TTM This Week: 5,403 Day Wait for Former Hockey Player's Autograph Ends

It looks like there’s a new record for the longest wait for an autograph request to be returned.

Collector Ross Rutter tells us he recently received a hockey card that he’d mailed out to former NHL player Gary Laskoski… nearly 15 years ago.

The 1983-84 O-Pee-Chee card arrived in Rutter’s mailbox last week—5,403 days after he sent it out. The card came inside the self-addressed envelope with a 42-cent stamp he’d stuck on it on July 11, 2008..

Rutter, a long time collector of autographs by mail says the unexpected return broke his previous record for the longest wait—5,118 days on a card sent to former big league first baseman Willie Montanez.

TTMCast this Week

On the TTMCast show this week, Negro League legend Sam Allen and I talk about his time in baseball. Allen played with and was coached by numerous legends of the game and we discuss Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, and Willie Mays, among others. We learn about the discrimination he faced and what it was like riding in buses across the country to play games in the 1950s.

Russell Savage from 757 Card Shows joins us as well and he talks about Sam’s appearance at his card show in Virginia Beach this weekend.

This Wednesday, on our TTMCast 1-on-1 show, former NBA guard and coach Bob Weiss joins me to discuss his long career in the NBA. We talked about playing with Wilt Chamberlain, collecting, and signing autographs.

You can listen to all our podcasts at ttmcast.podbean.com.

TTM Successes this Week

It was a pretty good week for returns, with six envelopes in my mailbox on Saturday. After about three weeks, a lot of my 1983 and 1984 Topps football cards are starting to roll in. I also received two hockey returns that I sent out four weeks ago.

My mailbox should continue to be full this week as I have almost 70 requests still out.

Several TTM web sites including, SportsCardForum.com and SportsCollectors.net have addresses for former players.

Here are a few of my recent returns:

Louie Kelcher

Kelcher was a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers from 1975-1983. He finished his career with the 49ers in 1984 where he helped them win a Super Bowl. Kelcher was a big man during his playing days standing 6’ 5” and weighing 280 pounds while wearing 17EEE shoes.

He signed his 1983 Topps card in about three weeks.

Mike Pruitt

Pruitt was the seventh overall selection in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. The Purdue star would play in Cleveland from 1976-1984 before joining the Bills and Chiefs retiring after the 1986 season. He made two Pro Bowls (1979 and 1980). Pruitt ran for 7,378 yards and scored more than 50 touchdowns during his career. He rushed for 1,000 yards in a season four times and ranks third in career rushing yards for Cleveland behind only Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. He is not related to Greg Pruitt who he shared a backfield with in Cleveland his first two seasons.

He signed his 1983 and 1984 Topps cards in about three weeks.

Roosevelt Leaks

Leaks was a fifth round selection by the Baltimore Colts in the 1975 draft out of Texas. He was the first Black All-American player University of Texas history. After five seasons with the Colts (1975-79), he played four seasons with the Bills, retiring after the 1983 season. He rushed for 2,406 yards and scored 28 touchdowns during his career.

He signed his 1983 and 1984 Topps cards in about three weeks.

Randy McMillan

With the 12^th pick in the 1981 NFL Draft the Baltimore Colts selected Randy McMillan out of the University of Pittsburgh. His career ended abruptly as a result of injuries he sustained when he was struck by a car in April 1987. He missed the entire 1987 season but attempted a comeback with Miami in 1988. He was not kept by the Dolphins at the end of camp. He finished with 990 carries for 3,876 yards and 24 touchdowns for his NFL career.

He signed his 1983 and 1984 Topps cards in pen and returned them in three weeks.

Joe Danelo

Danelo kicked for Green Bay, New York Giants and Buffalo from 1975-1984. He appeared in 136 games and made 133 field goals during his career. His longest was a 55 yarder for the Giants in 1981. He made six field goals against Seattle in 1981, tying a record which has since been broken.

He signed and personalized his 1983 and 1984 cards in about three weeks.

Jeff Gossett

Gossett punted for five different NFL teams from 1981-1996 including KC, Cleveland, Houston, and Oakland. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Raiders in 1991. He punted 982 times for 40,569 years during his career. He also played for the Chicago Blitz and Portand Beavers in the USFL.
A talented athlete, Gossett played two season in the Mets minor league system as an outfielder and third baseman.

He signed his 1983 Topps card in about three weeks.

Sherman Smith

Smith was a second-round pick by Seattle in 1976 out of Miami (OH). He played seven seasons with the Seahawks from 1976-1982 before finishing out his career with San Diego in 1983. He rushed for 3,520 yards and scored 38 (28 rushing and 10 receiving) touchdowns during his career. After retiring he coached for three different NFL teams.

He signed his 1983 Topps card in about three weeks.

Pierre Larouche

Larouche played center for the Rangers, Whales, Canadians, and Penguins from 1974-1988. In 1976 he became the 16^th player to reach the 50-goal mark at the time the youngest to do so. He became the first player to score 50 goals with two different teams in 1980 when he scored 50 for Montreal. He won two Stanley Cups with Montreal in 1978 and 1979. He finished his career with 395 goals scored.

Larouche signed his 1976 and 1977 Topps cards in about four weeks.

Larry Patey

Patey played 12 seasons in the NHL from 1973-1985 with California Golden Seals, St Louis Blues and New York Rangers. He played in 717 career NHL games and scored 153 goals. He scored eight short-handed goals in 1980-81 while with St. Louis which is still a team record. He scored over 20 goals in a season three different times.

He signed his 1977 Topps card in about four weeks.

Have a TTM success story you would like to share with me? Please, send it me at [email protected]. If I use it in my column, I’ll send you a prize.