Bout Dang Time

My 174th Hall of Famer on a baseball is someone I've advocated to get into the Hall for quite some time.  Dave Parker finally got in via the Veterans Committee this past December.  It's about time.  Parker is battling Parkinson's, so it is especially good to see him get the call while he is still living. 

I may upgrade my ball at some point and get one with a HOF inscription, but above is one I got in 2012 via TTM. Congratulations to the Cobra for finally getting into the Hall of Fame. 

2024 National Pickup - Derek Jeter Signed Baseball

While it has taken me some time to finally clean out my stuff from the 2024 National, I am ashamed to say that I completely forgot to post this signed baseball that I picked up at the show.  I got this ball on the last day of the show, and probably overpaid a bit.  Still, I am glad to cross Derek Jeter off of my list.  I'm not a fan of how high his prices are; I've always contended that had Jeter played for someone like, say, the Royals, he would be held in the same regard as Paul Molitor.  A great player, a Hall of Famer, sure, but not the legend that folks make Jeter out to be.  That may be a little bit of my dislike for the Yankees shining through, but I feel like I am not alone in this sentiment.

Anyway, Jeter (b. 1974) played in the majors from 1995 to 2014 for the Yankees.  He was a part of the late 90s Yankee dynasty that won the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 World Series.  He also won the World Series in 2009.  He had 3,465 hits (leading the league twice), 260 home runs and a .310 career batting average (with 12 seasons of batting .300 or better; ok that's actually pretty dang good).  He never won an MVP award (the horror!), finishing second in 2006 and third in 1998 and 2009.  For those that care, he had a career 71.3 WAR, according to baseball-reference's metrics.

Jeter was a 14-time All Star (1998 to 2002, 2004, 2006 to 2012 and 2014) and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2006 to 2009 and 2012).  He was the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year and 2000 World Series MVP.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020, his first ballot, with 99.7% of the vote.  No, I don't have a vote, but even I, with my disdain for Jeter, am not dumb enough to say he didn't deserve to get in.  The argument against not voting for someone it a different discussion for a different day, but even I know he is definitely a Hall of Famer.  Duh.

Somewhere along the line, I messed up my HOF count, so in my estimation, Jeter is my 173rd Hall of Famer on a baseball.  That would also make it necessary to say that Dave Parker getting in last month puts him (Parker) as #174.  Hopefully I remember that, and can audit my numbers accordingly.

2024 National Pickup - Fred McGriff Signed Baseball

Another Hall of Famer on a baseball was added to my collection at this year's National when I picked up this ball signed by Fred McGriff.  I had met McGriff a few years ago in Danville, but couldn't get him to sign.  So, I passed on paying the premium to meet him and bought this ball at a good price.

McGriff (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 2004 for the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers.  He had 2,490 hits, 493 home runs and a .294 batting average.  He was a 5-time All Star (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2000) and a 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1989, 1992 and 1993).  His best MVP finish was 4th (NL, 1993).  He won the World Series with the Braves in 1995.

McGriff was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023 via the Veterans Committee.  McGriff is my 172nd Hall of Famer on a baseball.

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Peter Gammons

My good friend, Gerard, got this baseball signed for me by Hall of Fame sportswriter, Peter Gammons.  Gammons was a signer at a show near Boston, so Gerard took the ball for me and dropped it off so I could add another Hall of Famer to my collection.  My 173rd Hall of Famer on a baseball came as a result.  The ball turned out great, and Gammons added the HOF inscription for free.

Gammons (b. 1945), after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, joined the Boston Globe in 1969, covering the Red Sox and/or penning national baseball coverage from 1969 to 1975 and 1978 to 1986.  He worked for Sports Illustrated from 1976 to 1978 and 1986 to 1990.  He joined ESPN as an on-air baseball analyst, and worked there until 2009.  He was selected for the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing given by the Baseball Writers Association of America in 2005, enshrining him in the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for getting my ball signed, Gerard!

