RBI (172) Jim Leyland TTM...

I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my 365 TTM's come back after a long delay. There was no postmark on it so I wasn't sure who had finally responded. When I opened the envelope I was happy to see Jim Leyland signed my card.

Leyland is notorious for chain smoking during games inside the dugout but not many people complain considering the results he's been able to get as a manager. He's won more than 1750 Games, was 2-time NL Manager of the year, AL Manager of the Year and won the 1997 World Series to give the Florida Marlins their first franchise World Series championship. As Detroit's manager he's had another World Series appearance and been one of the more humorous managers in the game. He's quoted as commenting on Orioles stud Manny Machado that he's the league leader of doubles and Leyland is second in doubles, double vodka's and double scotches. 

Jim Leyland autographed this 2011 Topps Heritage card for me that I sent TTM c/o the Tigers at Comercia Park after 1 year and 4 months.

RBI (130) Mad Max, A Strikeout Artist...

Starting pitcher and strikeout master Max Scherzer was kind enough to sign an autograph for me.

Scherzer was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks 11th overall in the 1st round of the 2006 MLB draft. He made it through the minors and debuted for Arizona in 2008 and since then has stuck around as a reasonably successful starter. He was a key piece in a three way deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees, Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks and moved Scherzer to Detroit. It's definitely been a successful trade for all parties involved since all three teams have made strong playoff runs with each piece of the deal being key components for their team.

As a starter for Detroit he's paired with ace Justin Verlander to give the Tigers a serious 1-2 punch. He competed for the Strikeout title in 2012 against Verlander and finished second with 231 on the season, but had the AL best 11 K/9. He's already compiled more than 800 Strikeouts and if he keeps up with his obscene K/9 rate he'll finish the season with more than 1,000 career punch outs.

I got this Max Scherzer autographed baseball during a 2013 Tigers vs Angels series at Angel Stadium. I'm very happy to have gotten the ball signed by Scherzer since he's having a great season and not only was named an All Star but is the starting pitcher for the 2013 MLB All Star game in New York. He's got a great record and tons of strikeouts so getting Scherzer to sign my ball this year was an awesome decision so far.

A True Class Act by the Detroit Tigers

I originally was not going to write this post, but as I was sorting through some of my folders I decided I had to make this public. It's too kind a story not to share.

If any of you are regular readers of Baseball By The Letters then you are aware of the recent necessity for Virgil Trucks to end all his fan mail and TTM activity due to his health. When Tom from BBTL passed on the message that all Mr. Trucks would appreciate from his fans would be a kind word on his behalf to Bud Selig on behalf of his case for Cooperstown I knew that I had to take the time for someone who took so much time for all of us collectors.

I did not write a letter to Mr. Selig, because I wasn't sure if the Commissioner is one for his own mail. Instead I wrote a letter to David Dombrowski, President and CEO of the Detroit Tigers informing him of Virgil's recent need to step down as an unofficial but beloved ambassador of the Tigers. I requested if it was possible he could mention Mr. Trucks to those on the Veterans Committee since I thought a word from the power of a franchise would go farther than my own.

Mr. Dombrowski sent me a copy of a letter he wrote to Mr. Trucks and I won't post any excerpts, but I will state it was a classy and touching note. I sincerely hope it brought some joy to Mr. Trucks to see the familiar Tigers logo waiting for him in his mailbox one morning. With all the controversies and scandals you hear about what is and always will be a child's game it was nice to see someone rise above the business end and extend a hand of friendship.

I tip my hat to you Mr. Dombrowski, and I thank you again Mr. Trucks for your correspondence and gift of your autograph.

RBI (117) A Veteran TTM response...

I was happy to see a response waiting for me in the mail that included a letter response. I opened it to see former starting pitcher Mr. Walt Terrell had replied to my TTM request.

Terrell was taken by the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round of the 1980 draft. He was traded to the Mets in 1982 and made his debut with the organization that year. It was the beginning of an 11 year career that would take him from the Mets, Tigers, Padres, Yankees, Pirates, and back to the Tigers to close out his career. He'd retire with 111 Wins, a career 4.22 ERA and 929 Strikeouts. He'd throw an astonishing 56 Complete games, 14 of which were shutouts, in his 294 career starts.

