Ray Wise

Sent: 6/14/11
Received: 10/31/11
Time: 139 Days
Address: c/o Agency
Item Sent: 1991 Star Pics Twin Peaks
Item Received: 1991 Star Pics Twin Peaks, signed and personalized on back in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Ray Wise is the third Twin Peaks cast member to sign for me through the mail, following Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell) and Catherine E. Coulson (The Log Lady).  I'm so happy to add this to my collection.  There were several wonderful acting performances showcased in the series, but none were better than Wise's portrayal of grieving father Leland Palmer.  That's all I feel comfortable saying on a public forum, because I really do not want to ruin the ride for anyone who has not been fortunate enough to watch the show.  (If you're one of those, do yourself a favor.)  I'll simply say this: If you ever find yourself needing an example to point out the complete insignificance of the Emmys and the total cluelessness of those who vote on them, I can give you two.  1) Nobody from The Wire was ever nominated for an acting award during the series' entire run.  2) Ray Wise was not even nominated (much less won) for Best Supporting Actor during his two years as Leland.

Tommy Albelin

Sent: 10/21/11
Received: 10/31/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: c/o Albany Devils
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Score, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Score, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Albelin was an outstanding stay-at-home defenseman who enjoyed two long stints with the New Jersey Devils.  He was part of the Devils' first Stanley Cup winning team in 1995.  During the following season he was traded to the Calgary Flames, where he would play for the next six seasons.  In 2001-02 he returned to the Devils in time to win another Cup.  He is now an assistant coach for New Jersey's AHL affiliate in Albany.

Jeff George

Sent: 10/19/11
Received: 10/28/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990 Fleer, 1990 Score Traded, 1999 Ultra
Item Received: 1990 Fleer, 1990 Score Traded, 1999 Ultra.  All signed and personalized in blue Sharpie.  His own Indianapolis Colts photo card, signed on back in black gel pen.

Notes:
I'm very excited and pleased about this return, even though it does leave a bit of a smirk on my face.  Journeyman Jeff George - the former #1 overall pick, whose attitude wore out its welcome for three different organizations before he arrived in Minnesota in 1999 to back up Randall Cunningham  - beautifully signed and personalized all three cards.  He also added his own Colts card and signed on the back "Be confident! Always give 110%!"  I'm a big Jeff George fan, but if that doesn't make you laugh a little bit, you were not really paying attention to the NFL in the nineties.

Dan Plesac

Sent: 10/12/11
Received: 10/27/11
Time: 15 Days
Address: c/o MLB Network
Item Sent: 1987 Fleer, 1987 Topps, 1989 Fleer SuperStars
Item Received: 1987 Fleer, 1987 Topps, 1989 Fleer SuperStars.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
This past spring, my cable subscription was upgraded to include the MLB Network.  It was pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to my television.  Part of it is the always-interesting programming, but my favorite aspect of the network is probably the top-notch analysts.  Outside from two particular over-caffeinated meatheads (Kevin Millar and Eric Byrnes), the ex-ballplayers on the station know their stuff inside and out, are good on their toes, and have interesting things to say.  Plesac is the best of the bunch, and when he's paired with Harold Reynolds it's must-see television for me.

Scott Radecic

Sent: 9/6/11
Received: 10/26/11
Time: 50 Days
Address: Work
Item Sent: 1989 Score Supplemental, 1990 Fleer, 1990 Pro Set
Item Received: 1989 Score Supplemental, 1990 Fleer, 1990 Pro Set.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Scott Radecic was a valuable backup linebacker and special teams ace for the Bills for three seasons.  Prior to that, he had a three-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs and a decorated collegiate career at Penn State, which included the 1982 National Championship and a selection as an Academic All-American.  He left the Bills for Indianapolis as a free agent one year prior to the first of the Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.  He is now a stadium architect whose projects include TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota.

