Thane Gash

Sent: 1/20/12
Received: 1/30/12
Time: 10 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991 Score, 1991 Stadium Club, 1991 Topps, 1991 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991 Score, 1991 Stadium Club, 1991 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Stay with me here.  Do you watch American Pickers on the History Channel?  You know how they like to go on "freestyle" picks?  This is like my version of a freestyle autograph request.  I have two boxes full of cards that I have already picked out, with the intent of sending autograph requests.  When I'm writing letters, I usually take from those two boxes.  Every once in a while, though, I'll scan recent successful returns on SCN and something will catch my eye -- someone I hadn't considered sending to before, but upon seeing another collector's success I'll instantly search for a couple of cards and whip off a quick letter.

I had not thought of the name Thane Gash in years.  But as soon as I saw his name, I had to go for it.  He had such a great name.  Thane Gash.  Perfect name for a hard-hitting safety.  He didn't have a long career and was hardly a star.  Just a really cool football name, and sometimes something like that is enough to earn its way into my collection.  Thanks, Mr. Gash!

Jack Sikma

Sent: 1/19/12
Received: 1/27/12
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Timberwolves
Item Sent: 1986-87 Fleer, 1991-92 Hoops, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1986-87 Fleer, 1991-92 Hoops, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
When I first started following basketball in the late 1980s, Jack Sikma was instantly recognizable.  Because of his hair.  He was a big, slow white guy with a big, curly blond perm.  To 12 year old me, that was more significant than his outstanding NBA career.  I know better now.  I know he was one of the most consistent and most underrated big men in the league during his time with the Sonics and Bucks.  And I am thrilled that he is now a part of the Timberwolves coaching staff.  I still love that blond perm, though!

Alexei Zhitnik

Sent: 1/18/12
Received: 1/27/12
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 2000-01 Upper Deck Vintage, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2000-01 Upper Deck Vintage, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Zhitnik was an excellent NHL defenseman, primarily with the Buffalo Sabres.  He was selected for two All-Star Games during his time in Buffalo and finished his 15 year career with 471 points.  As for the cards I sent, I'm pretty excited about my recent discovery of the 2000-01 Upper Deck Vintage set.  I'm already casually working on four different hockey sets, so the last thing I need is another.  But, this is a nice, simple design on gloss-free cards, and they look great when signed.  It should be a nice option to have from here on out when writing to players from that era.

Eric Brewer

Sent: 4/28/11
Received: 1/26/12
Time: 273 Days
Address: c/o Tampa Bay Lightning
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in blue marker.

Notes:
I wrote to longtime Blues captain Eric Brewer last spring, right after he had been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  I was hoping for a quick return.  When a guy switches teams, it can be an ideal time to snatch a quick TTM autograph if you can get your letter into a fresh pile of mail, before it accumulates.  I obviously didn't get the fast return that I thought I might, but I did get a return.  And a successful return is always worth the wait.

Scott Bjugstad

Sent: 1/14/12
Received: 1/26/12
Time: 12 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1985-86 7-11 Minnesota North Stars, 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1985-86 7-11 Minnesota North Stars, 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee.  Both signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Scott Bjugstad was an incredible high school and college hockey player.  For one year, he looked like an incredible NHL player, too.  In his four years with the Gophers, he was a Hobey Baker runner-up, a WCHA scoring champion, and played on two Final Four teams.  Bjugstad stayed in Minnesota and made his debut for the North Stars late in the 1983-84 season.  During his 1984-85 rookie season he played in 72 games but scored just 15 points.  His 43 goal, 33 assist sophomore NHL season in 1985-86 was unexpected, to say the least.  It should be noted that he spent the majority of that year playing on a line with Neal Broten and Dino Ciccarelli.  That's not to diminish what Bjugstad accomplished that year, but it is a great example of being in the right place at the right time.  Unfortunately, injuries hampered Bjugstad for the rest of his career and he never came close to repeating his magical '86.  He is back in the Minnesota hockey limelight now by association.  His nephew Nick Bjugstad is a superstar for the University of Minnesota and is a surefire NHL prospect, a 2010 first-round pick of the Florida Panthers.

