Willie McCovey Inscription Confusion

I obviously wasn't paying close attention when I bid on this card on eBay.  It is J.S.A.-authenticated and matches my other McCovey signatures well, so I wasn't concerned about its authenticity.

I was really glad to see an old-time player sign this card as I've been working on these award cards from the 1972 Topps set for a while, including Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Babe Ruth Awards and even a few Minor League Player of the Year awards.

I didn't notice the confusion of the inscription until I received it, although I should have recognized the error right away.

The card commemorates the Rookie of the Year award, which Willie McCovey won in 1959.  So, the inscription is accurate for the card, except that he wrote "MVP" instead of "ROY", or just leaving it off entirely and leaving just the year, like many players do.

He won the MVP award too, but that wasn't until 1969.  Oh well, maybe I've got a one-of-a-kind card here.

Former Twins Steve Luebber and Camilo Pascual TTM Returns

Both of the returns I received today were sent via Pirate Ship since I included pens with them, and a small magazine for  Pascual.

Steve Luebber has a high number card in the 1972 set and the two previous attempts I've sent were signed in black.  I'd like a nice, blue signature from each Twins player in the sets which I collect: 1963, 1965, 1971, 1972 and a few others to a lesser degree.

Here are the previous attempts:

So, I sent along a blue medium Staedtler with this request, which he used on his 72 Topps as well as some twins team cards.  This included a 1972 team card, as well as a Buy Back version, and the 1977 Twins team card.  While he doesn't normally charge, I included $10 with my request to show my appreciation for his time and effort.

The ever-generous Camilo Pascual signed four out of the five cards I sent, as well as a 1958 Kansas City Athletics scorebook versus the Senators.  The scorebook was used at the August 2, 1958 game in which Mr. Pascual started.

The Senators won, 6-3, behind Pascual's 4.1 innings in which he gave up two runs, including Roger Maris' 30th career home run in the first inning.  Pascual also hit an RBI double in the 5th inning and was batting .206.

I'm running low on new things for Pascual to sign, which is why I added a couple less-common cards like the 1960 Leaf and 1961 Nu Cards Baseball Scoops card.  The 1965 Topps is a really nice upgrade over a couple previous attempts, which weren't bad, but not as nice as this.

Terry Fox and John O'Donoghue - Upgrading to Blue

I've been sending some requests out to players who are generous signers, but always seem to sign in black, or ballpoint.

Today I received a couple of those requests back.  

Terry Fox signed his 1962 through 1967 Topps for me using the blue Staedtler I had enclosed.  In 2009, he signed one card for me in blue sharpie, but since then, all of my requests to him have been signed in very fine black marker.  They look just fine, and he's been very kind to even respond to my requests, which had no fee or gift enclosed, but I've wanted to upgrade several of those cards to a nice blue marker for quite a while.  

I sent him these six cards, a medium blue Staedtler, and $20.  Despite not having a fee, I felt that six cards, and bubble envelopes to open and repack deserved a little gift for his hassle.

He signed them all very nicely, and even returned my $20, which makes me feel kind of guilty.  He didn't include a note or anything, just the cards and money back.  Thank you Mr. Fox!

I previously sent John O'Donoghue a blue sharpie with my request, but he signed my cards in fine black marker that was kind of clumpy, for lack of a better word.  Again, he signed my cards for free so I can't complain, but I've wanted a couple of his cards signed with a nice blue marker

This time, it was a mail-in signing rather than a request directly to the player.  Unfortunately, the date kind of snuck up on me, and having committed to sending in five cards, I only had 1965 and 1971 Topps cards to send to him.  I had intended on sending two 71 Topps because they are high number cards, but would have preferred to send in a couple different cards in addition to the 65 Topps.  These were the set cards I really wanted upgraded, so I guess it worked out okay.

Willie Horton, Vern Law and Rollie Fingers

Weird weather in Minnesota this time of year.  I fell asleep to thunder, and woke up to fresh snow on the ground.  It was feeling like spring until the new snow landed.

Any, two ttm returns and a paid signing return arrived in my mailbox today.

The paid signing was from Willie Horton, who signed six cards for me, including a couple Tigers team cards.  I really like the 1976 Topps set, but while the photography is great, they aren't always great for autographs, thanks to busy and sometimes dark backgrounds.

I had asked specifically for him to sign over the players' pictures on the team card to be sure his signature showed up and he didn't have to sign too small.

TTM All-Star Vern Law signed four cards for me in just eight days.  As usual, he added a bunch of inscriptions.  He signed three Pirates team cards and his 1967 Topps.  I now have all of his regular Topps cards signed from 1952 though 1967 (He didn't have cards in the 1953 or 1955 sets).  I also have several of his Bowman, a Fleer, and some oddball and Leaders cards.  I have quite a few duplicates because he sometimes signs in black, and I had a few signed in very fading ink, and sent the same cards again later to try to upgrade them.

I'm disappointed I didn't send some of the Pirates team cards from years other than the sets I'm working on to these Pirates players that are (and were) such good signers.  Face, Mazeroski, Friend, Groat, Thomas, Vernon, etc., etc.  I have some nice ones like this 1963 for the 1961, 1965, and 1972 sets though.