David Dixon

Sent: 10/19/11
Received: 10/26/11
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1996 Pacific Dynagon Best Kept Secrets, 1997 Pacific Philadelphia
Item Received: 1996 Pacific Dynagon Best Kept Secrets, 1997 Pacific Philadelphia.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
David Dixon was the most anonymous member of the truly fantastic offensive line that paved the way for the Vikings' record setting offense in 1998.  The tackles were Todd Steussie and Korey Stringer -- two former first round draft picks who were among the league's upper echelon during their Vikings careers.  Center Jeff Christy was a two-time All-Pro.  And left guard Randall McDaniel was the greatest guard of his era and is now enshrined in Canton.  Filling out the line was the humungous Dixon, the first New Zealand native to play in the NFL.  He spent his entire 11 year career in Minnesota and is among the Vikings' all-time leaders in games played by an offensive lineman.

Jim Ritcher

Sent: 10/11/11
Received: 10/24/11
Time: 13 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990 Pro Set, 1991 Pro Set, 1991 Score, 1991 Topps
Item Received: 1990 Pro Set, 1991 Pro Set, 1991 Score, 1991 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
One of the all-time great Buffalo Bills linemen, Ritcher was a first-round draft pick in 1980 after winning the Outland Trophy as the best collegiate interior lineman at North Carolina State.  He was a backup for the AFC East champions that year.  He became the starting left guard in 1983, just in time for the long stretch of mid-'80s futility in Western New York.  When the Bills started turning things around in 1988, Ritcher was the veteran leader of the line.  He was the anchor of the incredible line that led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls, and went to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 1991 and 1992.

Stephane Veilleux

Sent: 10/12/11
Received: 10/24/11
Time: 12 Days
Address: c/o Albany Devils
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Stephane Veilleux was drafted in 2003 and developed into a solid defender and agitator for the Wild.  He was a prolific scorer in juniors, but as a pro he has found a specialty role better suited to his ability.  Under the influence of teammates like Wes Walz, he became a valuable penalty killer and pest during his six seasons in St. Paul.  After posting career highs of 13 goals and 23 points in 2008-09, he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Following that, he spent a year playing in Switzerland.  He came back to North America this season and attended camp with the New Jersey Devils.  He is starting the season with their AHL affiliate in Albany.

Curtis Brown

Sent: 9/27/11
Received: 10/22/11
Time: 25 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1982 Topps, 1983 Topps
Item Received: 1982 Topps, 1983 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Well, this is a first.  Former Bills running back graciously signed and personalized both of the cards I sent.  Strangely, though, he chose to personalize one of them to me and one to my wife.  Now, my dear sweet wife, the love of my life, tolerates this silly hobby of mine, but I don't believe she's interested in starting her own collection.  Mr. Brown must have seen both of our names on the return address label and thought the letter was from both of us.

Kurtis Foster

Sent: 2/16/11
Received: 10/21/11
Time: 247 Days
Address: c/o Edmonton Oilers
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Kurtis Foster's promising Minnesota Wild career was violently interrupted by the most gruesome on-ice injury in the team's brief history in 2008.  He missed a year with the injury, then signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.  He had a career year with the Lightning, tallying eight goals and 34 assists.  The Edmonton Oilers signed him to a two-year deal prior to the 2010-11 season, but struggled in his first year there.  He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the offseason and has started this year with the Ducks's AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

Howard Kindig

Sent: 10/13/11
Received: 10/21/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1971 Topps
Item Received: 1971 Topps, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Kindig was a defensive lineman on some very good San Diego Chargers teams in the AFL before heading to Buffalo.  His arrival in Western New York came during a rebuilding period and, out of necessity, he was converted to the offensive line.  After some miserable years on some awful Bills teams, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1972 - just in time to be a part of that legendary undefeated team.

Lance Pitlick

Sent: 9/27/11
Received: 10/20/11
Time: 23 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck.  Both signed in red Sharpie.

