TTM Success - Montana DuRapau

This random 2019 Topps Update was pulled from my box and sent out TTM to Montana DuRapau.  I had never heard of him before, so it was a good TTM to try to get done.

DuRapau (b. 1992) played in the majors in 2019 for the Pirates.  He went 0-1 with 22 strike outs and a 9.35 ERA.

I mailed to DuRapau on August 10 and got the card back on December 19, for a 131-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Roy Face

Here is another TTM success from Roy Face.  I figured I was done bothering him, but I found a stack of 1990 Swell baseball cards in a box, so I sent his out to him.  

I also got this cool Fleer Pirates sticker signed.  

Face is 95 years old and still signs regularly.  I have gotten him on some good stuff several times, and I have some friends who have also sent in some nice cards.  I'm glad he is still able to interact with fans at that age.

I mailed to Face on October 28 and got the cards back on November 11, for a 13-day TAT. 

Set Complete - 2022 Topps

With some time taken off to celebrate my birthday, I have been trying to catch up on a few things.  One of which was sorting my 2022 Topps Series 2 cards.  I finally got that done last night, and have put the completed set away.  I have an extra hand collated set that I'd be willing to sell for $60.00 + shipping.  In case anyone was wondering.  I also have a few other hand collated sets, as well as a few factory sealed sets.  The factory sealed ones would be a little higher than the hand collated ones.  If anyone is interested, please shoot me an email and we can work it out.

I'm glad I can finally put this set away and clear off that space on my desk.  I can also look through the Series 2 stuff and see if any of those guys sign TTM and maybe get a few out while I'm off.

2022 National Pickup - Barry Bonds Signed Ball

A signed ball, albeit controversial, has been added to my collection.  Barry Bonds is a very polarizing entity in the world of baseball, but if I had the chance to add him to my signed baseball collection at a great price, I sure was going to take it.

I bundled this ball with the purchase of a Hank Aaron (isn't it ironic, don't ya think? Yeah I probably didn't use that right, either) for a friend. 

Still, I didn't have Bonds in my collection, but now I do.  The ball is a 1994 All Star baseball from when the game was in Pittsburgh.  I love the yellow and black stitching.  I had a chance to get a steal on a Ken Griffey, Jr. signed All Star ball just like this one years ago at a National, but I let it pass.  I regretted not picking up that ball.  When I saw this one and was able to get the guy to quote me a great price, I had to take it.  The autograph is also PSA authenticated.

TTM Success - Endy Rodriguez

There was a post on Facebook that I had seen where a few Pirates minor league players were rooming together, and would accept some cash to sign some cards.  I took advantage of the offer and sent these two cards to Pirates prospect, Endy Rodriguez.  He signed the above 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome and the below 2021 Bowman Draft.

Rodriguez (b. 2000) was an international signing by the Mets.  He has played in the minors since 2018, for the Mets and Pirates.  He has reached A ball, and has 171 hits, 19 home runs and a .288 batting average in the minors so far.  I imagine he will start the season at Greensboro, which would give me an opportunity to see him play in person.

I mailed to Rodriguez on January 21 and got the cards back on February 14, for a 24-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Bill Mazeroski

Bill Mazeroski has been signing TTM consistently for a good bit now that he has moved from wherever he was previously.  I had seen a bunch of people get him back, so I decided to try my hand at it, as well.  Then, I got a RTS.  The same address everyone else was using, and my envelope came back with the dreaded yellow sticker.  Dang.  I tossed the cards in a box I have been filling up that, once full, will be yard sale fodder.  

One of my buddies got him back a while later and confirmed that same address for me, so I dug these two cards back out of the box (took forever to find them, of course), and I sent them off again.  This time around, I was successful and have two really great cards that I can add to the album.

The card at the top is a 2019 Topps 150 Years of Baseball insert, and turned out amazing.  The above 2001 Topps Golden Moments card is also great, and I am glad I was able to get it signed.  I missed out on getting the Bobby Thompson card signed, but I did get Hank Aaron.  This is a pretty cool subset and I may come off of some money to add a few more of these to my collection.

Mazeroski (b. 1936) is now 85 years old and one of the oldest living Hall of Famers.  He played 17 years in the majors (from 1956 to 1972), all for the Pirates.  He had 2,016 hits, 138 home runs and a .260 batting average.  He was a 10-time All Star (1958 to 1960, 1962 to 1964 and 196, with double honors in 1959, 1960 and 1962).  His best MVP finish was 8th in 1958.  He was also an 8-time Gold Glove Award winner.  He won the World Series in 1960 and 1971; his home run in the 7th game of the 1960 World Series is the moment shown on both of the cards I sent.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001 via the Veterans Committee.

I mailed to Mazeroski on March 27 and got the cards back on April 12, for a 16-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Logan Hofmann

A TTM request to Canada is what it took for me to get this 2020 Bowman Draft card signed by Logan Hoffman.  The card looks great, and it only took an international stamp and a few bucks included so he could pay for postage to send it back.

