TTM Success - Chuck Finley

A super tough 1987 Topps was finally taken off of the checklist when I got this TTM success back from a private signing with Chuck Finley.  I had been waiting for a while for a signing to come up, and I finally got into one.

Finley (b. 1962) played in the majors from 198 to 2002 for the Angels, Indians and Cardinals.  He had a record of 200-173 with 2,610 strike outs and a 3.85 ERA.  He was a five-time All Star (1989, 1990, 1995, 1996 and 2000).  His best (and only) finish in the Cy Young voting was 7th (1990, AL).

Fun fact, at one point, Finley was married to Tawny Kitaen (the model from the Whitesnake video).

I mailed to the signing on September 20 and got the card back on November 4, for a 5-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $29.00.

1987 Set Need From Gerard - Rob Wilfong

My goof friend, Gerard, along with his brother, arranged a signing recently with Rob Wilfong.  Knowing I needed him for my 87 set, Gerard took one of my cards and got it signed for me.  The card turned out nicely, and puts me at 725/792 for my set.  Things are slowing down for the set, but I am still plugging away, and also hoping some of the tougher names fall off the list, somehow.

Wilfong (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1977 to 1987 for the Twins, Angels and Giants.  He had 668 hits, 39 home runs and a .248 batting average.

Thanks for helping me knock this card off of the list, Gerard!

TTM Success - Tim Salmon

This 1996 Fleer Metal Mother Lode card of Tim Salmon sat in my TTM box for a long time waiting for a private signing to come up.  I just liked the look of the card, and hoped that I could get it signed and into my autograph album at some point.  Thankfully, I kept it close by and when the signing finally did pop up, I was ready.  The card turned out great, and I am glad I was prepared to send it in.

Salmon (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1992 to 2004 and 2006 for the Angels.  He had 1,674 hits, 299 home runs and a .282 batting average.  He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1993.  His best MVP finish was 7th (1995 and 1997).  He won the Silver Slugger Award in 1995.  Surprisingly, Salmon never was an All Star.  He won the World Series with the Angels in 2002.  He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2012, but received only 0.9% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on September 20 and got the card back on March 1, for a 162-day TAT.  I paid $40.00.

2021 National Signer - Mike Witt

Mike Witt hasn't been signing often, so when I realized that I missed him on this 1987 Topps Angels leaders card during the most recent private signing he did, I was a little upset at myself.  Luckily, he was one of the paid signers at this year's National, so I was able to finish this card after all.

I wish Marcel Lachemann signed the card in blue, but it is what it is.  The card is finished, and I can finally file it away in the 1987 album.

TTM Success - Rickey Clark

Here are some nice 70s cards that I got signed TTM from Rickey Clark.  He signed a 1973 Topps (above) and a 1972 Topps (below).  Both turned out great.

Clark (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1967 to 1969 and 1971 to 1972 for the Angels.  He had a career record of 19-32 with 236 strike outs and a 3.38 ERA.

I mailed to Clark on December 19 and got the cards back on January 8, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - Joe Grahe

I waited a long time to send to Joe Grahe because I saw his TAT (turn around time) was pretty slow, but I finally did send to him.  I sent the maximum of cards that I would send to someone (seven cards) and waited quite a while for them to come back.  They finally did, and I was really happy with the results.

The 1994 Topps Finest above didn't scan all that great, but it looks really awesome in person.  Those early chrome cards are all really nice, and I would like to get some more different ones in my album.

Grahe also signed a 1992 Pinnacle, 1993 Score Select, 1994 Score, 1993 Topps, 1994 Donruss and a 1995 Topps.

Grahe (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1990 to 1995 and 1999 for the Angels, Rockies and Phillies.  He had a record of 22-30 with 204 strike outs and a 4.41 ERA.

I mailed to Grahe on April 25 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 227-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Bob Boone

I was able to get Bob Boone to sign my 1987 Topps Angels Leaders card that I had already gotten signed in July by Marcel Lachemann.  I went through a private signing to get Boone's signature, and it turned out great.

I mailed to the signing on August 10 and got the card back on November 3, for an 85-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.  Now, I just need to wait for another Mike Witt signing to get this one done.

TTM Success - Rudy Meoli

Here are some 70s cards I added to my autograph album with this TTM success from Rudy Meoli.  I know my successes bounce around with no rhyme or reason, other than the 87 set and some Orioles via TTM.  I go through my boxes, one by one, periodically.  When I do, I try to pull new people who sign TTM to keep options open on who to send to.  Add in the fact that successes come at different times, I end up with a good mixture of things to post about.  Also, since I have been sending a lot of non-sports requests lately, the variety will expand a great deal.

