Another TTM Success From Whitey Herzog

While going through some stacks of cards and preparing for the National, I was reminded that I had thos 2020 Topps Chrome Decades Best card of the 1980s Cardinals. I figured I would go ahead and send it off to Whitey Herzog and get him to sign it. The card turned out great. I'll loom for the other guys via signings soon. 

I mailed to Herzog on June 10 and got the card on June 18, for an 8-day TAT. I paid his $5 fee.

TTM Success - Mike Matheny

The signature on this 1997 Topps isn't too easy to see, but it is there, and looks good in person.  I made sure to include this card in the TTM request I sent to Mike Matheny via Royals Spring Training this year, because I rarely am able to send them out, and wanted to get this one done because it is a good shot of Matheny.

I also sent these two along; 2001 Topps and 2003 Topps.  Both look great.

Matheny (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1994 to 2006 for the Brewers, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Giants.  He had 925 hits, 67 home runs and a .239 batting average.  He was a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005).

Matheny managed the Cardinals from 2012 to 2018 and has managed the Royals since 2020.  He holds (as of today) a managerial record of 677-582 (.538 win %).  He won the NL pennant in 2013, where his Cardinals lost to the Red Sox in the World Series.

I mailed to Matheny via Royals Spring Training on February 11 and got the cards back on March 27, for a 44-day TAT.

2021 National Pickup - Dizzy Dean Signed Baseball

The main reason I even looked at this ball at the National was because I missed out on another ball from the same seller that was signed by Dizzy Dean.  I had talked with Andrew as we walked around the show the first day about how it would be nice to cross Dizzy Dean off of my list.  I had seen a ball for a good price that was signed by Dean, Sandy Koufax and Pee Wee Reese.  I made a note of where it was, and watched it for a few days.  When I was ready to pull the trigger on the ball, I went to where I saw it, and the ball had sold.  The seller then showed me this one, signed by Dean, and the two other guys I needed.  It was a bit more, but I had knocked some credit cards down over the COVID lockdowns, and had a little room to spend.  So, I wouldn't let this one get away.

Dean (b. 1910 - d. 1974) played in the majors in 1930, from 1932 to 1941 and 1947 for the Cardinals, Cubs and Browns.  He had a career record of 150-83 with 1,163 strike outs and a 3.02 ERA.  He led the league in wins in 1934 (30) and 1935 (28) and strikeouts from 1932 to 1935 (191, 199, 195, and 190, respectively).  He was the NL MVP in 1934 and finished second in the NL MVP voting in 1935 and 1936.  He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 1934.  He also was a 4-time All Star (1934 to 1937).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953, after appearing on 11 various ballots.

Dizzy Dean died in 1974 from a heart attack.  He is my 157th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

2021 National Pickup - Frankie Frisch Signed Baseball

The second of three signatures on the Cardinals old timers ball that I needed in my collection was that of Frankie Frisch.  Frisch signed the sweet spot of the ball, with a really nice signature.  I didn't mention before, but this ball has a JSA full letter of authenticity, and I got it for an amazing price.  I couldn't turn it down.  The ball now resided in my safe deposit box in my bank.

Frisch (b. 1898 - d. 1973) played in the majors from 1919 to 1937 for the Giants and Cardinals.  He had 2,880 hits. 105 home runs and a .316 batting average.  He was a three-time All Star (1933, 34 and 35) and the 1931 NL MVP.  He won the World Series in 1921 and 1922 with the Giants and 1931 and 1934 with the Cardinals.  

Frisch managed the Cardinals from 1933 to 1938, winning the 1934 World Series.  Then, he moved on to the Pirates and managed there from 1940 to 1946, never finishing higher than 2nd; finally, he went to the Cubs and managed from 1949 to 1951.  In all, his managerial record was 1,138-1,078 (.514 win %).

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947, when he was named on 84.5% of the ballot.

Frisch died at the age of 74 from injuries sustained in a car accident a month earlier, a similar manner of death as other former Giant Hall of Famers, Carl Hubbell and Mel Ott.

Frisch is my 156th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

2021 National Pickup - Joe Medwick Signed Baseball

There are many timed where I have gone to shows or seen items on Ebay that I wanted, only to see them get sold before I could pull the trigger.  I had been watching a ball at the National for the first couple of days, and when I went by there on Saturday, the ball was gone.  The dealer had another ball, for a little bit higher of a price that I didn't look at before.  This ball had six Hall of Famers (as opposed to only three), and three of them were guys I needed for my collection.  So, it turned out that my reluctance to buy the original ball paid off.

I added this ball, which was signed by several Cardinals "old timers" back in the early 70s.  It has six Hall of Famers.  The three on the ball that I already had were Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter and Johnny Mize.  

Joe Medwick (b. 1911 - d. 1975) was a player who I have been wanting to add to my collection for a long time.  He is one of those Hall of Famers who doesn't stand out on the surface (like Stan Musial, for example), but when you look at his numbers, he was a pretty good ball player.