Hofmann (b. 1999) was a 5th round pick by the Pirates in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of Northwestern Louisiana State University.  He has pitched in 6 games so far this season for the Low A Bradenton Marauders.  He is 1-0 with 21 strike outs and a 2.03 ERA.

I mailed to Hofmann on January 6 and got the card back on February 11, for a 36-day TAT.

TTM Success - Quinn Priester

Here are a couple cards that I was able to get signed by Pirates prospect, Quin n Priester.  My friend, Max, played against him and told me that he is the real deal, so that was pretty cool.  After he told me, I sent Max a couple extra Priester cards that I had, so he could send TTM to him as well.

I was able to get a 2020 Topps Pro Debut and a 2019 Panini Prizm signed by Priester, and both cards look great.

Priester (b. 2000) was a First Round (18th overall) pick by the Pirates in the 2019 June Amateur Draft out of an Illinois High School.  He pitched in Low A and Rookie Ball in the Pirates system in 2019.  He went 1-1 with 41 strike outs and a 3.19 ERA.

I mailed to Priester on September 2 and got the cards back on January 5, for a 125-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brad Eldred

Here is an older Bowman Chrome that I was able to get signed TTM by Brad Eldred.  The card is a 2004 Bowman Chrome and turned out pretty well.  I prepped it with baby powder, and it didn't mess the card up too bad.  I had been having some issues with the older chromes that may have gotten hot in the past and messed up the UV protection.  Just a guess.  This one turned out ok, though.

Eldred (b. 1980) played in the majors in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012 for the Pirates, Rockies and Tigers.  He had 56 hits, 15 home runs and a .203 batting average.

I mailed to Eldred on December 15 and got the card back on December 28, for a 13-day TAT

TTM Success - Phil Coyne

I got a couple cards signed TTM by longtime Pirates usher, Phil Coyne.  He is currently 102 years old, and was an usher for the Pirates for 81 years, across three stadiums (Forbes Field, Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park).  He was featured on this 2018 Topps Allen & Ginter when he turned 100.

I also got Coyne to sign this 2010 Topps Pirates team card.

I mailed to Coyne on November 16 and got the cards back on November 24, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - James Marvel

I got some nice, recent cards signed TTM by James Marvel.  The above 2020 Topps gold turned out awesome.  I skipped sending his base 2020 in favor of the gold, and I'm glad I did.  I can always try him again; maybe at Spring Training.

I also got this 2019 Heritage Minors innings leaders card signed.  I doubt I'll try for the other guys, but you never know.

Marvel (b. 1993) played in the majors in 2019 for the Pirates.  He didn't play in the majors last season.  He has a record of 0-3 with 9 strike outs and a 8.31 ERA.

I mailed to Marvel on October 7 and got the cards back on November 3, for a 7-day TAT.  He kept my 2019 Bowman Platinum.

Another TTM Success From Dave Parker

I wasn't going to bother Dave Parker again with another TTM request, but I found a couple of his rookie cards at a card show for a great price, so I picked them up.  I sent one to my buddy, Nate, and I sent the other to Parker to be signed and added to my autograph album.

The 1974 Topps looks great, and I am glad I sent it off to be signed.  I mailed the card on October 13 via PastPros and got the card back on October 27, for a 14-day TAT.  With PastPros fees, I paid a total of $23.50 for the autograph.

TTM Success - Bryan Bullington

These cards have been living in my rookies box since probably 2006 when I originally pulled them.  I saw that Bryan Bullington was signing, so I got these out of the box, and sent them on their way.  The above 2006 Topps Opening Day is a nice card; the foil just doesn't show up all that well in the scan.

I also get the 2006 Topps Bazooka base and blue parallel signed.

Bullington (b. 1980) played in the majors in 2005 and from 2007 to 2010 for the Pirates, Indians, Blue Jays and Royals.  He had a career record of 1-9 with 54 strike outs and a 5.62 ERA.  He was the first overall pick in the 2002 June Amateur Draft by the Pirates.

I mailed to Bullington on July 16 and got the cards back on October 5, for an 81-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jose Tabata

I got some cards from the 2010s out of my boxes with this TTM success from Jose Tabata.  The above 2012 Topps turned out really well.  I like the scoreboard backdrop behind Tabata, and how it matches up with the Pirates colors on the card.

Tabata also signed a 2010 Topps Update and a 2013 Topps for me.  His Sharpie of choice was a light blue, but I think it still looks good on the cards.

Tabata (b. 1988) played in the majors from 2010 to 2015 for the Pirates.  He had 438 hits, 17 home runs and a .275 batting average.

I mailed to Tabata on July 21 and got the cards back on August 3, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Gorski

I was able to get some recent prospect cards signed with this TTM success from Pirates prospect, Matt Gorski.

