Another Custom TTM Success!

Nothing soothes a frustrating day at work like coming home to a mailbox full of cards... literally, jam-packed, stuffed to the gills with cardboard.  My poor, little apartment mailbox could barely contain the mass of paper therapy - I honestly struggled to get everything out of my my tiny mailbox - I am not exaggerating when I say "jam-packed."  Contained within the huddled mass was a generous flat-rate box from Paul (proprietor of the newly rechristened Scribbled Ink), a pair of packages addressed to my wife, a stack of junk mail, and a tri-folded envelope with my very own handwriting emblazoned on the front.  You know what that means - a TTM return successfully made the long journey back home!!

Needless to say, my grueling afternoon at the office was instantly forgotten.

Paul's flat-rate box was even more crammed with pasteboard perfection than the mailbox was, but that bit of generosity will get a dedicated post of it's own in the next few days... at least one, anyway.  As for the TTM envelope, I'm giddy to report that it came back as a success!

I'm now two-for-two in my custom card TTM project! At this rate, I'm going to get spoiled.

For Cubbies of yore who were never properly honored with a baseball card of their own, I've taken to whipping up creations of my own and mailing them off for signature in order to fill slots in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder.  Of course, I also include a copy or two of my card for the ballplayer to keep as a memento, if they so choose, as well.  I just feel as though a signature solidifies my cards' status as collectibles, seeing as autographs are inherently collectible.

First, it was Footer Johnson who honored my humble request.  This time, one-game wonder, John Pyecha, was kind enough to take the time to scribble a John Hancock on my artwork.
 

For John, whose single game of action came during the 1954 season, I chose to fashion his custom card in the mold of the Topps set from the same year.  For comparison's sake, here's a side-by-side comparison, using a 1994 Topps Archives reprint of fellow CATRC resident, Bob Scheffing. 

On second thought, I'm seeing that Topps kind of shirked some details on their 40-year anniversary re-do.  For instance, the old school Cubbie Bear logo should have a white face, the borders are thicker, and the top border shouldn't be there at all on Bobby's entry.  Therefore, for a more accurate comparison let's take a look at my Pyecha next to the only original card I have from that colorful, vintage checklist:

I've used this Hank Sauer scan several times on this blog before (it's one of my personal favorites); so, please forgive me for the over-exposure.  As Hank makes apparent, my aping is still not perfect - the logo is a tad too big, my borders still aren't quite right, etc.  Plus, I've shrunk mine down to standard size because I wanted my creation to easily slip into a nine-pocket page.  That being stated, I'm still quite happy with how it turned out, overall.

Most of the pictures available on the internet of the Moonlight Graham were black and white, so I had to colorize the profile shot which takes up the most real estate.  I struggled with the skin tone, but that's always the most difficult part of such an undertaking.  Furthermore, the inset picture, his only "action" shot easily available, was a little dark and his face is pretty much blacked out.  However, all the flaws are made up for with that lovely, loopy signature which John himself inked across his chest.  He's an 85-year old man and he still has better, more legible penmanship that most professional athletes today.... heck, than most people, in general, today.

That looks like it should be on the Declaration of Independence!

But, enough about the card - let's talk about the man which it showcases.

John toiled for six seasons in the minors, but had only one shining day in the Major League sun.  On April 24, 1954, at Crosley Field, Pyecha entered the game for the seventh inning, in relief.  At the time, the visitors were trailing the Redlegs,  3–2.   Masterfully, Pyecha held the Reds scoreless across the next two frames as Chicago rallied to take a 5–3 lead going into the ninth.  Unfortunately, just one out away from victory, Pyecha allowed a walk-off, three-run bomb to Wally Post and the storybook closed abruptly.

Whoops... oh, what could have been.  Soon thereafter, he was sent back to the PCL's L.A. Angels, where he'd spend another year and change on the farm before arm troubles forced him into an early retirement, at the spry, young age of 23.

Long affiliated with the Cubs, the original Angels supplied Wrigley with many Major Leaguers.

That one game might be where his Major League bio and stat-line ended; that said, there's a lot more depth to Pyecha that makes him quite an interesting figure.  For instance, he was a versatile athlete, starring on the basketball cout during his collegiate days for Appalachian State, which was then a teacher's college in the NAIA.   He once scored 50 points in a single game and had a career scoring average of 22.3 ppg with a single-season high of 28.7.  Additionally, he averaged 14.6 rebounds per game and was named as an All American in 1955.  For his hardwood heroics, Pyecha is enshrined in the Mountaineers Hall of Fame.

Did you notice the year on that last bit of info?  1955.  His lone MLB appearance came in '54... he was playing collegiate level basketball during his baseball off-seasons!  At this time, the athletic conference in which App State competed permitted athletes to play a professional sport and still maintain amateur status in another sport.  You don't see that kind of versatility anymore.

Although his baseball career came to an abrupt and forced end and he never went pro in hoops, Pyecha did not slip out of the spotlight; in fact, he was such a gifted athlete that he went on to compete on the national level in handball and earned himself a black belt in judo.  The guy was an athletic renaissance man!

When he wasn't busy flexing his muscles in whatever sport he fancied that day, Pyecha was racking his brain, which was perhaps the strongest component of his body.  The teacher's college graduate put his degree to work, becoming a name in the field of academic research.  His name is attached to several research projects and studies, including many conducted on college campuses and about the field of special education - in fact, it appears as though he also served as the president of the North Carolina Association for Research in Education in 1979.  He certainly put his degree to good use.

So, while his Major League Baseball career might have fizzled before it could really get going, Pyecha did not let that stop him from making his mark on the world... and, luckily for me, he made his mark on my custom creation, too!

I must say, that's truly an honor to have a piece of my work graced with the signature of such an interesting and generous fellow.  On the off-chance that he or anyone in his circle should stumble upon this blog post, I'm truly thankful that Mr. Pyecha took the time to read my letter, autograph my card, and mail it back to me - the gesture means the world to me.

Also, welcome to my CATRC, Mr. Pyecha!

Here's hoping that the rest of my custom TTM requests are as successful as Footer and Pyecha - I have a few more pending, including Wayne Tyrone, Bob Raudman, Joe Campbell, etc., etc. 

I think I've found a new addiction!

via GIPHY