TTM autograph received: Kim Ng

I got a straggler SASE back in the mailbox and since I have not mailed out much in recent years - there was some mystery who the return was from.

The small initials I usually scribble on the corner of my SASEs didn't clue me in off the bat - so I was really curious to see what I got.

There were two The Autograph Card blanks signed in black ink inside - that threw me for a loop, where it was not even actual baseball cards that might have been obvious identifiers.

I looked it up on my TTM log, hoping I listed the request before sending it off - this returned happened to be from former MLB general manager Kim Ng, who I mailed to c/o Miami Marlins spring training on 3/18/21.

2018 Topps Living Set Ichiro #25 PSA 9

I bought a copy of this card last year, but there was a stray mark on the top left hand corner and on principle, I returned the card to the seller - even though it cost me s/h to send it back.

Because the impulse buy didn’t end up working last year, picking up a copy of the card ended up itch I had to scratch - Ichiro was a universally loved player and as a personal tribute to the player and the man, I wanted a cheap, classy looking 'bookend card' for my micro-mini Ichiro PC.

While I don’t have an extensive Ichiro card collection [maybe three or four of his cheapest rookies in addition to whatever loose cards I may have] - I do have several in-person autographs I was able get through parts of his legendary career with a few stories on those IP quests for his scribble.

I would have originally settled for a raw copy of the card as they were released, but after the fact, a slabbed copy [$10.99 BIN - $3.00 eBay promo on purchases of $3.01 or more] only cost several dollars more - while third party grading can be a straight up joke, especially for the most recent of cards, having a card entombed in plastic gives me some peace of mind as far as getting a relatively clean card.

These cards aren't hard to find at all, so PSA 10 listings are not much more than the PSA 9 ones - as far as I’m concerned a PSA 9 is what I'll usually what settle for as the most common grade for most modern cards I’m looking to pick up.

Farewell Ichiro

Ichiro is still pretty damn athletic at 45, but with his bat speed severely diminished and his ability to contribute on a day-to-day basis not something to be seriously considered - he finally walked away from the big leagues for good, getting an opportunity take the field as a player when his longtime Mariners played in Japan to start the 2019 season early.

I liked him just like everyone else seemed to - mainly it was because he was all about infield singles, stealing bases, showing off his arm and his defensive skills as a fast-paced contrast to the plodding all-or-nothing players who had one skill [slugging a lot of home runs], but offered little else.

Maybe for years, the media couldn't pin a narrative to Ichiro's career - part of the appeal was the quirkiness and mystery of this far east hit machine who crashed the major leagues at 27, yet was a year-to-year threat to reach the 200-hit plateau that he made up for 'lost years' to reach the 3,000 hit milestone.

Jose Fernandez - when it's it, it's it

I only knew of him as a star pitcher who had a God given right arm, so my big takeaway from Fernandez' death last Sunday is that you have to enjoy the run - because even for guys we put on a pedestal, watch on TV and have on fantasy teams, life can be fragile and unforgiving.

Fernandez was a 24-year old who had already endured and survived to be one of the world's best baseball players - he wasn't a guy who would have taken anything for granted, though it was still a somber moment for me to see the headline that he'd passed.

Besides the legacy he leaves as a big league player maybe his personality, his bravado and love for the game is what is going to be missed - if you didn't know much about the guy, I think those qualities is what will stand the test of time, combing through the highlights and the accounts of Fernandez's relatively short life.

Featured autograph - Cody Ege

When he popped up on the Angels' active roster, Ege sounded like the most random guy ever - a 15th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2013, the 25-year old lefty was traded to the Miami Marlins a couple years ago and then picked up on waivers by the Angels

Ege fits a profile of guy who may put in a couple of years playing at the big league level before fading out - I wondered how I was going to add his autograph to my Angels collection, but I picked up signed minor league card through the SCN message boards.

Featured autograph - Andrew Heaney

A Miami Marlin just a few days ago, Heaney was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and then flipped to the Angels for long time second baseman Howie Kendrick - as an Angels fan, I look forward to watch Heaney earn a spot on the starting rotation in 2015 and start to do his business.

I don't know much about him except he's lefthanded and I've already gotten his autograph a few times during the 2013 Arizona Fall League - from the bits and pieces I would guess Heaney gets results as more of a polished pitcher who throws 90-91 MPH as opposed to overpowering opposing hitters with pure stuff.

The kid seems to be is a legit prospect - though he's not another Chris Sale.

Featured autograph - John Buck

I got this autograph in-person when Buck was still with the Seattle Mariners early this year - Angels starting catcher Chris Iannetta has had a strong season [.372 on-base / .415 slugging] at the plate, but Buck sort of gives the Halos a veteran catcher as an option to rest Iannetta, when Hank Conger hasn't done much.

Featured autographs - rank and file guys

Chris Colabello - he had a card in 2013 Topps Update Series; had a good start in 2014 but then turned into a pumpkin; I got him to sign a couple of cards someone provided and I kept one.

Danny Farquhar - the guy who has had the most success and has stuck around the big leagues all year long, Topps made a card of him this year and I was able to get two or three signed when the Seattle Mariners played the Angels.

Ed Lucas - Topps made a card of him this year and I was able to get the lone one I had signed when the Miami Marlins played the Angels.

At the end of last these season, I wanted cards of these players - even though as is, they might not really stick in the major leagues.

The last guy I wanted a card for was minor league veteran Doug Bernier - he was up with the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and I got him to sign a ticket stub when he got his first MLB hit.

However, Bernier didn't stick around long enough to have a card out - he has spent the 2014 season in the AAA and even if Topps made a card of him, I don't know if I'd see him or not.

Featured card - 2013 Bowman Chrome Blue refractor mini Jose Fernandez

I probably overpaid for this card [numbered to 99, though that doesn't sound as 'limited' as it once did maybe years ago] and it was strictly an impulse purchase - I think the card from the 2013 Bowman Chrome mini boxed set, which was kind of a test issue [that only really came out a few months ago] with a seemingly high-end price tag [over $200].

Getting Giancarlo to Anaheim

I would love to see the 23-year old slugger in the Angels outfield next year with Mike Trout and maybe Peter Bourjos/Josh Hamilton or Kole Calhoun - getting it done however maybe pure fantasy rumbling in my silly head, as the end of a long season for my favorite team comes to an end in a couple of weeks.

The Angels farm system is just about the worst in baseball and a trade probably destroys what little value the barren organization has - with no obvious fit, maybe a finding a third team to trade with along with the Marlins might be the best solution.

Supposedly the Angels have been looking for offers on second baseman Howard Kendrick, so the third team will probably need a second baseman with so pop and can do a little bit of everything - the Florida Marlins would receive 'young talent,' maybe a combination of Bourjos, R.J. Alvarez, Mike Morin and/or Mark Sappington.

Featured autograph - Christian Yelich

Despite enjoying a big spring in 2013 for the Miami Marlins, Yelich probably doesn't make the big league team at this point in his professional career - but looking like a carbon copy of a young, gangly Shawn Green, the 21-year old is poised to impress in the minors this upcoming season.