Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2015

When former Tigers manager Jim Leyland wrote

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I love this 2011 pre-game look at Leyland
at Dodger Stadium. What is he seeing?
What is he thinking?  
 By Cbl62 (Own work)
 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

No, not to me.

A former player, Jordan Tata, shared this written memory online earlier this week. 
Epic stuff!
At last check on the always-impressive www.sportscollectors.net, the fabled Detroit Tigers manager was batting .720. Or, he had responded to 351 autograph requests in 486 attempts.

Thanks to Carol Sheldon for capturing this correspondence!

Chicago Cub Kris Bryant pursues personalizations

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Did Bryant insist on personalizing
all autographs at the 2015 Cubs Convention,
too? Kudos to www.CubsConvention.blogspot.com,
for great looks at the latest signers!

Cub Kris Bryant wants to be close to his fans.

From recent reports on www.sportscollectors.net, expect all TTM autographs to be personalized.
I pray that no one takes this free-signing rising star for granted. I’ve feared that someone tuned into future resale value will request no personalization.
I hope such fan mail never arrives. Once that happens, that smoking-gun letter will be evidence enough for another player to slam the door on all autograph collectors. 
Be careful what you wish for, says the fortune cookie.

Envelope Art? Art-elope? Here’s one hobbyist’s fan mail tip for getting opened!

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I love sequels.

Have you checked out the great comment received from the Thursday post about envelopes?
No?
It’s okay. Go now. We’ll wait.
Welcome back!
The artist in question is Zenus Barnes. Here’s an example:
Or, this one:
Zenus adds:
“My art on these has been an ongoing thing as I didn’t start out as the best artist. They have been a fun project though that at times the daughter helps with.”
FUN?
I think a fun deficit is one of the prime reasons collectors drop out of the hobby. Sending out letters becomes a chore. And, if you’re having fun, the person opening the envelope might feel the same.
Also, Zenus uses the phrase “best artist.” Envelope decorating isn’t done to win awards or earn a gallery exhibition. Forget fear and embarrassment. If you want your envelope to look like all the other envelopes, your letter might get treated like all the other letters. As in, getting ignored.
Thank you for the inspiration, Zenus!

Try the Publishers Clearing House game plan for increased fan mail success

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No envelopes scream, “PLEASE, OPEN ME!” like
the mailings from PCH. Learn from them.

I enjoyed a recent online conversation with a collector I encountered on the always-amazing www.sportscollectors.net.

Someone wanted to expand his success by focusing on Christian baseball players and Bible verse autographs.
I think it’s great any time a collector adopts a special project or a specialty. I’ve seen too many hobbyists give up entirely after wanting one of EVERYTHING.
The one tip I neglected?
End, don’t start, with the letter.
Make your presence known with the envelope. 
Why can’t a Christian collector jot a Bible verse on the back of his envelope?
Or, if you’re trying to build a collection of Cardinals autographs, consider adding “Redbirds Fan” beneath your return address. For the artistically-challenged, splurge for some return address labels with pictures.
Colorful stickers. Rubber stamps. There’s so many extra chances to stand out.
The window clerk at our local post office listened to my wife’s question about decorating Christmas envelopes, providing that the address can be clearly seen and the appropriate postage checked and cancelled. Is it okay?
“Hey…decorate away!” he said.
Someone might help a current or former player sort the mail. Do all the envelopes look alike?
Make the effort. Let it show on the envelope. Let the athlete know how much you want a reply.

Remembering the two faces of departed Detroit Tiger Dave Bergman

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I love this 1982 Topps, not just for
the facsimile autograph, but
the hint that Bergman might
have been signing for fans in the stands
FOR FREE!

Dave Bergman’s death at age 61 may maintain a hobby mystery.

The famed 1984 Detroit Tigers role player continued his devotion to youth baseball until the end. Anyone who met him in the Detroit area seemed charmed by his enthusiasm and sincerity.
His feelings about autographs weren’t so clear. 
Check the fascinating www.sportscollectors.net for insights about Bergman’s differing signing habits. He was charging for autographs by mail as early as 2010, ending with a $7 per fee. 
Previously, he tried to maintain a limit of one autograph per fan letter. Other cards would be returned unsigned, if at all. And, years ago, I saw him express to a reporter that he didn’t want to answer any questions by mail.
The moral of this story? So many collectors pursue stars first. Don’t assume that only the top names in the game will become tougher signers in later years.