Another TTM Success From Chas McCormick

Because I found this 2022 Topps Chrome Ben Baller parallel of Chas McCormick, I really wanted to send to him (McCormick) again.  I did, and sent two other cards, as well.

Everything I sent turned out nicely.  He signed the 22 chrome, a 2023 and 2024 Topps.

I also included a donation of $10/card to his local food bank.  He included these business cards requesting the donations, which I kept.

McCormick (b. 1995) has played in the majors since 2021, for the Astros.  As of today, he has 325 hits, 55 home runs and a .249 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Astros in 2022.

I mailed to McCormick on January 13 and got the cards back on January 29 for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brandon Backe

Some fairly recent cards (more recent than some TTM subjects) came back signed TTM from Brandon Backe.  I'm seeing more and more returns from guys that played in the mid-to-late 2000s, so I have been searching boxes over the last few weeks for more cards like these.

I got a 2006 Topps (top), 2008 Upper Deck (above left) and 2009 Topps (above right) back signed from Backe.

Backe (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2002 to 2009 for the Devil Rays and Astros.  He had a record of 31-29 with 360 strike outs and a 5.23 ERA.

I mailed Backe on October 24 and got the cards back on January 11 for a 79-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rob Mallicoat

Here are a couple 90s junk wax cards that I got signed TTM by former pitcher, Rob Mallicoat.  He signed my 1992 Donruss and 1992 Topps with a dying Sharpie, but the cards are still in the autograph album.

Mallicoat (b. 1964) played in the majors in 1987, 1991 and 1992 for the Astros.  He had a record of 0-2 with 42 strike outs and a 5.70 ERA.

I mailed to Mallicoat on October 31 and got the cards back on November 22, for a 22-day TAT.

TTM Success - Richard Hidalgo

When I saw that Richard Hidalgo was signing, I was really excited. This was because I had a ton of his cards in one of the boxes I got when the card shop closed. I sent off four of the cards to him for signature and they certainly back looking great.  Obviously I had to send the above 2001 Fleer Ex.  I really love this set, and have gotten a few of them signed by now. They always look awesome in my album, and I definitely wouldn't mind adding more.

I also added a 1997 Visions Signatures multi sport card and a 1997 Bowman hometown foil parallel. 

This 1998 Fleer Ultra Rocket to Stardom looks great, as well. This is a die cut card, but that is hard to tell from the scan.

Hidalgo (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1997 to 2005 for the Astros, Mets and Rangers. He had  929 hits, 171 home runs and a .269 batting average. He finished 18th in the 2003 NL MVP race. In 2000, he finished 20th in the NL MVP race, after hitting 44 home runs and batting .314.

I mailed to Hidalgo on October 8 and got the cards back on October 28, for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Rob Sperring

Check out this awesome Astros jersey on the 1978 Topps that I got back signed TTM from Rob Sperring.  Those jerseys are great.  I don't care what anyone says.  The card turned out really well, and I was glad to get it back and added to the album.

Sperring (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1974 to 1977 for the Cubs and Astros.  He had 100 hits, 3 home runs and a .211 batting average.  I mailed to Sperring on September 19 and got the card back on October 13, for a 24-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chas McCormick

The first 2022 Topps to come back signed TTM was this one from Chas McCormick.  I was really happy to get it back so quickly.  Since then, I have added a few more 2022 Topps by graphing in person.

McCormick (b. 1995) has played for the Astros since 2021.  He has 85 hits, 14 home runs and a .258 batting average.

I mailed to McCormick on February 23 and got the card back on March 5, for a 10-day TAT.

Another TTM Success - Wilbur Howard

There were a few of the boxes that I got from my former LCS when it closed that had been sorted by team.  One of them was Astros, and had quite a few older cards.  I pulled a couple that I knew I would be able to get signed TTM, and sent them along.  These two cards I got signed by Wilbur Howard were a couple that came back, so far.

Howard signed the 1978 Topps (top) and the above Fleer Astros sticker.  I thought the sticker would look cool in my album, and I liked how Howard signed it.

I mailed to Howard on February 3 and got the cards back on February 23, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - Blake Taylor

Here is another 2021 Topps that I was able to get signed via Spring Training, this one being of Blake Taylor.  The card looks great, although Taylor's signature isn't much.

Taylor (b. 1995) has played in the majors since 2020 for the Astros.  He has a 4-3 record with 41 strike outs and a 2.89 ERA.