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Joe Castiglione

My good friend, Gerard, picked up this signed baseball for me of newly minted Hall of Famer, Joe Castiglione.  He was just named as the 2024 Ford Frick Award winner.  Gerard saw him at a recent card show.

Castiglione (b. 1947) has been the Red Sox radio announcer since 1983.  Prior to that, he capped games for the Brewers and Indians.

I had a chance to get Castiglione on a ball when I was in Boston in July and again in Baltimore in October.  I reacted too.slowly both times. Thankfully, Gerard got him for me and I can add a new Hall of Famer to the collection.  Castiglione is my 171st Hall of Famer on a baseball. Thanks Gerard!

Another TTM Success From Goose Gossage

Goose Gossage is about as automatic as you can get when it comes to someone signing TTM. One card is free and multiples are $5 a piece. I hadn't sent to him in a while, so I sent off this 1983 Fleer, which turned out great.

I've got several Gossage cards I want to send out, so I'll probably send another soon. I've got a friend who sends Gossage rookie cards out maybe once a month and has amassed a large collection of the signed rookies.  It's got one, that's all I need.

I mailed to Gossage on September 28 and got the card back on October 18, for a 20-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Jim Palmer

These Jim Palmer cards were left over from my trip to Baltimore. I talked to him but he wouldn't sign, so I sent them off TTM to go ahead and get them signed.  The above 2013 Panini Cooperstown card is a really nice parallel that I've had for a long time. 

I also got this 2010 Topps Tribute signed that turned out great.

I mailed to Palmer on October 3 and got the cards back on October 14, for an 11-day TAT.   I paid his fee of $10/card.

TTM Success - Dennis Eckersley

This 2005 Donruss Throwback Threads came back signed from Hall of Famer, Dennis Eckersley recently.  I found the card in a box and thought it would be a good one to send out to Eckersley, since he has been signing.  Yeah, the card is a bit dark, but it still looks good.

I mailed to Eckersley on August 14 and got the card back on September 18, for a 35-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $20/card.

Another TTM Success From Bill Mazeroski

Here is another card signed by Hall of Famer, Bill Mazeroski.  I had found the card in my boxes from Conrad and figured I'd send it out to be signed.  The card turned out nice.  It's a 1971 Topps that was in decent enough shape.  Those cards are hard to keep in mint condition due to the black borders.

I mailed to Mazeroski on June 1 and got the card back on June 10, for a 9-day TAT. I paid his $10.00 fee.

2023 National Paid Signer - Scott Rolen

The next paid signer I got at the National added the 170th Hall of Famer on a ball to my collection.  Scott Rolen was recently inducted to the Hall, so when he was added to the autograph lineup, I went ahead and crossed him off of my list.

Rolen (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1996 to 2012 for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds.  He had 2,077 hits, 316 home runs and a .281 batting average.  He was a 7-time All Star (2002 through 2006, 2010.and 2011) and an 8-time Gold Glove Award winner.  He was the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year.  He won the World Series in 2006 with the Cardinals.  

Rolen was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023, on his 6th ballot with 76.3% of the vote.

Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Tony Oliva

My buddy, Drake, hooked me up big time when he was able to get a baseball signed first me at Spring Training by Hall of Famer, Tony Oliva.

Drake was pretty sure he would see Oliva, so he took an OMLB ball from me to try to add Oliva to the collection.

Oliva ended up swapping out my ball for a Spring Training logo ball; Drake was upset thinking I'd be mad about the switch.  I'm actually really happy about it, because I didn't have a Spring Training ball in the collection.  Crisis averted.

