TTM Success - Steven Duggar

My buddy Drake approached me recently regarding a signing with Steven Duggar.  I searched my boxes and sent him a stack of Duggar cards; he sent me back a few signed.

I got a 2022 Topps Update (top), a 2015 Bowman (above left) and a 2015 Bowman Chrome (above right) back from the signing.  Duggar signed all of the cards in blue paint pen.

Duggar (b. 1993) played in the majors from 2018 to 2022 for the Giants, Rangers and Angels.  He had 183 hits, 14 home runs and a .236 batting average. 

I mailed the cards out on July 23 and got the cards back on November 1, for a 101-day TAT.  I forgot what I paid for the signing. 

TTM Success - Steven Moya

Here are a bunch of cards that had a lot of frequent flyer miles on them.  I had these Steven Moya cards pulled when he was in the Atlantic League, but missed him.  Then, the cards were sent to a couple different people to try for 50/50s and they didn't get done because Moya wound up playing in Japan for a few seasons.  I saw that he was back in the states, so i figured I'd try to get him TTM, and that worked out.

I was glad to get a couple of these Bowman Chrome minis out of my boxes and have them signed.  They can be a pain to deal with, but it doesn't matter now that they are locked into the autograph album. 

I also got an older team set (I believe a 2016 International League All Star) card, a 2013 Bowman and a 2015 Topps signed with this TTM request.  Moya also included a nice note.

Moya (b. 1991) played in the majors from 2014 to 2016 for the Tigers.  He had 31 hits, 5 home runs and a .250 batting average.

I mailed to Moya on January 22 and got the cards back on February 3 for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Chance Sisco

A friend of mine from Instagram held a private signing with former Oriole, Chance Sisco recently.  I had some Sisco cards left over from when I saw him last season with Lancaster.  I also raided my old Sisco PC for some other nice cards, like the above mini gold shimmer from 2015 Bowman Chrome.

I also got a 2017 Bowman, 2013 Bowman Chrome black shimmer, 2018 Topps and 2018 Donruss Optic pink parallel signed through the event.

Sisco (b. 1995) played in the majors from 2017 to 2021 for the Orioles and Mets.  He had 102 hits, 16 home runs and a .197 batting average. Sisco signed with the Cardinals this off-season.

I mailed to the signing on November 14 and got the cards back on December 26 for a 42-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Justin Jacome

Here are a couple 2015 Bowman that I got signed TTM by Justin Jacome.  I sent off his Bowman base and chrome, and got both of them back signed in black Sharpie. 

Both of the cards turned out nicely.  I was glad to get a couple of these out of the box.

Jacome (b. 1993) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of UC Santa Barbara.  He played in the minors in 2015 and 2016 in the Marlins system. He had a record of 1-6 with 76 strike outs and a 3.33 ERA.

I mailed to Jacome on February 5 and got the cards back on March 27, for a 51-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jack Wynkoop

While making a pass through my Box Of Shame, I pulled a couple guys that I had missed and tried them TTM recently.  One of the successes that came out of this was Jack Wynkoop.  I sent off the above 2015 Bowman Chrome and the below 2015 Bowman base.

Both cards came out looking nice with the black Sharpie.  One of my friends had gotten Wynkoop for me in blue a while back, but this one will go well in my album, too. 

Wynkoop (b. 1993) was a 6th round pick by the Rockies in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of the University of South Carolina.  He played in the minors from 2015 to 2019 and 2021 in the Rockies system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 32-40 with 416 strike outs and a 4.06 ERA.

I mailed to Wynkoop on January 10 and got the cards back on February 9, for a 30-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kyle Freeland

Here is another 2021 Spring Training TTM success that came in a couple months ago.  This success was from Kyle Freeland on some cards that I had put aside a while ago.  I finally got them signed, and they turned out great.  I love the 2018 Topps Heritage Minors posters insert cards.  I was really happy that Freeland signed this one.

I also got a 2015 Pro Debut, 2015 Pro Debut Grand Entrance and a 2015 Bowman Chrome 89 Bowman insert signed.

