TTM This Week: Card Shop Serves Community; Act of Valor Visit; Latest Autograph Returns

TTMCast this Week

Greg Poole from Can’s Can Ministry recently joined the show to talk about his passion to use sports cards to do good for his community. For over a decade, Can’s Can has been selling cards to fund projects helping teachers and their classrooms, assisted living facilities, foster agencies, kids in need, sports programs, and more. Greg runs a card shop in Benton Illinois which is open on Saturdays. All proceeds from the shop go to fund various programs Greg has established in Southern Illinois.

It’s a great time of the year to give it a listen and if you are interested in helping out visit https://www.canscanbenton.org/ to learn more.

Regular show contributor Clemente Lisi stops by to give his review of the recent Sportcard Expo in Toronto and the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony that took place the same weekend.

This Wednesday’s TTMCast 1-on-1 will feature an interview with collector Bruce McClure. We talk about Bruce’s two passions: SABR and vintage baseball cards.

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

Bob Feller Act of Valve Award Ceremony

The Bob Feller Act of Valor Awards Foundation celebrated its 2023 award winners at 11th annual awards ceremony Wednesday November 15 at U.S Navy memorial in Washington DC. I was among those able to attend.

*Bob Feller Act of Valor Awards recipients in Washington, DC.*

Carlton Fisk, formerly of the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox, and Jon Gray of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers were this year’s baseball honorees.

Fisk, who was unable to attend the ceremony, served in the United States Army Reserves from 1967 to 1971 as a member of the 393rd Service and Supply Battalion in Chester, Vermont. Fisk was very close to Bob Feller and his wife, Anne, and spoke of them fondly accepting the award via a recorded video message.

Gray was honored for his #MissionGrayWolf22 program that offers military members and families the chance to come to a Rangers game as his guest.

*Jon Gray and Jeff Baker at the Act of Valor Awards.*

The Act of Valor event included a Q&A segment, autographs, and a silent auction of signed cards, balls and photos which earned money for scholarships for military veterans and their families.

Gray signed items for show attendees including a ball and two cards for me.

The 2024 award ceremony will be held on November 13 in Washington DC. There is no charge to attend and is open to the public. Visit https://www.actofvaloraward.org/ to learn more about the foundation.

TTM This Week

There has been a noticeable downturn in successes through the mail in the past three or four weeks. I have been sending out my usual 10-15 requests each week, but my returns have not reflected my efforts. This week saw three football returns including one from a very reliable signer fans of the 1970s and 80s NFL will surely remember.

Here are my successes this week:

Steve Grogan

Grogan was a fifth round pick by the New England out of Kansas State in the 1975 NFL draft. He spent 16 seasons playing quarterback for the Patriots from 1975-1990. Grogan led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 28 in 1979 and ran for 12 touchdowns in 1976 as quarterback, a record that stood for 35 seasons. He threw a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XX, coming off the bench. Grogan was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1995. At the time of his retirement in 1990 he was the Patriots all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

Grogan has been a consistent reliable signed through the mail since he retired. He signed his 1984 and 1988 Topps cards and 1990 Score card in about two weeks.

Greg Larson

Larson played Center for the New York Giants from 1961-1973 earning Pro Bowl honors in 1968. He was selected by the Giants out of Minnesota in the sixth round of the 1961 draft. He played in 179 NFL games, missing only three games as a result of injuries despite having seven football related surgeries.

Larson signed his 1973 Topps card and was nice enough to include a 1969 Topps card and a signed 5×7 photo as well.

Zeke Mowatt

Mowatt played tight end for the Giants and Patriots from 1983-1991. He was a member of New Yori’s Super Bowl XXI winning team, catching a touchdown pass from Phil Simms. During his career, he played in 118 NFL games, scoring 12 touchdowns and grabbing 135 balls for 1,765 yards.

He signed his 1987 Topps card in about two 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.