Minnesota Twins TTM Autograph Update for the First Half of 2018

I have had decent success so far this year getting TTM (thru the mail returns) autographs from current, former, and future Minnesota Twins. To date I have signed cards from 626 different current or former Twins. I have signed cards from 34 minor leaguers including 24 of the top 30 prospects (I have requests in to the other 6).

One thing I have found is that when sending to Class A and Rookie League minor leaguers players some of them tend to sign in ink pen. Since most of them don’t have real baseball cards yet, I create one of them on photo paper and another on thick regular paper or cardboard. That way if the ink pen does not work on the photo paper (which sometimes it has not or is hard to read) it will work on the other card.   

Current & former Twins I have gotten back so far in 2018:

Fernando Rodney

Brandon Kintzler

Adam Wilk

Tim Meliville

Bobby Wilson

Bombo Rivera

Tyler Kinley

Ryan LaMarre

Josh Rabe

Logan Morrison

David Hale

George Tsamis

Tim Corcoran

Benj Sampson

Matt Magill

Twins minor leaguers I have gotten back so far in 2018:

David Banuelos

Zack Littell

Hector Lujan

Luis Arraez

Brusadar Graterol

Derek Molina

Royce Lewis

Charlie Barnes

Williams Ramirez

Jean Carlos Arias

Jose Miranda

Jordan Balazovic

Ricardo de la Torre – did not return my cards, but sent his own signed cards

DaShawn Keirsey

Ryan Jeffers

Lewin Diaz

Tyler Jay – actually sent to him in 2017, he returned them signed this year

Hopefully the rest of 2018 goes as well.

A Lesson in Autograph Collecting

After winning the 2004 Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League, Johan Santana was viewed by Twins fans as a lock to get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. When he won again in 2006 people thought him destined to be an all-time great like Tom Seaver or Steve Carlton.

When Justin Morneau won the 2006 A.L. MVP he was viewed as the left handed hitting Harmon Killebrew. Morneau like Santana was on the path to the Hall of Fame. So too was Torii Hunter and maybe Joe Nathan. Joe Mauer meanwhile was going to challenge Johnny Bench as the greatest catcher in baseball history.

Those players also were the obsession of many an autograph collector. To get Santana, Morneau, Hunter, or Mauer’s autograph at Twinsfest you lined up outside the Metrodome a minimum of six hours before the doors opened (many camp out overnight to be first in line). Once inside you had to run for your life to get to player’s line where you sometimes had to wait another 2-3 more hours for the player to start signing, and even then you were not guaranteed his autograph. Of course everyone thought it would be worth it.

Santana, Morneau, Hunter, and Nathan have seen their careers come to an end. When National Hall of Fame voters casted their ballots in regards to Johan Santana candidacy, he got 10 votes (roughly 330 votes were needed). He will not make the Baseball Hall of Fame. Neither will Morneau, Hunter, or Nathan while Joe Mauer has a decent shot at baseball’s highest honor, but Johnny Bench is still viewed as the greatest catcher of all-time.

Yes, Santana, Morneau, Hunter, Nathan, Eddie Guardado, Michael Cuddyer, Brad Radke, and maybe a couple other members of the those 2000’s Twins teams will rightly elected to the Twins Hall of Fame, but they were not great long enough to be one of best in baseball history.

Maybe if Johan Santana never gets traded to the Mets and then injured his shoulder things might have been different. Same with Justin Morneau – if he does not get that concussion in 2010, he goes on to legendary status. Those things happened and the careers of two great players where impacted for the worse.

So what about all those autographs’ people worked so hard for, are they worth anything? Not as much as people thought they would be. It is one reason why I focus on getting an autograph from every player on the Twins not just certain ones. I do not value any of my autograph collection for its dollar worth. I valued it for the memories it provides. This allows me to enjoy my collection and rest my back and neck as I do not have to stand in line 6 hours before a signing event even starts.

Twinsfest 2018

Last Sunday I made my annual trek down to Target Field for Twinsfest 2018. My father came with me and we spent all our time trying to get autographs. I ended up getting signed cards from 34 players and one coach. I now have signed cards from 615 current and former Twins, and since I got several top minor prospects this year, the number of signed cards of current and former could go up.

Here are my successes (All were on cards unless noted):

Zach Duke

Ryan Pressly

Alan Busenitz

LaMonte Wade

Alex Kirilloff

Lewis Thorpe

Tyler Jay

Travis Blankenhorn

Max Kepler

Mitch Garver

Fernando Romero

Torii Hunter

Joe Nathan

LaTroy Hawkins

John Curtiss

Tyler Duffey

Aaron Slegers

Darin Mastroianni

Fernando Rodney

Kyle Gibson

Trevor Hildenberger

Taylor Rogers

Dietrich Enns

J. T. Chargois

Brent Rooker

Jose Berrios

Adalberto Mejia

Stephen Gonsalves

Royce Lewis

Jorge Polanco

Robbie Grossman

Trevor May

Michael Pineda

Garvin Alston – new pitching coach

Roy Smalley – photo

Gonsalves, Jay, and Romero will probably be called up to the Twins sometimes this year while Rooker should rise through the system pretty fast. Lewis is suppose to be a future superstar, and he was quite popular with the fan.s

I thought it was great that I could get new Twins Rodney, Duke, and Pineda. Rodney and Duke might not be with the Twins in 2019.

I was also happy to have gotten Polanco, Berrios, and Kepler. I was not going to get into the Hunter, Nathan, and Hawkins line as it was $30 (most stations were $10-$20), but there was literally no waiting in line so I decided to go for it.

Phil Hughes, Kenny Vargas, and newest Twins Addison Reed did not make it. Hughes and Vargas cancelled out for various reasons which was a bummer as I wanted to get cards signed by them.

On the whole though it was a great experience and hopefully I will be able to make Twinsfest 2019.