Freeland (b. 1993) has played in the majors since 2017 for the Rockies.  He has a record of 44-47 with 579 strike outs and a 4.30 ERA.  He finished 7th in the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year voting and 4th in the 2018 NL Cy Young Award race.

I mailed to Freeland on February 9, 2021, and got the cards back on May 17, 2022, for a 462-day TAT.  The envelope I had was almost destroyed and the cards came in one of those "We Care" envelopes, but all of the cards I had sent were accounted for and undamaged.

TTM Success - Jordan Betts

Here are a couple cards that I found in the Box Of Shame that I was able to send out TTM and finally get signed. These Jordan Betts cards turned out nicely. The above PawSox card came from my good friend Gerard. I was glad to finally get it signed.

I also sent off this 2015 Bowman Chrome that turned out nicely. 

Betts (b. 1991) was an 18th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2014 June Amateur Draft out of Duke. He played in the minors (all in the Boston system) from 2014 to 2018, reaching AAA. He had 387 hits, 43 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Betts on January 20 and got the cards back on March 12, for a 51-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Hendrix

Another random Bowman card was added to my autograph album when I got this 2015 Bowman Chrome back signed by Jeff Hendrix.  He signed the card in black Sharpie, and it looks pretty nice.

Hendrix (b. 1993) was a 4th round pick by the Yankees out of Oregon State University in the 2015 June Amateur Draft.  He played in the minors from 2015 to 2019, all in the Yankees system.  Reaching AA, he had 344 hits, 4 home runs and a .254 batting average in 5 minor league seasons.

I mailed to Hendrix on February 4 and got the card back on March 5, for a 29-day TAT.

TTM Success - Zac Reininger

One of the card sets that I like the least is 2015 Bowman.  I really do not like the vertical type, and Bowman base has foil lettering that makes it really hard on the eyes when I want to leaf through the cards quickly.  Still, I like to get the cards signed, and this 2015 Bowman Chrome of Zac Reininger turned out really well.

Reininger (b. 1993) played in the majors from 2017 to 2019 for the Tigers.  He had a record of 1-3 with 40 strike outs and a 8.08 ERA.

I mailed to Reininger on February 7 and got the card back on February 25, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Merritt

A couple more cards came out of my minors box with this TTM success from Ryan Merritt.  I'm happy to reduce down some of these old Heritage Minors and Bowman sets, as long as it adds cards to my album.  I've done a better job keeping those cards organized, but I probably can do even better.  Graphing season is about to start, and I hope to move a bunch of stuff this year.  We'll have to see how that goes.

Merritt (b. 1992) played in the majors from 2016 to 2017 for the Indians.  He had a record of 3-0 with 13 strike outs and a 1.71 ERA.  Those are some pretty good stats for someone to have only pitched for 2 years in the majors.  I looked a little further, and Merritt pitched at Durham in 2019 to a 7.04 ERA and in the Dominican Winter League in 2020 to an ERA of 5.00.  It looks like he is out of baseball now, which is a shame.

I mailed to Merritt on November 3 and got the cards back on February 18, for a 107-day TAT.

TTM Success - Breckin WIlliams

A couple 2015 Bowmans came back signed recently from Breckin Williams.  The cards turned out nicely, and Williams has a nice signature.  The signature looked best on the 2015 Bowman Chrome shown below.

Williams (b. 1993) was a 4th round pick in the 2015 June Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks out of the University of Missouri.  He has played in the Diamondbacks and Twins organizations since then, and has reached AA.  He has a record of 14-7 with 173 strike outs and a 3.69 ERA.

I mailed to Williams on January 26 and got the cards back on February 12, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jimmy Reed

There isn't a card set I dread looking through more than 2015 Bowman.  The foil and vertical writing bother my eyes, but I still like getting cards from the set signed.  I just bear with the annoyance and find stuff as I go through my box.  I was able to get this silver parallel signed TTM by Jimmy Reed recently, and can now put it away in my album.

I also got a 2015 Bowman Chrome signed; those are a lot easier to leaf through, but I have far less of those than the paper ones.

