hail the mail!

i enjoy getting mail.  i always have.  over the last few years, i have especially enjoyed seeing self addressed stamped envelopes in the mailbox.  that's because they usually contain autographed cards.  the most recent of these envelopes came from the twins' spring training home thanks to former dodger pitcher ricky nolasco.  i had sent a copy of his 2014 topps card

and his 2013 topps update card

to fort myers in the hopes that he would sign them, and he did!  what's even more awesome about this is that it fills the requirement of my topps dodger autograph project for 2014.  as you might recall, i tried to secure at least one signed dodger card (ideally freely obtained through the mail) for each topps flagship set, starting with the 1951 red/blue backs, without repeating a player.  now, i could count nolasco's 2013 topps update card as part of the project (i don't consider update series official requirements of the project, but note them if i have them), but i don't know if i will send out any other 2014 cards so i will skip the update set for now.

here's the updated tally of the project, by the way.

1951 topps - preacher roe (purchased)

1952 topps - rocky bridges

1953 topps - bobby morgan

1954 topps - billy herman (purchased)

1955 topps - don zimmer (purchased)

1956 topps - randy jackson

1957 topps - carl erskine

1958 topps - joe pignatano

1959 topps - fred kipp

1960 topps - chuck essegian

1961 topps - bob aspromonte

1962 topps - norm sherry

1963 topps - ed roebuck

1964 topps - ken mcmullen

1965 topps - dick tracewski

1966 topps - john kennedy

1967 topps - phil regan

1968 topps - jim campanis

1969 topps - jeff torborg

1970 topps - al mcbean

1971 topps - sandy vance

1972 topps - manny mota

1973 topps - wes parker

1974 topps - claude osteen

1974 topps traded - jim wynn

1975 topps - ron cey

1975 topps mini - joe ferguson

1976 topps - bill russell

1976 topps traded - dusty baker

1977 topps - steve garvey

1978 topps - dave lopes

1979 topps - charlie hough

1980 topps - jerry reuss

1981 topps - doug rau

1981 topps traded - ken landreaux

1982 topps - dave goltz

1982 topps traded - jose morales

1983 topps - ron roenicke

1983 topps traded - rafael landestoy

1984 topps - fernando valenzuela

1984 topps traded - mike vail

1985 topps - burt hooton

1985 topps traded - mariano duncan

1986 topps - enos cabell

1986 topps traded - franklin stubbs

1987 topps - steve sax

1987 topps traded - matt young

1988 topps - len matuszek

1989 topps - mickey hatcher

1990 topps - kal daniels

1990 topps traded - juan samuel

1991 topps - tim belcher

1992 topps - roger mcdowell

1993 topps - dave hansen

1993 topps traded - tim wallach

1994 topps - jody reed

1995 topps - chris gwynn

1996 topps - todd hollandsworth

1997 topps - brett butler

1998 topps - greg gagne

1999 topps - jose vizcaino

2000 topps - jeff shaw

2001 topps - chan ho park

2002 topps - andy ashby

2002 topps traded - joel hanrahan

2003 topps - jim tracy

2003 topps traded - ron coomer

2004 topps - edwin jackson

2004 topps traded - milton bradley

2005 topps - chad billingsley

2005 topps update & highlights - jason phillips

2006 topps - bill mueller

2007 topps - james loney

2007 topps update & highlights - andy laroche

2008 topps - delwyn young

2008 topps update & highlights - casey blake

2009 topps - matt kemp

2009 topps update & highlights - brad ausmus

2010 topps - juan pierre

2010 topps update & highlights - ronnie belliard

2011 topps - hong-chih kuo

2011 topps update & highlights - matt guerrier

2012 topps - nathan eovaldi

2012 topps update & highlights - matt treanor

2013 topps - randy choate

2014 topps - ricky nolasco

there was a similar pwe in my mailbox a few days prior to the nolasco envelope.  it contained a 1964 topps dick calmus card

signed by the former dodger pitcher and returned in just a few days.  unfortunately, there aren't any other topps cards of calmus (he has a card in the 1968 set, but is featured as a cub) so i just sent the one.  

like nolasco, some of the players noted above as part of the topps dodger autograph project signed more than one card, and i realized that i have not shown some of them.

edwin jackson is part of the project thanks to his 2004 topps card, but he also signed a 2005 card for me.

likewise, delwyn young is up there for his 2008 topps card, but he also signed a 2003 topps 206

and a 2007 topps card

as did juan pierre, who made the project thanks to a 2010 topps ttm success.

pierre also signed one of his 2008 upper deck cards

probably my favorite card of his, as well as his 2009 topps card

not all dodger ttm successes made the project, obviously, and here is one that fell short - a 2007 topps luis gonzalez

last, but not least, is a card that is ineligible for the project (it's not a topps card), but is a cool ttm success nonetheless - a 2007 upper deck mike lieberthal card

thanks to all for signing my cards! and thanks also to the mailman for delivering the mail!