TTM Success - Will Cunnane

Here is a nice 1996 Bowman foil parallel that I pulled from a box I got a while back when visiting my buddy, Andrew. This Will Cunnane card turned out great. I love the old Marlins teal hats, and it shows up great on the card.

Cunnane (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1997 to 2004 for the Padres, Brewers, Cubs and Braves. He had a record of 13-12 with 234 strike outs and a 5.26 ERA.

I mailed to Cunnane on October 25 and got the card back on January 24, for a 91-day TAT.

Anither TTM Success From Dave Magadan

My 1993 Upper Deck Florida Marlins team checklist is almost complete now that I have added Dave Magadan to the card via a private signing. 

I was disappointed that the mail person left my mailbox open during a storm when the card was delivered.  The envelope was soaked, but the signatures weren't affected.  The card sustained a little damage by being a little warped.  I put it in a top loader to straighten it back out, and that seemed to work.  Note, the card was mailed back in a cardboard gold top loader, so that helped in keeping it from being completely destroyed.

The last signature I need for the card is Jeff Conine.

I mailed to the signing on March 8 and got the card back on May 16 for a 69-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Cole Seifrig

This 2003 Bowman of Cole Seifrig is another of a stack of cards that Ryan sent to me to try TTM.  I got this back signed by Seifrig, but the signature smudged a bit.  Oh well.

Seifrig (b. 1984) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins in the 2003 June Amateur Draft out of an Indiana high school.  He played in the Marlins system from 2003 to 2005, reaching Low A.  

He had 204 hits, 16 home runs and a .224 batting average. I mailed to Seifrig on April 23 and got the card back on May 15 for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Bret Barberie

Finally, my signed cards from a SCN private signing with Bret Barberie came in today.  He had apparently used black Sharpie when he was supposed to use blue, so the return of the cards got delayed.  The promoter replaced my cards that had gotten signed in black, which he didn't have to do.  The above 1995 Topps was one of the replacement cards, and I am happy to get it.  One of the reasons why I wanted to do the signing was because Barberie was in some great early Marlins uniforms. I also like the background of this card; the storm clouds brewing really create a great look on the card.

I had sent 4 cards; a 1993 Topps Team Stadium Club, 1995 Collectors Choice SE, 1993 Upper Deck Marlins checklist and a 1995 Topps Traded (which showed Barberie in an Orioles uniform).

I fully intend to fill out the 93 Upper Deck.  The delay in the cards caused me to miss a signing with Orestes Destrade.  Hopefully another with him pops up soon.  The promoter sent me back an extra 1995 Collectors Choice SE signed in blue since mine was in black.

Here's the 1995 Topps Traded, which I was lucky to have in the first place.  I got a card of Barberie in an Orioles uniform signed, and that's fine with me.

Barberie (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1991 to 1996 for the Expos, Marlins, Orioles and Cubs.  He had 388 hits, 16 home runs and a .271 batting average.  He finished 5th in the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year voting. 

I mailed to the signing on November 16 and got the cards back today (March 14), for a 119-day TAT.  I got a special on the signing; 4 cards for $50.

Another TTM Success From Charlie Hough

A pass through the.bulk 70s Topps box brought the above Charlie Hough rookie to my attention.  I sent to him way back in 2016 among my first TTMs that I had sent.  I figured it was time to send again, so I put the 72 in the mail with the below Marlins cards.

You can never go wrong with early Marlins stuff.  I love their old uniforms, so I was happy to add the above 1993 Stadium Club (left) and 1994 Upper Deck (right).  Both of these are really cool.

I mailed to Hough on November 16 and got the cards back on December 8, for a 22-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jamie McAndrew

Some more early 90s Marlins teal was added to the autograph album when I received this TTM success from Jamie McAndrew.  When they were revealed as a team back then, I loved the colors that were chosen, since no other team had colors quite like the Marlins.  That's one of my favorite things to look for now when I go through early to mid 90s cards, those batting helmets.

Some of the other card companies only featured the logo and colors on the cards but must not have jad immediate access to uniform photos. This 1993 Donruss is an example.  Fleer was the same.

McAndrew (b. 1967) played in the majors in 1995 and 1997 for the Brewers.  He didn't even make it as a Marlin.  He had a record of 3-4, 27 strike outs and a 5.98 ERA.

I mailed to McAndrew on October 10 and got the cards back on October 30, for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Gary Scott

Those teal Marlins hats just do it for me.  I remember when thee Marlins were first announced as a team and their colors were unveiled, I loved how they looked.  Whenever I get a chance to add one of these 1993 Topps Marlins cards to the autograph album, I go for it.  In this case, I got Gary Scott to sign this card TTM recently.

Scott (b. 1968) played in the majors in 1991 and 1992 for the Cubs.  He had 28 hits, 3 home runs and a .160 batting average. Scott was traded by the Cubs to the Marlins in November 1992, but never actually played for them.  He got onto a card in a Marlins uniform, though.

