TTM Success - Gary Knotts

A couple older Bowman cards were added to the autograph album when I got these back signed from Gary Knotts. 

These are a 2000 Bowman and a 2000 Bowman Chrome.  Hard to believe these are almost 25 years old.

Knotts (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2004 for the Marlins and Tigers.  He had a record of 13-16 with 162 strike outs and a 5.45 ERA.

i mailed to Knotts on October 12 and got the cards back on October 23 for an 11-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Jay Bell

There have been quite a few TTM success recently where I went back and got guys I had gotten before.  This was a result of going through a bunch of boxes during the playoffs and amassing a huge stack of guys to send to.  One of them was Jay Bell.  Bell signs a bunch, and has a ton of cool cards.  The above 1992 Donruss Diamond King was a definite highlight.

The above 2000 Bowman and 2001 Upper Deck were some pretty cool cards.  I like how Bowman updated the classic 1955 Bowman TV Set design.  That's one of my all-time favorite sets and adding this with the updated (now, not so updated) design to the autograph album. 

I also got a 1993 Triple Play, 1995 Finest, 1998 Topps and 1999 Topps signed during this TTM request to Bell.

I mailed to Bell on October 11 and got the cards back on November 15, for a 35-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Matt Blank

The above 2002 Topps Total card that I found in a random box drove me to gather up a few cards and send to Matt Blank.  I didn't have very many Topps Total cards, so it was cool to get one of the few I had signed and into my album. 

I also got this 2000 Topps signed.  The signature is just a blob on the card, but it's there and I'll count it.

Finally, here os a 2000 Bowman that I got done.  It turned out better than the Topps. 

Blank (b. 1976) played in the majors from 2000 to 2001 for the Expos.  He had a record of 2-3 with 15 strike outs and a 5.15 ERA.

I mailed to Blank on October 19 and got the cards back on October 30, for an 11-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 - Giuseppe Chiaramonte

More turn-of-the-century cards came out of my Bowman box from the former LCS and were added to my autograph album with this TTM success from Giuseppe Chiaramonte.  That's a name.  It was easy finding his cards in the box due to his name being so recognizable.  I was able to find some nice stuff, like the above 2000 Upper Deck.  I really like this set; it is one that I didn't have much of up until a recent show in Virginia.  There, I filled a 4,000-count box with some decent stuff, and this card was in there.

I also got a couple cards signed from 1999 Team Best and a couple Bowmans (1999 and 2000).

Chiaramonte (b. 1976) was a fifth round pick by the Giants in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Cal State Fresno.  He played in the minors from 1997 to 2001 in the Giants system, reaching AAA.  He had 429 hits, 79 home runs and a .251 batting average.

I mailed to Chiaramonte on September 26 and got the cards back on October 7, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - David Walling

This 2001 Bowman Chrome looks rough, but in all actuality, it turned out pretty well in person.  I think the UV got roughed up when the card stuck to another one, but it doesn't really matter to me.  I was able to get this, and three other Bowman cards signed TTM by David Walling.

He signed the 01 Chrome, a 1999 Bowman, 1999 Bowman foil and a 2000 Bowman.  I really enjoy getting some of these cards out of that box and into my album.  I wish a few more of these guys were coaches around the minors and I could get some of them signed that way, as well.

Walling (b. 1978) was a first round (27th overall) pick in the 1999 June Amateur Draft by the Yankees out of the University of Arkansas.  He played in the minors from 1999 to 2002 in the Yankees system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 24-24 with 283 strike outs and a 4.10 ERA.

I mailed to Walling on March 31 and got the cards back on May 12, for a 42-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brad Baker

A few more older Bowman cards came out of my box (along with a 2000 Topps and 2000 Topps Traded) and went into my album with thus TTM success from Brad Baker.  The above 2000 Bowman turned our nicely.

The 2001 Bowman Chrome and Topps cards also look nice.  I was glad to get a few cards out of the 90s-00s Bowman box I inherited from my former LCS.

Baker (b. 1980) was a first round (40th overall) pick by the Red Sox in the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of a Massachusetts high school.  He played in the minors from 1999 to 2007 in the Red Sox, Padres, Braves and Twins organizations.  He would end up making it to AAA.  He had a record of 47-44 with 769 strike outs and a 3.98 ERA.

I mailed to Baker on March 19 and got the cards back on April 18, for a 30-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Peter Bergeron

A few more cards that I got from my former LCS got signed TTM and put into my autograph album.  I found several nice Peter Bergeron cards in the boxes, like the above 1999 Bowmans Best.

I also sent off a 2000 Bowman, 2000 Chrome Stadium Club, 2002 Fleer Focus and 2002 Topps.  All of the cards turned out great.  The chrome and Bowmans Best look a lot better in person.

Bergeron (b. 1977) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 and 2004 for the Expos.  He had 249 hits, 8 home runs and a .226 batting average.

I mailed to Bergeron on August 19 and got the cards back on September 7, for a 19-day TAT.

TTM Success - Choo Freeman

Here are a couple cards that I got out of my boxes with this TTM success from Choo Freeman.  The above card is a 2000 Bowman.  This is a nice-looking set, and I have a bunch of the cards.  I've gotten a few of them signed, and probably will go through that box soon and get more out to send off.