Notes:
I've picked up a few signatures so far from athletes who attended my high school, Robbinsdale Armstrong, but I think Lance Pitlick may be the first from our arch-rival, Robbinsdale Cooper.  After his high school career, he spent four years playing for the Minnesota Gophers and was team captain during his senior season.  Following a few years in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, Pitlick finally caught his NHL break with the upstart Ottawa Senators in 1994-95.  He ended up playing eight seasons in the NHL for the Senators and Florida Panthers.  As for the autographs, I'm not usually a fan of red Sharpie signatures, but I think these look really great given the red in the uniforms of both the Senators and Panthers.  Very cool success!

Justin Falk

Sent: 10/12/11
Received: 10/20/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Wild
Item Sent: 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Score
Item Received: 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Score.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Big Justin Falk made the Wild's opening day roster out of traning camp but has still not appeared in a game as of this writing (seven games into the season).  He doesn't offer much in the way of scoring, but could be useful as an imposing physical presence.  It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for him.  I could see him eventually getting heavy NHL minutes if one of the current top-six defensemen goes down, or I could see him spending a large chunk of the year back in Houston. 

Mike Lundin

Sent: 9/13/11
Received: 10/20/11
Time: 37 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Wild
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Through their first decade as an NHL franchise, the Minnesota Wild have rostered a remarkably low number of Minnesota natives.  Darby Hendrickson was the first to be a major contributor.  Beyond that, there were a handful of ex-Gophers stars who played in a smattering of insignificant late-season games (at best).  They did give a big free agent contract to Mark Parrish, who was not a fit for Jacques Lemaire's stifling system and was bought out after two years.  They gave a similar contract to Matt Cullen prior to last season, and that's worked out decently.  This year's local addition was former Apple Valley High School star Mike Lundin.  He had spent the previous four seasons as a puck-moving stay-at-home defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning and was signed to bolster a blueline corps that lost Brent Burns and relieved themselves of Cam Barker during the off-season.  Unfortunately back spasms have kept him on injured reserve since training camp.

Pete Redfern

Sent: 10/11/11
Received: 10/17/11
Time: 6 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1977 Topps, 1980 Topps, 1981 Donruss, 1982 Fleer, 1983 Fleer
Item Received: 1977 Topps, 1980 Topps, 1981 Donruss, 1982 Fleer, 1983 Fleer.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
The #1 overall pick by the Twins in the (now obsolete) January 1976 MLB Draft, Pete Redfern was the defacto ace of the 1982 club.  He started the first ever game at the Metrodome (losing to the Mariners), and finished the year with a 5-11 record and 6.58 ERA for the worst team in Twins history.  He was released during the off-season.  He signed with the Dodgers and pitched in a handful of games for their AAA club in Albuquerque.  Tragically, those would be his last games.  On the day the Dodgers released him, Redfern went boating with some of his friends in Newport Beach.  He dove off a pier, not realizing there was only a foot or two of water below.  He narrowly escaped death, but broke his neck and was paralyzed from the neck down.  His baseball career was obviously over.  The rest of his life was just beginning.  Though confined to a wheelchair, Mr. Redfern has led a wonderful life (at least according to a few stories I found on the intenet), even serving as pitching coach for his son Chad's high school team in the '90s.  Chad would star for San Diego State and pitch in the Braves and Devil Rays organizations.

Tony Hrkac

Sent: 10/11/11
Received: 10/17/11
Time: 6 Days
Address: c/o Concordia University-Wisconsin Athletic Department
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
This is my second return from former Hobey Baker Award winner Tony Hrkac.  The first one, from June 2010, was sent just before I officially decided to start collecting the 1991-92 Score set.  Hrkac has two cards in the Canadian base set and a third in the American "Traded" set.  And, of course, none of them were among the three cards I originally sent him.  Thankfully, Mr. Hrkac is a gracious signer and three more cards from my '91 Score set are knocked out.

Mario Clark

Sent: 10/8/11
Received: 10/17/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1978 Topps, 1979 Topps, 1980 Topps, 1982 Topps
Item Received: 1978 Topps, 1979 Topps, 1980 Topps, 1982 Topps.  All signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Mario Clark was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 1976 draft and he certainly lived up to the hype.  He quickly established himself as a shutdown corner with a nose for the football and snagged 25 interceptions in his first six seasons.  His career faded quickly, though.  After two final subpar years for the Bills, he hooked on with the San Francisco 49ers as a nickel back in 1984.  It was his last season in the NFL, but he went out on top, winning Super Bowl XIX.

