TTM Success - Alejandro Kirk

Another Spring Training TTM success came back for me, this one of Alejandro Kirk.  I got a 2019 Topps Heritage Minors and a 2019 Bowman Draft signed by Kirk.

Kirk (b. 1998) has played in the majors since 2020 for the Blue Jays.  He has 49 hits, 9 home runs and a .259 batting average.

I mailed to Kirk via Blue Jays Spring Training on February 9 and got the cards back on May 13, for a 93-day TAT.

TTM Success - Duane Ward

Another 1987 Topps was scratched off of my list when I got this one back from a private signing with Duane Ward.

Ward (b. 1964) played in the majors from 1986 to 1993 and 1995 for the Blue Jays.  He had a career record of 32-37 with 679 strike outs and a 3.28 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1993 when he saved 45 games for the Blue Jays.  His best Cy Young (5th) and MVP (22nd) came that season.  He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993.

I mailed to the signing on January 4 and got the card back on February 20, for a 47-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00.

TTM Success - Juan Guzman

There aren't too many 1997 Topps in my autograph album, mainly because I have very few of those left over from when I built my 1997 Topps set.  So, when I'm able to find someone left in there who signs TTM, I try really hard to get one of those cards into the outgoing envelope.  I was really glad that I found this Juan Guzman to send off when I learned that he signed TTM.  The card looks great.

Guzman (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1991 to 2000 for the Blue Jays, Orioles, Reds and Devil Rays.  He had a career record of 91-79 with 1,243 strike outs and a 4.08 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1992 and won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993.  His best Cy Young finish was 7th (AL) in 1993.

I mailed to Guzman on September 8 and got the card back on February 8, for a 153-day TAT.

TTM Success - Willie Upshaw

Antother 1987 Topps team leaders card came off the list recently, when I took part in a private signing with Willie Upshaw.  I was able to finish this card that I had already gotten signed by George Bell.  Lots of folks thought that was Fred McGriff on the card, but it is definitely Upshaw, and now the card is complete.

Of course, I had to get Upshaw on his base card, as well, and it turned out great.

Upshaw (b. 1957) played in the majors in 1978 and from 1980 to 1988 for the Blue Jays and Indians.  He had 1,103 hits, 123 home runs and a .262 batting average.  His best MVP finish was 11th, in 1983.

I mailed to the signing on December 15 and got the cards back on January 23, for a 39-day TAT.  I forgot what I paid.

TTM Success - Lloyd Moseby

Another 1987 Topps came off the checklist when I got this Lloyd Moseby card signed via a private signing on SCN.  The card turned out great, and I was glad to get another one taken care of.

Moseby (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1980 to 1991 for the Blue Jays and Tigers.  He had 1,494 hits, 169 home runs and a .257 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1986 and won the Silver Slugger Award in 1983.  He finished a career-best 14th in the 1983 AL MVP race.

I mailed to the signing on September 22 and got the card back on October 17, for a 25-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Kyle Phillips

I added a 2010 Topps to my autograph album with this TTM success from Kyle Phillips.  He signed the card in red Sharpie, which you don't see a whole lot.  It'll probably fade after a while, but right now, it looks "different" and I suppose that's cool.

Phillips (b. 1984) played in the majors in 2009 and 2011 for the Blue Jays and Padres.  He had 18 hits, 2 home runs and a .191 batting average.

I mailed to Phillips on July 23 and got the card back on July 31, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jesse Barfield

Another private signing came among for my set, this one being former Blue Jay Jesse Barfield.  His autograph looks great on this card.

Barfield (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1981 to 1992 for the Blue Jays and Yankees.  He had 1,219 hits, 242 home runs and a .256 batting average.

He was an All Star in 1986, the season where he led the AL with 40 home runs.  He finished 5th in the AL MVP voting that season, while claiming Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.  He won another Gold Glove in 1987.

I mailed to the signing on June 4 and got the card back on July 13, for a 39-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Davie Stieb

Another private signing came along that helped me get a good name off of my checklist when I got this Dave Stieb.  The card turned out well.

Stieb (b. 1957) played in the majors from 1979 to 1993 and 1998 for the Blue Jays ad White Sox.  He had a career record of 176-137 with 1,669 strike outs and a 3.44 ERA.  He was a 7-time All Star (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1990).  His best Cy Young finish was 4th (1982) and his best MVP finish was 22nd (1984).

