Saturday, February 28, 2015

Super TTM Spring Day 14

Five more returns made their way to Kansas today, starting with...


A formerly touted prospect, Jacob Turner has bounced from Detroit to Miami to Chicago, yet will still only be 23 on Opening Day. He's been pretty bad at the Major League level, but there's plenty of talent and time for him to figure it out.


When Chavez was a Royal back in 2010, I never would have expected him to still be in the league four years later, much less as an effective starter.


Maurer was sent to San Diego in the offseason for Seth Smith. Brandon supposedly has excellent stuff, but has struggled to put it together as a starter. 


Kole came of the shadows last season to put together a helluva year. He showed a lot of power, especially to the gaps. 


I really hope this is the year we get to see what AJ Griffin has to offer. He's had terrible luck with his health over the last few years, but maybe that will turn around this season.


Friday, February 27, 2015

Super TTM Spring Day 13

Day 13 saw six more quality pitcher returns. Without further ado...


Rarely do pitchers with an ERA barely above 2 have to fight for anything, but this spring Cody Allen is fighting for the closer role in Cleveland. It's #37's to lose.


I like how Danny Farquhar writes his D. It's like " | > ".


Nick has a busy signature and I like it. Try forging that one.


Matt Thornton spent half of 2014 with the Nationals and looks to slot in as a LOOGY behind a pretty good rotation.


Chances are you have a Pat Neshek autograph. If not, I encourage you to send a request to the Astros. Pat genuinely enjoys signing and opening mail and he rewards you with the coolest signature in baseball. 


Little was said about Alfredo Simon's move to Detroit in the offseason, but the Tigers made a pretty good pick up. He's no Max Scherzer, but he's good for 6+ solid innings every fifth day.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Super TTM Spring Day 12

Day 11 saw zero returns, making it a "calm before the storm" day. The storm hit hard on Day 12! NINE returns came in including the first non-catcher non-pitcher return. Here they be!


This is one I was very pumped about. Lost in the awful season that was for Arizona was the debut of an exciting young pitcher in Chase Anderson. I have a feeling he'll be around the league for many years to come.


Dunn pitched in 75 games last season with 10 wins and a 3.16 ERA. He also has a nice signature.


Koehler has been stuck in Jose Fernandez's shadow over the last couple seasons, but he's a player to watch. 


Few All-Stars will sign TTM, much less signing two cards. Tyson Ross is nicer than most All-Stars.



Butler saw just three starts last season, but many think he was called up too soon. He's got a ton of pressure on him going into 2015 and many expect him to break the rotation sooner than later.


Also fighting for a rotation spot with the Rockies is former Braves pitcher, David Hale. Hale can fill in out of the bullpen or as a starter, so there's some interest in seeing where he starts the year. Any player that takes the time to address the signature to me and write a message makes me an instant fan. David Hale rocks!


Yoervis Medina quietly put together one of the best relief pitching lines in the majors over the last two seasons. He doesn't sign for everyone, so my attempt at Spanish in the letter I wrote him paid off with this gorgeous signature. 


Chase Whitley may or may not start another game for the Yankees, but he sure shined against Kansas City last season. He provides solid rotation depth at AAA or out of the big league pen. 


Thanks to @VerdammtX, I was able to send out a few parallels this spring. Josh Rutledge kindly signed the red border above and the base card below.


Here's to hoping Day 13 is a fraction as good as Day 12!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Super TTM Spring Day 10

Every day is mail day when you send out 200+ autograph requests! At least for a while. Day 10 saw three great returns!


This David Carpenter now plays for the Yankees. The other David Carpenter now plays for the Braves. It's confusing, but thankfully I sent this card to the right team. I was rewarded with a very nice looking signature in black Sharpie.


This is the biggest name to return so far this spring and one of my favorite non-Royals. Arrieta is a ton of fun to watch pitch. His control is meh, but his pitches can do some wicked stuff. 


In 2013 Parker looked to be one of the next great relief pitchers in baseball. 2014 was quite a bit rougher, but he'll get a shot to redeem himself out of the pen in 2015. I'll be rooting for him! I love the blue Sharpie for blue-themed teams and the addition of the uniform number (#50 in this case) is always a nice touch. 

Monday, February 23, 2015

Super TTM Spring Day 9

9 days ago I embarked on an incredible journey. I mailed over 200 letters (each hand-written and including a self-addressed stamped envelope and baseball cards) to premier baseball athletes who have migrated to Arizona and Florida. In these letters I kindly requested an autograph (or "auto" for those who gained literacy through eBay) and wished them the best of luck in the 2015 season. My efforts began to pay off today as the first two autographs came in the mail.

Enjoy them in super-big fashion...



Tigers catcher Bryan Holaday is fighting for a spot on the 2015 Tigers roster. I'm rooting for him.


Vinnie Pestano took the time out of fighting for a roster spot in Anaheim to sign THREE cards for me. If I include more than two cards in the envelope, I request that the player keep the cards for themselves or to give to younger fans. Vinnie autographed all three and returned them to me in a very kind gesture. Best of luck to both of these class-acts! I'm excited to see what Day 10 holds...

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

2014 Stadium Club Mini Box Pack 6

The last pack


Woah. Just fantastic.


More bad Photoshop ruining perfection. 

#RE22-42-2-46PECT


The new face of baseball.


Kind of a current star.

Monday, February 2, 2015

2014 Stadium Club Mini Box Pack 5

The 5th Pack


The Mets have the most enviable young rotation I've seen in a long time. 



YES!!!!!! MINE HERO!!!!


This is what Stadium Club is for. Excellent shot.


Sunday, February 1, 2015

2014 Stadium Club Mini Box Pack 4

Pack 4!


Here's a case of Topps really botching the Photoshop effect. They've gone so overboard that Cespedes' face looks bruised.


If Stadium Club wasn't famously borderless, this would be a solid Tatooine shot.


More bad photoshopping ruining an amazing picture. The effects have made Schmidt look like he's wearing clown makeup. 


2015 Comeback Player of the Year?

I'll never understand putting pinetar on a bat everywhere except for the handle.