The List of Shame!

[lizard-jd]

These are football & baseball TTMs where I sent letters, cards (or pictures) and SASE's but they never responded with anything. I made the cutoff for the list at 1 year without a response. Don't know that it will help you but at least I know who not to send any items to and/or spend any more money on them. Good luck!

Football
Mike Ditka Marv Fleming Lem Barney Larry Wilson
Billy Cannon Jim Mandich Drew Bledsoe Ron Jaworski
Tom Jackson Jack Youngblood Trent Dilfer Warren Sapp
Archie Manning Fred Dean Mark Duper Marcus Allen
Doug Swift Ray A. Lewis Marv Fleming Lem Barney
Larry Wilson Ken Houston Mel Renfro Junior Seau
Alex Karras Ottis J. Anderson Deacon Jones Bob Baumhower
Roger Goodell

Baseball
Andres Galarraga Ralph Branca Jim Kaat Rickey Henderson
Wade Boggs Bryan Harvey Fred McGriff Dave Stieb
Michael Boddicker Rick Aguilera Willie Randolph Barry Larkin
Dave Righetti Joe Girardi Tom Browning Steve Sax
Lou Whitaker Don Aase Paul Assenmacher Ryan Madson
Tom Gordon Arthur Rhodes Milt Thompson Steve Ontiveros
Mickey Hatcher Jay Buhner Sid Fernandez Jody Davis
Mark Lemke Steve Lake John Kruk Alex Fernandez
Trot Nixon Tom Lasorda Lance Parrish Roberto Kelly
Bob Walk Gene T. Larkin Scott Bankhead Wally Bachman
Ozzie Guillen Jim Thome Dallas McPherson Derrek Lee
Rafael Furcal Ryan Zimmerman Lance Berkma Matt Holliday
Cookie Rojas Mark Teixeira Kyle Abbott Tom Glavine
Jim Deshaies Josh Hamilton Austin Jackson Mark DeRosa
Mike Caldwell Bob Cerv B. J. Upton Evan Longoria
Jeff Pico Pete O'Brien Preston Ward Miguel Cabrera
Adam Dunn Glenn Beckert

[propete23]

I have to disagree with a few of those guys. I got back from Steve Lake rather quickly, and also got a success from Madson.

I do agree with some of the names in your list though too. Jay Buhner I sent a nice photo and got nothing back. Wally Backman, sent twice and nothing!

You just have to keep sending. I usually send a baseball / football card as the first step. If I really want something else signed, I send it right after and usually put in something about me sending a larger (more expensive item) That way, I dont lose mini helmets, baseballs, etc.

Hope this helps and like I said, JUST KEEP SENDING! You are asking for someone to take time out of their schedule to do a favor for a COMPLETE STRANGER! I count my blessings that so many players DO SIGN, and for free!

Have fun with this, love the hobby

[Polishgooner]

That's strange Ditka, Manning and Goddell should have replied.

[lizard-jd]

Guys, I didn't post this because I'm mad. Disappointed, yes. The people that don't bother to respond versus doing an RTS are the worse ones. I'm hoping to help some of the more new members. I love this hobby and inspite of the names I posted, I have an 86.9% success ratio with my TTMs so I'm not complaining. However, if someone would have posted a list like I did, it sure would have saved me a lot of money and TIME. I can always make more money but the TIME I can never get back! As for those of you that had successes with some of these names, all I can say is, "good for you." They didn't work for me and if I really want one of their autographs that bad, I'll buy one from a reputable dealer but I'm not wasting any more of my time for them. There are way too many more that I want to pursue.

There are lesson's that all of us tend to learn over time in this hobby. One that I learned is not to send some of my more expensive collector cards to sign unless I'm real sure it will come back. I lost a number of these to some of the names I posted. Now I check multiple sites on people to see if there are recent successes. If someone has not recieved something back from a player within at least 8 months, I skip that player and check for another. Of course, that's just my own process but my success ratio has been very high compared to what it used to be. I don't bother taking "blind shots" anymore.

[lizard-jd]

That's strange Ditka, Manning and Goddell should have replied.

That's what I thought too. But hey, there's only one way to find out for yourself. It cost me my rookie cards for Ditka & Archie Manning. Goodell is the only Commissioner that never responded (I sent him 2 letters with pics).

[maple19]

There used to be a section on the old scf ttm that could of told you but thats gone now

I tell you if you would have done some research before sending out this list would have not have been as big a little extra time will save you money i never send to untested addy


Dave Stieb Signs i got him a couple times over the years but he nows wants $5 from what i have seen around the net...

goodluck with your future ones

mike

PS You have keep track and posted it here as others will save some money from this list

[ryeinc]

Glenn Beckert seemed to be good in person he talked to my dad in the hot dog line at Tropicana Field and gave him his autograph

[dicekmvp]

Why is this the "List of Shame" there is nothing wrong or illegal about not signing ttms. Some on the list are very nice guys but probably don't have the time or the mail got lost.

[Taliasen]

I have sent to Rickey Henderson a few times and he NEVER sign TTM.

Tal

[mastervin636]

Well Rickey Henderson has always seemed to be a jerk.No surprise there.I mean you call this the list of shame but most of the names you talk about were huge players from their eras.Im sure they get a tone of requests and grow tired of signing.If I were one I dont think I would sign balls,helmets,jerseys.I would think that those type of items would seem to be very valuable and most of the collectors would be trying to make a quick buck off of me,just my opinion.