TTM Success - Robert Stratton

Some more late 90s Bowmans were added to the autograph album when I got this TTM success back from Robert Stratton.  The above 1997 Bowman turned out nicely.

I also got a 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowmaj Chrome signed.  Both look great.

Stratton (b. 1977) was a first round (13th overall) pick by the Mets during the 1996 June Amateur Draft out of San Marcos High School in California. 

He played in the minors from 1996 to 2006 in the Mets, Rockies, Marlins, Reds, Giants and Yankees systems.  He had 690 hits, 197 home runs and a .244 batting average. 

I mailed to Stratton on January 11 and got the cards back on January 25, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kevin Witt

When I saw the Star Wars stamp on my return mailer, I knew I had a TTM success that had been out for a couple of years.  I opened the envelope and saw that the cards that I had sent Kevin Witt finally came back.  I was really excited about the above 1999 Fleer EX.  These acetate cards loom awesome when signed, and this one was almost worth the wait.

I also got a 1998 Team Best, 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowman Chrome signed by Witt.

Witt (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2006 for the Blue Jays, Padres, Tigers and Devil Rays.  He had 93 hits, 15 home runs and a .233 batting average. 

I mailed to Witt on May 7, 2021, and got the cards back on January 9, 2024, for a 977-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeff Winchester

These 1999 Bowmans that I got back signed TTM from Jeff Winchester turned out pretty well even though it is hard to tell from the scans.  The above 1999 Bowmans Best is a nice card and will look great in my album. 

I also got a 1999 Bowman Chrome, 1999 Bowman, and a 1999 Bowman Hometown foil parallel signed.

Winchester (b. 1980) was a first round pick (40th overall) in the 1998 June Amateur Draft out of a Louisiana high school by the Rockies.  He played in the minors from 1998 to 2006 in the Rockies, Brewers and Phillies systems, reaching AA.  He had 564 hits, 64 home runs and a .227 batting average.

I mailed to Winchester on October 31 and got the cards back on November 20, for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Ryan Bradley

This 1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond is pretty cool.  I got it, along with a 1999 Bowman Chrome signed TTM by Ryan Bradley.  The black Sharpie doesn't show up too great, but the cards are signed. 

Bradley (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1998 for the Yankees.  He had a record of 2-1 with 13 strike outs and a 5.68 ERA.  His 1998 Yankees won the World Series that season, but he was left off of the playoff roster.

I mailed to Bradley on October 9 and got the cards back on November 7, for a 29-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Travis Harper

Here is another of the older Bowman Chrome cards that I got signed TTM recently. This is a 1999 Bowman Chrome of Travis Harper in an old Devil Rays jersey.  I got the card out of my box of old Bowmans from the former LCS. The card turned out nicely.

Harper (b. 1976) played in the majors from 2000 to 2006 for the Devil Rays. He had a record of 22-29 with 271 strike outs and a 4.94 ERA.

I mailed to Harper on November 13, 2020, and got the card back on October 30, 2023, for a 1,081-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chuck Abbott

A few more 1999 Bowman cards found their way into the autograph album when I received this TTM success from Chuck Abbott.  He signed the three versions of the card that I sent, a base, chrome and a hometown foil parallel.

It's hard to tell the difference between these two in the scan, but they're the hometown foil and chrome.  All of the cards turned out great.

Abbott (b. 1975) was a second round pick by the Angels in the 1996 June Amateur Draft our of Austin Peay.  He played in the minors from 1996 to 2001 in the Angels and Indians systems.  He had 510 hits, 23 home runs and a .237 batting average while making his way as high as AAA.

I mailed to Abbott on October 11 and got the cards back on October 25, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Grant Roberts

Here are some more older prospect cards that I got signed TTM.  These were from Grant Roberts and turned out well.  Above is a 1998 Team Best, which is a pretty cool card.

I also got a 1999 Bowman Chrome and a 2000 Bowman signed.

Roberts (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2004 for the Mets.  He had a record of 4-4 with 77 strike outs and a 4.25 ERA.

I mailed to Roberts on October 7 and got the cards back on October 17, for a 10-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jason Dellaero

Every time I go through my box of late 90s Bowman cards, I enjoy it.  Those are cards that I never would have had I not gotten my boxes from the former LCS.  Recently, I sent cards off to Jason Dellaero.  I had the above 1998 Topps Stadium Club and a series of Bowmans below.

He signed a 1997 Bowman, 1998 Bowman Chrome hometown and a 1999 Bowman Chrome. They all turned out nicely.

Dellaero (b. 1976) played in the majors in 1999 for the White Sox.  He had 3 hits, no home runs and a .091 batting average.  He was a first round (15th over all) draft pick by the White Sox in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of the University of South Florida. 