Jimmy Waite

Sent: 7/25/11
Received: 10/17/11
Time: 84 Days
Address: c/o Sherbrook SBK Hockey
Item Sent: 1990-91 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1990-91 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Waite was one of the top NHL goaltending prospects of the early '90s.  His biggest problem was that two of the guys above him on that list were Eddie Belfour and Dominik Hasek.  And both of them were also above him on the Chicago Blackhawks depth chart.  He shuffled between the NHL, IHL, and AHL for the duration of the '90s, spending most of his time in the Blackhawks system.  He then spent the entire oughts decade playing in Germany before finally retiring in 2010.

Rusty Kuntz

Sent: 9/3/11
Received: 10/14/11
Time: 41 Days
Address: c/o Kansas City Royals
Item Sent: 1984 Fleer, 1984 Topps
Item Received: 1984 Fleer, 1984 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Yep.  Finally got Rusty Kuntz's autograph.  What more do you need to know?  Rusty Effin' Kuntz.

Dwight Bialowas

Sent: 10/11/11
Received: 10/14/11
Time: 3 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1975-76 Topps, 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1975-76 Topps, 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Dwight Bialowas spent parts of three seasons with the Minnesota North Stars after being acquired from the Atlanta Flames in 1975.  His best year was 1975-76, when in 58 games he led all North Stars defensemen in scoring with five goals and 18 assists.  (No, it was not a particularly talented or high-scoring squad during Dwight's tenure at the Met Center.)

Casey Kotchman

Sent: 8/18/11
Received: 10/14/11
Time: 57 Days
Address: c/o Tampa Bay Rays
Item Sent: 2008 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 2008 Topps Heritage, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Kotchman was one of the great under-reported stories of the 2011 baseball season.  He's a long time removed from being the Angels' first baseman of the future.  Since then he had bounced around from Atlanta to Boston to Seattle before signing a minor league contract with the Rays last off-season.  He took the first base job in mid-April and ran with it.  At the time of my request, he was suprisingly among the top five in the AL batting average race with a mark of around .330.  He did slump a bit down the stretch, but still finished the season with a very respectable .306 average (eighth in the AL) and .378 OBP (10th in the league), all while playing his usual sterling defense.

Piper Laurie

Sent: 7/11/11
Received: 10/11/11
Time: 92 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991 Star Pics Twin Peaks
Item Received: 1991 Star Pics Twin Peaks, signed in gold paint pen.

Notes:
Legendary actress Piper Laurie was arguably the biggest star in the ensemble of Twin Peaks when the show premiered in 1990.  She was already a three-time Academy Award nominee (for The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God), six-time Emmy nominee (and one-time winner), and three-time Golden Globe nominee before landing the role of Catherine Martell.  Her deliciously ruthless portrayal of Catherine would net two more Emmy nods and would win her the 1991 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series.  Now closing in on the age of 80, Laurie is still active.  She most recently appeared in last year's critically acclaimed Hesher alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, and Rainn Wilson.  Her memoir Learning to Live Out Loud is scheduled to be published next month.

I have written a handful of Twin Peaks cast members, but Ms. Laurie is only my second success to date.  (The first was last year's incredible return from "Log Lady" Catherine E. Coulson.)

Steve Freeman

Sent: 9/24/11
Received: 10/11/11
Time: 17 Days
Address: c/o Mississippi State University Alumni Association
Item Sent: 1981 Fleer Team Action, 1984 Topps, 1985 Topps
Item Received: 1981 Fleer Team Action, 1984 Topps, 1985 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Steve Freeman spent 12 of his 13 NFL season with the Buffalo Bills, including a team record consecutive game streak that ran from 1975 to 1984.  He left the team as their all time leader in games played and still ranks in the franchise's top ten.  He is also one of the Bills' all-time interception leaders.  He played one final season as a backup for the Minnesota Vikings and recorded in interception in the Vikes' Wild Card obliteration of the New Orleans Saints in January 1988.  He has spent the last decade as an NFL back judge.

