Dick Groat was a top player in the 1960’s and appeared on a number of magazine covers. I received a pair of them signed today. I sent Dick a “Complete 1961 Baseball” magazine and a “1961 True Baseball Yearbook” in hopes he would sign them. He did. In fact, he signed one of them twice!
Kubek
A couple weeks ago I received my April 1961 Baseball Digest signed by Al Spangler and immediately sent it to Tony Kubek to finish the cover. It shows a face shot of both men on the cover and I really do not like having items that I cannot complete or are not complete in my collection. I also sent a Ford Frick Hall of Fame postcard with the magazine. Tony was the Ford Frick recipient in 2009 being recognized for his broadcasting skills. His voice, along with Joe Garagiola, was the sound of my Saturday mornings as a kid watching the “Game of the Week”. Throw in Mel Allen on “This Week in Baseball” before the “Game of the Week” and it was a Ford Frick recipient trifecta!
Today I received both items signed in blue Sharpie for my collection.
A Rootin’ Tudorin’ Time
A long while ago a great friend of mine gave me, and continues to give me, his ticket stubs from baseball games he attends. In the group of tickets there was a run of the three games the Twins played in St Louis in the 1987 World Series (that the Twins WON!). I had Game 4 and Game 5 signed but not Game 3. It was a glaring hole in the seven game set of signed tickets. I was looking over Past Pros website and found that John Tudor signed via their process and knew I had to send the ticket to him. Today I received it signed by John with “Winning Pitcher” on it. I am excited to say that I now have all seven tickets of the 1987 World Series signed by a player who played an important or meaningful role in the game! The post office did beat the ticket up a little when it appears to have gotten jammed in the sorting machines but it is fine for me and my collection.
A Retired Kitty Kaat
I was at the Twins game in 2022 when they retired #36 for Jim Kaat. The team was able to get special baseballs for that game and I was fortunate to purchase a game used one, as well as a couple unused ones, for my collection. Tom O (orr23mj on SCN) offered up a couple Christmas deals and one of them was one of those baseballs already signed and inscribed with “#36 Retired 7/16/22” and I bought it. It was cheaper than if I got one of my own signed with postage and the autograph fee, etc. I am waiting to get the game used one signed exactly the same way.