Mr. Terrell was kind enough to not only sign my 1987 Topps cards but also signed my index card and answered a few of my questions.

What was your favorite team to play for?
Despite playing for six teams throughout his career Walt said, "I enjoyed them all"

Who was your preferred catcher?
His career allowed Terrell to pitch to seasoned veterans Mike Fitzgerald, Matt Nokes and Mike Heath. Walt responded, "They were all very good and each had something unique about their game"

How did you find out you were debuting for the Mets in 1982?
I found this answer to be very revealing as research into this response told me that Terrell's time in AAA was spent learning how to prepare for the big leagues by former top flight closer of his era, "Tidewater coach Jack Aker told me" Aker set the single season saves record of his time with 32 in 1966. Such consistent performance and numerous appearances must have helped influence Terrell's readiness to go the distance and do what was needed for his 56 Complete Games.

Did you ever talk to Wally Joyner about the 9th inning hit?
On August 20th, 2986 Joyner came up to bat in Tiger Stadium at top of the 9th with 1 Out left before Terrell would cement his name in history with a no-hitter. The at-bat went Joyner's way and "We never brought it up"

It was great to get this response from Mr. Terrell after 16 days quickly from his home address.

RBI (76) The Curious Case of Al Kaline is Solved...

Regular readers probably are already aware of my previous post regarding Hall of Famer Al Kaline. If you aren't a regular reader and don't want to read the post, it essentially boils down to he has some weird signing habits in person and through the mail and I wanted to see how I'd do.

Okay, usual preamble about Mr. Tiger even though I want to skip to the good stuff. Hall of Famer class of 1980 (88% the vote) played for 22 seasons only for Detroit, an 18-time All-Star, and nabbed 10 Gold Gloves. 3007 hits from a career .297 average knocked in 1583 RBI's that won a 1968 World Series and got his #6 retired by the Detroit Tigers. Want to know the real good stuff? Then seriously, read the other post.

Well I sent my $20 to Mr. Kaline, and this is what I got.

Yes it is a very nice clear blue signature on the card. Yes it's great to have a Hall of Famer added to my collection. But let's be honest. This is the exact same signature that I could have acquired with a letter and $5...maybe $10 and an extra set of postage. For $20 I could have tracked down a certified Topps autographed card on ebay. An extra $10-$15 dollars didn't get an "HOF" or "GG" inscription? I don't think Garret Anderson even charges that much for an inscription and he only signs like twice a year and in person only. Twenty bucks and my index card wasn't even returned to keep the envelope stiff let alone with a "Thanks" scribbled on it.

Now is it a little petty to complain about a Hall of Famer signing for so cheap? Maybe. But it's the principle that has me not so pleased with how this safari went. By his "normal" habits, this could have gotten 2-4 cards signed with the same autograph. Instead my letter went unanswered and my index card wasn't even sent back.

It's not that I was expecting an extra signed card, inscription, or change. But I was hoping to find Mr. Kaline on the side of the fan and not send a completely indifferent response. I guess I was hoping for the Hall of Famer to show something more and act a little classier than a nobody minor leaguer at a card show would. Is that so wrong? Am I expecting too much from a Cooperstown inductee?

Kaline signed the 2003 Topps after 22 days from his home address.

RBI (63) More 365 TTM goodness...

Yup the replies have slowed a bit but they're slowly making their way back as I send them out. This time I was able to get a reply back from from Tigers catcher Mike Heath.

Mike was drafted in the second round of the 1973 draft by the New York Yankees at only 18. The high level prospect was given time to develop and made his debut for the Yankees in 1978. Heath was included in the trade that brought Dave Righetti to the Yankees and sent to Oakland for a substantial portion of his career. While he was with the Oakland A's in 1983 he caught rookie Mike Warren's no-hitter on his final start of the season.

