many happy returns

it's good to have connections.  a couple of years ago, reader cory contacted me and let me know that he often attended dodger games in san diego and would also be heading out to arizona to catch some spring training games once the dodgers moved from florida.  he was a 'grapher and offered to do some 50/50 and trades to help me get some guys who don't sign ttm.

you may recall that he is the guy who got me my 1978 topps rick monday for my modest 1978 topps dodger autograph project (still need ed goodson, by the way).  anyway, here are a few of the cards that cory was able to get signed for me.

we'll start with the pitching coach, rick honeycutt, who signed his 1985 topps

1986 topps

and 1987 topps

cards.  i had sent some cards to honeycutt, but he did not return them so i was happy to have cory's help.  same story goes for the bullpen coach ken howell, who signed a 1987 donruss

1987 fleer

and 1988 topps

card for cory/me.  i have seen some ttm successes pop up recently for howell, but i was not so lucky.  cory's proximity to san diego also helped with a former dodger autograph success.  dave roberts, a padre coach, signed a 2003 upper deck vintage card

unlike the others, i have had a ttm success with roberts.

also in san diego, randy jones is doing as boog powell does in baltimore - slinging bbq at the ballpark and signing autographs.  here's my 1978 topps card that the former cy young award winner signed

i'm not sure if cory had to buy some pulled pork to get the auto, but there are no bbq sauce stains so i'll guess not.

i'll end this post with the bench coach at the time, don mattingly, who signed a 1988 topps

and a 1990 upper deck

i just wish donny ballgame had signed the 1985 fleer card i sent to him through the mail.  i'll show some more of the bounty i received over the next couple of days.

thanks again cory!

rick monday in person/through the mail success!

reader cory contacted me late in the 2009 season and mentioned that he would often get autographs when the dodgers were in san diego. with a roadtrip to face the padres in the near future, cory offered to try to get some signatures for me. i sent him a bunch of cards, including a 1978 topps tom lasorda and a 1978 topps rick monday, both of whom are still affiliated with the dodgers and, while lasorda is not always with them, monday is a broadcaster and (i believe) travels with the team on every roadtrip.

to make a long story short, cory was able to get mo's signature on my 1978 topps card! we worked out a deal, and i recently received the card. it is awesome!

i have to wonder if monday minds signing the card that shows him picking his teeth. a very strange photo for topps to choose. the dodgers acquired monday prior to the 1977 season, along with mike garman, for bill buckner and ivan dejesus. 4 years later, it was monday that hit the home run to propel the dodgers into the world series.

cory also got several other of my cards signed, which i will showcase another time. for now, i am happy to let the 1978 topps rick monday hold the spotlight.

this is the 20th piece of my modest 1978 topps dodgers autograph project.

here's the tally:

team card (red adams) - through the mail success!

dusty baker

glenn burke

ron cey - through the mail success!

vic davalillo - ebay success!

terry forster

mike garman - through the mail success!

steve garvey - through the mail success!

ed goodson

jerry grote - through the mail success!

burt hooton

charlie hough - through the mail success!

tommy john - in person/through the mail success!

lee lacy - through the mail success!

tom lasorda

dave lopes - through the mail success!

ted martinez - ebay success!

rick monday - in person/through the mail success!

manny mota - through the mail success!

johnny oates - ebay success!

doug rau - through the mail success!

lance rautzhan - through the mail success!

rick rhoden

bill russell - through the mail success!

reggie smith - through the mail success!

elias sosa - through the mail success!

don sutton

steve yeager

nlcs (davey lopes) - through the mail success!

20/29 = 69%

thanks rick (and cory)!

even more happy returns

here are the last of the cards i was able to get signed in person/through the mail thanks to reader cory.  they were signed over the course of a couple of springs and dodger road trips to san diego.  first up is a 2006 topps 52 card signed by both matt kemp and james loney

that is just awesome.  the bison also signed a 2009 topps card for me

as did the reigning cy young award winner, clayton kershaw

very very nice.  kemp doesn't sign through the mail, but kershaw did sign some this spring.  hong-chih kuo signed some cards for me through the mail last year, but first, he signed this 2007 topps update & highlights card

ramón troncoso signes a 2008 topps card

and angel berroa

and casey blake signed their cards from 2008 topps update & highlights

blake also signed a 2007 topps card from his time with the tribe

i had the luxury of sitting back and waiting for these autos to come my way, while cory was out doing the work.  i did send him some cards to keep, as well as some ttm successes i had acquired like a 1972 topps bill buckner and a 1964 topps willie davis.  i hope he thought it was worth it.

thanks again cory!

the topps dodger autograph project - 2005 through 2008

time for the next installment of the topps dodger autograph project.  these cards were signed free of charge through the mail.

