Shane Robinson

Sent: 5/3/12
Received: 5/29/12
Time: 26 Days
Address: c/o St. Louis Cardinals
Item Sent: 2009 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 2009 Topps Heritage, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
A former top prospect who has been plagued by injury over the last two seasons, Shane Robinson is finally healthy and is getting his first regular exposure to the major leagues.  While he's been a bit slow with the bat, he has played a sparkling center field while subbing for the injured Jon Jay and seems to have a nice role as a reserve outfielder and pinch-runner for the always solid Cardinals.

Bryn Smith

Sent: 5/11/12
Received: 5/26/12
Time: 15 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1985 Fleer, 1990 Score, 1991 Topps
Item Received: 1985 Fleer, 1990 Score, 1991 Topps.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Bryn Smith was a crafty pitcher with great control and a greater beard.  He's one of the last guys who I remember being known for throwing a palmball as a changeup.  Not only are there great blue Sharpie signatures on these cards, but when I flipped the 1991 Topps card over I learned that he is "a huge fan of the rock band Rush and followed them on their 1984 tour."  And now that trivial knowledge is filed in my brain for eternity, probably replacing something insignificant like one of my credit card numbers.

Kevin Hagen

Sent: 9/10/11
Received: 9/19/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1987 ProCards Portland Beavers
Item Received: 1984 Topps, 1987 ProCards Portland Beavers.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Kevin Hagen's time in the Twins organization was brief.  Very brief.  He appeared in 13 major league games for the Cardinals from 1984-1984.  After spending the 1986 season in the Cleveland Indians system, he came to spring training with the Twins in 1987.  He started the year in Portland and appeared in only three games before finding himself with Tucson in the Houston Astros organization.  (I can't find whether he was traded or released by the Twins.)  Kevin generously added a signed 1984 Topps card to the Beavers card I sent.  I actually had planned on sending an '84 Topps as well, as I knew I had one somewhere, but it was badly creased when I uncovered it so I elected to only send the minor league card.  Great return!

John Tudor

Sent: 2/24/11
Received: 7/30/11
Time: 156 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1981 Topps, 1985 Fleer, 1986 Topps, 1988 Score
Item Received: 1981 Topps, 1985 Fleer, 1986 Topps, 1988 Score.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
John Tudor had an outstanding 12 year career, complete with a sterling .619 career winning percentage.  His most notable season was 1985, where he assembled one of the finest campaigns of the era.  After starting the season 1-7, he finished on a 20-1 run to end the year with a 21-8 record, a 1.93 ERA, and a league leading ten shutouts.  Unanimous Cy Young Award numbers, but thanks to the remarkable sophomore performance by Doc Gooden that same year, Tudor failed to garner a single first place vote.  After coming up short in the 1985 and 1987 World Series for the Cardinals, he finally won his ring with the 1988 Dodgers.

Jason Motte

Sent: 7/19/11
Received: 7/29/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: c/o St. Louis Cardinals
Item Sent: 2009 Topps Heritage, 2010 Topps
Item Received: 2009 Topps Heritage, 2010 Topps.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Jason Motte has been the Cardinals closer-in-waiting for three years now.  After putting up very solid numbers across the board in 2010, he figured to be next in line should Ryan Franklin falter.  When Franklin inevitably did fall, though, Motte found himself bypassed by a corps of less experienced arms.  He has excelled in a sixth-seventh inning row, but I still feel he'll eventually find himself in the ninth.

Lonnie Smith

Sent: 7/13/10
Received: 7/26/10
Time: 13 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1984 Topps, 1990 Donruss NL's Best, 1992 Score 1991 World Series
Item Received: 1984 Topps, 1990 Donruss NL's Best, 1992 Score 1991 World Series.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Lonnie Smith was one of the most fascinating and underrated players of the '80s.  He won three World Series with three different teams from 1980-1985 ('80 Phillies, '82 Cardinals, '85 Royals).  He almost lost his career to drug abuse.  He contemplated murdering Royals GM John Schuerholz, who he thought was blackballing him from the league.  He resurrected his career with the Atlanta Braves, where he played in two more World Series (losing in 1991 and 1992) -- ironically under Schuerholz, then the GM in Atlanta.  He was both a hero and goat for the Braves in the '91 World Series, homering in three straight games, but also committing a costly baserunning gaffe, which may have cost the Braves the title.  (They, of course, lost to my Twins in the greatest World Series ever played.)  All the while, he's been a huge friend to the hobby, having cultivated a reputation as one of the most generous and reliable TTM signers in all of baseball.  Thanks, Mr. Smith!

John Rooney

Sent: 6/19/10
Received: 7/1/10
Time: 12 Days
Address: c/o St. Louis Cardinals
Item Sent: 1987 Donruss Opening Day Twins Logo, 2010 Topps Heritage Cardinals Team Card
Item Received: 1987 Donruss Opening Day Twins Logo, 2010 Topps Heritage Cardinals Team Card.  Both signed in blue ballpoint.

Notes:
John Rooney's long broadcasting career is usually recognized by his national work and his long stints as a play-by-play man for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.  Prior to that, though, he spent one season as the TV play-by-play guy for the Twins, teaming with Harmon Killebrew in the 1987 booth. 

Kurt Kepshire

Sent: 4/19/10
Received: 5/24/10
Time: 35 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1985 Donruss, 1985 Topps, 1989 ProCards Portland Beavers
Item Received: 1985 Donruss, 1985 Topps, 1989 ProCards Portland Beavers.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Kepshire is the eighth addition to my signed 1989 Portland set.  I didn't mean to get greedy by sending three cards to him, but the only other cards I had in my collection were the two 1985 Cardinals cards, so I thought "Why not send 'em all?"  Plus, my wife grew up as a Cardinals fan in St. Louis, so it's pretty cool adding Cardinals signatures to the ol' collection, too.