Luis Tiant TTM Success

Sent: 11/13/2020 | Received: 11/20/2020 | 7 days
1/1: 1982 Topps
Address: Home (Wells, ME via SportsCollectors.Net)

Best known for his time toeing the slab for the Indians and the Red Sox, the Cuban-born Tiant won 229 games and had a 3.30 ERA over 19 MLB seasons. He maxed out at 30.9% of the of the writers vote during his 15 years on the Hall of Fame ballot. He has since been overlooked by the Golden Era Committee twice (2012 and 2015) as well as the Modern Era Committee (2018).

Tiant was a three-time All-Star (1968, 1974, 1976) and two-time American League ERA leader (1968, 1972).

He tremendously hurt his own chances of enshrinement by pitching as long as he did. Tiant didn’t hang up his spikes until after the 1981 (age 41) season. His 12-15 record and 4.76 ERA from 1979 onward (a period that included this slab of signed cardboard) weren’t disqualifying. Rather it hurt his timing.

Consider his most commonly cited comparable: Catfish Hunter who retired three years earlier.

Tiant: 217-156, 3.21 ERA, 118 ERA+, 2,270 Ks, 1,027 BBs
Hunter:224-166, 3.26 ERA, 104 ERA+, 2,012 Ks, 954 BBs

However, by delaying his eligibility, Tiant had to share ballot space with the likes of Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro, Steve Carlton and Don Sutton. The bar was set significantly higher.

One Card: 1972 Topps #101 – Rookie Stars Astros (Greif, Richard, Busse)

Allow me to share with you my latest eBay pickup.

J.R. Richard being one of the players that I collect, his eminently affordable rookie card was a glaring omission from the PC. Consider that remedied after picking this sharp cornered, crisply colored card with a low bid last week.

My fondness for Richard comes from stories my uncle told me as a kid. James Rodney Richard was not on my radar. I must have been talking up Nolan Ryan because Uncle Dennis cut me off, “Ryan? Fine. But his teammate was even better.”

My Uncle was stationed in Texas in the late ‘70s. To hear him tell it, Richard would walk ten, strike out twenty, and roll to victory. Hyperbole.

But Richard remains one of baseball’s great “what if” stories, and my uncle’s tellings left an impression.

Of course, J.R. shares this slab of cardboard, so…

BILL GREIF

Greif broke into the majors at age 21. By the time this 1972 card was released, this Astros “Rookie Star” was a San Diego Padre, dealt as part of a three-player package in exchange for Dave Roberts in December of 1971.

In 1974, Greif was the Padres’ Opening Day starter. He pitched to a 31-67 over six years in the majors. His last MLB appearance came in 1976 with the Cardinals. He was 26. After sitting out the ’77 season he attempted a comeback with the Mets. He appeared in three games with the AAA-Tidewater Tides. His career MLB ERA was 4.41.

J.R. RICHARD

When Richard broke into the majors in 1971, also at age 21, he made an immediate impression. A September call up, Richard debuted in the second game of a doubleheader against the Giants. He struck out 15, tying the MLB record for Ks in a first start.

His potential obvious, Richard yo-yo’d between the minors and majors over the next three seasons.

In 1975, he’d eclipse 200 innings for the first time in a season, and ’76 marked the first of four consecutive 200+ strikeout campaigns. He topped 300 strike outs in ’78 and ’79 (leading the NL each season). He had three Top-10 Cy Young finishes, and took the NL ERA title in 1979.

His 1980 (age 30) season and his career, was tragically cut short by an on-field, pre-game stroke. His season ended with a 1.90 ERA and 119 strikeouts over 113.2 innings.

RAY BUSSE

After a cup of coffee in the majors in 1971, Busse had a brutal ’72 campaign. His father committed suicide. He suffered a shoulder injury. He was limited to just 70 games for AAA-Oklahoma City (he hit .207 and committed 27 errors).

Despite this, the Cardinals targeted Busse – based on his pre-1972 track record – as a starting shortstop. He actually started Opening Day for St. Louis. It did not go well. He committed two errors.

The Cardinals got off to a terrible, 8-23 start, and Busse took much of the fans’ blame (he hit .143 and committed 11 errors in 24 games). In June, he was traded back to Houston. He hit .059 for the Astros to finish up 1973. In ’74, he hit .206 over 19 games. That age-25 season was his last in the Majors.

Over parts of three seasons for the Astros and Cardinals. He slashed .148/.205/.265 with 168 career plate appearances.

Carlos Baerga Auto via Private Signing

It’s been a slow year for me TTM-wise – or at least I’ve slowed down significantly since the Spring/start of the pandemic. But, I’ve participated in a lot more through-the-mail private signings.

The latest return is Carlos Baerga, through a signing run by Jamie Blye spotted on SportsCollectors.Net.

Carlos Baerga was the switch-hitting second baseman on those slugging Cleveland Indians teams in the early- to mid-1990s. He was a three-time All-Star (1992, 1993, 1995) and two-time Silver Slugger (1993, 1994). He was the first second baseman since Rogers Hornsby to have back-to-back 200+hit, 20+ home run, 100+ RBI, and .300+ batting average seasons.