He eventually moved again via trade and eventually caught on with the Detroit Tigers. While he was with the Tigers he was part of their banner 1987 season where they advanced to the ALCS after a 98-64 season. As a Tiger Heath was known for his strong arm and defense that helped the club as well as a reasonable bat that kept him fighting his way on base. After the Tigers Heath went on to play a final year of baseball for the Braves.

When he retired Heath had played for 14 season in the MLB across 5 clubs. He had appeared in 1325 games and crossed the 1000 hit mark. With only 86 Home Runs and 469 RBI, Heath still maintained a respectable .252 average to go along with a .300 OPB. What's surprising is that as a catcher not known for too much pop Heath ended his career with an impressive 27 Triples.

Mr. Heath was nice enough to sign this 1987 Topps card sent to his home address and get it back to me after only 14 Days.

RBI (61) The 365's 8th TTM reply...

And it's a pretty good reply from a durable player. Former Tiger's pitcher Mark Thurmond was nice enough to still be a consistent performer, but this time as an autograph signer.

The Houston native Thurmond was taken in the 5th round of the 1979 draft by the San Diego Padres. He would eventually make his debut in 1983 for the club, finishing in the top ten for the NL Rookie of the year. He was a pretty consistent starter for the Padres but eventually traded to Detroit for Dave LaPoint. With the Tigers he was part of the 1987 bullpen that had the Tigers put up a banner year 98 Wins and advance to the ALCS. After his time with the Tigers he went on to play for the Orioles, Astros, and Giants.

When he finally retired from baseball he had a respectable career line after his 8 seasons. After 97 starts in 314 games he finished with a 40-46 record, 3.69 ERA, and 320 Strikeouts. Thurmond's time in the bullpen also gave him 21 Saves as an occasional closer in the later part of his career. Interestingly despite playing in 314 over 8 seasons and being shuttled repeatedly between the rotation and the bullpen Thurmond never spent time on the disabled list. Besides his time in the MLB Thurmond was also a member of the 1978 Amateur World Series where his team took the Silver.

Mr. Thurmond was nice enough to put a really nice signature on this 1989 Topps card sent to his home address after 8 days. He added the inscription "Romans 1:16" under his pretty interesting but very legible signature.

RBI (46) Another TTM with the "Fire" Trucks...

Well folks as the holidays begin to roll around I decided to appreciate one of the best TTM gifts our community has available to itself, another interesting conversation with Mr. Virgil Trucks. The previous post including a pair of autographs and further interview questions can be seen here.

Without further ado here is my next set of questions with Mr. Trucks, at the bottom are now copies of the original letters:

Was there a time during your no-hitters you realized you had no-no's going?
While most pitchers in their post-game interview tend to deny the thought crossed through their mind, Mr. Trucks admitted what I've always suspected, "Yes. Only the 8th or 9th inning."

What were the most difficult parts of keeping them going? Was the 2nd as hard as the first?
"There was no difficult parts of of keeping them going. Just keep getting them out. Yes the second game was tougher, because it being the Yankees who had greater hitters like Mantle, Berra, Mize, Noren, Baur, and more."

How did you celebrate each no hitter?
I've always been curious about the post-game celebration for such a milestone. When Galarraga had his perfect game blown on the last out, he was given a car. Other guys buy their defense watches, in the previous era of baseball it was a little different, "I just sit around with the guy then going out to dinner. Nothing different. As for the Yankee game. We left after the game for Boston. So again nothing unusual."

Who do you consider the greatest players you played with? Why?
This is a veritable who's who of the Hall of Fame, "With-Hank Greenberg. Charlie Geheringer. Al Kaline. Rudy York. George Kell. Mickey Mantle. Yogi Berra. Sherm Lollar. More than I can mention. Against (Gac) Cronin. Ted Williams. Jimmy Fox. Bill Dickey, Ted Lyons. Joe DiMaggio and many more."

What did you think of your time in Kansas City?
"Kansas City. I Loved."

What did you think of Bud Daley? What sort of teammate was he?
Having heard earlier from Mr. Daley earlier, I was curious to write Mr. Trucks about his accomplished former teammate, "He really wasnt with the club that much. I really didn't know him very well. Nice person."

