BucCollector's Pirates Autographs, 1970-1979

[BucCollector]

Larry Demery, an eBay pickup.

 

[BucCollector]

One of the tougher ones in my collection, although it seems like Dilone autographs are easier to find now then they once were. This came from my Facebook contact in the Dominican Republic.

 

[BucCollector]

Duffy Dyer is a good TTM signer. The 1975 Topps was one of those cards that eluded me as a kid; same with 1976 Topps Frank Taveras. And I had hundreds of 1977 Topps Brian Downing and Johnny Grubb.

 

[BucCollector]

Mike Easler signed his rookie card for me via TTM with fee. The other cards were cheap eBay pickups; I also have a few cut auto slabs and other things. As a card collector, I find Easler really interesting because he has at least one of everything - minor league cards, major league cards, Senior League, Japanese, Venezuelan winter league, a Mexican Pacific League sticker (good luck finding that), minor league coach cards, minor league manager, major league coach, independent league manager, stickers, tattoos, stamps, scratchoffs, team issued cards, food issues, police, The Wiz, cut autos, relics. All that with only 263 cards, according to TCDB. He also does Cameo videos and may or may not have a book coming out.

 

[mrmopar]

Never get tired of any 78 Topps signed cards. My Rookie year of card collecting!

 

[BucCollector]

Here's one I didn't expect to get the way that I did. Mike Edwards didn't have a Pirates card. He isn't known to sign TTM, but I took a shot with his twin brother Marshall, who does. I sent Marshall a note with one of his cards, a Mike Edwards custom, and two reply envelopes. I got the Marshall back signed pretty quickly, but with no acknowledgment of the Mike. Thinking that if I found something else signed I could make a cut auto card, I searched eBay and found this, from his time with the Pirates' AA team. Good enough for me, especially for $10!

 

[BucCollector]

Dock Ellis started and ended his career with the Pirates; made more than twice as many starts with the Pirates than he did with all other teams combined; started an All-Star Game and pitched a no-hitter with the Pirates; yet his only certified on-card autos are with the Yankees. And, of course, he passed in 2008, so there won't be any more.

There was a 1/1 cut signature in 2019 Heritage, part of a weird checklist that includes Cesar Gutierrez, Carl Morton, and Emmett Ashford. Until I find it, I'm very satisfied with this card, which came in a trade with an SCN member.

 

[BucCollector]

Tim Foli signed these via TTM in 2020 and included his signed religious tracts.

 

[BucCollector]

Jim Foor doesn't have a Pirates card. He signed these customs TTM in 2020.

 

[Greg Cleveland]

Dock Ellis started and ended his career with the Pirates; made more than twice as many starts with the Pirates than he did with all other teams combined; started an All-Star Game and pitched a no-hitter with the Pirates; yet his only certified on-card autos are with the Yankees. And, of course, he passed in 2008, so there won't be any more.

There was a 1/1 cut signature in 2019 Heritage, part of a weird checklist that includes Cesar Gutierrez, Carl Morton, and Emmett Ashford. Until I find it, I'm very satisfied with this card, which came in a trade with an SCN member.

View attachment 344459

I was wondering if you had a Dock Ellis. Have you seen this? It's my favorite retelling of Dock's LSD no hitter.


Sent from my SM-S908U using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[BucCollector]

I was wondering if you had a Dock Ellis. Have you seen this? It's my favorite retelling of Dock's LSD no hitter.


Sent from my SM-S908U using Freedom Card Board mobile app

Yeah, that's pretty classic. There are a lot of great Dock stories, though. I highly recommend:

Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball|Paperback

One of America's finest poets joins forces with one of baseball's most outrageous pitchers to paint a revealing portrait of our national game. Donald Hall's forceful, yet elegant, prose brings together all the elements of Dock Ellis's story into a seamless whole. The two of them, the pitcher and...

www.barnesandnoble.com

 

[BucCollector]

It's hard to believe that Jim Fregosi died almost ten years ago, because it doesn't seem like I have been working on this project for that long - but I have. This was one of the first TTM autographs I got. He was a terrific signer.

 

[BucCollector]

Gene Garber's only Pirates card, obtained TTM.

 

[BucCollector]

Phil Garner. The 1980 OPC came in a trade. The 2018 Topps Fan Favorites card is my favorite of the certified autos and honestly makes the other two look pitiful by comparison.

 

[BucCollector]

I tried Clarence aka Cito Gaston TTM in 2019 with no success. This card came from pastpros already signed (meaning, I didn't send it to him).

 

[BucCollector]

Joe Gibbon signed this 1970 Topps TTM in 2018. If I were mailing to him today, I would have sent a nicer card. I love getting ballpoint signatures on 1970s - 1980s cards, that predate the wide use of Sharpies.

 

[Therion]

Joe Gibbon! I need him on an Astros card, but he doesn't have one. Hopefully I can find a signing with him to send a custom in to.

 

[BucCollector]

Unfortunately Joe Gibbon passed away in 2019.

 

[BucCollector]

Dave Giusti was the Pirates closer until 1977, when Rich Gossage and then Kent Tekulve took over. I believe he is still a good TTM signer.

 

[Therion]

Unfortunately Joe Gibbon passed away in 2019.

*facepalm*

I knew this too. Just being a dummy. I'll have to make a cut custom at some point.