TTM autographs received: Bob Aspromonte

The former big leaguer signed my card and sent a signed index card in about a month - for some fun and games, I like sending out to vintage players, regardless of whether they were notable names or more rank and file guys.

Maybe I don't do it enough even as I realize the pool of retired players perpetually shrinks as the years and decades pass - I just don't have a good cache of excess old-school and vintage cards to send out as TTM stock.

TTM autographs received: Jim Palmer

The Hall of Fame pitcher signed my two cards in about 5 days for his fee of $10 per card - I think he still had broadcasting obligations with the Baltimore Orioles through the 2021 season, so I held off on sending to him c/o a So. Cal mailing address, until I saw successes coming back [where presumably my request wouldn't be held up in limbo].

TTM autographs received: Bill Lee

The former big league lefty signed my two cards in about a month - it looks like tried to mimic his facsimile autograph on the 1971 Topps.

He sent my letter back as well, writing that he just got a callus on his left index finger and as response to the 'I hope you are doing well' I add to the end of my requests - he wrote no he isn't doing well, "my left calf is [broken]."

TTM autograph received: Hobie Landrith

The 91-year old signed my card in about a couple of weeks for a fee of $5 - I'd bought his 1954 Bowman card as part of a vintage rummage and didn't realize I can still send it somewhere to be inked up.

The only oddity was my SASE came back battered and bruised like it went through a heavy rain storm - I was worried figuring out what I'd received [or what I'd likely lost], but the contents were still inside the weathered envelope, including my card signed in blue ink as well as my letter back [with some responses to what I'd written].

TTM autograph received: Camilo Pascual

I wonder where my loose TTM successes end up after the fact - it will not be the case where I shutter things completely, but I may take longer times between putting together reequests.

I don't think I can keep up with all the pros who send out stuff on a regular basis and get responses back almost at an every other day rate - even if I was a TTM whale, maybe too much of a good thing ends up being clutter, so I want to feel like I can space out requests sent at my own pace.

From the monthly card show, I ended up with a 350-card dime [nickel] box haul - among the cards I threw into my bricks was a 1994 Topps Archives Series Gold card of the former big league righthander.

Because I'd written to the 87-year old and got a success [with $10 added] back in 2020, I was hoping he still signed - even though I consider most TTM fee requests a 'one and done' affair, maybe it was worth it to make a $10.05 investment to get another success from Pascual.

TTM autographs received: Johnny Edwards

Off this card show trip, I found a 1962 Topps World Series subset card and while the players were not identified - I did some research and saw that it was Johnny Blanchard of the New York Yankees sliding in with Johnny Edwards of the Cincinnati Reds catching for a little play at the plate action.

Of the two players, Edwards was still living and I thought to take a chance and send him the card to be signed - it took about a week for Edwards to respond with my card signed.

He also added three smaller photo prints and returned my letter with a couple of responses to what I'd written him - when I can do it and have success, I like when I am able to send to old school players on their vintage cards.

TTM autographs received: Ron Reed

The former big league pitcher signed my cards in about a week for a $20 donation - Reed was a multi-sport athlete, playing in the NBA for 2 seasons, before focusing on sticking in the major leagues for good.

TTM autograph received: Jose Cruz

I got the former big league outfielder to sign my card in about a couple of weeks for $5 - he started to charge to sign TTM in 2020 and while I've probably gotten him to sign something years ago, I wasn't worried sending a particular card signed.

TTM autographs received: Steve Garvey

The longtime star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres signed my cards in about a couple of weeks for $10 - I've gotten him to sign 4 or 5 times in-person over the past 20 years, but I needed a 1984 Donruss and saw he signed TTM.

The 1984 Donruss was my priority regardless, but I also sent a 2021 Donruss to see what the card would look like autographed - I wish I had an old school Garvey from the 1970s handy to send as a second card, but the straggler might have been ideal to throw in because it was a recent 2021 pull.

Go figure one of the Garvey autographs I got in-person years ago was on the plastic slab of a graded 1984 Donruss - it was likely at the 2000 National where some wannabe non PSA and/or BGS grading company had samples at their booth for the taking and I ended up with the Garvey.

I didn't have anything better to do with the slab, so I must have taken it where Garvey was making an appearance - after 20 years, I think the card is loose somewhere collecting dust with the autograph probably not as bold due to the cirumstances of time passing.

TTM autographs received: Andy McGaffigan

The former big league reliever from the 1980s signed my cards in about 3 weeks - the priority was getting back the 1984 Donruss, though there really wasn't a light area of the card to sign over.

I don't remember where I got the 1989 Bowman, but maybe the odd size has always annoyed me - however, I was able to send the card out and maybe I like the 'challenge' of seeing something other than a regular sized trading card signed through the mail.

TTM autographs received: Raisel Iglesias

The Angels closer signed my cards in about 2 weeks c/o Angels ST address - though his autographs are basically his initials and his number, unlike the autograph I got when I first got his autograph years ago, he's always been a pretty good signer through the mail.

Even though I might lose a couple of cards [regardless of all the success reported over the years] due to uncertain times, I mail a request towards the end of spring training - I wanted to see if I can get some fresh ink off a current Angels player I look to watch close out ballgames throughout the 2021 season.