What is your favorite memory from being in and winning the World Series?
It's special that Mr. Trucks was able to serve his country and then still be able to get one of the highlights of his career, "It was my first W.S. in 1945 and just getting out of the Navy in time to play in the series and winning a game will always be one of my favorite memories."

Do you think the World Series is the same now? Is it as meaningful today as it was when you played?
Baseball definitely doesn't resemble how it was when Mr. Trucks played. Expansion, instant replay, playoff format, it's all different and even the Championship itself has gotten a facelift, "The W.S. is a different type than when I played. You won the pennant you played the one that won the National League pennant."

Is there anything you wished you accomplished before you retired from baseball?
"Not really. I won a WS game and Allstar game. Pitched 2 no hitters in one year. Won 20 game in a season. I'm very happy with what I accomplished."

Mr. Trucks was kind enough to write back to my letter sent to his home address after 14 days. It's always nice to hear from such a great player and I hope everyone continues to appreciate his signing especially here in the holidays.

RBI (41) He threw 2 no-hitters but is a TTM hit with me...

And I'm sure he's a hit with all TTM collectors. I'm sure the title gave it all away, but I'll douse your curiosity and confirm the all-star TTM signer I'm referring to is Virgil "Fire" Trucks.

While I'm sure many of the usual readers are well aware of the exploits of Mr. Trucks, I'll enlighten those just starting TTM. Virgil made his MLB debut in 1941 for the Detroit Tigers, a club he would play for 12 of his 17 MLB seasons. He was a stalwart member of almost every pitching rotation he joined as a front end starter or reliable reliever. He was a fireball hurler and would make any manager drool to have him a member of his rotation today. Trucks is a great example of what  a true starting pitcher was in the 40's and 50's of Major League Baseball when pitchers were expected to grind out the win anyway possible.

When his 17 season career ended Trucks appeared in 517 games, pitching 2683 innings with a 177-135 record. He threw 124 Complete Games, 33 Shutouts, and 2 no-hitters (both in 1952 to be the 3rd pitcher to toss 2 no hitters in a season), showing what a true workhorse he could be in the rotation. At the end he would rack up 1,534 Strikeouts to pair with an astounding 3.39 career ERA. To go with the 2 no-hitters he would be a 1945 World Series Champion, and be named a 2-time All Star.

Mr. Trucks is known for being one of the kindest signers in the TTM community and it's really amazing how above and beyond he goes for collectors. I really appreciated his responses, and hope the community of baseball fans and mailers do too.

Mr. Trucks signed this photo for me, even taking the time to switch pens for his "Fire" nickname. I wasn't able to find a card for him at a few card shows and through my collector pals, but I really wanted something by Mr. Trucks so I printed this photo out at home. On the side he also kindly inscribed "2 No Hitters - 1952, 5-15-52 - 8-25-52, 2x Allstar 1949 - 1954" I mean how amazing of an inscription is that? Not only did he write two no hitters, but dated both and put the two All-Star selections with each year. I can't say how much I appreciate Mr. Trucks being so generous with his time and inscriptions, especially at a time when more and more of players from are charging to sign let alone give so many notable inscriptions.

Mr. Trucks also included in his reply his own custom Diamond Signatures card inscribed "Best Wishes, Virgil Trucks".  First off, it's a great photo of Virgil on his this custom card made exclusively for his personal use. To have him decide to allow me to add this card to my collection is truly special. Secondly, I love the old time feel of the card from the framing to the color.

Having seen how generous he was with his autograph, I'm sure you readers are expecting him to be just as giving with his letter response. I'm glad to say that he goes above and beyond meeting our expectations in his kind response.

Dear Mr. Trucks,

"Glad to sign and answer your questions, Sincerely Virgil Trucks"

Which of your no-hitters was the most difficult to finish?

This response really isn't surprising considering the men named, "The 2nd one against the Yankees. The last 3 hitters - (Mickey) Mantle, (Joe) Collins, and (Hank) Bauer." Not only did Trucks face Mantle to lead off the 9th inning, but he struck him out for the second time that night as his 8th K. The roster also included Yankee great Yogi Berra batting 4th after Bauer.

