The Dodger Gwynn

The blog world will probably get filled with a lot of Spring Training autograph returns very soon.  I hope so anyways.  Some bloggers are mailing out a lot of autograph requests through the mail.  I am included in that group.  I haven't sent out a bunch of TTM requests to Spring Training before.

I hope the blog world and I will succeed to getting a bunch of returns this spring.  I sent one out last week and already have gotten it back.  This envelope was mailed out on February 14th and was in my mailbox on February 18th.

I started out getting autographs through the mail a couple months back.  I did so, in part to make use of my Dodger dupes and unwanted cards.  My adventure in autograph hunting certainly made use of all the random junk wax, I have lying around.

Like this random 1992 Score Chris Gwynn, it was in my Dodger dupes and unwanted box, just being ignored and stored away.  Now, after Gwynn was kind enough to sign it for me, is going to reach top loader status.

Gwynn's signature looks a little different on this 1988 Score card.  On the Score '92 card, his signature looks shorter and this orange creamsicle card looks to be his full name.

I have never noticed an athlete doing this before.  Is this common for a ballplayer to sign his name differently from card to card?

Some of the more experienced autograph hounds in the blog world should know the answer to that question.

This is my favorite Chris Gwynn card.  He is sweating bullets after dominating the Giants.  Gwynn was legging out triples and stealing bases like a madman.  The man needs a towel and some gatorade.

Gwynn is now a scout in the Seattle Mariners organization.  I sent him a letter to the Mariners Spring Training complex in Arizona.  Just a heads up to anyone that is sending out letters this season.

Thank you, Chris Gwynn!

Nice Signature, Greg Brock

When I send out a TTM request to a ballplayer, I am always nervous about what I will get in return.  That is if I even get a return.  I am nervous about the quality of the signature.  Will the signature look faded?  Will the ink smudge on the back of the other card?

These are the things that I think about once a TTM envelope leaves my house.  I even hope for the right color ink.  The right color is blue for Dodger signatures.  Every autograph collector, hopes the player signs in there team's colors.  The Phillies fans hope for red, Cubs fans hope for blue, and the Marlins fans hope for turquoise.  Or whatever the Marlins colors are now.

Greg Brock has a great looking signature and he used the right color ink.  The ink on the "K" is slightly off but, autographs look good on 1985 Topps cards.

Brock was a beast in the minors.  He seemed destined to be a star in the big leagues.  Dodger fans in the early 80s were probably thinking that this guy could step in and take the place of Steve Garvey.

In four consecutive minor league seasons, between 1979-1982, Brock's home run totals rose every year.  His home run numbers were impressive in the minors.

1979: 16
1980: 29
1981: 32
1982: 44

The 1982 season took place in Albuquerque, which I hear is an extreme hitters park.  44 home runs is still impressive.  Brock never went on to hit more than 21 long balls in a major league season.  He still went on to play 10 seasons in the big leagues, spending time with the Dodgers and Brewers.

The 1984 Donruss set is very nice looking.  I will need to find more Dodgers for this set.  1984 Donruss also looks swell with a signature on it.

Thanks to Greg Brock!

A Great Baseball Name

Some baseball player's names just flow smoothly off your tongue.  Some of there names make them sound more athletic.  The name Bobby Bonilla fits into both of those statements.  Bonilla has a great name, it is a name I remember saying as a kid.  As a child I thought Bonilla was a great player just because his name made him sound like a super athlete.

Bonilla actually was a really good player between the late 80s up through the mid 90s.  But, as a child, I didn't have the internet to look up stats or was I an avid fantasy baseball participant back then.  The name of a dude named Bobby Bonilla just had to be a good ball player.  It was Bonilla's duty to hit a lot of home runs.

I know that Bonilla spent a partial, miserable season in Dodger blue.  So, that means it was my duty to write him a letter and try to get his autograph.  This was the only card I had of Bonilla in a Dodger uniform.  Even though this card mentions he was traded to the Mets.  This card counts as a Dodger card to me.

Bonilla is too cool to write out his full name.  He just added "BO".  Which I guess, goes towards my theory about his name.  Another thing I will add to having a cool athlete name is that that athlete should never sign his full name.  Bonilla has too many fun filled activities to write out his full name.  He is a smooth dude, remember?