2005 topps, chad billingsley

bills has signed a few cards for me through the mail.  i've also received cards from this set signed by edwin jackson and milton bradley.  however, that billingsley card above (which also features the guy i thought was going to be my baseball jesus, joel guzman) was obtained in a 50/50 ttm/trade event i had with reader cory a couple of years ago.  there are more from that fantastic transaction to be showcased in this and the next post.

2005 topps update & highlights, jason phillips

phillips signed this card for me while he was serving on the mariners coaching staff.  he might still be there, i don't know for sure.  i've also had success with blake dewitt and jose valentin from this set

2006 topps, bill mueller

topps didn't photoshop mueller for the flagship set, but the team was changed to 'dodgers'.  jim tracy and jason phillips are the only other 2006 topps dodgers who have signed for me through the mail.  i recall seeing a mueller ttm success in which the sender asked him a question along the lines of 'what does it take to be a big leaguer?'  mueller's answer was 'you have to fall in love with preparation'.  i like that quote, and have actually used it a couple of times.

i don't have any cards from 2006 topps update & highlights signed

2007 topps, james loney

other ttm successes i have had from this set include chad billingsley, luis gonzalez, juan pierre, and delwyn young.  plus a i have a purchased grady little signed 2007 topps card.

2007 topps update & highlights, andy laroche

i also have a 2007 topps u & h card signed by hong chi kuo from the 50/50 ttm/trade

2008 topps, delwyn young

in addition to delwyn (which was the result of a regular ol' ttm request), i also have a 2008 topps ramon troncoso autographed card from the 50/50 ttm/trade

2008 topps update & highlights, casey blake

although i have had a ttm success with blake directly, the card above came from the 50/50 ttm/trade deal.  in addition to blake, i have a card from this set signed by angel berroa that also came from that deal.  we'll see a couple more next time. 

thanks to all these players for signing my cards!  here's a running list of the topps dodger autograph project:

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

1986 topps - enos cabell

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

the modest 1978 topps dodgers autograph project - a status update

i figured it was time to update the two or three of you that have asked on the status of my modest 1978 topps dodgers autograph project.

so far, i am sitting at 19 of 29, or 66%. the latest addition was elias sosa, although i did also get a tommy john ttm to replace the ebay success i originally counted.

here's the rundown on who is left:

dusty baker - i have sent one card to the reds (6/09), and one to his home (10/09). the successes from him that i have seen are usually received in january, so here's hoping...

glenn burke - this is the white whale. while an autographed 1978 topps card of the late outfielder does exist, the chances i have of obtaining one are pretty slim.

terry forster - i have sent a card to terry c/o the dodgers (7/09) but have not received any response. none of the ttm sites i have come across show any home address or recent ttm successes.

ed goodson - i sent one to a home address (4/09) and one c/o the dodgers (8/09). same deal as forster for mr. goodson.

burt hooton - i have sent to the round rock express (6/09) and to his home address (10/09) with no luck. a formerly good ttm signer, it looks like he might not be doing it anymore.

tom lasorda - this one hurts. i have sent two requests to his home (4/09 and 10/09) and one to the dodgers (8/09). apparently he is very inconsistent with signing in general. the second home request was made after a few successes were posted, but those were all balls not cards. still, i hope...

rick monday - another inconsistent signer who doesn't do ttm, although i did send one c/o the dodgers (4/09). i have a lead on a signed card thanks to reader cory, so i am hoping that this one becomes #20.

rick rhoden - i have sent to mr. rhoden both at home (4/09) and c/o the dodgers (7/09). my best hope might be to find him on a golf course, unfortunately.