I mailed to Taylor via Astros Spring Training on February 16 and got the card back on March 11, for a 23-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mike Cosgrove

I was able to get a cool older card signed when this 1976 Topps came back from Mike Cosgrove.  He signed the card in red, but it kind of fits in with all of the colors on the card anyway.  The Astros in the 1976 set are probably some of the best cards.  I enjoy their colorful uniforms, and the cards stand out.

Cosgrove (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1972 to 1976 for the Astros.  He had a record of 12-11 with 122 strike outs and a 4.03 ERA.

I mailed to Cosgrove on December 3 and got the card back on December 14, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Larry Dierker

I got a couple nice vintage cards signed when I got this TTM success back from Larry Dierker.  I like the old Astros jersey on the above 1974 Topps.  I believe this card came out of a box that I got from my buddy, Max, a while back.

This 1966 Topps also turned out well.

Dierker (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1964 to 1977 for the Colt .45s/Astros and Cardinals.  he had a record of 139-123 with 1,493 strike outs and a 3.31 ERA.  He was an All Star twice (1969 and 1971) and won 20 games in 1969.

Dierker managed the Astros from 1997 to 2001 compiling a record of 435-348 (.556 win %).  He was the NL Manager of the Year in 1998.  He appeared on the 1983 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to Dierker on October 5 and got the cards back signed on November 23, for a 49-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Tommy Manzella

I got some nice cards back TTM from Tommy Manzella.  The above 2010 Allen and Ginter turned out well, even though Manzella smeared the signature a bit.

These two had better signatures.  2010 Topps Chrome is a much-maligned set, but the cards look nice when signed.

Manzella (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2009 to 2010 for the Astros.  He had 59 hits, 1 home run and a .224 batting average.

I mailed to Manzella on March 16 and got the cards back on November 19, for a 248-day TAT.

TTM Success - Doug Konieczny

Yeah, I'm not going to even try to pronounce Doug Konieczny's name.  I love the old Astros uniform on this card, though.  That's another cool thing about these 1976 Topps cards.  The uniforms look great.

Konieczny (b. 1951) played in the majors from 1973 to 1975 and 1977 for the Astros.  He had a record of 7-18 with 110 strike outs and a 4.93 ERA.

I mailed to Konieczny on October 9 and got the card back on October 19, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - John Mizerock

I added another card to my 1987 Topps set with this TTM success from John Mizerock.  I'm getting down to where there aren't a whole lot of guys left who sign TTM themselves, and I'll have to rely more and more on private signings.  I guess that's a good thing, considering how many cards I've gottn back, so far.

Mizerock (b. 1960) played in the majors in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1989 for the Astros and Braves.  He had 43 hits, 2 home runs and a .186 batting average.

I mailed to Mizerock on July 20 and got the card back on August 10, for a 21-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gene Tenace

These was a lot of sweating prior to and during this TTM request that I sent to Gene Tenace.  It started with finding a needle in a haystack by seeing this Yogi Berra signed 1987 Topps Astros leaders card at the Cleveland National a couple years ago.  I picked it up for $20 and put it in my 87 album.  When I saw a Hal Lanier signing finally come up, I sent it off to him.  Lanier is spotty lately with TTM returns, so I wanted the assurance of locking in with a paid signing and getting my card done that way.  It is still risky, of course, because things can happen and cards can get wrecked when sending through the mail.  The card came back from the Lanier signing, and I was ready to send it off to Denis Menke, who I have gotten TTM from before.  I believe the guy who ran the Lanier signing told Menke the card was coming, and it got back to me signed really fast (9 days).  Finally, I turned it around and sent to Gene Tenace, who signs through PastPros.  This awesome card is now complete and has its place in my 87 album.

I also sent off this 1973 Topps buyback that I had pulled several years ago.  It also turned out well, but definitely takes a back seat to the Astros Leaders card.

Tenace (b. 1946) played in the majors from 1969 to 1983 for the A's, Padres, Cardinals and Pirates.  He had 1,060 hits, 201 home runs and a .241 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1975 and his best MVP finish was 18th (1975 and 1976, AL).  He won the World Series four times (1972-1974 - Oakland and 1982 - St Louis); he was the 1972 World Series MVP.

Tenace managedthe Blue Jays for 33 games in 1991 and amassed a 19-14 record (.576%)

Tenace appeared on the 1989 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.2% of the vote.  I mailed to Tenace on July 23 and got the cards back on July 31, for an 8-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15/card plus PastPros handling fees.  I paid $20 for the card; $15 for the Lanier signing, and Menke was free.  So, I put over $50 into the card to get it completed, and I'm certain it is worth far more than that.  I'm just happy to have it completed.

