Just after the New Year, I had sent out a flurry of TTM requests and kept promising myself that I was going to send out lots of customs to get signed this year and blah blah blah. After that initial flurry, I kind of slacked off again, but a lot of the cards that I sent out in that flurry are starting to trickle back in. Here’s 3 more customs I got back over the last week or 2, all of which are from the 2011 SlangKo Everyday Joe’s set.

#2 Rocky Bridges

Here we have well traveled utility infielder Rocky Bridges, an Everyday Joe if there ever was one. Some people argue about who was the greatest ballplayer who ever lived. Babe Ruth? Willie Mays? Mickey Mantle? Ted Williams? Ty Cobb? According to The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, “Rocky Bridges looked like a ballplayer. In fact, he may have looked more like a ballplayer than any other ballplayer who ever lived.”

#4 Stan Williams

This is the 3rd Everyday Joe that I’ve gotten back signed, and oddly enough, all 3 guys were Dodgers. I think that’s just coincidence. Or maybe Fred Wilpon’s constant celebration of the Dodgers is rubbing off on me. This is by far the most elaborate signing that I’ve gotten back since I started doing TTM requests. Not only did he put my full name, he also added a brief message as well as his position and the years that he played. As if that weren’t enough, he also added a short note.

My standard practice for sending out customs has been to send 2 copies and let the player know that I was sending an extra if they wanted to keep one. Some guys have taken me up on it, which always makes me feel kind of good. Some guys just sign the extra copy and return it, which is also kind of cool. I always love when the person, aside from taking the time out to sign my card, also sends back a short note. Sometimes, I almost like these notes better than the signed card. Almost. Either way, that Stan Williams is one class act.

#5 Carroll Hardy

Hey, it’s not a Dodger.

This is actually one of my favorite TTM successes I’ve gotten so far, because I really like the whole story of Carroll Hardy being the only man to pinch hit for Ted Williams. I’m always kind of extra fascinated by distinctions like that. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing about baseball records like hitting the most home runs or striking out the most batters. The thing about those records though, they can be broken. Carroll Hardy will forever be “The Only Man to Pinch Hit for Ted Williams”. That’s it. No more. Put it in the books. No man in the history of the universe will ever, ever, ever be able to say that. To me that is awesome. I’m curious though to know how Teddy felt about being pinch hit for. He strikes me as the kind of guy who would take a measure of pride in the fact that nobody ever pinch hit for him. It also would seem a little frustrating that it happened 6 dyas before he retired. He was that close to having never been pinch hit for. Something like that would kind of drive me insane.

Tags: Autographs, Carroll Hardy, Custom Cards, Rocky Bridges, SlangKo Everyday Joes, Stan Williams, TTM
Filed Under: Autographs by slangon
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