Chili Davis

Sent: 8/9/11
Received: 10/8/11
Time: 60 Days
Address: c/o Pawtucket Red Sox
Item Sent: 1991 Fleer Update, 1991 Score Traded, 1991 Topps Traded
Item Received: 1991 Fleer Update, 1991 Topps Traded.  Both signed in black Sharpie.  Returned 1991 Score Traded unsigned.

Notes:
As popular as Chili Davis remains in Minnesota, it's hard to believe that he only spent two of his 19 seasons in a Twins uniform.  His addition to the Twins lineup in 1991 was so important to that World Series winning club.  He helped provide some left-handed support for Kent Hrbek in an extremely right-handed lineup and would lead the club in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, walks, and doubles.  He hit two more home runs in the 1991 World Series against the Braves.  He slumped badly in 1992 and was not re-signed as a free agent.  He was far from done, though, as he would put together several more outstanding seasons for the Angels, Royals, and Yankees, and would finish his career with back-to-back World Series titles for the Yankees in 1998 and 1999.  He spent last season as the hitting coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox and, after several years of not signing autographs through the mail, has seemingly started again via the PawSox team address.

Daniel Cleary

Sent: 3/15/11
Received: 10/8/11
Time: 207 Days
Address: c/o Detroit Red Wings
Item Sent: 1997-98 Upper Deck Ice, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 1997-98 Upper Deck Ice, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Dan Cleary was the Blackhawks' first-round pick in 1997 but after several nondescript seasons for them, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Phoenix Coyotes, his status as a once-promising prospect had long since faded.  He went to camp with the Red Wings on a tryout basis in 2005 and made the team.  Since then, he has improved every season and become one of the most dependable two-way forwards (and one of the most underrated all-around players) in the NHL.  He is not and likely never will be a superstar, but in the tradition of Wings greats like Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper, he has become a hard-working fan favorite in Hockeytown -- an outstanding checker with a knack for finding the back of the net in clutch moments.

Dwight Bernard

Sent: 9/19/11
Received: 10/8/11
Time: 19 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1983 Donruss, 1983 Topps, 1988 ProCards Kenosha Twins, 1989 Best Orlando Twins, 1989 ProCards Orlando Twins
Item Received: 1983 Donruss, 1983 Topps, 1988 ProCards Kenosha Twins, 1989 Best Orlando Twins, 1989 ProCards Orlando Twins.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Dwight Bernard pitched in parts of four major league seasons -- two each for the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers.  His finest season and most extensive action came with the 1982 American League Champion Brewers.  He threw 79 innings over 47 games and even picked up six saves down the stretch while Rollie Fingers was injured.  Despite that fine year, he was released by the Brewers following the season and would not again appear in the big leagues.  He began his coaching career in 1986 and has been a minor league pitching coach ever since.  That includes ten years in the Twins organization.  He was the pitching coach for Kenosha from 1987-1988.  He moved up to Orlando in 1989.  And from 1990-1996 he was the Twins minor league pitching coordinator.  He has spent three of the last four seasons with the Tacoma Rainiers in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Al Edwards

Sent: 9/9/11
Received: 10/7/11
Time: 28 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991 Bowman, 1991 Topps, 1992 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991 Bowman, 1991 Topps, 1992 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Al Edwards was drafted in the 11th round of the 1990 draft and spent three seasons playing for the Bills.  He was primarily a kickoff and punt returner, but also started five games during the 1991 season.  It was during that year that he scored both of his NFL touchdowns -- one as a receiver and one on a kickoff return.