Oliva (b. 1938) played in the majors from 1962 to 1976 for the Twins.  He had 1,917 hits, 220 home runs and a .304 batting average.  He was the AL batting champ in 1964, 1965 and 1971.  He hit over .300 in 7 seasons.  He was an All Star 8 times (1964 to 1971).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2022 when he was selected by the Veterans Committee.  Oliva is my 169th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

Another TTM Success From Bill Mazeroski

While going through a box of cards that I picked up from a show in Virginia last year, I found an assortment of Upper Deck cards from a set for the Ken Burns Baseball documentary.  The cards are all like the one above, printed in a blue tint, and have some nice photography.  I saw this Bill Mazeroski and wanted to get it signed and into my autograph album.  I had a couple other cards of his put aside for my next TTM attempt with him, and picked one from the bunch to include with the Burns card.

I liked this 2017 Panini Diamond Kings card, and wanted to get one of these into my autograph album.  I included the card, along with Mazeroski's fee for both cards and sent them along.

Both cards turned out great.  I really love the Ken Burns set, and have a couple other cards from there that I want to get signed and into the album.

I mailed to Mazeroski on January 6 and got the cards back on January 23, for a 17-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $10.00/card.

Cubs Convention and Christmas From Max

Finding folks who "get me" as far as collecting goes can be tough at times.  One person who really does, is my good friend, Max.  Like me, he enjoys getting stuff signed, and our continued partnership has resulted in me passing off a ton of cards to him; with him returning several back to me signed, so I can add them to the autograph albums.  Max has been a tremendous help in getting my boxes condensed down every season.  I always enjoy his messages asking me for cards of lists of current and former players.  It keeps stuff cycling out of the boxes, and keeps me from being crushed under an avalanche of junk wax era stuff.  Recently, Max sent me the attendance list for this year's Cubs Convention.  I searched my boxes and came up with two large packages (and almost had a third, before we ran out of time) of cards for the event.  Additionally, Max took one of my ROMLBs that I have and got newly minted Hall of Famer, Pat Hughes, on a ball for my Hall of Fame collection.

Max took a lot of cards that I had tried to get signed via 50/50s this summer.  So, it was easy to go through the Box of Shame and try one more time to get a few of the guys that my 50/50 partners may have missed.  Owen Caissie was one of them.  I had held onto the above Panini Prizm for a while, hoping that I would see Caissie via Myrtle Beach.  I think I got this at a card show during COVID.

I pulled several Ray Burris cards (and found even more this week while going through my boxes I just got in from Conrad in Columbia).  I was glad to get some of these random Topps cards signed.

Max has gotten me Bob Dernier a few times before, so I wasn't sure which of these that I already had.  They'll all go into the album together, with the rest of this 2023 Cubs Convention stack.

I thought I would have had a lot more Carlos Marmol cards, but I didn't find nearly as many of them as I would have thought.  I did find a lot of Ryan Sweeney, so it was nice to move those out of the boxes.

Max hit some of the random Cubs team cards I sent; these two were signed by Jon Lieber.  Even though I will put these in the album with each other, they are labeled on the back with sticky notes, so I don't forget who signed them.

I had gotten Lieber TTM in the past, so I need to check and see what cards I already have.  I was glad to see the two older Bowmans in the stack; they are 2006 and 2007 Bowman.

I had tried Reed Johnson TTM, but never got my cards back.  It was nice to be able to pull these out of the TTM leftovers pile and get them out.  I wish the ones I had sent him would have come back, as well.  Still, these are nice.

I was really happy to get the 2005 Donruss Champions card back signed.  This product was one of the first I purchased when I got back into collecting back in 2005.  I don't have many of them left, and even fewer in my autograph album.

Mike Fontenot was another guy who I had gotten TTM in the past, but I had gotten a 2002 Topps Traded Chrome; so these should be new to the albums.  I believe Max had gotten me a Geovany Soto or two in years past, but I think these three are ones I don't already have.

Max sent me a Christmas gift back in December, as well.  Unfortunately, I had no way to coordinate my needs list with my friends who were helping me build the set, so I got doubles of Tim Flannery and Jeff Hamilton.  The Flannery is in blue, so I will upgrade the set with this one, and the other will go in the regular autograph album with the Hamilton that Max sent.

