Header - Baseball by the Letters

Month: July 2020

Ex-Twins 3rd baseman Corey Koskie tells why he dislikes TTM autograph letters

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Corey Koskie has an impressive baseball resume. His season highs of 26 homers and 103 RBI came in 2001. He sports a career batting average of .275 for a nine-year career.

That’s why I wince saying his current average is .153.

No, that’s not a batting average. It’s a through-the-mail average. I quote from the ever-amazing www.sportscollectors.net. I’ve been a proud member for YEARS.

One of the many features SCN offers is the ability for collectors to track their TTM

Corey Koskie
Spotted on TwinsTrivia.com. This website could be an all-day vacation for serious Twins fans.

attempts. The record says that 85 collectors have contacted Mr. Koskie by mail since 1999. Of those tries, 13 were successes. The last success came in 2011.

In other words, TTM collectors succeeded just 16 percent of the time getting an autograph from this member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

I wanted to know more. How does Corey Koskie feel about signing autographs by mail?

“To answer your question,” he wrote, “I don’t like it, for a couple of reasons. I don’t like stuff being mailed to my address. Secondly, I hardly get to the letters and open them. Too many bills to pay. (smiley face).”

I appreciate Mr. Koskie’s honesty. Save your stamps. Then, ponder this:

How many former players might sign, if they could keep fan mail separate from their personal, every-day mail.

Back in the 1990s, I spent some time with Al Kaline at a Portland card show.

I asked him if there was more than one way to reach him by mail for an autograph.

Kaline started counting on his fingers. Besides his home address, Kaline received mail sent in care of:

  1. The Tigers
  2. The station (he was a broadcaster then)
  3. The Hall of Fame

I smiled and said that was nice. His smile started to fade. Kaline told me his family used  bushel baskets to keep all the mail sorted. Kaline’s property tax almost didn’t get paid on time that year. The vital bill got lost in a sea of fan mail.

In his case, non-home addresses didn’t lighten Kaline’s TTM workload. Would retirees like Corey Koskie, however, appreciate the added privacy an “in care of” address might provide?

What do you think, readers?

 

 

 

 

 

Ask ex-players about COVID and the 2020 season in your baseball letters

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I don’t know how I feel about the 2020 baseball season starting in one week.

Empty ballparks?

Artificial crowd noise?

Players and umpires sitting out the season over fears of COVID?

Aledmys Diaz
Houston utilityman Aledmys Diaz is one of a growing list of players planning to wear face masks during 2020 games. Diaz says the precaution is for his wife and children’s safety. How would former players respond to such a choice?

There are too many question marks for me to be all in for this mini-season.

If you’re unsure about the state of the 2020 season, say so in your baseball letters. Or, if you believe that baseball is still baseball, add that.

Here’s a hunch I’ll share. I think retirees can’t help but have strong feelings about the 2020 season.

Did the ex-player you’re writing to ever play in a game at an empty ballpark? What was it like?

If he was playing today, would they agree to play in this oddest of seasons? Why or why not?

Would this former player wear a face mask during games? Why or why not?

You get the idea. Cook up some questions of your own. Connecting today’s headlines to a retiree’s past career is unique and personal. Your letter will stand out.

Show the intended recipient of your letter that you are a true fan.  Your extra effort may bring bigger dividends in your mailbox soon.

 

Now-cheap July 4th patriotic stickers can boost your baseball letter efforts

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“Stick” with me a bit, please.

I’ve never been an all-in shopper for discounted holiday items. Yes, those Halloween doodads marked down on November 1 could be useful again in 350 or so days. I suppose.

patriotic stickersHere’s one exception that always gets me excited. Check out the Fourth of July markdowns. Get yourself some red, white and blue stickers. Flags, stars, anything patriotic. Slap those stickers on your envelopes addressed to retired players NOW.

Use them year-round.

Decorate the envelope first. If you have leftovers, including leftover energy, include stickers on your letter. Remember, the world’s greatest letter can’t succeed if the intended ex-player doesn’t bother opening the envelope.

Your envelope will be swimming in a sea of mail. How does yours stand out? Why should your letter be opened first?

Seeing a couple of flag stickers on an envelope hints at your good character. The decoration shows that you made an extra effort. Try it!

Invest now in some patriotic stickers. Watch for a boost in your success rates this year.