This was the second card I sent him.  This auto came out looking good on a 1989 Topps card.  A very nice Pirates blogger will be getting this in the mail soon.

Bonilla became a Dodger in the crummy trade of Mike Piazza in 1998. Bonilla took some heat from his brief time in LA because he was old, slow, and unproductive.  Some Dodger fans still make Bobby Bonilla jokes.  Nobody is LA is still laughing at Jim Eisenreich anymore.  Eisenreich was a bum at that point also.  But, it is Bonilla that still has to be a punchline for some reason.

Bonilla may not be loved as a Dodger but, I'm sure some Pirates and Mets fans are still fond of him.  He was last with the Pirates when they used to finish above .500 and even spent some time playing in the postseason.

Bonilla's career numbers were pretty good too.  He had a long career and ended up with some solid career stats.

OPS-.829
OPS+-124
Home Runs-287
Doubles-408

Those are just some of the good stats that I noticed on Baseball Reference. He also was a nice enough guy to sign a couple cards for me.  Thank you to Bobby Bonilla!

 

TTM Auto From A Belcher

I have been having a lull as far as TTM returns go. I also haven't been writing as many letters out over the past week or so.  I will probably send a couple out this week.  A solid return did show up in my mailbox the other day though.

Tim Belcher sent me a signed card back.  Belcher was a pretty solid pitcher for the Dodgers between 87-91.  He was also a proud member of the 1988 World Series winning Doyer team.  In 1988, Belcher pitched 179.2 innings and had a minuscule WHIP of 1.08.  1988 was also his first full season in the big leagues.  He was a main contributor for a championship team.

  Belcher was nice enough to inscribe his auto to me.  He also added the date that he signed the card.  I guess he held onto this card for a week before sending it out my way.  I am also glad that he used blue ink.  Blue sharpies always look good for Dodger autos.

Here is a fun trade fact that I found out while looking up Tim Belcher on Baseball Reference:
He was dealt along with John Wetteland for Eric Davis and Kip Gross in 1991.  Awfulness on the Dodgers part.  Belcher had his best years as a Dodger but, was still serviceable after he left LA.  Wetteland went on to become a beast closer for the Expos and Yanks.  Davis was a big bust in LA.  Kip Gross made Kevin Gross look ace-like.

This deal made me wonder something.  If Wetteland stayed on as a Dodger throughout the 90s and was our closer, would the Dodgers still have traded Paul Konerko for Jeff Shaw?  If that trade never happened, would Konerko still be a Dodger first baseman and I would have never seen James Loney try to slap singles and ground into double plays?

Just something for Dodger fans to think about.

Niedenfuer!

Tom Niedenfuer was a relief pitcher for the Dodgers in the 80s.  He was a pretty god bullpen piece in his day.  Niedenfuer also has a name that sounds good when shouted.  Especially, if you shout his last name in a German accent.

Everybody try it now.  Ready?  1...2...3...Niedenfuer!!!!!!!!!!

I can't talk about Niedenfuer without mentioning his playoff troubles in 1985.  He gave up a game winning home run to Ozzie Smith and then he also gave up a crushing bomb to Jack Clark.  Playoff home runs are always magnified and so are the goats that give them up.  I characterize Niedenfuer as the Jonathan Broxton of the 80s.

I was too young in 1985 to feel the pain of Niedenfuer. But, older Dodger fans sure know the pain that his pitches had on there psyche.  When I mailed a couple cards to Niedenfuer for him to sign, my dad seemed a little angry about it.  He even made a quip to me about getting cards signed by this man.

Niedenfuer was a Dodger after all and I collect Dodger autographs.  That is why I wrote him a letter.  Like I said, I was really young in 1985 and didn't witness the pain that the homers by Ozzie and Clark had on Dodger fans at the time.

Since, I have compared Niedenfuer to Broxton, I might as well talk about my generation's Dodger goat.  Broxton gave up a crippling home run to Matt Stairs in the 2008 playoffs and he gave up a demoralizing walk off hit to Jimmy Rollins in 2009.  I witnessed the Stairs homer while sitting in the right field pavillion.  I witnessed the Rollins walk off while watching the game on television.  That pain stung.