I also got a 2007 Upper Deck signed.  I liked this set when it came out and busted a couple boxes of it.  So, I have a ton of these, still, and have sent a couple of them off, as well.

Freeman (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2004 to 2006 for the Rockies.  He had 64 hits, 3 home runs and a .225 batting average.

I mailed to Freeman on December 15 and got the cards back on January 16, for a 32-day TAT.

Another Couple of Signings From Max

My friend, Max, has been really active lately in player signings through a card shop near where he lives.  He has helped me get some really cool cards into my autograph album, but he also has helped even more by helping to clear room in my boxes.  He recently asked me to send him what I could find of Carlos Zambrano and Joe Crede for some recent signings.  I hooked him up with everything I could find, and once the signings were done, he cut me a deal on bringing a few back for my album.

The above 2013 Topps Tribute WBC has to be my favorite cards out of the bunch.  I found it after I sent him the initial package, so I had to drop it in a PWE to make sure it got to Max in time.

I added a couple Topps cards to the album, a 2012 (left) and a 2011 (right).  I always enjoy adding different Topps cards to the album.

2007 Goudey mini that I was able to find in my boxes.  The box these are in is usually at the bottom of my stack of boxes, so it can be arduous sometimes to get into it.  I was glad to be able to get several cards out of the box and off to Max.  One of these days, I'm just going to organize everything by year, regardless of card company, and then should be able to get into these a bit more often.

I have a small assortment of 2013 Topps minis left from a box that I took with me and busted at Andrew's house years ago.  I am always happy to get one of the remaining few left signed.  I have also been told by my brother that he doesn't like it when I post about a player, but don't include stats, so I will include Zambrano's, since I'm pretty sure I haven't yet.  I usually don't include the player bio/stats if I'm posting about trades and all, or if I have already done so through a previous post or TTM success.

Zambrano (b. 1981) played in the majors from 2001 to 2012 for the Cubs and Marlins.  He had a career record of 132-91 with 1,637 strike outs and a 3.66 ERA.  He was a 3-time All Star (2004, 2006, 2008) and a 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2006, 2008, 2009).  His best Cy Young Award finish was 5th, which he did 3 times, as well (2004, 2006, 2007).

Max also took all the cards I could find of Joe Crede for a separate signing.  I especially liked the above 1999 Upper Deck SP Minors card, simply because it features Crede in a Winston-Salem Warthogs uniform.  The Warthogs were the previous iteration of Winston-Salem's High A team, following the Spirits and prior to the Dash.

I also got a 2000 Bowman, 2007 Topps, 2007 Bowman Chrome and 2007 Bowman signed by Crede from Max.

Crede (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2000 to 2009 for the White Sox and Twins.  He had 787 hits, 140 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He was an All Star in 2008, was a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2006 and won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005.

As always, thanks for the deals, and for helping me move some cards, Max!  I look forward to your next challenge in finding cards for signings.

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 - 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 - Tim Redding

Here are some early 2000s Bowmans and a 2008 Topps that I was able to get signed TTM by Tim Redding.  The above 2002 Bowman turned out nicely.  These are some pretty cool cards that I never got many of back then.  I have a small bit of them now, thanks to the stuff that I have picked up recently from the LCS.

Redding's 2000 Bowman and his 2008 Topps both turned out well, also.

Redding (b. 1978) played in the majors from 2001 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009 for the Astros, Padres, Yankees, Nationals and Mets.  He had a career record of 37-57 with 552 strike outs and a 4.95 ERA.

I mailed to Redding on September 1 and got the cards back on September 11, for a 10-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 - Ben Petrick

The TTM I sent ended up being a bunch of cards, but Ben Petrick signed them all, and I added some different stuff to my autograph album.

This 2000 Skybox turned out to be a pretty sharp card, and I liked how it looked.  I'm pretty sure it was something I found at my LCS a while back, and it finally came in signed.

Here are three different Bowmans from a long time ago, and a 2000 Topps Stadium Club.  The Bowmans are 1996, 2000 and 2001.  The 1996 (bottom left) was one of the cards I got out of a box while visiting Andrew a couple years ago.

Finally, some Fleer offerings, a 2001 Fleer Futures and a 2000 Fleer Tradition.  These are some pretty cool cards, as Fleer had some cool designs in the early 2000s.  Their problem was that they flooded the market with products and ran themselves out of business.

Petrick (b. 1977) played in the majors from 1999 to 2003 for the Rockies and Tigers.  He had 172 hits, 27 home runs and a .257 batting average.

I mailed to Petrick on March 25 and got the cards back on August 24, for a 152-day TAT.

TTM Success - Roosevelt Brown

I'm pretty sure I found this 1999 Flair Showcase Wave of the Future Roosevelt Brown at the National this summer.  I figured I would give it a shot to send TTM, and it really came out well.  It has the surface of a Sportsflics card, so I wasn't too sure the auto would hold.  I have never gotten a Sportsflics card signed, so I was really in the dark how this one would look, but since it came from a dime box, it was worth a shot.

Just in case the Flair Showcase didn't work out, I also sent this 2000 Bowman.  This one looks really great, so the TTM request was a true success.

Brown (b. 1975) played in the majors from 1999 to 2002 for the Cubs.  He had 111 hits, 11 home runs and a .251 batting average.

I mailed to Brown on August 21 and got the cards back on September 25, for a 35-day TAT.