We’ll start this week’s edition with a big announcement. Starting Wednesday, we will be adding a second TTMCast podcast. Every Wednesday we will be posting a new show we’re calling TTMCast 1-on-1. The show will feature interviews with hobby professionals, former athletes, authors and collectors. This Wednesday we will be launching the new show and be speaking grading with founder of Gemrate.com, Ryan Stuczynski.
This week’s TTMCast features over three hours of collecting talk. We are joined by former MLB outfielder and TTM Hall of Famer Billy Sample who talks about his time in the majors and his joy of signing autographs for collectors. In our Collectors Corner segment, we speak with TTMer Andrew Williams and hobby veteran Les Wolff answers some mail in the More from Les segment.
Go to: ttmcast.com or ttmcast.podbean.com to listen to this week’s show.
TTM This Week

This Week’s Successes
Returns this week includes two Hall of Famers, a few with Red Sox connections, and we look back at a few TTM returns from some former athletes who recently passed away.
Rollie Fingers
Wait, Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers never played with the Red Sox, right? Fingers never played a game for Boston but for three days in 1976 he was a member of the Red Sox organization (along with Joe Rudi) when he was sold to Boston in a trade with Oakland.
Veteran Topps photographer Doug McWilliams was at Oakland’s Coliseum and grabbed a few shots of Fingers in his new Boston road uniform. Three days later baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn rescinded the trade/sale (along with Vida Blue’s sale to the Yankees). Fingers never played a game for Boston.
Fingers is a fantastic TTMer and signed my 8 x 10 photo in about three weeks. I sent along his required $15 fee.
Cecil Cooper
Cecil Cooper was just starting to come into his own when he was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Brewers for George Scott in 1976. Cooper would play 11 seasons in Milwaukee. As a Brewer, Cooper would become a 5x All-Star and lead the AL in RBI two times. He won three Silver Slugger awards and two Gold Gloves as well.
He signed his 1992 Topps card and 1994 RBI leader card for me in about a month.
Skip Lockwood
Lockwood was a school boy star in Massachusetts when he was signed out of high school by the KC A’s in 1964. He didn’t wait long to hit the Majors, debuting with KC in April of 1965 as a third baseman. He was converted to a pitcher in 1966. Lockwood would pitch for Seattle/Milwaukee, California, NY Mets and Boston Red Sox from 1969-1980. He would be the last of the original Pilots to play for Milwaukee before he was traded to the Angles in 1974.
He chronicled his baseball life in his book Insight Pitch: My Life as a Major League Closer which was published in 2018.
Lockwood signed his 1973 Topps card for me in a few weeks.
Tim Naehring
Naehring was an infielder for the Red Sox from 1990-1997. He homered in his second to last MLB at bat. In all, he hit 49 home runs and batted .282 during his career.
He signed his 1998 Topps Stadium Club card for me in a few weeks.
Jim Everett
The third overall pick in the 1986 draft out of Purdue, Everett played 12 seasons in the NFL with the Rams, Saints and Chargers. Everett was a Pro Bowler in 1990 and led the NFL in throwing TD passes in 1988 and 1989. He would throw for over 34,000 yards and over 200 TDs during his career.
He signed his 1989 Topps card for me in about three weeks.
Bill Barber
Bill Barber played his entire career with the Philadelphia Flyers from 1972-84. He was a six-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. He scored 420 goals including 50 goals during the 1975-76 season. He played on two Stanley Cup winning teams.
Barber is an excellent TTMer. He signed his 1979-80 Topps card for me in less than two weeks.
Frank Thomas
“The Original” Frank Thomas passed away recently at the age of 93. Thomas played 16 seasons in the Majors. He was a 3-time All Star with the Pirates and was an original member of the New York Mets in 1962. He slugged 286 HRs and netted 962 RBI during his career.
He was a consistent signer through the mail even in his later years. His favorite card was his 1958 Topps card which he signed for me last year.
Chris Ford
We lost Chris Ford this week when he passed at the age of 74. Ford played for Detroit and Boston during his career and later went on to coach for a number of teams. Ford hit the first three pointer in NBA history on October 12, 1979, at Boston Garden. If should be noted that both Dave Cowens and Larry Bird both failed on their attempts prior to Ford making his. Ford was a member of the 1981 NBA champion Celtics.
A regular signer through the mail, he signed many cards for me including his 1979-80 Topps card last year.
Bill Campbell
We lost another great TTMer when Bill “Soup” Campbell passed away after a battle with cancer. Campbell won Fireman of Year in 1976 and 1977 and was chosen for the 1977 American League All-Star team. He pitched in the Major Leagues for 15 years with seven different teams. He injured his arm in 1978 and never quite regained his All-Star level performances of 1976 and 1977.
Bill was always a very reliable signer through the mail. He signed many cards for me including his 1982 Fleer card last winter.
Here are a few others who are currently signing for free. I have had success with all of them in the past:
- Eddie Murray – Kicker, Detroit Lions
- Larry Christenson – Pitcher, Phillies
- Tony Dorsett – Running back, Dallas and Denver
- Marvell Wynne – Outfielder, Pirates
- John Waltham – Catcher, Royals
- Dave Giusti – Pitcher, Pirates
- Bob Boone – Catcher, Phillies, and Angles
- Rick Miller – Outfielder, Red Sox, and Angles
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.