I don't hold a grudge against the Phillies.  They came up big when they needed to.  I reserve all my angst and frustration towards Broxton.  He gave up those hits.  I will never write a letter to Broxton.  Broxton brought personal pain to my heart and I will never forgive him. Broxton is in Kansas City now and I wish him nothing but the worst.  It is nothing to do with the Royals, there fans have been suffering for a while.  I hope that if the Royals do well, it will be in spite of Broxton.

That anger is probably how my dad feels about Tom Niedenfuer.  I have that anger towards Jonathan Broxton.  I will never get over it.

I still thank Niedenfuer for sending me his autograph.  I wrote in my letter that I am a Dodger fan and he may feel that he owes me a solid.  Broxton autographs aren't welcome in my collection though.  It may sound weird but following an entire season and then seeing failure hurts a lot more rather than just reading about my favorite team's playoff short comings.

Also, one more time in a thick German accent.......Niedenfuer!!!!!!!!!

A Letter From Carl Erskine

One of my top goals for getting autographs through the mail was to get returns from some of the famed Brooklyn Dodgers.  I have gotten an autograph from Don Zimmer.  The other day, I got a return from Carl Erskine.

Erskine pitched his whole career as a Dodger.  He pitched from 1948-1959.  Erskine finished his career in Los Angeles in 1959 with a career win/loss record of 122-78.  His ERA+ was a 102 for his career.  Erskine was also a member of the famous 1955 championship Brooklyn Dodger team.  He endured a lot of heartbreak during his career prior to 1955.  The Dodgers lost four titles before breaking through and beating the Yanks in 1955.

Erskine was kind enough to sign a couple cards for me as well as answering some questions that I sent him.  This is only the second time that a player has actually answered my questions.  Him doing so made me very proud because I hold the Brooklyn teams in such high regard.

Here are the questions and answers from my letter:

Q:  What was the atmosphere like at a Brooklyn Dodger vs. New York Giants game at Ebbets Field?

A:  Tense. Lots of pressure in those games.  Also respect for each other.

Q:  What was the best game you ever pitched as a Dodger?

A:  1953 World Series Game 3.  A 3-2 victory over the Yankees.  Setting the World Series strike out record at 14.  Mickey Mantle struck out 4 times.

Q:  Who are your favorite players in today's game?

A:  Pujols of the Cardinals and Kershaw of the Dodgers.

Q:  What was your favorite ballpark to play in as a visitor?

A:  Sportsman Park in St.Louis.


This was a great return.  I love him mentioning that he struck out Mickey Mantle four times in a World Series game.  I looked up the box score just to make sure and it was correct.  Also, I got this letter a couple weeks ago so, obviously one of his favorite players is Pujols of Anaheim.

Thanks, Mr. Erskine!!!

A Short Term Dodger Signs For Me

Luis Gonzalez is the short term Dodger that signed some cards for me through the mail.  Gonzalez played for the Dodgers in 2007.  At the time, I criticized him for his poor play.  I sit in the Left Field Pavilion for most of the Dodger games that I attend.  So, I can see how well a left fielder plays defense and I can also hear what fans are saying to that player.  Gonzalez did play some porous defense but, his play at the plate wasn't as poor as I once thought.

Luckily, the internet has given us baseball reference.com.  This site is great for looking up a player's numbers.  Gonzalez had a decent season for the team.  I take back some of the mean things that I have said about him in 2007.  I looked him up on baseball reference and his numbers were solid for a 39 year old ballplayer.

  Gonzalez had a slash line of .278/.359/.433/.793 and for an older player those numbers are pretty good.  He was one of GM Ned Colletti's veteran signings.  The signing of Gonzalez wasn't as bad as some of the other old man signings that Colletti has made like Marcus Thames or Andruw Jones.

As I checked out the stats that Gonzalez put up throughout his career, I came away impressed.  I knew that he had a good career, I just never knew how well he truly was.  He is best known for hitting a walk off, World Series winning base hit to win the 2001 championship for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Here are some of his career stats that impressed me:
Doubles: 596
Home Runs: 354
OPS: .845
OPS+: 118

Those are solid numbers.  Also, his World Series game winner was against the Yankees and Mariano Rivera.  That counts for a lot more since all the non-Yankee supporters were ecstatic when his hit that blooper up the middle.

According to baseball reference the players that he compares most to is Dave Parker, Dwight Evans, and Billy Williams.  He compares to two very good players and one dude in the Hall of Fame.  Awesome!