Thank you doesn't say enough for how much Max helps me with the collection.  We are pushing 10 years of knowing each other (next year, I think), and I am very happy that we have been able to keep this thing going.  He is an awesome guy, and it has been really cool watching him grow up.  He has always been one of the best friends that I made during collecting and graphing.  I can't wait til the National this summer in Chicago, when I can see him in person, again.  As always, thank you so much for the cards and the Christmas gift, Max.  Also, thanks for making it so easy to cut these deals, I know there is a mutual give and take with me providing cards and you providing signatures, and it is really appreciated on my end.  Thank you, buddy!

By the way, Hughes is Hall of Famer #168 in my collection.  I haven't added a broadcaster in a while (and I have one that I still haven't posted, or counted.  I need to get on that...).

Christmas Gift From Mom - Lefty Grove Signed Baseball

Mom did it again.  She went and found a Hall of Famer that I needed, and proceeded to add a tough name to my Hall of Fame signed baseball collection.  Not only that, she allowed me to double up on a player who used to be my most coveted signature in the collection.  All of this from the above 1938 Boston Red Sox signed baseball.  The ball has a JSA full letter of authenticity and authenticates five of the ten signatures on the ball (Grove, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx (!!!!), Fritz Ostermuller and Doc Cramer.  I am going to try to identify the five other guys, but some of the signatures are terribly faded.  The ball has been shellacked, which hopefully will help the signatures stay in their current state.  She got the ball from Fanatics, so it has a really nice case it can stay in.

Grove (b. 1900 - d. 1975) played in the majors from 1925 to 1941 for the A's (Philadelphia) and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 300-141 with 2,266 strike outs and a 3.06 ERA.  He was the AL MVP in 1931 and won the World Series with the A's in 1929 and 1930.  That 1929 team was a 104-win team managed by Hall of Famer Connie Mack and featured Hall of Famers Grove, Foxx, Al Simmons, Eddie Collins and Mickey Cochrane.  The 1930 squad would win 102 games and featured those same future Hall of Famers.

When evaluating Hall of Fame statistics, most pundits like to look at the "Black Ink" meaning instances where a player led their respective league in a stat.  In his career of 17 seasons, Grove would lead the league in: Wins (4 times), Won-Loss % (5 times), ERA (9 times), Games Pitched (1 time), Games Started (1 time), complete games (3 times), shutouts (3 times), Saves (1 time!), walks (1 time), strike outs (7 times, all in a row), wild pitches (1 time), ERA+ (9 times) and so on.  His career WAR was 113.3 (6th all-time for pitchers).  According to baseball-reference.com, his "Black Ink" score is 111, or 3rd all-time for pitchers.  Walter Johnson is first all-time, followed by Grover Cleveland Alexander, then Lefty Grove.

Grove won 20 or more games eight times in his career.  He was a six-time All Star.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947 with 76.4% of the vote.  All of the above stats being considered, Grove was not elected on his first ballot, nor was he elected with a higher percentage that later pitchers would enjoy.  To be fair, his first appearance on the ballot was in 1936 when he was still playing, and also the election process was much different than it is today.

Grove broke into professional baseball in 1920 while playing for the Class D Martinsburg Mountaineers where he got the attention of Jack Dunn.  Dunn would give Martinsburg enough money for Grove's contract to replace their centerfield wall, buying his contract and making him a Baltimore Oriole.  This was when the Orioles were an independent minor league team.  Dunn would hold onto Grove's contract until selling it to Mack's Philadelphia A's for $100,600 in 1925 (just over a million dollars today), the highest amount ever at the time.

Thank you so much for this awesome baseball, Mom.  This is Hall of Famer number 167 in my collection.

