TTM Success - Jose Ramirez

Another private signing took care of another card I had put aside to get signed.  This 2014 Topps Chrome orange parallel of Jose Ramirez has been in my TTM box for a long time, waiting for the moment I could send it to a signing or if he started doing TTM.  Finally, a signing came up and I was able to get my card signed.

Ramirez (b. 1992) has played in the majors since 2013 for the Indians.  He has 987 hits, 163 home runs and a .278 batting average.  He is a 3-time All Star (2017, 2018 and 2021) and won the Silver Slugger Award in each of those three seasons.  He has finished in the top 3 of the AL MVP voting three times (2017, 2018 and 2020), with his best finish being second (2020).

I mailed to the signing on June 8 and got the card back on August 17, for a 70-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $40.00.

TTM Success - Grady Sizemore

So, this 2008 Topps Chrome Trading Card History card of Grady Sizemore looks awesome in person.  Take my word for it.  The card didn't scan all that well.  I was really glad when I saw that Sizemore had signed on with Pastpros.  I had always liked him and knew this was the card I was going to send in.

Sizemore (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2004 to 2011 and 2014 to 2015 for the Indians, Red Sox, Phillies and Rays.  He had 1,098 hits, 150 home runs and a .265 batting average.  He was a three-time All Star (2006, 2007 and 2008), two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2007 and 2008) and a Silver Slugger Award winner (2008).  His best MVP finish was 10th (2008).

I mailed to Sizemore via Pastpros on March 18 and got the card back on April 9, for a 22-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $34.05.

TTM Success - Nick Wittgren

My first Spring Training success of 2021 turned out to be a really nice one.  This 2020 Topps Stars and Stripes parallel turned out really great when I got it signed TTM from Nick Wittgren.  He signed it in gold Sharpie, which really makes it look cool.

Wittgren (b. has played in the majors from 2016 to now for the Marlins and Indians.  He has a record of 18-8 with 237 strike outs and a 3.53 ERA.

I mailed to Wittgren on February 11 and got the card back on March 1, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brian Wright

Topps Chrome cards generally look pretty nice, with a few years standing out above the others.  2003 Topps is one of the years that really pops.  This card of Brian Wright really looks great, especially since I was able to get it signed TTM.

Wright (b. 1980) was a 7th round pick in the 2002 June Amatuer Draft out of NC State University by the Indians.  He played in the minors (including a season in Kinston) from 2002 to 2003.  He had 118 hits, 9 home runs and a .275 batting average.

I mailed to Wright on February 2 and got the card back on February 27, for a 25-day TAT.

TTM Success - Logan Ice

I had a bunch of Logan Ice cards put aside for minor league graphing, and I never got an opportunity to get him.  So, I finally sent a couple of the cards to him, and got this 2016 Bowman signed.  The signature is in ballpoint pen, but the card is still signed.

Ice (b. 1995) was a second round pick by the Indians in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of Oregon State University.  He has spent 4 seasons in the minors, reaching AA.  He has 180 hits, 18 home runs and a .206 batting average.

I mailed to Ice on September 28 and got the card back on November 20, for a 53-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steve Hargan

I liked these two cards that I gt back from Steve Hargan TTM.  1976 Topps might seem like a plain set, but really, it is very colorful.  Yes, compared to the trippy 1975 and out there 1972 offerings, 76 can seem a bit ordinary.  The cards really pop when scanned, and it is a pretty decent set. I have a bunch, still, and want to try to get some more out of my box and scanned.

On the other hand, yes, 1969 Topps is pretty plain.  The colors are a bit duller, but it can be a sharp set, depending on the cards.  They do look really nice when signed, too.

Hargan (b. 1942) played in the majors from 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1977 for the Indians, Rangers, Blue Jays and Braves.  He had a career record of 87-107 with 891 strike outs and a 3.92 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1967.

I mailed to Hargan on October 1 and got the cards back on October 14, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Don Hood

They say we each have a doppleganger.  Someone somewhere who looks just like us.  I've always been told mine was Brad Pitt (yeah, right).  Well, I found my friend, Jackson's, twin, and it is former pitcher, Don Hood.  Jackson looks a bit like Hood does, without the mustache, the most in the 1979 Topps card below.  I even sent a pic of the card to Jackson, and he screenshotted it.  I thought it was pretty funny.

Hood signed and personalized each card.  I had sent to him before, but those cards never came back.  I tried again with these, and here they are. Two of them (the 1974 and 1978) are Topps buyback cards.  They have the buyback stamp on them, so I thought it would be cool to get them signed.  I also got my 1991 Crown Orioles card signed.

Hood (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1973 to 1980 and 1982 to 1983 for the Orioles, Indians, Yankees, Cardinals and Royals.  He had a career record of 34-35 with 374 strike outs and a 3.79 ERA.  He was a first round pick (17th overall) in the 1969 June Amateur Draft out of a Florence, South Carolina high school.  He was included with Boog Powell in the 1975 trade that sent the Oriole favorite (Powell) to Cleveland.