Gonzalez now works for the Diamondbacks which is where I sent these cards to get signed.  So, if anyone else wants to try him send cards to Phoenix.

This is the first time that I sent a non-Dodger card to a former Dodger.  I knew that this Astro card would come in handy.  There is a lucky Astro blogger out there that is going to get this in the mail in a few days.  That person should be happy.

Thanks to Luis Gonzalez and sorry for some of the things that I shouted to you during the 2007 season.

Derek Lowe is my Homeboy

I didn't know too much about Derek Lowe before he signed with the Dodgers in 2005.  The few things that I did know was that he was a solid starter, closer and a champion while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.  Those seemed like good qualities to have.  I was happy that the Dodgers signed him.

Lowe had some really good success as a Dodger.  In the four years that he pitched in LA his ERA was never above 3.88.  His ERA+ was never lower than 114.  He also had time to cheat on his wife with a Fox Sports reporter.  His infidelity didn't affect his mound performance.  He is either a sociopath or he under performed due to his indiscretions.  No matter how you look at it, Derek Lowe was my kind of Doyer.

I will also never forget the game that he pitched in the 2008 NLDS against the Chicago Cubs.  Lowe pitched Game 1 of that series.  He pitched 6 innings, gave up 2 runs and struck out 6 to pick up the victory. This was also the game where James Loney hit a grand slam in the 5th inning to give the Dodgers a 4-2 lead.   That's right Loney was a hero for a day rather than a goat.  Things were different in 2008.

Also, I checked the box score for this game and Greg Maddux pitche the 9th inning to close out the victory. I forgot that little tidbit from the game.  I also remember angry Cubs fans leaving early because they lost faith in there team despite the final score being 7-2 in the Dodgers victory.

These are my first two autographs of Lowe.  I was happy to see that he signs through the mail.  When I saw that on the Sports Card Forum, I knew that I had to mail out to him quickly.  He was one of the first Dodgers that I sent cards to.

I wrote him a super nice letter.  I mentioned that I used to wear a Derek Lowe jersey shirt to Dodger Stadium when he was starting.  I felt that would give him extra luck.  I also may have been the only Dodger fan with Lowe's name on the back of my shirt.

Thanks for the memories, Derek Lowe.  Thanks for the autographs!  As long as you don't pitch for the Giants, you will still be my homeboy.

Don Zimmer Made My Day

Don Zimmer is one of the last Boys of Summer still alive and well.  I read somewhere that only 50 something Brooklyn Dodgers are still alive.  Sadly, I don't have a link to where I read that or if it's true.  That is just some laziness from your boy at the Platter.

After reading about the limited number of Brooklyn Dodgers still around, gave me a sense of urgency to obtain as many of there autos as possible.  The 1955 Champion Dodgers is my favorite World Series winner of all time.  The Dodgers were stacked with big time players.  They had Jackie, Pee Wee, The Duke and Gil Hodges     in the line up. They had Don Newcombe,Carl Erskine and Johnny Podres in the rotation.  That team was beast.

Also, they beat the rival Yankees to win in 1955.  Podres shut the Yanks down in Game 7.  The Game 7 in 1955 would be my dream game to attend if I had a hot tub time machine.  I would pick that game over 1988 World Series Game 1 and 1965 World Series Game 7.

Don Zimmer was a member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.  Zimmer was a back up infielder on the team.  He wasn't much of a hitter but, he could play 2nd, SS, and 3rd.  Utility players even had value back in the day.  Every team needs a Zimmer.

I saw on the Sports Card Forum that Zimmer signs autographs through the mail.  The SCF has been my source for all the TTMs that I have mailed out.

I quickly checked my Brooklyn binder to make sure that I had a good card to send Zimmer.  There was no way that I was going to send him a card with him as a manager of the Red Sox or Padres.  I had to have a Brooklyn card to mail him.  Luckily, I had one Don Zimmer Brooklyn Dodger card.  I sent him a 1979 TCMA for him to autograph.

Awesome!  Thank you, Don Zimmer!

I Got A Gross Autograph

My TTM endeavor has been going smoothly.  Writing letters to past Dodgers has been a lot of fun for me.  The words that I write them are genuine and I hope that they realize that.  I especially enjoy writing to Dodger players that played during my childhood.