Baerga (and Sandy Alomar Jr.) had joined the Indians through an unpopular deal that sent Joe Carter to the Padres.

His peak, however, was cut short as the lavish lifestyle of a budding star took its toll. He blames his off-field appetite for discos, drink and women for on-field struggles.

His time in Cleveland came to an end mid-1996 when he was delt to the Mets in a swap that returned Jeff Kent. I have absolutely zero recollection of Jeff Kent playing for the Indians. None.

After two seasons more seasons with the Mets, Baera had a brief stint with the Padres, returned to the Indians, played in Korea, retired, served as player-manager of the Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico), unretired, and played four more Major League seasons with the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, and Nationals.

All told, Baerga had 1,583 hits and a .291 batting average over 14 seasons. In 2013, he was elected to the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.

Pharmacy Box Break (x2): Faceoff

Alright. It's been a week since I picked up two pharmacy boxes with the intent to do another break/faceoff. I got sidetracked when I pulled a HOF auto. Let's revisit... 

Again, I amuse myself by fielding the best Starting 9 from each box and put them head to head.

Before I get to that…

Hit? Oh yeah. As previously discussed, a legitimate hit.

Packs? 1991 Line Drive Pre-Rookie (x2).

Box One – Starting Nine

1. SS Alan Trammell R
2. 1B Stan Musial L
3. 3B Manny Machado R
4. CF Curtis Granderson L
5. LF Ruben Sierra S
6. C Sandy Alomar Jr. R
7. 2B Johnny Ray S
8. RF Nick Markakis L
9. SP Kevin Brown R

When I think of Musial, I think of an outfielder. But “The Man” played 1,016 games at first base, and no lie, the only other first baseman in the box was Jim Lindeman and his career -0.2 WAR.

Alan Trammell and Johnny Ray are pharmacy box standards and end up in a lot of these lineups.

Starting pitcher Kevin Brown feels underrated at this point. He was a six-time All-Star and won two ERA titles. I admit, I underrate him myself – no doubt soured by two poor seasons in pinstripes at the tail end of an otherwise superb career.

Box Two – Starting Nine

1. SS Tony Fernandez S
2. RF Dwight Evans R
3. LF Julio Franco R
4. CF Jim Edmonds L
5. 1B Bob Horner R
6. 3B Mike Moustakas L
7. C Todd Zeile R
8. 2B Harold Reynolds S
9. SP Jack Morris R

Only one Hall of Famer, and one with somewhat questionable credentials. No offense to Jack Morris, who unquestionably was a tremendous big-game pitcher, but let the record show:

Kevin Brown career WAR: 67.8
Jack Morris: 43.5

Anyways, there are some under-the-radar standouts here. Fernandez, Dewey Evans, and Jim Edmonds are all underrated.

Still… this one won’t be close.

Box One wins, 441.4 to 332.3 in career WAR.

Steve “Psycho” Lyons TTM Success

Sent: 4/23/2020 | Received: 11/10/2020 | 201 days
2/2: 1986 Topps, 1988 Topps
Address: Home (Hermosa Beach, CA via SportsCollectors.Net)

When I showed my sons the unforgettable video of Steve Lyons pantsing himself at Tiger Stadium in 1990, they rolled around the floor laughing. In my younger days, the clip was a part of every blooper reel. Still funny.

The eccentric utility man nicknamed “Psycho” had a nine-year career split across four teams (including four separate stints with the Boston Red Sox). He slashed .252/.301/.340 with 19 home runs over 2,162 at bats. He stole 42 bases and was caught stealing 32 times.

On numerous occasions Lyons’ comments in the broadcast booth have gotten him into trouble. Nonetheless, he still has a gig with NESN, the Red Sox network. For me, his best work was calling Billy Chapel’s perfect game alongside Vin Scully.

Al Bumbry Private Signing + One More ’81 Star Sticker Catch-Up

Another 1981 Fleer Star Sticker success! Again by way of affordable through-the-mail private signing.

Al Bumbry was a mainstay in the Baltimore Orioles outfield for 13 seasons (1972-1984). He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1973. He was an All-Star in 1980. He won a World Series ring in 1983.

Before his MLB career, Bumbry served in the U.S. Army and received a Bronze Star leading a platoon during the Vietnam War.

Bumbry still ranks high on the Orioles franchise leaderboard for stolen bases (4^th – 252) and runs (9^th – 772). He played the 1985 season – his last – with the Padres, serving mostly as a pinch hitter.

 

 

I recently blogged a catch-up post with five ’81 Star Sticker set returns that came in while I wasn’t writing. I missed one…

I received George Foster back from another private signing back in early August.

Foster is best known for his years with the “Big Red Machine.” A five-time All-Star, he won two World Series rings as the Reds went back-to-back in 1975 and 1976. He led the league in RBI in ’76, ’77, and ’78. He won the NL MVP in 1977, pacing the league in HRs (52), runs (124), RBI (149), total bases (388), and OPS (1.013).

