2025 National Paid Signer - Todd Helton

One of the paid signers I got at the National this year was Hall of Famer, Todd Helton.  I needed Helton for my signed baseball collection.  He was giving HOF '24 inscriptions for free.

Helton (b. 1973) played in the majors from 1997 to 2013 for the Rockies.   He jad 2,519 hits, 369 home runs and a .316 batting average.  He was a 5-time All Star (2000 to 2004) and his best MVP finish was 5th (2000).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2024 with 79.7% of the vote (on his 6th ballot). 

By my math (which may be off), Helton is my 175th Hall of Famer on a baseball. 

TTM Success - Jackson Cox

A couple more 2022 Bowman Draft cards came back signed with this success from Jackson Cox.  He has a simple, but nice signature; much better than some that I've seen from recent draft picks.

I got a 2022 Bowman Draft Chrome and a Bowman Draft paper signed by Cox, and both turned our great.

Cox (b. 2003) was a 2nd round pick by the Rockies in the July 2022 Amateur Draft out of Toutle Lake High School in Toutle Lake, Washington.  He has yet to make his professional debut.

I mailed to Cox on January 3 and got te cards back on January 17, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Clint Barmes

The first time I mailed to Clint Barmes, I got my cards back unsigned.  I said heck with it and tossed the cards in a yard sale box and forgot about them.  I saw some folks get TTM successes from him recently, so I dug the cards out and tried again.  This time, I got a TTM success from Barmes.  I liked the above 2009 Topps since I don't have many cards from that set in my album.

I also got back a 2003 Topps Traded, 2003 Leaf, 2006 Upper Deck Sweet Spot and a 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter.  All of the cards turned out great, and I am glad I finally got them into the autograph album.

Barmes (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2003 to 2015 for the Rockies, Astros, Pirates and Padres.  He had 932 hits, 89 home runs and a .245 batting average.

I mailed to Barmes on January 25, 2022, and got the cards back on December 17, 2022, for a 326-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 - Ben Paulsen

2016 Topps is a really nice looking set, and the cards look even better when they get a little ink on them.  I was able to get this 2016 Topps signed by Ben Paulsen, and the card turned out pretty well.

Paulsen (b. 1987) played in the majors from 2014 to 2016 for the Rockies.  He had 130 hits, 16 home runs and a .271 batting average.

I mailed to Paulsen on November 16 and got the card back on June 23, for a 219-day TAT.

TTM Success - Scott Oberg

Here are a couple 2019 Topps Update cards that I got signed TTM from Scott Oberg.  Both turned out great, with the bottom one being a rainbow foil parallel.

Oberg (b. 1990) played in the majors from 2015 to 2019 for the Rockies.  He had a career record of 18-8 with 234 strike outs and a 3.85 ERA.

I mailed to Oberg on February 4 and got the cards back on February 16, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Forrest Wall

Here are a couple more Bowman cards that I was able to get out of my prospects box and into my album.  The above 2016 Bowman Chrome of Forrest Wall came out really well when I got it signed by him TTM. I like the 2016 design, and they look really good when signed.

I also got this 2014 Bowman Chrome signed.  This has been my favorite Bowman set for a while, but I do enjoy the 2016s like I said above.

Wall (b. 1995) was a first round (35th overall) draft pick by the Rockies out of high school in the 2014 June Amateur Draft.  He has played in the minors from 2014 to 2019 in the Rockies and Blue Jays systems, reaching AAA.  He has 559 hits, 40 home runs and a .274 battng average.

I mailed to Wall on January 4 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Choo Freeman

Here are a couple cards that I got out of my boxes with this TTM success from Choo Freeman.  The above card is a 2000 Bowman.  This is a nice-looking set, and I have a bunch of the cards.  I've gotten a few of them signed, and probably will go through that box soon and get more out to send off.

I also got a 2007 Upper Deck signed.  I liked this set when it came out and busted a couple boxes of it.  So, I have a ton of these, still, and have sent a couple of them off, as well.

Freeman (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2004 to 2006 for the Rockies.  He had 64 hits, 3 home runs and a .225 batting average.

I mailed to Freeman on December 15 and got the cards back on January 16, for a 32-day TAT.