When I watched baseball as a kid, I didn't study numbers like I do now.  I didn't go deep into advanced statistics or check baseball reference to look at someone's career.  As a kid, I just went by the eyeball test and how I felt about a player.  Sadly, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti also doesn't look at statistics just like the child version of me.

 Kevin Gross was a guy that I knew wasn't that good even as a kid.  I had no numbers to back it up but, I knew that the Dodgers would lose games when he pitched.  He was middling at best.

Even as a child I was a cynical and angry Dodger fan.  This anger keeps on growing as I get older.  My childhood anger was usually directed at Kevin Gross, Jose Offerman, and Delino Deshields.

But, my opinion slightly changed towards Kevin Gross during a Photo Day at Dodger Stadium in the early 90s.  My mother had taken me that day to walk on the field in hopes of getting my photo taken with some of my beloved Dodgers.  Orel Hershiser blew me off.  My mother asked him to take a photo with me but, he refused.  I am still bitter about it.  Kevin Gross on the other hand was nice enough to take a photo with me.  It was a simple and kind gesture that I still remember to this day.  That changed my opinion about him as a person.  I still joked about his on field performance but, not his personality.  I told Gross this story in my letter to him.  A ball player can do something simple like take a photo with a child and that kid could remember for the rest of his life.  I thank him for that day.

Orel on the other hand, is still on my shit list.  I am currently rooting against him for his bid to buy the Dodgers.  If a ball player refuses to take a photo with a child, that child will always remember that day.

Kevin Gross is a nice man.  He took a photo with me and also was cool enough to sign my baseball cards through the mail.  Thank you, Kevin Gross!

Also, nice shades and mustache combo.  I also mentioned that in my letter.

Andy Ashby Signs For Me

It feels that I should be posting more.  I don't post as much as I should.  It seems like it has been awhile since my last post but, according to blogger, my last post was on 12-27-11.  That is not too long ago.  But, since the 27th, I am sure that the other bloggers that I follow have made several posts.  Those guys are on point and give there fans something to check on a daily basis.  Maybe 2012 will be different at the Platter.  Maybe I could be one of those guys that churn out post after post.

That is one of my 2012 goals.  The goal of posting more and getting better at writing as time goes on.  My hours are getting cut at work so, that should leave me more free time to write some gold.  I am also on the job hunt and that means no more medicating with the greens.  That should enable me to stop being lazy when it comes to blog upkeep.

Another mission of mine is to keep sending out letters to baseball players that wore Dodger blue.  This mission has already started a few weeks back and it should continue in 2012.  Even if the player was only briefly a Dodger.  That is the case for Andy Ashby.

Ashby played a few seasons in LA.  I enjoyed watching him pitch even though his prime years were behind him by the time he put on a Dodger uniform.  I am a skinny dude and I enjoy seeing skinny athletes succeed at the big league level.

His signature is beautiful.  Everyone has a different signature that is unique to them.  I am not sure about the psychology of what makes a person sign the way they do.  Maybe a psychologist or an arm chair psychologist can enlighten me on that topic.

I also wish that I had included a page in the envelope with some questions for Ashby.  Tom from Baseball by the Letters has been a major inspiration to me.  I enjoy reading his blog and seeing some of the responses he gets.  I have also seen a few other bloggers do the same thing and some players actually respond.  I find that to be very cool for a ball player to answer a few questions for a fan.

A special thanks to Andy Ashby for being nice enough to mail me a couple autographs.  Ashby is a cool dude!

Ex-Doyers Are Good To Me

The saga of my new found addiction continues to impress me.  My new addiction is sending out letters to ball players and asking for autographs.  Not an evil addiction that would be fun in the short term but have long term consequences like cocaine addiction.

TTM is a good addiction that has given me some cool results so far.

Of the Dodger autographs that I have obtained, Ron Cey may have the nicest signature.  The way his first and last name bleeds into one another is sweet.  The way he puts the number 10 in his "R" is a nice touch.  I also dig that he used a blue sharpie on my TTM request.  Cey is a true Dodger that understands what his fans like.

I guess the blue works when a Cubs fan asks for his autograph also.

Cey sent me these to me really quickly.  He lives about 20 minutes from my house so, that is probably the reason.  He could have held onto my letter and read and then re-read my words over the course of several days.  Luckily, he didn't and sent these two cards back to me.

