Updates and Autographed Flashbacks

I finished adding most of the 1990 Donruss to my Most Wanted page. I’m not done with figuring out which errors/correcteds I need yet. But that alone isn’t worth a post, especially after bed time on a school night!

1993 Fleer #633
Dan Plesac

Inspired by Coco Crisp’s Afro (the blog, not his actual afro), I scanned my small autograph collection from childhood. The story of Miles Head being a good guy reminded me of a discovery I made a few months ago. I don’t remember noticing this when I got it, but I noticed it a few months ago, and it made me want to find Dan Plesac and shake his hand. 1993 Fleer had, for the time, a high gloss on it apparently, making them practically impervious to Sharpie markers. So why did this watery, messed-up looking autograph make me want to go back 20 years and send a thank you note? It didn’t. But what did was this:

1993 Fleer #633 Dan Plesac back of card

He signed a good one on the back! Now, maybe he did this on all of them. Maybe he didn’t even think about it. But perhaps he thought, “Oh, that stinks. Sorry Jimbo, I’ll sign this on the back too so it comes out better for you.” And sorry to the design team, but the back of the ’93 Fleer card was more attractive than the front anyway, even though the location of the card number is a pain.

That makes me happy. I sent out many cards that I never saw again, and a few more that came right back to me. Bo Jackson sent me some stuff, but he didn’t sign my card. Nolan Ryan didn’t either, but I got a 4×6 black and white photo that I refuse to believe was signed by anyone or anything other than Mr. Ryan. At least they sent my cards back. Ryne Sandberg still owes me a 1987 Fleer Baseball’s Best card. I picked one up a few years ago, when I wasn’t even really in the hobby, because I still remembered that I had an incomplete set. In fact, I had to exert all my self control last summer and not go to the Iron Pigs games in Indy because I was going to track the dude down and demand my card.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts…

The way I remember it now though, I did get most of the cards I sent out back with the requested autograph. I know there are more (specifically, I am at this moment wondering where my 1989 Donruss Terry Steinbach is…) that I have somewhere. Other than Mr. Plesac above, I’ve got the Cubs set aside for another post and another day. Here are the ones I flipped through tonight. There are several odd ones in there – what was my fascination with Dodgers, and how many 1988 Topps Matt Nokes All-Star cards have YOU seen autographed?!?! But I’m pretty satisfied with the players I chose to write to, and they held up their end. Here are the scans, and a very sincere “Thank you!” to Will Clark, Sparky Anderson, Kirby Puckett, Ramon Martinez, Vince Coleman, Eric Karros, Robin Ventura, and Tom Glavine. And Terry Steinbach too, wherever you and my card are. Hopefully Terry is not misplaced in a box. Or even properly placed in a box.

Anyway, thanks to Coco Crisp’s Afro for the inspiration. Maybe this will be a part of the hobby the boys and I revive this summer!

1987 Fleer Mini #21 Vince Coleman. Sorry Vince, didn’t think about how hard it would be to sign a mini!

1987 M&M’s #15 Kirby Puckett

1988 Topps Big #36 Kirby Puckett

1986 Donruss Highlights #7 Kirby Puckett

1989 Donruss # 464 Ramon Martinez

1989 Fleer #67 Ramon Martinez

1989 Topps #193 Sparky Anderson

1988 Topps #393 Matt Nokes AS

1992 Fleer #462 Eric Karros

1989 Topps #764 Robin Ventura

1989 Donruss #BC22 Will Clark

1992 Fleer #358 Tom Glavine