Having played for the Kansas City Athletics and St. Louis Browns, how do you feel about franchises that relocate?

As previous responder Bud Daley showed, players seem to have an affection for Kansas City, "I don't think the A's should have left K.C. The Browns made the right move as one club in St. Louis is enough."

Were any of your 177 Wins especially meaningful to you?

With so many wins over a long career Mr. Trucks had plenty to choose from, but he didn't throw a curveball selecting three games any other pitcher would love to have on their resume that are truly memorable, "The 2 no hitters are and the 1945 W.S. win was a special one."

What do you consider to be your career year?

I always find it interesting when baseball cards or commentators pick a player's career year. Sometimes it's obvious but when you have a player of high caliber I think the player really should be able to decide  what they consider their best year. Mr. Trucks actually disagrees with his wiki page's career year, "I would say 1949 - 19 Wins - 41 games Lost 11, 278 innings - 183 K's - 2.61 ERA."

What was your favorite part of being an All-Star?

Trucks really highlights the difference between the All-Star players of previous generations compared to today's 70 man roster, "Just being an Allstar, I won the 1949 - Saved the 1954 game."

Where was your favorite place to pitch as a visitor?

A familiar mid-sized city made the cut, "Chicago White Sox - Comisky Park"

How did you find out you were being called up to the Majors?

"I was called up at the end of the season at Buffalo NY. I knew I would be recalled with 2 weeks of the American League season left."

Do you still actively watch baseball? Did you ever stop?

Mr. Trucks is definitely a true baseball lifer, "I watch baseball all season long on TV. No baseball parks. No I never stopped."

How do you think the game has changed since you were a player?

"Money wise. Plus a bunch of arrogant baseball players of today."

Mr. Trucks is someone I would really recommend the TTM community write to. Not only is he a kind and fast responder, he signed and responded to my letter sent to his home address after 8 Days, but he's a player who has a treasure trove of memories about a golden era of baseball and respect for the game we collectors should preserve for the ages.

RBI (27) An especially polite TTM response...

Not that all the players who respond aren't nice, but Mr. Steve Searcy former pitcher for the Tigers was especially nice in his response this week.

Taken in the 3rd round of the 1985 draft by the Detroit Tigers, Steve Searcy looked to be a promising prospect, and in 1988 he was named the International League Pitcher of the Year. Searcy was a lefty reliever and starter for the Tigers between 1988 and 1991 before being traded to the Phillies for the end of the 1991 and 1992 season. Despite coming out of the bullpen on occasion, Searcy never logged a Save despite finishing 15 games in relief. When he finally retired after 5 seasons and 70 career appearances with 21 starts, Searcy had a 5.68 ERA and logged 140 Strikeouts.

When asked in my letter:

When you threw your complete game did you think you would go the distance at any time?
Showing off the attitude of his generation of pitchers before the even more watchful eye on pitch counts and innings tossed reached the level we see in pitchers today Searcy said, "I always wanted to pitch a complete game every time I started a game."

What was the hardest part of throwing a complete game?
This time Searcy showed how the game started to change in the 90's even if his pitching mentality didn't he wrote, "Because of the way the game is now they will put in a closer or short man even if you're pitching well."

How did you adjust going to the National League from the American League?
Reflecting the work ethic that allowed him to bounce between the bullpen and starting rotation Steve said, "Same game. Just had to try to remember how to hit."

With more than 100 strikeouts were any especially memorable or important to you? 
Proving even ball players are human and they all have heros too, Steve shared a really nice moment from his career and personal life, "Yes. Don Mattingly. He was one of my favorite players when I was in high school."

What was your favorite place to pitch at?
Showing why he was happy to shuttle wherever the Tigers and Phillies needed him to go, Steve showed a real love of the game itself responding, "Anywhere they would give me the ball." 

Mr. Searcy responded to my letter and autographed my card sent to his personal address after 12 days. He was nice enough to sign my 1990 Fleer card with an extremely clean signature, but not only did he sign the card he went one step forward. He also was nice enough to go an extra step by including a note that thanked me for my letter and offered me his best wishes with his signature. I can't thank him enough for such a personal touch.