TTM Success - Paul O'Neill

I took a shot on a TTM request that I thought I had a decent chance of getting back, but I had seen that folks have had spotty results with Paul O'Neill.  This 1995 Stadium Club Ring Leaders card had been in one of my boxes for a long time, so I figured that I would go ahead and see what would happen.  I'm really glad I sent it off!  After I had mailed this card to O'Neill, I got a Ring Leaders card signed by Howard Johnson, but this one is still pretty awesome.

O'Neill (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1985 to 2001 for the Reds and Yankees.  He had 2,105 hits, 281 home runs and a .288 batting average.  He was a 5-time All Star (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998) and his best finish in the MVP voting was 5th (1994 - AL).  He was the 1994 AL batting champion with a .359 average.  He won the World Series in 1990 with the Reds, and 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 with the Yankees.  O'Neill appeared on the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 2.2% of the vote.  He is married to my sister-in-law's cousin, and his nephew plays for the Down East Wood Ducks.

I mailed to O'Neill on March 20 and got the card back on April 14, for a 25-day TAT.

A Surprise Care Package From Jory

I got a surprise care package in the mail the other day from my very good friend, Joey.  Joey was one of the first group of kids I traded with on Instagram.  Joey was the recipient of some sweet Red Sox cards that I had been holding for him, and I guess the care package was in response to that.  I didn't send him stuff so that I could get stuff in return, I just liked finding cards for his collection.  Joey is such a nice person, it makes helping him out so easy, really.

He sent me a bunch of Orioles cards, but some of the most remarkable cards in the package were non-Orioles.  There were 4 of the orange parallel cards from 2013 Panini Cooperstown.  The scan didn't really do the Newhouser card justice, but trust me when I tell you, they look nice in person.  The Newhouser card is numbered 290/325.  He is one of those guys, who a lot of folks don't realize is a Hall of Famer.  His two AL MVP awards as a pitcher are a huge reason why, but he definitely was a great pitcher in his day.

Joey caught me way off guard with this card.  This is a Yankee Stadium Legacy relic card of Paul O'Neill.  O'Neill is definitely one of those great Yankee players.  While I have a huge disdain for the Bronx Bombers, O'Neill always had my respect.  He was just a good ballplayer.  I have his auto, given to me by my sister-in-law, since they share a relation (I believe he is married to her cousin).

I really appreciate the package, Joey.  Thanks so much, but more importantly, thanks for being a good friend.

Another Birthday Present - Paul O'Neill Auto

My brother's girlfriend, Gina, totally surprised me when she got on the phone with me last weekend and told me that she got me a birthday present. I have not had too many opportunities to get to know her, but the weekend before, we sat on the golf cart at the racetrack for a while and had a very good conversation. I knew that she was a bit of a baseball fan, since she told me the first time I met her. She also told me that one of her cousins married former Reds and Yankee great Paul O'Neill.
According to Gina, O'Neill doesn't sign a whole lot anymore, but she was able to make a call and pull some strings. I like the card that it is on too, the mid 90's Stadium Club cards always had a nice look to them, and this one scanned really well.

I really appreciated this unexpected gift. I always respected Paul O'Neill as a player, even though he played for the Yankees. He was definitely a team leader and one of the main reasons the Yankees won their championships in the 1990s. I definitely think he should have gotten more support for the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the present, Gina, I really appreciate it. I hope this blog entry does it a little bit of justice :)