Another TTM Success From Del Unser

I mistakenly sent to Del Unser again, having not realized that I sent to him back in June of 2017.  It was ok, though, because he signed these cards, and I had plenty to send.

I only doubled up on one card that I sent back then, a 1976 Topps.  Otherwise, I did pretty well in accidentally sending these out.  They all turned out well, and I'm happy I made this mistake.

I mailed to Unser on January 10, and got the cards back on January 19, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Art Mahaffey

This was a really cool TTM success.  Yeah, I'm happy I got this 1964 Topps card signed by Art Mahaffey, but it is the back of the card that was really intriguing.

I had gotten this card in a stack of vintage that was sent to me for Christmas by my friend, Gerard.  I didn't think much of the card at the time, other than that I was wondering if Mahaffey signed.  When I saw that he did, and I turned the card over for some reason, I discovered that a past owner of the card had written his name on the back.  From the looks of the handwriting, I believe this card once belonged to a kid.  Mike Fricks might have been maybe 10-11, or so, but he put his name on this card that is about to be secured in my autograph album.  I have no idea who the kid was, but I think that is kind of cool, to be honest.  Lots of folks would shy away from a card like this, since someone wrote on it.  Even I, a few years ago, might have bypassed it for a better version.  Now, though, I am really glad I was able to get it signed, and put it away.  Somewhere, I hope Mike Fricks knows that his once proud possession is tucked away safely, and it taken care of.

Mahaffey (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1960 to 1966 for the Phillies and Cardinals.  He had a record of 59-64 with 639 strike outs and a 4.17 ERA.  He was a three-time All Star and finished 26th in the 1962 N MVP voting.

I mailed to Mahaffey on January 2 and got the card back on January 19, for a 17-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $5.00.

TTM Success - Wes Chamberlain

When I got my TTM success back from Wes Chamberlain, I saw this 1991 Topps  that he marked up as can be seen above.  I actually thought it was really cool, so the card will also go into my autograph album.  I was told that Louir Meadows was pictured on the card.

I also got these cards signed.  His signature is really cool, and takes up a lot of the card.

Chamberlain (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1990 to 1995 for the Phillies and Red Sox.  He had 322 hits, 43 home runs and a .255 batting average.

I mailed to Chamberlain on Jannuary 10, and got the cards back on January 19, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Drew Henson

While I was at the LCS recently, I found some boxes of rookie cards from the early 2000s that I searched in order to find some guys who signed TTM.  One of those was former Yankee, Drew Henson.  I found several nice cards, and they turned out really well when I got them signed.

I liked the 2002 Bowman.  It was the thicker version, but the card was damaged when it got back to me.  Probably from when the envelope was processed at USPS.

Henson (b. 1980) played in the majors in 2002 and 2003 for the Yankees.  He had 1 hit, no home runs and a .111 batting average.

He was also a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2002 and also the Lions in 2008.  He played in 9 games (1 start) and threw for 98 yards and one touchdown.

I mailed to Henson on January 7 and got the cards back on January 19, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Corbin Burnes

I was happy when I saw that former Mudcat, Corbin Burnes, was signing TTM, because I still had a ton of his cards here.  I was especially happy to get this 2017 Carolina League Top Prospects card signed.  I doubt I will complete the set, but it is nice to get another from it signed.

I also was able to get my 2017 Mudcats team set card signed, along with a few 2018 cards.  He has already been called up to the Brewers, so I figure it might get a little tougher to get Burnes from here on out.

Burnes (b. 1994) made it to the Brewers last season and went 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 35 strike outs.  He was a 4th round pick in the 2016 Amateur Draft.

I mailed to Burnes on January 5 and got the cards back on January 19, for a 14-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Cliff Johnson

I had gotten him once before, but when I sent to Cliff Johnson a while back, my 1987 Topps came back unsigned.  I finally got around to sending to him again, and this time around, I got my 87 done.

I also sent this 1979 Topps, which I thought looked cool.

The 87 turned out well, I think.

I paid a fee of $5.00/card.  I mailed to Johnson on January 2, and got the cards back on January 18, for a 16-day TAT.

Mourning a Legend

I received the text message from my friend Michael that Frank Robinson had passed away right as I was getting on a conference call for work.  I didn't have much time to process the information while I was discussing work stuff, but it still hit me pretty hard.  I knew Frank wasn't doing well, but conflicting reports a few days ago at least gave me some optimism that he was better off than what I had initially feared.  Sadly, he succumbed to bone cancer today at the age of 83.

Frank was the last of the Orioles Hall of Famers that I hadn't "met".  I use quotations there, because I still count being shoulder bumped by Earl Weaver meeting him.

I was lucky enough that my good friend, Ryan, was working on an Orioles Hall of Fame project, and needed Frank on a baseball.  He paid for me to go to the signing at this past year's National, and I would be able to meet Frank in exchange for getting Ryan's ball signed.  I'm so glad I was able to take advantage of that opportunity.

For whatever reason, Frank is such an underappreciated baseball legend.  His 586 home runs were 4th all-time when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982 (alongside his good friend, Hank Aaron), and continue to be ranked 10th all-time.  He was a World Series winner in 1966 and 1970 with the Orioles.  He is the only player to win the MVP Award in both the AL and NL.  He was the Triple Crown winner in 1966.  He is part of one of the worst trades in MLB history, and he also turned the Orioles organization into a perennial contender.  He was the first African American manager in MLB.  Yet, when legends of baseball are discussed, Frank's name hardly ever comes up.  I'm not sure why, but that needs to change.

His number 20 is retired by the Orioles, and he has a statue in Camden Yards (and also in Cincinnati).  He was the 81st Hall of Famer on a baseball in my collection, thanks to my good friend, Drew.

This is the image I always want to remember Frank by.  Here he is at the 2018 National after having signed Ryan's baseball.  The autograph vouchers never come with photo-ops; you have to pay for those separately.  Still, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?  Well, the look Frank is giving me is right after I asked if he would pose for a photo.  A stone cold gaze, and then he dropped Ryan's ball on the table.  I was about to apologize profusely, when Frank grinned, and said "sure, come on."  The photo at the top of this post is the result.  He even shook my hand after and smiled.  I read later on that Frank had a sharp and biting sense of humor, and it was on full display here.

Furthermore, while I was waiting to have the ball signed, I saw Frank's wife sitting next to him looking bored.  All of the fans would greet Frank, tell him how great he was, how they were big fans, but no one would speak to her.  So, I said hello to her and asked her if she was having a good day.  It looked like it took her by surprise, but she thanked me for asking her.  She asked me my name, where I was from.  She told me her name, and what she did.  That she was enjoying the show.  She was such a super nice lady.  I can't help but think of her, and hope that she can find comfort and peace in this difficult time.  Her husband is no longer suffering from the bone cancer that took him so quickly.  He is definitely loved, and will be missed by the countless fans he won over the years.  I'm so happy that I got the opportunity to meet him (and her), and I will always remember him fondly.

Rest in peace, Frank, you truly are one of the all-time greats.

Thanks Ryan for buying the voucher that allowed me to meet him, and thanks Michael for the great photos.