From Meoli, I got a 1978 Topps (top of page) and the above 1974 (left) and 1976 (right) Topps cards.  His pen seems to be fading a bit, but the autographs can be seen and look good on the cards.

Meoli (b. 1951) played in the majors in 1971, from 1973 to 1975 and 1978 to 1979 for the Angels, Cubs and Phillies.  He had 133 hits, 2 home runs and a .212 batting average.

I mailed to Meoli on September 30 and got the cards back on October 10, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rick Burleson

I had seen that Rick Burleson rarely signed TTM when I was going through my checklist last year.  Luckily, a private signing popped up on SCN and I was able to get my 1987 Topps and my 1991 Crown Orioles signed.

Burleson (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1974 to 1984 and 1986 to 1987 for the Red Sox, Angels and Orioles.  He had 1,401 hits, 50 home runs and a .273 batting average.  He was an All Star 4 times (1977, 1978, 1978 and 1981) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 1979.  He also was a Silver Slugger in 1981.  His best MVP finish was 13th (1975, AL).  He appeared on the 1993 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to the private signing on September 1 and got the cards back on October 9, for a 38-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dick Lange

I got a couple nice autos back TTM from former pitcher, Dick Lange.  He signed a 1975 and 1976 Topps for me, and each turned out really well.

Lange (b. 1948) played in the majors from 1972 to 1975 for the Angels.  He had a career record of 9-15 with 137 strikeouts and a 4.47 ERA.

I mailed to Lange on March 11 and got the cards back on March 18, for a 7-day TAT.

Huge 87 Set Pickup - Donnie Moore

When I took on this 1987 set, I knew there were going to be some really tough guys to get.  Donnie Moore is one who I really thought I would have a hard time, because he died in 1989, only two years after the set came out.

Moore (b. 1954 - d. 1989) played in the majors in 1975 and from 1977 to 1988 for the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Braves and Angels.  He had a career record of 43-40 with 416 strike outs and a 3.67 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1985 when he saved 31 games for the Angels.  That season he finished 7th in the AL Cy Young Award voting and 6th in the AL MVP race.

During the 1986 ALCS, Moore would give up a key home run in Game 5 that would put Boston ahead of the Angels.  The Angels would tie the game and go to extras, with Moore still on the mound.  He would end up giving up the game winning run on a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.

Moore was released by the Angels following the 1988 season and signed with the Royals.  He only pitched in the Royals minor league system in 1989 before he was released.  On July 18, 1989, Moore would get into an argument with his wife.  While their three children were in the house, Moore shot his wife three times with a .45 pistol.  She and their 17-year old daughter would escape the house, with the daughter transporting her mother to the hospital.  Moore's wife would survive the shooting.  Meanwhile, in the presence of at least one of his sons, Moore would commit suicide by shooting himself in the head.

This is a terrible and tragic end to a ballplayer.  Thankfully, his wife survived.

TTM Success - Tom Satriano

I added some vintage cards to my autograph album with this success from Tom Satriano.  He signed the cards in ballpoint pen, and they turned out really well.

I got this 1967 Topps out of a stack of vintage that my friend, Gerard sent me for Christmas.  I'm pretty sure the 1966 Topps at the top of my page came out of my own vintage box, but I don't remember now.

Satriano (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1961 to 1970 for the Angels and Red Sox.  He had 365 hits, 21 home runs and a .225 batting average.

I mailed to Satriano on January 2 and got the cards back on January 14, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Bob Boone

It took a while, but I got a signed 1987 Topps signed TTM from Bob Boone.  I had gotten one from my friend, Michael, and now need to get him the one he gave me back to him.  I told him I would, since he really didn't want to part with his in the first place.

Boone (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1972 to 1990 for the Phillies, Angels and Royals.  He had 1,838 hits, 105 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He was a 4-time All Star (1976, 1978, 1979 and 1983) and a 7-time Gold Glove Award winner (1978, 1979, 1982, 1986 through 1989).  He won the World Series with the Phillies in 1980.

He managed the Royals from 1995 to 1997 and the Reds from 2001 to 2003.  His career managerial record was 371-444 (.455%).

I mailed to Boone on February 20 at Nationals Spring Training and got the card back on December 15, for a 308-day TAT.

TTM Success - Leroy Stanton

Leroy Stanton's cards sat in my "to be TTMed" box for quite a while.  I was waiting around to see if I could find a few more of his cards.  I went ahead and mailed to him when I realized I probably wasn't going to find any others any time soon.  This 1975 Topps came out of the stack that my friend, Max, sent me a long time ago.