TTM Success - Glenn Davis

Another private signing came along that helped me with my 1987 Topps set.  This time, I got an autograph from Glenn Davis.  Orioles fans know Davis well.  He was part of one of the worst trades in MLB history, where the Orioles got Davis and the Astros got Pete Harnisch, Steve Finley and Curt Schilling.  Davis would vastly underperform for the Orioles, and the three players that the Astros got did pretty well.

Davis (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1094 to 1993 for the Astros and Orioles.  He had 965 hits, 190 home runs and a .259 batting average.  He was a 2-time All Star (1986 and 1989) and finished second in the 1986 NL MVP voting.  

I mailed to the signing on July 6 and got the card back on July 30, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Scott Elarton

I had Scott Elarton's cards in my box for a long time before I finally made myself send the cards out.  They all turned out well, and I was glad to add them to my album.

Elarton (b. 1976) played in the majors from 1998 to 2001 and 2003 to 2008 for the Astros, Rockies, Indians and Royals.  He had a career record of 56-61 with 698 strike outs and a 5.29 ERA.

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

TTM Success - Mike Scott

I added another card to my signed 1987 Topps set when I took part in a private signing with Mike Scott.  I had looked at buying some of his cards a while back, but never pulled the trigger.  I added this one, though, and can now cross him off of my list.

Scott (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1979 to 1991 for the Mets and Astros.  He had a career record of 124-108 with 1,469 strike outs and a 3.54 ERA.  He was the 1986 NL Cy Young Award winner.  He led the league in ERA in 1986 (2.22) and won 20 games in 1989.  He was a 3-time All Star (1986, 1987 and 1989).  His best finish in the NL MVP voting was 10th in 1986.

Scott appeared on the 1997 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on October 15 and got the card back on November 7, for a 23-day TAT.

Two TTM Successes From Dickie Thon

Dickie Thon signs through PastPros, so I figured it would be pretty easy to get my 1987 Topps signed by him.  I went through PastPros' steps back in November, sent my card in and waited.  I waited so long, I had forgotten about it, but when cleaning out my email, I saw the receipt from PastPros, and that it should take no longer than a month to get my card back.  I emailed them, and they said they would look into it.  I waited and forgot again, and when I was missing another player (Eric Plunk), I remembered that I needed to look for this one again.

Finally, I got a message from PastPros that Dickie had never received my 87 Topps, and would sign and send me one of his own.  THEN they message me again saying he didn't have any 87s, but he would send me something else.  I got this 1984 Fleer All Star card.  In the email, PastPros told me to re-send an 87, and Thon would sign that for me, as well.  So, I did, and got that signed card back in about a week.

I'm glad to have gotten my card back.  I have no idea what happened to the other one, but I can mark him off of my checklist, and all is well.

Thon (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1979 to 1993 for the Angels, Astros, Padres, Phillies, Rangers and Brewers.  He had 1,176 hits, 71 home runs and a .264 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1983.  He was a Silver Slugger and finished 7th in the NL MVP voting that season, as well.

I originally sent to Thon on November 6, 2018, and got the 84 Fleer back on September 30, for a 328-day TAT.  I sent the second 87 Topps on September 28, and got the signed card back on October 5, for a 7-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jose Cruz

I gave it a shot, not expecting to get the cards back, but I sent two cards to Jose Cruz and was surprised with a quick return.

Obviously, I needed this one for my 1987 set, and it turned out really well.

I also took a chance and sent this 1977 Topps, and it turned out ok.  He signed it over the faux signature, and it looks kind of goofy like that, but I especially like the old Astros uniform.

Cruz (b. 1947) played in the majors from 1970 to 1988 for the Cardinals, Astros and Yankees.  He had 2,251 hits, 165 home runs and a .284 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1980 and 1985.  His best finish in the MVP voting was 6th in 1983 (NL).  He was also a Silver Slugger Award winner in 1983 and 1984.  He appeared on the 1994 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% if the vote.

I mailed to Cruz on July 23 and got the cards back on August 20, for a 28-day TAT.

2019 National Pickup - Dave Smith Signed 1987 Topps

Another of the deceased players I picked up for my 1987 Topps set was Dave Smith.  The signature isn't much, but the card is now in my album.

Smith (b. 1955 - d. 2008) played in the majors from 1980 to 1992 for the Astros and Cubs.  He had a career record of 53-53 with a 2.67 ERA and 548 strike outs.  He was an All Star in 1986 and 1992.  His best MVP finish was 17th, in 1986.

Smith passed away of a heart attack in 2008 at the age of 53.