After another great season in 1981 (he finished third in the NL MVP voting), the Reds – who were unwilling to give Foster the five-year deal he was seeking – traded him to the Mets.

Foster’s power numbers declined with the Mets (he maxed out at 28 HRs in 1983 and never exceeded 90 RBI). The Mets released Foster in August of their eventual World Series-winning 1986 season. He was awarded a ring.

Unknown to me before this write up: Foster bookended his career with the Giants and the White Sox. He broke into the Majors with San Francisco in 1969. The outfielder-rich Giants traded him to the Reds in 1971. After his release from the Mets, Foster latched on with Chicago. Foster hung up his cleats after 15 games with the White Sox.

 

***

1981 Fleer Star Sticker Progress: 56 of 125 (44.8%)

A HOF Auto Out of a Pharmacy Box?!?!

I picked up a couple pharmacy boxes at Wallgreens this morning thinking I’d go back to the well and do another FairField box break/faceoff, but a find in Box #2 had me saying, “Holy sh*t!”

Stan “the Man” Musial? Autographed? From a Pharmacy Box?!?!

Wow.

A closer look...

Yes, it’s a sticker auto.
Yes, it’s an unlicensed Leaf card (from 2015).
and Yes, the auto itself doesn’t look great.

But hey, I pulled a Stan Musial autograph from a pharmacy box!

Wait, hold on a second. The card was issued in 2015. Musial died in 2013. What? Some of you surely know this already. I didn’t. Apparently, Stan’s family and business people had him sign a ton of stickers in his waning years. Leaf bought the stickers and put out a product where you’re guaranteed a Musial auto with every box.

That’s morbid. It does diminish my enthusiasm for my hit some.

Musial, of course, was a first-ballot HOFer and one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.

He’s a 24x All-Star (1943, 1944, 1946-1963), a three time World Series winner (1942, 1944, 1946), a three-time NL MVP (1943, 1946, 1948), he twice led the NL in RBIs (1948, 1956), and was a seven-time NL Batting champion (1943, 1946, 1948, 1950-1952, 1957).

What a resume.

The backstory on the auto explains the devaluation of Musial’s autograph over recent years (COMC listings have autos from this Leaf series in the $22-40 range) and potentially how it ended up in a $5 repack.

Still, to pull this out of a pharmacy box feels like a win.

Catching Up on 1981 Fleer Star Sticker Returns (x5)

During my three-month reprieve from blogging, I did make some progress on my 1981 Fleer Star Sticker set. Let’s recap…

Tony Perez via Private Signing

I received the Hall of Famer back on July 20th from a private signing. Pictured as a Red Sox, Perez is best known for his days with the Big Red Machine. He also played for the Expos and Phillies.

“Big Dog” was a seven-time All-Star (1967-1970, 1974-1976) posting 2,732 hits, 379 home runs, and 1,652 RBI over a 23-year run. He picked up three World Series rings – 1975 and 1976 as a player, and 1990 as a coach for the Reds team that swept the favored A’s.

He was inducted into Cooperstown in 2000 (ninth ballot) with 77.15 percent of the vote.

Mickey Rivers through the mail

“Mick the Quick” signed TTM by way of his agency, MDM Sports. This one came back 7/25.

Rivers, a speedy leadoff type, is best remembered for his time in pinstripes, where he won two World Series (1977 and 1978). He began his career with the Angels and wrapped it with the Rangers, amassing a .295 batting average and 267 stolen bases.

After leading the league in steals (70) with the Angels in 1975, the Yankees acquired him (and Ed Figueroa) for Bobby Bonds via trade. Rivers posted his best season in ’76 and earned an All-Star nod.

And I don’t know if anyone remembers the ESPN’s 2007 mini series The Bronx is Burning, but I loved the way Leonard Robinson played Rivers.

Jack Clark via Private Signing

I love a good nickname. “Jack the Ripper” is a great nickname. I got Clark – a four-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1985, 1987) – by way of another private signing (7/28/2020).

During his mid-80s prime, Clark was one of the most feared hitters in the National League. Over an 18-year career, Clark hit .267 with 340 home runs, 332 doubles, and 1,180 RBI.

Tony Armas, Ebay pickup

I scored Armas as a super-cheap pickup through Ebay.

Armas was a top power hitter of the early 80s. He was a two-time All Star and twice led the American League in homers (1981, 1984). In 1984, he also was the AL RBI leader and won a Silver Slugger Award for his efforts.

From 1980 to 1985, Armas hit more home runs (187) than any other American League player.

He was, however, hampered by injuries. He missed 302 games to the disabled list (12 visits) over his 14-year career.

Enos Cabell via Private Signing

Cabell – a first- and third-baseman by trade – was also received through private signing (8/4/2020). Cabell is dubiously remembered for two things:

1. A Bill James Abstract (1983) write up where the statistician wrote “the man can’t play baseball … can’t play first, can’t play third, can’t hit, can’t run, and can’t throw.”
2. He was one of seven suspended for the entire 1986 season for admitting to cocaine abuse during the Pittsburgh drug trials. His suspension was avoided after agreeing to large anti-drug donations and community service.