The next return that I received was from former Dodger shortstop Greg Gagne.  His name is pronounced how it is spelled not the French way like Eric Gagne.  Gagne is American so, I'm sure his ancestors assimilated and the pronunciation became Americanized.

  Gagne also added a 3:16 inscription to his autograph.  I have seen this before.  I am not a religious man so, I am not sure what 3:16 means.  Maybe a reader may be able to educate me on that.

Gagne also answered a couple questions for me.  I had asked about the biggest difference for him when he came from the AL Central to the NL West.  He mentioned that the travel was a lot tougher.  Gagne had played in the 1991 World Series for the Minnesota Twins.  I asked him about the crowd noise.  I asked him this because I remember how loud the Metro Dome got during the playoffs.  The place sounded insane.  He wrote that he felt a different vibe from the crowd but, he was able to block out the sound and concentrate on the game.

It was cool that he answered my questions.  I am going to try and include a few questions in each letter that I mail out.  It will be fun for me to get some responses back from the men that played the greatest game ever at the highest level.

I believe that I have lived in the same city as Mike Lieberthal throughout his entire playing career.  So, I have watched him play for a huge chunk of my life.  When he started his career for the Phillies in 1994, I had just move to the Philadelphia area from SoCal.  Then, when Lieberthal came to the Dodgers to finish his playing career, I was already back and living in LA.  We kind of followed each other.

Sadly, I only had one card of him as a Dodger to send him.  This card came out nice though.

This is kind of a Phillies card.  It has the Phillies logo on the bottom corner but, Lieberthal is wearing his high school jersey.  This is my favorite card that he sent back to me.  He looks so young in this photo.  Obviously, he does.  But, I always thought that Lieberthal looked like a grizzled vet throughout his career.

This card is sweet because his high school stats are on the back of this card.  He hit 13 bombs his senior year and even stole 8 bases.  What happened to those wheels?

This is a full on Philadelphia Phillies card.  This is also one of those mid-90s Fleer cards that were made to get signed. I am not sure if I ever had one of these signed before.  I didn't open too many packs of these back in the day even though I enjoyed Fleer products.  I was more of a Fleer Ultra man anyways.

I am having a ton of fun sending cards and letters out to ballplayers.  I should be sending more out this week and I hope to get more returns.

An Envelope From A Legend

This TTM adventure that I started a couple weeks ago has been amazing.  I have actually been getting signed cards back from former baseball players.  I was a little skeptical at how this whole process would come into fruition.  I wasn't sure if I would get anything in return.

My skepticism was totally wrong.  I am naturally cynical.  Being cynical is part of being a Dodger fan.  At least a Dodger fan of my generation that missed some beast Dodger teams back in the day.  For the record, I was born in 1983.

 My mailbox has been getting solid returns since I started this adventure.  I have sent cards out to several players and they are coming back auto graphed in droves.

This is my favorite return so far.  This is a signed Upper Deck Masterpieces card of Bobby Doerr.  Doerr is a baseball legend.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.  He is also the oldest living Hall of Fame baseball player.  His baseball reference page lists his age at 93.

Doerr was a great player for the Boston Red Sox between 1937-1951.  There was a brief gap in his career due to military service during WWII.  Doerr was still able to accumulate nice counting stats as a strong defensive second baseman.  He hit 223 home runs and drove in 1247 RBIs.

I know new school stat geeks would scoff at me mentioning counting stats but, those stats do help you get enshrined in Cooperstown.

Here are some numbers that new school dudes love:
Career .823 OPS
Career OPS+ 115
Career OBP .362
Career WAR 47.7

Those are all great numbers for a second baseman.

His signature is also very great.  He even added a HOF '86 inscription. Doerr was also nice enough to sign a couple index cards for me.  I did not ask him to do so.  The index cards were just there for card protection. But, Bobby Doerr is a cool dude and a baseball legend.

Thank you, Bobby!

My First TTM Return Featuring Jay Howell

Last week I sent out some baseball cards to get signed by some ex-Dodgers.  This is my first endeavor into the fun of TTM autographs.  I did some research on the subject before I mailed out any cards or letters.  One of the tips that I was told about was to be patient.  I was expecting to wait weeks before I got anything in return.

But, Jay Howell came through super quick.  I sent out a letter to Howell on December 8th and got three autographed cards back on December 15th.  Howell must have gotten my letter and immediately signed my cards.  He then must have stuffed my SASE right into his mailbox.