I mailed to Dellaero on March 17, 2022, and got the cards back on October 6, 2023, for a 568-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Armando Rios

These Armando Rios cards were in some of the boxes that I got from the former card shop.  I found them right after I had sent to him TTM a while back.  I had thought about sending to him again, but I waited a while, just in case he would remember my name and decide not to sign.  I really liked the above 1999 Fleer Ex Century card, so it was worth the wait.

I also got a 1999 Bowman and a 1999 Bowman Chrome signed.  The 2002 Topps Chrome refractor was a card that I had sent to him in my original TTM request, but it had come back unsigned.

I mailed to Rios on January 23 and got the cards back on April 10, for a 77-day TAT.

TTM Success - Tom Davey

This 1999 Bowman Chrome that I got back from Tom Davey turned out nicely.  Originally, the card was a bit cloudy due to age, and sticking to the card in front of it.  I powdered the card prior to sending it out, and that seemed to help it out.  The card is hard to see, due to the quality of the scan, but it really did turn out nicely.

Davey (b. 1973) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 for the Blue Jays, Mariners and Padres.  He had a record of 7-6 with 123 strike outs and a 4.41 ERA.

I mailed to Davey on October 1 and got the card back on October 29, for a 28-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brent Stentz

Some cards were cleared from my old Bowman box with this TTM success from Brent Stenz.  I got a bunch of these late 09s/early 00s minor league and Bowman cards from the former LCS.  Going through those boxes can be fun, since a lot of those cards are of guys I've never heard of.  Some of them still sign TTM, so there are guys I can learn about and add to the albums.

The baby powder I use really helped polish this 1999 Bowman Chrome, and helped it scan a bit better than these cards have in the past.  I do like this set, and am glad the chromes are looking better.

Stentz (b. 1975) was a 33rd round pick by the Tigers in the 1994 June Amateur Draft out of Pasco-Hernando State College in Florida.  He played in the minors from 1995 to 2001 for the Tigers and Twins organizations, reaching AAA.  With Stentz being a 33rd round pick in 1994, I wondered why he got a Bowman card in 1999.  During the 1998 season, Stentz pitched at AA New Britain in the Twins organization.  That season, he went 1-2 with a 1.98 ERA and 43 saves.  That next season (1999), he got promoted to AAA, where he went 0-3 with a 11.22 ERA.  From there, he was up and down, pitching much better in AAA in 2000 (to a 1.93 ERA in 42 games) then worse in 2001 at AAA to a 5.65 ERA in 17 games.  He would go back and forth those seasons between AA and AAA, with 2001 being his final season.

I mailed to Stentz on September 26 and got the cards back on October 6, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Calvin Murray

Here's another TTM success that came on recently that added some different cards to my autograph album.  Calvin Murray signed everything I sent to him and the cards turned out great.  I love the above 1993 Upper Deck.

He also signed these three cards, a 1994 Upper Deck insert, 1999 Bowman Chrome and a 2002 Fleer Tradition.

Murray (b. 1971) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 and 2004 for the Giants, Rangers and Cubs.  He had 146 hits, 8 home runs and a .231 batting average.

I mailed to Murray on April 27, 2020, and got the cards back on July 30, 2022, for an 824-day TAT.

TTM Success - Michael Restovich

I took some cards out of my LCS boxes and added them to my autograph album; this time from Michael Restovich.  I may send the above 2003 Topps off to Michael Cuddyer at some point to get him on the card.

I also got two Bowman Chromes signed (1999 and 2002).

Restovich (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2002 to 2007 for the Twins, Rockies, Pirates, Cubs and Nationals.  He had 64 hits, 6 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Restovich on September 3 and got the cards back on October 20, for a 47-day TAT.

TTM Success - Troy Cameron

I got some more cards out of the old boxes I picked up from my LCS and sent them TTM, this time to former Braves prospect, Troy Cameron.  The above 2000 Bowman Tools of the Trade foil card looks awesome in person.  The scan really lets me down, but the red foil in person is really sharp.

I also got two different 1999 Bowman Chromes signed.  The one on the left is the Home State (Florida) version of the card, which is a really cool feature in this set.  Folks from NC had the Cape Hatteras lighthouse in the background.  I need to find a few of those guys who will sign.

Cameron (b. 1978) was a first round (29th overall) pick by the Braves in the 1997 June Amateur Draft.  He spent 8 seasons in the affiliated minors (with the Atlanta, Colorado, Cleveland, White Sox and Padres organizations).  He also played in a handful of independent league games.  Between 1997 and 2005, in the minors, Cameron had 545 hits, 88 home runs and a .226 batting average.

I mailed to Cameron on September 22 and got the cards back on October 5, for a 13-day TAT.

TTM Success - Chris Enochs

I got some more cards out of the cheap boxes from the LCS and got them signed TTM by Chris Enochs.  The above 1999 UD SP Top Prospects Great Futures card turned out really well.

