# 44 - Neal Cotts - Team Gift Set

I first remember hearing of Neal Cotts when he was a prospect for the Oakland A's. After he made the big leagues with the White Sox, he spent a few years in their bullpen. He was part of the 2005 team when the Sox won the World Series. Before the 2007 season he was traded to the Cubs and never really had much success. Some injuries set him back for the next few years. After not pitching in a big league game for nearly four years he returned to the mound for the Rangers last season. He did pretty well and ended up pitching in 58 games for Texas.

Neal signed his card from the 2008 Topps Chicago Cubs 55 card team gift set for us via from a mail request last season. 

# 44 - Neal Cotts - Team Gift Set 

# 19 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set

Nate Robertson has several cards in the 2008 Topps Detroit Tigers 55-card team gift set. A friend on SCN helped get three of them signed for us at a Round Rock Express game earlier this season. This one commemorates Nate as being third on the team in strikeouts.

# 19 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set 

# 10 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set

Nate Robertson has several cards in the 2008 Topps Detroit Tigers 55-card team gift set. A friend on SCN helped get three of them signed for us at a Round Rock Express game earlier this season. This one commemorates Nate as being third on the team in ERA.

# 10 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set 

# 11 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set

Nate Robertson has several cards in the 2008 Topps Detroit Tigers 55-card team gift set. A friend on SCN helped get three of them signed for us at a Round Rock Express game earlier this season.

# 11 - Nate Robertson - Team Gift Set 

# 48 - Daryle Ward - Team Gift Set

My postings have been sporadic since about the middle of July. It hasn't been for a lack of these to post I've just been busy with other things. That being said, I have a lot of things scanned and a lot more to be scanned.

A friend on SCN helped get this Daryle Ward card signed for our 2008 Topps collection. It's from the 55-card Chicago Cubs team gift set. Daryle played for the Cubs during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Those were his last big league appearances. Since then he's played a few seasons in the independent Atlantic League. This past year he was on the Lancaster Barnstormers. 

# 30 - Jon Lieber - Team Gift Set

In addition to the Gold Border Parallel card we posted yesterday, Jon Lieber signed this card. It's from the 2008 Topps 55 card Cubs Team Gift Set. As much as I enjoy getting a new card signed for the base set, the team sets are surprisingly fun too.

# 30 - Jon Lieber - Team Gift Set

# 51 - Howard Johnson - Team Gift Set

I got a little help from a friend on SportsGraphing.com to get this Howard Johnson card signed. It's from the 2008 Topps Mets 55 card Team Gift Set. After being the Mets hitting coach from 2007-2010, Howard is now a coach for the Mariners Triple A team in Tacoma.

Of course HoJo is best known for his hotel chain which can be found across America. Okay maybe not but I remember one of the first times I went to Chicago on vacation in the early 90s. I saw a Howard Johnson's hotel I thought it was named after him. Give me a break I was ten and he was an All-Star. It seemed possible.

# 51 - Howard Johnson - Team Gift Set

# 52 - Ramon Castro - Team Gift Set

One of the nice things about the 2008 Topps Team Gift Sets are they have some cool classic combos cards. This one features Ramon Castro and Pedro Martinez. Ramon signed it for us at the Dodgers Spring Training practice we went to in February.

# 52 - Ramon Castro - Team Gift Set 

# 36 - Ramon Castro - Team Gift Set

Former Mets catcher, Ramon Castro, had a card in the 2008 Topps New York Mets 55 card team gift set. Ramon said he had never seen this one before. Always cool. Especially since this set came out 4+ years ago.

# 36 - Ramon Castro - Team Gift Set
 

# 55 - Goose Gossage - Team Gift Set

I acquired another Yankee Stadium card from the 2008 Topps 55 card Yankees Team set.

The Yankees have a few living Hall of Famers I could have sent this one too. I already have this card signed by Whitey Ford so he was off the table. I decided to go with Goose Gossage. He's pretty reliable TTM when you send a reasonable donation to his charity.

Goose didn't let us down. This rad card came back signed just a few days after we sent it. Thanks, Mr. Gossage!

# 55 - Goose Gossage - Team Gift Set
 

# 55 - Wade Boggs - Team Gift Set

I had noticed that a few people having success getting Hall of Famer Wade Boggs autograph TTM around the beginning of July. I didn't have an extra of the Fenway Park card from the Red Sox 2008 Topps team gift set available. I had to overpay for one on Amazon but it was worth it.