With due respect to Mr. James, Cabell played 15 MLB seasons and posted a .277 batting average. That was a Skip Bayliss take.

***
1981 Fleer Star Sticker Set Progress: 54 of 125 (43.2%)
Unofficially, I entered the year with a goal of getting to 50 in 2020. So this is the one thing in 2020 that’s gone as planned.

Anthony Volpe TTM Success

Sent: 10/19/2020 | Received: 11/2/2020 | 14 days
3/3: 2020 Bowman (x2), 2020 Bowman Chrome
Address: Home (Watchung, NJ) from SportsCollectors.Net

The Yankees’ first round pick (30th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft, Volpe is a shortstop out of The Delbarton School in New Jersey. MLB.com ranked him organization’s No. 9 prospect back in the Spring.

Volpe’s MiLB debut didn’t go as planned. He hit only .215/.349/.355 over 34 games and contracted mono.

He was likely ticketed for high-A Tampa, but when the season was wiped away by Covid, he had to settle for sandlot-style pickup games.

Volpe also has winning credentials, leading the USA Baseball 18-and-Under National Team to a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships and earning All-Tournament honors with a .459 batting average in nine games.

Pharmacy Box Break (x2): Faceoff

Only yesterday I lamented how the state of retail card shopping was so bad that I couldn’t even find a repack. Had to pick up a last-minute bag of candy just in case we get trick-or-treaters in Pandemic-ville (we haven't), and lo and behold: Pharmacy Boxes!

I was unnaturally happy to find them. It helped that Night Owl already warned us to expect less (80 instead of 100 cards).

With two boxes, I thought that I’d amuse myself with a Starting 9 Faceoff; something I used to do all the time as a kid. It was fun to rip a few packs with friends, build your best squad, and then argue over which would win.

Before I get to that…

Hit? Yes. Seth Rosin auto. Rosin pitched in two Major League-seasons (2014 with the Rangers, and 2015 with the Phillies). He appeared in four games in the bigs and had an ERA of 12.00. It's numbered out of 710, so this was a major find.

Packs: 1991 Line Drive Pre-Rookie, 1991 Leaf (Series 1)

OK. Onto my game.

Box One – Starting Nine

1. LF Tim Raines R
2. 1B Jeff Bagwell R
3. RF Dave Parker L
4. CF Andre Dawson R
5. 3B David Freese R
6. C B.J. Surhoff L
7. SS Trea Turner R
8. 2B Johnny Ray S
9. SP Mike Mussina R

I like this team a lot. Mix of speed, power, defense. A Hall of Fame pitcher on the mound. Two lefties and a switch hitter provide some balance. This will be a tough squad to beat.

Box Two – Starting Nine

1. CF Kirby Puckett R
2. SS Alan Trammell R
3. LF Manny Ramirez R
4. RF Gary Sheffield R
5. 1B Cecil Fielder R
6. SS Dave Concepcion R
7. 2B Jeff Treadway L
8. C Terry Steinbach R
9. SP David Cone R

A righty-heavy lineup, but the middle of the order is going to mash. Treadway was legit the only second baseman in the bunch (but at least he’s a lefty).

First blush, I give the edge to Box One. If I go by career WAR – and though that might not be the best predictor, how much work am I really going to put into this? – Box One edges out Two, 430.3 to 405.3. Mussina/Ray being the difference makers over Cone/Treadway.

I’d pay to see that match up.

Prediction: Box One wins, 6-4.

Private Signings: Frank Thomas, Alec Mills

Playing a bit of catch-up…

Here are a couple private signing returns that came back during my recent hiatus. I’ll do a separate post with my 1981 Fleer Star Sticker set returns.

Frank Thomas (via rdaly42 on SCN)

I jumped at this one when I saw it pop up in the SportsCollectors.Net upcoming Private Signings listings. It was one of those that I originally clicked on assuming, “No way this will be in my price range.” I was very happy to be wrong.

“The Big Hurt” was always one of my favorite non-Yankees (unless, of course, you count his tenure in pinstripes from Mr. Baseball).

In fifth grade, my Upstate New York school took a field trip to the Hall of Fame. I’d been plenty of times before, but it was notable because one of my closest friends’ father was a chaperone. While everyone else came home with a souvenir pack of cards or a couple HOF plaque post cards, my friend got his father to spring for an autographed Frank Thomas 8x10. I was quite jealous.

Anyways… I’m thrilled to add him to the collection all these years later.

You all know Frank Thomas. You don’t need me to summarize his Hall of Fame career. Instead I’ll call out a few of his more random notables:

• Thomas was the only player in league history to have over 10,000 plate appearances without a single sacrifice bunt. The Big Hurt didn’t small ball.
• As early as 1995, Thomas advocated for testing MLB players for performance-enhancing drugs. “It means a lot to me because I did it the right way,” he said after hitting his 500^th career home run.
• He had seven straight 100 RBI, 100 walk, 20 homer, and .300 average seasons.
• Final career numbers: 521 home runs, a .301 batting average, and a .419 on-base percentage. Four Silver Sluggers and two MVPs (1993, 1994).