Joel Otto

Sent: 6/29/11
Received: 10/6/11
Time: 99 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Minnesota's own Joel Otto took the long road to the NHL but, once there, enjoyed a terrific 14 year career.  After an outstanding high school career for the Roseau Rams, he bypassed (or was bypassed by) the larger University of Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth programs and spent three years at Bemidji State.  Undrafted by the NHL, he signed with the lowly Calgary Flames in 1984.  By the end of the 1984-85 season, he was up for good.  He became the Flames top checking center, shadowing the likes of Mark Messier and averaging around 180 penalty minutes per season, but was a talented enough scorer to put up around 50 points each year, too.  His signature moment for the Flames was a series clinching goal in overtime of game seven of the 1989 Smythe Division semi-finals against the Canucks.  The Flames would go on to win their only Stanley Cup that season.

Charles Romes

Sent: 9/27/11
Received: 10/6/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1982 Topps, 1985 Topps, 1986 Topps, 1987 Topps
Item Received: 1982 Topps, 1985 Topps, 1986 Topps, 1987 Topps.  All signed in light blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Charles Romes was a 12th round draft pick in 1977 who became a star on the outstanding Bills defenses of the early 1980s.  His outstanding play continued throughout the middle of the decade, providing one of the few bright spots on some dreadful Bills squads.  He moved on after the 1986 season, just before the Bills turned the corner toward becoming one of the dominant franchises in the NFL, but still ranks among the club's all-time leaders in games, interceptions, and tackles.

Mark Osborne

Sent: 3/2/11
Received: 10/6/11
Time: 218 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee, 1984-85 Topps, 1990-91 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee, 1984-85 Topps, 1990-91 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in thin black Sharpie.

Notes:
A solid two-way forward and an outstanding checker, Mark Osborne had fine seasons early in his career for the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, but he found his greatest success in two stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  This included career highs in assists (50) and points (73) during the 1989-90 season.  After a sabbatical of just over a year in Winnipeg, he returned to the Leafs and was a key player on the back-to-back conference finalists in 1993 and 1994.

Pete Metzelaars

Sent: 9/24/11
Received: 10/5/11
Time: 11 Days
Address: c/o Indianapolis Colts
Item Sent: 1987 Topps, 1988 Topps, 1990 Pro Set, 1990 Topps
Item Received: 1987 Topps, 1988 Topps, 1990 Pro Set, 1990 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Pete Metzelaars was a giant 6'7" tight end whose arrival in Buffalo coincided with the Bills ascendance to AFC dominance in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  Although he was primarily a blocker (and a damn good one), he still managed to retire as the Bills all-time leader in receptions by a tight end.  He is now the offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts.

Bryan LaHair

Sent: 9/15/11
Received: 10/5/11
Time: 20 Days
Address: c/o Chicago Cubs
Item Sent: 2008 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 2008 Topps Heritage, signed in blue ballpoint.

Notes:
Bryan LaHair is not a hot young prospect by any means, but it's fair to say he has conquered Triple-A pitching.  LaHair appeared in 45 games for the 2008 Seattle Mariners, but even that offensively starved club didn't think enough of him to give him a shot as an everyday player.  He signed as a minor league free agent with the Cubs in 2010 and proceeded to hit 25 homers with a .942 OPS for Iowa that season.  That was not enough to earn a call-up to the Cubs, though, even after they traded first baseman Derrek Lee in August.  Back at Iowa for 2011, he had a sensational year.  he hit .331 with 38 home runs and 109 RBI, posting a 1.070 OPS and winning the Pacific Coast League MVP award.  He finally earned a September call-up with the Cubs and, in his first big league playing time in three years had an .885 OPS in 69 plate appearances.  With Carlos Pena a free agent, LaHair is a dark horse candidate to be the Cubs first baseman in 2012, though they are expected to be in on the bidding for free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.

Mike Grier

Sent: 4/16/10
Received: 10/3/11
Time: 535 Days
Address: c/o Buffalo Sabres
Item Sent: 1997-98 Donruss Limited Fabric of the Game
Item Received: 1997-98 Donruss Limited Fabric of the Game, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
New record!  At 535 games, longtime NHL grinder Mike Grier has surpassed Larry Casian by 35 days to become my longest wait on a successful return.  This was sent during my first week of starting this hobby and blog, long before I had started focusing my hockey collection to specific sets.  That said, I think this turned out great!  I've always been a fan of Grier.  In 1996-97 he became the first U.S. born and U.S. trained African-American to appear in an NHL game.  He has spent 15 years (so far) in the NHL and played in his 1,000th career game while with the Buffalo Sabres last season.  He is currently a free agent.  Though he has not yet made an official retirement announcement, he has stated that he will likely retire if not re-signed by the Sabres.  So far that hasn't happened, and this request was postmarked from his native Massachusetts.