The 1937 NL MVP and a 10-time All Star (1934-1940, 1941, 1942 and 1944; he had 2,471 hits, 205 home runs and a .324 batting average.  He was the NL batting champion in 1937 when he hit .374.  He had 11 seasons where he hit .300 or more.  He had 3 seasons with 220 or more hits.  He was the Triple Crown winner in 1937.

Medwick played from 1932 to 1948 for the Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants and Braves.  He won the 1934 World Series with the Cardinals.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, his 11th time on the ballot (including two run-offs).  

Medwick was hired as a hitting instructor for the Cardinals minor leagues in 1966.  During Spring Training in 1975, Medwick had a heart attack and died in St. Petersburg Florida.

Medwick becomes my 155th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

2021 National Signer - Ted Simmons

Another of the signers I paid to see was newly minted Hall of Famer, Ted Simmons.  I had already gotten on my 1987 Topps, but I needed him on a baseball for the Hall of Fame collection.  My 153rd Hall of Famer, Simmons was really nice.  I wish there wasn't an additional fee for him to put HOF on the ball, but Tristar likes their money.

Simmons (b. 1949) played in the majors from 1968 to 1988 for the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves.  He had 2,472 hits, 248 home runs and a .285 batting average.  He was an 8-time All Star (1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1983) and his best MVP finish was 6th (NL, 1975).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020 by the Veterans Committee.  He had previously appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1994, but received only 3.7% of the vote.  That is a huge change of heart.  It seems that the writers didn't feel he deserved to get in, but other Hall of Famers thought otherwise.

TTM Success - Bo Hart

This 2004 Topps Bo Hart was liberated from a complete (almost) set that was being tossed out at my former LCS.  I couldn't let them just throw the cards away, so I was glad to take one of them off of their hands.  I pulled some cards out of the box of guys who signed, and this Hart was one of them.

Hart (b. 1976) played in the majors in 2003 and 2004 for the Cardinals.  He had 84 hits, 4 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Hart on December 18 and got the card back on March 8, for an 80-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rico Washington

Getting a 2008 Upper Deck card out of my box is always nice, since I seem to have a ton of them, and they usually are in the bottom of the card closet.  This one was signed TTM by Rico Washington and turned out nicely.  I generally like Topps stuff, borders and all, but there is something to be said about how nice a borderless card looks when signed.

Washington (b. 1978) was a 10th round draft pick out of high school by the Pirates in the 1997 June Amateur Draft.  He made the majors in 2008 for the Cardinals, the only season he played in the majors.  He had 3 hits, no home runs and a .158 batting average.  After his cup of coffee in the majors, he went to China to play ball in 2009.  After that, he played in the Independent League.

I mailed to Washington on November 16 and got the card back on February 26, for a 102-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tink Hence

I got another 2020 Bowman Draft card signed when I got this one back TTM from Tink Hence.  That's a pretty cool name, all-around, I think.  The card looks great and even better in my now 14th album.  I filled #13 up this weekend and moved on to #14.

Hence (b. 2002) was a 2nd round pick by the Cardinals in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Watson Chapel High School in Arkansas.  Due to the pandemic, he didn't play in organized ball this past season.  Interesting to see where the Cardinals start him out in his minor league career.

I mailed to Hence on January 4 and got the card back on January 13, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Randy Choate

Here are a couple nice Topps Update cards that I was able to get signed TTM by Randy Choate.  The above 2012 Topps Update card looks nice, with the Marlins logo and color scheme.  I believe 2012 was the first year with this Marlins concept, and the colors look nice, I think.  The Marlins switched over from "Florida" to "Miami" for the 2012 season, and revamped their colors and logo.  I think their colors always pop on cards, but these are extra flashy/

This 2013 Topps Update of Choate is more of a back-to-basics color scheme.  I've always said, red looks really good on a card, and this one has a lot of it.  The card is sharp, and looks nice signed.

Choate (b. 1975) played in the majors from 2000 to 2007 and 2009 to 2015 for the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rays, Marlins, Dodgers and Cardinals.  He had a career record of 16-14 with 348 strike outs and a 3.90 ERA.  He won the World Series with the Yankees in 2000.

I mailed to Choate on August 12 and got the cards back on October 31, for an 80-day TAT.

TTM Success - Andre Pallante

I added another 2019 Bowman Draft to my album with this TTM success from Andre Pallante.  He doesn't have much of a signature, but it still counts.

Pallante (b. 1998) was a 4th round pick by the Cardinals in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of the University of California - Irvine.  He pitched in 11 games for Low A State College in the NY-Penn league last year and had a 1-0 record with 38 strike outs and a 2.78 ERA.

I mailed to Pallante on August 6 and got the card back signed on August 15, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kolten Wong

I've really enjoyed getting current players via TTM lately.  A lot of them were signing during the baseball shutdown, and I was able to capitalize somewhat.  Kolten Wong is one of the players that I was able to get.  He signed some nice cards, like the above 2014 mini Future is Now card.

Wong also signed a 2014 Topps Chrome and a 2020 Topps Heritage.

