TTM autographs received: Mike Napoli

The former Angels catcher signed my two cards in about a couple of weeks c/o The Chicago Cubs were he is employed as a coach - I don't remember seeing him in the past 10 years, where I could have gotten him to sign, but I apparently got him to sign a card in-person during a spring training trip in 2017.

I think his Angels narrative was he was a power hitting late bloomer who made good, mashing his way to the big leagues - after establishing himself for several seasons, then manager Mike Scioscia 'gave up' on him because Scioscia preferred the catching skills of Jeff Mathis, who ended up never hitting at all despite eventually lasting through 2021.

Napoli would move on, help the Texas Rangers get to the World Series in 2011 and then help the Boston Red Sox win a championship in 2013 - he would be seen as this fan favorite, man of the people type who was always about the good vibes.

TTM autographs received: Jim Palmer

The Hall of Famer pitcher and longtime baseball broadcaster signed my two cards in blue Sharpie in about a week or so - Palmer has usually traveled with the visiting Baltimore Orioles and I've gotten him in-person several times over the past 20 years, but the last time I probably saw him was in 2012.

I dug some Palmer cards out of my IP boxes a year or so ago but left them loose until decided to finally send a couple out c/o a So. Cal address with $20 enclosed - I don’t want to blow my wad on TTM, but to get some cards inked up, what I might do is stagger my requests.

In addition to sending to subjects who don’t require a fee [yet?] - I’ll have those one or two ‘special requests’ I need to add money to.

TTM autographs received: Al Kaline

The 82-year old Kaline signed my cards in blue Sharpie in 10 days - he is a fairly consistent TTM signer, even though I've read he can be grumpy in person and at times signs a sloppier 'Angry Al' version of his autograph.

I've been holding off on sending to him, but he isn't getting any younger, so I finally scrounged up a TTM request - with the appropriate amount of cash money for Kaline to sign three of his Topps Allen and Ginter cards and a relic card I pulled out of a $50 pack of cards.

Because the card had a shiny, glossy surface, I wanted to prep the card with more effort - trying to make it so an autograph has less of a chance of getting smeared or streaked, especially when I'm trying to get the card signed randomly TTM as opposed to an organized signing.

Relic cards are usually thicker and I didn't want to take a chance that the card would get wrecked using a regular envelope - to help insulate the thicker card in the 6x9 manila SASE envelope I enclosed with my request, I cut up a piece of a bubble mailer used as a 'holder' when my cards were sent back to me.

Oakland A's fans and schadenfreude

Oakland A's fans are still up in arms over the Yoenis Cespedes trade costing their team the American League West title - perhaps making their aspirations at a playoff run a little dimmer.

Reading bits and pieces on this Web site, I chuckle at the self-assured nature of A's fans who claim the team's second half swoon had nothing to do with the team trading Cespedes - maybe getting an ace pitcher like Jon Lester back is better than a so-so slugger, but losing offense was what killed the A's in the second half.

To understate Cespedes' value, even as a flawed hitter is silly talk - Cespedes was a looming threat in that A's lineup.

He might have had a sub .300 on-base percentage this year and his slugging percentage may not seem all that great - but the guy was a proven slugger in the middle of the lineup that had the ability to 'go off' at any time.

As is, the A's still have a chance to get into the playoffs through the Wild Card playoff game and can match up with the the Angels with a much deeper starting staff - substandard offense aside, it might be a new season come the American League Division Series.