A TTM From On High

Last year, the Lost Collector posted about his TTM success with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. He simply sent a letter to Manfred and received an autographed ROMLB ball in return.

Since I read that post, I kept telling myself that I was going to try my luck with Manfred. And then, as it usually does, life got in the way. I got busy with school, returned home to be with my dad when he was sick, etc., and I eventually forgot my intention to write Manfred.

Last week, I remembered. Strangely, I remembered while I was giving a lecture on media effects theories - literally, the furthest thing from Manfred and baseball. I returned to my office and wrote the letter, put it in an envelope and stamped it. When I left for the day, I stopped by the post office and dropped it in the mail.

Yesterday, I had a bubble mailer waiting in my mailbox when I got home.

For the price of a stamp, I received an auto of the sitting commissioner of professional baseball. I couldn't be happier. AJ, thanks for the heads-up!

Trades! Packages From The Lost Collector And P-Town Tom!

I received a couple PWEs a while back and haven't had the chance to scan the cards. I finally did it and now it is time to give some credit where credit is due!

First up, The Lost Collector sent me a couple of sweet Pudge cards form 2017 Archives:

I really can't get enough of Pudge...which is a good thing, because he seems to be one of Topps' go-to guys, especially in a Rangers uniform!

Next up, P-Town Tom sent some sweet signed cardboard my way:

Did I mention that the signatures come from some of the best players in franchise history?! Witt and McDowell are remembered fondly, and Hough and Sunny are in the Rangers Hall of Fame!

Thanks Tom!!

A Nice TTM

Quick post today. Over the weekend, I received another TTM from the 1972 Topps cards that I sent out. Maybe you heard of this guy:

In case you don't recognize him, maybe this will help:

It's Bobby Valentine! Of course, the second image is from June 6, 1999, when Valentine was tossed from a game but re-entered the dugout in "disguise." Needless to say, he didn't fool anyone.

I appreciate Mr. Valentine taking the time to sign my card and return it to me. I have a handful of these 1972 Topps, and I'm thinking I may send more out to get signed. 

That's it for today. I hope everyone is well!

A Hall of Fame TTM

I received another TTM the day before I left on my trip to the upper-Midwest. This one left my hands shaking when I opened it. 

I'm certain you saw the inscription and thought to yourself, "That doesn't look like any of the men elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014." You're right...and wrong.

As a kid, I lived out in the country. My closest neighbor was a few miles away. We had three television stations by antennae broadcast, but Texas Rangers baseball wasn't on any of them.

We did receive the games on the radio, though. That's where I would get to hear Eric Nadel call the games as I hoped to hear his signature "That one is history!" call for a home run. It seemed to happen a lot in the mid-to-late 90's and it has made its way back to the mainstream during the last decade.

In 2014, Nadel received the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award, which acknowledges the game's great radio broadcasters. It was his fourth time being name a finalist for the award. This makes him a Hall of Famer, though many people forget about the Frick Award when thinking of the Hall. 

Nadel has essentially provided the baseball soundtrack of my lifetime. While the Rangers have a great (in my opinion) television color commentator in Tom Grieve, Nadel is on a level few ever reach. He doesn't have the national name recognition of Vin Scully, but you wouldn't be disappointed if you ever tuned-in and listened. The man calls a game flawlessly.

He began calling games for the Rangers in 1979 made a few television appearances in his early career. Recently, it has been solidly radio with his partner Matt Hicks. The duo was awarded "Best Broadcast Team" by Fangraphs in 2016.

I've cried twice listening baseball. The second time was when the Rangers lost the World Series to the Cardinals. The first, however, came as I listened to these words driving along Interstate 20:

'72 TTMs

A couple weeks ago, I realized that for my own sanity, I needed to get away from school and Lubbock. So naturally, I decided to head back to my former stomping grounds of Omaha, Nebraska, and Yankton, South Dakota. I managed to get in some quality time at the College World Series (it was fun, but it isn't the same since it left Rosenblatt) and I also got to visit with a couple of my best friends before I had to cut things short and come back home to tend to a family matter.

Before I left, I dropped a few cards in the mail, hoping that I could get a few of my 1972 Topps cards signed. So far, I have received two of the three I sent.

First up:

Doug Rader. The Red Rooster spent most of his playing years with the Astros before spending his final three seasons with the Padres and Blue Jays. He would go on to manage for seven seasons: three with the Rangers, one with the White Sox, and three with the Angels. I need to snag one of his Rangers manager cards and try sending it to him to sign.

The second card I received back was from Fritz Peterson. Peterson spent the majority of his career with the Yankees. He was traded to the Rangers and made two starts before injuring his shoulder. He was later released by the organization. He doesn't have a Rangers card, so I need to learn Photoshop so I can make one. All of that aside, Peterson is probably most well-known for his agreement with Yankee teammate Mike Kekich to "trade" wives. The two held separate press conferences on March 4, 1973 announcing their intentions to "trade" spouses. The "trade" actually happened, too. Peterson is still married to his wife, though Kekich divorced soon after the arrangement. Oddly enough, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck once considered making a movie about the trade. I don't think it happened, but who knows if it's still on the radar. 

Peterson included a business card in the envelope:

He signed the front, which advertised his book, "When the Yankees were on the Fritz." See what he did there?

The back of the card has instructions on how to get a copy of the book. I will probably order a copy soon, since I am only a few months away from having time to read books I actually want to read!

So, there ya go. The more you know!