Last week, we got it back signed by Wade. I was super stoked. It's a really nice card signed beautifully in blue Sharpie right across third base. Thanks, Mr. Boggs!

# 55 - Wade Boggs - Team Gift Set 
 

# 55 - Fergie Jenkins - Team Gift Set

We've been trying to get the stadium cards from the 2008 Topps 55 card team gift sets signed by some of our favorite Hall of Famers.

Fergie Jenkins signed this card featuring Wrigley Field for us. Sure Fergie spent time with the Phillies and Rangers but I'll always remember him as a Cubbie.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Fergie a few times. He's always been great.

Thanks for signing this card for us, Mr. Jenkins. It's one of my favorites.

# 55 - Fergie Jenkins - Team Gift Set 

# 55 - Andre Dawson - Team Gift Set

Growing up, I was a Chicago Cubs fan. I remember watching games on WGN every summer with my dad. There was nothing better than falling asleep on the couch while listening to Harry Carey and Steve Stone.

While I was in high school, Arizona was awarded the Diamondbacks franchise. I still like the Cubbies, they're just not my number one team any longer.

One of my favorite Cubs from the late 80s and early 90s was Andre Dawson. I was picking up a bunch of Dawson's certified autographs for awhile about ten years ago. I guess you could say I had a player collection going.

Since I have family in Chicago, I've been fortunate to go to a few games at Wrigley Field. When I bought the 2008 Topps Chicago Cubs 55 card team set, I was excited to get the stadium card. It's got a nice shot of the coolest baseball stadium I've ever been to.

I procrastinated on sending this one off to Andre Dawson for awhile. I finally threw it in the mail with a donation to his foundation. A few days later it came back signed in beautiful, blue Sharpie. Thanks, Andre! This one's awesome!

# 55 - Andre Dawson - Team Gift Set 

# 86-DS - Darryl Strawberry - Team Gift Set

Good news! We added another 1986 Mets certified autograph to our 2008 Topps collection. These were inserted into the Mets 55 card team gift sets. You may remember that we already have Dwight Gooden and Keith Hernandez. Now we've added Darryl Strawberry to go along with them. I'm still on the lookout for the Gary Carter.

# 86-DS - Darryl Strawberry 

# 55 - Al Kaline - Team Gift Set

We were able to get Detroit Tigers legend and Hall of Famer, Al Kaline to sign the stadium card from the 2008 Tigers 55 card team gift set.

This one shouldn't come as much of a surprise if you're a regular reader of My 2008 Topps Set Blog. You might remember the other stadium cards in our collection that are signed by HOFers Duke Snider, Whitey Ford, and Bobby Doerr. This one will go perfectly with those.

Thanks, Mr. Kaline! I look forward to the day when my son is old enough to appreciate these cards so I can explain to him who these legends are.

# 55 - Al Kaline - Team Gift Set
 

Detroit Tigers Team Gift Set

I finally broke down and bought the sixth and final 55 card team gift set that Topps put out in 2008. It's of the Detroit Tigers. A lot of good stuff in here including a Comerica Park card.
 

# 13 - Takashi Saito - Team Gift Set

Former Dodgers closer, Takashi Saito is now with the Diamondbacks. We got him to sign a card from the 2008 Topps Dodgers 55 card team gift set. This one's a multi-player card featuring the Dodgers that were All-Stars in 2007.

# 13 - Takashi Saito - Team Gift Set

# 53 - Bobby Doerr - Team Gift Set

Hall of Famer, Bobby Doerr came through for us again. This time he signed the Red Sox celebration card from the 2008 Topps Boston Red Sox 55 card team gift set for us. You may remember that he signed the regular base version of this card for us too. That was back in April 2009. It was the 51st signed card for our 08 Topps set.

Thanks, Bobby!

# 53 - Boston Red Sox - Team Gift Set

# 29 - Ryan Church - Team Gift Set

Ryan Church also signed his card from the 2008 Topps Mets Team Gift Set for us too. This one's an entirely different picture from his regular issue.

# 29 - Ryan Church - Team Gift Set

# 15 - Alan Trammell - Team Gift Set

I haven't gotten much mail back lately but a few good ones have come back. The best is probably this one of former Chicago Cubs bench coach and Detroit Tigers legend, Alan Trammell.

# 15 - Alan Trammell - Team Gift Set