don sutton - the ace of my youth. i have sent to mr. sutton both at home (9/09) and c/o the braves (6/09).

steve yeager - this would be one bad-ass success, but both my home (6/09) and c/o dodgers (8/09) requests have been unheeded.

i am holding out hope that the project gains some momentum in the new year. if you know of any signings that any of these guys are participating in, please let me know and we can work something out.

the topps dodger autograph project - the eary 1970's

now we are getting into the part of my topps dodger autograph project where i was around to see the cards released and the players on them play.  not that i saw them all, but you get the idea.  actually, i very vividly remember seeing jim campanis (the 1968 entry in this project) play, but that was in an old-timer's game at dodger stadium circa 1980 or so.

anyway, bring on the 1970's!

al mcbean, 1970 topps

mcbean signed that card for me back in 2009.  it's a shame i haven't shown it until now, as he has a very cool looking signature.  mcbean is one of only 11 people born in the virgin islands to have made it to the big leagues.  interestingly enough, three of those players (mcbean, henry cruz, and jose morales) have played for the dodgers.  mcbean arrived in los angeles via a 1969 trade with the padres.  he was 2-6 with 4 saves for the dodgers in 1969, and then pitched a single scoreless inning for them in 1970 before being released.  he finished his major league career later that season with a stint as a pirate.  other dodgers who have signed their 1970 topps cards for me include joe moeller, manny mota, bill buckner (with fee), bob stinson (with fee), billy grabarkewitz, bill singer (with fee), ted sizemore, jeff torborg, andy kosco, bill russell, len gabrielson, and bill sudakis (with fee).  i also have cards that were signed by jim brewer and wes parker from the set, but i purchased both of those from my local card shop back in the late 1970's.

sandy vance, 1971 topps

like mcbean, i've held off on showing this card for too long.  i've actually had two successes with vance (both 1971 topps cards, one of which i included in my trade with reader cory for the autographs he picked up for me at spring training and padres' games a couple of years ago).  vance was one of the players the dodgers selected in their historic 1968 drafts.  he was the team's second round pick in the june draft, after they took steve garvey in the first round.  while he quickly made it to the majors, vance appeared in only 30 games over the 1970 and 1971 seasons.  in his major league debut, vance got the start opposite future hall of famer tom seaver.  he didn't pitch too poorly (3 runs in 6 innings) but seaver held the dodgers to just one run and so vance took the loss.  his next time out, vance beat the expos 2-1 by pitching a complete game 4-hitter.  he made his final big league appearance in june of 1971 against the cubs.  other 1971 topps cards i have received signed through the mail include joe moeller, manny mota, claude osteen, bill russell, jeff torborg, billy grabarkewitz, von joshua, jerry stephenson, bill strahler, bobby valentine, and maury wills (with fee).

manny mota, 1972 topps

this is one of many, many manny mota cards that i have received from him through the mail.  he is the first member of the 1978 topps dodgers to be featured as part of this project, and his presence on those teams, as well as his connection to the dodgers since 1969, is a big reason why i have bothered him for his autograph so many times.  you can see some, but not all, of my ttm successes with manny mota in these here links.  other dodgers who have signed their 1972 topps cards for me through the mail include joe ferguson, claude osteen, bill buckner (with fee), wille davis (with fee), al downing, duke sims (with fee), mike strahler, bobby valentine, and maury wills (with fee).  i also have a ron cey rookie card signed by the penguin that i picked up from kit young cards long before i ever thought about ttm.

wes parker, 1973 topps

yes, that 1973 topps card you see above this text is signed by parker.  he is notorious for signing ttm free of charge but with a very light stroke of a ballpoint pen.  as long as you know this going in, it's all good.  i, for one, am just really happy that parker takes the time to sign at all.  i first saw him on a brady bunch rerun, and my mom pointed him out to me as the former dodger first baseman.  i have a couple other cards signed by the golden gloved first baseman, including that 1970 topps card i mentioned above, but his 1973 card is my favorite.  other dodgers to sign and return a copy of their 1973 topps cards to me include steve garvey, davey lopes (with fee), ken mcmullen, bill russell, red adams, willie davis (with fee), al downing, doug rau, and pete richert.