He signed the above 2019 Bowman Draft and the below 2020 Pro Debut for me in blue, and they look nice.

Gorski (b. 1997) was a second round pick in the 2019 June Amateur Draft by the Pirates out of Indiana University - Bloomington.  He has only played in Low A ball (West Virginia Black Bears) so far and has 32 hits, 3 home runs and a .223 batting average.

I mailed to Gorski on July 21 and got the cards back on July 28, for a 7-day TAT.

Ebay Pickup For The 87 Set - Bobby Bonilla

I cashed in my Speedway points for a $25 Ebay gift card, and also had some EBay Bucks that I could use.  With that stuff, and an additional $10.00, I picked up three cards for my 1987 set of some tougher autos.

Bobby Bonilla has no need to raise money by doing signings.  He hasn't signed TTM in about 5 years, and who knows if he will again.  So, with my little bit of money, I went ahead and picked up a signed 1987 Topps, so I could go ahead and cross it off of my list.

Bonilla (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 2001 for the White Sox, Pirates, Mets, Orioles, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals.  He had 2,010 hits, 287 home runs and a .279 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Marlins in 1997, and was a 6-time All Star (1988 to 1991, 1993 and 1995).  His best MVP finish was 2nd in 1990 (NL, to teammate, Barry Bonds).

Bonilla appeared on the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.4% of the vote.

Another TTM Success From Roy Face

In an effort to clear some more cards out of my boxes, I pulled a bunch of stadium and team history cards out for use when sending to older players who I may not have many cards of.

I had sent to Roy Face in the past, but I thought this 2010 Topps Pirates Franchise History card would look cool when signed. It does. I have a bunch more of the history cards, so hopefully I can find some more folks to send them to.

I mailed to Face on May 6 and got the card back on May 14, for an 8-day TAT.

Spring Training Autos From Gerard

Before the world ended, my friend, Gerard was able to get a few autos from Spring Training.  He had gotten to Florida right when things with the Corona Virus were just taking hold.  The Orioles and Twins had just enacted "No Fan Interaction" policies and were tossing pre-signed baseballs into the stands.

Gerard had much better luck with the Pirates minor leaguers that he saw, so thankfully, all of the work I put into getting cards together for him wasn't completely in vain.

The above 2019 Bowman Chrome sparkle parallel of Travis Swaggerty made my day when I saw it.  I pulled it out of a pack and was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it signed.  It looks really cool, and I am so glad Gerard nailed this one.

This 2018 Bowman Sterling insert of Swaggerty also turned out well.  This was another card that I kept seeing in my box, but I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get signed.

Gerard was able to get every Swaggerty that I sent signed.  He was able to keep a good many for himself, as well.

Gerard was able to hit almost every Pirates prospect that I had sent, with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 guys.  I was especially happy to get some of the Sally League all star and top prospect set cards done, as once those guys have passed through the Carolinas, I have a hard time seeing them.

I had a ton of Conner Uselton.  Gerard got every one of them done.  I like the three above because they look like one of those puzzle images where you have to find the differences in each photo.

Gerard struck out on the Orioles when he saw them, with the exception of soon-to-be Norfolk coach, Sean Berry.  I had been stockpiling Berry cards ever since he was named to Norfolk's coaching staff.  I was glad to get some of these out of my box, for sure.

This 1995 Topps of Sean Berry turned out nicely.

Finally, Gerard hooked me up with a baseball that he signed himself, including a coronavirus hashtag.  I might look back on this ball some day and it could be a pretty huge historical event.  Especially if the season is delayed any farther.

The ticket was from Adley Rutschmann's first Spring hit, I believe.  Gerard told me, but I forgot what he said.

Thanks so much for the autos, Gerard.  I hope you used enough hand sanitizer and are able to get back home safely.

TTM Success - Tike Redman

These two cards from Tike Redman turned out really well, I think.  I saw that he was signing TTM, and picked the above 2002 Bowman up from my LCS.

This 2004 Topps was in one of the sets I picked up from the LCS that he was just going to throw out.  I'm glad I got it, because I have been able to add some more 2004s to my autograph album.

Redman (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2001, 2003 to 2005 and 2007 for the Pirates and Orioles.  He had 385 hits, 17 home runs and a .281 batting average.

I mailed to Redman on January 15 and got the cards back on January 27, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Cal Mitchell

I have been getting more and more signed cards back from prospects lately, as opposed to the past players that I have been accustomed to.  I want to continue to add to my album, and also take cards out of my boxes, especially of guys I won't normally see in person.  These Cal Mitchell cards turned out really well.

Mitchell (b. 1999) was a second round pick by the Pirates in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of high school.  He has reached the Pirates High A team, and across three minor league seasons, has 276 hits, 27 home runs and a .262 batting average.

I mailed to Mitchell on December 17 and got the cards back on December 31, for a 14-day TAT.  He signed 2 of the 4 cards that I sent.  He returned the other two unsigned.