May TTM Wrapup!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I didn't receive too many TTM successes since my last update, but the few I did get back were pretty sweet! Take a look at my 115th, 116th, and 117th successes!

Wade Boggs: c/o Home, 3/3 in 10 Days

Boggs is currently signing autographs like his pants are on fire, and I had to get in on the action! I sent him $3, a dollar for each card essentially, and he returned the 3 back signed beautifully! I met Wade back in March of 2012, and he was a really generous, all around great guy. Eventually, I hope to send him a ball after I soon receive an order of balls I made. The 2009 Topps insert smeared a little bit but the other 2 definitely made up for it!

Mahlon Duckett: c/o Home, 2/2 in 13 Days
Duckett is one of the very few remaining ex-Negro Leaguers living today, so I had to reach out to him with a  letter. He was a smooth fielding infielder with a decent bat, and he played for the Philadelphia Stars and Homestead Grays during his career. I wrote him a nice letter, and he kindly signed both items I sent him: a 2010 Allen & Ginter card, and a beautiful 5x7 photo that my good friend William took at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama! Rickwood Field was home of the Birmingham Barons during its hey day, and he had the privilege of visiting it a year or so ago. He sent me a copy of the photo, and my plan is to fill it with former Negro League players' signatures! One down! He inscribed the photo "Phila Stars, 1940-1950".

Jason Kidd: c/o New York Knicks, 2/2
This success was a great way to cap off my week. Future basketball Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd signed 1 8x10 and 1 5x7 photo for my collection, and both came out beautiful! He's been known throughout his career for being a very good signer for his fans, and he sure did pull through for me. The 8x10 he signed was his celebration after nailing the game winning three against his former team, the Brooklyn Nets! I remember vividly watching the game and jumping up and down when he made the shot. It's cool to have that to remember him by. Secondly, he signed a 5x7 of him and Dirk Nowitzki hoisting trophies after winning the 2011 NBA Finals! I'm planning on sending it over to Dirk next season for him to sign it, and I sure hope it comes back!

Well, that's all I have for now; have a great day everyone! See Ya!

This Year's Incredible Christmas Gift, Courtesy of William!

Hey guys, Drew back here! The most wonderful time of the year is among us, and I'm eagerly awaiting my Christmas vacation after just 5 more school days! Aside from preparing for my first SAT test in a little over a month, it should be a fairly stress free break. As usual, my awesome friend William contributed to making my Christmas special. I always look forward to our annual gift swap, and this year wasn't any different.

Since I just about outlawed buying packs this year, I'm often a bit behind on the times in the card world. Fortunately, William gave me a small sample of the new Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects, as well as Panini Cooperstown! I'm not going to lie- I may seriously consider checking out more of the Cooperstown set. It appears as if the idea was finally executed really well, which isn't surprising from Panini. Imagine if they had a license...

William recently bought a great new camera, and he sent me a few pictures he took from Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Rickwood Field is America's oldest professional baseball field, built originally for the Birmingham Barons in 1910. It is used today as a museum of sorts, and William got the chance to check it out a few months ago. I might consider using these beautiful shots in future TTM requests, so be on the lookout for that!

I normally don't discuss music on my blog, however I had to also mention that he threw in the new Muse CD, "The 2nd Law". I consider myself almost as big of a music geek as I am a baseball geek, and Muse is definitely one of my favorite bands in today's rock genre. William and I both share similar music interests (except I also enjoy hip-hop), so this was a nice gesture from him. I listened to most of the album yesterday while helping my Dad get Christmas lights on the roof, and I thought it was phenomenal. Thanks again for throwing this in!

Last year, the main gift was a Tier One Lou Gehrig relic card, and this year's main gift was just as awesome, if not better! There aren't many players who have been as generous as Virgil Trucks has been to our hobby, however he recently got sick, and I never got the opportunity to get him on a baseball. There have been rumors that he's signing again, but I kind've felt like it would be rude to request another autograph from him. 

No worries though, because William took care of me, once again! This beautiful signed baseball signed by "Fire" Trucks himself from the Bob Feller Museum certainly fills my need for one more autograph of his in my collection! Trucks inscribed "45 World Champ" as well as "2 X No Hitter", which were two of his more notable feats during his great career. Trucks had Hall of Fame talent without question, but unfortunately his career numbers weren't strong enough to put him in the Hall. Trucks does have something that some current HOF'ers don't have though; a Hall of Fame heart. 

Thank you so much William for the incredible gifts! Like I've said before, for us living hundreds of miles apart; you're as good a friend as I could ask for. All of this means so much to me.

See Ya!