I mailed to Hood on October 3 and got the cards back on October 13, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Aaron Civale

I didn't get many signed cards back from Spring Training, but some did come in like this TTM success from Indians pitcher, Aaron Civale.  I sent off a 2020 Topps (above) and a 2019 Heritage (below) and they look great.

Civale (b. 1995) made his Major League debut last season with the Indians.  He was an Indians 3rd round pick in the 2016 June Amateur Draft out of Northeastern University.

Last season Civale went 3-4 with 46 strike outs and a 2.34 ERA.  This was in 10 games (10 starts).

I mailed to Civale on February 10 and got the cards back on May 9, fr an 89-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ed Crosby

I can't tell you which era of cards I have gotten signed more, but if I had to guess, it might be the 70s.  I have a lot of bulk boxes of 70s stuff, and have been getting those cards signed since 2016.  I like seeing the retro uniforms, the cool hairstyles and the Topps designs of those years. 

This TTM success from Ed Crosby dipped into those 70s cards, and the above 1976 Topps is a really nice one to get back.  1976 was a good, but simple, design, and I have enjoyed adding those to my albums.

1973 Topps is also a simple design, and Topps was trying a lot harder for action shots, as opposed to portraits and staged shots.  I like the 73 set, even though the photography looks like I shot it with a basic film camera.  Hey, they have come a long way.

Crosby (b. 1949) played in the majors in 1970 and from 1972 to 1976 for the Cardinals, Reds and Indians.  He had 149 hits, no home runs and a .220 batting average.  He is the father of former major leaguer, Bobby Crosby.

I mailed to Crosby on April 27 and got the cards back on May 8, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lonnie Chisenhall

I had sent to him once before, but I guess those cards are long gone.  I finally was successful in getting a TTM return from Lonnie Chisenhall.

I had watched Chisenhall while he was with the Kinston Indians years ago, but never did get his autograph.  I finally was able to do it when he started signing from his home.  I had him sign a 2010 Pro Debut Tools of the Trade (bottom left), 2014 Topps Gold (bottom middle), 2015 Bowman (bottom right) and a 2016 Topps (top).

Chisenhall (b. 1988) was a first round pick by the Indians out of Pitt Community College here in Winterville (applause!!) in the 2008 June Amateur Draft.  He was the 29th overall pick that year.  He played in the majors from 2011 to 2018 for the Indians.  He played last season for the Pirates AAA team, the Indianapolis Indians.  His Major League totals include 578 hits, 64 home runs and a .268 batting average.

I mailed to Chisenhall on April 10 and got the cards back on May 4, for a 24-day TAT.

TTM Success - Charles Nagy

He was one of the tip pitchers of the mid-90s, leading the Indians to a couple playoff berths, and has recently been a major league pitching coach.  When I saw that Charles Nagy was signing TTM, I was very excited and picked up some nice cards of his to send off.

The 1999 Stadium Club (above) turned out really well, and was a card that I had found at my LCS a while back.

I don't have many signed 1997 Topps and even fewer 1997 Topps Chrome in my album, so adding these was nice.

Finally, I had him sign a 1997 Finest Hurlers, 1997 Studio and a 2000 Topps.

Nagy (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1990 to 2003 for the Indians and Padres.  He had a record of 129-105 with 1,242 strike outs and a 4.51 ERA.  His best finish in the AL Cy Young race was 4th (1996).  He was also a three-time All Star (1992, 1996 and 1999).

I mailed to Nagy on October 15 and got the cards back on April 17, for a 185-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ernie Camacho

I've been having to use private signing more and more to knock cards off of my 1987 checklist, and this is how I was able to get my card signed by Ernie Camacho.

Camacho (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1980 to 1981 and 1983 to 1990 for the A's, Pirates, Indians, Astros, Giants and Cardinals.  He had a career record of 10-20 with 159 strike outs and a 4.21 ERA.

I mailed to the private signing on February 24 and got the card back on April 13, for a 49-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Jeremy Sowers

In my efforts to add some more recent cards to my autograph album, I saw that Jeremy Sowers was signing TTM.  I was able to get some late 2000s cards done, like the above 2007 Topps CoSigners.  I don't think I had any signed cards from this set in my album, so it provided a little something different.

I also got a 2006 Topps Rookie 52 and a 2009 O Pee Chee signed.  He kept two of the cards that I sent.

Sowers (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2006 to 2009 for the Indians.  He was a 1st round pick (6th overall) in the 2004 June Amateur Draft.  He had a career record of 18-30 with 174 strike outs and a 5.18 ERA.