Howell must have been moved by my kind words.

I miss the old scoreboards that Dodger Stadium had along the baselines.  Those old scoreboards are less obnoxious than the ribbon scoreboards they have between the field level and loge at Dodger Stadium.  The brightness from these lights can be distracting at times during night games.

Jay Howell was apart of the 1988 World Series team.  I am extra psyched that he signed these for me.  I plan on writing some other members of the 1988 team and will see if they write back.  That team was the only Dodger championship that occurred during my lifetime.

I have seen a handful of 1988 Dodger addresses on the Sports Card Forum.  I will try my luck at that.  So far, so good in the TTM department.

 This is my favorite Jay Howell card of the bunch.  The gold foil is a classy touch by Topps.  I had offered him a card to keep and I was thinking that he would have chose this one.  I was secretly hoping that he wouldn't because I knew this card would look dope signed.

He ended up not keeping any of them.  One of the other tips that I got was to offer the player a card to keep as a token of thanks.  I will continue to follow this pointer and hope the player would enjoy a card for himself.

But, even Jay Howell must be tired of seeing late 80s and early 90s cards of himself.  Howell holds the record for most '91 Donruss Jay Howell cards ever seen in a lifetime.

I really appreciate these cards.  I will keep you guys up to date on anymore TTM returns that I receive 

Making Junk Wax Useful

I have been accumulating a lot of Dodger cards since the Platter has opened.  Some of these cards are just taking up space in a 5000 count box.  They are doubles or Dodgers that aren't allowed in my personal collection such as Kevin Brown or Jose Offerman.  Luckily, this box is only about half filled with cards.

I am trying to keep the count low.  A lot of these Dodger cards are from the junk wax era.  I needed to come up with a solution of how to make use of these excess Dodgers.

I couldn't dump the junk wax Dodgers on a fellow Dodger collector.  All other Dodger bloggers have seen enough cards of Franklin Stubbs in there lifetime.

There was no way that I would just throw these cards away.  That would be too cruel and the baseball card gods would give me bad pack pulling karma as a punishment.

I have found a way to make digging threw my junk wax collection a fun experience.  I have found a way to give new life the cards of my youth.

I am going to start sending out some Dodger cards out to get autographed.  I am going to join the TTM hunt. This will be a new experience for me.

Last night, I did some research at the Sports Card Forum and found some addresses of past players.  The Sports Card Forum also has a data base where you can see which players are active signers.  This way it will limit making this endeavor a failure.

This Kal Daniels card will look great signed.  Stadium Club was top notch back in the day.

Kevin Gross took a photo with me when I was a kid in the early 90s.  He was nice enough to let my mother snap a pic with him and I during a Dodgers Photo Day.

Sadly, Gross was not wearing these shades when I met him.  This will be another great looking card if Gross is kind enough to sign this for me.

This was the best Greg Gagne card that I have.  I may have some cards of him when he was a Minnesota Twin but, I prefer autographed Dodger cards.  I am going to try and send at least two cards to each player. Sending just one card to a player may not be worth it for me.

I am also going to try and be patient.  I will not expect a quick reply from these players.  Being patient is against my true self.  This TTM adventure will help bring out a new character trait in me.

 I picked this card up at my local card shop while searching throw a dime box.  For some reason I thought Godfather Night Owl needed this card.  When I got home from the card shop and checked his want list, I turned out to be wrong.  Of course, Night Owl doesn't need any 1985 Sid Bream cards.

I am going to mail this out to Bream to hopefully get signed.  Not a bad way to use a dime box find.

I remember having a lot of 1991 Donruss cards as a child.  Even then, I think I knew that this set was an ugly disaster.  This card has a terrible design.  Donruss picked there game up a little years later.

Donruss '91 didn't end my passion for collecting.  The junk wax era had many options to choose from but, I still had stacks of these as a kid.  I picked up my game as a collector and now have better taste.

These are the players that I am going to start with.  I have a few more in mind.  I also saw that some hall of famers sign through the mail for a fee.  I may do this since the chance of actually seeing one of these guys in person is rare.

But, I am going to start with getting some Dodger autos first.  I will keep track of when I send these cards out and when/if I get anything in return.

Have any of you guys gotten autos through the mail?  Any tips?  I would like any help from some TTM vets out there in the blog world.