TTM Success - Orlando Cepeda

When a Hall of Famer signs his mail as a decent price, I enjoy taking some cards of his and sending thiem off to be signed.  There are a handful of Hall of Famers who have been very prolific at signing, but one of them that I wasn't aware of was Orlando Cepeda.  It looks like Cepeda has signed a decent amount of mail recently, so when I saw that was the case, I dug out this awesome 2016 Stadium Club and sent it out.  Cepeda has been charging $20/card, which I believe is a great price for him.

Cepeda (b. 1937) played in the majors from 1958 to 1974 for the Giants, Cardinals, Braves, A's, Red Sox and Royals.  He had 2,351 hits, 379 home runs and a .297 batting average.  He was an 11-time All Star (1959 to 1962, when players could be chosen twice a year, 1963, 1964 and 1967).  He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1958 and the NL MVP in 1967.  He won the World Series in 1967 with the Cardinals.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, when he was selected via the Veterans Committee.

I mailed to Cepeda on October 8 and got the card back on October 24, for a 16-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Jim Palmer

My mom sent me 20 bucks on my birthday and asked me to let her know what I bought with the money.  I decided I would pull two more Jim Palmer cards out of my box and send them TTM to get signed, and here they are.  The above card is a 2001 Topps American Pie Decade Leaders.  This is a really nice card; I enjoy the colors on the card, and it will look great in my album.

This card is a 1981 Perma-Graphic Superstars Credit Card that I found at the National.  I had never seen these before, so I picked up a few from a bargain box (not sure if it was a dime box or not).  I had also grabbed a Johnny Bench for his signing in August, but that was canceled.

I mailed to Palmer on September 19 and got the cards back on October 13, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $10.00/card.  Thanks for the birthday money, Mom!

2022 National Pickup - Roy Campanella Signed Baseball

While cleaning out my backpack from the National, I realized that I forgot to post a few of the baseballs I picked up, most importantly, this one signed by Hall of Famer, Roy Campanella.  I don't know how I missed it; I really thought I had already posted it.  Anyway, I got a great deal on it and was glad it was a pre-accident signature.

Campanella (b. 1921 - d. 1993) played in the majors from 1948 until 1957 for the Dodgers.  A car accident in January 1958 left him paralyzed.  He had 1,161 hits, 242 home runs and a .276 batting average.

He was an All Star from 1949 to 1956 and a three-time NL MVP (1951, 1953 and 1955).  He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1955.

Campanella was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969 (his 7th ballot, includong two run-offs) with 79.4% of the vote.

Campanella is my 166th Hall of Famer on a baseball.

2022 National Paid Signer - Jack Morris

The other paid signer that I needed for my signed 1987 Topps set was Hall of Famer, Jack Morris.  He wasn't too talkative when I went through his line; just kind of gruff, really.  I didn't bother him with a selfie.  I just wanted my card signed so I can add it to the set, which is what I did.

I wish there had been a few more of the 87 guys that I needed, but the list is getting tight.  I have a couple private signings out, then it'll be slow going the rest of the way.

2022 National Pickup - Travis Jackson Signed Baseball

Hall of Famer #165 was added to my collection at the National as part of two big pickups. I had been keeping an eye on Travis Jackson baseballs for a long time and I found this one lower than what I had seen elsewhere. The signature is great, as is the ball.

Jackson (b. 1903 - d. 1987) played in the majors from 1922 to 1936 for the Giants.  He had 1,768 hits, 135 home runs and a .291 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1934 and his best finish in the NL MVP race was 4th, also in 1934.  He won the World Series with the Giants in 1933.  Jackson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 via the Veterans Committee.

A quick glance at Jackson's stats definitely make you wonder why he is in the Hall of Fame.  It turns out, he was regarded as the best shortstop of his era.  That makes a lot more sense; his career fielding percentage is .952 and his career defensive WAR 31st all time.  Injuries kept him off of the field for a good chunk of his career, otherwise, his offensive stats may have been higher.

In all, I am very happy that I added this Hall of Famer to my collection, even though no one knows who he is when I talk about him.

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.