I mailed to Sowers on September 30 and got the cards back on October 16, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Michael Aubrey

I was able to move some late 2000s cards out of my boxes with this TTM success from Michael Aubrey.  These are cards that I have had floating around in my boxes for over 10 years, and I was kind of getting tired of seeing them.  When I saw that Aubrey was signing, I was glad to get a few of these moving, and they all turned out great.  I don't have very many signed 2008 Bowman (above), but Aubrey did a great job matching the facsimile auto that is on the card.

I also got a 2008 Topps Update and a 2008 Stadium Club First Day Issue signed.

Aubrey (b. 1982) played in the majors from 2008 to 2009 for the Indians and Orioles.  He had 35 hits, 6 home runs and a .259 batting average.  He was the 11th overall pick by the Indians in the 2003 June Amateur Draft.

I mailed to Aubrey on September 30 and got the cards back on October 12, for a 12-day TAT.

Ebay Pickup For The 87 Set - Frank Wills

When I was buying my Tom Waddell auto, I also saw this Frank Wills auto.  I knew he had passed, as well, so I went ahead and picked it up.  I got a good deal on it, and can cross it off of my list.

Wills (b. 1958 - d. 2012) played in the majors from 1983 to 1991 for the Royals, Mariners, Indians and Blue Jays.  He had a record of 22-26 with 281 strike outs and a 5.06 ERA.

Wills was found dead in his apartment in Louisiana.  No cause of death was given, but according to the newspaper report about his death, he had complained a week earlier about not feeling well.  He reported pain in his arm and having a fever.

Ebay Pickup For The 87 Set - Tom Waddell

I recently saw on a Facebook group that I'm in that Tom Waddell had passed away.  I knew he was in the 87 set, since I had seen his cards recently when I was looking for some other guys for a private signing.  So, I jumped over to Ebay to see if he had any signed cards out there, and I was lucky enough to find one at a good price.  I always hate it when folks dump autos of guys when they pass in order to cash in a bit.  I felt like this one was reasonably priced, and the seller probably wasn't aware of Waddell's passing.

The comments on the post on Facebook indicate that Waddell was a great guy.  It is a shame that I wasn't able to write him while he was alive.  Life is really short.  He suffered a heart attack just days shy of his 61st birthday.

Waddell (b. 9/17/58 - d. 9/14/19) passed away on my birthday, actually.  He was born in the UK, which, according to baseball-reference.com, he is one of 49 players to hail from the UK.  He played in the majors in 1984, 1985 and 1987, all for the Indians.  He had a record of 15-11 with 118 strike outs and a 4.30 ERA.

Waddell was a promising pitcher in college, whose career was derailed due to arm injuries.  By 1979, he was a clothing salesman in New York, and was playing for a semi-pro softball team.  He was informed of a tryout with the Braves, and impressed their scout enough that he was signed.  The scout?  Hank Aaron.

Waddell's journey to the majors would make for an interesting movie.

TTM Success - Vince Colbert

Another 1972 Topps was added to my album, thanks to this TTM success from Vince Colbert.  I actually sent him two of these, and he signed both.

Colbert (b. 1945) played in the majors from 1970 to 1972 for the Indians.  He had a record of 9-14 with 127 strike outs and a 4.57 ERA.

I mailed to Colbert on March 5 and got the cards back on March 14, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Julio Franco

I was really excited when I saw that there was going to be a private signing with Julio Franco.  I needed him for my 1987 Topps set, so I jumped at it.  The card turned out great.

Franco (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1982 to 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2001 to 2007 for the Phillies, Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Brewers, Devil Rays, Braves and Mets.  He had 2,586 hits, 173 home runs and a .298 batting average.  He was a three-time All Star (1989, 1990 and 1991) and his best finish in the MVP voting was 8th (1994, AL).  He was also a 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner.  He was the 1991 AL batting champion (.341).

I mailed to the private signing on December 22 and got the card back on January 22, for a 31-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $29.00.

TTM Success - Charlie Spikes

I sent off two cards to Charlie Spikes and both came back signed (vertically).  I was looking for some guys that were from the tail end of the 70s and saw that Spike signed.  This 1978 Topps looks really nice.

This 1980 Topps was damaged in transit, but I'm still ok with the card.

Spikes (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1972 to 1980 for the Yankees, Indians, Tigers and Braves.  He had 502 hits, 65 home runs and a .246 batting average.

I mailed to Spikes on October 22 and received the cards back on October 31, for a 9-day TAT.

2018 National Free Signer - Joe Charboneau

Here is the last free signed from this year's National.  I got a bunch of stuff signed, and spent a lot of time in line, but I enjoyed it, and would do it again.  I had to buy a few Joe Charboneu cards, since all I had were a couple 1982 Topps.  This 2004 Fleer Greats was a nice pickup off of COMC.

Of course, I used one of my 1982s as well, and it turned out nicely.

Charboneau (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1980 to 1982 for the Indians.  He had 172 hits, 29 home runs and a .266 batting average.  He was the AL Rookie of the year in 1980.