He appeared on the 2004 Hall of Fame ballot and received 1.4% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on January 29 and got the card back on July 9, for a 162-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20.00.

TTM Success - Shawn Green

There have been a bunch of private signings that I have wanted to take part in, but this one that popped up for Shawn Green was once I was really excited about.

I had a ton of Green cards dating back to his debut that I have held onto for 20+ years.  So, when the signing came up, I had a ton to choose from.  The above 1995 Studio gold card really turned out awesome.  I loved these cards back in the day, and had even built this set.  The cards have all dissipated over the years, but I still had this Shawn Green.

I wished that this 1995 Score Select Certified Edition came out a bit better, but the card still looks great.  I can't really complain all that much.

Green (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1993 to 2007 for the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Mets.  He had 2,003 hits, 328 home runs and a .283 batting average.  He finished 5th in the 1995 AL Rookie of the Year voting, and his best MVP finish was 5th in 2002 (NL).  He was a 2-time All Star (1999 and 2002) and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in 1999.

Green appeared on the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 0.4% of the vote.  This is most likely due to his connection to PEDs.

I mailed to the private signing on May 20 and got the cards back on June 23, for a 34-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $30.00/card.

TTM Success - Lyle Overbay

Allen & Ginter cards really look great when signed, and this 2006 version that I got back signed frm Lyle Overbay is a fine example.  Overbay is one per, so I wasn't able to send any of my other cards I had of him, but this one was worth the limit.

Overbay (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2014 for the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Blue Jays, Pirates, Braves and Yankees.  He had 1,355 hits, 151 home runs and a .266 batting average.

I mailed to Overbay on May 6 and got the card back on May 23, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Hearron

I'm down to less than 200 cards remaining for my 1987 Topps set.  Private signings have helped me reduce the number of tougher signers, but a constant eye on recent successes of guys in the set has also helped me cross a few names off in the past weeks.

I was happy to see Jeff Hearron's name pop up, so I quickly got a card out to him.  It came back signed in red, but looks really cool.

Hearron also included this religious tract card, which also looks really cool.

Hearron (b. 1961) played in the majors in 1985 and 1986.  He collected 6 hits with no home runs, to the tune of a .200 batting average.  Although he only played 16 games in the majors, he still has a baseball card, and it was an integral autograph to add to my set.

I mailed to Hearron on May 2 and got the cards back on May 18, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Thomas Pannone

I was really happy to be able to get a card out of my 2017 Carolina League Top Prospects set and get it signed. I still have a few cards from the set unsigned, but when I saw that Thomas Pannone was signing, I jumped on the chance.

I also got this 2019 Topps Update signed. Both cards turned out great.

Pannone (b. 1994) has played in the majors for the Blue Jays since 2018. He has a career record of 7-7 with 98 strike outs and a 5.43 ERA.

I mailed to Pannone on February 10 via Blue Jays spring training and got the cards back on May 14, for a 94-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jacob Waguespack

I got my first signed 2020 Topps cards in and second Spring Training success of the year when these two signed cards came back from Blue Jays pitcher, Jacob Waguespack.

I liked the 2020 Topps design when it came out, and they lend very well to being signed.  The only issue with the cards is that they, unlike other Topps base set cards, have to be prepped with baby power prior to having them signed.

Waguespack (b. 1993) made his debut in the majors last season with the Blue Jays.  He had a record of 5-5 with 63 strike outs and a 4.38 ERA.  He was a 37th round pick in the 2012 June Amateur Draft by the Pirates. 

I mailed to Waguespack on February 10 and got the cards back on February 21, for an 11-day TAT.

1987 Topps Pickups

I picked up a couple signed cards for my 1987 Topps set recently.  I added two deceased players that I saw pop up on Ebay for decent prices.

Eddie Milner (b. 1955 - d. 2015) played in the majors from 1980 to 1988 for the Reds and Giants.  He had 607 hits, 42 home runs and a .253 batting average.  Milner passed away at the age of 60 in 2015; no cause of death was revealed.

Tony Fernandez (b. 1962 - d. 2020) played in the majors from 1983 to 1995, 1997 to 1999 and 2001 for the Blue Jays, Padres, Mets, Reds, Yankees, Indians and Brewers.

The 5-time All Star had 2,276 hits, 94 home runs and a .288 batting average. He was a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner and his best finish in the MVP voting was 8th (1987, AL).  He won the World Series in 1993 with the Blue Jays.  He appeared on the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot and received 0.07% of the vote.

