TTM autograph received: Bobby Shantz

The former big league lefthander signed my trading card in blue ink and wrote a thank you note on the my letter he sent back to me - go figure, I got my request back in about a week, on the day he turned 95.

Not that I try to play the death pool game or anything, but there might not be too much time left to get something signed by one of the all-time autograph signing greats - so like Roy Face, I whipped up a letter and put together a request [with $5] to see if I'd get back a positive result, sending a 1955 Bowman beater picturing Shantz with his brother.

I can’t account for the inevitable but I think I just keep on and see which guys to send to - maybe I think about the accomplishments of the person, not as someone to be objectified because they it might be their time NOW.

1952 Topps Gus Zernial #31

I'd created a Top 15 list of random cards to pick up as a fun, scavenger hunt deal of sorts - I'd basically forgotten about the list created back in September, but ended up going back to it and at the very least, trying to knock off some cards.

The Zernial card caught my eye mainly because of the six baseballs affixed to his bat - he hit 6 home runs in 3 consecutive games in 1951 and another just after the original image was taken.