TTM from Bobby Shantz

Yesterday I received my return envelope from Bobby Shantz. He signed three cards (more on that in a bit) and replied to my question. I'd heard he was a very good TTM signer and since I had seen him pitch and he was a favorite of my father I thought I'd send these off.

I actually didn't intend to send three cards. I normally would keep it to two. I often see that people send multiples of large numbers but to me (and this is not a criticism of anyone) one or two seems right.

I had the two Bowmans and the note in an envelope and ready to go a few weeks back after picking them up at a card show. But when the really sweet 1960 was available on COMC I bought it. I thought it would be cool to have a signed Shantz as part of my 1960 project. I had both Bowmans in one sleeve and intended to remove one but in my haste I just added the 1960 card to the envelope and off they went.

They came back in about a week. I've really happy with the sigs and how Bobby inscribed them. I had spent some time looking for a particular 8x10 of him in a Houston Colt .45s uni but ironically I couldn't find one that wasn't already signed and inscribed. But the cards and note will do just fine.

Bobby Shantz now joins Lindy McDaniel and Billy Pierce in my small but meaningful (to me) collection of sigs from players that connect me to my Dad.

Maybe I'll try a non-pitcher next!

Billy Pierce TTM items

A little over a month ago I put a package in the mail to one of my very favorite players, Billy Pierce. The envelope came back on Monday and I was very pleased with the results. Above you see the 1961 Topps card he signed. I selected that card because it's among my favorites of his since the picture shows him in Yankee Stadium, the only place I saw him pitch. I'd like to think that the photo was taken at the game I witnessed in 1960, the first one I ever attended with my father. It's highly doubtful but, hey, you never know.

I enclosed two other items. One was a note in which I asked him for any special memory of Yankee Stadium. His reply is a bit difficult to read but he said: "The Yanke(e) Stadium was the most exciting park I was ever in." 

And Billy was kind enough to sign the photo I included of my Pierce PC. The sig smeared a bit, and it looks like the package (at least my note) suffered some sort of water damage but I was very happy to receive it nonetheless. 

I'm not a serious autograph collector. And I already have several Pierce signed items. But to get these back makes my Billy Pierce collection that much more special to me.