Gerry Mullins

Sent: 5/23/11
Received: 5/31/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1983 Fleer Team Action, 1990 Pro Set Super Bowl Supermen
Item Received: 1983 Fleer Team Action, 1990 Pro Set Super Bowl Supermen.  Both signed in thin blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Gerry "Moon" Mullins was an anchor on the offensive line of the Steelers' dynasty of the '70s.  Lining up next to Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, he was a part of all four Super Bowls won by the Steelers during that decade.  Also of note, this is my first successful return of a signed Fleer Team Action card from the '80s.  For several years, Fleer had a license to produce NFL cards with team names and logos, but they did not have an NFLPA license (which was exclusive to Topps) to allow them to mention any players by name.  The result were these cards.  Each set usually featured an offensive and defensive card for each team, along with historic Super Bowl cards and other random photos.  There was often great photography on these cards, and there are a lot of instances where they can come in handy for getting more obscure players who never had an official card of their own.

Keith Fahnhorst

Sent: 4/27/11
Received: 5/25/11
Time: 28 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1985 Topps, 1986 Topps
Item Received: 1985 Topps, 1986 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Former Gopher Keith Fahnhorst spent all 14 of his NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.  He was the starting right tackle there for a decade.  In that time he won two Super Bowls, was a first team All-Pro in 1984, and spent his final four years as a teammate of his little brother Jim, an inside linebacker.

Andrew Brunette

Sent: 1/21/11
Received: 5/24/11
Time: 123 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Wild
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Bruno!  He's old and slow, and has about as much grace on skates as... oh, what's the most graceless wild animal in Minnesota?  A moose?  We'll go with that.  You can't argue with the results, though.  His 46 points in 2010-11 were his lowest total since 2002-03, but it still marked the 11th consecutive year over the 40 point plateau.  He played in all 82 games at the age of 37 and was still a magician behind the net.  He is one of the most productive players in Wild history.  He is also a huge Twins fan, which is pretty cool.

George Parros

Sent: 1/7/11
Received: 5/23/11
Time: 136 Days
Address: c/o Anaheim Ducks
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
It's an eerie coincidence that one of the first hockey autographs I received after the news of Derek Boogaard's death was from George Parros.  I probably saw Boogaard fight him as much as any other opponent over the years.  Parros is a longtime enforcer for the Anaheim Ducks, best known for his amazing mustache.  He's hardly as dumb as you'd think, though!  He is a Princeton graduate who was ranked by the Sporting News as the fourth smartest athlete currently in professional sports.

Terry Felton

Sent: 4/26/11
Received: 5/21/11
Time: 25 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1983 Donruss, 1983 Fleer, 1983 Topps
Item Received: 1983 Donruss, 1983 Fleer, 1983 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Former Twins pitcher Terry Felton is the owner of two of the most dubious records in baseball history.  He went 0-13 in 1982 - the most losses in a single season for a pitcher who failed to win a game.  He also holds the career major league record for most losses without a win (0-16) thanks the the three losses he accumulated in 1980. 

Mike Craig

Sent: 4/20/10
Received: 5/19/11
Time: 394 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Score American, 1991-92 Stadium Club, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991-92 Score American, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
For the first time since I started this hobby and blog, I have a success of longer than one year!  There was a time in the early '90s when Mike Craig was one of the most highly regarded prospects on the North Stars roster.  He had a career high of 38 points as a 21 year old during the Stars final season in Minnesota.  He played one more year for the organization in Dallas before moving on to the Maple Leafs.  After spending the rest of the nineties in the AHL, he took his game overseas and as of last year was still active in Austria.

Troy Murray

Sent: 12/21/10
Received: 5/18/11
Time: 148 Days
Address: c/o Chicago Blackhawks
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Score Canadian 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Score Canadian 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
A fine two way player who spent the bulk of his career in Chicago, Murray ranks in the top 20 in Blackhawks history in virtually every major statistic.  In his time away from the Hawks during his career, he served as captain for the Winnipeg Jets and won the Stanley Cup as a member of the 1996 Avalanche.  He has spent the last decade as an analyst in the Blackhawks broadcast booth.

Niklas Backstrom

Sent: 2/11/11
Received: 5/17/11
Time: 95 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary.  All signed in thin blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Backstrom seemed to return to his All-Star form for most of the 2010-11 season - at least until a depleted and porous defense left him completely alone during the Wild's late-season collapse.  He is still definitely an elite NHL goaltender.  I'm pretty excited about this return, as it includes my first success from the Upper Deck 20th Anniversary insert set, replicating the original 1990-91 Upper Deck design.

