My 30 Greatest TTM Autos: 20-16

Just got back from a weekend away in Chicago (with a card-related post to come), so I missed posting yesterday. But without further ado, here are numbers 20 through 16...

20. Andruw Jones, 2010 Topps

How can I place Jones ahead of Al Kaline? Mostly, it’s the 1996 World Series. I was pulling like crazy for the Braves to put down those damned Yankees and the 19-year-old Jones did everything he could to make that happen. He hit .400 in the series with two homers and played a magical kind of centerfield. I think Jones has a legit case for the Hall of Fame. He’s a sporadic signer who I happened to get lucky with a few years back.

19. Luis Tiant, 1977 Topps

Another guy with a fringe case for the Hall that got no love from voters, El Tiante is best known for his years in Boston. There is a great book about Game Six of the 1975 World Series (titled ‘Game Six’) that goes deep into Tiant’s struggles to get his family out of Cuba to join him in the US. He’s a great story and he looked great pitching and was part of some very interesting teams.

18. Wade Boggs, 1991 Topps

If baseball-reference.com taught me nothing else, it taught me that Wade Boggs was easily one of the greatest all-around players of all-time. He didn’t steal and had little power, but he was a devastating hitter who drew lots of walks and played a great third base. Mike Trout is currently in his sixth season. He has a career slash line of .307/.408/.566. After six full seasons, Boggs had a slash line of .354/.439/.484. Trout is the better player here, but it’s pretty close. This is also a beautiful card with a great sig. Boggs is still a very good TTM signer, asking just five bucks a card. If you collect, you need a Boggs auto in your life.

17. Cecil Cooper, 1986 OPC

I got this when Cooper was still managing the Astros. Coop is one of my all-time favorite Brewers and had a few elite years in the early 1980s. I love that ’86 design and this gets a bonus for the BIG, BOLD sig, and the friendly inscription.

16. Ted Higuera, 1990 Donruss Baseball’s Best

The 1990 Donruss design is a bit a flash-point among collectors. I happen to love it and love the blue-bordered “Best” variety even more. Higuera is, in my opinion, the greatest lefty in Brewers history. He had a remarkable peak in the late 1980s but, sadly, was given a huge contract extension by the team which was followed immediately by a string of debilitating injuries. It was this lousy pact that he was most remember for many years after his retirement. Higuera hasn’t signed TTM for many years now, which is a shame since he signature is one of the most beautiful in recent memory.