The Topps buyback card on the right is the one that really drove this TTM request.  I'm not a fan of the stamp on vintage cards, since I like building sets, but for the purposes of this TTM request, it was pretty cool.

Stanton (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1970 to 1978 for the Mets, Angels and Mariners.  He had 628 hits, 77 home runs and a .244 batting average.

I mailed to Stanton on March 10 and got the cards back on March 15, for a 5-day TAT.

TTM Success - TR Bryden

Another 1987 Topps knocked off of my list due to a TTM.  I received a TTM success from T. R. Bryden that turned out well.  He signed in blue Sharpie and inscribed his jersey number.

Bryden (b. 1959) played in the majors in 1986 for the Angels.  He had a record of 2-1 with 25 strike outs and an ERA of 6.55.

I mailed to Bryden on March 5 and got the card back on March 12, for a 7-day TAT.

TTM Success - Wally Joyner

I have been using Sportscollectors.net for quite a while now to find addresses of players who sign TTM.  I only recently discovered the private signings tab on the site that tells you when folks are hosting private signings with players.  This could be at a card shop or a card show, etc.  I have already used it to add some tougher names to my 1987 set.  The first success I had come back was Wally Joyner.

Joyner (b. 1962) played in the majors from 1986 to 2001 for the Angels, Royals, Padres and Braves.  He had 2,060 hits, 204 home runs and a .289 batting average.  He finished second in the 1986 AL Rookie of the Year voting (behind Jose Canseco) and was an All Star that season.  He also finished 8th in the AL MVP voting that year.  He appeared on the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot, but did not receive any votes.

I mailed to the private signing for Joyner on February 12 and got the card back on February 23, for an 11-day TAT.  I paid the fee of $15.00 for the signing.

TTM Success - Steve Lubratich

I only had one kind of card for Steve Lubratich, but he signed two of them for me.  I found his 1984 Topps in a box of cards I got from the Columbia antique shop last year and finally got around to sending them out not too long ago.

The cards turned out really nice.  I kept the second card in my extras stack in case I needed an auto to send to someone for trade, especially if that someone was into older Topps autos.  If not, I can always include it as a gift for a future trade.

Lubratich (b. 1955) played in the majors in 1981 and 1983 for the Angels.  He had 37 hits, no home runs and a .209 batting average.  I mailed to him on January 6 and got the cards back on January 29, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Billy Cowan

Back with more vintage cards, here is a success from Billy Cowan.  He was another player I picked up while at the Greenville card show.  I wanted more 1965 Topps, so this one was important to send off.  I really like this set, and keep talking about how I want to build the set someday.  Thing is, I have been talking about it for forever, but still haven't finished 1969.  I did knock a few cards off of that checklist while at the Greenville show, so it's not like I haven'd done anything with it.

I liked the 1964 Topps rookie card, and I also added, hey look, a 1969 Topps!

Finally, I thought this 1972 Topps was really cool.  The halo from the Angels logo forms a halo over Cowan's head.  It was a pretty cool visual.

Cowan (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1963 to 1965, 1967 and 1969 to 1972 for the Cubs, Mets, Braves (Milwaukee), Phillies, Yankees and Angels.  He had 281 hits, 40 home runs and a .236 batting average.

I mailed to Cowan on October 28 and got the cards back on November 22, for a 25-day TAT.

A Long Overdue (2nd) TTM Success From Lance Parrish

I actually received a TTM success from Lance Parrish last month.  However, he was one of the first former players I sent cards to back in February of last year.  Finally, these cards came in a couple weeks ago, long after I had considered them written off.

Since this was an early card TTM request, I sent multiples of the same card to Parrish.  I sent one 1989 Topps, three 1987 Topps All Stars and two 1992 Topps.  Parrish sent them all back signed, and I gave three of the cards to Chris.

I sent the cards out on February 18, 2016 and got these cards back signed on August 31, 2017, for my longest card TAT yet, 560 days.

TTM Success - Chris Knapp

I added a nice run of late 70s Topps cards with this success from Chris Knapp.  I was able to get 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 signed in black Sharpie.  All of the cards turned out really nicely, I think.  I went through my 1975-1983 box last night, and I am getting low on those late 70s cards.  I need to thin out some late 80s stuff before I add any more bulk cards, though.

Knapp (b. 1953) was born down the road from here, in Cherry Point, NC.  He played in the majors from 1975 to 1980 for the White Sox and Angels.  He had a career record of 36-32 with 355 strike outs and a 4.99 ERA.

I mailed to Knapp on August 7 and got the cards back on August 16, for a 9-day TAT.