Keith Acton

Sent: 10/25/10
Received: 5/16/11
Time: 203 Days
Address: c/o Toronto Maple Leafs
Item Sent: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1985-86 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1985-86 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Keith Acton had the misfortune of coming to Minnesota in the Bobby Smith trade.  As beloved as Bobby was to North Stars fans, the trade was hard to swallow.  Eventually Acton was able to win over the Met Center faithful with his hard-nosed, pesky ways.  A tenacious defender, he was the man called on to get under the opponent's skin.  He was traded to Edmonton midway through the 1987-88 season and won the Stanley Cup with the Oilers that season.  He is now an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Greg Colbrunn

Sent: 4/21/11
Received: 5/16/11
Time: 25 Days
Address: c/o Charleston RiverDogs
Item Sent: 1997 Fleer, 1997 Ultra
Item Received: 1997 Fleer, 1997 Ultra.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Greg Colbrunn was once a top prospect for the Montreal Expos.  He appeared in 70 games for the 1997 Twins, right in the middle of his 13-year career.  Cast off by Montreal, he signed with the fledgling Florida Marlins in 1994.  The following season was the best of his career.  As the Marlins' everyday first baseman in 1995, he established career highs with 560 plate appearances, 23 home runs, 89 RBI, and 11 quiet stolen bases, while posting a .277/.311/.453 slash line.  Two years later, he was platooning with Scott Stahoviak in Minnesota.  He was dealt to the Braves for a prospect late in the season.  It was then when he found his true calling in the National League: pinch hitter and righty-platoon player. He spent most of the rest of his career in that role for the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning the World Series in 2001.

Dennis Vaske

Sent: 4/22/11
Received: 5/14/11
Time: 22 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian (x2)
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian (x2).  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
With the addition of Dennis Vaske's signature, I am now four for four in successes from my fellow Armstrong High School graduates.  The 1986 RAHS graduate spent four years with the UMD Bulldogs before signing with the New York Islanders.  He spent parts of nine injury ravaged seasons in the NHL, eventually forced into early retirement by his third concussion.

I don't normally like to send duplicate cards, but this was the only Vaske card I owned.  I figure I can keep one with my 1991-92 Score set and one with my Minnesota native autographs.

Andrej Meszaros

Sent: 3/24/11
Received: 5/14/11
Time: 51 Days
Address: c/o Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
A big, skilled defensemen, Andrej Meszaros has not yet been able to equal the career highs of 10 goals and 29 assists he set as a rookie for the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators.  After two forgettable seasons in Tampa Bay, though, he did get back on track during his first year with the Flyers in 2010-11.  His eight goals were tops among Flyers blueliners.  He is still just 25 years old and should be a fixture in the Philly lineup for years to come.

Tunch Ilkin

Sent: 4/27/11
Received: 5/13/11
Time: 16 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1989 Score, 1990 Pro Set, 1990 Score, 1991 Pro Set
Item Received: 1989 Score, 1990 Pro Set, 1990 Score, 1991 Pro Set.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Tunch Ilkin played between the Steelers' dynasty years of the '70s and the resurgent Cowher era of the '90s. Though he is often nationally overlooked when discussing the all-time great Steelers, he remains beloved in the Steel City.  But he was as good an offensive tackle to ever wear black and gold.  He didn't have great backs to block for and his quarterbacks (the likes of Bubby Brister, Todd Blackledge, and Mark Malone) never put up eye-catching numbers, but he was as solid and tough as any lineman in the league.  He made multiple Pro Bowls, served as the Vice President of the NFLPA, and is now the Steelers' radio analyst.

Kelly Hrudey

Sent: 4/19/11
Received: 5/13/11
Time: 24 Days
Address: c/o CBC Toronto
Item Sent: 1985-86 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1985-86 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Kelly Hrudey was a solid (if unspectacular) goaltender for 14 NHL seasons, most notably for Gretzky's L.A. Kings.  In hindsight, there could not have been a more perfect goalie for that team.  With his mullet and bandana, he exuded early '90s Hollywood.  He helped the Kings to their only Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1993 and spent three more years in L.A. before finishing his career up the coast in San Jose.  He is now best known as an analyst for Hockey Night in Canada.  In addition to signing these cards, Mr. Hrudey included a brief note thanking me for my letter. 

Brian Glynn

Sent: 8/30/10
Received: 5/6/11
Time: 249 Days
Address: c/o City of Prince Albert Police Department
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Stadium Club
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Stadium Club.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Glynn was a huge defenseman and a key member of the 1990-91 Campbell Conference champion Minnesota North Stars.  Seemingly out of nowhere, he tallied eight goals and eleven assists during the regular season - good enough for the second highest point total among the Stars' blueliners.  He added two more goals and six more assists during the playoffs.  He was traded to Edmonton halfway through the following season.  He now serves as a cop in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Don Sweeney

Sent: 4/28/11
Received: 5/6/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Boston Bruins
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Score, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Score, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Don Sweeney was never an NHL star, but he is a Boston Bruins legend.   He played 15 of his 16 NHL seasons in Boston, making him one of the longest tenured players in team history.  He ranks in the top ten in virtually ever career leaderboard for Bruins blueliners.  He returned to the organization in 2006 and currently serves as the Assistant General Manager.