Alec Mills (via Chicagoland Sports)

Mills’ September 13^th no-hitter was one of the abbreviated season’s highlights. I was coaching a Little League team of 9- and 10-year-olds, and Mills was all the buzz on our Connecticut diamond the next day.

Mills, a 28-year-old former 22^nd round draft pick, had racked up 649 Minor League innings before his Big Show moment. It was only his 15^th MLB start, having previously gone no deeper than seven innings.

With a 90.1 mph fastball, he generated just five swinging strikes. His five strikeouts were the fewest in a no-hitter since 2013 (Henderson Alvarez, Marlins, 2013).

On the season, Mills posted a 5-5 record and 4.47 ERA over 11 starts.

The signing – my first through Chicagoland Sports – couldn’t have been easier. They supplied the card. I didn’t request the inscription (feeling that the Topps Now card spoke for itself), but he added it anyways. Score.

One Card: 1992 Donruss - Highlights #555, Nolan Ryan & Rich Gossage

Long time no blog. My apologies (who am I apologizing to?). I’ve been short on both time and cards of late, thus, no blog posts. And while I’ve had a few TTMs trickle in, nothing that I simply had to blog about.

I don’t have the luxury of a LCS and the dearth of product available through retail is well documented (I can’t even find Fairfield repacks these days). To top it off COMC has basically stopped shipping orders, so the well is dry. But I had an itch to open packs, and I have an itch to write something so… I’ll force it.

There is a sports memorabilia store at the local mall that doesn’t typically sell cards. But I took a stroll while my wife made a Sephora run, and noticed they had a few overpriced packs near the register.

Their inventory:

• 2020 Topps Big League (retail packs) -- $4
• 1988 Topps -- $2
• 1992 Donruss Series 1 -- $2
• 1992 Donruss Series 2 -- $2

I grabbed one of each of the two Donruss packs because I am that desperate to open something.

I pulled a Thome rookie, a Joe Carter Diamond Kings card, and a couple others that made me smile, but what I like about this set is the Highlights cards.

1991 was the first year I followed the goings-on of the MLB season. I have a false memory of watching the latter innings of Nolan Ryan’s 7^th no-hitter with my father. I’m now sure it’s a false memory, because the game would have ended after my bedtime. Must have watched the highlights.

I am certain that I watched Rickey Henderson break Lou Brock’s stolen base mark (the same day!).

Anyways, the highlights cards in Series 1 and 2 Donruss were a nice trip down memory lane. And I had no memory of this particular event:

The card features Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Nolan Ryan, teammates in ’91, for the unlikely occurrence of reaching large, uneven numbers for their respective categories in the same game.

Ryan notched career win number 308, and Gossage career save 308 in the same game.

On July 23, 1991 – so the card tells us – Ryan went seven innings against the Boston Red Sox, departing with a 5-4 lead. Gossage came on with two outs in the eighth and nailed down the win.

For Goose, it was his first save in nearly two years – he pitched 1990 in Japan. It was his only save of the 1991 season, and he’d record just two more (one in 1993 with the A’s and one more in 1994 with the Mariners) before the second man to eclipse the 300 mark retired.

Ryan retired after the 1993 season with 324 wins

I love that Donruss highlighted this bizarre coincidence and squeezed two legends onto one piece of cardboard.

Two more 1981 Fleer Star Stickers: Bake McBride & Greg Luzinski

In my continued quest for a signed 1981 Fleer Star Sticker set, I've two new pickups to highlight.

Bake McBride via Private Signing

C'mon. Look at that card. Fantastic.

"Shake 'n Bake" played 11 (often injury-shortened) seasons for the Cardinals, Phillies, and Indians. He was the 1974 N.L. Rookie of the Year, a 1976 All-Star, and a World Series champion in 1980.

In that '74 ROY campaign, he slashed .303/.369/.394, stole 30 bases and scored 81 runs over 150 games. McBride hit over .300 the next two seasons as well, with a career-high .335 mark in 1976.

After struggling through 42 games with the Cardinals in 1977, he was dealt to the Phillies. He finished the season hitting .339 with 11 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He posted a career-best 87 RBI for the 1980 World Series champs.

Injuries forced McBride to retire at the age of 33. He retired with a .299 batting average, 1,153 hits, 63 home runs, and 183 stolen bases.

Greg Luzinski via Ebay

Another 1980 World Series champ.

Greg "The Bull" Luzinski was a four-time All-Star and the 1975 N.L. RBI leader. In each season from 1975 through 1978, he was finished in the Top 10 of the MVP vote.

Over 11 seasons with the Phillies, Luzinski slugged 223 home runs. He joined the Chicago White Sox after the 1980 title season and was resurgent in a designated hitter role. He hit 84 more home runs over four seasons with the ChiSox.