I also got a 1998 Bowman Chrome, 1999 Bowman Chrome and a 1999 Team Best Baseball America card signed.

Enochs (b. 1975) was a former first round (11th overall) pick by the Oakland A's in the 1997 June Amateur Draft.  He pitched in the minors for 9 seasons and amassed a record of 45-52 with with 661 strike outs and a 4.87 ERA.

I mailed to Enochs on September 11 and got the cards back on September 29, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kelly Dransfeldt

I added some cool late 90s-early 2000s cards to my album when I got these cards back signed from Kelly Dransfeldt.  The above 1999 Topps Gold Label looks great when scanned, but actually pretty crappy in person.  That's because the UV coating on the card is so pld, when I powdered the card, it made it look cloudy.  I could probably clean it (and I probably will), but at least it scanned great.

I also got 1999 Bowman Foil Home State, 1999 Bowman Chome, 1999 Bowmans Best and a 2000 Bowman signed.  All of these look pretty nice, except for the cloudiness of the Bowman Chrome.

Finally, Dransfeldt signed a 1999 Team Best Baseball America card.  These are pretty cool.  I was glad to pull all of these out of the cheap boxes I got from my LCS.

Dransfeldt (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1999 to 2001 and 2004 for the Rangers and White Sox.  He had 23 hits, 1 home run and a .205 batting average.

I mailed to Dransfeldt on September 3 and got the cards back on September 21, for an 18-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ed Yarnall

I got a bunch of cards out of my bargain boxes that I got from my LCS and sent them off for signatures.  One of the players I found at the time was Ed Yarnall.  He had a bunch of early 2000s Bowmans, so those were some cool cards to send off.  The above 1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond looks much better in person, by the way.

Above, there are three different years of Bowman represented: 1998 (top left), 1999 Chrome (top right) and 2000 (bottom left).  There is also a 1999 Team Best on the bottom right.

Yarnall (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1999 and 2000 for the Yankees.  He had a record of 1-0 with 14 strike outs, and a 5.40 ERA.  He was originally drafted by the Mets, but went to the Marlins in the Mike Piazza trade (remember the 5 games that Piazza was a Marlin?), then he went to the Yankees in the Mike Lowell trade.  He didn't make the playoff roster either year, but he was a member of the 1999 and 2000 Yankees teams that won the World Series.  I'm sure he got a ring.

I mailed to Yarnall on August 31 and got the cards back on September 9, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Scott Elarton

I had Scott Elarton's cards in my box for a long time before I finally made myself send the cards out.  They all turned out well, and I was glad to add them to my album.

Elarton (b. 1976) played in the majors from 1998 to 2001 and 2003 to 2008 for the Astros, Rockies, Indians and Royals.  He had a career record of 56-61 with 698 strike outs and a 5.29 ERA.

I mailed to Elarton on April 27 and got the cards back on May 8, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - George Lombard

I got another TTM success back from the batch I sent to Spring Training, this one being from Dodgers camp.  I had some nice late 90s, early 2000s cards of Lombard that I sent off, but he ended up keeping two of the better cards that I sent.

The ones I got back turned out well, so I can't complain.  I just wish I had gotten the other two cards back, because they would have looked cool.

Lombard (b. 1975) is exactly 5 years older than I am.  It isn't often that I find a player with whom I share a birthday, but it is cool that Lombard and I do.  He played in the majors from 1998 to 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006 for the Braves, Tigers, Devil Rays and Nationals.  He had 77 hits, 8 home runs and a .220 batting average.

I mailed to Lombard via Dodgers Spring Training on February 5 and got the cards back on June 22, for a 137-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Davis

The above 2001 Bowman's Best that I got signed TTM by Ben Davis might be one of the best-looking cards that I have gotten back, so far.  The card looks so great, and Davis signing with a green Sharpie kind of adds to the novelty of the card.  I actually found a few 01 Bowman's Best at my LCS, so I have a couple other guys I can send to.  I hope those come back looking just at nice as this one.

I found these two Bowmans (a paper and chrome) from 1999 at my LCS, as well.  Both of them look great with the green Sharpie.

The 2000 Finest was yet another card from the LCS.  I have now gotten a few of these signed, and they all turn out really nice.  The baby powder helps them out tremendously.  The 2001 Bowman Heritage came from the February card show, and is what got me looking for Davis.  I needed to fill out a 10/$1.00 sale at the show, looked Davis up, and bought the card.  Now it is signed (as well as the others, of course), and will take a spot in my album.

Davis (b. 1977) played in the majors from 1998 to 2004 for the Padres, Mariners and White Sox.  He had 358 hits, 38 home runs and a .237 batting average.

I mailed to Davis on March 8 and got the cards back on May 1, for a 54-day TAT.