2005 Topps Total, Tom Martin

#624 Tom Martin

Here is the third and final card of Tom Martin that I got signed at the Kansas Stars game last year. I posted the first card, an Orioles minor league card, nearly a year ago and an '04 Topps Total card two months ago.

This is also the last card from the 2005 Topps Total set that I have to post for now. When I posted the first one nearly three weeks ago, I speculated that it would take me until Thanksgiving to get the nine cards posted. Having got them all by Halloween has been a nice accomplishment for me. I still wish I had the time to post one a day like I did ten years ago, but life doesn't always allow you to do the things you want to do.

Tom pitched for Atlanta for just parts of two seasons. During that time, he was 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in 33 games.

I thought that it was very odd where Tom signed this card. I have seven dual player cards from this set that I have got signed and every single one of them, except for this one, is signed on one side or the other. I am not sure what Chris Reitsma is up to these days. But, if I ever run across him to finish this card off, Tom's signature in the middle of the card will definitely throw the card out of balance.

As for Tom, he is now one of the Buckmen from Buck Commander.

2005 Topps Total, Cal Eldred

#613 Cal Eldred

Here is a card that I got signed this past summer in Kansas City. Cal is the pitching coach for the Royals and I was able to get him to sign some cards for me from the bullpen at one of the games that I went to. When he saw this card, he made sure to tell me that he wasn't the one I needed to sign this card. That is no joke and I doubt that I will ever be able to add Adam to it.

While Cal signed three cards for me that evening, and this is the first of those three to get posted on here, this is not the first card of him to ever appear on this blog. I sent Cal a TTM request in the mid-'90s and I posted that card nine years ago. That card, a '93 Fleer, was glossy and unprepped and the signature bubbled up pretty good. But, you can still make it out and it is cool to see that Cal's signature has not changed a bit in nearly twenty-five years. He has, of course, added a Bible verse and his number to his autograph.

Speaking of his number, he wore 21 during that majority of his career. But, in his three seasons with the Cards, he wore 23. Considering that there are hardly any cards of him from his time in St. Louis, it is cool that he signs his correct number when given the chance.

During Cal's time with the Cardinals, he was 12-6 with 9 saves and a 3.41 ERA.

When I got Cal to sign this card, it was during Player's Weekend. The name on the back of his jersey was "Corn Fed". I asked him about that and he said it was because he was always a bigger guy and that it didn't help that he was from Iowa.

2005 Topps Total, Jake Peavy

#475 Jake Peavy

Here is the first card of Jake Peavy that I have posted in eight years. That one was given to me by Rod, from Padrographs. This one, on the other hand, was obtained in-person last summer while Jake was playing for the Kansas Stars.

I had three cards for Jake to sign, but he was strictly a one-per guy. Luckily, I gave some cards to my dad and he was able to get a second card signed for me. That one is from a 2014 set, so it will be another eight years before I get that card posted. Who am I kidding? At my rate, it will be closer to eighteen years.

When I last posted a card of Jake, he was still an active player. That is not the case anymore as he last played in 2016. He had a rough go at life since that 2016 season which included a divorce and his financial adviser screwing him out of millions of dollars he had saved up for retirement. He was trying to make a comeback this season, but I had not heard anything about that since Spring Training.

So, if Jake never pitches again, he will finish his career with a record of 152-126 and a 3.63 ERA with 2,207 strikeouts.

2005 Topps Total, Corky Miller

#461 Corky Miller

Here is the lone card that I got signed by Corky Miller at Spring Training in 2017. Corky is the Reds roving catching instructor and I was able to get him to sign this lone card at Reds minor league camp.

This is the only card of Corky that I own, so I assumed he had a relatively short career. That is not the case as he played in Major League games in eleven different seasons. He never played in more than 39 in any given season, so he was more of a third string catcher than anything.

Over his eleven seasons, Corky got into 216 games with the Reds, Twins, Red Sox, Braves, and White Sox. The majority of his playing time came during his two stints with the Reds, with whom he played in 153 games. For his career, Corky hit .193 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI. His best season was with the Reds in 2002. That year, he played in a career-high 39 games and hit .254 with 3 home runs and 15 RBI.

This is the only Major League card of Corky that does not show him playing for the Reds. And, even though his career lasted into the 2013 season, this is the last Major League card of him.

I was looking forward to seeing what Corky's real name was. It turns out that it is actually Corky. His full name is Corky Abraham Philip Miller. There have been two other players that played in the Majors that went by Corky, but it was just a nickname for the other two.

2005 Topps Total, Koyie Hill

#401 Koyie Hill

Here is the first of three cards that I got signed by Koyie Hill at the Kansas Stars game last summer. Koyie was on both editions of the Stars squad, but I struck out with him in 2016. It seems like I did better with the pitchers in 2016 and then did better with the hitters in 2017. I could be completely off base on that assessment, but that is the way it seems.

Koyie played in the big leagues for parts of eleven seasons with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, and Phillies. The fourth round draft pick out of Wichita State made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 2003. He played in just three games for them before being dealt to the D-Backs for Steve Finley.

With the D-Backs, Koyie got into 47 games over a two year span. During that time, he hit .228 with 12 RBI and 1 home run, the first of his career.

That home run was pretty clutch at the time. The D-Backs were trailing the Pirates 7-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Koyie came up with two on and one out. He hit the first pitch he saw off of Jose Mesa for a three-run homer that brought the score to 7-6. The D-Backs got one more run off of Mesa to tie it before losing in the tenth inning. Mesa was able to pick up the win despite blowing the save and surrendering four runs in one inning of work.

2005 Topps Total, Jason Repko

#299 Jason Repko

Here is a card that I got signed at a Wingnuts game in 2015. Jason was playing for the Sioux Falls Canaries at the time and was nice enough to stop and sign this lone card I have of him. What exactly he signed is unknown to me as this might be the worst looking autograph that I have ever posted on here. I have absolutely no clue what is going on with that signature.

Jason spent parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers, Twins, and Red Sox. Over that time he hit .224 with 16 home runs and 67 RBI. His best season was probably his rookie year with the Dodgers. Though he hit only .221, he played in a career-high 129 games and responded with 8 homers and 30 RBI.

Despite playing in 360 games for his career, this is the only card of Jason that Topps ever made. Besides this card, he has just a 2000 Bowman card and an Upper Deck card from each year from 2005-07. All of his cards picture him with the Dodgers.

Jason actually has two games of postseason experience, both in the Division Series. One was with the Dodgers in 2006 and the other was with the Twins in 2010. In both instances, he entered the games late as a pinch runner and failed to score.

2005 Topps Total, Troy Percival

#233 Troy Percival

Here is the second card of Troy Percival that I got signed at a Kansas State baseball game last year. I posted the first one back in April. You can see that card and read about the miserable conditions Troy and I endured here.

I, and I am assuming most people, associate Troy as an Angel. After all, he spent eleven seasons with that organization. During that time, he racked up a club record 316 saves while making four All Star teams and helping the club to its lone World Championship. But, that all ended after the 2004 season when the Angels let him leave via free agency.

He signed on with the Tigers for 2005 and it was not a good one for Troy. He recorded only 8 saves while posting a then career worst ERA of 5.76. The Tigers shut him down in mid-July and he missed the rest of the season. He then missed all of the 2006 season, as well.

Troy finished his time in Detroit with a 1-3 record and 20 strikeouts.

Troy is currently the head coach of the UC Riverside baseball team.