TTM Success - George Bell

I added another tough name to my 1987 Topps set when I sent to a private signing for George Bell.  I had three cards in the set that I needed to get signed by him, and was able to get them done.

Now, I need Willie Upshaw to sign the Blue Jays leaders card and I will be good to go!

Bell (b. 1959) played in the majors in 1981 and from 1983 to 1993 for the Blue Jays and White Sox.  He had 1,702 hits, 265 home runs and a .278 batting average.  He was an All Star three times (1987, 1990 and 1991).  He received MVP votes in 6 seasons, culminating with a win in 1987 (AL).  He was also a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner.  He appeared on the 1999 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 1.2% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on October 15 and got the cards back on November 12, for a 28-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20/card.

TTM Success - Barry Bonnell

While searching my boxes, I came across a bunch of Barry Bonnell's cards.  He signs a lot, so I went ahead and sent him 6 cards; they all came back signed.

He has a really nice signature.  I thought that the above 1983 Topps looked the best out of the whole bunch, though.  It must be all of the blue on the card.

In all, I sent Topps cards from 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.  I was able to get some stuff moved out of my boxes, and that it always a plus.

Bonnell (b. 1953) played in the majors from 1977 to 1986 for the Braves, Blue Jays and Mariners.  He had 833 hits, 56 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Bonnell on October 28 and got the cards back on November 4, for a 7-day TAT.

2019 National Pickup - Signed 1987 Topps John Cerutti

Another of the deceased players I picked up on an 87 Topps was John Cerutti.  This was a nice card, that didn't cost me a whole lot.  The dealer broke up his signed 1987 Topps set, and I benefited from it.

Cerutti (b. 1960 - d. 2004) played in the majors from 1985 to 1991 for the Blue Jays and Tigers.  He had a career record of 49-43 with 398 strike outs and a 3.94 ERA.

Cerutti was supposed to call the final game of the season for the Blue Jays versus the Yankees on October 3, 2004.  When he missed a pregame meeting, police were calle din to break down his hotel room door, where he was found lifeless.  He had passed away from a heart condition (ventricular arrhythmia).  He was 44.

TTM Success - Adam Lind

There aren't many signed 2009 Topps cards in my autograph album, but I added one more with this TTM success from Adam Lind.  The card was out for a while, but it finally came back in, and looks great.

Lind (b. 1983) played in the majors from 2006 to 2017 for the Blue Jays, Brewers, Mariners and Nationals.  He had 1,247 hits, 200 home runs and a .272 batting average.  He was a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2009.  That was the only season where he received MVP votes; he finished 15th in the voting that season.

I mailed to Lind on February 22, 2018, and got the card back on January 18, 2019, for a 330-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ernie Whitt

Ernie Whitt was yet another player that I knew signed TTM, but for whatever reason, I sat on his cards for a long time.  Not to worry, though, I finally mailed them, and got a nice return.  The above 1990 Score turned out really nicely, to go along with several Topps issues I sent.

I needed Whitt for my 1987 set, and also got him on a 1984, 1985 and 1988.

Whitt (b. 1952) played in the majors from 1976 to 1978 and 1980 to 1991 for the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Braves and Orioles.  He had 938 hits, 134 home runs and a .249 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1985.

I mailed to Whitt on March 14 and got the cards back on April 23, for a 40-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Clancy

Here are some more signed cards from the 1980s that I was able to add to my album with this TTM success from Jim Clancy.  I especially liked this 1986 Fleer that I got signed.  There is a whole lot of blue on this card, now that I am paying some more attention to it.  Still, it looks nice.

I added some nice Topps cards, including another 1987 Topps for the album.  As of today, I am sitting on 99 signed cards from that set.  Not too bad.  The 1989 Topps Traded (bottom right) turned out really nice, as well.

Clancy (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1977 to 1991 for the Blue Jays, Astros and Braves.  He had a career record of 140-167 with 1,422 strike outs and an ERA of 4.23.  He was an All Star for the Blue Jays in 1982.  He was a member of the inaugural Blue Jays team of 1977.  He pitched 3 games for the Braves in the 1991 World Series, picking up a win, but the Braves ultimately lost to the Twins.

I mailed to Clancy on September 20 and got the cards back on October 17, for a 27-day TAT.