Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2014

Pitcher Jeff Robinson Departs At Age 52

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Keep www.baseball-almanac.com
bookmarked. They have an awesome
collection of authentic autographs.

I was touched to see this obituary of pitcher Jeff Robinson, deceased at age 52.

The comments posted for this former Tigers pitcher included his grieving wife. She was editing the obit. Her added comments show another side to the departed moundsman.
Some collectors might have experienced Mrs. Robinson’s kindness years earlier.
Many who got confused, sending cards of pitcher Jeffrey D. Robinson might get a polite, hand-written note explaining the mix-up.
She was the perfect teammate.
The obit notes that Robinson has twin sons playing baseball on the community college level. I bet she’d help them with their fan mail, too. Let’s hope they get the chance.

Pitcher Ryan Tatusko Keeps Fans First in Korea

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A 2014 Hanwha Eagle
(courtesy Ryan Tatusko)

Some say the love the game.


Others SHOW it.

I marvel at players like Ryan Tatusko. A major league organization sells your contract to another league in another country? No problem for newly-married former Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals prospect who wound up 2014 pitching for the Hanwha Eagles in Korea. 

Some collectors seeking signatures on Tatusko’s 2011 cards who blinked may have puzzled at how to find the hurler.

Just look on social media. Facebook. Twitter. He never forgot his fans.

Knowing that postal mail could be tricky, I vowed to get a burning question answered online:

Do baseball fans in Korea crave TTM autographs as much as we do?

His reply?

“We don’t get SASE stuff, but the fans wait and wait and wait for us to come out of the stadium. And I don’t think they’ve seen my cards (Korean?) back in the states.”

My bonus? I suggested that the right-hander ask his newlywed wife for her autograph, considering all the challenges she’s facing [He praised you as “unbelievable,” Mrs. T!] as he works in a new country. He added:

“I do. She won’t give it to me. LOL.”

I don’t know how many games Tatusko could win for a 2015 team. However, I can’t imagine any other pitcher, this side of Pat Neshek, winning more fans than “Tusk” could.


Where Was Baseball By The Letters?

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I could tell you.

Or, let me SHOW you.

I rode shotgun as my wife Diana Star Helmer put the finishing touches on a new edition of Belles of the Ballpark. If you liked the movie A League of Their Own, you’ll love the true story.
The AAGPBL player roster shrank each week as we worked. Nevertheless, there’s new correspondence with more than a dozen players. Many new chapters await!
We’ve submitted 70 possible photos to our editor, TRIPLE the amount of the first edition.
Lessons learned from a summer of girls league letters?
1. The league ended 60 years ago. Alums are age 80 and above. Health problems (or non-stop travelers) mean some responses won’t be fast.
2. Penmanship should be renamed penWOMANship. Many of these women became teachers. Their sparkling handwriting — sometimes, like calligraphy — astounds me.
3. These women still love the game. Answers to our letters proved it. One former player wrote a great explanation of why batting averages were lower than major league stats. To make sure I agreed, she added a last-minute detail. She TAPED her baseball card on the back of the envelope, back side up. 
No ego. She didn’t care about her picture. She just wanted me to see how her stats changed from season to season (just like the letter explained).
Summer Game Books looks like they’ll be a rising star in the world of baseball books for many seasons to come. We’re happy to play for their team. The book arrives in spring, 2015.

It’s good to be back!

AAGPBL Calls: Girls Leaguers Still Sign!

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A book deadline is calling.

I need to say, “See you in September.” Not forever, but only until I can help get one epic story back into print.
Meanwhile, you’ll find an archive of more than 900 posts here to keep your summer sizzling.
When I return, I’ll have news about the much-anticipated new and expanded edition of Belles of the Ballpark, thanks to talented co-author Diana Star Helmer and Summer Game Books. The AAGPBL survivors who are still physically able are signing by mail, by the way. I heard from 13 who answered questions for the book. Some were 90 and above. Write to these wondrous women soon.
Thank you for your support of the blog since 2010. I’ve always insisted that I’m about the stories behind the signatures, instead of mere autographs.
You’ll see more of why this project has been so important this fall. When September call-ups happen, I’d be grateful if you’d promote me back to your active roster.

Goodbye, Detroit Tigers Catcher Bob ‘Red’ Wilson

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To the end, he signed first name and nickname.

Gotta love those 1950s players

Bob “Red” Wilson passed away Aug. 8. He didn’t write me the longest reply in 2010, but it was one of my most memorable returns.
I wasn’t alone. The last check at the ever-reliable www.sportscollectors.net says that Wilson signed 131 out of 135 requests.
The 1950s players are going fast. They feel a special obligation to fans, even those not born when they played. 
Plus, so many from that decade never stopped being fans. Wilson wasn’t big on discussing himself. Ask about Frank Lary or Al Kaline, and he lit up. When you’re writing to the men of the 1950s, don’t forget to ask about the stars they admired.