Nicest Players of the
Month
Each month
I will be selecting a player who was very nice that month by responding through
the mail. Below are the nicest players of each month.
Also,
starting in December of 2004, I will have a review for each month. Pretty much
the review just sizes up everything I got that past month and tells the high points of the month and the points that I
struggled with.
*This
starts in April of 2003 because I do not have accurate data of the months
before that
2003
Before
April: Carl Erskine, retired baseball player
April: Carl Erskine (2), retired baseball
player
Runner-up: Jamie Moyer,
May: Greg Maddux,
Runner-up: Stan Musial,
retired baseball player
June: Josh
Runner-up: Dick Groat,
retired baseball player
July: Mark Prior,
Runner-up: Frank Tanana,
retired baseball player
August: (tie) Al Kaline and Jim Bunning,
retired baseball players
Runner-up: Lee Smith, retired baseball player
September: Bob Friend, retired baseball player
Runner-up: (tie) Doug Drabek and Johnny Pesky,
retired baseball players
October: Jim Deshaies,
retired baseball player
Runner-up: Alan Ashby, retired baseball player
November: (tie) Tommy Greene and Bud Selig, retired baseball player and commissioner of baseball
Runner-up: Ed Hearn, retired baseball player
December: Jim Lonborg,
retired baseball player
Runner-up: (tie) Danny Ozark and Dave Hengel, retired baseball players
Nicest
of 2003:
Winner: (tie) Carl Erskine and Bob Friend
3 Runner-ups: Mark Prior, Johnny Pesky, Doug
Drabek
Honorable
Mentions: Dick
Groat, Jim Lonborg, Josh Beckett
2004
January: Bobby Doerr, retired baseball
player
Runner-up: Larry Jaster,
retired baseball player
February: Hillis Layne, retired baseball
player
Runner-up: Lonny Frey, retired baseball player
March: Red Borom,
retired baseball player
Runner-up: Brad Ausmus,
April: William “Otey”
Clark, retired baseball player
Runner-up: Ray Berres,
retired baseball player
May: Alex Pitko,
retired baseball player
Runner-up: Bobby Stevens, retired baseball
player
June: Grant Dunlap, retired baseball
player
Runner-up:
Virgil Trucks,
retired baseball player
July: Werner “Babe” Birrer,
retired baseball player
Runner-up: Kevin Millwood,
August: Dave Roberts,
Runner-up: Doug Mientkiewicz,
September:
Bob Tewksbury,
retired baseball player
Runner-up:
October:
Travis Hafner,
Runner-up:
Mike Sweeney,
November: Stefan Bailie,
Boston Red Sox prospect
Runner-up: Frank Cattalanotto,
December: Barry Zito,
Runner-up: Mark Bellhorn,
Month in
Review: The obvious
low point of this month was the mail. I got four different successes, ouch.
Those successes included three good players (Zito, Bellhorn and Mike Mussina), but
the fourth player was minor leaguer Bobby Bradley. My goal for the New Year is
to send out a lot more requests, using the stamps that I received for my
birthday and Christmas. The
Nicest
of 2004
Winner: Red Borom
4
Runner-ups: Barry Zito, Mark Bellhorn, Alex Pitko, Bobby Stevens
Honorable
Mentions: Stefan Bailie, Travis Hafner, Hillis Layne
2005
January: Barry Zito
Runner-up: Benny Agbayani
Month in
Review: Again, the
low point of the month was mail. With only five different TTM successes (only
one more then last month), the mailbox was usually empty. Again high points of
the month included certified autographed cards (I acquired four new ones), and
game-used memorabilia (10). I also had one successful trade in which I got a
Johnny Sain/ Warren Spahn
dual-signed photograph. Hopefully I get more mail soon or else someone will be
mad…
February:
Bill Mueller
Runner-up: Sy Berger
Month in
Review: Yes!
Finally, a month in which I actually got a lot of mail! With 22 different
successes TTM successes, and literally a BOAT-LOAD of autographs through email,
I set new records in many categories. The largest record set was 22 different
autographs in the mail on the 22nd, and also a whole lot of
March: Hank Aaron (possibly secretarial…
hopefully not)
Runner-up: (tie) Al Kaline
and Fay Vincent
Month in
Review: With
twenty-two through-the-mail successes, more than fifty email successes, about
ten certified autographs bought off eBay and about six game-used cards bought
off eBay, this was possibly my best month ever collecting. The success of the
month, Hank Aaron, if real, is my best success ever. It was so hard to chose a
runner-up for success of the month, since I got SO many, including Kaline, Vincent, retired brigadier general Robert L. Scott
Jr., Adrian Beltre, Ron Cey,
Garret Anderson (twice), and many major league umpires. As April comes along,
I’m just hoping I can keep this mega-success rate up!
April: Billy Crystal (actor)
Runner-up: David Wright
Month in
Review: This month
the mailbox dried up a bit, as I got half the number of through-the-mail
successes as in March. I got 11 successes, with actor Billy Crystal and Mets
up-and-coming David Wright highlighting the list. It was also nice to receive
retired baseball player Andre Dawson and White Sox prospect Josh Fields back,
as I was speculating whether I’d ever see the cards again. Autographs that I
got through email once again proved to be the strong point of the month, with
61 different autographs obtained that way. Some other strong points include
game-used memorabilia cards (11 new ones), certified and non-certified
autographs that I bought, and IN-PERSON AUTOGRAPHS!!! It’s nice to be able to
use the term “in-person” once again, after a very long off-season. As I head
into May, I can only see the through-the-mail successes skyrocketing, as I sent
out more than 20 letters at the end of April and beginning of May.