Larry Robinson

Sent: 4/27/11
Received: 5/5/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
I'm so stoked about this one!  Larry Robinson is one of the great hockey players of all-time -- a dominant defenseman who won the Stanley Cup six times as a player and once as a coach.  It's a pretty amazing feeling anytime you can get a Hall of Famer's signature for free in only eight days.  But I'm also very happy with the card selection here.  On this blog, I don't always discuss my reasons for choosing the cards I send.  If you read with any regularity, though, you may know that I am actively pursuing the 1991-92 Score Canadian set, and am casually collecting signed cards from the 1979-80 and 1984-85 Topps/O-Pee-Chee sets.  Robinson is one of few players who appeared in all three of those sets.  I decided to send four cards, though, after I pulled his "Legend" card from a 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee pack.  It's such a great shot of Big Bird in all his hirsute glory.  It screams old-time hockey, and is a great compliment to my three set cards.

Matt Cullen

Sent: 10/15/10
Received: 5/4/11
Time: 201 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Wild
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Matt Cullen returned home to Minnesota this hockey season after inking a big free agent deal with the Wild.  He started off the season on a scoring tear, especially on the power play.  As the season went on, his production dropped off significantly.  He still finished fifth on the team in scoring with 39 points.  Unfortunately on this return, some of the glue on the inside of the envelope stuck to the card, causing some minor surface tears at the upper-right corner.  Thankfully the signature was not harmed.  Thanks, Mr. Cullen!

Matt Walbeck

Sent: 4/19/11
Received: 5/3/11
Time: 14 Days
Address: c/o Rome Braves
Item Sent: 1995 Ultra, 1996 Fleer, 1997 Fleer
Item Received: 1995 Ultra, 1996 Fleer, 1997 Fleer.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
The Twins acquired Walbeck from the Chicago Cubs prior to the 1994 season and immediately anointed him their catcher of the future.  He struggled mightily at the plate in '94, his .204 average a good .100 points lower than what Twins fans were used to from his predecessor Brian Harper.  After some improvement in 1995, he regressed again in '96 and lost his job when the Twins gave hometown hero Terry Steinbach a big free agent deal that winter.  Walbeck played for parts of seven more big league seasons, mostly with the Angels and Tigers, before moving into coaching.  He currently manages the Rome Braves (Atlanta's Class A affiliate).

Lee Stange

Sent: 4/26/11
Received: 5/3/11
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1962 Topps
Item Received: 1962 Topps, signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Stange was a rookie on the inaugural 1961 Twins club and spent the next three season in Minnesota.  This included the finest season of his ten year career in 1963, when he went 12-5 with a 2.62 ERA.  That year notwithstanding, his most significant contribution to Twins history was his trade value.  In June 1964, he was traded to the Indians for Jim "Mudcat" Grant.  Mudcat was off to a rough start with the Tribe that year, going 3-4 with an unsightly 5.95 ERA.  He immediately turned it around for the Twins, though, going 11-9 with a 2.82 ERA over the rest of the season.  In 1965, Mudcat led the AL with 21 wins, six shutouts, and a .750 winning percentage.  He made the All-Star team, finished sixth in the AL MVP vote, and won The Sporting News' AL Pitcher of the Year Award.  Stange would also be a key member of the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Red Sox, and he returned to the Twins to serve as their major league pitching coach in 1975.

Mel Nelson

Sent: 4/26/11
Received: 5/3/11
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1966 Topps
Item Received: 1966 Topps, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Aside from one game in 1967, Mel Nelson's only year in a Twins uniform was the pennant-winning 1965 season.  He appeared in 28 games for the American League Champions, going 0-4 with three saves and a 4.12 ERA.  He did not appear in the World Series.

Greg Zwakman

Sent: 3/25/11
Received: 5/3/11
Time: 39 Days
Address: Work
Item Sent: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue
Item Received: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue, signed in blue ballpoint.

Notes:
Former Gophers defenseman Greg Zwakman is the 21st addition in my collection to the 30 card 1995-96 team set, but the first since Erik Rasmussen in January.  He responded with a great letter, sharing his thoughts on the new Big Ten hockey conference, and offered to help in tracking down other teammates that I have not yet been able to find.  Unfortunately, the post office mutilated the envelope, badly creasing the card.  I may have to send him another request if I can find another copy of the card.  Thanks, Greg!

John Muckler

Sent: 10/14/10
Received: 5/3/11
Time: 201 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
John Muckler's first NHL head coaching job was a 35 game stint with the Minnesota North Stars in 1968-69.  He went 6-23-6.  Twenty-one years later, he guided the Edmonton Oilers to their fifth (and final) Stanley Cup.  He started with the Oilers as an assistant in 1982 and was a part of the Cup-winning staff in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. 

Paul Martin

Sent: 12/17/10
Received: 5/2/11
Time: 136 Days
Address: c/o Pittsburgh Penguins
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Paul Martin was Minnesota's "Mr. Hockey" in 2000 and a star on the Golden Gophers' back-to-back NCAA championship teams in 2002 and 2003.  A few months later, he made his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils.  After six outstanding years in Jersey, he signed a big free agent deal before this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Randy Burridge

Sent: 2/7/11
Received: 5/2/11
Time: 84 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Hard-nosed winger Randy Burridge had his most successful run with the Boston Bruins from 1986 to 1991, but his best individual season was probably his first in Washington in 1991-92.  He scored 67 points in 66 games (including a career high 44 assists) and earned his only All-Star Game selection.