James Cooper

On April 30, 2024, I went to see the Tampa Tarpons play the Dunedin Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida. I had a few cards of the Tarpons players that I was hoping to get signed, including their manager, James Cooper. When I saw Mr. Cooper approaching, I held out my card and asked for an autograph. He stopped, looked at the card in my hand, shook his head, and said, "That's not me." 

Now, when I ordered this card, I knew that there were two James Cooper's who were roughly the same age and played around the same time frame. There was a James Cooper who came up in the Yankees organization and spent time playing at their Tampa affiliate, and the other James Cooper came up with the Astros. Not knowing a single thing about James Cooper, I felt the odds were in my favor to get a card of the guy who came up with the Yankees. 

Even Google's A.I. search engine, Gemini, mistakes the two James Cooper's.

When Mr. Cooper told me that it wasn't him, I jokingly replied, "Doesn't it make sense that a guy who once played for Tampa would come back to manage them?" He said, "I came from the Astros but I do know the guy." I held out the card again and said, "Want to send it to him?" He laughed and said, "I don't know him like that."

The next day I ordered a card of the James Cooper that I had spoken to.

Having this Yankees card of James Cooper, I decided to see if I could find an address for him to request his autograph. With such a common name, it was challenging but I felt confident with one particular address I found so I sent him my card and the following letter.

19 days later my card came back signed and he included a nice note.

James signed a 2007 Tampa Yankees Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cooper007jam

Mike Neal

In February of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Mike Neal. I sent him my card and the following letter.

751 days later my card came back signed and he included 4 additional signed cards of himself.

                   

Mike signed a 1994 Fleer Excel card #46.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=neal--003mic

Joe Gatto

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

Here is the card that I sent to Joe Gatto.

300 days later, my card came back signed, and he was nice enough to mark "do not bend" on the front and back of the envelope. He also included an additional signed card.

Joe signed a 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects card #DP51.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gatto-000joe

Joe Ausanio

In May of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Joe Ausanio. I sent him my card and the following letter.

287 days later my card came back signed.

Joe signed a 1991 Classic Best card #186.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/ausanjo01.shtml

Jerry Augustine

In May of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Jerry Augustine. I found one and sent him my card and the following letter.

238 days later my card came back signed.

Jerry signed a 1984 Topps card #658.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/augusje01.shtml

Dustin Beggs

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

Here is the card that I sent to Dustin Beggs.

130 days later my card came back signed.

Dustin signed a 2018 Greensboro Grasshoppers Team Set card #05.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=beggs-000dus

Erik Johnson

In May of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Erik Johnson. I discovered that he owned a college baseball development program in California, so I sent him my card and the following letter.

125 days later my card came back signed and he included a brief note.

Erik signed a 1991 Line Drive AA Pre-Rookie card #309.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnser03.shtml

Tim Nedin

In February of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Tim Nedin. I discovered that he was a mortgage professional in Arizona, so I sent him my card and the following letter.

216 days later my card came back signed.

Tim signed a 1991 Classic Best card #185.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=nedin-001tim

Greg Brock

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

Here is the card that I sent to Greg Brock.

100 days later my card came back signed.

Greg signed a 1991 Upper Deck card #289.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brockgr01.shtml

Jim Baxter

In February of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Jim Baxter. I sent him my card and the following letter.

195 days later my card came back signed.

Jim signed a 1991 Line Drive AA Pre-Rookie card #402.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baxter002jam

Matt Kastelic

In February of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Matt Kastelic. I had many cards in this set signed but I never got the chance to see him play, so I wrote him a letter and sent my card.

185 days later my card came back signed.

Matt signed a 1996 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Team Set card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kastel001mat

Mark Farris

In April of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Mark Farris. I discovered that he was the President of an insurance agency in Texas, so I sent him my card and the following letter.

80 days later my card came back signed.

Mark signed a 1994 Classic 4 Sport card #172.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=farris001mar

Porfirio Altamirano

In April of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Porfirio Altamirano. I found one and sent him my card along with a $5 bill and the following letter.

89 days later my card came back signed.

Porfirio signed a 1984 Topps card #101.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/altampo01.shtml

Travis Welch

In February of 2021, I decided to seek out an address for Travis Welch. I found one and sent him my card and the following letter.

148 days later my card came back signed.

Travis signed a 1995 Fleer Excel card #277.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=welch-000tra

Nolan Lane

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

Here is the card that I sent to Nolan Lane.

Twenty days later my card came back signed.

Nolan signed a 1991 Line Drive Pre-Rookie AA card #87.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lane--002nol

Derek Gordon

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

I discovered that Derek Gordon was a pitching coordinator at a sports facility in Kansas, so I mailed the birthday card to the facility.

Eighteen days later my card came back signed.

Derek signed a 2017 Lincoln Saltdogs card.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gordon003der

Tom Houk

My dad's birthday is June 14th. He passed away on August 31, 2020. For his first birthday without him,  I came up with another TTM challenge for myself. This one I called "Dad TTM Project." On June 8, 2021, six days before his birthday, I sent birthday cards to eleven baseball players who also shared his birthday.

Here is the card that I sent to Tom Houk.

Seventeen days later my card came back signed.

Tom signed a 1991 Classic Best card #351.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=houk--001w--