*** 

1981 Fleer Star Sticker Set Progress: 49 of 125 (39.2%)

Rollie Fingers TTM Success

Sent: 6/8/2020 | Received: 6/16/2020 | 8 days
1/1: 1981 Fleer Star Sticker
Address: Home (Las Vegas, NV) from SportsCollectors.Net

Another 1981 Fleer Star Sticker success, and a Hall of Famer to boot.

Fingers revolutionized the reliever role over a 17-year career with the Athletics, Padres, and Brewers. He helped usher in the age of the closer, and at the time of his retirement his 341 career saves were the most all time.

He is a three-time World Series champion, a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, and a three-time MLB saves leader.

In 1981, his first season in Milwaukee, Fingers won the American League's (AL) Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award. He went 6-3 and racked up 28 saves while posting a 1.04 ERA over 78 innings. He edged Rickey Henderson by nine votes, despite a WAR deficit of 1.5.

*** 

1981 Fleer Star Sticker Set Progress: 47 of 125 (37.6%)

TTM Success: Two 2019 Spring Training Returns

I have some catching up to do on TTM returns, so let’s go with a two-fer. Surprising June/July 2020 returns that were sent during Spring Training 2019.

Chad Green TTM Success

Sent: 2/19/2019 | Received: 6/22/2020 | 489 days
1/1: 2019 Topps
Address: c/o NY Yankees ST

Chad Green had a bizarre 2019. He was atrocious in April – allowing 14 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings – before being optioned to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Following the stint in Triple-A, Green returned to form, posting a 2.64 ERA the rest of the way. In the process, he served as both a middle-innings reliever and as an opener (making 15 starts) with the ability to pitch multiple innings when necessary. More likely than not, he’ll fill that role again in 2020.

Sal Romano TTM Success

Sent: 3/7/2019 | Received: 7/1/2020 | 482 days
2/2: 2018 Topps, 2019 Reds Team Set
Address: c/o Cincinnati Reds ST

If you’re a follower of SportsCollectors.net’s recent successes page, Sal Romano has been a popping up a lot, signing from his home – which surprise, surprise is one town over (I had no idea). Unable to find any of his cards, I figured I’d miss this boat.

Lo an behold, I couldn’t find carts because I sent them already; to Arizona last Spring. And they found their way home.

The Southington, CT native as had 41 starts and 67 appearances over three seasons with the Reds. Romano worked exclusively in relief last season, at the MLB level, and struggled to a 7.71 ERA (and 1.837 WHIP).

Gratitude for Free Cards | Thank You (x3)

Quick apology for my recent respite: Sorry. I’ve been busy of late. Good busy though. Most of my preoccupation is owed to a return to the Little League diamond.

Ages 8 and up in my neck of the woods have been welcomed back for an abbreviated summer season, so I'm coaching my older son Luke's team, the AAA Rangers.

Here in Connecticut, we’re one of the few states where Covid cases have been in decline. So with – no kidding – three pages of extra safety protocols, we’re back to playing baseball; we're back before MLB. It’s baseball with masks, restrictions on food (including gum and sunflower seeds), and a distanced dugout… but it’s baseball.

Back to cards...

Busy or no, I’m required to come back – if only – to express my thanks to a trio of bloggers and some generous goodies that have arrived in the mail recently. In the order I received them:

1. Thank you to Nick from Dime Boxes

I participated in three of Nick’s recent Free Stuff Friday giveaways and scored quite a few cool cards. I stuck mostly to the 70s (Ron Santo, Manny Sanguillen, Dock Ellis, Oscar Gamble) but strayed a couple of times off plan (Ron Washington, Satchel Paige).

The highlight, however, was this 1969 Deckle Edge Willie Mays.

I don’t have nearly enough Willie Mays in the collection – in fact the Willie Bloomquist-to-Willie Mays ratio in my collection is completely out of whack. 

2. Thank you to Jon from A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts

Again, jumped on a few Free Stuff Friday posts, and this time focused on (mostly) on cards for my eldest’s collection: two 1985 Hygrade Jackie Robinsons (he has a growing Jackie collection) and, of course, a few for his Yankees’ binders (Rizzuto x2 and Munson). The Jackie Robinsons aren't pictured as my son scooped them up and added him to his binder before I had a chance to snap a pic.

Plus, a couple odd balls for me…

I’m kind of a Christmas nut. Clark Griswold is a role model of mine. Love these.

3. Thank you to Greg from Night Owl Cards

I lucked into a Night Owl giveaway having earned an entry with a comment on a previous post. Greg offered up 16 prize packs that were so stuffed with cool items that I was paralyzed with indecision while a few items came off the board. I pulled myself together and came away with these four 1979 Topps Baseball Comics.

I’m not going to lie, these were not on my radar before I saw them up for grabs but I was charmed by their pop art-feel and now that they’ve arrived, I’m not at all disappointed with my selection. I may try to acquire the other 29. I love them.