Reed (b. 1990) was a 6th round draft pick by the Cardinals in the 2013 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Maryland.  He played in the minors from 2013 to 2015 and 2017 in the Cardinals system, advancing to AAA.  He had a record of 19-16 with 244 strike outs and a 3.76 ERA.

I mailed to Reed on January 25 and got the cards back on April 21, for an 86-day TAT.

TTM Success - Eric Jagielo

Several Bowmans were removed from my Bowman box with this TTM success from Eric Jagielo.  The above 2015 Bowman Chrome shimmer mini really turned out great.  I was glad to get this one signed, as minis are a pain to deal with in my boxes sometimes.

I also had a 2014 Bowman purple parallel, a 2014 Bowman Chrome and a 2015 Bowman Chrome that Jagielo signed for me.

Jagielo (b. 1992) was a First Round (26th overall) pick by the Yankees in the 2013 June Amateur Draft.  He played in the minors from 2013 to 2018 in the Yankees, Reds and Marlins systems.  He reached AAA, but never cracked the majors.  He had 416 hits, 56 home runs and a .229 batting average in 6 minor league seasons.

I mailed to Jagielo on February 2 and got the cards back on April 3, for a 60-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From John Olerud

I had gotten John Olerud TTM before, a few years ago, but I came across a couple really nice cards and wanted to send to him again.  The above 2003 Topps Finest really looks awesome.  I think I found it in a box at the card shop, but I really can't remember.  It is a really cool card, and looks great now that it is signed.

I pulled this 2015 Bowman Chrome throwback out of a pack a while ago and it kept turning up when I went through my boxes.  So, I sent it along, as well, and it looks awesome.

I mailed to Olerud on August 12 and got the cards back on October 5, for a 54-day TAT.

A Long Awaited Trade With Sam

What can I say about Sam?  I've known him for a long time.  A very long time, really.  I finally got to meet him in person back in 2018 when Chris and I went to Texas, and that was a really nice time.  We used to talk every day, now I may hear from him once a year.  Maybe.  It's a common thing, really.  You become friends with someone, get pretty close, then start drifting apart, until you finally realize that you hardly talk at all.  Or you get a text message from them, and realize their number isn't even in your phone anymore.

I liked Sam so much, I took all of the photos he had sent me over time that had him with baseball players, and I made him a shutterfly book that he could share, and maybe get signed by said players.  It took a lot of work, but I felt like it would be a nice thing to do.  I hope he liked it.

I got a message out of the blue from Sam a few months ago, asking me if I would trade him an extra DL Hall autograph that I had gotten IP for some cards that Sam had gotten himself over the years.  I wasn't sure what all he would send, but it made for a nice "blind trade".  Those can be fun, really.

I thought I would maybe get one auto back, but Sam, in fact, sent 4.  None of which I had, which was even better!  The above Mike Nikorak 2015 Bowman refractor is especially nice, since I missed out on him when I saw Asheville a couple years ago (it's ok, I got Riley Pint on EVERYTHING I had).

Sam also included these three cards.  I had sent to DJ Peters TTM, but it got returned to sender, so that helps.  I also was glad to get a Sean Murphy auto back, since I tried to 50/50 on him, but the person missed him.  I sent TTM to Logan Allen, and those cards are out somewhere, hopefully coming back sometime.

So, it was nice to hear from Sam, finally.  I don't hold out any expectation that more trades are in our future, but I do wish him the best.  I hope his knee heals, and he can continue to pitch in college and realize his dream.  He has all of these players he met who he holds in high regard, and I know he aspires to achieve success like they have.

Thanks for the deal, Sam.  Hope to hear from you soon.

TTM Success - Nolan Sanburn

I waited a long time to get these cards signed, but once I was able to, I was super happy.  I had bought all of these cards from COMC when I saw that Nolan Sanburn would be coming to Kinston (I think it was with Potomac, but I don't remember).  The cards got here, but Sanburn was released before the series, so the cards stayed in my boxes and waited until I finally saw an address pop up.  I saw that he was signing, and jumped at the chance to get my stuff signed, finally.  Except, my cards had gotten separated somehow, and I couldn't find them all.  I found most of them right off, so I sent them TTM.  I then found the remaining cards, and Chris sent them off.  One of those, he gave back to me, but he used the rest, so they're all signed, now.

