Category: TTM

Michael Is More Than Just o-Kay!

A couple months ago Cami and I were watching the MLB TV channel where they had the World Series top moments and one of them was in 2001 when Derek Jeter became Mr November.  The regular season was delayed a week or so because of 9/11 so the World Series went into November as a result.  Game 4 started on 10/31/2001 and the game had just continued past midnight into 11/1/2001 when Derek Jeter hit a home run to win the game earning the nickname Mr November.  Michael Kay is a broadcaster for the New York Yankees and called the game.

While watching the highlights on the MLB channel, Cami told me I should send a baseball to the broadcaster and see if he would write his call on it.  I told Cami that there is no way a Yankee broadcaster would take the time to do that and if she wanted me to try, she would have to write the note first.  Within 10 minutes she had a note written to “Mr K” (she knew his name was said as Mr K!) so she called my bluff.  I sent off a package to Michael Kay along with Cami’s note the next day.  Today I received the baseball signed along with his awesome call and he wrote “Cami, it was my pleasure.” on her note.  What an awesome baseball.  I showed it to Cami and she remembered it and everything.  As soon as I showed her the note she wrote she said that was for the Yankees World Series game and smiled from ear to ear.  Thanks Mr Kay for making Cami’s and my day!

Another Ford Frick Award Recipient!

Today I received my baseball signed by 2014 Ford Frick Award recipient Eric Nadel.  If you recognize his name, it is because he signed a couple call balls a few months ago for me.  In one letter I mentioned I hoped to be sending him another baseball in a few months asking for 2014 Ford Frick Award on it.  He signed it with his name and “Ford Frick Award 2014 Winner”.  Mr Nadel will be added to the broadcaster’s wing of the Hall of Fame Museum in the summer of 2014.

My Favorite Umpire

After Game 3 of the 2013 World Series ended with an obstruction call, I knew I needed a ball about it.  I wrote a heartfelt letter about how I used Jim Joyce’s actions a few years ago on how he admitted a mistake and handled it with class to teach Caden the right way to react to a mistake and sent it to him with a request to write his memory of the call on the ball.  Today I received the ball and my donation back to give to his current favorite charity (my son’s piggy bank) and a real nice note.  The note actually means more to me than the baseball.  On the baseball he signed it and wrote the following quote:
“May the hand of a friend always be near.”
He was my favorite umpire before this and his actions solidified his standing in my eyes. Thanks Mr Joyce!

The Exceptional Mr Elliott!

I always love a mail day after a holiday.  I get two days worth of mail.  Even better is when the holiday is a Monday as yesterday was.  Today’s mail day fit the bill!

Back in August I emailed Mr Bob Elliott asking him if he would be willing to autograph a baseball along with “2012 J G Taylor Spink Award” and if he had a charity of choice.  He replied he would be delighted to and his donations go to the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.  I mailed it off and received it today.  We have emailed a couple times in the meantime and I found him to be very receptive and kind.  In fact, in one reply he told me that he had signed 100’s of baseballs and my package was the most organized of all.  I am guessing it was because I provided an envelope already addressed to the charity with all it needing was postage from Canada.  I included cash for return postage as well as the postage to mail the donation and he returned it and paid the postage himself.  I am very excited to add Mr Elliott’s autograph to my collection and to have the interaction I had with him.  Thank you Mr Elliott!

Also in today’s mail was an envelope with two autographed cards I bought from Mickey’s Sports Cards.  They both had real nice blue ink signatures on them.  They were a 1968 Bob Allison and a 1967 Zoilo Versalles.