I mailed to Scott on July 31, 2020, and got the card back on August 21, 2023, for a 1,116-day TAT.

TTM Success - Juan Pierre

Juan Pierre had been in my "to be TTMed" stack for quite a while before I finally saw an opening in which to get the cards to him.  I sent some nice cards, like the above 2005 Topps Turkey Red.  This card looks great.  I used to have a bunch of these, but sold off a lot of them over the years.

I also sent off this 2003 Fleer Focus, which will look great in my album.

Pierre (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2013 for the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, White Sox and Phillies.  He had 2,217 hits, 18 home runs and a .295 batting average.  He led the NL in hits in 2004 and 2006, and had 200 or more hits in four seasons.  He led the NL in stolen bases in 2001 and 2003, and led the AL in 2,010.  His 614 stolen bases rank 18th, all-time.  His best MVP finish was 10th (NL) in 2003.  He won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003.  Pierre appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2019, but received no votes.

I mailed to Pierre on March 21 and got the cards back on September 13, for a 176-day TAT.

2021 National Signer - Mike Piazza

The signers list this year at the National was kind of light.  I think it was because they weren't sure about the event even happening until June 1, then Tristar had to scramble to get guys lined up.  Even past free signers like Marty Cordova were on the paid list this year.  Still, there were a few guys I needed for my Hall of Fame collection.  Speaking of, the collection has been neglected lately with the signed 1987 Topps set taking up a lot of my time.  I picked a couple guys off of the list who I still needed; and I missed one that I thought I had (Larry Walker).

I paid the fee to meet Mike Piazza, and got him on this baseball Saturday at the show.  He was really cool; we talked about him getting in trouble with Axl Rose years ago when Piazza leaked some new GNR music to an LA radio station.  I had asked Piazza if he had any new ones he could leak for me, since I'm a huge fan, and he said "Man, I got into so much trouble over that..."  I said "With who, Axl?  Did you make him angry?" and Mike replied "Well, when is he not angry?"  That was a cool shared moment right there, albeit brief, since we were moving through the line quickly.

Piazza (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1992 to 2007 for the Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Padres and A's.  He had 2,172 hits, 427 home runs and a .308 batting average.  He was the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year and a 12-time All Star (1993 to 2002, 2004 and 2005).  His best MVP finish was 2nd (NL, 1996 and 1997).  He was a 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner, as well.  Remarkable, he hit over .300 9 times in his career.  His .308 batting average ranks 126th all-time and his home runs rank 51st.

Piazza was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016, his 4th time on the ballot.  He is my 152nd Hall of Famer on a baseball, and the first that I have added since October of 2020.  Glad to cross a new name off of the list.

TTM Success - Chase Austin

I added another older Bowman card to my autograph album with this TTM success from Chase Austin.  He signed my 2010 Bowman with a fading black Sharpie, but the card still looks good.  I was happy to get it done.

Austin (b. 1987) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of Elon University in NC.  He played in the Marlins system from 2009 to 2011, reaching High A.  He had 248 hits, 27 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Austin on December 22 and got the card back on December 31, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Aaron Akin

I got these late 90s prospect cards out of one of the boxes I got from my LCS a while back.  The above 98 Stadium Club that I got back TTM from Aaron Akin turned out pretty well.  I like the look of the card; it is tough to see from the scan but there are some embossed ball laces on the card, which makes it kind of cool.

I also got this 1998 Bowman signed by Akin.  I've got a bunch of late 90s Bowmans now, and it is kind of interesting to look back at some of the former prospects who weren't able to crack the majors.

Akin (b. 1977) was a first round pick (12th overall) by the Marlins in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Cowley County Community College.  It sounds like an obscure community college, but they boast former players like Trevor Rosenthal, Travis Hafner and Junior Spivey.

Akin played in the minors from 1997 to 2000, reaching High-A ball.  He had a record of 9-20 with 152 strike outs and a 4.42 ERA.  He went on to play 2 seasons in independent ball where he went 0-7 with a 6.18 ERA.

I mailed to Akin on November 18 and got the cards back on December 2, for a 14-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Cris Carpenter

I had these two Marlins cards of former pitcher, Cris Carpenter, and I wanted to get them in my autograph album.  I enjoy the bright colors of the early Marlins uniforms, so I thought these both would look great in my album.  The above card is a 1993 Team Stadium Club, which turned out really well.

Carpenter also signed a 1993 Topps.  He actually signed two of them, so I sent the extra off to my good friend, Dugan, who is a Marlins super collector.

I mailed to Carpenter on October 23 and got the cards back on November 2, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Lasater

I've been dipping more and more into my Bowman boxes, trying to get cards out that have been in there for a long time.  I was able to get this 2009 Bowman Ben Lasater signed TTM, and it turned out really well.

