Kent Hrbek and Tom Kelly. Two names you cannot hear and not think about the Twins and legends. Both have their numbers retired. Both were involved with the 1987 and 1991 World Champ teams. Today I received an envelope from each. Tom Kelly’s contained a ticket from 07.11.1975 from when the Twins played the Yankees at Shea Stadium. TK signed it with “Final MLB Game”. It is beautiful. Another gorgeous item was the new 2024 Allen & Ginter Kent Hrbek #347 card that Hrbie signed in perfect blue Sharpie. Both items are perfect for my collection!
Rolls Royce
At some point during the season, I mailed three Topps Now cards to Royce Lewis at Target Field. I did not write down when that was but it was a happy surprise when they showed up signed in my mailbox today. This was a good ol’ through the mail attempt that was rewarded to me from one of my favorite current Twins players. The cards I received are:
05.29.2023 Topps Now #359
08.28.2023 Topps Now #775
09.04.2023 Topps Now #814
Thanks Royce! Let’s have a healthy and amazing 2025!
The Operator
Wow! I received one of the coolest items for my collection today. I had a ticket from the 05.01.2011 Phillies game for a while and decided to reach out to see if I could get it signed. I was told “The Operator” was having a private signing in a couple weeks so I quickly mailed in the ticket. You may not know who “The Operator” is but you surely know what he accomplished.
During the Phillies game on 05.01.2011, the crowd started chanting “USA! USA! USA!” Nobody directed them to do it. The cheer started organically. During the game, people saw the headline that President Obama was going to address the country announcing that the US Military conducted Operation Neptune’s Spear and took out Osama Bin Laden. I remember reading that the players in the bullpens had no idea why the fans were chanting “USA!” until they asked a fan. Word quickly spread throughout each team. Watching highlights from that game, and moment, gave me chills. It was an amazing moment tying American history with baseball history.
The Operator is Robert O’Neill and he is the Navy Seal who delivered the double-tap ridding the world of the 9/11 mastermind.
I sent in my ticket and asked for a couple inscriptions. I got “USA! USA! USA!” and “Operation Neptune’s Spear” along with his signature. It is one of the most expensive autographs I ever paid for but it is one of the coolest. The ticket goes perfectly with my 9/11/2002 game used hat that Doug Mientkiewicz wore for the one year anniversary of that fateful day. Doug had written a couple items on the hat and I was able to get it signed the following season at the 2003 Twins Autograph Party. I am very excited to add this to my collection!
Here are a couple pictures of the ticket, the hat, and Robert signing my ticket!
Kenny
Today’s mail brought in a Baseball Digest signed by former Twin Ken Landreaux. My August, 1980 issue was signed during a private signing with Ken by Matt F (Farace73 on SCN). It looks great and fits in with all the other recent Baseball Digest magazines I have added to the collection!