“Ya gotta believe”
— Tug McGraw
(and Brian Salgado?)
The latter is a collector who defied the odds and received (I should say EARNED) an impressive TTM response recently. Bob Bailey signed.
(Cue the standing ovation, please!)
If you can’t race to www.sportscollectors.net to see how many recorded autograph successes there are for Bailey in the last decade, know that I beat you.
The answer is less than one. That’s right. A zero signer.
Yep. Brian tried, despite the odds.
Of course, he did something special. He researched Bailey’s career, noting that the former slugger was the last-ever manager of the Hawaii Islanders minor league team in 1987. Then, he asked what the job was like.
Brian has specialized in Hawaii baseball history. This wasn’t a new novelty attempt to get a tough autograph.
Speaking of Hawaii, know that the ship of opportunity has sailed regarding a letter asking Mr. Bailey about the Islanders team. The man hit 189 homers in 17 years. He’ll know the difference between one sincere collector and copycats.
However, find possibility in the Bob Bailey story Brian shared. Never say never for a tough signer. Of course, risking any card or collectible to get signed is a high-stakes gamble (just like sending cash in the mail for an autograph).
Asking a question about someone’s life and career is different. Aside from paper and postage, asking is free.
That’s the promise of Baseball By The Letters.