Levon Kirkland

Sent: 9/24/11
Received: 10/3/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: c/o Clemson University Admission Office
Item Sent: 1992 Skybox Impact, 1999 Ultra
Item Received: 1992 Skybox Impact, 1999 Ultra.  Both signed and personalized in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Levon Kirkland was the biggest inside linebacker I ever saw.  He was built like an offensive guard.  Yet, even at 280 or so pounds, he was a remarkable athlete with incredible quickness for his size.  He was a sure tackler who could drop back into coverage (11 career interceptions) or blitz the quarterback (19.5 career sacks).  Mostly, though, he was respected as the emotional leader of the great Steelers defenses that played under Bill Cowher in the 1990s.  He was named to the '90s NFL All-Decade Team and his name clearly deserves to be mentioned among the great linebackers in Steelers history (which is, obviously, a damn impressive list).

Allen Pedersen

Sent: 9/23/10
Received: 10/3/11
Time: 375 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Canadian (x2)
Item Received: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Canadian (x2).  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Allen Pedersen was a huge (6'5") stay-at-home defenseman who scored only five goals in 428 career NHL games.  He spent the bulk of his career with the Boston Bruins and was a part of their 1990 Stanley Cup Finalists.  He appeared in 21 playoff games that season without scoring a point, but more than held his own in front of his own net.  He came to the North Stars in 1991, but appeared in just 29 games during his lone, injury plagued year at the Met Center and tallied only one assist.  He finished his NHL career with the Hartford Whalers.  As you may have noticed on this blog, I do not often send duplicate cards in the same request.  I read a Pedersen success on SCN, however, that stated he had included a note asking for extra cards.  Since I had an extra '91 Score, I offered it to him to keep.  He signed and returned both, though.

Shawn Gilbert

Sent: 9/13/11
Received: 10/1/11
Time: 18 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1988 Cal League Visalia Oaks, 1989 ProCards Visalia Oaks, 1990 ProCards Orlando SunRays, 1991 ProCards Orlando SunRays, 1993 Fleer/ProCards Nashville Sounds
Item Received: 1988 Cal League Visalia Oaks, 1989 ProCards Visalia Oaks, 1990 ProCards Orlando SunRays, 1991 ProCards Orlando SunRays, 1993 Fleer/ProCards Nashville Sounds.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Shawn Gilbert is a study in baseball perseverance - almost a baseball version of "Rudy."  Drafted by the Twins in 1987, he quickly rose up the organization's middle infield depth chart thanks to his blazing speed.  Though undersized at 5'9" and 170 pounds, he was thought of highly enough to be included it a couple of Twins team yearbooks in the early nineties, in the prospects section.  In five full seasons in the Twins system, he posted stolen base totals of 50, 42, 31, 43, and 31.  Following the 1992 season, though, he had been bypassed on the Twins middle infield depth chart by the likes of Pat Meares, Jeff Reboulet, and Chip Hale.  The White Sox claimed him off waivers and he spent 1993 playing for their Nashville Sounds farm team.  From there he went to the Phillies and Mets systems.  In June 1997, at the age of 32 and in his 11th professional season, Gilbert finally made the big leagues.  In all, he would appear in 51 big league games for the Mets, Cardinals, and Dodgers from 1997 to 2000.  That pales in comparison to the 1,744 minor league games he played in for seven different organizations from 1987 to 2003.  Gilbert collected 1,642 career minor league hits and stole 341 career minor league bases.  Obviously a baseball lifer, it's only natural that he is now coaching.  He is an assistant for college powerhouse Long Beach State, working under fellow former Twins farmhand Troy Buckley.