Floyd Chiffer

Sent: 1/18/12
Received: 1/25/12
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1983 Fleer, 1983 Topps, 1987 TCMA Richmond Braves
Item Received: 1983 Fleer, 1983 Topps, 1987 TCMA Richmond Braves.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Floyd Chiffer pitched for three seasons for the San Diego Padres, including 15 games for the 1984 National League Champions (though he was not on the post-season roster).  His spot in my collection, though, was earned by logging time in the Twins' minor league system in 1985.  I figure that if I'm going to collect autographed Twins minor league cards, I should also include guys who played in the Twins system even if they didn't have a card depicting them as a member of the organization.  I'm actually pretty surprised that Chiffer didn't get a call-up to the Twins.  He had a great year at Toledo in 1985 with 9 wins, 13 saves, and a 2.49 ERA.  As brutal as the Twins bullpen was in the mid '80s, he couldn't have been any worse!

Rick Wrona

Sent: 1/14/12
Received: 1/24/12
Time: 10 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1987 ProCards Pittsfield Cubs, 1989 Donruss Rookies, 1990 Donruss, 1990 Upper Deck, 1993 Fleer/ProCards Nashville Sounds
Item Received: 1987 ProCards Pittsfield Cubs, 1989 Donruss Rookies, 1990 Donruss, 1990 Upper Deck, 1993 Fleer/ProCards Nashville Sounds.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
What a cool guy!  Rick Wrona was a quality backup catcher who was huge for the Cubs in the 1989 pennant chase.  With starter Damon Berryhill injured, Wrona took over the everyday catching duties in September.  He expertly handled the pitching staff and went on the best offensive run of his big league career to help lead the Cubs to the NL East title.  Being a big catcher guy, and a fan of the Cubs from that era, he won me over with that month.  Now, 23 years later, I'm a huge fan.  Mr. Wrona beautifully signed five cards in bold blue Sharpie.  He also added a letter where he thanked me for writing, complimented me on sending the minor league cards ("Those minor league cards are cool!") and, in closing, added "Write my anytime!"  I don't want to take advantage of his generosity, but he seems to really enjoy signing autographs.  So, I may just collect every different Rick Wrona card I can find and write him again.  This kind of response is so rewarding for a collector.

Phil Wilson

Sent: 5/12/11
Received: 1/24/12
Time: 257 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1986 ProCards Orlando Twins, 1987 ProCards Portland Beavers, 1988 CMC Portland Beavers, 1988 ProCards Portland Beavers
Item Received: 1986 ProCards Orlando Twins, 1987 ProCards Portland Beavers, 1988 CMC Portland Beavers, 1988 ProCards Portland Beavers.  All signed in black marker.

Notes:
As great as the Twins were in the late 1980s, they were not exactly bursting at the seams with major league quality talent in the minor league system.  Few names really stood out in their minor league baseball card team sets.  Phil Wilson did stand out... not because he was on the fast track to the big leagues (he never did make it), but because he had the name.  He was the brother of Mets star* Mookie Wilson.  [* "Star" not meaning "elite player" in this case, but rather meaning "average player with a big smile, popular because he played in New York and his name was Mookie."]

Phil Wilson did look like he had a chance to be a major league player for a couple of years.  In 1985 at Visalia, he hit .297 with 49 stolen bases.  More impressively, he posted a .389 on-base percentage.  He carried that performance to AA Orlando in 1986, hitting .293 and showing a tad more power.  There were signs, though, that the higher level was giving him more trouble.  His walk rate plummeted and, most important to his game, he stole 25 fewer bases than the year before while getting thrown out just as many times.  Promoted to AAA in 1987, he badly struggled to a .227/.317/.288 slash line.  His 35 steals proved he had big league wheels, but he just didn't have the bat and he ended up getting passed on the Twins depth chart by similar but younger players like Jarvis Brown and J.T. Bruett.  After a half-season in the Expos organization in 1989, Wilson's playing career was over.