TTM Success - Scott Fredrickson

I got another 1993 Topps back signed TTM from Scott Fredrickson that was among some first-year Marlins and Rockies that I sent out.  His signature is pretty slight, but the card is still signed.  Some of those 1993 Topps are pretty cool, as they were the first times we saw Marlins and Rockies uniforms on cards.  I've sent out more Marlins than Rockies, but it's fun to get either back because there were a lot of unknown players shown on those cards.

Fredrickson (b. 1967) played in the majors in 1993 for the Rockies.  He went 0-1 with 20 strike outs and a 6.21 ERA.

I mailed to Fredrickson on November 20 and got the card back on November 18 for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Spilborghs

I had this 2006 Topps Turkey Red Gold on my COMC account for a while, but it never sold.  When I found out that Ryan Spilborghs signed TTM, I pulled it off of there and sent it off.  The card came back, and looks great.

I also had this 2010 Upper Deck, and it turned out ok.  The marker kind of faded, but otherwise, it looks nice.

Spilborghs (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2005 to 2011 for the Rockies.  He had 424 hits, 42 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Spilborghs on June 29 and got the cards back on November 24, for a 148-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lance Painter

I added a couple other early Rockies cards to my collection when I received this TTM success back from former pitcher, Lance Painter.  I was able to get a 1994 Topps (above), 1993 Topps (below, left) and a 1993 Score Select (below, right) signed by Painter.

Each of the cards looks great.

Painter (b. 1967) was actually born in the UK.  He played in the majors from 1993 to 2001 and 2003 for the Rockies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Brewers.  He had a career record of 25-18 with 331 strike outs and a 5.24 ERA.

I mailed to Painter on August 18 and got the cards back on August 27, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Hawblitzel

I got some early 90s cards signed by Ryan Hawblitzel.  The above 1993 Classic Best is a card I found in one of the cheap boxes I picked up from my LCS.  These cards look really nice when signed.

I also found this 1993 Topps in my boxes and sent it off to be signed.  It also turned out well.  The Rockies cards in 1993 Topps don't stand out as much as the Marlins cards do, but they still are good to get signed.

Hawblitzel (b. 1971) played in the majors in 1996 for the Rockies.  He went 0-1 that season with 7 strike outs and a 6.00 ERA.

I mailed to Hawblitzel on August 11 and got the cards back on August 27, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Carlos Gonzalez

I took a chance on Carlos Gonzalez during the COVID lockdowns when I saw that he had signed for a few folks.  I had gotten this 2017 Topps Inception as a throw in from my friend, Anthony, at a National a couple years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the card come back.

Gonzalez (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2008 to 2019 for the A's, Rockies, Indians and Cubs.  He was signed by the Mariners in February, but was released in June.  He has 1,432 hits, 234 home runs and a .285 batting average.

He was the 2010 NL Batting Champ (.336), and finished 3rd in the MVP voting that season.  He was a 3-time All Star (2012, 2013 and 2016, and a 3-time Gold Glove Award winner (2010, 2012, 2013).  He also won the Silver Slugger award twice (2010, 2015).

I mailed to Gonzalez on April 21 and got the card back on June 29, for a 69-day TAT.

TTM Success - Grant Lavigne

 Here are some cards that I got signed TTM by Rangers prospect, Grant Lavigne.  I had seen Lavigne when he played for Asheville, but these cards came out, and I saw that he was signing TTM.

These are all 2019 versions of Topps products (Heritage Minors - Top, Pro Debut - above left, and Bowman - above right).

Lavigne (b. 1999) was a first round draft pick (42nd overall) by the Rockies in the 2018 June Amateur Draft out of Bedford High School in New Hampshire.  He has reached A ball in the Rockies system (Asheville),  Over his two seasons in the minors, he has 176 hits, 13 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Lavigne on January 6 and got the cards back on February 28, for a 53-day TAT.

TTM Success - Casey Golden

I got him in a 50/50 last year on a 2019 Pro Debut, but I wanted to add a couple more Casey Golden autos to my collection, so I sent these two cards TTM to him.  The above 2019 Topps Heritage Minors turned out really well.  Those cards (and their 1970 counterparts) really look great when signed.

The above 2019 Bowman Draft also looks really nice.

