Billy Bean (OF) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 14 days
Teams: Tigers, Dodgers, Kintetsu Buffalos (Japan) Padres
Mr. Bean is one of the few players to have actually written me a note in response. Since my cell phone camera is terrible, it says, "Hello Sam - Good luck with the collection. Wish you and your family all the best. - Billy Bean."
I have to make a confession. This was the second time I sent out Mr. Beans' card. The first time I made the rather obvious mistake of sending it to Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland A's. Not my finest hour I admit, but Mr. Beane's office was nice enough to send it back with a kind note correcting my mistake. Fortunately the real Mr. Bean was just as accommodating.
In his career Mr. Bean met with relative success but he is most known for being one of the few professional athletes to reveal his homosexuality after he retired. I thank him very much for signing and also for his kind note. Since Mr. Bean was on the Tigers, I would like to give a shout out to Jess and CJ.
Kelly Gruber (3B/2B) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 103 days
Teams: Blue Jays, Angels
Mr. Gruber was a key member of the Toronto teams of the late 80's and early 90's. He was twice an All-Star and also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 but was traded away before the 1993 championship season. While with the Blue Jays the Toronto media quickly nicknamed him "Xanthos" (meaning blond) after his long flowing blond hair. During his stay in Toronto he was voted the city's most eligible bachelor. I thank him very much for signing and I would like to give a shout out to James, the most die-hard Blue Jays fan I know.
[a little known fact is that Kelly Gruber is second cousins with Hans Gruber]
Dave LaPoint (P) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 40 days
Teams: Brewers, Cardinals, Giants, Tigers, Padres, Cardinals, White Sox, Pirates, Yankees, Phillies
Mr. LaPoint is currently the manager of the Rockland Boulders in Pomona, NY. He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 1982. I thank him very much for signing and I would like to say hello to President Obama, an avid follower of this blog and a politically necessary White Sox fan.
Vance Law (Expos Leader) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 11 days
Teams: Pirates, White Sox, Expos, Cubs, (Chunichi) Dragons [Japan], A's
Mr. Law is currently the head baseball coach at BYU. This is the second time he has signed for me so I really really appreciate it. Mr. Law was an All-Star in 1988. I thank him (again) very much for signing.
Jim Morrison (3B) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 12 days
Teams: Phillies, White Sox, Pirates, Tigers, Braves
Mr. Morrison is currently the manager of the Charlotte Stone Crabs. In 1988 he was tasked by current Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with setting up the Italian Baseball League which he ran until 1990. I thank him very much for signing and Jess and CJ get another shout out.
Lance Parrish (Phillies Leader) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 11 days
Teams: Tigers, Phillies, Angels, Mariners, Indians, Pirates, Blue Jays
Johnny Ray (2B) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 12 days
Teams: Pirates, Angels, Yakult Swallows (Japan)
Mr. Ray was a stellar second baseman for the Pirates in the early 1980's. He lost the ROY in a controversial vote and was elected to the All-Star game in 1988. He also won a Silver Slugger. Mr. Ray sent, in addition to my card, a second signed card from his All-Star year with the Pirates. I thank him very much for both.
Don Robinson (P) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 12 days
Teams: Pirates, Giants, Angels, Phillies
Mr. Robinson was one of the best hitting pitchers of his era. He won three Silver Sluggers at the position was was occasionally used as a pinch hitter. Mr. Robinson had over 1,000 strikeouts in his career. In an interesting piece of baseball trivia he was scheduled to pitch Game 3 of the 1989 World Series which was disrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. He eventually pitched Game 4. I thank him very much for signing.
Ruben Sierra (OF) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 63 days
Teams: Rangers, A's, Yankees, Tigers, Reds, Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers, Mariners, Yankees, Rangers, Twins.
Mr. Sierra actually didn't send me back the card I sent him, but he sent me two other signed cards so it's all good. One is him during one of his three stints with the Rangers and the other with the A's in the early 90's. Mr. Sierra was a stalwart of professional baseball in the two decades from the mid-80's to the mid-2000's. He was selected to four All-Star games, won the Silver Slugger, was the 2001 Comeback Player of the Year and is a member of the Texas Rangers Hall-of-Fame. I thank him very much for the cards.
John Smiley (P) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 11 days
Teams: Pirates, Twins, Reds, Indians
Mr. Smiley was twice an All-Star in his career and finished third in the Cy-Young voting in 1991. He also has the distinction of having given up the only home run in pitcher Tom Glavine's career. I thank him very much for signing.
Marc Sullivan (C) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 29 days
Teams: Red Sox
Mr. Sullivan is the son of former Red Sox general manager Haywood Sullivan and was selected in the second round of the 1979 Major League draft. He saw limited action in the majors but because the makers of the NES classic R.B.I. Baseball gave Sullivan incredible pinch-hitting abilities, Sullivan is a fan-favorite for players of the game. I thank him very much for signing and I would like to give a shout out to Mrs. C, Brianna and Jess.
Matt Young (P) - July 5, 2011 - Response time: 11 days
Teams: Mariners, Dodgers, A's, Mariners, Dodgers, Indians
Mr. Young is best known for sharing, with Roger Clemons, the record for the fewest hits (2) in a double-header. On April 12, 1992, Young faced the Cleveland Indians in the first game of a doubleheader, allowed two runs on seven walks and an error by shortstop Luis Rivera en route to the fourth no-hitter by a losing pitcher. Roger Clemens pitched a two-hit shutout in the second game of the double header. Unfortunately because he was pitching for the losing team on the road he never got a chance to pitch the ninth inning and so the no-hitter remains un-official. He was an All-Star in 1983 and won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1989. I thank him very much for signing.
Cards sent: 687 - finished
Responses: 192
Response Rate: 27.95%Average Response time: 42.80 days
If I recall correctly, Parrish also had a son who was a spectacular bust as a Yankees prospect
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