Next week, I’ll have a 2025 year in review and talk about my 2026 collecting resolutions. Do you have any of your own? Email them to me at DFWGrapher@gmail.com and I’ll mention yours as well.
TTM Successes
Note to self: don’t skip on an article during a hot streak or you’ll get writer’s cramp. Two more double-digit weeks– 27 total successes in this article– and I hit my goal of 300 mailouts for the year as well, including the first time I’ve ever mailed a jersey. Hopefully next year I’ll pace myself better so that I’m not doing the final two-thirds in the final two months.
Jon Matlack
I was finally able to complete the Madlock/Matlack dual that I started at the 2022 National. Jon signed it on a dark spot, but it’s complete at least!
The photo and cards took only a week to ship to his home in Georgia and back.
Art Howe
A total of 25 players received votes for the NL MVP in 1981: Art Howe finished 18th. He later went on to manage the Astros, A’s, and Mets.
Howe signed these for me in a week via his Texas home.
Bob Brower
Originally attending Duke as a football player, Brower’s career really took off after his time on the field, later becoming a Vice President of the Boras Corporation as a player agent.
He signed these for me in three weeks via his Kansas home.
Jaime Navarro
After 12 years in the Majors, Navarro spent another three years in Grosseto, Italy, pitching in the Italian Baseball League. He’s a member of the Brewers’ Wall of Honor and has a unique distinction: he and his father Julio were the first father and son to each record a major league save.
Navarro, who has been a pitching coach in Mexican pro baseball recently, signed these for me in eight months via his Florida home.
Jack McKeon
“Trader Jack” just turned 95 a month ago and still has a very nice signature. He was still managing just 14 years ago when he took over as Marlins’ skipper, thus becoming the second-oldest in MLB history behind only Connie Mack. Any chance he could step in for a game to manage for a sixth decade?
He signed these for me in a week via his North Carolina home.
Chico Walker
The versatile Walker played five positions in his career, mostly with the Cubs and Mets. He hit .308 with the Mets in 1992 mostly as a pinch hitter.
Walker signed these for me via his Massachusetts home in a week. He lives about a mile from where I played street hockey throughout college.
Jack Daugherty
Jack got stuck behind Rafael Palmeiro at first base for the early 90s Rangers. His first career hit came years earlier with the Expos off a 21-year old Greg Maddux.
He signed these for me in a week via his Arizona home.
Tim Blackwell
Blackwell led the National League in mustache from 1978-82 and was a minor league manager throughout the 90s and early 2000s.
He signed these for me in three weeks via his California home.
Paul Westhead
The first coach to win a championship as a head coach in both the NBA and WNBA, Westhead also took #11-seed Loyola-Marymount to the Elite 8 in 1990. He led the Lakers to the 1980 NBA title, the team’s first in the club’s “Showtime” era.
The former English teacher signed these for me in a month via his Florida home.
Ryan Newman
It was a good week for NASCAR returns.
Newman was NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year in 2002, Driver of the Year in 2003, and named to their list of the 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. He and his ex-wife are very active in animal rescue through their Rescue Ranch charity.
He signed these in a month via his fan club.
Ron Hornaday Jr.
The only four-time champion of NASCAR’s Truck Series, a 2018 Hall of Famer, and one of the sport’s 75 greatest drivers. He now works as a dirt modified chassis builder.
He signed these for me in a month via his North Carolina home.
Ken Schrader
Schrader was Nascar’s 1985 Rookie of the Year and a three-time pole winner at the Daytona 500.
He signed these for me in a week via Schrader Racing in Missouri.
Jim Jensen
“Crash” was veritable toolbox of players all in one: mostly a wide receiver and running back, he also lined up as a tight end, was drafted as a quarterback, captained the Dolphins’ special teams, and was the backup holder and long snapper.
He signed these for me in a week via his New York home. It appears he may only sign two items per request.
Bill Maas
Maas was a top-5 draft pick in 1984, was named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, and became a two-time Pro Bowler before a 12-year broadcasting career.
He signed these for me in a month via his Missouri home.
Rick Fenney
Despite mostly playing in blocking roles as a fullback in front of Darrin Nelson and Herschel Walker, Fenney scored 13 career touchdowns and averaged over four yards per carry.
He signed these for me in two weeks via his Washington home.
Benny Distefano
I love that the 1990 Fleer card lists him as a catcher. Distefano played only six innings of his 240-game career behind the plate… but you may know he’s a lefty, likely the last to ever play there.
He signed these for me in two weeks via his Texas home and even wrote a short note back.
Andrew Cassels
Cassels was picked 17th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, but only six players picked before him played in more games than his 1015 (and three of them are in the Hall of Fame).
Andrew signed these for me in two weeks via his Ohio home.
Roger Ruzek
Ruzek is the rare player to be a member of the rival Cowboys and Eagles in the same season. He’s the NFL’s all-time leading scorer among Weber State alums.
He signed and personalized these for me in under a week via his Texas home.
Cris Carpenter
Not to be confused with 2005 Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter or former Red Sox and Cubs hurler Chris Carpenter, Cris-with-no-H was also a Cardinal but worked primarily out of the bullpen.
He signed these for me in two weeks via his Georgia home.
Doug Dascenzo
Like Distefano’s catching appearance, Dascenzo’s 1991 Score card captures him on the mound: in four career relief appearances, Doug never allowed a run and struck out two.
He signed these for me in two weeks via his Pennsylvania home.
Milt Plum
After the Cleveland Browns chose Jim Brown with their first pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, they plucked Plum out of Penn State in round two.
Until Joe Montana broke it in 1989, his110.4 passer rating in 1960 was the best in an NFL season. Two years later, he led the Lions to a 11-3 season and a win in the Playoff Bowl.
He was a two-time Pro Bowler who’s still signing at age 90. Milt signed this for me in a week via his North Carolina home.
DJ Foster
The former Patriots, Cardinals, and Toronto Argonauts running back now is the manager of player development for Arizona State.
He signed these for me in two weeks via the ASU athletic department.
Darion Conner
I will always insist Conner should have been a Pro Bowler in 1994-95, a season with 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and his only career interception.
He signed these for me in six weeks via his Mississippi home.
Greg Adams
Greg D. Adams (not to be confused with his former teammate Greg C. Adams, NHL’er from 1980-90) was one of the NHL’s fastest players and a four-time 30-goal scorer. He and Bob Beers are the only players from Northern Arizona University to reach the NHL.
Greg signed these for me in a month via his Arizona home.
Carlos Garcia
Did you know Garcia was an All-Star in 1994? He even singled in the game. Usually I remember these things but I was completely unaware of that until I mailed to him. He went on to coach in three countries– the US, Mexico, and Venezuela.
He signed these for me in three weeks via his New York home.
Don Sweeney
Only four players have spent over 1,000 games with the Bruins, and Sweeney is one of them. He’s been part of the B’s executive staff since 2006 and GM since 2015.
He signed these for me in a week via his Massachusetts home.
Tomas Vokoun
300 wins, 50 shutouts, top 20 in save percentage and points as a goalie, bronze medals in the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey, and two World Championship golds. Not a bad career for a former ninth round pick!
The Czech native signed these for me in a week via his Florida home.
TTMCast This Month
A new TTMCast show is coming shortly. In the meantime, we finish off Season #7 here.
Order up from the next printing of SigSpotCards as well– we’ll print again in early January.
And check out our newly revamped website at TTMCast.com!
If you have any graphing questions, you can reach Drew via email at DFWGrapher@gmail.com