He also added a trio of cards clearly clearly sourced by my recently added “Players I Collect” page. Thank you for that.

Didi goes to Luke’s collection and though the Carter is a dupe, the J.P. Richard card amazingly isn’t.


I’m under no delusions that I can offer any traffic or visibility to these three card-blogging giants, so I can’t steer any readers their way. Rather, I say again, thank you gentlemen. I am floored by your generosity. And as soon as I put together a few things that might interest you, I’ll send them your way.

Another Pre-Draft Stars & Stripes Return

Mere hours after posting three Stars & Stripes TTM returns, lo and behold, another lands in the mailbox. Another guy to pull for tonight (or tomorrow) in the draft.

Jeff Criswell TTM Success

Sent: 5/26/2020 | Received: 6/10/2020 | 15 days

1/1: 2020 Stars & Stripes
Address: Home (Portage, MI) from SportsCollectors.Net

Criswell worked as both a starter and reliever for Michigan. He shined in the pen in 2019 as the Wolverines came within one win of a national title. In 2020, he assumed the Friday starter role. MLB.com's Pipeline ranks him the #58 draft prospect.

From their write-up:

[As a starter, Criswell showed] the ability to work at 93-96 mph with heavy sink for several innings at a time. Both his slider and his fading changeup are solid secondary pitches that arrive in the low 80s.

While Criswell unquestionably has the repertoire and strong build to start at the pro level, he's still learning to harness his stuff. He lapses into overthrowing at times, which causes his delivery to get out of sync and his control to waver. If he can do a better job of locating his pitches, he could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

A Trio of Stars & Stripes TTM Returns Before the Draft

Happy draft day. I thought today would be the perfect day to catch up on my TTM returns from the Stars & Stripes blaster that I picked up a few weeks back. I’ll be honest with you: I was pretty lukewarm on this release after I opened it, but I’ve enjoyed getting these back as TTMs.

Heston Kjerstad TTM Success

Sent: 5/28/2020 | Received: 6/6/2020 | 14 days
1/1: 2020 Stars & Stripes
Address: Home (Amarillo, TX) from SportsCollectors.Net

MLB.com’s Pipeline ranks Kjerstad the #10 prospect headed into the draft. Kjerstad is a 21-year-old outfielder out of Arkansas.

From MLB’s write up:

He offers the best left-handed power in the 2020 college class and only potential No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson has more pop among collegians.

Kjerstad's strength and bat speed give him well above-average raw power to all fields … He's an aggressive hitter who always will accumulate strikeouts as a tradeoff for his pop … He's not a threat on the bases but plays a capable right field. His huge power and solid arm strength fit the profile for the position.

Drew Romo TTM Success

Sent: 5/28/2020 | Received: 6/9/2020 | 17 days
1/1: 2020 Stars & Stripes
Address: Home (The Woodlands, TX) from SportsCollectors.Net

#35 on MLB’s Pipeline rankings, Romo is a high school catcher out of the same high school that’s produced Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Drabek and Jameson Tallion.

Per MLB:

[H]e's an outstanding defender who made strides offensively on the showcase circuit last summer … A potential Gold Glover, he possesses soft hands, advanced receiving skills and a strong arm with a quick release. He also garners praise for his leadership ability, work ethic and baseball IQ … 

A switch-hitter, he has a better swing from the left side but has improved from the right. The Louisiana State commit will provide more contact and on-base ability than power, but he can become a .260 hitter with 12-15 homers per year while running the bases better than most catchers.

Logan Allen TTM Success

Sent: 5/23/2020 | Received: 6/2/2020 | 10 days
1/1: 2020 Stars & Stripes
Address: Home (Deltona, FL) from SportsCollectors.Net

Rounding out my trio of Stars and Stripes returns is Logan Allen, a left-handed pitcher out of Florida International. Allen checked in at #46 on the Pipeline’s pre-draft rankings.

This from the MLB.com profile:

He goes right after hitters with three pitches. He sits right around 90 mph with his fastball, but can reach back for up to 93 mph when he needs to, and he commands it well, with good arm-side finish. His changeup is his bread and butter, a potentially future plus circle change he sells really well with good fade and sink that misses bats and elicits weak contact on the ground. His curveball is his third pitch, a breaking ball that can get a little big at times. He commands the ball very well and knows how to set up hitters. 

Because of his lack of physicality and lack of wow stuff, Allen's ceiling is somewhat limited. But he's shown the ability to keep hitters off-balance and could be the kind of advanced college lefty who moves through a system quickly, always a commodity when the Draft rolls around.

With these three, my number of Stars and Stripes returns is up to five; I previously received Nick Loftin (#36) and Andrew Abbott (#116). Hopefully all of these guys are selected high and have long/successful careers.

Ron Gant TTM Success

Sent: 5/28/2020 | Received: 6/9/2020 | 12 days
3/3: 1993 Upper Deck, 1997 Metal, 1989 Bowman
Address: c/o Fox 5 Atlanta from SportsCollectors.Net

Before he became one of the most reliable TTM autograph signers around, Ron Gant was an All-Star outfielder, best known for his seven-year run with the Atlanta Braves (1987-1993).