Wong (b. 1990) has played in the majors since 2013 for the Cardinals.  He has 696 hits, 53 home runs and a .260 batting average.  He finished third in the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year voting, and 20th in the 2019 NL MVP voting.  He was also a Gold Glove Award winner last season.

I mailed to Wong on April 29 and got the cards back on July 3, for a 65-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lou Brock

Here and there, I will take part in a private signing, even if the subject isn't in the 1987 Topps set.  I pulled this Lou Brock short print last year when I was busting some 2019 Topps boxes, and knew I wanted to get it signed.  I had seen the listing for the signing, and sent my card off, then COVID hit.  I was forced to wait several months for the signing to take place, especially since Brock is a high risk candidate, as well.  The signing did finally take place, and the card looks awesome.

I like when the short prints look especially awesome.  Topps has been using great photos for their short prints, and this one is one of the better ones I have seen.  This will look amazing in my album, and I am glad I put the money down to do it.

I mailed to the signing on February 20 and got the card back on May 26, for a 96-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $39.00.  Not bad for a legendary Hall of Famer.

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 - Mike LaValliere

I have to keep my eye on the private signings list on SCN and jump on guys who I need for my set who don't sign all too often.  I was able to get Mike LaValliere on his base 1098 and Cardinals Leaders 1987 Topps already signed by Ray Soff.

I need to get Ozzie Smith on the above leaders card, and it will be complete.  I could have gotten him last month via a private signing, but I didn't pick it up in time.

LaValliere (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1984 to 1995 for the Phillies, Cardinals, Pirates and White Sox.  He had 663 hits, 18 home runs and a .268 batting average.  He was a Gold Glove Award winner in 1987.

I mailed to the signing on January 29 and got the cards back on March 12, for a 43-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $8/card.

TTM Success - Ryan Helsley

I like adding different kinds of cards to my autograph album.  I had hoped that when I busted a blaster box of 2019 Topps Holiday, that I would be able to get a few cards signed.  Thankfully, I got this Ryan Helsley back signed when I sent to him TTM.

Helsley also signed this 2017 Topps Heritage Minors.  I still have a good many 2017 Heritage Minors left in my minors box, but I had knocked the number down significantly over the years.

Helsley (b. 1994) pitched in the majors for the Cardinals in 2019.  He has a record of 2-0 with 32 strike outs and a 2.95 ERA.

I mailed to Helsley on January 6 and got the cards back on February 7, for a 32-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rob Kaminsky

I have talked on here a lot about getting cards out of my boxes and into my autograph album.  Something I really hate is pulling cards of players to either graph or send TTM, only to have to put them back after missing out on said player.  I have started a new box with these types of cards.  Since most of them are already sorted by player, it makes it a bit easier to find someone, in case I missed someone who came through Kinston, but is now on a AA or AAA team that I, or one of my friends will see.  So, all cards of guys that I have missed out on, or ones that went out for 50/50s, but came back unsigned will be put into the "Box of Shame."

One such player who was in the Box of Shame was Rob Kaminsky.  I had pulled his cards because I was going to see him, but for whatever reason, I missed him.  I found out that he signed TTM, so I was able to send off the cards I had pulled, and thankfully, they came back signed.  So, out of the Box of Shame and into the autograph album they go!

Kaminsky (b. 1994) was a first round pick (28th overall) by the Cardinals in the 2013 June Amateur Draft.  Over 7 seasons in the Cardinals and Indians systems, Kaminsky has a 29-21 record with 367 strike outs and a 2.82 ERA.

I mailed to Kaminsky on December 30 and got the cards back on January 21, for a 22-day TAT.

50/50s From Cardinals Caravan

My buddy, Carson, went to Cardinals Caravan and was able to get a few cards signed for me.  He was kind enough to take quite a few cards, and was fairly successful the first day he went.

Carson tried again a second day, but wasn't nearly as successful.  Still, he was able to get these three cards out of my boxes and have them signed, and I am really glad he did.

Signed 87 Topps Ken Dayley From Ray

Blog reader, Ray, hooked me up again with a signed 1987 Topps that I needed for my set, Ken Dayley.  I actually had sent TTM to Dayley several months ago, but the cards still haven't come back, so I was happy to see Ray's email in my inbox saying he could get Dayley for me.

Dayley (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1982 to 1991 and 1993 for the Braves, Cardinals and Blue Jays.  He had a 33-45 record, 406 strike outs and a 3.64 ERA.

Thanks so much for getting the card signed for me, Ray!

TTM Success - Kurt Kepshire

I went through my 80s box and pulled a few guys who sign TTM and came up with these Kurt Kepshire cards that I sent out.  The above 1985 Topps turned out really well.

I also got this 1986 Topps signed.  It also looks cool.  I was glad to get some of these cards out of the boxes.

Kepshire (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1984 to 1986 for the Cardinals.  He had a career record of 16-15 with 144 strike outs and a 4.16 ERA.

I mailed to Kepshire on November 4 and got the cards back on November 26, for a 22-day TAT.