Category: Topps Twins Project

I have been fortunate to have had some awesome replies to my autograph requests to people over the years but today has to rank right up there with one of my favorites.
Over all the years of my collecting, Rich Reese has always avoided signing his 1965 Topps Rookie card. Rumors persist on how he does not sign it because he is listed as Dick Reese, or another rumor that he did not like the card… whatever the reason, I had only seen that card signed once and that was from the mid-1960’s because he signed it Dick Reese. When it was the last card I needed for the 1965 Twins set, I wrote him a nice, heartfelt letter and made a small sticker in the same size, color, and font and placed it over Dick Reese which said Rich Reese. Amazingly, he returned it to me signed with a note that it was the only one he signed. He said he has turned down his daughter when she asked for him to sign one.
I had an equally amazing response from Ryan Vogelsong today! Ryan is pictured on a 2017 Topps card as a Twin. I am not sure if it was photoshopped or taken in spring training but he is shown in a Twins uniform. Over the years since his retirement, he has had a few private signing events and I always sent in the card and it would always come back unsigned that Ryan refused to sign it because he never played for the Twins. I thought maybe it would be a hold in my collection. Back on February 8th I received the 2017 Topps Phil Hughes card from a private signing and that left the Vogelsong card as the last card I needed for my set. I decided to take a shot. I wrote a real heartfelt letter on what baseball means to me, especially Twins baseball, and my family. I wrote about how I remember him signing with the Twins and was excited because of his success with the Giants. I wrote about how my family went to Florida spring training games in five of the previous six springs prior to COVID and I am sure I saw him warm up under the walkway overhang bullpen area. I also included a printout of my 2017 Topps Twins set with every card signed but his. I put it in a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope and sent it to him hoping for the best. I do not know what it was that led him to sign my card and return it to me but I cannot thank him enough. My 2017 Topps Twins team set is complete! I had a rough couple days at work and to open the mail and see this made things turn around for me. THANK YOU Ryan! You made my week if not month or even longer! I love my hobby!