TTM autographs received: Rick Manning

I had an oddball 1980 Topps Supers photo card of Manning, purchased from a card shop to see if I could ever get it signed in-person - the opportunity never came to fruition, but I decided to dig it out to send through the mail in 2020.

However, my request was sent back to me 'return to sender' and wondered what happened, when it seems like he's been a reliable signer - to piece things together after the fact, I sent to an Arizona mailing address when Manning was probably back in Ohio, working as a color commentator for Cleveland games during the MLB season.

In the offseason, I tried the Arizona mailing address I had for him again - after 2 or 3 weeks, I finally got my items back signed.

TTM autographs received: Linda Ruth-Tosetti

I mailed out some cards to the granddaughter of Babe Ruth and was one of those TTM requests I had to put together to see what would come back - my cards ended up being signed and Miss Ruth-Tosetti also sent back my letter, responding to what I'd written, saying that one thing that amazes her is how her grandfather's legacy continues to live on through this day.

TTM autographs received: Mudcat Grant

Grant signed a pair of cards in about a week - I was digging around in my A-Z archive of cards and found a pair [a 1971 Topps beater and a retro 2004 Upper Deck Timeless Teams] featuring the former big league pitcher from the late 1950s through the early 1970s.

I thought I'd gotten his autographs in-person 20 years ago - but it might be interesting to see if I can get these miscellaneous cards inked up through the mail.

It looks like the 85-year old Grant is still alive and has signed TTM for $5 each - I wrote out a letter, put together a request and these are my results.

I think requested for him to sign Jim 'Mudcat' Grant since I only saw him scribble out 'Jim Grant' on the successes I've seen - though he actually only wrote out his nickname and last name.

TTM autographs received: Reggie Smith

After putting together a paid request with $30 to Smith’s promoter, who has handful of former LA Dodgers players signing for TTM for a fee - I got my pair of cards signed in about a month.

Though he is an old-school / vintage era guy, Smith has a couple of coaching cards in sets [2004 Upper Deck USA 25th Anniversary and 2013 Panini USA Baseball Champions] - I'm still trying to get as many signed to this day.

While I wasn't familiar with Smith's MLB playing career, he was a fantastic player from the mid 1960s through the early 1980s - finishing with over 2,000 hits, slugging 314 home runs with a lifetime OPS+ of 137.

TTM autographs received: Billy Bean

Bean signed a pair of cards, including the one shown in about 3 weeks - he was named as Major League Baseball's first Ambassador for Inclusion in 2014 and also works as Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner.

TTM autographs received: Scott Fletcher and Frank Bolick

Maybe it's not reasonable to really live by the mail box, waiting on returns, especially when I'm not a 'mass TTM mailer' and most days yields bupkis - still, it is fair to anticipate something, when I have made that tiniest bit of effort to send out autograph requests to get my random card (s) signed.

Fletcher, a former big league infielder from the 1980s through the mid 1990s signed my cards in about 3 weeks - with the realistic number of cards to pick up and send out, who knows how long my interest is going to run, but it's another 1984 Donruss and 1990 Leaf pair signed.

Bolick signed my cards in about a month - in his 16-year professional playing career, Bolick spents parts of 2 seasons with the Montreal Expos and Anaheim Angels.

Though Bolick was a fringe big leaguer, it's fun looking up his numbers - especially when through his mid 30s, he put up some video game numbers during a 4-year stint in Japan 20 years ago.

TTM autographs received: Bob Kipper and Doug Sisk

After going through a 3 week drought, two successes came in which was some sweet relief - what is the compulsion about getting something in the mail box, when the cheap thrills last for the shortest time, before I start worrying about what I haven’t gotten back?

Though not entirely a mystery, whenever I see any SASE returns, it is kind of a blind box deal - I take the time to open them up and good results reaffirms the order of being able to put in the work to send requests out and anticipating a surprise.

Kipper had the briefest of cameos as a California Angel at the start of his big league career before getting traded in a package for some veteran help - the lefty signed my cards in 7 days.

Sisk was a longtime relief pitcher through the 1980s and signed my cards in about 3 weeks, including a 1984 Donruss.

TTM autographs received: Angel Pagan

Pagan personalized and signed my cards in about a month - he was a good get because I don't recall even getting a chance to see him in-person [small sample size noted] as he emerged as a contributor on World Series contending San Francisco Giants teams through the mid 2010s.

While Pagan should have been a player you maybe able to count as a success when trying for better players' autographs on a big league team - maybe he was as difficult to get as the established Giants' stars of the day like Tim Lincecum, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner or Pablo Sandoval.

PS: I think as long as I'm collecting something, the blog posts on this blog will simply continue - but the relative lack of engagement on my part hits a little different for me, where blogging feels a little dated and it might not be worth it to go on much further.

TTM autographs received: Alejandro Pena

The longtime big league reliever from the 1980s through mid 1990s signed my cards in about a couple of weeks for $3 per card - unofficially I might start building the 1984 Donruss and 1990 Leaf sets minus the cards I might already have, just so I have cards I can send out for TTM requests and perhaps have a signed / unsigned hybrid in-hand.

I doubt I'll ever pay any sort of premium to get any particular card from the sets signed, but I'd like to see my progress after a couple of years - there is something 'classy' about the sets that appeal to me, even 30-40 years after the fact.