Anyone who collects Twins autographs know that one of the hardest guys to get an autograph from was Jack Kralik. Jack lived in Mexico and would not accept mail. He recently passed away. Jack’s passing made Rich Reese on his 1965 Topps card the new toughest autograph to get. Rich is great to us collectors but for many many years would not sign that card. I had tried twice in the past and both times received a polite note that he does not sign that card and even his daughter has tried to get him to sign it and he won’t. Recently on SportsCollectors.net a post was made about that card and how a friend of mine has a friend who got him to sign one back in 1987. That brought out another collector who had one that was signed Dick Reese (the card had his name as Dick) so I assume that was signed around the time the card came out. I sent a truthful, honest, heartfelt letter along with an image of these two cards telling him I would never bother him again if he signed it and told him I have been looking for that card signed for a long time. Today I received the card, signed, along with a note that read “These are not my signings. Rich Reese ps This is for you. You now have 1 of a kind!” I do not know if that is true that he did not sign those two cards but the one I have signed is exactly as all my other ones from him. Mr Reese has no idea how excited I am to add that card to my collection. I now need only one more card signed to have the entire 1965 Topps Twins set take care of. That is of Cesar Tovar who has long been deceased. THANK YOU MR REESE!!!
Then, if that was not enough to make my day, I also received a baseball signed by Joe Brinkman that I sent to him two years ago. He even added the additional 30 cents as postage went up since I sent it! I asked him to do a story ball about George Brett’s Pine Tar Incident. He signed it with his name and on one panel all the umpires involved in the game and then quoted the three rules that were broken in that instance. AWESOME baseball!
What a great day of mail!!!!