Lasater (b. 1984) was a 29th round pick by the Marlins in the 2007 June Amateur Draft out of the College of Charleston.  He played in the Marlins system from 2007 to 2013 and got as high as AAA.  He had 608 hits, 63 home runs and a .273 batting average.

I mailed to Lasater on October 8 and got the card back on October 27, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Steve Decker

I had a few Steve Decker cards put aside because I had heard that he had been scouting Wood Ducks games.  I never did see him at the park, but I always kept some close by.  So, I took some of those cards that had been sitting around, and sent them TTM for him to sign.

Decker signed the 1993 Topps at the top of the post, and also a 1992 Stadium Club, 1993 Upper Deck, 1992 Donruss and a 1992 Upper Deck.

Decker (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1990 to 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999 for the Giants, Marlins, Rockies and Angels.  He had 152 hits, 13 home runs and a .221 batting average.

I mailed to Decker on October 7 and got the cards back on October 26, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Alex Gonzalez

I had cards of both Alex Gonzalez guys in my box for a long time that I had put aside for TTMs.  I had thought that I had seen that each was signing, but I guess I missed the window.  So, when I saw that the Marlins Gonzalez (and not the Blue Jay) was signing through a private signing, I went ahead and got two cards done and out of my box.  **Whoops, I wrote this entire post and realized that I DID get this Alex Gonzalez TTM.  I think he stopped after I got him.  Anyway, I got these two cards via a private signing.  Oops.

I thought I picked some nice cards.  The 2004 Topps at the top of the post turned out great, as did the above 2000 Topps Gold Label.  Man, that thing scanned sharp!

Gonzalez (b. 1977) played in the majors from 1998 to 2007 and 2009 to 2014 for the Marlins, Red Sox, Reds, Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers and Tigers.  He had 1,418 hits, 157 home runs and a .245 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1999 and won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003.

I mailed to the signing on August 29 and got the cards back on October 23, for a 55-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10/card.

TTM Success - John Boles

I got a card out of my 2001 Topps cards and got it signed TTM by former Marlins Manager, John Boles.  The card has some damage, due to being stuck to other 01 Topps cards (thanks to the heavy gloss on the card).  I was able to salvage it, and now it is signed.

Boles (b. 1948) managed the Marlins in 1996 and from 1999 to 2001 to a total record of 205-241 (.460 win %).

I mailed to Boles on September 29 and got the card back on October 6, for a 7-day TAT.

More Dontrelles From Jackson

My friend, Jackson, had some more Dontrelle Willis cards available, so I picked some up that I thought would look cool in my album.  I opened a lot of 2006 Fleer Tradition back when it came out, but have unloaded a bunch of it.  So, I hardly have any left that I could sent out for TTMs.  The cards aren't really all that special, with the exception that they are pretty colorful.

I liked both of these horizontal cards of Willis, so I made sure to pick them up, as well.

Jackson has a ton of these left over, so if anyone wants to buy a few off of him, I know he would appreciate it.  If you are interested, please comment with your email address or a social media platform so I can put you in touch with him.  By the way, if you have been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I don't have a way to respond to your comments if you don't put an email address or some other contact info.  So, if you have commented in the past with a question and haven't heard from me, that's why!

TTM Success - Jeff Tabaka

I added another 1993 Topps Marlins player to my album with this success from Jeff Tabaka.  The card turned out really well.

Tabaka (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1994 to 1998 and 2001 for the Pirates, Padres, Astros, Reds and Cardinals.  He had a record of 6-5 with 119 strike outs and a 4.31 ERA.

I mailed to Tabaka on July 31 and got the card back signed on August 15, for a 15-day TAT.

Surprise Find In A Cheap LCS Lot

I picked up a stack of used albums from my LCS for $5 and in one of the albums was this signed signed 1992 Donruss Diamond Kings of Nigel Wilson.  I wasn't sure if the auto was real or not, but when I googled it, it looks like the card came out of an autograph deal that folks could buy that was a little booklet.  The person who had the card must have gotten rid of the booklet and put it in their album.  Now, it will go in my autograph album.

TTM Success - Kip Yaughn

With my constant searching through boxes for cards to send TTM, I have learned that there are certain types of cards I rather enjoy.  The series of Marlins cards in the 1993 Topps set are actually pretty cool.  These were the first mainstream Topps cards showing Marlins, and a lot of the photos used were from Spring Training.  There are some cool shots of a lot of the guys in the set.  There are also some guys in there who never actually made it to the majors to play for them.  Kip Yaughn was one of them.

Yaughn (b. 1969) was a 13th round draft pick by the Orioles in the 1990 June Amateur Draft out of Arizona State University.  He played three seasons in the Orioles system, then was picked up by the Marlins in the expansion draft in November 1992.

In all, Yaughn pitched 5 seasons in the minors (1990 to 1994) and amassed a record of 28-27 with 406 strike outs and a 4.25 ERA.  He reached AAA, but just couldn't crack the majors.

I mailed to Yaughn on July 31 and got the card back on August 7, for a 7-day TAT.