Golden (b. 1994) was a 20th round pick in the 2017 June Amateur Draft by the Rockies out of UNC-Wilmington.  He has reached High A so far in the Rockies system and has 285 hits, 77 home runs and a .271 batting average.  He seems to have a great deal of power, and if he can break into the majors and hit in Coors field, who knows what he can do!  I like that Golden is actually from NC, as well.

I mailed to Golden on January 14 and got the cards back on February 21, for a 38-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jason Gurka

I removed two more cards from my Box of Shame when I was able to get these two signed by former Oriole, Jason Gurka.  I was glad to get this 2016 Topps Gold parallel signed; I had them pulled when he signed with the Orioles a couple years ago and I thought I would see him in Norfolk.

I missed him, and into the box the cards went.  Now they are signed and in my album!

Gurka (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2015 to 2017 for the Rockies and Angels.  He had a career record of 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA and 14 strike outs.

I mailed to Gurka on January 2 and got the cards back on January 22, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Wilin Rosario

I saw that Wilin Rosario was signing TTM while he was with the Rochester Red Wings, so I found a few cards and sent them out.  A short time later, they all came back signed.  Normally, I would have had a lot of cards to choose from, but I typically give all of my Rosario stuff to my friend, Noah, so I was lucky to find these three cards.  The 2012 Bowman Platinum turned out really well.

I also had a 2012 Topps and 2015 Topps.  Rosario probably could use a new Sharpie, soon.  However, I am happy with what I was able to get.

Rosario (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2011 to 2015 for the Rockies.  He had 413 hits, 71 home runs and a .273 batting average.  I was surprised to see that he hasn't been in the majors since 2015.  I think injuries have really limited him. 

A look at his stats show that he didn't play at all between 2016 and 2018.  He played 105 games this year at AAA Rochester in the Twins system.  He had 124 hits, 24 home runs and a .300 average.  Maybe this is an indication that he is now healthy, and a team will give him a Spring Training invitation next season.

I mailed to Rosario on July 23 and got the cards back on September 10, for a 49-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Petrick

The TTM I sent ended up being a bunch of cards, but Ben Petrick signed them all, and I added some different stuff to my autograph album.

This 2000 Skybox turned out to be a pretty sharp card, and I liked how it looked.  I'm pretty sure it was something I found at my LCS a while back, and it finally came in signed.

Here are three different Bowmans from a long time ago, and a 2000 Topps Stadium Club.  The Bowmans are 1996, 2000 and 2001.  The 1996 (bottom left) was one of the cards I got out of a box while visiting Andrew a couple years ago.

Finally, some Fleer offerings, a 2001 Fleer Futures and a 2000 Fleer Tradition.  These are some pretty cool cards, as Fleer had some cool designs in the early 2000s.  Their problem was that they flooded the market with products and ran themselves out of business.

Petrick (b. 1977) played in the majors from 1999 to 2003 for the Rockies and Tigers.  He had 172 hits, 27 home runs and a .257 batting average.

I mailed to Petrick on March 25 and got the cards back on August 24, for a 152-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ryan Vilade

I got my first 2018 Topps Heritage Minors card signd with this success from Ryan Vilade.  The card turned out really well.  I had two of them, and went on to send them both.

I also was able to get a card signed out of my 2018 South Atlantic League Top Prispects set.

Vilade (b. 1999) was drafted out of an Oklahoma high school in the second round of the 2017 amateur draft by the Rockies.  He has played in two levels of the minors since he was drafted, Rookie League and Single A.  His most recent stop was the Asheville Tourists.  I almost went to Asheville this past summer to see him play, but the timing didn't work out and I didn't go.  It isn't too terribly far from my parents' house, so I may head that way this summer.

So far, Vilade has 161 hits, 10 home runs and a .280 batting average across 157 games.

I mailed to Vilade on October 22 and got the cards back on November 8, for a 17-day TAT.  In exchange for the autographs, I made a donation to Keeper of the Game, at Vilade's request.

TTM Success - Chris Iannetta

I added some nice cards to the album with this success from Rockies catcher, Chris Iannetta.  I had seen on Instagram that he was signing, and sent a few cards out.

Iannetta (b. 1983) has played in the majors since 2006 for the Rockies, Angels, Mariners and Diamondbacks.  He has 788 hits, 135 home runs and a .230 batting average.

I mailed to Iannetta on July 26 via the Rockies and got the cards back on August 27, for a 32-day TAT.