939) played in the majors from 1871 to 1890 for the Cleveland Forest Citys, Boston Red Stockings, Chicago White Stockings, Cincinnati Reds, Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Wolverines and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.  He had 2,067 hits, 24 home runs and a .312 batting average.  He was a two-time batting champ (1875, .367 and 1877, .387).  He won the 1887 championship with the Detroit Wolverines.  

White was inducted into the Hall of Fame via the Pre-Integration Era Committee in 2013.  He was one of the game's early stars, and a catcher back when catchers caught bare handed.

I mailed to Watkins on March 28 and got the card back on April 6, for a 9-day TAT.

Trip to the Card Shop From 2 Weeks Ago

I told you I was behind.  Anyway, I bought several packs of cards when I went to the LCS a couple weeks ago.  Two of the packs I picked up were 2012 UD Goodwin Champions and 2012 Panini Golden Age.  I also got some other stuff, but what I pulled out of those was unremarkable.  So, one of the cooler cards I got was the above Deacon White out of the pack of Goodwin.  White was one of three people elected posthumously into the Hall of Fame this year by the Veterans Committee.  White was one of the original stars of the game and played in the first game of the first professional baseball league.  He was also a 'barehanded' catcher.  I think that alone should have earned him a ticket to Cooperstown.  Go ahead and try catching barehand.  I'll wait.  Ouch, right?  Can you imagine having to catch Bob Feller or Randy Johnson barehanded?  That makes my hands swell up just thinking about it.

Something else that I pulled, even thought it is non-baseball, was this Gordie Howe signed card out of 2012 Panini Golden Age.  Golden Age has a mixture of subjects and sports, just like Goodwin, and normally, I don't gave a crap about hockey, but...  A RED WINGS PLAYER!  I was able to hand this over to my wife to justify my spending some money on cards.  Woo Hoo, things work out!

Seriously, though, this is a really cool card.  Even I can recognize that Howe is one of the all-time greats in Hockey.  Add in the fact that the auto is on card, makes it that much better.  Plus the wife is happy.  For once.