Rollie Fingers, another ttm All-Star, also signed his cards in just eight days.  He finished off the 1979 Topps Leading Firemen card, which I can't believe I haven't already completed, his 1976 Topps, and both of his 1982 Topps.  He charges $15 per card, as he has since I started this hobby in 2003.

I'm hoping for me paid signing returns as well as some ttm returns next week and hope it's a busy one.

Steve Carlton TTM Return

It's been a pretty slow week for returns.  I have about 20 requests outstanding from the last few weeks, and am expecting a handful of mail-in signing returns as well, so next week should pick up a bit.

Today brought a nice return from Steve Carlton, who signed a Grand Slam print as well as a 1972 Topps Cy Young Award card.

I sent Mr. Carlton, in care of Game Winner Sports, a rookie card last year along with a couple others.  I didn't include the extra fee for the rookie card, but he signed it anyway.  So, when I sent this request, I told them about my shortage, and added an extra $35 to this request to cover it.  That might be why he added some inscriptions to my Grand Slam print, despite me not requesting them or paying for them.  He normally charges $20 per inscription, and he added three:"329" (wins), "4136" (strikeouts) and "HOF94" (self explanatory).  Either that, or it was just a mistake, but I appreciate that he added them.  It looks nice, I think.

The only remaining cards I'd like to get signed by him are his 1975 Topps, and his three different 1982 Topps cards.  He is also on a Strikeout Leaders card in the 1975 set along with Nolan Ryan.  Ryan has become too expensive to get ttm now, but maybe I can find that one already signed by at least Ryan, if not both of them.  I can look for Carlton's 82 Topps already signed as well, but am prepared to send them ttm soon.  He's on card #1, which commemorates his NL Strikeout Record, hitting 3,128 on his way to 4,136.  He currently ranks 4th all-time, behind Roger Clemens*, Randy Johnson, who has 4,875, and Nolan Ryan, who has an unbelievable 5,714.  Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, compared to Carlton's 24.

I was surprised that Bob Gibson wasn't higher on the list.  He's at #16 all-time, with 3,117.  I didn't remember that he only pitched for 17 seasons.  He had more strikeouts per year than Carlton, but played 7 years less.

Bobby Richardson Grand Slam Print

I was happy to see this print of Bobby Richardson available on their eBay site and didn't waste any time buying it and sending it out to him.  I included $20 with my request as well as a blue sharpie.  He added several inscriptions without me having to ask for them.  

Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Purchase

I don't collect much of the PED guys, but I don't explicitly avoid them either.  The home run race in 1998 between Sosa and McGwire was pretty exciting and brought a lot of attention to the game after the strike a few years earlier.

I was looking for cards to potentially send in to a signing and realized I could by a slabbed copy of his rookie card for at least the same amount, or a little less.

I'm going to send in a 2003 Topps Heritage to his signing, and probably one other card that I haven't identified yet.

Randy Dobnak TTM Return - Spring Training 2025

Last February, I sent Randy Dobnak a 2021 Topps Heritage and two 2022 Topps Heritage, with a note offering the duplicate card for him to keep.

Today I received all three of them back, signed nicely in blue sharpie.  He is a very generous signer, but the pen he uses is unpredictable.  It's never bad, but I've had some signed in black sharpie, and some in very fine blue, which are okay, but today's return is perfect, in my opinion.

The sase was postmarked from Tampa, FL.  He is currently listed as non-Roster with the Mariners, who hold their spring training in Arizona.  He was previously with the Tigers, who have spring training close to Tampa, in Lakeland, FL.  However, I noticed that my very first request to him back in February, 2021, which I received 26 days later, was also postmarked from Tampa.  He lives in Pennsylvania, I believe, so my guess is he, or his family, have a winter place in Tampa.  I'm surprised he hasn't been in Arizona for a while already though.  Oh well, enough analyzing my Randy Dobnak return.

Today I mailed off five cards to a signing with Twins Second Baseman Luke Keaschall, including a Bowman First, a 2023 Topps Heritage rookie (and a chrome version), a 2026 Topps with the Rookie Trophy icon, and a Topps Living set card.  Hopefully he is still with the team by the time I get these back.  

I'd like to get Royce Lewis on the 25 Topps Heritage as well, but his ttm days appear to be about over.  He was pretty automatic until about the spring of 2024.  My spring training request to him last year didn't come back (yet?), but I did receive returns from him the two years prior to that.  I might send off a request just for the heck of it.  It definitely won't come back if I don't even send one, so...

I also sent off a decent amount of items to the Dugout Zone in Maryland for a Boog Powell signing.  This venue seems to be the only way to get him now.  The last couple of years they did signings in the fall only, but they've added a spring signing this year.

I sent in a couple magazines, including the 1969 Sports Illustrated already signed by Frank Robinson that I posted about a couple days ago.  I also sent five cards: his 1966 Topps, a 1970 Topps AL Playoff card, a couple 1971 Topps including the Orioles Celebration card and the Orioles team card, and the 1972 Topps MVP Award card. I'm not sure exactly when this signing is.  They said "early spring" so I'm guessing later in March or maybe April.  I had more I'd like to send, but I couldn't justify writing a check that big just for Boog Powell autographs.  I have some more cards set aside and will send them in the fall if they do another signing then.