TTM This Week: Tales From the Old Minor Leagues; Autograph Returns

Former minor league outfielder and author Mike Floyd comes on the TTMCast this week podcast to talk about his new book Bush League Blues which chronicles his time in the Angles, Dodgers and Astros minor league systems in the mid-sixties and mid-seventies. Floyd shares fun stories of interacting with future major leaguers, minor league legends and Hall of Famers during the wild and turbulent 1960’s and early 70’s.

Mike is a great storyteller, and our interview is filled with a lot of names you’ll recognize. The book is available on Amazon. If you purchase a copy, Mike will gladly sign it for free. Send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll send you his mailing address.

Hobby legend Les Wolff also joins us to give us some tips on autograph authentication.

Next week the young Founder and CEO of BuySportsCards.com, Conner Warren, joins me to talk about his sports card marketplace and our his thoughts on the hobby.

Go to: ttmcast.com or ttmcast.podbean.com to listen to this week’s show.

TTM Tip of the Week

The key to a TTM success is addresses. For just $15 for a one-year membership, I highly recommend joining Sports Collectors.net. You’ll get access to updated addresses, whether players require a donation for an auto and a whole lot more. If you are working on a particular set or fan of a certain team, you can access the signing habits of former and current players. This site is a must for even the most veteran of autograph collectors.

TTM Successes this Week

A nice mix of cards in this week’s returns as cards continue to hit my mailbox on a fairly regular basis. No Hall of Famers this week but some fun returns from guys who had interesting careers.

All of these former players sign for free as long as you include the usual self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Scott Case

Scott Case led the NFL in interceptions in 1988 with 10 picks for the Atlanta Falcons which is a Falcon’s franchise record. He was named to the Pro Bowl that season. He played ten seasons with the Falcons from 1984-94 after staring at Oklahoma. He played his final season with Dallas winning Super Bowl XXX as a member of the Cowboys in 1995.

Case signed his 1989 Topps card and his Interception Leaders card which he shares with former New York Jet Erik McMillian for me in about two weeks.

Jimmy Oliver

Jimmy Oliver had a much-traveled professional basketball career after playing for the Purdue Boilermakers in college. He was selected in 1991 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and also played for the Celtics, Raptors, Wizards and Suns in a career that lasted through the 1990’s.

Oliver signed his 1993-94 Topps card for me and returned it in about ten days.

Dave Osborn

Minnesota Vikings legend Dave Osborn ran for 26 yards in 10 attempts against the Los Angles Rams when this great action shot was taken for his 1975 Topps card. Rams’ defender Bill Simpson is shown trying to take Osborn in this shot.

Osborn spent 11 seasons from 1965-1975 in the Viking backfield and finished his career in Green Bay in 1976 playing six games for the Packers in his final season. Osborn made the Pro Bowl in 1970 and scored 29 touchdowns during his career.

He signed and returned this awesome card to me in less than two weeks.

Steve Renko

An original Montreal Expo, Steve Renko won 134 games during his 15-year Major League Baseball career from 1969-1983 with the rest of his career spent with the Red Sox, Angles, Cubs, Royals, A’s and White Sox. He won 15 games in 1971 and 1973 for two mediocre Montreal teams and tallied 11 wins for the California Angles in 1982, his second to last season in baseball.

He was traded by the Red Sox along with Fred Lynn to the Angles for Jim Dorsey, Joe Rudi and Frank Tanana in January of 1981.

Renko is a fabulous TTMer and quickly signed his 1980 Topps card and returned it to me with his beautiful signature in about a week.

Toby Harrah

Toby Harrah started his major league career as a member of Ted Williams’ Washington Senators at the age of 20 in 1969. He went on to have a 17-year career playing eleven seasons with Washington/Texas Rangers, five with the Cleveland Indians and one year with the New York Yankees. He retired as a member of the Texas Rangers in 1986. Harrah played in four All-Star games.

He was traded by Texas to Cleveland straight up for Buddy Bell in December of 1978. Harrah finished his career with 195 home runs and 918 runs batted in.

A TTM legend since he retired, he signed his 1976 Topps card for me in less than a week.

David Whitehurst

David Whitehurst was an 8^th round draft pick out of Furman by the Green Bay Packers in 1977. He would go on to play seven seasons with Green Bay before finishing his career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984. He and Sam Wyche were the only two graduates from Furman to play quarterback in the NFL. During his career Whitehurst was in and out as a starter but his did have the honor of starting and winning the first Monday Night Football game played at Lambeau Field when the Packers beat the New England Patriots 27-14 in 1979.

He signed and returned his 1979 Topps card for me in about two weeks.

A.J. Duhe

A true “Ragin Cajun”, A.J. went to high school in Louisiana, stared at LSU and, according to the back of his 1978 Topps football card, spoke Cajun. Somehow, he never made it to the Saints. He was selected with the 13th pink in the first round of the 1977 draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played his entire career with Miami winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1977 and making the Pro Bowl in 1984. He played in Super Bowl XVII in his final season but was forced to retire at the age of 29 because of knee and shoulder injuries. A.J., by the way, stands for Adam Joseph.

Duhe signed and returned his 1978 Topps card for me in about 10 days.

Here are a few more athletes who are currently signing for free:

Jim Youngblood – LA Rams
Dave Duncan – A’s and Cardinal Catcher
Jim Bakken – Cardinal Kicker
Bert Jones – Baltimore Colts Quarterback
Dallas Smith – Boston Bruins Defenseman
Joe Theismann – Washington Quarterback

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.

I hope you caught my segment on The Card Life TV this week as I showed off some of my autograph collection and talked about collecting autographs through the mail with host/Red Sox pitcher Matt Strahm, who also opened packs with a teammate and visited with a long time card shop owner here in Massachusetts.