claude osteen, 1974 topps

osteen has signed a few cards for me through the mail, but i think this 1974 card of his might be my favorite.  other 1974 topps cards that former dodgers have signed for me through the mail include al downing, steve garvey, manny mota, ken mcmullen, joe ferguson, and pete richert.

i don't plan to include all of the topps traded and update sets as part of this project; they're kind of a bonus.  but, if i have them, i'll show them.  here's the first topps traded set, with the toy cannon representing.

jim wynn, 1974 topps traded

i've shown this card before, and i am still very happy to have it in my collection.  wynn is the only dodger in the traded set that signs through the mail without an exorbitant fee (dr. mike marshall).  the other dodger in the set, tommie agee, passed away in 2001.

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

four bucks for forty

quite a while ago, i sent some cards to bill buckner to be signed, happily paying his $10/auto fee.  for some reason, the results of that request have sat in my scanned folder for about three years.  enough, i say!  here are the cards from my billy buck ttm success!

1970 topps

1972 topps

ah, the rookie cup.  i actually had another one of these cards signed before this batch (along with a 1978 topps card), but traded it as part of the spring training/padres series auto deal with reader cory.

1973 topps

and 1975 topps

it was good to see buckner in dodger duds earlier this month as part of the old-timers game.  even though he was not officially a part of the 1977 or 1978 dodgers (the teams of my youth), i was still a fan.

thanks bill!

more happy returns

yesterday i showed off some of the coaches and retired types that reader cory was able to coax into signing some of my cards for me.  here now are some actual players.  like andre ether, who signed a 2008 topps allen & ginger

as well as a 2009 topps allen & ginter

james loney

and hiroki kuroda

also signed allen & ginger cards, both from 2008.  i think we can all agree that allen & ginter looks just fantastic signed.

less awesome looking, but still pretty cool, are the cards that chad billingsley signed, including his 2005 topps rookie card

(hello joel guzman, my former dodger salvation) and his 2009 topps heritage card

also signing a 2009 topps heritage was juan pierre

and george sherrill

although his is from the high-number release.  for the record, i've had separate ttm successes with bills, pierre, and sherrill.  but not with chin-lung hu who signed a 2008 upper deck timeline card

that looks just as nice signed as do the actual 2004 upper deck legends timeless teams cards on which this card was based.

also from the timeline set, i had sent a reed johnson card which he signed

unfortunately for me, johnson has never returned his lone dodger card from 2010 topps update that i sent to him last spring.  finally, it just so happened that alfredo amezaga was in dodger camp in spring of 2010, and i sent a 2009 topps card just in case.

amezaga signed it but never did appear in a big league game for the dodgers.  that's not a bad haul, but there was more.  i'll show the rest tomorrow.

more autograph successes to celebrate

one of the last ttm requests i sent out in 2014 was to former dodger pitcher greg shanahan.  he was featured on a 4-player rookie card in the 1974 topps set, and so i asked him to sign one of my doubles.  he obliged in quick fashion.

i appreciate him staring down the giant pitcher on the card, and i appreciate him signing for me, too.

a few months earlier, i received a return of my 2004 topps dave roberts card signed by the former dodger and current padres bench coach

and, a couple of years before that, i received a return of my 2008 topps allen & ginter james loney card from the former dodger first baseman

i hadn't bothered to show this before because i have another one just like it that reader cory got signed for me at spring training that same year.

i've been holding on to this next one for even longer - i'd say 6 years or so.  it's a royals' team issue print, as far as i can figure, signed by former manager whitey herzog

herzog has a couple of my 1978 topps cards that i don't expect to see back since he signs for a fee - something i didn't realize when i sent the cards to him.  this autograph was given to me by a coworker who attended a work related conference at which herzog was signing.  i've attended the same annual conference in the past, and picked up autographs from ron santo and kent hrbek in the process, but i missed this particular one in kc.  my coworker/friend folded the sheet to more easily carry it around in his coat pocket, but i don't mind - it's the thought that counts.

finally, here is a 1990 topps card signed by alejandro pena

alas, this card was part of a lot of signed cards that i purchased a few years ago.  still, i am happy to have it in the collection.

thanks, as always, to those who take the time to sign cards for us collectors!