I had some pretty nice parallels to get signed, and they turned out great.  You can see why I really wanted to get them done.

Sanburn (b. 1991) was a second round pick by the A's in the 2012 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Arkansas.  He spent 6 seasons in the minors, reaching as high as AA.  He spent time in the A's, White Sox and Nationals systems.  He had a career record of 10-15 in the minors with 273 strike outs and a 3.89 ERA.

I mailed to Sanburn on June 13 and got the cards back on June 23, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Thomas Eshelman

I spent a lot of time during the suspension of baseball to try to send to the home addresses of some players who I had lots of cards of.  The Orioles crapped on their fans earlier this year by canning Fan Fest, so I have a bunch of cards of Orioles that I wasn't able to get signed.  In hindsight, it probably was a good idea that they canceled Fan Fest, but at the time it sucked.  So, I sent off to a bunch of players, and got a few successes.  This one from Thomas Eshelman helped me get two 2015 Bowmans out of my box.

Eshelman signed a 2015 Bowman and a 2015 Bowman Chrome refractor.  Both cards turned out great.  I'm not too big a fan of 15 Bowman because of the foil lettering on the cards.  They're hard to read, so I have to flip them over and read the backs as I am poring through the stacks in my boxes.

Eshelman (b. 1994) has played in the majors since 2019 for the Orioles.  He has a career record of 3-2 with 30 strike outs and a 5.17 ERA.

I mailed to Eshelman on May 20 and got the cards back on June 18, for a 29-day TAT.

These two cards filled up my 12th full album of signed baseball cards.  This doesn't include my signed 1987 set, which has its own album.

TTM Success - Jacoby Jones

I added some recants cards out of my prospects box with this TTM success from Jacoby Jones.  The aboce 2015 Topps Pro Debut turned out really well.  I only have a handful of these cards, so it was nice to be able to get one of them signed.

I have a bunch of 2014 Bowman (above left) though, and it was really nice to be able to get one of those signed.  The 2015 Bowman Chrome (above right) also turned out well.

Jones (b. 1992) has played in the majors since 2016 for the Tigers.  He has 206 hits, 30 home runs and a .217 batting average.

I mailed to Jones on May 7 and got the cards back on June 6, for a 30-day TAT.

More Autos From Jackson T.

My friend, Jackson, used to live in Arizona, but recently moved back to Chicago.  He has now enrolled in school, but still take the time to get cards signed for me when he can.  Recently, he asked me to send him Steve Holm cards, and I obliged.  Jackson was able to get several of them signed for me, and they all turned out well.

In addition to the Holms, Jackson included a couple extra autos, just because.  I really appreciate the gesture, but Jackson didn't have to do that.  He is a really good guy, and I am always glad to send him cards that he can get taken care of for me.

TTM Success - Rob Kaminsky

I have talked on here a lot about getting cards out of my boxes and into my autograph album.  Something I really hate is pulling cards of players to either graph or send TTM, only to have to put them back after missing out on said player.  I have started a new box with these types of cards.  Since most of them are already sorted by player, it makes it a bit easier to find someone, in case I missed someone who came through Kinston, but is now on a AA or AAA team that I, or one of my friends will see.  So, all cards of guys that I have missed out on, or ones that went out for 50/50s, but came back unsigned will be put into the "Box of Shame."

One such player who was in the Box of Shame was Rob Kaminsky.  I had pulled his cards because I was going to see him, but for whatever reason, I missed him.  I found out that he signed TTM, so I was able to send off the cards I had pulled, and thankfully, they came back signed.  So, out of the Box of Shame and into the autograph album they go!

Kaminsky (b. 1994) was a first round pick (28th overall) by the Cardinals in the 2013 June Amateur Draft.  Over 7 seasons in the Cardinals and Indians systems, Kaminsky has a 29-21 record with 367 strike outs and a 2.82 ERA.

I mailed to Kaminsky on December 30 and got the cards back on January 21, for a 22-day TAT.