How soon should I send Spring Training TTM requests for active players?

[MRich1976]

I know this has probably been asked and answered over and over again.

However, with the Rangers winning the WS, I want to try to get a few TTM autos. It seems that one of the best places to send for TTM requests for active players is their Spring Training facility. So I've started writing letters of request and such, but my question is this: How soon do I send? I know that Pitchers and Catchers don't usually report until close to mid-February. It's almost December now. Should I wait until mid-January? Should I do it now?

The Rangers do their Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. From what I understand, mail addressed to the players will be "held" there, but I don't know.

So how soon should I send? I've got 7 LORs and envelopes ready to go right now (Card, SASE, LOR). Looks like I have a few more LORs to do, but I'm just curious when I should send them for the best chance at success. So should I just send out what I have now, or wait until I get them all written and then send them all out at once?

This would be my first time doing this, so I am very new to it.

Thanks for any advice!

[automaster]

I wouldn't send until like early Feb. If you send before that there probably won't be staff there to deal with the mail.

[MRich1976]

@automaster That's what I was thinking. What I'd like to do is time it where they all get there a day or two beforehand. Or the day of. But some of that is going to be a little hard to time. But that gives me more time to put some more together.

[MRich1976]

@automaster

I was talking with someone on a different forum (on a Discord, in fact) who made a different suggestion.

What I'm doing right now is creating separate requests for each player I want. In other words, I'm writing a LOR and including the card and SASE in a larger envelope. Card is in a cardboard "sandwich".

What the person on Discord suggested is that I put all the cards I want to get autographed into one-touches, package them all in one box with the LOR's attached to them, and a blue marker, and just address it to the Equipment Manager or someone. And just include return shipping.

Which is better?

[arfmax]

@automaster

I was talking with someone on a different forum (on a Discord, in fact) who made a different suggestion.

What I'm doing right now is creating separate requests for each player I want. In other words, I'm writing a LOR and including the card and SASE in a larger envelope. Card is in a cardboard "sandwich".

What the person on Discord suggested is that I put all the cards I want to get autographed into one-touches, package them all in one box with the LOR's attached to them, and a blue marker, and just address it to the Equipment Manager or someone. And just include return shipping.

Which is better?

You should send each letter separately to the specific athlete. I would not recommend sending to an equipment manager or clubhouse manager. Also, I would not recommend sending a letter of request to player X, and then including a card for player Y, and asking player X to get player Y to sign. Of course, everyone is free to do what they want, but that is my recommendation from many years of doing TTM.

[MRich1976]

@arfmax

What you suggest is my plan. For example, for Jonah Heim, the letter of request is being sent to him, along with a card of his. Same with the other players.

I'm curious if you've ever sent stuff to spring training and what your success rate was. I've never sent to Spring Training before (though I have gotten a couple of TTM requests back from retired players).

Do the team's managers sign? I bought an art card of Bruce Bochy online and I was going to send one to him as well. I also sent a "team" card to the Rangers radio broadcaster. I'm kinda hoping he signs that one.

Right now, I have 19 ready to go. Hopefully when I find out the status of a couple of other players (Montgomery, Jankowski) and whether or not I'm going to get that Bochy in time, I could have potentially 22 individual requests to send out.

[arfmax]

Years ago, I sent stuff to spring training, and was getting a decent success rate. Young players were apt to sign, and coaches and bonus players signed. Mark McGwire signed TTM through spring training when he was a coach with the STL Cardinals. However, in recent years, the return rates from spring training have been abysmal. I stopped sending TTM requests, and definitely stopped spring training. The other thing to note is that when teams are winning, such as the Rangers, the number of requests and in person autograph seekers goes up. You shouldn't count on getting much, and then anything you do get will be a pleasant surprise. Do not send anything that you don't want to lose. As for Bochy, please consult the TTMM, https://www.sportscardforum.com/scft...wplayer/2/6640

[MRich1976]

@arfmax

I'm sending a bunch of low-dollar value cards and cards I have duplicates of. So if I don't get them back, it's not a big thing. I'm gonna give it a shot, though.

Off the top of my head, here's who I'm sending to: Garver, Perez, Taveras, Carter, Garcia, Jung, Seager, Semien, Lowe, Heim, Bradford, Sborz, Nadel (radio broadcaster), Bochy, Duran, Eovaldi, Jankowski, Montgomery, Scherzer, de Grom, and a few others.

I've heard that Mitch Garver is pretty good about signing, though I'm having to send his to Mariners training camp, as I noted. I have to send the one for Perez to Pirates training camp, also.

[arfmax]

good luck, let us know how you do!

[MRich1976]

@arfmax

Will do! I made it about as easy and convenient as I could, while still providing some protection for the cards. I even bought envelopes for the cards that have the "peel and stick" feature. I basically did everything short of send a sharpie in the mail to each of them.