Adding a Yankees Legend to my Topps Yankees Project

Most are likely familiar, but a few years ago I set out to collect at least one signed Topps Yankees card for each year that Topps has put out a product. I did this all via TTM autograph requests, and didn't purchase any of the autographs via a 3rd party. I also didn't repeat players. Here is the last time I posed all the cards together, in 2017.

Given current signing habits, it's gotten tougher and tougher. But it's still doable.

In 2019, this had been my entry so far. I was fine with it, but the personalization was something I was hoping to not include in my project. Just a weird quirk, even though I don't mind at all when I get personalized autographs.

Then yesterday, this 'lil beauty arrived in my mailbox.

That right there is from Yankees legend Troy Tulowitzki.

I was all for the Tulo signing last winter. People bitched and moaned, because that's what they do, without understanding that the Yankees were getting him for the league minimum at a time when their starting SS was going to miss the first half of the season with TJ surgery. I know it's a hard concept to grasp: no risk, high reward.

Tulo then had himself a great spring training, and was the Yankees opening day shortstop.

Sadly, as most likely would have predicted, he got injured after just five games, and eventually called it a career. At the age of 34, he just couldn't stay healthy enough to keep playing. It's a bummer, because he was an elite player when healthy. I'm glad he was a Yankee, albeit for a short time, because he idolized Jeter (wore #2 in Colorado and Toronto), and I know it meant a lot to him. He even hit his last career homer as a Yankee.

Tulo then latched on with the University of Texas as a coach, which is where this TTM request was sent.

So if it comes down to Chance Adams versus Troy Tulowitzki for my 2019 project entry, I might just have to give the nod to the five-time All-Star, two-time gold glover, all-time Mets killer, and all-around cool dude and Yankees legend.