Gant came up as a second baseman before transitioning to outfield in 1990. He took off from there, batting .303 with 32 home runs, 30 stolen bases and 85 RBI – good enough to earn the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

He duplicated his 30/30 efforts in ‘91 – joining Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, (and later Barry Bonds, who did it three years in a row) – as the only players to register consecutive 30 home run/30 stolen base seasons. He won the Silver Slugger Award.

During the 1991 World Series – an eventual seven-game loss to the Twins – it was Gant who was the base runner on the controversial play at first with Kent Hrbek (aside: I have no dog in this fight, and sure seemed to me that Hrbek pulled Gant's leg off the bag).

Shortly after singing a $5.5 million deal for 1994, Gant broke his right leg in an ATV accident. He’d be released and he wouldn’t return until ’95 with the Reds. He earned an All-Star nod that season for a .276/.386/.544 slash and 29 home runs.

After three seasons with the Cardinals, he’d play short stints with the Phillies (1999-2000), Angels (2000), Rockies (2001), A’s (2001), Padres (2002), and A’s again (2003). He’d wrap his 16-year career a .256 hitter with 321 homers and 243 stolen bases.

Bubba Starling TTM Success

Sent: 5/29/2020 | Received: 6/9/2020 | 11 days
2/2: 2020 Topps, 2020 Topps Heritage
Address: Home (Paola, KS) from SportsCollectors.Net

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like Royals’ rookie Bubba Starling has been around forever. I see now that’s a mild exaggeration. The 27-year-old outfielder was selected out of high school with the fifth overall selection of the 2011 MLB draft. He received the second largest signing bonus ($7.5 million) in draft history.

Starling had an up-and-down tenure in the Minors, but the Royals stuck with him. Bookended highs: 10 home runs (and 10 stolen bases) over 53 games in Rookie ball (2012) and a .310/.358/.448 at AAA through the first half of last season, earning his long awaiting call to the Majors.

But in between those seasons, Starling had his struggles. In 2014, at high-A Wilmington, he hit just .218. In 2016, splitting time between AA-Northwest Arkansas and AAA-Omaha, he hit .183.

Just how much of his troubles can be attributed to injury is anyone’s guess. Though he has battled oblique strains, and a bizarre finger injury (he required surgery to repair his left index finger which he dislocated getting out of bed).

Starling was likely to serve as the Royals’ reserve outfielder this season. He’d look to improve on his .215/.255/.317 line he tallied in his first big league action last year.

I’ll add, not to disparage Bubba, but as a day-before the draft reminder that you never know: the following players were selected after Starling in the 2011 draft: Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez, George Springer, Brandon Nimmo, Sonny Gray, and Kolten Wong.

Pharmacy Box Break

Struck out again in my search for 2020 Bowman: three Targets, three decimated card aisles.

So once again, with an itch to open something, I nabbed a $5 pharmacy box from Walgreens.

“Hits?” Oh yeah. Luke Jackson, 2014 Bowman Inception Auto.

I never expect much here. Despite the 1:4 odds for a hit, the bar for these Fairfield repacks is, of course, quite low. So color me surprised that the auto was not only someone that actually broke the majors, but someone that’s still active and relatively young.

Jackson made his debut with the Rangers in 2015. Before the 2017 season, he was traded to the Braves where he’s worked as a reliever the last three seasons. Last year, at age 27, he pitched to a 3.84 ERA and picked up nine wins and 18 saves.

The Pack: 2019 Opening Day

Newest cards: 2019 Topps Heritage
Oldest card: John Verhoeven, 1982 Fleer

Hall of Famers: 3. Goose, Fisk and Puckett.

I’ll get to my Top 3 in a moment, but I found this to be a fairly interesting box. Here are a few also rans:

I wasn’t doing much collecting in the early 2000s so this is definitely the first time I’ve come across these cards.

Also, this Jermaine Dye “Rookie Reflections” card. Dye looked like a star in the making when he debuted as a 22-year-old with the Braves (.282 BA, 12 HRs in 98 games). I was surprised the traded to the Royals the following spring for Michael Tucker and Keith Lockhart.

OK… Three favorites:

#3 Carlos Beltran, 2003 Upper Deck Classic Portraits

Again, from that early-2000s era where I wasn’t collecting. I prefer action shots to yearbook-style headshots, but this is a handsome card of a player that’s misrepresented proportionally with Yankees cards in my own collection.

#2 Jose Canseco, unlicensed 1988 Baseball’s Best

From a 36-card unlicensed set, I’m charmed by this early, borderless Jose Canseco. Those Bash Brothers-era A’s teams seduced quite a few young, impressionable fans (and more so when Rickey Henderson returned). I probably knew more A’s fans growing up in Upstate NY than Mets fans.

#1 Julio Franco, 1989 Score Traded

The single-most imitated backyard whiffle ball stance of my childhood. Love it.